Hello, Yupette,
I'm a 30-something Arlington Democrat and former ACDC precinct chair. Like many younger Democrats I'm fed up with the way the 'Old Guard' runs the Party and Arlington County. I'm voting for Audrey Clement in November. I've had it with Walter and Mary. Yes, in fact the developers run the County.
FYI, younger Democrats are looking for a Young Democrat to run for Barbara Favola's seat if she should move on to state senate. Two names that are mentioned are Stephanie Clifford and Kim Klinger. We do not want Libby Garvey or any other member of the Old Guard who has been around forever running for County Board. It's also time for Chris Zimmerman and Jay Fisette to move on.
Former YD
Monday, September 26, 2011
Friday, September 23, 2011
Deja Vu Reconstruction - Carpetbaggers are Ruining Alexandria
Hello, Yupette,
Thanks for your blog.
News from Alexandria isn't good. The out-of-state Carpetbaggers are ruining Alexandria, aided and abetted by local pols and absentee property owners who have allowed their properties to deteriorate while they luxuriate..in places like the Gold Coast of Florida, and Hawaii. It's like Reconstruction after the War Between the States.
Developer, Consultant, Planner, Lawyer Carpetbaggers are drawn by BRAC like flies are drawn by sugar to the West End of Alexandria, where they're trying to inflict Club Hedo on hardworking middle class Virginians who are maids at Mark Center, salespersons at Landmark, and attendants at the yuppie health clubs. More than 2200 affordable market-rate apartments are going to be eliminated via mixed-use yuppification, forcing workers to commute 40 miles one-way from the outer-outer suburbs. More 'Smart Growth'.
This is what we get from electing a Mayor who's not only pro-development, he's a GD developer! Another 'model minority' who appears to hate minorities. Like...guess who? Barack Obama.
Oh, forgot to mention, there's a couple more Club Hedo marinas planned for the waterfront in Old Town and the present GenOn generating station site.
Alex.
Thanks for your blog.
News from Alexandria isn't good. The out-of-state Carpetbaggers are ruining Alexandria, aided and abetted by local pols and absentee property owners who have allowed their properties to deteriorate while they luxuriate..in places like the Gold Coast of Florida, and Hawaii. It's like Reconstruction after the War Between the States.
Developer, Consultant, Planner, Lawyer Carpetbaggers are drawn by BRAC like flies are drawn by sugar to the West End of Alexandria, where they're trying to inflict Club Hedo on hardworking middle class Virginians who are maids at Mark Center, salespersons at Landmark, and attendants at the yuppie health clubs. More than 2200 affordable market-rate apartments are going to be eliminated via mixed-use yuppification, forcing workers to commute 40 miles one-way from the outer-outer suburbs. More 'Smart Growth'.
This is what we get from electing a Mayor who's not only pro-development, he's a GD developer! Another 'model minority' who appears to hate minorities. Like...guess who? Barack Obama.
Oh, forgot to mention, there's a couple more Club Hedo marinas planned for the waterfront in Old Town and the present GenOn generating station site.
Alex.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Time for Scott McCaffrey to Move On
Hi Yupette:
The new Sun Gazette Web Blog is a mess. It's difficult or impossible to post comments. It seems the blog's software bugs aren't going to be fixed and Scotty doesn't care. He (apparently) is no longer allowed to run the SG's news blog, and the SG's newsroom, as he pleases. All he CAN do is post press releases from the County Manager's Office, Arlington Chamber of Commerce, real estate sales reports, etc. This is the guy who who awards 'C' grades to any candidate for County Board who doesn't go along with the County Board's status quo dumb growth program. Well, his current grade is 'F' in Journalism 101. Time for Sarasota Scotty to move on...to Sarasota.
Donna
The new Sun Gazette Web Blog is a mess. It's difficult or impossible to post comments. It seems the blog's software bugs aren't going to be fixed and Scotty doesn't care. He (apparently) is no longer allowed to run the SG's news blog, and the SG's newsroom, as he pleases. All he CAN do is post press releases from the County Manager's Office, Arlington Chamber of Commerce, real estate sales reports, etc. This is the guy who who awards 'C' grades to any candidate for County Board who doesn't go along with the County Board's status quo dumb growth program. Well, his current grade is 'F' in Journalism 101. Time for Sarasota Scotty to move on...to Sarasota.
Donna
Monday, September 19, 2011
County Residents Expressed Widespread Dissatisfaction with County Board on September 17th
Hello Yupette,
I viewed the public comments at the opening of Saturday's County Board meeting and it appears that's there's widespread dissatisfaction with the way County Government is operating. County residents from across the social, economic, ethnic, and political spectrum expressed dissatisfaction with the County's bureaucracy which is apparently not capable of addressing longstanding problems and opportunities (homelessness, code enforcement, traffic, moderate income tenants facing eviction, renewable energy, library operations) but is focused on sports, entertainment, recreation, and helping out-of-state developers fast-track mega-redevlopment projects no matter what the consequences for nearby communities.
Tom
I viewed the public comments at the opening of Saturday's County Board meeting and it appears that's there's widespread dissatisfaction with the way County Government is operating. County residents from across the social, economic, ethnic, and political spectrum expressed dissatisfaction with the County's bureaucracy which is apparently not capable of addressing longstanding problems and opportunities (homelessness, code enforcement, traffic, moderate income tenants facing eviction, renewable energy, library operations) but is focused on sports, entertainment, recreation, and helping out-of-state developers fast-track mega-redevlopment projects no matter what the consequences for nearby communities.
Tom
Friday, September 16, 2011
Arlington Republicans Will Nominate Kelly for County Board if Favola Wins
Hi Yupette,
News from my neighbor, who is a member of the Executive Committee of the Arlington County Republican Party, is that Mark Kelly will be the party's nominee to run in a special election next year if Barbara Favola wins her race for Virginia State Senate. The decision was made at ACRC's Executive Committee meeting last Sunday.
ACRC also decided not to endorse Audrey Clement for County Board. My neighbor, who is a moderate, said the neocons who control the ACRC had a laundry list of reasons for not endorsing her, most having to do with environmental issues.
ACRC's young tea partier neocons are eager to make a special County Board election a referendum on the County Board's fiscal and social priorities.
Thanks for your blog.
Moderate
News from my neighbor, who is a member of the Executive Committee of the Arlington County Republican Party, is that Mark Kelly will be the party's nominee to run in a special election next year if Barbara Favola wins her race for Virginia State Senate. The decision was made at ACRC's Executive Committee meeting last Sunday.
ACRC also decided not to endorse Audrey Clement for County Board. My neighbor, who is a moderate, said the neocons who control the ACRC had a laundry list of reasons for not endorsing her, most having to do with environmental issues.
ACRC's young tea partier neocons are eager to make a special County Board election a referendum on the County Board's fiscal and social priorities.
Thanks for your blog.
Moderate
Monday, September 12, 2011
Closed Door Deals by Non-Residents to Facilitate Big Box Retail in South Arlington
Hi Yupette,
The Planning Commission deferred and County Board on September 17th will defer amendments to Zoning Ordinance Sections 19, 26, and 27A regarding limits put on developers who want to build big box retail stores in Arlington. Like a proposed 120,000 square foot WalMart store proposed for the Rosenthal vehicle storage lot at I-395 and Four Mile Run.
Original intent was to limit additional retail development to a maximum of 50,000 square feet and 200 parking spaces. This made the County Board's developer friends and campaign contributors very unhappy.
Consequently, the County Board instructed the County Manager (a Fairfax County resident), Economic Development Director (also a Fairfax County resident), Planning Director (also a Fairfax County resident) and County Planning Staff (almost all live outside Arlington) to come up with revised zoning to enable out-of-state big box retail to build stores in Arlington. Did we mention that attorneys and consultants who aren't Arlington residents are also involved in the closed door negotiations?
So where does that leave Shirlington, Fairlington, Nauck, etc., residents? Totally ignorant of whatever deals are being concocted to benefit everyone but them. Stuck with another mess, on top of previous development messes. When will it end? When there's total gridlock in South Arlington, in about 5 years. At which point the persons responsible will be retired and living on a rancho deluxe in Montana.
The Planning Commission deferred and County Board on September 17th will defer amendments to Zoning Ordinance Sections 19, 26, and 27A regarding limits put on developers who want to build big box retail stores in Arlington. Like a proposed 120,000 square foot WalMart store proposed for the Rosenthal vehicle storage lot at I-395 and Four Mile Run.
Original intent was to limit additional retail development to a maximum of 50,000 square feet and 200 parking spaces. This made the County Board's developer friends and campaign contributors very unhappy.
Consequently, the County Board instructed the County Manager (a Fairfax County resident), Economic Development Director (also a Fairfax County resident), Planning Director (also a Fairfax County resident) and County Planning Staff (almost all live outside Arlington) to come up with revised zoning to enable out-of-state big box retail to build stores in Arlington. Did we mention that attorneys and consultants who aren't Arlington residents are also involved in the closed door negotiations?
So where does that leave Shirlington, Fairlington, Nauck, etc., residents? Totally ignorant of whatever deals are being concocted to benefit everyone but them. Stuck with another mess, on top of previous development messes. When will it end? When there's total gridlock in South Arlington, in about 5 years. At which point the persons responsible will be retired and living on a rancho deluxe in Montana.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Zimmerman Tells DES, Planning, to Ignore Flooding Potential From Pike Redevelopment
Hi Yupette,
As you may have heard, there was significant flash flooding in the area along the Falls Church-Arlington border last night and also flooding along Four Mile Run and on streets and roads throughout Arlington.
You may not have heard that County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman told DES and Planning to ignore concerns expressed by DES and Planning employees about the potential for major flooding resulting from Columbia Pike redevelopment.
At this point Mr. Zimmerman just wants to get his trolley through the planning process and any concerns expressed by anyone on County Staff about massive flooding on the Pike resulting from massive in-fill redevelopment are simply not allowed. It's reached the point where several members of the DES engineering staff are considering finding other employment rather than sign off on the Dover, Kohl in-fill plans.
DES Guy
As you may have heard, there was significant flash flooding in the area along the Falls Church-Arlington border last night and also flooding along Four Mile Run and on streets and roads throughout Arlington.
You may not have heard that County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman told DES and Planning to ignore concerns expressed by DES and Planning employees about the potential for major flooding resulting from Columbia Pike redevelopment.
At this point Mr. Zimmerman just wants to get his trolley through the planning process and any concerns expressed by anyone on County Staff about massive flooding on the Pike resulting from massive in-fill redevelopment are simply not allowed. It's reached the point where several members of the DES engineering staff are considering finding other employment rather than sign off on the Dover, Kohl in-fill plans.
DES Guy
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