Yuptard of the Year

Hello,

No contest this year for "Yuptard of the Year". First Generation Yuptard Chris Zimmerman wins hands down.

If you haven't read Post reporter Patricia Sullivan's feature about Chris Zimmerman's 'vision' in the Metro Section on December 24th, you should. More than obvious that Chris Zimmerman's goal from the very beginning of his residence in Arlington, 34 years ago, was to make-over Arlington from a diverse middle class county to a county run by, and for, Yuppies.

He not only succeeded in removing the working class and middle class from Arlington but ensured that Second Generation Yuptards would be able to live even more self-centered lives in enclaves on and around Arlington's major arterials, and in tear-down McMansions in formerly middle-class neighborhoods.

Using schemes like "New Urbanism" and "Smart Growth" Chris Zimmerman re-created an Arlington that only a Yuppie could love, packed with sports, recreation, entertainment venues, upscale restaurants, expensive housing, massive amounts of parking for expensive vehicles.

Now Chris Zimmerman is leaving the County Board to earn millions inflicting "Smart Growth" on middle class Americans who've already suffered enough over the past decade. Look for Chis and his colleagues at Smart Growth America to redevelop your older middle class suburb or older middle class downtown in the future, probably sooner than you think.

Cindy

Next on Zimmerman's Smart Growth Agenda - 'Complete Streets' in Your Residential Neighborhood

Hello Yupette,

Ever wonder what all the people in our quiet residential neighborhoods are supposed to do for open space and activity space once our neighborhoods are urbanized? Not to worry. Chris Zimmerman and his colleagues at Smart Growth America and their friends who control the REITS who are set to urbanize our neighborhoods have it all 'planned'. Our streets are going to be turned into open space, activity space, and recreation space. Don't expect REITs that are profiting enormously from dedicating a few hundred square feet of plaza space surrounded by retail and restaurants to pay for acres of open space. It's not going to happen. What to do? Task Arlington's bloated 'planning' staff (almost none live in Arlington) with converting residential streets in quiet neighborhoods into recreation space for New Urbanists who live in corridors like Columbia Pike, Lee Highway, Rosslyn-Crystal City, and Four Mile Run-Shirlington. Of course, Zimmy's own neighborhood is off-limits as are the neighborhoods of his good buds on the County Board, Jay Fisette and Walter Tejada. Stay tuned for 'Complete Streets' coming to your neighborhood soon.

Pike Rider

No Surprise - County Board Says NO to VOICE

Hey Yupette,

I had to laugh when the affordable housing advocates from the Great White North of Arlington, aka VOICE, went to the County Board with their 10,000 petition signatures asking for affordable housing to be constructed on public land in the County. Any so-called 'affordable' housing that's built in Arlington will be funded by the County Board in conjunction with its deals with pet REITs, pet developers, pet housing non-profits, pet consultants, and pet fellow Democrats. Aided and abetted by a bloated bureaucracy (there are more than 50 County employees engaged in public relations across County Government) and local media that are de facto chamber of commerce lobbyists

There is no way Chairman Walter, aka Nada, Tejada could say Yes to VOICE last Saturday. Every spare dollar of revenue will be committed to the County Board's pet vanity projects, whether lighted synthetic surface soccer fields, live theater in every neighborhood, Columbia Pike Streetcar and, oh yes, the Jay Fisette Aquatics Center.

I saw this before, when the County Board committed to building affordable housing in Potomac Yards. Never happened.

If VOICE wants to accomplish its goals its members should not waste any more time on the County Board or the bloated County bureaucracy or the news media. They should volunteer to help elect John Vihstadt to County Board.

Pike Rider

Fifteen Years of Wants-Not-Needs Government in Arlington - Enough

Hi Yupette,

Happy to see an independent is running against whichever Chris Zimmerman clone is selected by Arlington Democrats. After 15 years of wants-not-needs driving County Government, with Jay Fisette and Chris Zimmerman alternately in the driver's seat, it's time to reverse course and fund the basics first, not last.

Chris Zimmerman is getting the gold mine along with his corporate cronies who he'll be working with and for when he leaves the County Board. Jay Fisette already got the gold mine, through his domestic partner's management consulting firm whose clients include dozens of major corporations, many having appeared before the County Board seeking and receiving various gimmes over the years.

Only thing that would make me happier than seeing Chris Zimmerman leave the County Board would be Jay Fisette announce he's also retiring, to become a fund raiser for his pet non-profit arts organizations to take them off the taxpayer dole.

Thanks for your blog.

Joan, 22207

Democratic Smart Growth Facilitators Call on Police to 'Supervise' Citizens Association Election

Hey Yupette,

Having angered residents who live near the Fairlington Community Center with plans for a Sunday farmer's market, never mind the impact of traffic on the neighborhood, the Fairlington Citizens Association called on the Arlington Police Department to attend its annual election meeting to ensure the Democratic incumbents are re-elected. And the same Democratic 'facilitators' - with a few new faces - have been tapped by Chris Zimmerman to fast-track the approval of the massive Park Shirlington luxury apartment redevelopment adjacent to North Fairlington.

Same police who Zimmerman has lurking undercover in the back of the County Board meeting room and secretly recording what citizens are saying and doing inside and outside the County Board room during County Board meetings and other public meetings.

What else is new in Fairlington? Same old from the same Democratic facilitators who had the cops attend election meetings a decade ago, and threatened Fairlington residents with arrest for complaining about the Shirlington redevelopment giveaways, lack of affordable housing, increased traffic, massive parking, and so on. And they're again engaging in the usual Democratic Party rumor-mongering, slander, and so on against Fairlington residents who don't go along with the program.

Later,

Fairgrrl

Democrats to Select Zimmerman Clone for County Board

Hello Yupette,

I attended Wednesday's ACDC monthly meeting and heard Peter Fallon, Alan Howze, and Cord Thomas attempt to out-Zimmerman Chris Zimmerman. What a hoot. Aren't we giving enough corporate welfare to the REITs who are creating both a office space and housing bubble, and corporations that are bringing thousands of low-paid jobs to Arlington? Peter, Alan, and Cord never met a greedy corporate executive they didn't like.

Oh, speaking of C.Z., he's going to be spending more time in the County Board offices next year lobbying to inflict New Urbanism on our neighborhoods than he's spending this year as a County Board member.

But what can you expect from a political party that's been in power and controlled everything for more than 30 years?

fed up Dem

Park Shirlington Redevelopment - Huge Brick Warehouse Apartment Buildings Pre-Approved by County Board

Hey, Yupette,

Home Properties Incorporated (an Upstate New York Corporation that's been de-investing in Upstate NY for more than two decades) filed a preliminary site plan for Park-Shirlington redevelopment with Arlington County. The plans depict massive sprawl warehouse apartment buildings with many windows that supposedly conform to nearby Fairlington's architecture. No way does this site plan have anything whatsoever to do with Fairlingon's historic suburban planning.. Based upon what I could determine from the plans, this project will massively impact Fairlington in a massively negative way. Project was pre-approved by County Board Members Favola, Fisette, Hynes, Tejada and Zimmerman  during private meetings with Home Properties in early 2011. Did I mention that County "Planning" Staff is already trashing Fairlington residents who won't "go along with the program"?

FairGrrl - 22206