Surprise - Artisphere to Become a Daycare Center

Hey, Yupette,

I attended the last Planning Commission meeting where Bluemont residents were infuriated about the lack of transparency by County Government concerning a redevelopment on Glebe Road. County Board candidate Audrey Clement attended the meeting and spoke forcefully for much greater transparency by the County Board.

Well, how about this for an encore? The Artisphere is going to be a daycare center. Yes, unannounced by anyone in County Government and the media and placed on the Consent Agenda for Saturday's County Board meeting (Item 2). You can go to arlingtonva.us and read for yourself.

According to the Staff Report the property at 1401 Wilson Blvd is going to be redeveloped and the Rosslyn Children's Center will move to the Artisphere at 1101 Wilson Blvd. The County will also lease a small space it owns for a child's play area.

What is it about the local media (e.g., Sun Gazette) ignoring important local news while deluging us with all sorts of trivia?

Thanks for your blog.

Mark, 22201

Arlington Sun Gazette Shouldn't Endorse Anyone

Hey Yupette,

I see that Scott McCaffrey aka the Sun Gazette has been endorsing the same old same old for local office.

The Sun Gazette shouldn't be endorsing anyone. Sun Gazette's management allowed Scott McCaffrey to serve on the Chamber of Commerce's Executive Committee for years while problems turned into crises. Where were the Chamber, Sun Gazette, and Scott McCaffrey five years ago regarding the unacceptably high and growing commercial office vacancy rate? Endorsing the same old same old County Board members for re-election who said nothing and did nothing.

It's the same this time around. While we're at it, the Washington Post is in the same moribund state when it comes to endorsing local candidates. A recurrent rumor is that summer interns research all local candidates for public office and make recommendations to the Post's Editorial Board.

Aside from Scott McCaffrey's conflicts of interest, I have no confidence in a news organization that repeatedly crashes my laptop while I attempt to read on-line Inside Nova articles which I pay Inside Nova to read. Oh, since I don't live in North Arlington a print edition of the Sun Gazette isn't delivered to my home every week free of charge. Duh. Thanks for your blog. I'm voting for Mike and Audrey on November 3rd.

Julie

Christian Dorsey Has Little Sympathy for Abingdon Neighborhood Flood Victims

Hello Yupette,

I am a close-by neighbor of Abingdon Elementary School and there is no way I will vote for Christian Dorsey for County Board or anything else. Like many other Abingdon parents Christian Dorsey lives miles away from Abingdon School and could care less about our neighborhood. All he apparently cares about is more pavement for parking and bigger SUV turn-arounds on the Abingdon campus.

Christian Dorsey was appointed the Abingdon Building Level Planning Commitee (BLPC) and attended 3 meetings. My neighbors had to demand to have one representative for our condo associations appointed to the BLPC. Mr. Dorsey supported the Abingdon PTA parents who drive their kids to school and then drive to work, usually running the Stop signs in the neighborhood.

Mr. Dorsey has little sympathy for those of us who live on the steep slopes between the school and Four Mile Run. We have suffered from flood damage from Abingdon School stormwater and were very concerned that the hurricane that missed us this past weekend would likely have caused flash flooding into our homes. APS has done little about the flash floods we already experience.

We have had to spend thousands of dollars hiring an Arlington land use, planning, and zoning attorney to get Arlington Public Schools and the County Board to listen to our concerns. We are now having to hire a civil engineer as well. All we are to Christian Dorsey are 'neighborhood nuisances' who want to slow down people who speed through our neighborhood running Stop signs and didn't want the money that was supposed to be spent on renewable energy on campus spent instead for big impervious parking lots and SUV turn arounds.

Please do not vote for Christian Dorsey on November 3rd.

C.B. 22206

County Board Approves $522,000 Tot Lot, Cost $108,000 to Design

Hey Yupette,

Wonder why the September 24th Recessed County Board Meeting video is 'experiencing technical difficulties' and is not yet available for viewing on-line. Maybe because the recessed meeting is full of embarrassing moments, like the County Board taken to task for approving a new tot lot for Butler Holmes Park in the Lyon Park neighborhood which will cost $522,400 to build including $108,423 to design. Parks and Rec included a couple picnic tables and grills near the tot lot. So let's see, if you divide $108,423 by 100 that's $1,084.23 per hour to design the tot lot over 2 1/2 weeks. I thought we put an end to $1 million bus shelters and $1.5 million doggie spas last year. Guess not.

Cindy, 22201

Luxury Schools are a Charade. Relocatables Will Stay.

Hi Yupette,

County Board approved the plans for Abingdon School on Monday. A dozen new classrooms will be added, and capacity will be increased by 136 seats. Huge amounts will be spent on infrastructure not related to education on the school campus. The school won't even be certified LEED Silver. Indoor environmental quality will be mediocre at best. Cost for the school's renovation and expansion will be at least $30 million.

But the biggest surprise of the County Board's approval process was when APS's architect admitted, when questioned by John Vihstadt, that relocatables will be back on the Abingdon campus by 2019.

Based on the County's population growth it's likely the relocatables won't ever leave the Abingdon campus. Same for other schools being renovated and expanded. But parents want expensive country day schools and that's what the school architects like to build. No modular construction allowed.

Susan - 22206

Which Neighborhood Will Wear the Smart Growth Cult's Ring Next?

Hey Yupette,

Just read about the celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the Beatles film HELP! I saw the film when I was a kid, now I'm 59. So I bought a DVD of the film and watched it again as an adult. The thought struck me that Smart Growth is a Cult and our neighborhoods get to be sacrificed, one by one, to the Developers. People who run the Smart Growth Cult don't even live here. I live in Leeway-Overlee and we're being set up to be one of the next neighborhoods to be sacrificed. The High Priests of Smart Growth never seem to suffer the consequences, they just get richer off mixed use redevelopment. Thanks for your blog.

Sandi, 22205

'Shared Streets' Coming to Your Neighborhood

 Hi Yupette -

Seen what those lovable New Urbanists are up to lately? Next phase of 'Complete Streets' will be 'Shared Streets'. I found a depiction of what 'Shared Streets' will look like in plans for Courthouse redevelopment, going to the Planning Commission and County Board this month. Just approved by the Millennials who now run the Transportation Commission. So what are 'Shard Streets'? Let everyone onto a street - motor vehicles, bicycles, skateboards, pedestrians, parents pushing strollers, seniors on mobility scooters, food trucks...everything. Traffic moves as fast as the slowest pedestrian. So here's the artist's depiction.

Shannon 22201