Audrey Clement for Arlington County Board

Hello,

AY polled our contributors and it's no contest - Audrey Clement has our endorsement to replace Libby Garvey on the County Board.

After 35 years of one-party government in Arlington time is long overdue for another Independent on County Board. Since Libby Garvey joined the County Board in 2013 the pace of New Urbanism in-fill has accelerated. The Penzance mega-development in Rosslyn, approved in secret just after Libby joined the County Board, was finlly officially approved yesterday and sets the standard of how not to plan redevelopment. It will get worse in Rosslyn, and elsewhere in the County if Libby and the County Board pack the County as much density as possible while demanding few or no proffers from developers. Any developer proffers that are offered are almost always offset by massive amounts of so-called bonus density.

Libby Garvey is great at making secret corporate welfare deals with developers. She's terrible at planning for the County's population growth, and maintaining basic public infrastructure. She's done nothing about helicopter noise in her own neighborhood. Same for crumbling streets and third world street lighting in Fairlington. She allowed school population growth to reach crisis levels when on the School Board and County Board, while marketing the County as 'Portland on the Potomac'.

Like other Arlington Democrats, Libby only gets re-elected by buying votes from special interests with tax dollars, by the County's bloated public informtion - aka New Urbanism propaganda - machine, and by revenue-hungry local media. Also by condoning behavior that's illegal, like surrogate voting and letting non-resident Democrats who vote in Arlington send their children to Arlington public schools.

We agree with Audrey Clement that the County's quality-of-life is deteriorating in Arlington's suburban neighborhoods and things will get worse. We are appalled that Libby Garvey and the County Board would even consider dis-interring the remains of one of Arlington's pioneer families so a church can proceed with so-called PTL redevelopment. That and many more secret mixed-use redevelopment 'done deals' are in our future if Libby Garvey is re-elected.

Cindy

Coming to Your Neighborhood Next Memorial Day -- Libby Garvey's B-and-B Done Deal

Hey Yupette,

I'm a former Civic Federation delegate and dropped by the hospital Tuesday to hear the County's done-deal accessory dwelling unit presentation and consternation from residents of neighborhoods like mine who will suffer the consequences. Also attended the County Planners' presentation at Key School Wednesday night. Met and conversed with Audrey Clement but did not see Libby Garvey. Done deal? No fooling. Obviously worked out between the County Board and County Planning Staff. No data whatsoever presented about positive and negative consequences. Another fire-aim-ready program. Consequences? What are consequences? It's obvious to me that Libby Garvey and the County Board run the County like Bill and Hillary run the Clinton Foundation. Audrey Clement has my vote. Libby's salary should be cut to zero. She's worthless.

Mike 22207

Wants, Not Needs, Driving County Board's Gondola Done Deal

Hey Yupette,

Another week, another done deal made at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard. This time it's the cross-Potomac gondola, projected cost has increased from $40 million to $90 million in only a few short months. Promoted by DC Government Lobbyist Carol Mitten and DC Guru for Economic Development Victor Hoskins (who began planning a cross-Potomac gondola years ago when he was officially employed by DC). To benefit the stagnant Georgetown Business District.

Meanwhile, back in Arlington, more than 3,000 public school students attend class in trailers and the number is steadily increasing. Hoskings and Mitten (who are long-time DC residents) are largely responsible for inflating Arlington's economic bubble, based on low wage service jobs and tech companies that will move away when their corporate welfare stipend from the County expires, or fail during the next economic recession.

Same Victor Hoskins who made extravagant promises about significantly reducing the County's office vacancy rate, which is going to increase according to his latest projections.

Needs, not wants, should drive Arlington County Government. We don't need to be paying $450,000 to a couple of DC residents who are unofficially working for DC.

2100

County Board, Developers Recruiting More Churches for PTL Mixed-Use Redevelopment Deals

Hey, Yupette,

Your suburban neighborhood is not the only target of Libby Garvey and the County Board looking to make urbanization deals with Smart Growth developers. At least a dozen older church congregations with buildings in need of significant upgrades have been approached by developers. In addition to the Arlington Presbyterian Church's PTL (Pass The Loot) deal another deal is in the works for Central United Methodist Church. Other churches and religious organizations with buildings on large parcels are also being approached - Westover Baptist Church and the Knights of Columbus on Little Falls Road are two.

Talk about mixed-use urbanizing the suburbs. Your great-looking church gets torn down and the land Clarendoned along with the rest of the neighborhood.

Thanks for your blog.

Peter, 22205

Garvey, County Board Approved Secret Anti-Environment Done-Deal for 395 Express Lanes

Hey Yupette,

Fibbin' Libby Garvey is talking about how VDOT's and TransUrban's $15 million yearly contribution for multi-modal transportation in the I-395 corridor between DC and Seminary Road in Alexandria is insufficient. Well, she and the County Board approved the deal a year ago in meetings with VDOT, TransUrban, and the McAuliffe administration.

Lyin' Libby can talk about preserving the environment along I-395 all she wants. The deal she and the County Board made last year will have I-395 North of Seminary Road to the 14th Street Bridge looking like this photo of I-395 South of Seminary Road.

TransUrban removed at least 10,000 mature trees from the median and shoulders of I-95 to build Express Lanes and sound walls. Several hundred mature trees would likely be removed from the I-395 right of way in Lyin' Libby's own Fairlington neighborhood to make way for sound wall construction. Oh, BTW, not only would homeowners at ground level have to look at ugly sound walls but residents of homes, townhouses, and apartmetns on hillsides above I-395 would not be protected from traffic noise.

As part of the done deal, then-County Board Chair Mary Hynes was promised an appointment to the Commonwealth Transportation Board. Same Mary Hynes who served on WMATA's Board of Directors while Metrorail literally crashed and burned.

Oh, at a number of recent public hearings VDOT representatives stated that "One percent of the vehicles on I-395 are responsible for transporting 12 percent of commuters". Last public meeting VDOT held at Wakefield High School was packed with highway construction workers.

We need Fibbin' Libby re-elected to the County Board like we need DC City Council Chairman Phil Mendelson's $40 million per mile Gondola across the Potomac.

Thanks for your blog.

Terri, 22206

New Urbanist Infill + Outer Suburbs Sprawl = Win-Win For Libby Garvey's Corporate Cronies.

Hey Yupette,
I wondered why Libby Garvey's corporate cronies (e.g. media corporations) are so hostile to Audrey Clement that they're going around stealing Audrey's campaign signs.

But you have to put into the context of where Libby's corporate cronies are deriving their wealth -- both from Smart Growth mega infill in Arlington and mega sprawl in outer suburbs like Stafford County. No wonder the Sun Gazette won't endorse Audrey. She's an Environmentalist. Sun Gazette's staff are chamber of commerce boosters who are selling lots of ads in fast-growing sprawl outer suburbs. And ads for Smart Growth mega-infill here in Arlington. Same for developers. NVR is selling luxury townhouses in gentrified Westover and affordable townhouses in Stafford County, built by NVR's subsidiary, Ryan Homes.

Connected by -- I-95 / I-395 Express Lanes which Libby Garvey and the County Board secretly approved a year ago. Now Libby is sending e-mail to her angry Fairlington neighbors telling them not to worry, VDOT will fix any problems that may arise from 395 Express Lanes. Speaking of transportation to and from Stafford County, let's not forget Congressman Beyer's auto empire.

What have we become? Neverland-on-the-Potomac where the ruling elite govern under a system of social and economic apartheid -- drive from your $50,000 per year job to your affordable home in the outer outer suburbs, and pay $15 one-way for the convenience.

New Urbanism, Smart Growth, Urban Village, Affordable Housing, Car Free Diet. All charades. Libby Garvey and the rest of the County Board are really Chamber of Commerce Republicans who are benefiting from both infill destruction of our neighborhoods and sprawl destruction of agricultural land, forests, and wetlands. Talk about the Clinton Foundation, that's how the County Board operates.

No way do I want to see my quiet Westover neighborhood bulldozed and Clarendoned. No more charades from fast-talking politricksters like Libby Garvey.

Thanks for your blog.

Ted 22205

Clement Requests Congressman Beyer: Act Immediately to Eliminate Helicopter Noise

Hello,

Thank You, Audrey Clement, for proposing that Congressman Beyer immediately act to eliminate noise from the Vietnam-era helicopters that continuously fly over our Arlington neighborhoods, including my Fairlington neighborhood where Libby Garvey, and local Media VIPs Scott McCaffrey, and Scott Brodbeck live.

From Audrey's press release today:

"While campaigning around Arlington I've heard many complaints from residents about noisy helicopters. My opponent has been talking about trying to mitigate helicopter noise for years. But residents in her Fairlington neighborhood tell me helicopter noise is worse than ever.

Many of the helicopter flights are so-called VIP flights, transporting flag officers and senior-level Pentagon employees between the Pentagon and close-by military installations.

Turns out that many of the helicopters are Vietnam-era. The UH1N helicopters (photo attached) responsible for much of the noise in my opponent's Fairlington neighborhood were first deployed in 1970.

Therefore, I am asking Congressman Beyer to accelerate retirement of UH1N and other older helicoptere and work with NASA to make development of quiet helicopters a priority. Congressman Beyer sits on the Science, Space, and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives, which includes NASA. Congressman Beyer and his family have owned a Land Rover / Range Rover deslership for decades. Land Rover not only manufactures Range Rover SUVs but armored Range Rover SUVs (photo attached) used throughout the world for secure VIP transportation.

Consequently, when elected to County Board, I will work with Congressman Beyer to retire obsolete noisy helicopters and replace then with high-security SUVs. Given that VDOT will soon have a network of Express Lanes in Northern Virginia, it makes no sense for Arlington residents to suffer from noise and air pollution caused by VIP helicopter flights."

Cindy