Hello, Yupette,
I was appalled by today's County Board Meeting. Appears that the County Board makes its 'planning' decisions in secret based upon secret communications and secret deals arranged by county staff, developers, REITS, consultants, industry groups, and other 'interested parties'.
Concerned EFC residents who expressed grave reservations about massive redevelopment of their single-family residential communities (EFC, Westover, and Williamsburg) were totally ignored by the County Board, and were treated like children by Barbara Favola and Mary Hynes.
As Arlington Yupette has repeatedly stated, the County Board considers Arlington's suburban residential communities to be 'redevelopment opportunities' for any and all developers, REITs, and other 'interested parties'.
Time to Vote the Bums Out.
Ted - EFC
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
New Cherrydale Fire Station to Cost More Than $17 Million
Hello, Ms. Yupette,
I live in Cherrydale and I'm exasperated by the Cherrydale Fire Station fiasco. I noticed that the County Board will appropriate another $180,000 on Saturday for alarm, dispatching, and lighting systems (Agenda Item 20). I wondered how much more the County Board will spend on this project and when it will be completed. So here is what I found out from talking to County Staff.
The total cost of the New Cherrydale Fire Station will be more than $17 million and the project is supposed to be completed in June. About $5.5 million of the cost went to the Koons Auto Empire for a parking garage in return for the 1/2 acre of land the fire station will occupy.
There will be 3 bays in the new Fire Station. One of thee bays will be for the present Cherrydale fire engine, another will be for a heavy rescue vehicle that's a reserve unit. The EMS vehicle will be transferred from Fire Station 4 (Clarendon).
So, that's our new fire station. Thought you'd like to know.
Paul in Cherrydale
I live in Cherrydale and I'm exasperated by the Cherrydale Fire Station fiasco. I noticed that the County Board will appropriate another $180,000 on Saturday for alarm, dispatching, and lighting systems (Agenda Item 20). I wondered how much more the County Board will spend on this project and when it will be completed. So here is what I found out from talking to County Staff.
The total cost of the New Cherrydale Fire Station will be more than $17 million and the project is supposed to be completed in June. About $5.5 million of the cost went to the Koons Auto Empire for a parking garage in return for the 1/2 acre of land the fire station will occupy.
There will be 3 bays in the new Fire Station. One of thee bays will be for the present Cherrydale fire engine, another will be for a heavy rescue vehicle that's a reserve unit. The EMS vehicle will be transferred from Fire Station 4 (Clarendon).
So, that's our new fire station. Thought you'd like to know.
Paul in Cherrydale
Thursday, March 10, 2011
EFC Redevelopment 'Shirlingtonization' to County Board on March 12th
Hello, Yupette,
I had an hour to peruse the latest update to the East Falls Church Area Plan, which is going to the County Board on Saturday. As former County Manager Mike Brown predicted, redeveloped East Falls Church will be another Shrlington, big ugly buildings, a big increase in traffic, big parking garages, no new public open space except for plazas, sidewalks and an "enhanced" Four Mile Run stream bed, little or no affordable housing. Another Shirlington. Another gold mine for another out-of-state REIT. No public benefit for families who moved away from Shirlington to buy single family homes in EFC. Which REIT will Chris Zimmerman choose? We would be better off, much better off with parcel by parcel "by right" redevelopment of East Falls Church with no land use plan changes allowed.
Larry - EFC
I had an hour to peruse the latest update to the East Falls Church Area Plan, which is going to the County Board on Saturday. As former County Manager Mike Brown predicted, redeveloped East Falls Church will be another Shrlington, big ugly buildings, a big increase in traffic, big parking garages, no new public open space except for plazas, sidewalks and an "enhanced" Four Mile Run stream bed, little or no affordable housing. Another Shirlington. Another gold mine for another out-of-state REIT. No public benefit for families who moved away from Shirlington to buy single family homes in EFC. Which REIT will Chris Zimmerman choose? We would be better off, much better off with parcel by parcel "by right" redevelopment of East Falls Church with no land use plan changes allowed.
Larry - EFC
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Zimmerman Pushes 'Affordable Housing' Charade Forward to 2015
Hi Yupette,
Check out the 'Proposed Revisions to Arlington's Goals and Targets for Affordable Housing', Zimmy's jive turkey affordable housing charade (Agenda Item 30 on Saturday's County Board Meeting Agenda). It's all the same old promises and little or no action and money spent to ameliorate the huge effects from County Board's massive 'Resegration Through Gentrification' program about to be implemented everywhere in the County. A 'Comprehensive Homeless Service Center to Treat and Prevent Homelessness'? Another promise pushed forward to 2015 while Zimmey spends $3 million this year to design his Pike streetcar system that will cost taxpayers $138 million to put 12 streetcars on the Pike. Time to throw the bums out? You bet.
Bethany
Check out the 'Proposed Revisions to Arlington's Goals and Targets for Affordable Housing', Zimmy's jive turkey affordable housing charade (Agenda Item 30 on Saturday's County Board Meeting Agenda). It's all the same old promises and little or no action and money spent to ameliorate the huge effects from County Board's massive 'Resegration Through Gentrification' program about to be implemented everywhere in the County. A 'Comprehensive Homeless Service Center to Treat and Prevent Homelessness'? Another promise pushed forward to 2015 while Zimmey spends $3 million this year to design his Pike streetcar system that will cost taxpayers $138 million to put 12 streetcars on the Pike. Time to throw the bums out? You bet.
Bethany
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Park Shirlington Residents Order Arlington Police, County Gov't, CivFed, Fairlington Community Leaders to CEASE AND DESIST
Hello, Ms. Yupette,
Thank you for your blog. We have had it with Arlington's Racists and Elitists and have sent a CEASE AND DESIST Order to them. We would appreciate it greatly if you could print it in your blog. Park Shirlington Residents
TO: Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan, Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development, Arlington County Planning Commission, Arlington County Civic Federation, Fairlington Citizens Association, Inc., Fairlington Villages Condominium Community, Inc.
Subject: CEASE AND DESIST
We are a group of law-abiding and hard-working residents of the Park Shirlington Apartments. We demand you immediately CEASE AND DESIST generating and circulating false information, rumors, malicious gossip, racial and ethnic slurs, and other derogatory information about the residents of Park Shirlington Apartments. We demand Arlington County CEASE AND DESIST its illegal "blockbusting" of Park Shirlington Apartments. We demand you CEASE AND DESIST using the Arlington Police Department to intimidate and frighten law-abiding residents of Park Shirlington Apartments from attending public meetings and other meetings usually open to the public.
We intend to pursue all legal means to protect our right to live in decent, affordable, market rate housing. CEASE AND DESIST your illegal activities that target law-abiding and hard-working residents of Park Shirlington Apartments.
Park Shirlington Residents
Thank you for your blog. We have had it with Arlington's Racists and Elitists and have sent a CEASE AND DESIST Order to them. We would appreciate it greatly if you could print it in your blog. Park Shirlington Residents
TO: Arlington County Manager Barbara Donnellan, Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development, Arlington County Planning Commission, Arlington County Civic Federation, Fairlington Citizens Association, Inc., Fairlington Villages Condominium Community, Inc.
Subject: CEASE AND DESIST
We are a group of law-abiding and hard-working residents of the Park Shirlington Apartments. We demand you immediately CEASE AND DESIST generating and circulating false information, rumors, malicious gossip, racial and ethnic slurs, and other derogatory information about the residents of Park Shirlington Apartments. We demand Arlington County CEASE AND DESIST its illegal "blockbusting" of Park Shirlington Apartments. We demand you CEASE AND DESIST using the Arlington Police Department to intimidate and frighten law-abiding residents of Park Shirlington Apartments from attending public meetings and other meetings usually open to the public.
We intend to pursue all legal means to protect our right to live in decent, affordable, market rate housing. CEASE AND DESIST your illegal activities that target law-abiding and hard-working residents of Park Shirlington Apartments.
Park Shirlington Residents
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Next "Affordable Housing" Mega-Deal Will Gentrify Out Shirlington Workers
Hi Yupette,
I live in the Park Shirlington Apartments, which are located on South 31st Street between Fairlington Villages and Shirlington. I'm an assistant manager of a Shirlington restaurant and I walk to work every day. I don't own a car, don't need one, shop at Harris-Teeter in Shirlington Village and take public transit. I pay $1345 for a 2-bedroom apartment and I have a roommate to share rent.
You should be aware that the County's Planning and Housing Divisions are in active negotiations with the landlord to tear down Park Shirlington Apartments, owned by Home Properties, and replace them with luxury condos. I understand this is being pushed by some people in Fairlington who don't want minorities living next to Fairlington.
Many of us who live in Park Shirlington walk to work in Shirlington or take public transit (the bus stops in front of Park Shirlington) to the Pentagon and then to D.C.
This seems to be another attempt by a County Government that hates middle class and minority workers to gentrify us out and replace us with yuppies and upscale older people. I have to come to believe what I hear is true - Arlington is run by Racists and Elitists.
Jorge, Park Shirlington Apartments, S. 31st Street.
I live in the Park Shirlington Apartments, which are located on South 31st Street between Fairlington Villages and Shirlington. I'm an assistant manager of a Shirlington restaurant and I walk to work every day. I don't own a car, don't need one, shop at Harris-Teeter in Shirlington Village and take public transit. I pay $1345 for a 2-bedroom apartment and I have a roommate to share rent.
You should be aware that the County's Planning and Housing Divisions are in active negotiations with the landlord to tear down Park Shirlington Apartments, owned by Home Properties, and replace them with luxury condos. I understand this is being pushed by some people in Fairlington who don't want minorities living next to Fairlington.
Many of us who live in Park Shirlington walk to work in Shirlington or take public transit (the bus stops in front of Park Shirlington) to the Pentagon and then to D.C.
This seems to be another attempt by a County Government that hates middle class and minority workers to gentrify us out and replace us with yuppies and upscale older people. I have to come to believe what I hear is true - Arlington is run by Racists and Elitists.
Jorge, Park Shirlington Apartments, S. 31st Street.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
School Board - There's a Trailer Classroom in Your Child's Future
Hello Yupette,
I attended the School Board's annual charade at the Civic Federation meeting tonight. As usual, the School Board members were long on promises and short on performance. Often heard were promises of some new program to evaluate an existing program.
One thing seems sure, there will be 5,000 more students in the Arlington School System in 2016. What does the School Board propose to do about that? Looks certain that class size will grow and there will be many more trailer classrooms. The School Board would rather spend money on sports and a variety of esoteric classes than on the 3 new schools that will be required to educate Arlington's K-12 public school students in 2016.
Wakefield Parent
I attended the School Board's annual charade at the Civic Federation meeting tonight. As usual, the School Board members were long on promises and short on performance. Often heard were promises of some new program to evaluate an existing program.
One thing seems sure, there will be 5,000 more students in the Arlington School System in 2016. What does the School Board propose to do about that? Looks certain that class size will grow and there will be many more trailer classrooms. The School Board would rather spend money on sports and a variety of esoteric classes than on the 3 new schools that will be required to educate Arlington's K-12 public school students in 2016.
Wakefield Parent
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