Hi Yupette,
County Board did it again. Cut human services funding and appropriated $800,000 for beautifying the wastewater treatment plant. Also gave the wealthy $ignature-$ynetic theater group an $89,000 stipend. Also arranged a couple of land swaps with (apparently) no independent appraisal of the value of the land being swapped.
Stay tuned for Tuesday's continuation meeting where major land use plan (gentrification) changes for the Bergmann's site and surrounding neighborhood on Lee Hwy may or may not be on the agenda.
Ted
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Alexandria Pushing for Dedicated Bus Rapid Transit in Beauregard Corridor
Hello Yupette,
I attended tonight's Alexandria transportation forum about a dedicated transit corridor on South Beauregard Street.
Appears as though Alexandria Transportation Staff wants a dedicated bus rapid transit system rather than a shared-street streetcar system like what's planned for Columbia Pike. Alexandria Transportation Staff maintains that a dedicated bus transit system is the only way to finally get people out of their SOVs and into buses. They believe a dedicated BRT system would be fast, flexible, and significantly less expensive than a streetcar system.
What's sad about the inside the Beltway transportation planning process is how little people from different jurisdictions know about what's being planned for areas a mile or two from where they live but in another locality.
Alex.
I attended tonight's Alexandria transportation forum about a dedicated transit corridor on South Beauregard Street.
Appears as though Alexandria Transportation Staff wants a dedicated bus rapid transit system rather than a shared-street streetcar system like what's planned for Columbia Pike. Alexandria Transportation Staff maintains that a dedicated bus transit system is the only way to finally get people out of their SOVs and into buses. They believe a dedicated BRT system would be fast, flexible, and significantly less expensive than a streetcar system.
What's sad about the inside the Beltway transportation planning process is how little people from different jurisdictions know about what's being planned for areas a mile or two from where they live but in another locality.
Alex.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Barcroft, Douglas Park Brace for National Guard Readiness Center Expansion
Hello, Yupette,
I'm not only worried about the massive in-fill planned for Columbia Pike, I'm also worried about the opening of the massive addition to the National Guard Readiness Center on George Mason Drive this month. We are getting the usual 'don't worry, be happy' from the Army, Jim Moran and Chris Zimmerman. Fact is there will be a lot more traffic of all kinds in and out of the Readiness Center and cutting through our quiet residential streets.
Our suburban neighborhoods, Barcroft and Douglas Park, were never, never, designed for this kind of infill. And the Readiness Center expansion was never mentioned during the Dover, Kohl design charettes last week.
The people who make these decisions don't live anywhere near the affected neighborhoods. Or, if they do, they live in 'protected enclaves'. Like Chris Zimmerman, who lives across from a wilderness area. Don't believe it? Here's a photo of Douglas Park across from his home.
Linda
Douglas Park
I'm not only worried about the massive in-fill planned for Columbia Pike, I'm also worried about the opening of the massive addition to the National Guard Readiness Center on George Mason Drive this month. We are getting the usual 'don't worry, be happy' from the Army, Jim Moran and Chris Zimmerman. Fact is there will be a lot more traffic of all kinds in and out of the Readiness Center and cutting through our quiet residential streets.
Our suburban neighborhoods, Barcroft and Douglas Park, were never, never, designed for this kind of infill. And the Readiness Center expansion was never mentioned during the Dover, Kohl design charettes last week.
The people who make these decisions don't live anywhere near the affected neighborhoods. Or, if they do, they live in 'protected enclaves'. Like Chris Zimmerman, who lives across from a wilderness area. Don't believe it? Here's a photo of Douglas Park across from his home.
Linda
Douglas Park
Friday, July 1, 2011
Dover, Kohl Close to Final Plans for Douglas Park Renovation
Hello, Yupette,
I became friendly over the past week with several of Dover, Kohl's planning staff.
So they've let me take a look at the two final plans for the renovation of Douglas Park, opposite Chairman Zimmerman's home. Funding is buried in the 2012 Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources budget.
Let me know which you like. We are taking an informal poll of Chris's friends.
C U at the next Plenary meeting in September.
Terri
I became friendly over the past week with several of Dover, Kohl's planning staff.
So they've let me take a look at the two final plans for the renovation of Douglas Park, opposite Chairman Zimmerman's home. Funding is buried in the 2012 Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Resources budget.
Let me know which you like. We are taking an informal poll of Chris's friends.
C U at the next Plenary meeting in September.
Terri
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Dover, Kohl's Prescription for the Pike: Urbanization + Gentrification
Hello Yupette,
No surprises from Dover, Kohl during the wrap-up session of the Pike Charades, there's going to be massive urbanization and gentrification of the Pike. If you want to live in affordable housing on the Pike you're going to have to earn 60% of area median income, which is $62,000 today. At least 10,000 new housing units will be constructed to ensure 5,000 are 'affordable'. Suburban character of the Pike will be ruined by massive infill. Stream beds, parking lots, suburban streets, hillsides, and sidewalks will be used for parks and recreation. No transit options have been considered except for Zimmerman's $160 million streetcar system. Schools and similar public infrastructure received no mention.
Oh, Dover, Kohl used a biased before-after architectural charade to get the a biased audience (no Latinos and Latinas attended) to agree that architectural renderings look better than photographs of old buildings. LOL.
For this we paid these Dover, Kohl turkeys $474,000 during FY 2011 and $182,000 over the past week to facilitate Zimmerman's Pike Charades? That sucks.
Maybe you want Arlington to be a redevelopment opportunity for every out-of-state planner, developer, lawyer, and REIT that throws big bucks at the County Board and gives County Planning Staff 'cash rewards' for, among other things, telling minorities they will be arrested for attending planning meetings. Not me.
Mary
Douglas Park
No surprises from Dover, Kohl during the wrap-up session of the Pike Charades, there's going to be massive urbanization and gentrification of the Pike. If you want to live in affordable housing on the Pike you're going to have to earn 60% of area median income, which is $62,000 today. At least 10,000 new housing units will be constructed to ensure 5,000 are 'affordable'. Suburban character of the Pike will be ruined by massive infill. Stream beds, parking lots, suburban streets, hillsides, and sidewalks will be used for parks and recreation. No transit options have been considered except for Zimmerman's $160 million streetcar system. Schools and similar public infrastructure received no mention.
Oh, Dover, Kohl used a biased before-after architectural charade to get the a biased audience (no Latinos and Latinas attended) to agree that architectural renderings look better than photographs of old buildings. LOL.
For this we paid these Dover, Kohl turkeys $474,000 during FY 2011 and $182,000 over the past week to facilitate Zimmerman's Pike Charades? That sucks.
Maybe you want Arlington to be a redevelopment opportunity for every out-of-state planner, developer, lawyer, and REIT that throws big bucks at the County Board and gives County Planning Staff 'cash rewards' for, among other things, telling minorities they will be arrested for attending planning meetings. Not me.
Mary
Douglas Park
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Schools, Not Streetcars
Hello,
With installation of classroom trailers at W-L High School (completed in 2008) realization is slowly dawning on the County Board and School Board that, in fact, 5,000 more students will be attending Arlington's public schools in 2016.
But what are they going to do about it, beyond ordering a couple hundred more classroom trailers? Nothing that I can discern. During FY 11 Arlington County spent $1.5 million for Columbia Pike streetcar planning and $474,000 for Dover, Kohl's Pike in-fill planning and facilitation services. Nothing mentioned about schools, although more schools and brick-and mortar classrooms are Arlington's critical needs right now. Especially if population density along the Pike corridor doubles or triples over the next five years.
Now there is consternation at the School Board offices because it appears that the new Wakefield High School will be short classrooms the day it opens in 2013, something School Board candidate Miriam Gennari predicted last year.
Who's being irrational here? The Greens, Independents, Republicans, and fiscally responsible Democrats who want an end to reckless and irrational spending for the County Board's pet transportation, entertainment, recreation, and sports vanity projects? Or Mr. Zimmerman and the County Board, and their pet political cronies, special interests, REITs, and developers?
No Contest. Enough is Enough. Our kids' needs come first. Scrap Chris Zimmerman's plans for a wasteful and unnecessary $160 million streetcar system and build real schools and classrooms for our children instead.
Susan
With installation of classroom trailers at W-L High School (completed in 2008) realization is slowly dawning on the County Board and School Board that, in fact, 5,000 more students will be attending Arlington's public schools in 2016.
But what are they going to do about it, beyond ordering a couple hundred more classroom trailers? Nothing that I can discern. During FY 11 Arlington County spent $1.5 million for Columbia Pike streetcar planning and $474,000 for Dover, Kohl's Pike in-fill planning and facilitation services. Nothing mentioned about schools, although more schools and brick-and mortar classrooms are Arlington's critical needs right now. Especially if population density along the Pike corridor doubles or triples over the next five years.
Now there is consternation at the School Board offices because it appears that the new Wakefield High School will be short classrooms the day it opens in 2013, something School Board candidate Miriam Gennari predicted last year.
Who's being irrational here? The Greens, Independents, Republicans, and fiscally responsible Democrats who want an end to reckless and irrational spending for the County Board's pet transportation, entertainment, recreation, and sports vanity projects? Or Mr. Zimmerman and the County Board, and their pet political cronies, special interests, REITs, and developers?
No Contest. Enough is Enough. Our kids' needs come first. Scrap Chris Zimmerman's plans for a wasteful and unnecessary $160 million streetcar system and build real schools and classrooms for our children instead.
Susan
Monday, June 27, 2011
Pike Corridor Post-Redevelopment 'Open Space' : Your Front Lawn
Hi, Yupette,
Talk about a planning charade, tonight's open space planning meeting at the Career Center was a hoot. The County's open space planning consultants talked parks and playgrounds, but the reality is that there won't be much open space left after in-fill yuppification for anything but Pike Corridor residents to hie to existing parks and recreation centers (including the future aquatic center, indoor soccer arena, and boathouse) and use single family residential neighborhoods for their parks and recreation. Chris Zimmerman was there to ensure the consultants stayed on-track and there was a special guest appearance by Planning Commissioner Emeritus Carrie "Nana from Montana" Johnson.
Linda
Talk about a planning charade, tonight's open space planning meeting at the Career Center was a hoot. The County's open space planning consultants talked parks and playgrounds, but the reality is that there won't be much open space left after in-fill yuppification for anything but Pike Corridor residents to hie to existing parks and recreation centers (including the future aquatic center, indoor soccer arena, and boathouse) and use single family residential neighborhoods for their parks and recreation. Chris Zimmerman was there to ensure the consultants stayed on-track and there was a special guest appearance by Planning Commissioner Emeritus Carrie "Nana from Montana" Johnson.
Linda
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