APS Reported Close to Naming New Elementary School on TJ Site?

Hey Yupette,

I tuned to last night's Planning Commission meeting via AVN and saw the plans for the County's latest Space Age Elementary School. To be crammed onto the TJ Middle School campus. At least 292 total parking spaces planned on-site, for now, and likely many more in the future. Energy efficiency? What's that? As for the school's design, it's back to the future - 1962. Since the architects obviously lifted the school's design from an early-60's futuristic cartoon series the only possiblity for a name is "The George and Jane Jetson Elementary School".

Thanks for your blog.

P.K.

VDOT to 'Fast Track' Ten Mile I-95 Express Lanes Extension to Fredericksburg

Hello,

In the event you missed the announcement in the Post a couple weeks ago VDOT is planning another another I-95 Express Lanes extension from Exit 148 in central Stafford County to Exit 133 at the City of Fredericksburg. Length of the Express Lanes extension will be about 10 miles. This will add to the 2 niles of Express Lanes currently being bulldozed on the median North of Exit 148.

Entire "planning" phase for this project will occur between now and January 2018. As with previous Express Lanes extensions, many thousands of trees in the mixed hardwood and evergreen forest on the I-95 median would be destroyed to construct Express Lanes.

Nothing stated by VDOT about the impact of more Express Lanes traffic driving to Arlington, Alexandria, and D.C. No one ever told anyone in Arlington that 1-95 Express Lanes would be lengthened 10 miles.

For more information you can visit VDOT's Web pages at:

http://www.virginiadot.org/projects/fredericksburg/i-95_express_lanes_fredericksburg_extension.asp

Cindy

A-Town's Live Entertainment Permit Renewal Another Gimme?

Hey Yupette,

I live in the neighborhood of A-Town in the B-R Corridor and it appears that A-Town's live entertainment permit that's going to the County Board on Saturday (Consent Agenda Item #4) is another gimme. The antics at A-Town since last September are worse than during the previous 6 months, with a couple of Millennials who were ejected from A-Town last Sunday fighting each other and then the police who were called to break up the fight. And we're barely into the St. Patrick's Day and March Madness mayhem.

So I am sending this to Arlington Yupette because the neighborhood (which does not nescesarily include the civic association - a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Democratic "Party's Over Here" Party) has had enough of A-Town and wants A-Town to move away - far away - from Ballston.

Members of the Public are allowed to remove Consent Agenda Item #4 on Saturday for discussion by the County Board next Tuesday evening at 6:30 PM . To do that you have to attend Saturday's County Board meeting at 8:30 AM and submit a slip to the County Board Clerk. Or you can write to the County Board at: countyboard@arlingtonva.us asking that one or more County Board members remove the item for discussion on Tuesday.

I think if this goes on with A-Town we are going to have innocent bystanders in this neighborhood hurt. Too many handguns out there being legally or illegally carried concealed. Anyway, thanks for bringing these issues up in your blog.

Mark from Utah Street

What's Next for Reeves Farm Farmhouse?

Hey Yupette,

I gotta wonder what's next for the Reeves Farm farmhouse. None of the groups that expressed interest in saving the farmhouse for historic purposes could raise the $2 million or so needed to create a museum or historic learning center. As we all know, there is no real philanthropy in Arlington, so some wealthy person isn't going to come forward to buy and restore the farmhouse and turn it over to the County or a non-profit.

Which leaves the County. Same Arlington County that just went $1.9 million over budget for five 1-block residential street improvement projects. Same County where Parks and Rec pays $800,000 to tear down a perfectly good home next to a park to create a vacant lot. Same County that just gave Nestle' a $6 million relocation gift. Same County that's building $500,000 bus shelters that don't shelter (reduced from $1 million). Same County that gives APAH tens of millions to build affordable housing that's not affordable to the working class who work in restaurants and retail next door to, or across the street from, the affordable housing. And so on.

So, Arlington being Arlington, I have to wonder who will finally own the Reeves farmhouse. I have to believe it's will be someone VERY politically connected who was promised the farmhouse years ago. Guess we will have to stay tuned for news.

Linda
Bluemont

Jay's Next Jam -- 4MRV Performing Arts District

Hey Yupette,

Twenty years of Gentrification Jay, aka Gourmet Jay, Fisette...Enough. So what does he do for an encore after two decades of facilitating doggie spas, live theater, and aquatics...everywhere? Anyone who's been around for awhile will remember the various antics Jay and his former domestic partner, now spouse, Robert Rosen pulled on behalf of the Signature Theater, ranging from the lengthy and convoluted theater-library planning process in Shirlington to the multiple taxpayer-funded financial bailouts of the Signature over the years.

So, what Jay's planning now, together with Arlington's various live theater and performing arts groups, is nothing less than a performing arts district in the western portion of the Four Mile Run Valley that will share the entire 4MRV with the sports and recreation groups. Never mind the businesses located in the 4MRV and the neighbors who want businesses like motor vehicle repair (and the good-paying jobs that go with the businesses) to stay in the 4MRV. Everything that isn't bulldozed will be renovated and repurposed for sports, recreation, and entertainment. Promises were made a year ago over lunch at Busboys and Poets.

That's when Jay isn't spending time at his retirement estate on Florida's Trump Coast. So hold on to your wallets after tax-paying small businesses are gentrified out to be replaced by taxpayer-funded and taxpayer-subsidized sports, recreation, and entertainment venues. The 4MRV is another target of New Urbanists who deliberately allowed public and private infrastructure (like the Signature's off-site scenery shop, owned by the County) to deteriorate for decades to facilitate re-development.

Susan in Shirlington

County Board Will Again Defer Potomac Yards Land Bay C Discussion

Hey, Yupette,

Thanks for this blog. County Board's February 25th and 28th Agenda is posted and the County Board will again defer discussing whatever deal or deals have been made / are being made regarding Land Bay C in Potomac Yards, owned by European supermarket giant Lidl, until April.

Land Bay C is one of the last undeveloped commercial parcels of any size in Arlington. Residents of Arlington Ridge and other neighborhoods near Potomac Yards are already unhappy about future traffic from I-395 Express Lanes and future Pentagon City development.

Meanwhile, County's New Urbanist Elite is evaluating residential neighborhoods for siting a new 750 student elementary school and a new 1,200 student high school. The choices range from bad to terrible.

It remains to be seen if the County Board even allows Land Bay C to be removed from the Consent Agenda, as it did last month.

Ridge Runner

County Board's Latest Corporate Welfare Recipient Will Have to Answer in Court for Child Slavery

Hey Yupette,
Another month, another corporation Arlington Economic Development is poaching by offering corporate welfare deals they can't refuse. This time it's Nestle', an international corporation capitalized at $250 Billion.

Did Economic Development and the Limo Liberals who run County County Government know that Nestle' is being sued for child slavery in Africa and the U.S. Supreme Court just ruled that the plaintiff's case can go to trial?

Check out this YouTube video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LEHtMNgTbM

Meanwhile County Government can't gentrify essential small business out of the County fast enough.

Thank you for your blog.

Don, 22201