Westover Will Be Gridlocked - Soon

Hey, Yupette,

In the event you haven't seen the latest about Westover the latest plans (discussed at the Housing Commission meeting last week) are to implement a housing conservation district in Westover and other older Arlington neighborhoods (e.g., Lee Highway corridor). A key component of the plans are to grant property owners increased density in return for preserving older apartment buildings. The legal basis for establishing Housing Conservation Districts would be implemented by the County Board soon after next month's elections and would require changes to the County's General Land Use Plan.

That would be in addition to the current densification of Westover by tear-down McMansions, accessory dwelling units of all types, and homes converted into daycare facilities. Westover will also experience many more vehicle trips in the near future by people who don't want to pay tolls on I-66 and parents dropping off and picking up students at an expanded Reed School. In line with the County's so-called Smart Growth planning Washington Boulevard, Patrick Henry Drive, and some other minor arterials are being narrowed.

Washington Boulevard is currently close to capacity at rush hours and it's a no brainer that gridlock is going to occur within another year or two, given the County's "development for the sake of development" agenda.

Thanks for your blog.

Ted - 22205

Army Ten Miler - Dehydration Disaster

Hey Yupette,

I sometimes run in 5K events and joined up to run the Army 10 Miler this past weekend. What a disaster. Runners and some spectators became very dehydrated and race-related injuries ranged from cardiac arrest to many, many, runners and spectators becoming very dehydrated. Ten miles is actually 16 kilometers. Not 5 kilometers. Also, temps this morning were about 80 degrees and about 80 percent humidity.

Not nearly enough hydration available along the race course. Same U.S. Army that's been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan for about 16 years. Duh. Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax County, DC, EMS were overwhelmed. Duh.

I finished the race and realized that I wasn't feeling well. Drank down a quart of Gatorade my sister brought along and felt better. Too little hydration for 16 kilometers.

That's what happened. Thanks for your blog.

Ellen. 22207

Proposed CivFed Modernization...Positive Changes or More of the Same?

Hey Yupette,

I'm a former Arlington Civic Federation Delegate (before being replaced by the Yellow Dog Dems who control my civic association - hint, I live in Greater Westover). I was intrigued by the CivFed's October newsletter I received in my e-mail about the CivFed's reorganizational meeting on October 3rd.

So, after first hearing statements from unopposed Yellow Dog Democrats running for re-election the CivFed will turn it's attention to a panel discussion about how the County manages its fund balances and reserves. (Someone could ask the County's financial VIPs why so much tax revenue is parked long-term with a few banks at virtually zero interest). Then CivFed Delegates and Alternates will be advised about proposed modernization of the CivFed's governance. That includes new bylaws to replace the Civfed's current bylaws which date from the CivFed's inception, a hundred years ago.

Also appears the County will pick up the tab for liability insurance for CivFed officers and the CivFed generally. In return for what? CivFed is being advised by the Bean, Kinney law firm, and as anyone who's active in development and redevelopment knows, Bean, Kinney is always on the lookout for site plan approvals from civic associations. Duh.

Anyway, it's all in the CivFed's October newsletter, which should be posted on the CivFed's Web site, www.civfed.org, any day now.

CivFed meeting is tonight at Virginia Hospital Center. Starts at 7 PM.

Eric

Who's Responsible for the Metrorail Mess? They Are.

Hello,

Nice to see members of the Regime gathered to celebrate yet another challenge to the Metrorail system they want to spend billions of dedicated tax dollars to preserve. Anyone actually believe former Governor McAuliffe is going to ride Metrorail to downtown DC next year? Nope, he's going to be chauffered from his McLean mansion to meet other VIPs like Muriel Bowser via I-66 Express Lanes to help concoct another deal where people who don't, won't, or can't use Metrorail will bail out WMATA.

Reality check: Metrorail was designed 50 years ago as a two track system with no express capability to serve a medium-density DC and low-density suburbs. Metrorail came with a number of design and construction deficiencies (like escalators and water intrusion) that took decades to fix. About 20 years ago Metrorail's infrastructure was allowed to deteriorate, to the point where life-threatening safety issues were ignored. About the same time the Region's so-called "Progressive" elected officials who served on WMATA's Board of Directors began massive gentrification of the working class and middle class out of their jurisdictions, to be replaced by Smart Growth upscale urbanization with plenty of parking under the expensive mixed-use buildings.

WMATA's Board members and their colleagues in local jurisdictions simultaneously began the transportation charade known as the "Car Free Diet" which has evolved into a transportation nightmare where more motor vehicles generate more vehicle trips, whether from Uber, Lyft, Express Lanes, Car2Go, Zip Car, massive parking garages, increased student drop-offs, more vehicles per household, and the near-complete gentrification of the middle class out of DC and adjacent urbanized suburbs.

Can't fail to mention the proliferation of bicycles and free range bicyclists (who also own one or more motor vehicles). Then there are the connector buses, like ART, that parallel Metrorail.

So, why be surprised that Metrorail lost riders? Why tax people who don't, won't and can't ride Metrorail to impress Amazon (among other large corporations DC, Arlington, and other localities want to locate or relocate in the region)?

Twenty years of an ever-growing transportation mess. Enough.

Cindy

Clement, Middle Class, Taxpayers Win CivFed Debate

Hello,

Several Arlington Residents who contribute to the AY blog attended yesterday's Civic Federation Candidates' Forum.

The only surprise was from Green Party endorsed Independent Charles McCollough, who went after the urban Hipster vote.

No surprises from Erik Gutshall, the Democratic Insiders' hand picked candidate to implement Phase 3 of Smart Growth in Arlington - massive urbanization of both urban and residential neighborhoods to benefit the Democratic Old Guard and Yellow Dog corporate and non-profit crony plutocrats.

No surprises from Audrey Clement. She consistently promoted preservation of workforce housing and reducing taxes through more efficient and less wasteful government during the debate.

Audrey has my vote in November.

Cindy

End the Affordable Housing and No Car Diet Charades

Hello, Yupette,

County Board meetings resume in three weeks. More of the same on the agenda as before the Summer break.

How did this County get into a Car Free Diet program which is putting more vehicles in more new parking spaces and creating more vehicle trips?

How did the County get into an Affordable Housing program which is not building housing for low wage workers? Or students? Or interns? Or elderly persons living solely on Social Security benefits?

If all the County is doing is enriching real estate trusts and automotive dealers, why waste tens of millions every year on programs that are complete charades?

Something to think about before next month's County Board meeting.

Sharon, 22202

What Arlington's Local Media Can Learn from a 60's Local AM Station

Hey, Yupette,

Thanks for this blog.

I grew up in a county of about 5,000 in a rural part of the Midwest and my Dad was a farm equipment dealer. My younger brother runs the business today. Population is still about 5,000.

Where did we go for news fifty years ago? A woman in town published a weekly community newspaper with upcoming events that was distributed to the stores around town (population about 800) with a few ads to pay for the cost of printing.

Current local news and events were broadcast on the county's 500 watt daytime AM radio station. What did the station have in common with local media in Arlington County today? Nothing.

Our local AM station was all about the community. Starting with farm news at daybreak. Perhaps 10% of the station's broadcast time was dedicated to commercials. Lots of music played during the day, a little rock n roll. Interviews and local news were non-controversial and were about topics that directly affected our daily lives, e.g., curriculum changes by the State Board of Education. Someone from the County Board of Supervisors would announce whatever new they had planned for the county and invite everyone to attend meetings and comment. No open meetings to hold closed meetings to approve what was decided in secret meetings, like today in Arlington.

Also, although there were farm accidents and highway accidents the station's emphasis was on accident prevention, not chasing the volunteer fire department around the county to report accidents. There were lots of public service ads for seat belt wearing and getting farmers to replace old unsafe farm equipment. If you wanted to listen to Rock n Roll and the national controversies of the day you could tune to a 50,000 watt station in Chicago or Denver or Des Moines after dark.

Owner of the radio station also owned a big family farm. His father started the station in the 1930's. His son later started an FM station and both the AM and FM station are still broadcasting, with about the same format.

No one had the time to publish the "fake news" the Amazon Post, InsideNova and ArlNow publish today.

Brad - 22207