Arlington Ridge Civic Association | ARCA | Arlington, VA

Save our Community Center! – Thanks to all of you for taking the time to fill out the survey on the Aurora Hills Community Center. We received 205 responses and they are now be tallied. Read the results of the survey here. pdf icon

Thank you to the HUME school volunteeers
With perfect working weather last Saturday morning, we had a record turnout of between 55 and 60 neighbors for Fall Volunteer Day at Arlington Historical Museum/Hume School grounds. The record numbers were largely due to our local Mormon/Latter Day Saints (LDS) singles group showing up over 40 strong. With this many hands we were able to add two locations to our restoration and maintenance efforts -- the small triangle in the center of the I395 exit, and the triangle in the center of the Ft. Scott Drive intersection with S. 23rd Street. This is in addtion to the main effort around Hume School, and the southwest side of the I395 exit, which we have maintained for about 5 years now. And, we still finished earlier than in the past.

Bonnie Flynn oversaw a dozen workers at I395 exit. The center triangle required a lot of work as it had become overgrown. A nearby neighbor who had maintained it was diverted recently by family issues out of town. Weeding, mulching and cutting back invasives dressed up the soutwest corner area, where our neighborhood sign is, that Schon Oppert and ARCA neighbors had filled and landscaped a few years back. Schon joined in by clearing debris down by the flashing lights that ARCA got VDOT to install with the urging of Bob Dolehide and Andrea Walker, and the assistance of Stae Senator Patsy Ticer and Representative Bob Brink and their staffs.

At the triangle in the intersection of Ft. Scott Drive with S. 23rd Street, local Garden Club members Katie Buck, Ethelmary Maddox and Joan Quinn planned and oversaw a new beautification effort, with the help of three LDS folks, on the triangle at the Ft. Scott intersection with S. 23rd St. Expect to see tulips there in the Spring.

Around Hume School, we continued weeding, planting new shrubs and plants, pruning the three garden areas, and general cleanup. In addition to dozens of highly motivated LDS folks, some of our charter members and abutting neighbors helped guide the efforts. Deb Geneoulas and Don Clarke worked the north and south gardens and fences. Tree Steward Nancy Kent oversaw pruning and planting in the rear garden. Dawn Clarke and my wife Sandy handled morning refreshments, and Rich Kelly and his son Sean handled the lunch with the best chili dogs yet. Abutting neighbors offerred overflow parking as in the past, and helped with debris pickup.

The County provided us tools and mulch at the three locations, in spite of having lost two key staff from the Remove Invasive Plants Program to family and personal injury. County and Extension Service help provided the impetus six years ago to take this effort beyond three over-the-hill retirees trying to clear stairs and walks, to a total grounds restoration, and creation of a park environment behind Hume, incorporating three County parcels in addition to the Arlington Historical Society hill parcel behind the school. Thanks to Parks Maintenance folks under Caroline Temmermand, Jamie Bartalon, and Patrick Wegeng. Kurt Louis has also been indispensible in the restoration of the stairs and asphalt path behind Hume, and the neighborhood sigh at I395 exit.

While many were not aware of the roughly 250 LDS singles living in AHCA and ARCA, their presence will be more obvious in the future when their Meetingouse is completed at 745 S. 23rd Street, in a renovated former office building. Laura Harrison is our current Service Chairperson for the singles group. Perhaps in the future we can name all of the dozens that show up to help. They have given us an essential capability to tackle the work around Hume School and beyond. They have helped Aurora Highlands Civic Association plant 100 trees in Virginnia Highlands Park. When their Meeting house is complete, we will have 5 churches along S. 23rd Street housing 14 congregations by my last count. With this and the several recent day care and preschools, S. 23rd Street is increasingly our community-oriented "Main Street."

Thanks to all for a restoration and maintenance effort that continues to both fulfill and exceed our original vision.

Chick Walter
Coordinator, Friends of Hume School
President, Arlington Ridge Civic Association

Spring 2010 Volunteer Day
We want to thank all for a very successful Spring Volunteer Day at the old Hume School/Arlington Historical Museum on April 17. We had what may be a record turnout of 44 persons - over two dozen of which were from our local Mormon singles group living throughout the neighborhood. These numbers do not count the assistance we get from County staff, who generously provided tools and mulch as part of their Remove Invasive Plants program -- which gave our grounds restoration efforts a running start over 5 years ago.

We are learning as we go, and it is clear that, while the work is now less exhausting than the early years of beating back a jungle, these days of weeding, raking, pruning and planting are a necessary part of maintaining the pleasant park-like setting we have created -- in cooperation with the County who kept pace on their three abutting plots of land. The County Parks Department has also contributed to the Historical Society land with planting trees and with small Parks Grants to restore the stairs and path, and to plant shrubs.

With the number of folks who continue to support our Hume Volunteer Day, we are also able to maintain the landscaped area neighbors created on the soutwest side of the I395 exit. In addition, we continue to add important maintenance tasks like dealing with rust and flaking paint on the front wrought iron entrance to the school and to the steel steps at the rear, and working to contain erosion on the hill from the outlets from the roof rain gutters.

We look forward to a Fall Volunteer Day, when we hope to do some concentrated planting, using some donations to the historical Society earmarked for this purpose. We will also put out a call for donated plants ahead of time. Support from the local Green Manor Garden Club members has been key in the planting we have already accomplished on the hill. They also provide assistance between volunteer days with pruning, planting, weed control and watering. We are very grateful for the continuing support Rich Kelly donates in the form of mowing, weed-whacking and weed treatment -- not to mention his chili dogs that cap each Volunteer Day.

We appreciate your continuing interest in this key neighborhood and County asset, and hope to see continued strong support in the fall.

Thanks again.

Chick Walter
Coordinator, Friends of Hume School
Chairman, Grounds Committee, Arlington Historical Society Museum
703-519-9487

Crystal City Redevelopment

The move to approve the Sector Plan for Crystal City Redevelopment is reaching completion and we are approaching the final window to express our opinions. Click here to view the current Sector Plan Version 2.0. Infrastructure costs are estimated at $250M. Note there are no $ allocated for external road improvements (Rt 1, Ridge, 23rd) as the county has determined that doubling the density of people in Crystal City will have no impact on traffic.

At the Request to Advertise hearing on the Crystal City Redevelopment Plan, ARCA's very own Kit Whitely spoke about our experience with a joint ARCA/AHCA Working Group that articulated our concerns about the planning process. Read her statement here. pdf icon

The Request to Advertise hearing is Tuesday July 13 at approximately 6:45pm. This is a mandatory step in the approval process for the Sector Plan. Once the request to advertise is granted (making official the county’s intention to bring this item up for vote at its September session) the final clock for approval starts ticking.

Bear in mind that Alexandria has just approved a similar development plan for Potomac Yards which has strengthened already heightened concerns held by many. Cick here for plan. Now is the time to act. It is ARCA’s intent to present the neighborhoods concerns at that session but we have found in the past numbers make a difference.

Please consider, as a minimum, attending this session on July 13 but also consider speaking and expressing your views. Speaker slips may be submitted before the item begins...if you must be a little late, someone could turn in the slip for you. It is important that our views be heard. Letters or emails to the Board might be useful. Contact information can be found in the Contact Us section of the County Board webpage. Any and all support from the community is requested as we continue to make our voices heard. We will continue to update you via this site and arcaneighbor as the meeting schedule evolves. Please send any questions to us at arcaneighbor@gmail.com.

The Request to Advertise is meant to alert the public that the County Board is considering action on the item, so that the public has a chance to comment and give their views to the authorities. This is a legal step in the process. The plan is proposed to be adopted on September 25, 2010.

The first building to be built will be an office building at 23rd Street and Crystal Drive across from a park which will be destroyed. The current building there will be torn down and replaced by an office building 330’ high – about 28 stories. This will be built very soon.

To recap, why does ARCA care about this? ARCA cares because the plan includes features that will significantly impact our community. The density will be about doubled when the inevitable bonuses are included. There are inevitable impacts of traffic, air pollution and noise pollution. Additionally, the visual impact of some 28-30 story buildings on the CC side of 23rd Street, and many 20 story buildings in other places, will significantly affect our neighborhood.

If you would like to join the Crystal City effort, your presence and skills would be warmly welcomed. Please contact us at arcaneighbor@gmail.com.

Anthony Fusarelli, Urban Planner with the Arlington County Planning Division - CPHD, spoke at the May 20th meeting. The County is planning to release an updated Sector Plan in June with the goal of asking for County Board approval in September. Current infrastructure costs are estimated at $90,980,000 ($20,250,000 requiring General Tax Fund Support) over a 6-year period beginning with fiscal year 2011. Read more details on the proposed Capital Improvement Program here.

Crystal City: County Board Tentative Hearing Date May 22, 2010

The current schedule for the County Board to consider the Crystal City (CC) redevelopment plan is May 22. The Board is scheduled to consider advertising the plan on April 24, which will be followed by various commission hearings on the plan prior to the Board meeting.

Two more community organizations have written the Board expressing their views about the redevelopment’s impacts; these concerns have also been expressed at ARCA meetings and in newsletters.

The Center for Urban Education (CUE), a non-profit 501c3 corporation, is concerned about environmental protection issues which arise in urban settings, and promotes environmentally sound solutions to urban problems. CUE’s basic points are: the CC proposal involves a massive redevelopment and increase in density; a significant part of the density increase is outside the 1/4 mile Metro “bullseye,” with buildings 300-330 tall at 23rd Street between Route 1 and Crystal Drive, which also destroys Cherrios Park; the development will cause significant traffic generation on local streets, as well as air pollution and noise pollution; a significant part of the development is on the west side of Route 1 threatening neighborhood boundaries and stability; and massive increase of public outlays of money will be required for the infrastructure. CUE recommends building under the existing zoning and opposes the proposed redevelopment. The complete CUE letter can be read here.

The Book Club, a book group, whose members are from 22202, emphasizes the extraordinary changes in the General Land Use Plan to implement the CC plan. Zoning regulations are designed to protect existing property owners, and the health, safety and welfare of the area would be radically changed with the significant increases in density. The increased traffic on neighborhood streets creates additional health and safety issues. The approximately 30 story buildings planned on the CC side of 23rd Street will result in a massive wall, radically changing the aerial landscape of the area and funnel traffic through neighboring residential communities. Quality of life issues are intangible and are sublimated to ideas of high economic returns. The Club opposes the proposed development in its present form and supports development under existing zoning. The complete letter can be read here.

The question is sometimes asked, why be concerned with density? What does density so? Density has multiple infrastructure costs, increased traffic, air pollution, noise pollution, and impacts on health, safety and welfare. CC extensive redevelopment will be a significant density increase in an already impacted area. The above impacts are important to understand. Stay tuned.

Past Activities

Representatives from ARCA, Aurora Highlands Civic Association (AHCA) and Crystal City neighborhoods have assumed seats on Arlington County’s Long Range Planning Committee (LRPC) to review the plan for the redevelopment of Crystal City. Arlington County has undertaken a comprehensive strategic development initiative focused upon the redevelopment of the Crystal City area. The Jefferson Davis corridor is the strongest economic ‘engine’ within Arlington County. Therefore, the objective of this initiative is to further develop and redevelop this area so that it not only remains healthy after the impact of base realignment and closure (BRAC), but grows as a vital office, retail, and residential area.

The ‘Crystal City Vision Plan 2050’ is currently being reviewed by the LRPC, and the current draft is available to the public for download at www.plancrystalcity.com. ARCA residents and other members of the community are strongly encouraged to download, review, and comment upon the draft document, as implementation of the plan will inevitably have an impact on many dimensions of our communities, both positively and potentially negatively.

The LRPC is meeting through the summer on the Vision Plan to provide County staff with additional comments and input. The first meeting was on 9 June 2009, and two additional meetings have been scheduled for 8 July 2009 and 30 July 2009. ARCA’s principal representative to the LRPC is Christopher Mailander. Patty Lynn is the first alternate, and Chick Walter is the second alternate.

ARCA has joined with AHCA and Crystal City neighbors to create a community-wide Working Group focused upon receiving better input from the residents throughout the entirety of the 22202 zip code. The Working Group is currently preparing a consolidated response to the LRPC for purposes of expressing the voice of the primarily residential neighborhoods within the wider geographic confines of the Jefferson Davis corridor which collectively share transportation, retail, schools, and other physical infrastructure.

It has been proposed by the LRPC that an additional chapter be drafted by the County to specifically address the issue of community benefits from the redevelopment of the Crystal City area, and to better “humanize” a strategic plan that is strongly focused upon economic and development issues. The Working Group has been specifically tasked with providing input to this additional chapter. Issues of particular focus for this exercise include addressing the potential negative effects of creating separate, non-integrated communities within Crystal City; the lack of integration of Crystal City with the neighboring communities of Aurora Hills and Arlington Ridge; the inadequacies of the traffic analysis due to its limited focus on intra-Crystal City traffic, and not the surrounding arterial routes; the impact of the increasing density on green space in Crystal City; the realization of tangible and quantifiable community benefits in exchange for the increasing density and demands on Crystal City, Aurora Hills, and Arlington Ridge; the impact of increased density and traffic on the transportation infrastructure in not only Crystal City, but also Aurora and Arlington Ridge; and the impact of increasing and changing density patterns on neighborhood schools, libraries, community centers, parks, and on other common infrastructure, as well as on emergency, fire, police and medical services. The core objective of the Working Group is to set forth a vision for what this larger community can be in terms of lifestyles, work, and play, and better address how the vision affects such diverse communities as the elderly, families, singles, and others.

There are several pathways through which ARCA and individual residents can influence and shape the development of the long-term ‘Vision’. These include attendance and comment at the planned LRPC meetings to be held on July 8 and July 30 to continue review of the draft Plan. ARCA members are particularly encouraged to attend the July 30th session, when it is anticipated that the aforementioned community issues will be specifically discussed. Individuals and civic organizations may communicate directly with staff and the planning commission at any time. There will also be future public hearings to review the Vision Plan and receive public input, which are currently anticipated to begin in late September or October.

Feedback and input from Arlington Ridge residents directly to the Working Group is sought immediately to enable it and the LRPC representatives to best share concerns and opinions with the County. Contact Chris Mailander , Patty Lynn and/or Chick Walter for any additional information pertaining to the LRPC or Crystal City Vision Plan 2050, and/or to provide immediate input and comments related thereto.

Traffic Control and Pedestrian Safety

Mr. Leach, Director of the Transportation Division of the Department of Environmental Services responded on January 7, 2010, to the letter ARCA sent in 2009. Click here to read his response.

Given the many exclusions the County’s term “Traffic Calming Program” entails, ARCA no longer uses it to describe efforts to control traffic speed. ARCA continues its 3-part approach to address pedestrian safety and traffic control in our neighborhood. Part 1 tries to follow up on the previous impressive achievements on Ridge Rd. and 23rd St., and to expand that work throughout our neighborhood. Part 2 is the development of our Neighborhood Conservation Plan which gives ARCA a chance to communicate its vision for the neighborhood to the County Board and staff. Part 3 is taking an active role in the planning phase of the Crystal City redevelopment (with the possibility of getting developer “set-aside” funds to control traffic impact).

ARCA Mini Survey

Mini Survey #1 Results
"What do you like most about living in Arlington Ridge?"
Earlier this month, neighbors were asked to provide feedback via email on what they value about the neighborhood. 39 responses were received to the question: "What do you like most about living in Arlington Ridge?". Here is a summary of the survey results. The mini-survey was a way to broaden readership input into the newsletter, and to get members thinking about neighborhood issues in advance of the more detailed neighborhood survey. Keep your eyes on this space as we roll out the online survey.

If you would like to help in either the streamlining effort or are interested in volunteering, please contact us at arcaneighbor@gmail.com.

ARCA’s second mini-survey was conducted in December 2010 using our listserve to gather data on work commutes of residents. Residents were asked how many days they used the different travel modes available in our area for work commutes: driving alone, Metrorail, bus, carpool/vanpool, bicycle, walk, or telework. Responses were received from 73 households with information on 94 residents. Results show that ARCA residents drove alone to work half the days worked, used Metrorail about 25% of days worked and teleworked 8% of days worked.

It is interesting to note that many residents (30%) used different primary travel modes on different days of the week for their work commutes. It can also be assumed that workers used more than one travel mode in a day, since those using Metrorail would need to walk or take a bus to the station or those who teleworked may make a work-related trip during the day. Many of our residents seem to work non-traditional weeks (i.e. more or less than 5 days/week) and almost 40% of responses were received for persons who were retired or did not work outside the house. While these respondents do not travel to work, they probably make more trips in a day than workers.

While this was not a scientifically conducted survey, the responses give us a good idea of the transportation needs and attitudes in the area. The responses also help us prepare for the survey effort to be launched in January 2011 for the Neighborhood Conservation Plan. Satisfaction with the transportation system plays a big role in our quality of life, and the numerous travel options available in our area help to meet the diverse needs of ARCA residents. Travel options for trips at all hours of the day and a range of destinations will need to be evaluated as we try to improve the standard of living in our area.

Total Households Responding	73
Total # People	94
Total Working Commuters	59 (63% of respondants)
% days commuters drive alone	49.82%
% days commuters use metrorail	22.94%
% days workers telework	8.24%

Projects List

Current ARCA Projects

Our Neighborhood

Crystal City Redevelopment

Crystal City: County Board Tentative Hearing Date May 22, 2010

Past Activities

Traffic Control and Pedestrian Safety

ARCA Mini Survey