bonds

Upgrades to Clarendon Dog Park Rely on Bond Issue

By ARLnow.com

The Clarendon dog park soon won’t be just for the dogs any more. The park at Herndon Street and 13th Street is set to receive a $1.7 million face lift over the next year and a half. The project will transform what is essentially an open field adorned with plastic lawn chairs into a sleekly-designed green space that will be part dog park and part “person” park.

That is, unless the park bond fails in November.

All but $350,000 of the park’s funding relies on voters passing a $5.975 million park bond next month. If the bond fails, a new, piecemeal construction plan will likely need to be conceived.

“We would have to regroup and figure out how to proceed,” said Scott McPartlin, an urban planner with the county. “I don’t think anyone has the answer to that at this point.”

The current plan for the new park includes benches and picnic tables, a water feature, a demonstration garden, planed trees, solar panels to power a portion of the park’s features and a water reclamation system.

If the bond is passed, McPartlin expects construction to begin in late spring or early summer of 2011, to be completed by spring of 2012.

The county is currently conducting an online survey to determine a name for the park. With the exception of “Companionship Park,” the name choices — “James Hunter Park,” “Merchant’s Park,” “Nesmith Park,” and “Wheeler Park” — each have historical significance for the area.

Update at 12:45 p.m. — McPartlin clarifies that the $350,000 in funding already secured will go toward the dog park (in county parlance, a “community canine area”). The $1.3 million from the park bond will be used for the other improvements. Regardless of whether the bond passes, McPartlin says, the community canine area portion of the plan will move forward.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Bayou Bakery Opening Set — Cookbook author David Guas is hoping to open his Bayou Bakery coffee bar and eatery concept by November 1. The restaurant, which is taking over the old Camille’s space at 1515 North Courthouse Road, will feature Louisiana-style pastries, sweets, sausages, and other savory selections.

Rosslyn CVS To Renovate — The CVS at 1100 Wilson Boulevard will be getting a major facelift. The 26-year-old, nearly 10,000 square foot pharmacy will get a new layout, new window displays and new finishes throughout the store. No timeline was given for the construction. More from the Washington Business Journal.

Residents Vent About Helicopters — Wow. One Fairlington man who attended last night’s forum on helicopter regulations has filed more than 350 helicopter noise complaints since 2007. The forum, hosted by Arlington County Board Member Mary Hynes, featured a number of local military and air traffic control officials. The result of the forum: a pledge to hold more meetings. More from TBD.

GOP Votes to Oppose Bonds — The Arlington County Republican Committee voted last night to oppose three out of four bond referendums on the November ballot. The local GOP is saying no to bonds for Metro, parks, and community infrastructure, but yes to the $103 million school bond that will fund a new Wakefield High School. If history is any indication, however, all the bond measures are expected to easily pass. More from the Sun Gazette.

Flickr pool photo by Philliefan99

1979: The Last Time Arlington Voters Rejected a Bond Issue

By ARLnow.com

The year was 1979. Margaret Thatcher became the British prime minister. Americans were taken hostage in Iran. And, just two days after the Iranian hostage crisis began, two bond issues were rejected in Arlington County.

It was the last time Arlington voters would say no on a county bond referendum.

With less than three weeks to go before absentee voting begins in Arlington, it seems highly unlikely that the trend will reverse itself this year.

There is one important parallel to be drawn, however.

In 1979, like today, there was economic turmoil that had voters on edge about new spending. (Witness: the Glenn Beck rally that took Arlington hotels by storm over the weekend.)

The difference is that in 1979 interest rates were sky-high, making the cost of borrowing money prohibitively expensive. Now, interest rates are close to all-time lows.

In 1979, there were four bond issues on the referendum, including a $4 million local parks bond, a $1.7 million regional parks bond, a $4.7 million roads bond and a $2 million sewer bond. Both park bonds were rejected after the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and a group called the Committee of Concerned Citizens came out against them. The other bonds were approved.

The park bonds, which would have been used to maintain open space and beautify the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, were supported by the county board and the League of Women Voters.

“We don’t want another Rosslyn,” the League’s Judy Sibert told the Washington Post a week before voters went to the polls. “We want the [Rosslyn-Ballston corridor] to be an attractive place to work in.”

The park bonds attracted less than 40 percent of the vote.

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Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Circulator Bus Service Comes to Arlington — On Sept. 1, DDOT will begin operating a new Circulator bus route between Georgetown and Arlington. More from the Washington Examiner.

Planetarium Fundraiser Draws a Crowd — More than 400 people attended the “Night at the Planetarium” fundraiser at the David M. Brown planetarium Saturday night, organizers said. The event raised about $4,500 to help save the planetarium from closure.

Arlington Native Scores TV Show — Arlington native Zack Cregger has joined the cast of “Friends with Benefits,” a new NBC comedy series set to air in 2011. Cregger previously had a starring movie role in the 2009 comedy Miss March.

County Issues Bonds on the Cheap — Arlington County issued more than $73 million in bonds last week, at a record-low 2.70 percent interest rate. The bonds will partially finance Metro projects, neighborhood conservation projects, improvements to the Water Pollution Control Plant, and construction at Yorktown High School. The low rate is partially thanks to the county’s Triple-A rating, as well as low rates in the market.

Photo: Start of last week’s Crystal City Twilighter 5K. Courtesy of Crystal City BID.

Arlington Stays in the Financial World’s Good Graces

By ARLnow.com

For the tenth straight year, Arlington has scored a financial “triple-triple.” All three major bond rating agencies have just affirmed Arlington’s AAA bond rating, the highest rating available.

“I think it’s especially important at this time, which is very difficult for the economy, local governments and bond markets,” County Manager Michael Brown told board members while announcing the good news today.

“Not many communities can do that,” said board chairman Jay Fisette, who called the top rating “sacrosanct” and “a source of pride.”

Arlington is one of only 35 counties across the country that has a triple AAA rating. It allows the county to borrow money at the lowest possible rates.

Brown cited the county’s strong economic performance, deep reserves and good fiscal management as reasons for the renewal. The rating was granted despite the county moving forward with a $161 million bond referendum that, if approved by voters in November, will fund a new Wakefield High School, infrastructure improvements at Metro, and other major capital expenditures. Some fear that the larger-than-normal bond issue will hurt Arlington’s AAA status.

Plan For New Wakefield High School Moves Forward

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board has given the go-ahead to include the proposed new Wakefield High School as part of its bond referendum this fall.

The $104.6 million project was fast-tracked by the school system and the county board in order to take advantage of more favorable bids from construction companies hurt by the recession. Originally, the county’s 2008 Capital Improvement Plan called for the school’s bond referendum to take place in 2012.

“By moving the project forward we will realize significant savings through reduced construction costs,” board Chairman Jay Fisette said in a statement.

“The new Wakefield High School will be a great civic building that will be both a first-class educational facility and an asset to the broader community,” said board vice-chairman Christopher Zimmerman.

In April, Acting County Manager Barbara Donnellan raised questions about whether the school’s financing could cause issues with the county’s debt limits and put Arlington’s excellent AAA bond rating in jeopardy. Apparently those fears were allayed.

Residents will vote in November on whether to approve the bonds necessary to build the school.