County Board

Board Approves 1900 Wilson Development, Adopts CIP

By ARLnow.com

In a flurry of activity last night, the Arlington County Board approved a major development plan, adopted a $1.2 billion Capital Improvement Plan, and heard plenty of citizen input on the controversial East Falls Church redevelopment plan.

The board approved a developer’s plan to build a nearly 25,000 square foot, 200-unit residential complex at 1900 Wilson Boulevard, the current site of a Hollywood Video store and a small office building. The complex will include a number of street-level retail bays that officials hope will help foster more street life on the stretch of Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards between Rosslyn and Courthouse.

“This building fits into our vision of transforming the Courthouse-Rosslyn area into another great Arlington urban village,” Board Chairman Jay Fisette said in a statement. “1900 Wilson Boulevard is a well-designed building that will enliven that block with its combination of homes with street-level stores and great places to eat.”

Last night the board also adopted a $1.2 billion, six-year Capital Improvement Plan. The plan will fund:

  • Construction of the new Wakefield High School
  • Columbia Pike redevelopment and streetcar line
  • Planning costs for the Long Bridge aquatics and fitness center
  • Street redevelopment and transportation initiatives in Crystal City
  • A “strong commitment to Metro” with $85.8 million in new funding for a total of $121.6 million over six years
  • Maintenance for roads, parks, county facilities and technology

In addition, the board heard public comments on the proposed, controversial East Falls Church redevelopment plan.

Board Approves Snow Removal Ordinance, ART Fare Hike

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board approved a controversial snow removal ordinance on Saturday by a vote of 4-1. Board chairman Jay Fisette cast the lone ‘no’ vote, calling the hefty penalties in the ordinance “overkill.”

The board also passed a fare hike for the county’s ART and STAR buses. The base ART bus fare will increase from $1.25 to $1.50.

Additionally, the board approved a zoning change that will allow Army-Navy Country Club to build a sprawling new four-story clubhouse with views of Washington, D.C. As part of the zoning change, the club will allow an emergency access road to be constructed through its 254 acre grounds. The road, which will connect the Arlington Views neighborhood near Columbia Pike with Army Navy Drive near Pentagon City, will also be open to bicyclists and pedestrians.

For more information, see the county press releases on the snow removal ordinance, the transit fare hike and the Army-Navy clubhouse.

Utility Relocation Work on the Pike to Begin Next Month

By ARLnow.com

As the D.C. City Council wrestles with funding for its planned streetcar system, one of the first visible signs of progress on Arlington’s planned Columbia Pike streetcar project will be appearing soon.

Late next month, a contractor is scheduled to start utility relocation work on Columbia Pike between South Wakefield Street and Four Mile Run Drive. While the $2.3 million project is ostensibly meant to improve aesthetics and infrastructure along the Pike by shifting above-ground utility lines below ground, it will also relocate existing underground utilities in anticipation of the planned streetcar line.

The work is expected to take about 15 months to complete. It’s being funded with money from the county, state and federal governments. The county board approved a contract with Alexandria-based construction firm Martin & Gass on Tuesday.

A second phase of the project is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2011. That phase “will focus on improving streets by building wider sidewalks, and adding trees and lighting,” according to a county press release.

Republican Candidate Steps Up to Challenge Zimmerman

By ARLnow.com

Chris Zimmerman will face a general election challenge from the GOP, after all.

South Arlington resident Mark Kelly has accepted the Arlington County Republican Committee’s nomination to run against the incumbent Democrat in the fall.

Kelly, a lawyer who works as an outreach manager at the conservative Heritage Foundation, faces daunting electoral odds. No Republican has won a seat on the board in a general election since 1983 (Republican Mike Lane won a special election in 1999 and served on the board for about six months).

But none of that is stopping Kelly, who wrote on his campaign’s newly-minted Facebook page: “Tonight the Arlington County Republican Committee unanimously nominated me to be their candidate for Arlington County Board. I am proud to accept their nomination.”

Republican civic activist Jim Pebley says Kelly’s announcement was a surprise to many in the audience at the committee meeting.

“Mark just finished up his two year term as chairman of the ACRC and is very well regarded in the committee,” Pebley said. “This was an unexpected development as I didn’t think we’d have a candidate come forward, much less such a well seasoned one.”

Another Outdoor Dining Option For Crystal City?

By ARLnow.com

Crystal City dwellers may soon have another place to enjoy a bite and a beer outside. Hamburger Hamlet (1601 Crystal Drive), a long-time resident of the Crystal City Underground, is looking to expand its presence beyond its darkened front windows.

The restaurant, which brought in new management last year,  has asked the county to allow it to knock down the trees and shrubs in front of the restaurant in order to build a small sidewalk patio with four or five tables. It’s also seeking permission to install new outdoor signage.

No word yet on when the project would get underway if approved by the board.

Committee Fires Back At Fisette’s “Decline to Sign” Message

By ARLnow.com

County Board Chairman Jay Fisette did not mince words when responding to a public comment about the proposed change in Arlington’s form of government at Saturday’s board meeting.

“It is certainly my view that this would be a step backwards for Arlington,” he said of the proposal. “I think the message is, if you’re asked to sign that petition, please decline to do so.”

The Committee for a Better Arlington, which is behind the petition drive to get the proposal on the ballot, is now firing back. The organization released this statement in response to Fisette’s comments:

It is sad to see the Chairman of the County Board opposing people having a say in how their government is run. We started this initiative because we believe every Arlington resident should have a voice in their government. One would hope the Chairman of the County Board would respect those rights more than anyone else. Instead of trying to dissuade voters to sign a petition that would simply give Arlingtonians the right to have a discussion about how County government works, the Chairman and the County Board should step aside and let the democratic process play out.

The proposal would actually give more power to the county board. But Fisette said giving the board the responsibly for hiring, firing or setting the salary for Arlington’s 3,500 county employees, as well as oversight over county purchasing, could open the door to corruption.

“Look in the region itself at the number of stories that come up about the influence that some elected leaders have over… public contracts for service,” Fisette said.

The Washington Post has recently run several stories on large public contracts awarded to friends of D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty.

Big Turnout at Reception for New County Manager

By ARLnow.com

An who’s who of Arlington civic society showed up at the county government building last night to greet new county manager Michael Brown.

Brown and his wife warmly greeted a long procession of well-wishers. The line was more than 25 deep at one point, snaking all the way back to the tables set up with cheese, crackers and other snacks for the occasion.

Among the people in attendance were county employees, heads of business associations, county board members and other local business leaders and civic-minded folks, including:

Barbara Favola, Walter Tejada and Chris Zimmerman, county board members; Angela Fox, President/CEO of Crystal City BID; Takis Karantonis, Executive Director of Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization; Diana Sun, Arlington County Director of Communications; James Pebley of the Arlington County Civic Federation; developer John G. Shooshan; Rich Doud, President of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce; and Shannon Flanagan-Watston, Assistant County Manager and Brown’s chief-of-staff.

County board chairman Jay Fisette was also in attendance. He delivered a short introduction of Brown later in the reception.

Michael Brown Makes His Debut

By ARLnow.com

After a week on the job, new Arlington county manager Michael Brown participated in his first county board meeting Saturday morning.

Board Chairman Jay Fisette kicked off the meeting by welcoming Brown to Arlington.

“Thank you Mr. Chairman, it’s great to be here,” Brown reciprocated later in the nearly five hour meeting.

Brown also took time to thank deputy county manager Barbara Donnellan, who served as interim county manager prior to his arrival. Brown said his transition was made much easier by Donnellan’s work on this year’s operating and capital budgets.

You can meet Brown in person tonight at public reception being held between 5:00 and 8:00 in the lobby of the county government building (2100 Clarendon Blvd).

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.

Arlington Considers Snow Removal Lessons From Neighbors

By ARLnow.com

In 2004, the city of Hagerstown charged an 86-year-old woman $223 for not clearing her sidewalk after a snowstorm. That same year, the city of Frederick, Md. sent snow removal bills to the state-run Maryland School for the Deaf and to an elderly couple confined to walkers.

The Hagerstown incident caused a “public outcry” that forced the city to ease up on enforcement, the Associated Press reported at the time. A photo of the elderly couple in Frederick, which ran in a local newspaper, is a classic study in bad PR.

Arlington is now considering a snow removal ordinance similar to the statutes in place in Hagerstown and Frederick. The proposed ordinance has garnered headlines like “Arlington Proposes Criminal Charges for Unneighborly Snow Shovelers” and “Arlington Says Clear Your Sidewalks or Pay Up.” Clearly, history risks repeating itself.

County officials, however, say they’ve been trying to learn from our neighbors.

“Staff reviewed numerous jurisdictions that have ordinances or conditions that govern sidewalk snow removal,” says Arlington County transportation planning chief Thomas Bruccoleri.

Among the jurisdictions studied:

  • The City of Alexandria requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 24 hours. Alexandria’s ordinance assesses a $50 civil penalty, but only after written notice has been issued.
  • Loudoun County requires property owners to clear sidewalks within 6 hours. People with physical or mental disabilities, and people over the age of 65, are exempted. The county provides written notice and has not had to issue fines due to high compliance. Like Arlington’s proposed ordinance, Loudoun can assess a fine of up to $250, which is a class 4 misdemeanor.
  • Fairfax County does not have a sidewalk snow removal ordinance.

Arlington is set to hold a public hearing on a permanent snow removal ordinance on Saturday, June 12.

The proposed ordinance would require residential and commercial property owners to clear snow from sidewalks 24-36 hours after snow stops falling. It would make it a misdemeanor to shovel snow onto public property, including streets and bus stops.

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Zimmerman Warns of Impending Doom at Metro

By ARLnow.com

Arlington County board vice chairman and Metro board member Chris Zimmerman says now “is the time to get scared” about Metro’s future.

In a Washington Post Op-Ed titled “The sky really is falling at Metro,” Zimmerman warns of dire consequences if the agency doesn’t get the full $11.4 billion it needs for infrastructure projects over the next decade. That “massive infusion of infrastructure investment” will only be possible if state and local leaders from D.C., Maryland and Virginia increase Metro’s funding, he writes.

Zimmerman proposes that localities, at minimum, maintain current funding levels while working to implement a new regional tax to fund Metro. Zimmerman also calls for the federal government to begin making annual payments to the agency.

Arlington is among the localities that currently contribute to Metro’s operating fund. The county board recently approved $24,191,077 in funding for Metro as part of its FY 2011 budget. Metro receives an annual subsidy of almost $600 million from local governments.

Zimmerman is campaigning for re-election to the county board this year.

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