Neighborhood Conservation

Neighborhood Projects Set for Approval

By ARLnow.com

Proposed Tyrol Hill Park improvementsThe Arlington County Board will consider approving $2.5 million worth of Neighborhood Conservation Program projects at its meeting on Saturday.

Out of the 27 projects considered by the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee in December, five were recommended for funding.

  • Park improvements at Tyrol Hill Park in the Columbia Heights West neighborhood. Improvements — pictured, left — include demolition of the old existing play area, construction of a new tot and school-age play area, accessibility improvements, new concrete walkways, new site furnishings and a new water fountain. ($670,000)
  • Street improvements on N. Buchanan Street between 24th Road and 24th Street N., in the the Old Dominion neighborhood. The project proposes a 24-foot wide roadway, curb and gutter improvements, and a 5-foot wide sidewalk on either side of N. Buchanan Street. ($310,246)
  • New streetlights on 9th Street, 7th Street and S. Highland Street in the Arlington Heights neighborhood. The project will install “Carlyle style” LED lights. ($477,339)
  • Park improvements at Chestnut Hills Park in the Yorktown neighborhood. The project includes “frontage and beautification improvements,” as well as new benches, a new accessible pathway to a portable toilet, a new enclosure for the toilet and pedestrian safety improvements. ($708,776)
  • New streetlights on N. Cleveland Street between 1st Road N. to Washington Blvd, in the Lyon Park neighborhood. The project will install “Carlyle style” LED lights. ($147,843)

This round of Neighborhood Conservation funding also includes $200,000 for “missing link” projects.

Funding for the projects will be provided through Neighborhood Conservation bonds. The Neighborhood Conservation program allows neighborhood groups to apply to the county for public improvements requested by residents.

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Neighborhood Projects Approved — The Arlington County Board unanimously approved $3.4 million in funding for six neighborhood improvement projects. “This is the third round in funding for key recommended Neighborhood Conservation projects from the 2010 voter-approved $9 million Community Conservation Bond,” the county noted in a press release. [Arlington County]

County Looking for Partner to Spruce Up Farmhouse — The Arlington Department of Parks and Recreation is looking for a charitable individual or organization interested in restoring the historic, county-owned Reevesland farmhouse and estate. The restoration is expected to cost upwards of $1 million. [Sun Gazette]

DESIGNArlington Awards Announced — Arlington County is recognizing outstanding architectural or landscape design through its second-annual DESIGNArlington awards. Among five recipients of the highest “Award of Excellence” this year, three are county-owned buildings and two are private residences. [Arlington County]

John Glenn, Astronaut and Arlingtonian — Astronaut (and U.S. Senator) John Glenn lived in Arlington for about five years around the time he was becoming a celebrity space pioneer. Glenn lived in a single-story home near Williamsburg Junior High School (now Williamsburg Middle School) between 1958 and 1963. [Arlington Public Library]

Neighborhood Projects Set for Approval

By ARLnow.com

The Arlington County Board will consider approving $3.4 million worth of Neighborhood Conservation Program projects at its meeting on Saturday.

In December, the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee considered 33 different requests and recommended six for the current round of NC funding. Among the recommended projects:

  • Beautification, pedestrian safety improvements, corner nubs and bike lanes on Patrick Henry Drive from 16th Street N. to Washington Boulevard in Westover Village ($531,829)
  • Park improvements to the playground at Glencarlyn Park in Arlington Forest ($485,000)
  • Beautification, pedestrian safety improvements, corner nubs and bike lanes on N. Sycamore Street from 26th Street N. to Williamsburg Boulevard in Williamsburg ($679,101)
  • Beautification, pedestrian safety improvements, corner nubs, landscaping and possible bio-retention features on 23rd Street S. from S. Culpeper Street to S. Columbus Street in Claremont ($495,671)
  • Street improvements including sidewalk, curb, gutter and streetlights on 20th Street N. from N. Kenmore Street to N. Monroe Street in Cherrydale ($562,481)
  • Street improvements including sidewalk, curb, gutter and streetlights on S. Fern Street from 22nd Street S. to 19th Street S. in Aurora Highlands ($683,673)

Funding for the projects will be provided through Neighborhood Conservation bonds. The Neighborhood Conservation program allows neighborhoods to, essentially, compete with one another to receive funding for public improvements requested by residents.

Neighborhood Conservation Projects Await Approval

By ARLnow.com

The Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee is recommending that the County Board approve five new street improvement projects when it meets this weekend.

The total cost of the projects — which are expected to improve the appearance and safety of the streetscape — is estimated at $2.8 million. Of the five projects, all but one are in North Arlington.

The Neighborhood Conservation program allows neighborhoods to compete with one another to receive funding for public improvements requested by residents. The five projects expected to receive funding over the weekend include:

  • Beautification plus pedestrian safety improvements with raised medians on Yorktown Blvd between Little Falls Road and 30th Street N., near Yorktown High School. ($202,599)
  • Street improvements including sidewalk, curb, gutter and street lighting in Glencarlyn, on 4th Street S. between Lexington and Kensington Streets and on Lexington Street between 3rd and 4th Streets. ($653,033)
  • Street improvements including sidewalk, curb, gutter and street lighting in Ashton Heights, on N. Piedmont Street from 5th to 6th Streets. ($519,345)
  • Beautification plus pedestrian safety improvements with curb and median extensions in Tara Leeway Heights, on N. Patrick Henry Drive from 18th to 20th Streets. ($717,897)
  • Street improvements including sidewalk, curb, and gutter in Leeway, on N. Illinois Street from 22nd Street to Lee Highway. ($716,692)

The last round of Neighborhood Conservation projects included street, park and sign improvements in six different neighborhoods. This time around, the committee passed over proposed park projects in Penrose, Arlington Forest and Boulevard Manor; pedestrian safety projects in Westover Village, Waverly Hills and Claremont; and street improvement projects in Williamsburg and Maywood.

Board to Consider Awarding $3 Million in Neighborhood Funds

By ARLnow.com

On Saturday, Arlington County board members will debate where to award some $3 million worth of Neighborhood Conservation funds.

The funds are intended to pay for basic street and park improvement projects, which are proposed by neighborhood groups. This year, most of the money is coming from a $9 million Neighborhood Conservation bond, approved by Arlington voters in November.

In December, the county’s Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee (NCAC) recommended seven projects for the first round of funding under the new bond, out of 33 proposals. The recommended neighborhood projects are listed below.

  • Rock Spring — $12,500 — Neighborhood sign design, fabrication, installation
  • Rock Spring — $732,245 — Beautification, pedestrian safety and street lighting improvements on Williamsburg Blvd from George Mason Drive to N. Kensington Street
  • Arlington Heights — $381,478 — Beautification, pedestrian safety and street lighting plus sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements on Arlington Blvd from S. Fillmore Street to S. Irving Street (Phase 2)
  • Douglas Park — $495,000 — Park improvements, lighting and trail upgrades to Doctor’s Run Park
  • Ballston/Virginia Square — $719,956 — Sidewalk, curb, gutter, beautification and pedestrian safety improvements on Kirkwood Road from Lee Highway to 14th Street N.
  • Dominion Hills — $269,678 — Beautification, pedestrian safety, sidewalk, curb and gutter improvements on Patrick Henry rive from 9th Street N. to Wilson Blvd (Phase 3)
  • Columbia Heights — $391,703 — Sidewalk, curb, gutter and street lighting improvements on 11th Street S. from S. Edgewood Street to S. Cleveland Street

There are two rounds of Neighborhood Conservation funding each year. In October, the NCAC and the county board agreed to spend $3.87 million on ten separate projects throughout the county.