BVSCA Newsletter July 2001
Contents:July 31 Meeting Agenda
Please refer to the newsletter for a summary of agenda items. Also, note the location for our July meeting below.
7:00 pm Executive Committee Meeting
7:30 pm Full Membership Meeting
BVSCA dues paying members may participate as observers in meetings of the BVSCA Executive Committee. On July 31, we will be meeting in the community room of the Ballston Park Condominiums at 1050 N. Stuart St. behind The Nature Conservancy. We are grateful to Ballston Park Condominiums for offering space for BVSCA meetings. However, please be advised that there is limited on-street parking available. Paid parking is available at the garage adjacent to the Rio Grande restaurant, on N. Taylor St.
BVSCA Membership Meetings are held on the last Tuesday of alternate months from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. The BVSCA newsletter is published six times per year in advance of the monthly meeting. Our next meeting is September 25.
But, Officer!
The following individuals were elected as BVSCA officers and Civic Federation delegates for Membership Year 2001-2. Officers: President, Ben Axleroad; Vice President, Dennis Burr; Treasurer, DeAndra Beck; Recording Secretary, David Ryan; and NCAC Representative, Theresa Smith. Executive Committee: BVSCA officers (3), NCAC Representative, and at-large members (3): Ken Hughes, Jeff Green, and Kate Wilson. Civic Federation Delegates (4): Kate Wilson, Ernie Ragland, David Ryan, and Rohan Samaraweera. Alternate Civic Federation Delegates (4): Ben Axleroad, Richard Ellis, Tom Sawner, and Valerie Preiss.
Dues and Don'ts
At the May 29 BVSCA meeting, the members voted to raise BVSCA dues to $10 per year. There will be no differential rate for single memberships and household memberships. Those who have paid annual dues in advance will not be asked to pay the higher rate until their dues expire. If you have a question about the status of your dues, please contact DeAndra Beck, at bvsca@hotmail.com.
Razing and Raising
At the July 31 BVSCA meeting, a new site plan for Ballston will be presented by Tim Sampson, representing Walsh, Colucci, and Stackhouse. The site, bounded by N. Randolph and N. Quincy Streets and by Wilson Blvd. and N. 9th St. (located at 4015 Randolph and 8600 N. Quincy), will be cleared of existing structures. Three new buildings, 215 ft. tall, are being proposed for the cleared site. Please join us to learn more about the proposed site plan and to provide input from the neighborhood into its development.
Straight as a Board
On Saturday, July 28, the County Board will meet on the third floor of the Arlington County Office Building. On the agenda are seven items of particular interest to Ballston-Virginia Square, including two consent items (use permits for Tutto Bene and operation of the N. Quincy recycling center), the NRECA site plan amendment, rezoning of the Edgemoor Land LLC site at N. Fairfax and N. Randolph., the George Mason University site plan that includes an amendment to the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) between N. Monroe and N. Kirkwood, and the electric substation expansion on N. Nelson St. Details on each item can be found on the following site: ww w.co.arlington.va.us/cbo/2001/july28/index.htm.
Note: At the County Board meeting of July 28, the meeting recessed with Agenda Item 11. The Board Meeting of July 28 will be continued on Monday, August 6, beginning at 7:00 p.m., with Agenda Item 12. At the continuation meeting, the Board will consider for approval the proposed George Mason University amended site plan that includes an amendment to the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) between N. Monroe and N. Kirkwood (Item 12), and Dominion Virginia Power's proposed electric substation expansion on N. Nelson St. (Item 14).
Miscellaneous News Items
In Press. On July 18, the Washington Post ran an article about the proposed George Mason University Foundation office building. Featured in the article was a discussion of longstanding neighborhood concerns about parking and pedestrian safety, including a quote from our BVSCA President, Ben Axleroad.
Sew, Sew. Volunteers who would like to help in a sewing class are needed for the Harvey Hall Community Center. Classes meet once a week, on Friday mornings. Sewing supplies are needed also, particularly spring and summer weight materials. Please contact Ginger Geoffrey at jandelin@cais.com or call (703) 243-7181 for more information.
Seeing Red. Debt out of control? Can't make ends meet? Suffering from budgeting phobia? Personal financial coaching could help. Personal financial coaching is free and confidential. Meet with a trained volunteer financial coach to: identify needs and goals, reconcile debts, create spending plans, control cash flow, organize financial records, learn sound money management skills, and gain knowledge about wise saving and investment strategies. Coaches meet with you at a time and place that is mutually convenient such as a library, the Extension office, a recreation center. Call the Virginia Cooperative Extension, Arlington County office to request more information or an appointment at (703) 228-6417 Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Listserv. BVSCA members are invited to subscribe to the BVSCA listserv to receive periodic updates on issues of neighborhood interest, as well as the monthly newsletter. How? Send an email message to bvsca@hotmail.com advising that you would like to join. Include your name and post office address in your message along with the email address(es) from which you will be sending messages. When you are added to the list, you will receive a "Welcome" message with details regarding how to use the listserv. Remember that a message sent by a BVSCA listserv member to BVSCA-L@rootsweb.com will be relayed automatically to all listserv members. To prevent senders of unsolicited commercial email from using our list for unauthorized purposes, only listserv members may send messages to the mailing list from a subscribed address.
Editor's Prerogative
Have you ever attended an Arlington County Board meeting? Have you testified about issues of importance to you? County Board meetings are open to the public and are also broadcast live on Channel 31. Saturday, July 28, provides a unique opportunity for you to participate in a process of decisionmaking regarding a number of agenda items that will impact our neighborhood. On most issues, BVSCA will have a representative speaking on behalf of our neighborhood. Even so, anyone is free to add personal comments about these issues. The procedure is simple. A speaker must fill out a speaker slip prior to the announcement of the agenda item in question. Those designated to speak on behalf of BVSCA will have 5 minutes, and individuals will have 3 minutes. Each speaker's name will be called to come forward at the appropriate time. Some comments are extemporaneous, while others are made from written text. There is an old adage stating, "All politics is local." It is possible to impact politics at the local level with a single voice. Exercise your right to shape your community - our neighborhood.
Thanks to Ernie Ragland, who updated our BVSCA website. We have new links and new information. If you misplace your newsletter or accidentally delete it from your inbox, visit www.bvsca.org to get a new copy.
DeAndra Beck
Newsletter Editor
Ben Axleroad, President
3800 North Fairfax Dr., #205, Arlington, VA 22203
703-525-3083
Dennis Burr, Vice President
David Ryan, Secretary
DeAndra Beck, Treasurer
1301 N. Taylor St., Arlington, VA 22201
Theresa Smith, NCAC Representative
Ken Hughes
Jeffrey Green
Kate Wilson
How to Join the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association or Renew Your Membership
All individual persons who are residents of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association's area or who in their individual capacity own residential property located therein, shall be eligible for membership in the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association. For the purposes of this organization, the boundaries of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association are Kirkwood Road on the east, Glebe Road on the west, Wilson Boulevard on the south, and the I-66 right of way on the north.
If interested in joining the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association, please complete the BVSCA Membership Application Form below and send your application and dues to Jeffrey Green, Treasurer, Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association, at the address below.
Dues are payable when first joining and are renewable each year on or before the annual anniversary of that date. New members and members who have not paid their dues within the three preceding Association years must pay their dues 30 days before they receive voting privileges. Former members who have been members in good standing within any of the three immediately preceding Association years may be reinstated as voting members by paying their dues for that year.
All members of the Association are volunteers. Dues are used to help fund the Association's activities and sponsored events. Please join the Association today, or renew your dues paid membership. Visit us at (http://www.bvsca.org)
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Mail to: DeAndra Beck
BVSCA Treasurer
1301 N. Taylor St.
Arlington, VA 22201
Please make checks payable to BVSCA.