BVSCA Newsletter March 2001
Contents:March 27 Meeting Agenda
Please refer to the newsletter for a summary of agenda items. Also, note the location for our March 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 March 27, BVSCA 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 to us. 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 May 29, 2001.
Plan On It!
Why isn't there a turn signal at N. Glebe and N. Fairfax? Will we see a high end anchor store come to Ballston Mall? What's in store for pedestrians in our area? What's the latest on I-66 widening efforts? Inquiring minds who want to know the answers to these and other questions about our neighborhood are invited to attend the March 27 BVSCA membership meeting. Joining us will be Jerry Procanik, current Planning Commissioner and former president of the Bluemont Civic Association, our immediate neighbor to the west. Jerry will provide us an overview of current planning issues affecting our neighborhood and will be available to answer questions and discuss concerns.
Nominations Are In Order
According to BVSCA bylaws, "a nominating committee of three (3) members shall be elected at the meeting next preceding the annual meeting. The nominating committee so elected, shall report at the annual meeting the nomination of a slate of officer candidates for the ensuing year. Nominations other than those made by the nominating committee may be made from the floor at the annual meeting. The election of officers and executive committee members shall be done at the annual meeting or at any subsequent special meeting. Those elected shall hold office for a period of one year, or until such time as their successors are duly elected." Translation? At the March 27 meeting, a three person nominating committee will be elected to put forward nominations for BVSCA officers prior to our annual meeting in May. Additionally, officer nominations may be raised at the May meeting. Are you interested in serving as a BVSCA officer? If so, please contact DeAndra Beck at (703) 528-5126.
Space Wars
On Saturday, March 17, the Arlington County Board voted unanimously to approve Site Plan Amendment #212 submitted by OTR, State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, to amend conditions regarding a community space in their residential building at 4301 North Fairfax Drive (Ballston Station). This approval culminated fourteen years of effort by the Windsor Plaza Condo Association and BVSCA members to ensure that an original site plan condition for the building at this location would be enforced. As a result of the unrelenting perseverance of our BVSCA Treasurer, Jeff Green, both the Windsor Plaza Condos and BVSCA will share a community space at 4301 North Fairfax (N. Utah St. entrance) for meetings and office space. Renovation is planned for this summer, and the space should be available this fall. Kudos to Jeff for his hard work on our behalf!
A Day To Remember
Neighborhood Day is a County-sponsored event held annually to celebrate the Arlington community and its neighborhoods. This year, Neighborhood Day will be held on Saturday, May 12. A highlight of Neighborhood Day is a parade held in the Clarendon and Court House neighborhoods. Additionally, neighborhoods are encouraged to plan events (block parties, parades, garage sales, etc.) to celebrate our community. If you are interested in organizing an event for Ballston-Virginia Square, please contact Theresa Smith at (703) 243-3695.
Miscellaneous News Items
Earth in the Balance. Celebrate Earth Day 2001 by participating in the Department of Environmental Services' Environmental Extravaganza! Honor the environment this Earth Day by disposing of your household hazardous waste properly, buying a compost bin, or recycling an old computer, bicycle, or building materials. Activities will be held rain or shine on Saturday, April 21 from 9:00 am. to 3:00 pm at Arlington Traditional School, 855 N. Edison St, near the intersection of George Mason Drive and Wilson Blvd. You may enter the site via N. Edison Street and exit onto George Mason Drive. Please visit the following website for more info: http://www. co.arlington.va.us/des/HHWevent.htm .
Live Long and Prosper. Arlington County is hosting a Wellness Fair 2001 on Saturday, March 31 at Marymount University's Ballston campus. Dr. Gene Cohen will be the keynote speaker. For more information, call (703) 228-5285.
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
Under the leadership of Ed Rea - and with the participation of a dedicated group of neighbors - an update of the Virginia Square Sector Plan has entered the planning phase. After the County Board approved the need for an updated sector plan, County planning staff formally launched the revision process. On Saturday, February 24, nearly 150 people gathered at the GMU Law School to participate in a kick-off meeting and walking tour of Virginia Square. Participants represented Ballston-Virginia Square neighbors, Planning Commissioners, real estate developers and lawyers, and residents of neighboring civic associations. Participants listened to a presentation regarding the history and development of Virginia Square and then armed ourselves with clipboards and pens to walk one of two routes through the neighborhood. As we walked, we took note of issues, concerns, likes and dislikes we observed on the walk. County staff will compile these comments and use them as a basis for the planning effort, in addition to the documentation prepared by the Virginia Square Sector Plan Review Committee.
DeAndra Beck
Newsletter Editor
Michael Chircop, President
P.O. Box 1434, Arlington, VA 22210 703-525-9518, Ext. #1, Fax
Ext #8
Ben Axleroad, Vice President
David Ryan, Secretary
Jeffrey Green, Treasurer
1050 N. Taylor St., #502, 22201 703-276-2723
Theresa Smith, NCAC Representative
DeAndra Beck, Alt. NCAC Representative
Dennis Burr
Ken Hughes
Tom Sawner
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: Mr. Jeffrey Green
Treasurer, BVSCA
1050 N. Taylor St. #502
Arlington, VA 22201
Please make checks payable to BVSCA.