BVSCA Newsletter March 2004
When: Tuesday, March 30th at 7:30pm
Where: BVSCA's community room located on N. Utah Street between
Gaffney's Restaurant and the Windsor Plaza condominiums.
Inside this Newsletter
From the outset of the planning process, BVSCA has raised several priority issues for the neighborhood. These include:
Two of the overriding concerns of the majority of the BLPC committee have been to minimize the disruption to the students and staff during construction, and to maximize green space (ball fields). The site constraints imposed on the architects by the School Board dictate that the stadium and the Dept. of Education building not be touched.
Issue #1:
Traffic and vehicular access is a major issue with the new W-L design. The direction the project is going now, with the committee's vote last week for Scheme 2, locates the front of the school, and all primary vehicular access, onto Stafford Street. There will be visitor parking, parent drop-off, a service/loading dock for the cafeteria with dumpsters (daily box trucks, garbage trucks), entrance to the bus queue (minimum of 18 buses twice a day), and an entrance to a new structured parking garage all directly off Stafford Street. Vehicular access to the track and stadium is also envisioned to be from Stafford. We have not seen a plan for how stadium crowds will be circulated between the street, parking and the stadium, but have suggested that this link be established along the west side of the facility, between the building and the ball fields.
Grimm and Parker Architects claim that scheme 2 will lead to a reduction in the amount and density of traffic on Stafford St. They say this because the bus loop (on the north side of the site) will discharge busses onto Quincy St. and because the current blacktop parking lot will be removed. They also assert that more people will enter and exit the structured parking deck from Quincy because it's closer to that side of the property. They claim they can design a loading dock that will be set back from the street and unobtrusive.
On behalf of BVSCA, Ed Parks has requested that the School Board initiate a traffic impact analysis. This has been done for other school reconstructing projects in the County.
Issue #2:
Another issue that is of concern is the placement of such a large building so close to the street. We have requested that any building along Stafford be set back from the street and of such a scale that it doesn't overwhelm the houses across the street. The height of the building may be as tall as 60 feet, not including the rooftop mechanical equipment structures.
Issue #3:
Better, safer pedestrian access across and around the site is another issue. Residents on the west side of the school will not have a good way to walk, ride a bike or even push a baby stroller across or around the W-L property, either to get to the ball fields, to Quincy Park, the Library or the supermarket. A path or walkway has been suggested across the school site between Quincy and Stafford Streets. Scheme 2 crowds the building very close to the track leaving little opportunity for any such walkway. This project also presents an opportunity to improve the outside of the stadium such as the ugly fence, insufficient number of trees, and litter. Along the south, the sidewalk along Washington Blvd. is very narrow (five and a half feet typically, less than 3 feet wide at the corner of Stafford and Washington Blvd.) The W-L project needs to correct these problems as well. With regard to the composition of the committee, there are approximately 32 members of the Building Level Planning Committee, primarily composed of parents, faculty and County School staff. Not including the architects and the Facilities and Operations department staff, 3 members are from within the BVSCA boundaries (Rich Layman, our BVSCA Representative, the school's principal and a faculty member), and 6 from the two neighborhoods to our north (5 from Cherrydale, 1 from Ashton Heights.)
The next W-L BLPC meeting will be at 6pm on March 24th at the high school.
BVSCA members who are concerned about the project are encouraged to e-mail the School Board at schoolbd@arlington.k12 .va.us.
If anyone has any questions or concerns please contact BVSCA's BLPC Rich Layman at (rlayman@pgal.com).
A special thanks goes out to Dan Corts and Rich Layman for all the research they have done in our quest to choose a name for the park.
Clarenford Station Park was chosen because Clarenford is the name of the neighborhood subdivision in which the park is situated and because Clarenford Station was the name of the railroad station closest to the park.
At our last BVSCA meeting, the majority of members present voted to name the Park - Clarenford Station Park. This name has been submitted to Parks and Recreation Commission who will in turn submit it to the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board, the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee (NCAC), and other affected Civic Associations. After the P&R Commission has received the comments from all these organizations, they will make a recommendation to the County Board regarding the proposed name. The Board would adopt the proposed name at their regular meeting, and at that time it would become official. I will keep you update you as the name moves through the process.
Did you know that planning for the new Washington-Lee High School is underway?
Did you know that the design includes a new aquatic facility?
Did you know that the pool that is built for the new Washington-Lee High School likely will be the only public pool for Central Arlington for the next 25 years?
To meet school needs, recently adopted school district guidelines for the W-L aquatic facility recommend an increase in the number of lap lanes from the existing 6 lanes to 8 lanes, construction of a diving pool, and construction of an instructional pool. View guidelines at: www.arlington.k12.va.us/schoolboard/minagen/0304/03040 4ag.pdf.
The guidelines for the new W-L pool have been developed for school needs only and do not take into account community needs! Because of the tremendous growth in Central Arlington and the heavy demand for use of the W-L pool, the Arlington Coalition for Neighborhood Pools supports increasing the number of lap lanes in the new facility from 6 lanes to 10 lanes.
If you support this increase, please contact the following to
voice your support:
To join the Arlington Coalition for Neighborhood Pools, contact: coalitionforneighborhoodpools@hotmail.com or 703-465-2367.
I'd like to encourage residents of the Ballston-Virginia Square area to become Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteers for our neighborhood. CERT volunteers are county residents who have been trained by the Arlington County Fire Department to help with basic first aid, basic search and rescue, small fire suppression, and other skills that could be used in the event of a community wide emergency or disaster that strains the resources of the first responders. For more information, see www.co.arlington.va.us/oem/cert.htm. Currently, there are only two CERT volunteers serving the entire Ballston-Virginia Square area. So, we do need more volunteers! If you, or friends or neighbors, are interested in CERT training, please contact Kim Smith at jadam@erols.com.
The CERT training classes are held at the Fire Training Academy, at 2800 S. Taylor Street, near Shirlington from 7-9:30 p.m. The last class before September starts this Thursday, March 12. This class would be best for those who can commit to all of the following dates.
CERT Class #13 (2004 Class #4)
Thursday, March 11 -- Introduction
Thursday, March 18 -- Med Ops I
Thursday, March 25 -- Med Ops II
Thursday, April 1 -- Team Organization and Psychology
Two week break for Passover/Easter
Thursday, April 22 -- Terrorism
Saturday, April 24 -- Fire Safety
Thursday, April 29 -- SAR
Saturday, May 1 -- Final Exam/Mock Disaster (you cannot take the
final until all preceding classes are completed)
It's a great experience. If this schedule doesn't work, think
about taking the course in the fall. Spread the word.
The Strategic Planning Committee, which Mary Hynes chairs, has been asked to develop a vision and mission statement for the Y in Arlington. The committee will be contemplating the kinds of services it thinks the Y should provide to Arlington in the future and the facilities needed to provide those services. All of this work will be in the context of what the Y already does and owns in the County. It is likely that a professional market analysis will be conducted and that the group will talk about whether to expand its current buildings in some way, based on the analysis and the vision/mission work.
The first meeting on the topic is scheduled for March 22, 2004 at 7:30p.m. at the YMCA. If anyone is interested, please let Ed know at (ebparks@hhlaw.com).
If you would like to share a photograph, film or a story with us, please call 703-998-2020 and leave a brief message and contact information or send an email to arlingtonmemories@weta.come. We will respond to your message and may use your information or materials in our film.
Residents are encouraged to use bags left over from the fall
leaf collection program. In addition, biodegradable bags will be
distributed at the following locations beginning on March 15:
Brush collection and appliance collection will continue on their
normal bi-weekly schedules:
The highlight of the day will be the annual Neighborhood Day Parade, now in its seventh year. It begins at 2 p.m., and travels down Wilson Boulevard from the Clarendon Metro Station to the big parking lot near the Courthouse. You can be in the parade, carrying your neighborhood or association banner, driving your antique car, playing a musical instrument, juggling, dancing, doing gymnastics, riding a bicycle or pogo stick, drilling with lawnmowers or briefcases or lawn chairs, eradicating invasive plants, campaigning for public office, tossing out Tootsie Pops, riding your horse, hula-hooping, jumping rope, rollerblading, pulling your child in a wagon, leading your dog or cat, riding a float or doing your own thing to celebrate Arlington. Now is the time to begin planning for your group or neighborhood to take part in the celebration in 2004 by either hosting a neighborhood event or marching or entering a float in the parade. We have a registration form for either the parade or an event you are organizing. Additional information can be obtained by telephoning 703-228-3155 or 703-228-3952 (703-228-4611 TTY) during regular business hours.
Once again, the County will offer free trees to civic associations interested in neighborhood tree-planting activities. To reserve trees, please contact Jamie Bartalon in the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Resources at 703-228-7747 or email to Jbartalon@arlingtonva.us .
Neighborhood Day is sponsored by Arlington County Government, Arlington Public Schools and the County Council of PTAs, the Arlington Civic Federation, and the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee.
Arlington residents will be able to dispose of paint products, flammable solvents, automotive fluids, garden chemicals, household cleaners and many other flammable, poisonous or corrosive household products.
The Extravaganza will take place at Thomas Jefferson Middle School. For more information call 703-228-6832.
I encourage everyone to think about participating. You can walk, run or jog the course. If you want to be part of a team consider joining Becka's Brave Believer's . This is the team name of a friend of mine and a mother of two young children here in Arlington who is a recent breast cancer survivor. Her team Code is BBL. Registration is just $25.00. The course is scenic and the mood is FUN. We had a blast last year and doing it again this year. For more information about the race go to www.nationalraceforthecure.com. For more information about being part of our team contact me at dparks@covad.net.
Aladdin's Lamp Bookstore Lee Harrison Shopping Center, Lower Level 703-241-8281 Regular scheduled story times every Friday 10:15 a.m. 18 mo.-3 yrs. and Wednesdays & Saturdays 11:00 a.m. 2 1/2 - 5yrs. Free Reservations appreciated.
Imagination Station Lee Highway Shopping Center, Fridays at 10 a.m.
The Ballston Virginia Square newsletter is published six times a year in advance of bimonthly meetings. Its purpose is to inform residents of issues concerning their community and to encourage them to participate. Anyone wishing to contribute short, informative articles of civic interest or neighborhood events please send them to Denise Parks, 1249 North Utah Street, dparks@covad.net.
The purpose of BVSCA is "to take action to protect and promote the welfare and livability of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association's neighborhoods in particular, and in Arlington, in general". (By-laws of BVSCA) Only with a large, active and vocal membership can BVSCA be effective in its dealings with County officials.
Residents can join by filling out the membership application and paying membership dues. Both of which can be done either by 1) coming to a BVSCA meeting, or 2) by mail. The membership application is on BVSCA's web page and on the back of this newsletter. Dues are $10 per person. Dues are payable when first joining and are renewable each year on or before the anniversary of that date. New members and members who have not paid their dues in the last three years must wait 30 days after paying their dues before receiving voting privileges. Dues are used to help fund the Association's activities and sponsored events. Join the BVSCA today!
Tuesday, May 27, 2003, Annual meeting - No executive committee
meeting
Tues., July 29, 2003
Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2003
Tuesday, November 25, 2003
Tuesday, January 27, 2004
Tuesday, March 30, 2004
Date: ________________________Dues: $10 per year
Name: _______________________________________
Street: _______________________________________
City: _______________________ Zip:_____________
Email:_______________________________________
Send my newsletter via: _____ email or _____ mail.
Phone (optional):_____________________________
I'm interested in volunteering to help: ____ yes ____ no
Mail to: DeAndra Beck
BVSCA Treasurer
1301 North Taylor Street
Arlington, VA 22201
Please make checks payable to BVSCA.
Vice President
Dennis Burr
Treasurer
DeAndra Beck
Secretary
David Ryan
At Large Executive Committee
James Webster
Constance McAdam
Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee
Representative
Sharon Clayborne Goudie
Alternate Albert Lewis
Arlington County Civic Federation Delegates
Ben Axleroad
David Perlmutter
David Ryan
Ed Parks
Alternates
Albert Lewis
Rohan Samaraweera
Jim Webster
Denise Parks
Ballston Partnership Representative
Jim Webster
The following positions are not appointed positions but rather volunteer positions. They are listed here so that BVSCA members know who they can go to for information on a specific issue. Please inform Denise Parks of any changes or additions to this list.
Newsletter Editor
Denise Parks
dparks@covad.net
Committee Chairs
Cherrydale Relocation Task Force:
BVSCA Member Ed Parks
Community Preparedness:
David Perlmutter
District 2 Police Committee:
Albert Lewis
Clarendon Task Force & Virginia Square East End:
Dennis Burr
Albert Lewis
Virginia Square Sector Plan Oversight Group
Lew Gulick
Dennis Burr
Connie McAdam
Al Lewis
John Buckley
Condominium Project 10th & Monroe St.
John Buckley
Hayes Park:
Theresa Smith
Maggie Farrell
13th Street Park:
Denise Parks
Building Level Planning Committee:
(Washington-Lee School Project)
BVSCA Representative Rich Layman
NCAC Sign Committee
DeAndra Beck