AHCA May 2011 Meeting

Date: 
Wed, 2011-05-18

The final meeting for the AHCA 2010-2011 program year will be held on May 18th.  Per tradition, we'll gather in the lovely Tiffany Room at the Arlington Arts Center, elect volunteers to lead AHCA in the coming year, and enjoy extra fabulous goodies from the Felkers, O'Briens and Anne Hamilton.

NOTE MEETING LOCATION!  Arlington Arts Center, Tiffany Room, 3550 Wilson Boulevard

AGENDA

7:00-7:20 p.m. -- Social Time & Refreshments
7:20-7:30 p.m. -- Business & Announcements
7:30-7:35 p.m. -- Greeting from Claire Huschle, Executive Director, Arlington Arts Center
7:35-7:50 p.m. -- Clarendon Metro Plaza Improvements, Tom Hutchings, Capital Projects Manager, Arlington County Department of Transportation
7:50-8:00 p.m. -- Election of AHCA Executive Committee & Officers for 2011-2012
8:00-8:30 p.m. -- Legislative Update/Q&A with State Delegate Patrick Hope
8:30-9:00 p.m. -- "Columbia Gardens Cemetery -- An Ashton Heights Park and Credit to Arlington County Since 1917" -- Amy Cody

Our main speaker will be Delegate Patrick Hope, who represents the Virginia 47th District, which includes Ashton Heights.  Delegate Hope will provide a recap of the 2011 Virginia General Assembly session, including a discussion on redistricting.

We will also hear about plans to improve the Clarendon Metro Plaza.  Arlington County is working with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to improve the plaza between Wilson and Clarendon Boulevards, from N. Highland Street to the Metrorail elevator.  (The area west of the elevator is not included in the project.)  This initiative will create an updated urban plaza to provide for higher volumes of pedestrians using Metrorail and to better accommodate the farmers’ market and other community activities. Improvements will include:

  • New pedestrian paving
  • New curb extension on Clarendon Boulevard
  • New seating walls and movable tables and chairs
  • New streetlights (completed fall 2010) 
  • Covered bike parking
  • Modular newspaper racks

Samples of the proposed plaza materials, including paving, street furniture and landscaping, will be constructed in the spring of 2011 to give the public an opportunity to see the planned design.  Construction on the project is expected to begin in fall 2011.

We'll end our May meeting with a presentation on Columbia Gardens Cemetery.  (Originally scheduled for April, the talk was "bumped" due to a packed agenda.)  I really enjoyed researching this neighborhood jewel and look forward to sharing my findings and impressions with you.

Have a wonderful summer!  See you at the Ashton Heights 90th Anniversary Old-Fashioned Neighborhood Picnic on June 5th!