The September 2021 newsletter is linked below. If you have any comments or questions, email editor@ashtonheights.org.
Back on Track: Full Speed to Autumn by Scott Sklar, President, AHCA
Activities have been full speed this summer, but before I get into that detail, we have had some wonderful cooler mornings in the 60’s with low humidity. So unlike a Washington, DC area summer – very nice! That said, we have had some residual tree mite bites from our earlier influx of cicadas, and it appears the eye infections and deaths of birds have receded, which is good news.
As of this August printing, our host at the Clarendon United Methodist Church (CUMC) has yet to establish a policy for public meetings held at the church. Please check the AHCA listserv or the AHCA website for information on our Fall AHCA meeting, to be held on Wednesday, September 15th at 7:30 p.m. – It will either be held in the social hall of CUMC or via Zoom.
The State of Virginia will be imposing certain vaccination requirements for state employees that I assume counties and cities will follow. Please visit Arlington’s COVID dashboard for stats and facts. And all questions COVID goes to AHCA’s Martha Casey: mlcasey@oacpc.com.
All our AHCA Committees have been working through the summer. Brent Burris who Chairs the Open Spaces Committee is working with Arlington County on the opening event of Mosaic Park, which our association has been the guide and vanguard. Brooke Alexander who Chairs the AHCA Tree Canopy & Native Plants Committee has been active on Arlington planning meetings, as well as County plans on park upgrades and replanting.
Our AHCA 100th Anniversary Committee, chaired by Jim Terpstra, has also been working hard and planning a celebratory event at the Arlington Art Center with free food and celebrations. Note: They have yet to adopt my amazing idea of a giant cake where Ashton Heights founder Ashton Jones jumps out, but I am hopeful.
The AHCA Development committee led tirelessly by Jack Spilsbury has been involved in both the Long Range Planning Committee activities and the Clarendon Sector Planning Activities. The Committee is very active, and of course, all with strong opinions. But the good news is that Ashton Heights is the focal point and has enlisted the surrounding Civic Associations to join us to strengthen our position for more open space and park, building setbacks and tapering and for more light, among other requests. A shout out to Jack, especially, for being innovative, working long hours in this zero-pay job, and spending time assimilating every ones’s ideas and concerns. And the Committee has also been great, and the Association owes you much for your attention to detail, principle, and for putting in the hours. So, thank you on behalf of our community.
Other notes, AHCA also pushed for the crossing walk light on North Irving St across 10th Street North which has been installed (which took years). Thank goodness for the little wins.
I need to apologize for yet another hack on our website, even after we upgraded to a higher cyber-protected host, where a similar e-mail address to mine went out to you asking for gift cards. Again, I will only “ever” ask for whiskey in bottles. We will try to address again.
As I do every fall, I ask you to email me with any ideas, suggestions, or concerns. The Association is here for all of you. I would be remiss if I didn’t add what a great community we live in, and it has been great to work and interact with each and every one of you.
Scott Sklar, AHCA President, brought the meeting to order at 7:32 PM.
22 participants.
Scott thanked everyone for showing up for the last AHCA meeting before the summer. AHCA Secretary Jodi Flakowicz replaced by Chris Armstrong, who is also AHCA web host, advertising newsletter coordinator, Position switch by Jim Feaster is now Vice President of Programs, and Jim Richardson is now AHCA ExCom at-large member. Thanks to Jack Spilsbury for taking on his new role at AHCA Development Committee, as well as Jim Terpstra and Ann Felkner and others for taking the lead on the AHCA history project. Scott gives a shout out to Amy Miller for the newsletter, and Beatrice Camp who coordinates delivery of the newsletter, as well as Betsy Lyon who moderates our list serve.
AHCA Development Committee – Clarendon Sector Plan
Jack Spilbury – the focus continues to be the county’s review of its Clarendon Sector plan, including the circle, St. Charles Church, and the Wells Fargo site. County should post additional materials this weekend, to give us a month before the meeting. There are new drawings for redevelopment around the market commons site. There will be new development around there, and the county has posted new materials on the planning site. There is also a super-sized plan for the YMCA on 13th, including an additional mixed-use residential building. Also a new hotel and residential site at Pershing & 50.
AHCA Native Plants Committee: Tree Canopy Fund and Tree Tour
Brooke Alexander – the county has made available more trees through the tree canopy fund, which is on the list serve and in the newsletter. The tree tour is planned for September, and Brooke is still looking for old, native trees to include in that. We are still expecting planting at Moray Park and Gumball Park, with details to come. On Saturday, the Civic Federation is having a program for exploring Arlington’s tree canopy and saving/increasing it. Contact Anne if you can join one of the breakout sessions.
AHCA Safety and Security Committee – Arlington County Police Dept (ACPD)
Christina Schultz, who chairs the Safety and Security Committee, and also co-chairs the Housing Committee. She noted concerns over loud vehicles, as well as Officer Guenther’s responsiveness on the matter.
Officer Harley Guenther introduced the new ACPD community representatives – Corporal Ryan and Officer Carly Hirschman. Also mentioned: Officer Michael Keen, head of homeless outreach, original liaison, and Corporal Regina Ryan – has Brook, the Department’s therapy dog. FRK9 Brooks is excited to meet us.
Stat updates – 40 incidents in the county. Cases of note for stolen vehicles – cars are all unlocked with keys inside. 9 PM routine is KEY.
Sargent Lubin on loud cars – On 3.1.21 the VA General Assembly changed motor vehicle offenses from primary to secondary – 46.2.1049 of the VA Code. The most notable thing that changed – the odor of pot is no longer enough to search a car. Other violations became a secondary violation. Google “Special Legislative Session Virginia 2021.” ACPD philosophy is safety-based, rather than revenue-based.
If you have concerns, contact legislators in Richmond rather than ACPD. The penalty for excessive noise is a “traffic infraction,” which is $30 penalty + $64 court fee.
AHCA’s 100th Anniversary – Ashton Heights History
Jim Terpstra on the house mapping project – Eastern half is 1919-1934 (wide variety) western side (1934-1950). We are surrounded by these two towering places, and in the heart of Clarendon is this beautiful village.
Jim Terpstra, AHCA Historian. introduces Tom Petty.
Clarendon and the Alliance – the eras of Clarendon (Town of Clarendon, Nova’s Downtown, Decline Era, Vietnamese Era, Weird Era, CrossFit Era?)
Scenes of Clarendon in 1900 vs. now. Old Masons Building is now Liberty Tavern. Town was founded in a location to take advantage of both the Trolley line and Great Falls power. Northside Social as a rail line building. The Mason’s Building is the oldest remaining building.
The presentation covered the “boom times” of development in the 1920’s, including the 1925 cornerstone for the Odd Fellows building, now Don Tito’s. The business community protested the site of the Clarendon post office, as it was a half mile from the city’s “center,” and thus too far.
Clarendon went into decline in the late 1950’s, and during this period 18 acres of buildings were demolished for surface parking lots, which had the effect of isolating remaining buildings. There was even a plan to put a 6-lane ring of roads around the city, which thankfully was not carried out. This decline included the closing of Sears, J.C. Penny, and other stores, and was further exacerbated by construction of the Metro station.
Later, in the 1970’s, the lower rents led to an influx of Vietnamese businesses and led to Clarendon’s nickname of “Little Saigon.” Liquidator businesses also moved in, and by the 1980’s Clarendon was still looking for “rebirth.” Clarendon Alliance activities. Clarendon Tax Day – Clarendon Mardi Gras Parade.
The meeting adjourned at 9:00 PM.
Respectfully submitted by Chris Armstrong, AHCA Secretary, May 19, 2021.
Shout Out to an Amazing Community and Civic Association by Scott Sklar, AHCA President
I want to thank you for supporting a solid team for the Ashton Heights Civic Association (AHCA) Executive Committee for the 2021-2022 year. I am now serving over 10 years as your President, it is wonderful serving you and with a great group of talented and caring people.
Since this is our last newsletter before the summer, I decided to use my column as a “shout out” to a number of volunteers that make the AHCA such a great organization which ultimately makes our community such a wonderful place to live. These volunteers devote their personal time, at the same low salary rate of “$0”, and deserve acknowledgement. I am sorry I cannot include everyone in the space provided, please do not be offended on omission – there’s plenty of room for kudos in subsequent editions.
New Executive Committee (AHCA ExCom) – Winners
We’re mostly the same old crowd with one addition and a switcheroo. But each and every one provides a valuable service to the association, and as a group, the AHCA Executive Committee follows many issues weekly, votes on actions monthly, and is the heart and soul of AHCA. Jim Feaster – VP for Programs, Jim O’Brien – VP for Membership, Doug Williams – Treasurer (since 2004!), and Chris Armstrong – Secretary. The At-Large Excom members: Cole Deines, Patrick Lueb who also Chairs the AHCA Transportation Committee, Ken Matzkin – who was our VP of Programs, and Jim Richardson who had Chaired the Development Committee for many years and then was VP of Programs this past year. This group has immense breadth and depth of experience, works well together, and are all very approachable – feel free to e-mail them with thoughts and ideas – their e-mails are on the third page of our newsletter.
Leaving
Jodie Flakowicz has served as our AHCA Secretary, as an ExCom officer and now is serving as the AHCA Nominations Committee Chair for 2021 . Dave Phillips, our heroic CoChair of the AHCA Development Committee who brought on CoChair Jack Spilsbury. He built the Committee as a very strong influence on County decision-making and built a solid dialogue with County officials. Emmilu Olson who stepped up as our coffee provider when we had in-person AHCA monthly meetings, and then stepped in to coordinate our monthly AHCA Zoom meetings.
Stood-up and Performed
My biggest shout-out in this department is Christopher Armstrong who took over scheduling our AHCA Monthly Zoom meetings and other civic association meetings. And, he took over Carmen’s job to coordinate advertising for our AHCA newsletter. Then he volunteered to run for AHCA Excom as the Secretary, and recently stepped up to coordinate the AHCA Board web elections – a four-fer, wow! Amy Miller who jumped in to fill an empty slot as our AHCA newsletter editor – I mean it’s amazing! I don’t know about you but I think the newsletter gets better all the time. Christina Schultz who Chairs our AHCA Safety & Security Committee pushed to have an AHCA effort on Housing. She suggested, and Matt Hall agreed to be the AHCA Housing Committee chair with Christina as Vice Chair, and they hosted a session on Middle Housing. Thanks Matt for stepping up as AHCA’s newest Committee Chair, and Christina for pushing on key community issues on two fronts.
Martha Casey proposed to lead an information service on COVID to keep AHCA members up-to-date on the State of Virginia and Arlington County policies and programs, and availability of vaccines. She worked with Lyon Park Citizens Association to set up a joint assistance service to help people in obtaining appointments for vaccines.
Jim Terpstra our long time AHCA Historian, who now is leading with a great group of members our 100th AHCA Anniversary celebration this year. He is working with AHCA residents: Jim and Rita O’Brien, Ann Felker, Julie Mangis, Brooke Alexander, Betsey, Lyon, Peter Bard, and Tom Petty.
The Ole Reliables
Bea Camp coordinates the newsletter distribution (a thankless job) and all the volunteers who deliver the newsletter. Bea delivers to six “mid-level” distributors, who then package smaller amounts for the block captains. Julie Mangis keeps the lists. (See a full article of thanks to the newsletter delivery team on page 11 of this issue.) Ann Felker who prepares the student jobs page in our newsletter monthly, helped co-coordinate out AHCA yard sale, and is active in our 100th anniversary celebration preparation.. Betsey Lyon – our listserv moderator who helped us transfer from Yahoo to Google, and it works seamlessly. We have over 600 residents on our AHCA listserv!
Honorable Mentions
Jack Spillsbury joined as CoChair of the AHCA Development Committee which takes a huge amount of time covering very many actions and issues. In 2021, he assumes the role as it’s sole chair, and coordinates with a great group of AHCA residents who have been very active on these issues for a long time: Brooke Alexander, Cole Deines, Joan Fitzgerald, Julie Mangis, Ken Matzkin, David Phillips, Jim Richardson, Julia Tanner. Rob Liford, a name most of you don’t know, maintains our web site accounts and helps us not get hacked as often.
And most importantly – all of you – our members! Your participation on the listserv, on the committees, at the monthly meetings and at special AHCA and County events makes this all come together. I know we are all busy raising our families. working, errands, etc, — so this public service is all on top of that — but it does make a difference.
So, thank you each and every one of you, and have a wonderful and safe summer!
Scott Sklar, AHCA President, brought the meeting to order at 7:32 pm. He noted that this is the 11th year he is serving as President of the AHCA, which has been an honor.
The AHCA election results announced by AHCA Nominations Committee Chair Jodie Flakowicz, which ended on April 20, were as follows:
President: Scott Sklar Vice President for Membership – Jim O’Brien Vice President for Programs – Jim Feaster Treasurer – Doug Williams Secretary – Chris Armstrong Members-at-Large (4) – Cole Deines, Patrick Lueb, Ken Matzkin, Jim Richardson
David Phillips has resigned as co-chair of the Development Committee and Jack Spilsbury will remain as sole chair.
Ann Felker mentioned that the Glencarlyn Citizens Association along with AHCA and Lyon Village, will host a Zoom event on May 13 at 7:00 pm. This will be a conversation with Wilma Jones, a fourth-generation resident of Arlington’s Hall’s Hill neighborhood and author of “My Halls Hill Family: More Than a Neighborhood” (2018). Wilma will share stories of growing up in the historically-Black neighborhood of Halls Hill, followed by an interactive discussion.
Christina Schultz of our Safety and Security Committee introduced Arlington County Police Reps Officer Harley Guenther and Corporal Steve Wallace to give us the latest activity in Arlington. They introduced their new supervisor Sgt. Jeffrey Lubin who has lived and worked in Arlington for the last 14 years. They then gave a presentation about Community Outreach Team here in north Arlington. They also have presentations available on a wide variety of community support needs including a homeless outreach program, Brooks the Therapy Dog, Fill the Cruiser events.
Saturday April 24 is National Drug take Back Day from 10 – 2 to turn in any prescription drugs you are no longer using.
Corporal Wallace gave a monthly report of approximately 77 incidents, which was not bad. Car larceny has gone down – please keep locking your cars. Of the 2 stolen vehicles reported, both have been returned.
On the Arlington County Police Website there are a lot of resources the community can use to keep abreast of the latest info out there. This includes the Police Newsroom, a Daily Crime Report, Community Crime Map where you can see the location of each crime incident reported.
If anyone would like a security assessment of their home you can request one on their website.
There is a service request aspect to the My Arlington app one can download on to their phone. Here you can request services from the county for damaged signs, sidewalks or other concerns you may come across with your phone.
Brooke Alexander of our Tree Canopy and Native Plants Subcommittee reported that trees are scheduled to be planted in both Maury and Gumball Parks.
5/28/2021 is the deadline to let Brooke know if you would like a tree planted paid for by the Arlington County Tree Canopy on your property.
Brooke is also interested in conducting a tree walk around the neighbor in honor of our 100 Year Anniversary. She would like to include all “old trees”. This can include trees as young as 15 – 20 years old.
Jack Spilsbury of our Development Committee mentioned that the construction of the CVS at the Highland Motel site on Wilson Blvd will begin very soon.
The Mr. Wash site construction is now on hold.
Regarding the year long review of the 2006 Clarendon Sector Plan by the LRPC continues. On April 14, a 3rd meeting took place where Scott Sklar represented the AHCA well. Not clear yet what the results will be of all our efforts. Our outreach to Lyon Park and Clarendon/Courthouse Civic Associations we hope will be helpful with our consensus letter to the County Board re our concerns. The next meeting of the LRPC will be in May sometime, yet to be scheduled. There are two more meetings in the review process.
No reports from Transportation Committee, Schools, Housing Committees.
Presentation about The National Capital Treatment and Recovery (formally Phoenix House) by Deborah Taylor, R.N., C.D. – Discussion of Arlington’s drug and alcohol problems and solutions by the director of the facility located on our boundary.
A copy of a presentation from Deborah Taylor, President and CEO
General NCTR Slideshow March 2021.pptx
Some takeaways from her talk: They believe that anyone should get the highest level of care despite their ability to pay The Arlington Recovery Center partners with the county and the police Along with our COVID Pandemic we are having an opiod epidemic right now Heroin right now is 800 times as strong as it was in the 70s in Arlington Opioid overdoses are up 70% Arlington has a 75% increase in fatal overdoses Looking for real estate to set up a transition location They have put in a second elevator to accommodate more physically limited and elderly clients at their current location. They have added a full gym to the facility for their clients They would like a Board Member from Ashton Heights who is interested in substance use disorders
AHCA History II in support of AHCA 100th Anniversary celebration – – Social History Presentation with Ann Felker, Christa Abbott, Marion Penn and Cassandra Penn Lucas who lived in Arlington’s early black communities. An historical video was shown.
The meeting adjourned around 9:00 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Jodie Flakowicz, AHCA Secretary, April 24, 2021.
The Future of Ashton Heights by Scott Sklar, President, AHCA
In our March AHCA meeting, we heard Arlington County Board member Libby Garvey present on Missing Middle Housing, discussing a multi-year process where the Board has started to look at affordability, housing equity, and options in Arlington County. She stated quite rightly that “change is inevitable.” In fact, housing has changed quite a bit since Arlington’s founding. As we celebrate Ashton Height’s 100th anniversary this year, we will learn about that in more detail.
I have lived in Arlington since 1980 and moved into the house I live in now on N. Ivy Street in 1984. Arlington has changed pretty radically from a sleepy suburb into an urban suburb. In my last column, I acknowledged much of what has been done right has been due to leaders in our civic association along with our sister associations on the planning and guidelines that have been formalized and enshrined in the County planning process. The reason we have open spaces, tree canopy, pedestrian friendly walkways & bikeways, and preservation of residential neighborhoods has been in large part to this effort. These features are really what make Arlington and our area, an especially wonderful place to live.
And as we all know, these decisions impact traffic, crime and safety, affordability, schools, taxes, parks and open space, etc. At the same time, as we urbanize, land prices and housing prices rocket upward, and so we face a future of being a neighborhood of the richest rather than as being more eclectic and diverse.
Before we all take sides and move into our respective positions, I ask everyone to take a deep breath. This process started by the Arlington County Board and brought ably before us by our new AHCA Housing Committee chairs Matt Hall and Christina Schultz, is to envision and balance how Arlington evolves. There are lots of trade-off as we all know. For instance, we may form a consensus that multi-family and duplexes along thoroughfares rather than cement buildings (like CVS) may be an appropriate buffer and address housing affordability issues. And frankly, more commercial space that may stay partially vacant in the post-COVID world, may shift more tax burden to residential owners. I am not taking a position here, just offering that there are many sides to these issues.
The Ashton Heights Civic Association (AHCA) is going to continue what we have always done with development, traffic, schools, open spaces, tree canopy and safety – build some common knowledge as our AHCA Housing Committee started, and slowly build a united consensus that we can articulate clearly to Arlington County. To do this correctly, our Housing Committee needs some volunteer time, and also needs some listserv and monthly meeting time to keep this dialogue going.
We have been able to forge a consensus and articulate our positions over many issues, which has made the Ashton Heights Civic Association well respected, and in most cases “listened to”. So as always, let’s work together to forge consensus and a vision. We are lucky to live in such as great community and have so many people willing to offer their thoughts and time, and put in some elbow grease to make this an even better place to live.
So thanks and welcome Spring 2021 to a hopefully safer and more joyful year.
Scott Sklar, AHCA President, brought the meeting to order at 7:31 pm. asking for reports from our committees.
Jack Spilsbury of our Development Committee mentioned that he and Dave Phillips attended the latest LRPC Clarendon Sector Plan Update Meeting, where they shared concerns compiled by our civic association. Obviously what they talked about did not square with what the developers were proposing, but it still was a good meeting. They will attend the next meeting scheduled for April 14. They referenced the AHCA consensus letter released to Arlington County Board and staff a week earlier.
They also attended a Lyon Village monthly meeting with the County Planner Brett Wallace presenting the Clarendon Sector Plan Update. Lyon Village Residents had similar concerns we did primarily along the Washington Blvd side to all this redevelopment.
They are continuing to reach out to other neighborhood civic associations about this.
Gregory Morse and Caroline Rogus of our Schools Committee were not on-line.
Brent Burris our Neighborhood Conservation Rep was not on-line.
Patrick Lueb of our Transportation Committee was not on-line.
Scott mentioned that break-ins into cars are on the rise. Please lock your car. There is alot of road work happening on Pershing Drive and Washington Blvd. Any concerns contact Patrick Lueb at jiffy64@me.com. He mentioned that there has been concerns that the reconstruction of Clay Park is taking too long, can someone look into this? Scott also thanked Martha Casey for posting the latest information about COVID vaccines in Arlington. If you are unable to schedule an appointment, please contact her at mlcasey@oacpc.com .
Brooke Alexander of our Tree Canopy Committee reported that trees will be planted at Maury and Gumball Parks this Spring. Our latest batch of tree canopy funded trees are coming in two weeks
Christina Schultz of our Safety and Security Committee introduced Officer Harley Guenther from the Arlington County Police. She presented some options to find crime information and stats for Arlington County. She is suggestion going to the Arlington County Police Website at police.ArlingtonVA.us. Once you log in, there are links to the right side of the screen for Police Newsroom, Daily Crime Report and an on-line crime map, where you can see the latest criminal activity in the county.
The Missing Middle Housing Initiative – Three Presentations:
1)Presentation by Hon. Libby Garvey about the Arlington County Missing Middle Study
2) Presentation by Peter Rousselot with Arlingtonians for a Sustainable Future
3) Third Presentation by Alice Hogan with the Alliance for Housing Solutions
Link to Merion Pike West Development Analysis re up zoning impacts mentioned by Libby Garvey. https://3d81d522-ce99-431c-a359-61f1ce06c557.filesusr.com/ugd/a48bae_527aa129a4ec4f19b98a743bb9ae987c.pdf
Website for Arlingtonians for our Sustainable Future https://www.asf-virginia.org/
Peter’s take: Arlington’s Missing Middle Housing is High End Housing
The GMU study – The economic and fiscal impact of locating Amazon’s HQ2 in Arlington VA: https://sfullerinstitute.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/SFI_-Economic_-Fiscal_Impacts_of_Amazon-HQ2_110818.pdf
The final presentation for the meeting is part of a multi-series of AHCA meeting presentations on ACHA History by Jim Terpstra, AHCA’s Historian, as a precursor to our 100th anniversary celebration.
Ashton Heights Origin and History Book by Peter Dickson in 2007 is being updated to include more recent developments. Hopefully will be printed and available in the Fall.
Ashton Heights Style Guide – three volunteers have identified newer housing styles in our neighborhood will be identifying what they are and will be updating the housing style guide. They hope to do a walking tour of these homes in the Fall.
Jim also plans on adding for historical information not our website soon.
The meeting adjourned around 8:39 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Jodie Flakowicz, March 20, 2021.
Community Benefits – The “Arlington Way” by Scott Sklar, President, AHCA
What makes the Ashton Heights community so amazing is its long history of participating and leading within Arlington County on development, transportation, education and other issues. In fact, much of the uniqueness of living here has been a visionary set of leaders within our community who have put their visions, along with some sweat and tears beginning in the 1960’s, into a citizen’s participatory process which we call “The Arlington Way.”
In my ten years at the helm of the Ashton Heights Civic Association, I am always amazed at the breadth and depth of our members on the key planning issues. But I am also amazed about what I will term as “County Drift,” where a few years after a multi-year collaborative process, the planning processes within the County seem to discard the prior-approved consensus so we have to gear up to weigh-in on the issues again and again.
Nothing seems more open to this than the development and parking planning now underway by County government.
In redevelopment, the County allows developers to receive certain waivers if there are clear “community benefits.” In the proposed Clarendon Sector Plan, there appears willingness to allow heights above the mandated 110 feet and higher building densities without “community benefits.” So what are the community benefits we have fought so long and hard for? (I quote from the listserv from a sample of our association leaders long involved in this area: Joan Fitzpatrick, Brooke Alexander, Julie Mangis, Ann Felker, and others.)
Greenways: The existing greenway between Irving and Ivy Streets is almost adjacent to this proposed development! It is not irrelevant. We have already experienced one attempt to penetrate this important buffer. Having the greenway form a buffer along the northern edge of our neighborhood is absolutely necessary to define our boundary. And why should we retreat from the Greenway concept, which originated here in Ashton Heights? The County actually incorporated it into the GLUP based on our recommendation.
Building height: It is important to remember that the 110′ maximum was predicated on getting community benefits in return. So far, we have not been apprised of any proffers that would justify the 110′ height, much less the 128′ height. I think AHCA has done a good job of articulating our concerns about height and density, but I might consider including language regarding FARs (floor-area-ratios).
Building setbacks: Address light and imposing structures over our residential community. Here, we were informed that building step-backs present architectural challenges, including plumbing, electrical and other infrastructure issues. It was as if developers are resisting the step-back requirements. We need to challenge the 165′ measurement from our neighborhood regarding the 1:3 taper. We need to be vigilant about the tapering, transitions, step-backs and set-backs lest they, too, get modified. We are reminded of the time when developers told us that building residential buildings wasn’t “economically feasible.” So they got away with building the Rosslyn office canyons, which we’ve been trying to fix ever since.
Open space: A hotel terrace, at whatever level, provides any benefit to those of us who live in Ashton Heights. There is no plan for open space in these proposals, with the possible exception of the linear park replacing Fairfax Drive adjacent to Northside Social and St. Charles Church. It’s not clear to me whether that area would be paid for by the county or whether developers would be expected to provide the park as their community benefit.
A similar set of issues appear to be happening regarding parking strategies that were established as the Metro came through Arlington so that neighborhoods near Metro stops (we have three in Ashton Heights: Clarendon, Virginia Square, and Ballston) would not have commuter cars parking all day in our neighborhoods, so our residents living in these areas can park on their own street. Luckily, the Arlington County Board has held in place the program for the existing neighborhoods, good news. However, what is not good news is that developers are now allowed to put in less “inbuilding” parking for condominiums and apartment houses with the assumption that these people will not use their own vehicles, but utilize Metro. We can argue if that is true, these residents will have visiting relatives, friends, service workers and vendors that need to park as well.
I raise these points not to be whiny, but rather to illustrate that our community involvement has driven our area to be a great place to live. But that also requires the sweat and tears of an earlier time be taken on by newer and younger residents so as to keep the assets that attracted all of us to live in Ashton Heights.
We will be celebrating AHCA’s 100th Anniversary this year – where we all can learn, laud, and celebrate these achievements.
But I hope as we do, and many of you who read this newsletter and participate in the listserv, can build perspectives and join in on an outstanding legacy.
Scott Sklar, AHCA President, brought the meeting to order at 7:34 pm.
Scott thanked Jim Richardson, for enlisting AHCA meeting speakers and Emmi Lou Olson and Chris Armstrong for setting up the meeting ZOOM meetings, and specifically to Chris Armstrong for taking over Carmen’s position covering ads for our newsletter. Martha Casey has stepped up to provide the latest vaccine and pandemic information on our list serve and the newsletter. He also thanked our newsletter editor Amy Miller and the newsletter distribution team.
Doug Williams and Patrick Lueb have been focused on the county review of our residential parking situation. Doug has attended and testified, on our behalf, at county meetings about this issue and want to ensure our current parking parameters and permit requirements remain the same on our streets. Six civic associations in our area are focused on this issue and maintaining the current requirements. We want to keep our finger on the pulse of how this dialogue is going.
Christina Schultz and Matt Hall of our Housing Committee are focused on the county dialogue on the loss of middle housing in our area. At our next meeting in March, they will have three speakers for us on this issue.
Dave Phillips and Jack Spilsbury of our Development Committee just posted on our list serve a first draft response for Ashton Heights on the current update of the 2006 Clarendon Sector Plan presented in February. They would like input from everyone by Feb 22 to meet the deadline for county input. Submit your comments to davidphillips1@msn.com or spilsburyj@gmail.com.
Also if you would like to review the presentations about the Clarendon Sector Plan yourself, below is the link to the Arlington LRPC/Planning Commission website, as well as a direct link to the survey they have posted for input on the Clarendon Sector Plan with a deadline of February 22 for input. Included at this site are links to two Planning Staff presentations (on Youtube) regarding key issues for the Clarendon Sector Plan review that was launched last November and will continue through fall 2021. One presentation focus on building design and zoning requirements, while the second discusses public/green space issue in the study area (Clarendon West End including 10th St/Wilson Blvd triangle as well as the segment of Fairfax drive between Clarendon Circle and Kirkland).
Brooke Alexander expressed concerns that we need to stick to what we agreed to in the 2006 Sector Plan. There was talk that the fire station would be going away and replaced with a green space. Why not keep the fire station to better support our neighborhood? Dave Phillips mentioned that he is under the impression that the plan with the county is for the fire station to remain. He went on to mention how there is a proposal by the county to create green space near St. Charles Catholic Church turning a parking area between the church and Northside Social Club into a park. On one hand it is a good thing to create more green space, however, why give up this very active parking area that is needed which will not doubt contribute to our current parking problem.
Brooke also mentioned that she attending the LRPC Meeting regarding the development between Clarendon and Courthouse areas where some hight density is being proposed. She was concerned that the area of density seems to be expanding, which could create a precedent, which will encourage high-density to continue.
Julie Mangis agreed that this is something that we need to keep an eye on. These county proposals could allow the “urban village” idea to slowly disappear.
Cole Deines has noticed that so much time and effort has been done by our community members to provide input on what our vision is to be, but over time instead of these plans being allowed to remain adhered to, he is finding that they are challenged more and more.
Jack Spilsbury mentioned the idea of Sector Plans for areas of the county not being budgeted for more recently. Maybe this is another thing to keep an eye on.
Corporal Wallace with Arlington County Police went over recent crime statistics for Arlington County. Nothing out of the ordinary.
2 stolen vehicles – keys left in the cars while engines still running
1 peeping tom at Life Fitness – suspect hiding above the ceiling tiles attempting to get over to the women’s locker room – he fell through to the floor.
2 car jackings in Crystal City and Pentagon City
1 rape in our area – can not share any info yet.
There have also been a series or burglaries of small businesses around the county.
Presentations
Presentation by Officer Harley Guenther with the Arlington County Police
Preventing Fraud and Identity Theft – Downloaded from the Arlington County Police Website
CYBERSAFETY TIPS – INTERNET SAFETY
PASSWORDS & PRIVACY Use complex passwords (upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols) that are difficult to guess and avoid sharing your password.
DOWNLOADS Never download files from unverified sources or senders. Verify the sources of files and third-party applications before downloading.
OPERATING SYSTEMS Run updates regularly to keep operating systems and installed software current and protect your devices from viruses.
COMMUNICATION Always have open dialogue with family members about computer use and internet safety. Ensure children recognize risky situations online and know to alert an adult.
PROTECTING YOURSELF ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Limit the amount of personal information you post. Do not post information that makes you vulnerable, such as your address, or information about your daily routine or schedule.
The Internet is a public resource. Only post what you are comfortable with anyone seeing.
Be wary of strangers. It is easy for people to misrepresent their identities and motives on the internet. Avoid interacting with people you don’t know.
Be skeptical. Don’t believe everything you read online. People may post false or misleading information, and not always with malicious intent.
Evaluate your privacy settings. A site’s default settings may not offer the level of protection you desire and may change, so review your privacy settings regularly. Use third-party applications cautiously. Third-party applications may provide entertainment or functionality, but avoid enabling suspicious applications and limit the amount of personal information the application can access.
Use strong passwords. Protect your account with passwords that cannot be easily guessed. If your account is compromised, someone else may be able to access your information.
Read privacy policies. Some sites may share your information with other companies, which may lead to an increase in spam. Always read and understand referral policies.
Keep software up to date. Install software updates regularly, including updates to your web browser. This prevents attackers from taking advantage of known problems or vulnerabilities. When possible, enable automatic updates.
Use anti-virus software. When kept up-to-date, anti-virus software protects your computer against known viruses, and can detect and remove viruses before they do damage.
PROTECTING YOUR CHILD ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Be involved. Consider activities you and your child can work on together. This allows you to monitor your child’s computer habits while teaching safety skills. Set rules and warn about dangers. Set boundaries for internet usage. Make sure your child understands and recognizes suspicious activity and content, including cyber bullying.
Keep you computer in an open area. Keeping the computer in a high traffic area allows for easy monitoring of computer activity and acts as a deterrent to children who engage in risky activities on the computer.
Monitor computer activity. Know what your child is doing on the computer, including what websites they visit and have a sense of who they contact and interact with online.
Consider partitioning your computer into separate accounts. Most operating systems give you the option to create different accounts for each user. Create a separate account with controlled access and privileges for your child to use. Consider implementing parental controls. Some browsers and internet service providers allow you to block certain websites on your computer, or allow you to restrict access to those with a password.
More information about cyber safety is available on the Arlington County Police Department’s website on the Crime Prevention & Safety page (police.arlingtonva.us/prevention-safety).
General Tips
Be suspicious of:
Strangers who are overly friendly or who offer to share “just-found money”
Someone claiming to be a “bank examiner” who requests your help in catching a thief — a real bank official won’t ask you to take money out of your account for any reason
The well-dressed “bank official” or uniformed “guard” who offers to make your bank transactions for you
Phony debts after the death of a loved one — check it out before paying
Getting something for nothing and deals that sound too good to be true
“Free home inspection” offers or door-to-door solicitations for home improvements
Stop and think before you hand anybody any cash.
Read and understand anything you sign, especially the fine print.
Report to the police any crime, attempted crime or suspicious person or activity. If you have any doubts about something, report it — you may prevent a crime.
Credit Card Skimmers
Skimming devices have become more sophisticated. In most cases, the skimmers are being placed inside machines, such as gas pumps and ATMs, and are undetectable without opening the machine. Citizens can take the following crime prevention steps to avoid skimmers at gas stations:
Pay inside at the gas station, rather than at the pump.
Always pay using a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards have better fraud protection, and the money is not deducted immediately from an account.
If using a debit card at the pump, choose to run it as a credit card instead of putting a PIN number in. That way, the PIN number is safe.
Consider purchasing a refillable prepaid card to purchase gas at the pumps.
If you have not already switched to a chip reader on your credit card, do so.
Regularly check your bank statements and if you notice fraudulent activity, notify the bank so they can begin an investigation.
Credit card skimming cases are typically reported to police as credit card fraud. Since credit and debit cards are accepted at most locations, the challenge is identifying the point of compromise. Turnaround time from point of compromise to first fraudulent use varies depending on how the suspects intend to use the stolen data. Police work closely with banking institutes who notify us when there is a trend with customers cards being compromised and they identify the location all the cards have in common. Citizens are encouraged to regularly review their bank statements and report fraudulent activity.
Charitable Solicitations
When approached by a charitable solicitor, follow these practices:
Demand to see the solicitor’s proper identification.
Donate only to familiar causes and organizations.
Check an organization’s reliability by calling the Consumer Protection Hotline – Handled by the Office of the Attorney General, VA toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042.
To find out more about the charitable organization and how much your contribution will be used for charitable purposes, call the Office of Charitable and Regulatory Programs (OCRP) within the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services at 804-786-1343. All charitable organizations must be registered with OCRP.
Consumer Fraud
Beware of the smooth-talking salesman who comes to your home unannounced. Also, be weary of any phone call requesting a home appointment to give you something or asking you to participate in a survey.
Be on the alert for the operator who poses as an inspector. If you’re approached in this way, ask for the person’s credentials and call the agency represented or the Arlington County Police Department (ACPD) at 703-558-2222.
Watch out for bait-and-switch sales tactics. This is when a merchant advertises a product at a certain price or as possessing certain qualities, but when you attempt to buy it, you’re switched to a higher-priced or off-brand product.
Fight the temptation of referral selling. This scheme offers you the chance to make quick money by supplying your friends and relatives’ names as prospective customers.
Carefully investigate “free” or “bargain” offers. There is often a hidden trick or condition attached to the offer, which may result in you paying much more.
Don’t be rushed into signing any papers. Carefully read, examine and understand all conditions of any contract or agreements. Never sign a blank contract or a contract with blank spaces.
Don’t rely on verbal representations. Be sure that such promises can be found in the terms and conditions.
Ask questions. Know exactly what you’re buying and find out what the product or service will cost.
Know with whom you are dealing. Beware of the fly-by-night operator or the company without a local address. It’s safer to deal with a local merchant you know.
Don’t hesitate to shop around. You may find a better price for the same product elsewhere.
Contracts
When signing a contract, agree to the printed terms in the contract, not to verbal representations.
Always keep a copy of what you sign.
Have all the blanks in the contract filled in before you sign it.
Understand the contract before you sign it. Generally, there is no “buyer’s right to cancel” clause in contracts signed at a company’s place of business.
Be suspicious of anyone who won’t let you take a copy of a proposed contract or agreement to someone you trust before you sign. Call the Consumer Protection Hotline – Handled by the Office of the Attorney General, VA toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042 for suggestions.
Don’t accept the seller’s word that any part of a contract doesn’t apply to you (unless that part is crossed out on all copies and initials) or that something not listed will be done unless it is written in before you sign.
Credit Cards
Never give your credit card number over the telephone to unsolicited callers.
Don’t put your account number on the outside of envelopes when making monthly payments.
Keep your credit card number confidential—it represents your money.
Report a lost or stolen credit card by calling the card issuer’s toll-free phone number. To limit your liability from unauthorized charges, follow the card issuer’s instructions explicitly.
Door-to-Door Sales
Be suspicious of a solicitor who says, “You’ve been selected …” or “I’m taking a survey.”
Ask to see the solicitor’s identification and company credentials, including a County Solicitor’s License. The County requires all door-to-door salespersons to be licensed and to show prospective customers a County-issued identification card on request.
Buy only if you need the item, not because you may feel sorry for the solicitor.
Insist on a written guarantee.
Take ample time to consider the purchase. Avoid any high-pressure tactics.
Never sign a contract unless you completely understand it and know the total cost.
Note: Virginia state law provides a buyer of most consumer goods and services with three days to cancel a home solicitation sale after a purchase. If a “Buyer’s Right to Cancel” clause is not included in the contract and the company won’t accept a written cancellation, call the Consumer Protection Hotline – Handled by the Office of the Attorney General, VA toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042.
Home Repairs
Shop around— get estimates from at least three contractors and check with people who had work performed by them. Call the Consumer Protection Hotline – Handled by the Office of the Attorney General, VA toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042 to determine if there are any complaints against the contractors.
Before you sign the contract, make sure you understand the contract and that it includes the following information:
A description and total cost of the services to be performed
Types of materials to be used
Start and completion dates
Warranty information, if applicable
Be cautious of companies that require advanced payments.
Remember that the cheapest bid may not always be the best.
Learn more about the home repair/improvement permit process in Arlington by visiting the Building Arlington Website or call the Arlington County Building Inspection Division at 703-228-3800.
The County requires all home improvement contractors to be licensed and to show prospective customers a County-issued identification card on request. This includes installers of:
Aluminum or other siding
Concrete work
Structural changes
Doors
Fences
Fire damage repairs
Kitchen and bathroom remodeling
Masonry
Roofing
Swimming pools
Waterproofing
Note: This licensing requirement doesn’t apply to landscapers or painters (except when the paint is to be applied to a roof or asphalt paving), or to licensed electricians, gas fitters or plumbers (who are licensed under a different provision of the Code). For more information, call the Arlington County Building Inspection Division at 703-228-3800, or the Office of the Attorney General, VA Consumer Protection Hotline toll free at 800-552-9963 or at 804-786-2042.
Telemarketing
To avoid a telemarketing scheme, tell the caller you’re not interested and/or just hang up the phone.
Never give a telemarketer your credit card number, bank account number or Social Security Number, or authorize bank drafts.
When listening to a sales pitch, remember the federal government’s Telemarketing Sales Rules:
You must be told the name of the company, the fact that it’s a sales call and what’s being sold.
If there’s a prize offering, you must be told immediately that there’s no purchase necessary to win, and you can’t be asked to pay anything for it. You can’t even be required to pay shipping charges. If it’s a sweepstakes, the caller must tell you how to enter without making a purchase.
You can’t be asked to pay in advance for services such as cleansing your credit record, finding you a loan or acquiring a prize you’ve supposedly won. You pay for services only if they’ve been delivered.
You shouldn’t be called before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m. If you tell telemarketers not to call again, they can’t. If they do, they’ve broken the law.
If you’re guaranteed a refund, the caller has to tell you all the limitations.
If you suspect fraud, call the National Fraud Information Center at 800-876-7060.
Outstanding Warrant and Jury Duty Scams
Periodically, residents have reported receiving unsolicited phone calls claiming they have failed to appear for jury duty and/or have an outstanding warrant for their arrest. The resident is provided with a phone number and instructed to call an individual the scammer claims to be a Lieutenant with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office or other local law enforcement agencies. The scammer then demands immediate payment for an alleged fine. Through threats and intimidation, they attempt to convince residents to purchase prepaid credit cards and provide the identification numbers which allows the scammers to obtain the money from the cards.
If you receive a call of this nature, immediately hang up with the caller and verify the claim by calling the Arlington County Sheriff’s Office at 703.228.4460. Never use a phone number provided to you from the caller to verify their credibility.
As a reminder, the Arlington County Police Department and Sheriff’s Office will not call and ask for money over the phone.
Our second Presentation about the Virginia Hospital Center Rebuilding and Reorganization with Adrian Stanton VP/Business Development for VHC was a no show.
The meeting adjourned around 8:58 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Jodie Flakowicz, February 18, 2021.
COVID, Economy and Safety – by Scott Sklar, President, AHCA
The core issue on everyone’s mind is how long we are all going to endure this pandemic and when we will all be vaccinated. And I understand this being over 65 myself.
Leaving politics aside, we have four issues. Coordination with states proactively by the federal government, coordination by the state with Virginia cities and counties and Arlington County coordinating with all of us. I had issued a brief from Arlington County Manager Mark Schwartz at our January 2021 AHCA meeting. And to put it bluntly, the feds were unclear with the state, and Virginia bypassed Arlington on providing first doses via CVS/Walgreens for nursing/old age homes, and Virginia Hospital Center (VHS) for healthcare workers, first responders and a third of our teachers.
Now that is changing, in part, with vaccines going to counties, not hospitals, and the counties working with their hospitals and other healthcare providers. While this resulted in cancellations for those that signed up for vaccines with VHC, I expect that as vaccines come in, those appointments will be re-set ASAP.
The fourth issue, is that vaccine supplies have been limited, putting strains all over the country. The vaccine companies are having problems scaling up supply . Hopefully soon, a third “one dose” vaccine will be available.
With all these questions, we have a volunteer Martha Casey, who will coordinate timely information both through our monthly newsletter and our listserv. Any questions and suggestions, please contact her directly. Thank you, Martha. I am also in contact with the county on these issues, so if you have suggestions that you believe I should be inputting to the county, please email me directly: solarsklar@aol.com.
On a related issue, our local businesses are hurting. I personally am making an extra effort to buy food, goods and services right here in Arlington. Most are surviving on razor-thin margins. So if possible, please buy locally. I understand not everything can come from local businesses, and there are other considerations that come into play. Do what’s best for you and your family.
And I would be remiss not to re-emphasize that wearing masks, washing hands and sanitizing is very essential. Even those vaccinated can still convey the virus with unwashed/sanitized hands or even spreading droplets from others — so as tiring as this all is, please keep your resolve.
I feel very safe here in Ashton Heights – we have a caring community. And I want to thank all AHCA members for not only stepping up to the challenge but helping others in our community. Makes me very proud. Have a safe and joyous February.
Ashton Heights Civic Association Meeting Minutes for 01/20/2021 via Zoom
Scott Sklar, AHCA President, brought the meeting to order at 7:30 pm.
Sklar advised AHCA that all the Committees are working at full swing. He quickly outlined AHCA Committee activities by Committee Chairs not on the ZOOM meeting. Development Committee dealing primarily with development projects and County planning issues in the Clarendon area. Transportation Committee covering Pershing Drive plan and other traffic and vehicle/pedestrian safety issues. He then called on the present Committee Chairs for short reports.
Christina Schultz of our Safety and Security Committee mentioned that the Arlington County kick-off meeting for an affordable housing plan will be held tomorrow evening, January 21, 2021 from 6-8 pm. There also will be a meeting about the missing middle housing problem on February 7, 2021 at 7:00 pm. Both will be available via Zoom. Go to the Arlington County Website to get details to join either one.
Scott Sklar mentioned that both Jim Richardson, our Vice President for Programs and Jodie Flakowicz our Secretary will, no longer be available to serve in these roles after our May meeting. Our Advertising position for our newsletter remains open as well. If anyone has any questions about or has any interest in volunteering to serve inn any of these positions, please contact Scott at solarsklar@aol.com.
Brooke Alexander of our Tree Canopy and Native Plants Subcommittee mentioned that 14 trees were provided for our tree canopy by the county in December. We have 10 more to plant, if you would like one please contact Brooke at brooke.alexander52@gmail.com. She is also “collecting” the whereabouts of old trees that reside in our neighborhood, as part of the coming 100 Year Celebration for our community this year. Please let her know if you have such a tree on your property, that you think should be included. She is hoping to have a tour of these trees for our community members in the Fall.
Two Presentations:
1. COVID and Other topics – Mark Schwartz, Arlington County Manager
Scott mentioned our appreciation for the work Mark is doing on our behalf, while Mark responded that he feels we are well represented by Scott Sklar in his role as our President.
What we need to know about COVID – A lot of our county service employees are working at home, while approx 1500 are on the job in the offices and streets including our police, fire, environmental, park and library employees. There is intense frustration regarding the availability of the vaccine. He advised the State has contracts with CVS & Walgreens on vaccinations at nursing and old-age homes, and the County is not privvy to the number treated. He also mentioned VHC is dealing now primarily with healthcare works, first responders, and has not vaccinated a third of the teachers with their first doses. Originally the county was asked to order amounts of vaccine for our 1a needs – Medical Professional and Long-term Care residents & staff. 12 hours after that, the Governor announced that we should also start vaccinating the 1b needs as well. This includes people aged 65+, people 16-64 with underlying medical conditions, people in correctional facilities and homeless shelters plus frontline essential workers. For the first week we had requested 2000 doses and were given only 1400. Mark Schwartz advised there is shortage of vaccine supply and notification of Arlington which makes it very hard for planning & distribution.
The budget for next year being proposed will be on 2/20/2021. Obviously with the pandemic our revenue of funds has declined. Hotel occupancy has been very low, except for the week of January 6th. This will impact on the funds we will be able to spend next year.
In July 2019, the Arlington County Board adopted Vision Zero: a strategy to eliminate all transportation fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all people.
Clarendon Sector Plan
Mark was asked about what role The Virginia Hospital Center will play with the vaccines. Mark understood they got vaccine doses to last one week. They are set up to deliver more, but they don’t have more vaccine to administer. The county is unaware of role of the Walgrens and CVS stores will be doing with distribution of the vaccine and how much they will distribute.
Brooke Alexander wondered about how much influence our community has over development of areas along our borders. Specifically finding out what the plans are for the CVS opening up on the sight of the Highland Hotel. We would like to provide input to the buffer they are proposing to protect the surrounding houses from lights and sounds from the new store. Julie Mangis mentioned that the Neighborhood Conservation Plan for the area has included a “greenway” in this same buffer zone for at least the last 40 years. Brooke wants to ensure we are able to provide input into the final plans. Mark is going to look into a Point of Contact for Brooke for this project.
Concerns voiced about getting teachers vaccinated before kids are required to return to school.
Christina Schulz asked about the end of December findings of the analysis of some areas of the services that the police currently provide, that could be farmed out. Four areas were determined that possibly could be done by someone else. They are:
mental health scenarios
alternate ways to work with some kinds of disputes
create a civilian review board
traffic problem solvers – traffic control officers
There was also discussion of why there is so much racial disparity in traffic stops. They hope to see this final report soon.
Mark was asked about what major areas of change does he think could happen in Arlington over the next 20 – 30 years. Mark thinks that office buildings will not be so prevalent, so our revenue sources from properties will have to change. He also wondered if we will be able to create the “missing middle” so not only rich people will be able to live in this area.
2) Sidewalk Inventory – Jeremy Hassan, P.E.; Chief Operating Engineer, Sewer & Streets; Arlington County Department of Environmental Services; Water, Sewer and Streets Bureau
Over the next six months, Arlington will be going under a sidewalk condition survey. The last time there was such an analysis was back in the 1980s and it is long overdue. This is to review all types of sidewalks – brick, asphalt and concrete to find any tripping hazards, obstructions and overgrowth of weeds. In addition they will also be checking out all the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) ramps to ensure they are compliant and if there is a need for new ones and also the status of all our cross walks.
Scott mentioned that about 50% of the time he gets notifications from the county reps regarding any county activity in the neighborhood. He’s appreciate that he be notified about the status of this project when it hits our neighborhood as well.
If anyone would like to report a problem with their sidewalks, pipes and snow removal one can contact his office on-line or via phone. There also is a “Report a Problem” aspect to the the My Arlington app, that can be downloaded to your phone. Once on your phone you can access the Report a Problem part of the My Arlington app and submitted anywhere and anytime that you have your phone.
Also on the My Arlington Website you can go to the Projects page where there is a map of Arlington with blue highlights reflecting the status of various projects going on in the county. This has been improved for context so it can be more easily read by residents.
Question about standards for sidewalks that cross driveways. Jeremy confirmed that when the contractor applies for a permit, the standards are shared with contractor at that time. If a resident would like, if they need their driveway/sidewalk repaired, the county can provide this service for them at a cost.
Question about the sidewalk survey impacting on taxes. Jeremy mentioned that his budget can run $300,000-$600,000 depending. The contract for the sidewalk survey is running the county approximately $150,000 and will benefit the county for the next twenty years. Once the assessment is done the county can strategize the priority areas that should get done first and over the next number of years spread out the cost and work of fixing the sidewalks throughout the county.
Scott mentioned that if there are issues that we are not addressing to please contact him at solarsklar@aol.com. He wants to ensure that we are being vital to our residents needs.
The meeting adjourned around 8:45 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Jodie Flakowicz, January 23, 2021