Tuesday, June 30, 1998

BVSCA MEMBERSHIP MEETING 7:30 P.M.

Meeting at the National Rural Electric Association (NRECA), 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia, 22203-1860, Ellipse Conference Center (Room CC1), Free Parking for Membership Meeting, Garage Entry Up to 8:00 P.M. (See Details Below)

Membership Meeting (7:30 - 9:00 p.m.).

1. Arlington Gateway Project. The Association has scheduled a presentation on a major site plan application, known as the "Arlington Gateway" project. The presentation will be made by the legal representatives of the site plan applicant, the law firm of Walsh, Collucci, Stackhouse, Emrich & Lubeley, and the architects of the site plan applicant, Lincoln Properties, Inc. Arlington Gateway is a mixed-use project proposed for the west end of Ballston on property bounded on the west by N. Glebe Road and on the north by N. Fairfax Drive. North Vermont Street, which currently extends into the site, will be partially vacated.

The project will include two, 11-story office buildings, consisting of approximately 250,000 square feet each. These buildings will also contain a total of approximately 25,000 square feet of street-level retail space. Material for the office buildings will consist of red brick facing, off-white case stone highlights, and an off-white stucco cornice. Parking for the office buildings will be in the below grade levels, with a street level drop-off at the auto court located between the buildings. Both office building retail areas will be at street level. The building at the corner of Fairfax Drive and Glebe Road will also include a plaza with a featured sculpture or other public art. The design will also provide lobby access for some retail space. All parking, including handicapped accessible parking, will be provided in the garage.

The project will also include a third building of approximately 493,000 square feet, which is designed to include a 306 room hotel component (approximately 175,000 square feet), and 198 residential units (approximately 318,000 square feet). The hotel/residential building has been designed to reflect a more finely detailed approach. The entire project will have a shared, five-level underground parking garage containing 1,656 spaces. The parking garage will include visitor parking, designated handicapped spaces and two entries with ramps that are connected below grade. It will have handicap accessibility and elevators into all lobbies. The pedestrian features of the project include a step back from the corner, a plaza with a featured sculpture, a radiused corner feature, bosqued trees, and raised planters. The streetscape is consistent with the surrounding Arlington County standards and uses colored concrete pavers, raised planters, benches, and landscaping. The site includes an internal handicapped accessible pathway that connects to the existing pedestrian link. This link will continue through the block between The Jefferson and the Ellipse buildings. A winding internal road is provided with vehicular controls for slower traffic and pedestrian safety.

The project is being managed by Lincoln Property Company on behalf of the owners, TR Vermont Corporation. The architect is HKS, Inc., which has done a number of projects in Arlington including: Lincoln Place, in Pentagon City; 1530 Wilson Boulevard; and Colonial Place III.

The Association encourages members and interested citizens to attend this Membership Meeting on Tuesday, June 30th, and to please express your views. This proposed major site plan is one of the most significant projects affecting the gateway to our Arlington community. It is planned to go before Site Plan Review and the Planning Commission in the next few months. Representatives of the site plan applicant estimate that the proposed site plan will go before the County Board for approval in September 1998. (7:30 to 8:15 p.m.)

2. Interim Report June 1998 by the Ad Hoc Committee on Neighborhood Traffic Calming. The Association has received a copy for our review of the Interim Report June 1998, from Nancy Iacomini, Chairman, Ad Hoc Committee on Neighborhood Traffic Calming. In her transmittal letter, Nancy states that this Interim Report represents the preliminary views of the citizens and departmental staff. The Ad Hoc Committee would very much like to hear our thoughts and comments on its contents.

Under the Background Section of the Interim Report, Section II., Arlington County started residential traffic management in the mid 1960's and later formalized the process in 1988. In 1996 the County Manager, at the direction of the County Board, established an Ad-Hoc committee to review the current policies and practices of traffic management within Arlington County and to review additional measures and suggest a new Neighborhood Traffic Calming (NTC) program. The NTC Program is intended to help Arlington County residents address traffic problems in residential areas. These problems include vehicular speeding and cut-through traffic on residential streets. A primary objective of the NTC Program is the safety of all users on residential streets, including pedestrians and bicyclists. Concerns for safety and livability take priority over the convenience of motorists.

Briefly, the Executive Summary of the Interim Report, states that the NTC Program provides neighborhoods with the tools to develop solutions to traffic problems that affect the safety and livability of residential streets. The NTC Program is one component of a comprehensive planning framework that includes the Neighborhood Conservation Program and the Master Transportation Plan. The Neighborhood Conservation Program seeks the "good health of an entire neighborhood," while the Master Transportation Plan sets forth transportation policy directed at protecting the non-arterial function of streets designated as neighborhood streets. This enhances pedestrian safety and convenience, promoting transit and group riding services, and discouraging the use of private vehicles. Traffic Calming involves strategic physical changes and signage to reduce vehicle speed and decrease cut-through traffic on residential streets. New measures suggested include flat-top speed bumps, "No Through Traffic" signs, and gateways. The Interim Report (Appendix A) describes 21 measures that the Ad Hoc Committee and staff are considering.

Also, the Interim Report describes a new Enforcement Initiative, in response to citizen concerns and in cooperation with the NTC Measures Ad Hoc Study Group, that the Arlington Police Department is considering. This initiative, if implemented, will allow officers to issue tickets to motorists traveling more than five mph over the posted speed limit on streets with a speed limit of 25 mph or less.

On Saturday, July 11, 1998, the County Board will discuss the Interim Report together with a report from the County Manager, and receive public comment. Citizens are invited to attend this meeting and share their thoughts on the Interim Report or to submit written comments prior to the meeting. Written comments should be sent to: Neighborhood Traffic Calming Interim Report, Mr. Richard Best, Planner, Department of Public Works, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 717, Arlington, Virginia 22201. Written comments also may be e-mailed to: rbest@co.arlington.va.us. It is the intention of the Ad Hoc Committee to review and consider all comments received on the Interim Report and then prepare a Final Report for the County Board sometime in Fall 1998. If you have any questions concerning the Interim Report or the Ad Hoc Committee, please contact either Richard Best, Department of Public Works, Planning, 703-288-3689, or Nancy Iacomini, at 703-525-0788. (8:15 to 9:00 p.m.) (Action Item.). (Adjournment (no later than 9:00 p.m.).

1998-'99 Membership Meeting Schedule. Monthly Membership Meetings of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association are scheduled at the National Rural Electric Association (NRECA), 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia, Ellipse Conference Center (Room CC1 except as noted) for the following Tuesday evenings: 7/28, 8/25 (Room CC2), 9/29, 10/27, and 11/24/98. For your information, NRECA provides free garage access for one hour at NRECA's underground parking garage for participants attending the BVSCA Membership Meeting (30 minutes prior, to 30 minutes following, the starting time of our meeting). The garage's automatic exit device allows exit-only traffic after the garage is closed. BVSCA participants should be prepared to state they are attending the BVSCA Membership Meeting in order to receive free parking. Members should be advised that the garage will be accessible only up to 8:00 p.m., 30 minutes following the 7:30 p.m. starting time of our Membership Meeting, and that once the garage closes vehicles will still be able to exit the garage. Access to the Conference Room will be provided at 7:00 p.m.; the room must be completely vacated no later than 9:15 p.m. Also, general cleaning of the room is the responsibility of BVSCA.

BVSCA Announcements. Results of Elections for 1998-1999. At our May 26th Annual Membership Meeting, the BVSCA members present elected by unanimous vote the Association's 1998-'99 officerships and other representative positions, as follows: President: Ernest Ragland, Vice-President: Ken Hughes, Treasurer & Secretary of Member Records: Richard Ellis, Recording & Corresponding Secretary: David Ryan, Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee ("NCAC") Representative: DeAndra Beck, and Alternate NCAC Representative: Theresa Smith. The Association's elected Executive Committee members, include: the three (3) at-large members -- Mike Chircop, Jeff Green, and Tom Sawner, the four (4) Officers, the NCAC Representative, and Alternate NCAC Representative. The elected Arlington County Civic Federation Delegates, include: John Masoud, Ernest Ragland, David Ryan, and Rohan Samaraweera . The elected Alternate Delegates, include: Richard Ellis and DeAndra Beck.

Update on Library Courts Site Plan, SP #32. The Association has received a Public Notice dated June 11, 1998, from Carlton W. Gilbert, Acting Zoning Administrator, advertising public hearings on various cases, to be considered by the Planning Commission on June 29, 1998, and by the County Board on July 11, 1998. Among these are two cases related to the Library Courts Site Plan, SP #32. The first case is Z-2440-97-3 Rezoning: (Carry-Over & Amended): Request of J.H. McMullin, Trustee, by Wm. G. Carr, V.P., for a change in land classification. The property currently is zoned "RA7-16," Apartment Dwelling Districts, and "R-5," One-Family, Restricted Two-Family Dwelling Districts. Two alternatives are to be considered. The first alternative is to rezone the "R-5" parcel (1034 N. Quincy Street) to "RA7-16" and rezone the southern portion of the site to "R-C," Apartment Dwelling and Commercial Districts; premises known as a portion of 1020 North Quincy Street. This alternative would result in the southern portion of the property being zoned "R-C" and the remainder zoned "RA7-16." The second alternative is to rezone the entire site to "RA-H," Hotel District. The second case is SP #32 Site Plan Amendment (Carry-Over & Amended): Request of J.H. McMullin, Trustee, by Wm. G. Carr, V.P., for a special exception to permit construction of a 127-unit, 10 story residential building and parking, which would be combined with an adjacent existing structure; premises known as 1020, 1034, 1040 N. Quincy Street and 4012 North 11th Street. Based on discussions, County staff intends to recommend no action and the site plan applicant plans to recommend deferral of these cases to be heard by the County Board on October 17, 1998, and the Planning Commission on October 5, 1998. Also, the proposed project is currently being revised. On June 25, 1998, BVSCA President Ragland formally responded to the Planning Commission and the County Board, reflecting the Association's previously stated opposition at the April 1998 County Board meeting.

The Association thanks BVSCA Member Bill Jackson for his recommendations at the May 1998 Annual Meeting concerning how the BVSCA domain name, "bvsca.org," and Web homepage, "http://www.bvsca.org," could be maintained at no cost to the Association via D.C. FreeNet, member of the ServInt FreeNet Family Services. On June 16, 1998, BVSCA successfully moved their domain name to D.C. FreeNet. The Association will continue to back-up its homepage files on another server, url address: "http://www2.dgsys.com/~bvsca." Our email address continues at "bvsca@dgs.dgsys.com." We thank D.C. FreeNet for their support of the BVSCA homepage.