March 28, 2002
County Board notes
Items from Saturday’s County Board meeting:
FIRST POTOMAC YARD DEVELOPMENT PLAN APPROVED: County Board members approved the first site plan submitted under the Potomac Yard Phased Development Site Plan (PDSP).
The $100 million-plus Crescent Potomac Yard Development LLC project, to be known as One Potomac Yard, will provide approximately 654,000 square feet of office and retail use.
The project is located on the northernmost development parcel in the Potomac Yard site on a 2.9-acre site bounded by Crystal Drive to the west, the Airport Viaduct to the north, the railroad corridor to the east and the proposed Potomac Avenue to the south. The plan calls for two 12-story office towers that will offer nearly 18,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floors.
The County Board approved the PDSP for Potomac Yard in late 2000.
NEW BICYCLE LANES ADDED: County Board members approved 10.3 additional miles of bicycle lanes on 13 county streets, bringing the total number of streets with approved bike lanes to 23 and the amount of bike lanes in Arlington to 15.3 miles.
The cost is approximately $90,000 for this project.
“Giving people alternatives to the automobile is key to solving our clean air problems as well as relieving traffic congestion,” County Board Chairman Chris Zimmerman said. “Making the streets safe for bicycles means more of them and fewer cars.”
However, not everyone in attendance was satisfied that Arlington is ready to become a community for bikers. Robert Atkins told the board that the current map shows bike routes that are not fully connected.
“The map shows connected trails on Fairfax Drive and Wilson Boulevard where there are none,” he said.
County staff agreed that the issue of bike trails and connections may have to be revisited in the next year.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE GOES ANOTHER ROUND: Everyone’s favorite topic of (heated) discussion, the Pledge of Allegiance found both supporters and naysayers at the meeting.
Before either side could weigh in, the board started the meeting with some remarks from Rev. Leonard Smith of Mount Zion Baptist Church. Smith commented on the aftereffects of Sept. 11 on American patriotism, then, at Chairman Chris Zimmerman’s request, led the room in the Pledge of Allegiance.
“Before Sept. 11, I do not recall masses of people displaying flags and patriotism,” Smith said. “People who formerly did not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance are now the first to rise.”
Of course, not everyone came to the conclusion that this was such a good thing. Kenneth Bernstein, a former Marine and an Arlington resident since 1982, said the ledge places loyalty to the flag before the Constitution and therefore is backward.
“I am a loyal American,” Bernstein said. “My patriotism is not any less for my exercising constitutional rights in not saying the pledge.”
ZIMMERMAN TALKS TREES: Chairman Chris Zimmerman made a few points on one of his favorite subjects – trees.
He announced that tree seedlings will be distributed during the Annual Neighborhood Day parade at 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 11.
In his report, Zimmerman also talked about the problem of invasive trees and plants and what the county plans to do about curtailing them.
“It is estimated that 40 percent of the trees, shrubs and plants in Arlington are non-native species,” Zimmerman said. “Many of these are aggressive competitors with native plants.”
Two brochures on invasive plants and their control have been made available by Arlington’s office of Virginia Cooperative Extension. The office can be reached at (703) 228-6414.
Robert Molleur also rose to speak on trees. After recognizing the board for establishing the Memorial Tree Grove in memory of those killed on Sept. 11, he asked Zimmerman to post the draft tree ordinance for all residents to see, to let more of the public get involved and protect their rights as landholders.
He also asked that Zimmerman consider a voluntary approach to preserving trees on private property, to eliminate county liability from lawsuits for “taking” trees.
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