I just got back from Supervisor Gerry Hyland’s 25th Annual Town Meeting at Mount Vernon High School. The meeting started at about 9:15, but for an hour or so before that, you can visit the 30 vendors with tables displaying their wares. The Mount Vernon-Lee Chamber of Commerce, the Park Authority, INOVA Hospital, George Mason University, etc., all have tables so it’s a great opportunity to learn more about what resources we have in Mount Vernon.
Then, at 9:15 we listened to several speakers: County Chairwoman Sharon Bulova, Congressman Gerry Connolly and County Executive Tony Griffin all give updates. The interesting tidbit that Mr. Griffin shared was that he will be proposing a budget to the Board of Supervisors that maintains the current tax rate (which means if your assessment goes up, you’ll pay more taxes). He also will recommend that the county give a little more money to the school system.
After the speeches, Gerry Hyland did his popular “Bus Tour,” where he simulates being on a bus going up and down Richmond Highway (by the way, he asks that everyone not refer to it anymore as “Route One”). This “tour” provides an update on all the development in the area. So, the audience learned that the new Costco will be completed by the Spring of 2013, the new Mulligan Road that will lead us all to the new Wegman’s will be done by September 2013, and that the Gum Springs community is adamantly opposed to a new Transit Center at the corner of Boswell and Route One, uh, excuse me, Richmond Highway. We also learn that they want to put a new turf field in at Grist Mill Park. Lots of good info. The “tour” will be available on the Supervisor’s website in a short while. It’s worth a look.
Now that I’ve done my “reporting” thing, I must now make a few observations:
I’m sorry but can’t folks stay off their friggin' cell phones and give the speakers their full attention? What is so vital to know on a Saturday morning? Do you really need to get an update on your son’s soccer game or your daughter’s dance class? And this goes for the speakers on the dais. Yep, one of the speakers actually had his head down during most of the presentations, looking into his lap. Now, sure, he may have just been fascinated with a bug crawling on the floor but I think his bobbing elbows gave it all away.
In future meetings, give everyone a name tag. This is the meeting that most of the movers and shakers come to but many have yet to put a face to a name. Gerry’s staff might be interested in meeting (or running away from) a constituent who they may have been talking to over the phone for weeks. It’s just a nice, social thing to do.
He would never say anything, but I think it was insulting to have Dan Storck, our school board representative, as the last speaker – even after the bus tour. If there is a topic that is more important than education, I’m open to suggestions. But, after the bus tour, half the room empties out and the ones that are left are too preoccupied with lining up to the microphones to get ready to hear themselves talk. Dan deserves better.
A shout-out to the MVHS Academic Boosters Corp for getting to Starbucks at the crack of dawn to have coffee for the attendees. And thanks for the low fat donuts! And good decision on charging for the breakfast. For too many years, I watched in horror as too many people just took the coffee and food and never made the suggested donations.
Anyway, it was a useful event and Gerry and his staff should be commended for doing this year after year. It’s a great public service – it's just too bad that most of the public does not attend.
The bus tour is produced by Gerry Hyland's office - I just made the clarification in the article. Thanks for reading. Jessie Biele, Local Editor
I get the Gerrys mixed up - they seem as one to me.
I did not stay for the bus tour this year. I viewed the online version. I have attended many in years past and there is a repetitive predictability that only blurs the reality of Richmond Highway. I like Supervisor Highland for his personable nature and his friendly demeanor. It has served him well. His once clever approach to the bus tour unfortunately has evolved into a slide show of promised revitalization with snazzy renderings of projects as destination points on the simulated bus trip. These glittering generalities however, do not deliver his citizen passengers of the faux bus tour to the long desired destination of a renewed and revitalized highway corridor.
My experience has been different. See ya.
My primary criticism is over the length of time served and the snail like pace of addressing revitalization. I recognize the overwhelming odds of a highway corridor split between 2 magisterial districts, Dillon Rule by right development as an impediment to development and trying to work with a highway that throughout its nearly 100 year history as a paved road is unevenly developed because many sections were built before there was planning and zoning and much was developed before there was a uniform public facilities manual for guidance. This has left much of the highway in a state of disarray with degraded sites and developers hesitant to come to the table because the county and communities look to them to help replace and fix enormously expensive and very old infrastructure.
I and other members of my community spent 18 months of our lives civilly engaged with developers alongside with SFDC. County officials were the missing wheel in the process in that they would not agree to incentives that we agreed with the developer were needed from Fairfax County to make the project work for both sides. Never mind that the same kinds of incentives (tax increment funding) were being dispensed like candy elsewhere in the county. We and the developer were up against the TIF Nazis " No TIF for you" was all we heard. Leadership is more than delivering day to day services. Just how many times does the Mount Vernon Supervisor have to take Mount Vernon citizens on a faux bus tour and wax eloquent on the potential for a better US 1 without delivering his passengers to that destination?
I spent over a year on the Belle Haven Watershed Planning committee. A major contributor to the degraded water quality is Richmond Highway due to storm water infrastructure built to decades old standards. I consistently asked where was VDOT during the meeting sessions as well as business and or land developers with properties that had massive parking areas also with old infrastructure during the planning process. It was repeatedly stated that the DEPWES (Department of Public Works & Environmental Services) cannot dictate to a Virginia State Agency whether they attend such planning sessions. Business owners and developers with property holdings were invited but apparently choose not to attend, You are also correct in that it is the developers and architects that are in the drivers seat with elected officials following their plans instead of leading any coordinated effort. The neighborhoods consistently are reactive to the plan and then get demonized for their reactions. (cont. next page)
Ahem, as for the guy repeatedly invading Gerry's personal space on stage, he needs to take some lessons from this great public servant. Gerry has been providing this forum for 25 years. Does anyone remember him ever yelling at anyone, at any constituent in his decades of serving our community? Or telling someone who invests time to attend, stands up in a public forum and asks a question to sit down and write a letter as he dismisses their concerns, for example someone who wants to avoid future government shut-downs, as having an agenda? I was struck by how this neighbor whom I do not know and have never met was treated: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLSnAt4F0c8 Jim Moran acts as if we need to suspect our neighbors of nefarious activities because they ask a question. He needs to learn how to treat people with dignity. He has helped cultivate a culture of insularity, arrogance and corruption. We need more Democratic leaders like Gerry Hyland who earn broad community support even from people who may disagree on issues. Recently on MSNBC, Jim Moran told Martin Bashir that treating people with disrespect was a weakness of character. We agree. It's a weakness of character. It's time to move forward. Don't you think? A. Will Radle, Jr. www.VA8.com
So Mr. Radle, the VA8 is a large area and US1 is in it and citizens want revitalization that has been elusive due to a wide array of perceived problems and challenges. What specifically would you do to get the ball rolling on a coordinated revitalization that engages all of the principle stakeholders (neighborhoods, developers, businesses, local, state and federal agencies) of the Richmond Highway corridor? How would you serving in the US Congress be a game changer in a decades long effort to get the "bus" to deliver the citizens to the their desired revitalized Richmond Highway destination?
"Much of the conversation here has to do with the Supervisors long tenure and what is happening on US 1 between Old Town and Alexandria. We know the positive side of Supervisor Hyland and it is acknowledged in numerous posts. After 25 years of service how would we not know?So Mr. Radle, the VA8 is a large area and US1 is in it and citizens want revitalization that has been elusive due to a wide array of perceived problems and challenges. What specifically would you do to get the ball rolling on a coordinated revitalization that engages all of the principle stakeholders (neighborhoods, developers, businesses, local, state and federal agencies) of the Richmond Highway corridor? How would you serving in the US Congress be a game changer in a decades long effort to get the "bus" to deliver the citizens to the their desired revitalized Richmond Highway destination?"
Unlike the incumbent, I will host regular town hall meetings to strengthen inclusion of stakeholders representing neighborhoods, developers and businesses as well as local, state and federal agencies. Everyone will be encouraged to participate, to voice their concerns and ideas as together we create effective, sustainable solutions for the challenges confronting our community. We have been seeking to advance a vision for the Richmond Highway corridor since the 1960's with limited progress. Consistently ranked among the nation's worst in traffic, we have the best arguments for federal investment in transportation infrastructure. However, the incumbent's performance has been pathetic. Making himself an icon for insularity, arrogance and corruption, Moran's reputation hurts our community. Our community is a centrally important strategic and economic region. We must bring our infrastructure up to the standards appropriate for economic and strategic realities.
Can anyone name any landmark legislation the incumbent has written in his time on Capitol Hill? My plan summary is available on our website at www.VA8.com. Centrally important to our nation's security and economy, we will not stop at advocating for fair funding. We provide ingenuity to solve challenges long tolerated under failed leadership. Our plan's national investment in education benefits every US House district and will gain widespread support. The national K-12 program rewards communities for properly preparing students for tomorrow's economy. Why is education funding relevant to transportation? We will provide Fairfax County over $324 million in new annual funding. Our community will be able to offset portions of federal grant funding to address important local priorities. Providing intermodal traffic solutions remains one of the greatest needs in our community. We will acquire federal funding commensurate with our national strategic and economic importance while bringing innovation to funding local priorities. Working together we will extend the Yellow Line, widen Richmond Highway, and expand VRE services. I embrace accountability in bringing our district the effective, sustainable solutions we need. Please check out www.VA8.com. It's time to move forward. Don't you think?
How is it that one area in the VA8 can successfully implement a plan such as this with widespread support while another area such as Richmond Highway remains fragmented and unable to get enough local government support to fulfill community aspirations? Metro seemed to be the game changing factor in my view for Rosslyn - Ballston. What must happen to Richmond Highway in order to attain the monumental success that they are experiencing in Arlington? Fairfax County seems intent on redeveloping its newer areas like Tysons while leaving Mount Vernon in a perpetual state of neglect.
Lee District has 2 large Walmarts by the way. Mount Vernon has 1 small version Walmart.
I believe that we simply have at the local level a microcosm of the same phenomena that is corrupting our national politics. Richmond highway needs leadership that unifies the neighborhoods and communities along the corridor not finger pointing or assigning blame by demonizing citizens for having the sense of community to say we welcome your desire to do development in our neighborhood, won't you please come to the table with us and together decide what works best for all of us. Leadership should be about moderating the interests of both sides and using county staff and agencies to offer guidance and resources to smooth out the bumps and come to a consensus. In my view under the radar tinkering with Kings Xing undermined efforts by SFDC resulting in a number of people in executive positions just leaving out of frustration.
It could happen here the same as in Tysons to Dulles but given the development history of the county and the outright attention deficit disorder by Fairfax County towards Richmond Highway, highly unlikely. Without a unifying plan beginning with transportation focusing on historical and natural resource assets linked to commerce on the corridor the best that will happen is a continued proliferation of automobile dependent strip shopping centers, fast food eateries, and an abundance of new motels to match the number of drug stores. Current projects do not bode well for the environment in terms of water and air quality nor do they offer a change in opportunity for economic prosperity for the large number of Richmond Highway residents on public assistance and in rent subsidized housing. Retail clerks and motel housekeeping jobs are not living wage jobs. Pedestrian friendly, mixed use community business centers supported by surrounding communities have a nice ring but still seem out of touch with the reality citizens face given the continued hodge-podge development patterns masquerading as revitalization.
Developing roads, rails and lines in Northern Virginia is clearly in the best interests of our nation and our community. We need advocates who are not merely controversial benchwarmers. Our plan for positive action remains avaliable for your review on www.VA8.com. Thank you. A. Will Radle, Jr. www.VA8.com