Author: chogan@directresearch.com

2019-02-26 Transportation Safety Commission, audio recording and notes

I attended last night’s meeting of the Traffic Transportation Safety Commission (TSC).  You can find a (rather poor-quality) audio recording, and an Excel file that serves as an index to the recording, here on Google Drive. Basically, use the Excel spreadsheet to find the times for items you would care to listen to, then move to that spot in the recording to hear what was said.

I attended because TSC was considering an on-demand flashing sign at the crosswalk where Glen Avenue hits Courthouse Road.  The sign is called a rectangular rapid flashing beacon (RRFB).  It would allow pedestrians to stop traffic in order to get across Courthouse. We already have a few of these in Vienna.  Here’s a view of an RRFB pair on Beulah.

Continue reading 2019-02-26 Transportation Safety Commission, audio recording and notes

Index to Town Council 2-25-2019 Video, posted 2-26-2019

As you can read in my just-prior posting, the Town surprised me by posting the video from last night’s meeting in a very timely fashion.  For those of you who would rather not watch the entire video, here’s my “index” of the video.  It’s an Excel workbook (.xls) showing times within the Town meeting video, and my brief notes for what was being said at that time, by whom.  You can scan it for items of interest, then go to the video to see what was said.

2019-02-25 Town Council meeting, index to video

Use this along with the Town’s video.  You can find the Town’s video at this link.  On my computer, the only browser that will play the video is Chrome.

I suppose that, because I did the work, I can use this index to point out a few things.  Please keep in mind that times are approximate, and may be off by a few seconds here or there.
 Continue reading Index to Town Council 2-25-2019 Video, posted 2-26-2019

Town Council meeting video, 2-25-2019, UPDATED to reflect a what I sincerely hope is a change in Town policy

This post is not yet complete.  It will change over the course of today (2/26/2019) as I add more video segments.  At present, it gives you immediate access to video of the MAC “visual preference survey” portion of last night’s Town Council meeting .

EDIT:  The Town has posted its own video of last night’s meeting, as of about noon today.  That’s a first, as you can see by looking at the meetings calendar to see that the next-most-recent Town Council video dates back to 1/7/2019. If this rapid turnaround reflects a new policy, then it is a material and welcome change.  As of now, it appears that the Town has moved from a policy of holding the videos of meetings for months before posting, to a policy of releasing them immediately.

Click the meetings calendar link above, then click the video link to get to the Town’s recording of last night’s meeting.  If you can’t get the video to play, try using the Google Chrome browser.  On my system, that’s the only browser that works with the Town’s video host. Continue reading Town Council meeting video, 2-25-2019, UPDATED to reflect a what I sincerely hope is a change in Town policy

Community engagement plan, 2/26/2019

I’m going to have to rely on my neighbors to tell me what happened at last night’s (2/25/2019) “community engagement” meeting regarding the proposed 40 condo building at 380 Maple West.

I lasted about 60 seconds before I had heard enough and walked out.  And this is from a guy who has spent a big chunk of the past few months sitting in on public meetings, hearing stuff I didn’t want to hear.   As you can tell from the contents of this website.  And, as it turns out, I wasn’t the only one to walk out.  I was merely the first. Continue reading Community engagement plan, 2/26/2019

Two public meetings this week, 2/25/2019

This week, the Town Council will get its first official presentation of the results of the “visual preference survey”, and the Planning Commission will look at the proposed Sunrise Assisted Living facility (Maple and Center) and will begin reviewing proposed changes to the MAC zoning rules.

On Monday 2/25/2019 at 8:00 PM, there is a Town Council meeting during which Town staff will present the results of the MAC “visual preference survey”.  

Meeting materials can be found by clicking link “C” on this page:
https://vienna-va.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=654190&GUID=4FF4E363-4518-4B2B-A5E7-1A06C8951127&Options=&Search=

The Town will broadcast this meeting live on Cox channel 27, Verizon FIOS channel 38, and live-streamed at the URL below.  (I can only get the live streaming to work with the Chrome browser, so if you have difficulty getting it to work, try that browser).

http://vienna-va.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?publish_id=5

On Wednesday 2/27/2019, 6:30 PM, the Planning Commission will hold a lengthy work session that will include discussion of the proposed Sunrise Assisted Living facility at Maple and Center, and proposed changes to the MAC zoning ordinance.

Meeting materials are here:

https://vienna-va.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=681060&GUID=C246AE86-FF00-4D47-B8FA-6BAE7B0EF784&Options=&Search=

The Town will not televise that meeting, so I plan to make an audio recording of it and post that on savemaple.org.

The Town reserves the right to change or cancel meetings on short notice, so check the Town’s general calendar before you go, at this URL:  https://www.viennava.gov/Calendar.aspx?NID=1&FID=220

Wawa wall, proposed solution, 2/22/2019

At last night’s (2/21/2019) BAR meeting, we learned that there’s no wall separating the proposed Wawa from the adjacent neighborhood because, in 1974, the Town judged that a wall was not needed for that property.  And, apparently, despite the change in use (from a quiet little office building to a potentially 24/7/365 convenience store), … because they didn’t need one in 1974, the Town thinks they don’t need one now.  Or they can’t legally require one now.  Or something along those lines.

For their part, Wawa said that putting in the wall that would be required under Vienna commercial zoning regulations (masonry wall, 6′ tall, along the entire property line) would result in killing some mature trees.  So they didn’t want to be seen a stepping in and immediately cutting down mature trees.  Instead, Wawa offered to put in additional low (3′ to 4′) evergreen shrubbery along that lot line.

Fair enough.  But shrubbery doesn’t stop noise.  What to do?

Let me offer a suggestion:  Wawa should consider voluntarily putting in a 6′ concrete panel fence at the back of their property.

Detail follows. Continue reading Wawa wall, proposed solution, 2/22/2019

Wawa wall, 2/21/2019

Wawa is going to occupy the vacated Coldwell Banker building at Maple and Nutley.     That is going to be discussed by the Town of Vienna Board of Architectural Review at 8 PM tonight 2/21/2109), and they are accepting comments from the public at this meeting.  You can find the most recent plans by going to this page, then clicking the link for Wawa.

While I feel sorry for the folks living behind that, mainly I’m relieved that this isn’t going to be another large MAC building.  As it stands, the Wawa will have more publicly accessible green space, more trees, and vastly more visual “open space” than 380 Maple West.  Despite having more or less the same size and shape of lot.

The wall at the back of that lot has come up as a fairly important issue.  Or, really, the lack of a wall at the back of that lot. Continue reading Wawa wall, 2/21/2019

Stumpies, 2/20/2019

The pro-MAC members of Town Council tell you we are going to get some beautiful urban architecture for Maple.  Revitalize the downtown.  And all that.

But the buildings we’re actually getting are “stumpies”.  No doubt, the Town is going to assure us that our stumpies will look better than the neighbor’s stumpies.  But the fact is, they are still stumpies.

This Bloomberg Business Week article, “Why America’s New Apartment Buildings All Look the Same,” by Justin Fox, introduced me to the whys and wherefores of stumpies. Continue reading Stumpies, 2/20/2019