Comments on: Staff Recommends Approval of Bergmann Development

By: CW

CW — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 23:44:55 +0000

Good news: unless you are in prison or stationed here in the military, you can!

By: Olivia

Olivia — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 18:51:22 +0000

I live nearby and do not support this. I hope it fails. Another apartment building? A mixed use retail with a hodge podge of houses that will be managed by whom to ensure that people maintain them properly? Another grocery store? Arlington has no plan other than to fill every available space with some kind of retail joint and apartments. The place looks thrown together because it is. Traffic is already a mess, trying to dodge cars, squirrel pedestrians and cyclists, whom I am sure love the idea of more people and cars to play dare with. A mess and wish I could move.

By: Carol_R

Carol_R — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 04:28:25 +0000

In my opinion a 10 story high rise is disgusting. Heck even an 8 story one. They shouldn’t allow anything higher than 4 stories.

I see that the Arlington County Board continues in their quest to trash Arlington and turn it into Manhattan instead of what it once was which was a nice residential (not mainly condos or apartments) county with 2 story businesses. People used to actually have houses in Rossyln (my grandparents did) until it became unbearable to live there because of the highrises.

By: Sparky

Sparky — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 03:27:16 +0000

They’re all rentals and sure, North Highland people can get the discount rent of $3,000/mo on a lower floor 699 sq. ft . one bedroom apartment by the elevator. It’s conveniently located over the trash pickup area with a view of parking garage where you can park your car for $150/mo if you can find a space before 9 PM. The top level of 3 is reserved for the grocery from 9 am to 9 pm. But, there’s plenty of overflow parking in North Highlands just over the I-66 bridge on Court House Rd to the left. Otherwise, you will be feeding 2 hour meters all day and night.

By: HenryBennetXIII

HenryBennetXIII — Sat, 08 Dec 2012 00:48:33 +0000

McIssac addressed the current specific issue. Poorly. But it is his employer. Where is the Cooch?

By: Southeast ben

Southeast ben — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 17:04:05 +0000

Wish they could just start with the grocery and walkaround retail as a starter. Then if traffic is terrible, don’t worsen it by adding high-rise. They could also limit the traffic by limiting the amount of on-site parking so that people won’t want to go there. Though…this usually causes a huge CF.

By: marc

marc — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:50:25 +0000

“affordable housing components” is laughable. Bergmans is a solid dry cleaners, though.

By: Sparky

Sparky — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:31:26 +0000

It’s the height of the tower that is the issue. It’s 10 stories plus an 11th story for amenities (not counted as a story per fine print in the zoning regulation) plus a basement with apartments. Driving west on Lee Highway, you would actually see a 12 story building.

The developer and county compare this to Potomac Towers which was built in 1960 and could not be built that high today because the zoning regulation have been changed in the 70′s to place these tall buildings in the Metro corridor tapering back. Besides, Potomac Towers was built on 7 acres and had some 3 acres of green park-like space (I-66 took about 1.5 acres). And Potomac Towers is set way back from Lee Highway unlike this proposal.

This 10++ story tower does not meet the General Land Use Plan. The Civic Associations all along Lee Highway do not want it lined with these towers. There is no way to stop if this one is approved.

By: Sparky

Sparky — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:16:37 +0000

We have a General Use Plan. It’s what developers are supposed to use. This 11 story tower on 5 single family home lots doesn’t fit the plan. Approving this would amount to invalidating the entire plan, at least for Lee Highway. That’s not smart.

By: Sparky

Sparky — Fri, 07 Dec 2012 15:09:34 +0000

Move near it, than don’t like it? That’s like moving to the end of the runway at the airport and complaining about airplane noise.

It”s low and well screened with trees. I live a block away and am fine with it. Let it sit fo until somebody proposes building something of more appropriate height, say 5-6 stories.