Join Club

Peter’s Take: Un-WRAPping Western Rosslyn

peter_rousselot_2014-12-27_for_facebookPeter’s Take is a weekly opinion column. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

The Arlington County Board designed a fundamentally flawed process in its Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study (WRAPS) charge. The principal flaw was to require the WRAPS group to proceed without first disclosing a Letter of Intent between the County and a private developer (Penzance) that was a precondition for the site’s redevelopment.

By later issuing the more holistic (and County-wide) Community Facilities Study group charge, the County Board implicitly acknowledged imposing unreasonable constraints on the WRAPS process by trying to accomplish too many objectives on this one small site.

The Board set July public hearings to review the County’s proposed plan for this portion of Rosslyn. Seeking to defend that plan, Board Chair Mary Hynes argued:

The proposed plan seeks to balance the need for open space in Western Rosslyn with the need for a new school with associated gym and playing field accessible to residents, a new fire station and more affordable housing in collaboration with commercial redevelopment.

Measured by this standard, the proposed plan fails miserably.

The plan makes a small park much smaller and disproportionately favors commercial redevelopment over scarce green space in a rapidly urbanizing area. It also conflicts with several existing plans–The Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study (2003), the Natural Resources Management Plan (2010), and the Draft Rosslyn Sector Plan (2015) –all calling for increased open space and/or no loss of open space.

The Board’s final, approved plan for this site must assure that the entire current, contiguous acreage of Rosslyn Highlands Park remains dedicated to park use in perpetuity.

To that end, the final site plan should adhere to these principles:

  • Each current land owner should retain ownership of its land;
  • Rosslyn Highlands Park should be preserved in its entirety as public parkland;
    APS should proceed with building a new structure to house the HB Woodlawn program on the land it currently owns;
  • Penzance may develop the land it currently owns and should be relieved of any obligation to pay for a new fire station on the site;
  • The County should follow existing procedures by conditioning the award of any bonus density on contributions to affordable housing and other community benefits, if Penzance seeks bonus density on this site, and
  • If the County determines that the current site of Fire Station #10 is the only appropriate County site for a new fire station serving Rosslyn, then it should finance that new fire station’s construction with general obligation bonds.

CONCLUSION:

Preserving existing parkland is more important than giving one of Rosslyn’s largest private developers a new development opportunity that current market conditions would not otherwise support.

Recent Stories

Morning Notes

Governance Change Postmortem –With their dreams of swift legislative action in Richmond quashed, proponents of Arlington governance changes say they’re not backing down in an effort to achieve their goals….

Good Monday evening, Arlington. Let’s take a look back at today’s stories and a look forward to tomorrow’s event calendar. 🕗 News recap The following articles were published earlier today…

An 18-year-old Arlington woman is facing a litany of charges after an reported bike theft led to violence. The incident happened Sunday evening near the intersection of S. Walter Reed…

What do I do if school doesn’t fit my kid? That’s the question that so many of the parents and families ask when they’re looking at small independent schools like…

Well-Paid Maids recently unveiled a new scheduling system.

That means it’s easier than ever to book your professional home cleaning with the only certified living-wage home cleaning service in the D.C. area.

Here’s what to expect when you book your cleaning:

  1. Select your location.

  2. Choose your service (i.e. 1 BD/1BA). (This is also where you’ll see the rate.)

  3. Pick your cleaner. (If you don’t have a preference, opt for “any available.”)

  4. Schedule a date and time. You can also set up recurring cleanings and get a discount!

  5. Enter your information and reserve.

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Are you facing life’s challenges, feeling overwhelmed, or seeking personal growth? Embrace the path to emotional well-being with our expert psychotherapy services!

Why Choose Us?

Our team of compassionate and experienced psychotherapists is here to guide you on your journey to inner peace, self-discovery, and positive change. We provide a safe and supportive environment where you can explore your thoughts and feelings without judgment.

What We Offer:
✔️ Individual Therapy
✔️ Couples Counseling
✔️ Anxiety & Stress Management
✔️ Depression Treatment
✔️ Trauma Healing
✔️ Self-Esteem Building
✔️ Life Transitions Support
✔️ And Much More!

Read More

Submit your own Announcement here.

Portofino Italian Wine Dinner, April 6, 6:30pm

Four course Italian dinner, paired with 2 wines each. The wines will be served “blind” and notes on each wine will be discussed. The event is coordinated with Elite Wine Importers and The Portofino Restaurant. The dinner is on Saturday,

×

Subscribe to our mailing list