Membership Meeting
Columbia Heights Civic Association
Monday, September 10, 2018
Walter Reed Community Center
7:00 – 9:00 p.m.

Agenda:

President’s Announcements (10 minutes)

We have some late-breaking announcements to get out of the way before we begin the meeting. I’m going to run through these issues very briefly now, and if we want to discuss them further we will do so at the end of the meeting, treating them as “new business.”
1) The County is organizing a series of workshops to build leadership skills for citizens, on October 4, 11, 18 and 25, called “Energize Arlington.” I have a flyer to share. The web site is projects.arlingtonva.us/energize-arlington/ I would encourage any member of our civic association to attend.
2) The Use Permit for the Feya Preschool located at 1611 South Walter Reed Drive will be considered at the October 20 County Board meeting. (U-3502-17-1). Please speak up if you have any comments about this.
3) The one-year Use Permit review for the Azteca Grill (3005 Columbia Pike) will also be heard at the October 20 County Board meeting (U-3496-17-2). Please let us know if you have comments.
4) The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) consists of community volunteers who are trained to save lives and reduce injuries when activated in the event of a major disaster or until professional responders arrive. Training began Sept. 4 but the county will be holding more training sessions. If you’re interested, please send an e-mail to: CERTArlingtonVA@gmail.com
5) The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board will be hosting a series of Open Houses to discuss its long-range transportation plan, Visualize 2045. The next open house is Monday, September 17 from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the VDOT Northern Virginia District Office, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax VA 22030. Or visit visualize2045.org or e-mail azenner@mwcog.org with questions.
6) Crosswalk on Columbia Pike at Rolfe Street. In August members of Columbia Heights, Penrose and Arlington View civic associations met with County Board Member Christian Dorsey to discuss the possibility of adding a crosswalk across Columbia Pike at S. Rolfe Street, and restoring the bus stop at that location. The County has decided not to do either. We need to have a larger discussion of this issue.
7) The US Department of the Army is planning the Arlington Cemetery Expansion and realignment of Columbia Pike. It held an open meeting and came to a meeting of the Pike Presidents Group to discuss these plans. The largest issue in contention is the proposed 10-foot-wide pike/pedestrian trail along the north side of the realigned Pike. Members of the PPG questioned whether it would be adequate to meet future needs. Comments from the Community are due September 22. You may also submit comments on the proposal either personally or on behalf of your own Civic Associations via email to SouthernExpansion@usace.army.mil. The web site for the project is here:
http://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Missions/Military-Construction/ANCSouthernExpansion/

Extensive comments have already been filed by the “Sustainable Mobility for Arlington County” group. https://mailchi.mp/11272b1f7537/see-you-tomorrow-for-bike4thepike-150739 with graphics at: https://susmo.org/biking/east-pike-realignment/
8) Election Debate – October 15. Takis Karantonis has organized a debate night for Columbia Heights Civic Association and the entire Pike Corridor, to be held Monday, October 15, at the Walter Reed Community Center. The candidates for County Board as well as candidates for the school board will debate that night. Please tell your neighbors!
9) We sent out notification that Arlington County School Board has launched its process to redistrict elementary schools across Arlington. We are well aware of concerns of neighbors about the ability of our children to attend the new Alice Fleet Elementary School in the fall of 2019, as it replaces Patrick Henry. The final decision on redistricting is expected to be made this coming December. Columbia Heights has reached out to Reid Goldstein (recently named Chair of the School Board) to come to one of our meetings to discuss this. He informed us that APS Board Member Tannia Talento is now our representative. We reached out to her with an invitation but haven’t heard back. We will continue to pursue this.
10) We are also planning our annual meeting, which will probably take place in late October.

We have so much to get to in our busy agenda this evening, with the main issue being the Career Center Working Group Final Report. But we have two guests this evening and I’d like them to have the chance to speak first. Our first guest has to leave early to attend another meeting, so I’d l to allow him to go first and I’d like to allocate just 15 minutes each to these discussions, and I’m going to keep careful track of the time.

Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee (CDCAC), 15 minutes

Tim Denning, Chairman of the Community Development Citizens Advisory Committee (CDCAC) will join us to discuss his group, which reviews grant requests, evaluates programs and makes recommendations to the County Board for the use of federal Community Development Block Grant and Community Services Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

He wants to encourage members of our civic association on the CDCAC. A link to the website is here:https://commissions.arlingtonva.us/community-development-citizens-advisory-committee/

Disabled Veterans’ Personal Property Tax Relief, 15 minutes

John O’Hara has contacted civic associations and the civ fed to consider a proposal that would provide personal property tax relief to disabled veterans. He prepared a white paper that discusses the ramifications. That report is attached to this e-mail. It is helpful for us to consider this proposal and decide whether our civic association would be in favor of it, which would inform our vote in any resolution at the Civic Federation.

Career Center Working Group Final Report, 30 minutes

As you are aware, the Career Center Working Group has been finalizing recommendations to Arlington County for the immediate and long-range plans for the Career Center campus. That report is being sent to the County on Friday, August 31. Until that happens the individual members of the CCWG have been precluded from sharing the report with anyone outside of the working group. The final report will be available on the County’s web page at https://www.apsva.us/career-center/ccwg-follow-journey/

Another process to address specific architectural designs for the site will probably begin this fall.

New Business:

Charrette Meeting Postponed!

Columbia Heights Civic Association Charrette
Creating a Connected Neighborhood for the Next Generation:   
“Walter Reed to Gunston”

Monday, August 13, 2018
Party Room on the Roof – 8^th floor
Dorchester Towers
2001 Columbia Pike
6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Charrette Meeting Postponed!

Due to summer vacations, scheduling conflicts with the Career Center Working Group and other considerations, Columbia Heights Civic Association will postpone its next Charrette meeting and Membership Civic Association Meeting until September.  Please stay tuned for updated meeting information.

Columbia Heights Civic Association

Membership Meeting
Monday, July 9, 2018
7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Walter Reed Community Center

So far our civic association has had a pretty busy summer. This meeting will provide an update our activities and provide members with the opportunity to bring new issues to discuss.

Old Business:

· Career Center Working Group – continued the discussion on parking and traffic

· Proposed safety changes to Columbia Pike – CHCA and other civic associations met with County Commissioner Christian Dorsey to discuss the lack of a bus stop at S. Rolfe Street and newly proposed crosswalks, following the fatal automobile accident on the I-395 ramp last month

· Support for funding for the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee (NCAC) – CHCA is meeting with County Board Chair Katie Cristol Monday morning

· Charrette Meeting of condo representatives – June 19

New Business:

· New Charrette Meeting for the East Side – Tentatively set for July 17th

· Strategies for a sidewalk on our narrow streets

Please join us!

Sarah McKinley
President
Columbia Heights Civic Association

Columbia Heights Civic Association
Charrette
 
Creating a Connected Neighborhood for the Next Generation:   Walter Reed to Gunston

Special Session for Condos

Tuesday, June 19, 2018
The Commons of Arlington Board Room
Walter Reed and 13^th Road South
1315 S. Walter Reed – (You will need to be let in the office which is in the basement)
7:00 p.m. – 9 p.m.
 

Please join us on June 19 for a special meeting for representatives of condo associations within the Columbia Heights neighborhood to update our neighborhood conservation plan.  The original plan was created over a decade ago and needs to reflect our current thoughts about infrastructure needs for our neighborhood.

Why update this plan?  The conservation plan becomes the County’s blueprint for infrastructure planning, from sidewalks and street lights to upgrades to our park facilities to articulating whether we need new streets to connect areas of the neighborhood. 

Condo associations have a vested interest in taking part in this charrette process.  First, improving infrastructure improves property value in general.  And some projects are particularly useful to specific associations that lie next to county facilities, like neighborhood parks.  Finally, creating amenities in the communities benefits those who live here, making your condo more attractive to new buyers.

Please join us in this important discussion.  Please RSVP  if your association is able to send representatives to the meeting. Also feel free to forward this invitation to the correct representatives on your board. 

RSVP Here:

The first Charrette meeting for reviewing and updating the Columbia Heights Civic Association (CHCA) Neighborhood Conservation Plan was held on Monday, May 14, 2018, at the Walter Reed Community Center on S. 16^th Street and Walter Reed Drive.

For the Full Report Click Here.

Columbia Heights Civic Association wishes to thank over 30 neighborhood residents who attended the first meeting of our Charrette on May 14, 2018. We were thrilled by the active participation of the group in the process and will keep you informed!

Charrettes are iterative processes. This meeting, and the information and suggestions that we received, will be included in an ongoing draft of our neighborhood plan, and will also be included in future Charrette meetings. Folks in the neighborhood can attend one meeting, or as many meetings as they like. In addition, we will post the draft document on our web site with the ability of people to post comments on the report.

Our next meeting will probably be held on the East side of our neighborhood, with special outreach to some of the high rises in that area. We will keep you updated on our future plans and progress!

Best wishes,

Columbia Heights Civic Association Board

Columbia Heights Civic Association

Membership Meeting Cancel
Monday, April 9th, 2018
Cancel!
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Walter Reed Community Center
Walter Reed & 16th Street South

Sarah McKinley

President

Columbia Heights Civic Association

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Columbia Heights Civic Association

Membership Meeting
Monday, March 12, 2018
7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Walter Reed Community Center
Walter Reed & 16th Street South

Please join us for a neighborhood meeting to discuss current issues in our community:

1) Update on street issues. Richard Best and other county staff have proposed a walk-through of the neighborhood to identify traffic problems, which will be scheduled on Tuesday, March 20 at 4:30 p.m. Those interested should meet at the Rite Aid on Columbia Pike and Walter Reed.

2) Redistricting for Patrick Henry/Alice Fleet Elementary Schools. Parents in the neighborhood continue to be concerned about the possibility that children in the Columbia Heights neighborhood will NOT be sent to the new Alice Fleet Elementary School. We will discuss strategies to lobby for our children.

3) The New Columbia Heights Neighborhood Plan. We continue to work toward an updated Neighborhood Conservation Plan. We will present a power point discussing our neighborhood, the elements of the plan and how it will be used to support infrastructure in Columbia Heights.

4) Update on S. Cleveland Street Park. Columbia Heights has met with County staff to promote a new park on S. Cleveland. We have exciting developments to report!

We look forward to seeing you at this meeting!

Sarah McKinley

President

Columbia Heights Civic Association

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Columbia Heights Neighborhood
Membership Meeting
Monday, February 12, 2018 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM
Walter Reed Community Center
Walter Reed Drive & 16th Street South

We regret that we were forced to cancel our January meeting due to inclement weather. It is anticipated that the last two weeks of January may also be pretty messy, so we are rescheduling our next meeting for February 12.

The Columbia Heights Civic Association meeting will focus on plans for a new Neighborhood Plan. Our guest speaker will be Tim McIntosh from the Arlington County Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee (NCAC), who will give us guidance on creating a new neighborhood plan using a charette process. NCAC is the program that funds infrastructure projects based on priorities that neighborhoods have identified in their plans. To date, we have received well over a million dollars’ worth of projects. These have included: the fencing and gateways into the Walter Reed Community Center; new street lights in Arlington Village; a new sidewalk and street light on S. 11th Street; and the historic display case in the Walter Reed Center. This Spring the NCAC will begin construction on the east side of Columbia Heights, with improved sidewalks and safe school bus stop at 12th and S. Courthouse.

We want everyone’s input into the new plan, which is expected to include a new park on S. Cleveland Street. The plan will also address other issues of concern, including street calming (to address cut-through traffic), the construction of a new emergency road along the west side of the Army-Navy Country Club, and so much more.

We look forward to seeing you next month!