** Asterisks highlight critical events where large public turnout is needed. Please take special note of those opportunities.
TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Regional II. Inter County Connector III. MD Transportation / Land Use IV. Howard County V. 301 / Waldorf Bypass VI. Chapman Forest VII. Smoot Cove / National Harbor VIII. Restore The Core (DC Issues) IX. VA Transportation Issues X. Wilson Bridge / Beltway MIS XI. Loudoun County XII. Prince William County XIII. Fredericksburg Outer Connector XIV. Conferences And Other...
I. Regional (MD, VA, DC) Contact Stewart Schwartz or Debby Sugarman of the Coalition for Smarter Growth at 202-588-5570, 703-683-5704, or stopsprawl@aol.com Update: With the help of activists around the region, the issue of sprawl and consideration of alternatives is increasing nationwide and around Metropolitan Washington. According to the Washington Post, growth management was a key issue in election victories in Calvert, Anne Arundel, and Howard counties in Maryland, and in Prince William and Fauquier counties in Virginia. Loudoun activists collected hundreds of signatures in support of an Adequate Public Facilities Ordinance, and a referendum on the Potomac Parkway was defeated in Prince William County. And only days before the election, Chapman Forest was fully purchased for preservation (see Chapman Forest section). Action: Help to distribute the 50,000 copies of Sierra Club's Better Communities, Less Traffic newspaper to civic groups, libraries, community centers, or any appropriate public place. Contact Glen Besa for details at 804-225-9113. (You can also view it on the Web at http://www.wholeliving.com/dcsprawl.) Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ II. Inter County Connector Contact Greg Smith of the Campaign to Stop the Inter County Connector (C-SICC) at 301-309-2362, or gsmith@essential.org. See also Anacostia/Rock Creek Earth First web site: http://www.igc.org/icc370 Summary: The ICC would be the Outer Beltway segment running north and east of Washington, from I-270 to I-95 / US 1 (with a future extension to Rt. 301 in Prince George's County). Currently being considered is a hybrid option which would combine the eastern and western thirds of the Master Plan alternative, plus portions of the northern and mid-county alternatives through Spencerville, Burtonsville, and West Laurel. The Hybrid would lay down more miles of asphalt and more destruction than any of the previous alternatives! It would devastate Burtonsville and Spencerville communities. Update: On March 6, Governor Parris Glendening declared he would not pursue the ICC. However, in April, the Governor created a new "Transportation Solutions Group (TSG)" composed of national experts and local activists to take a "fresh look" at the region's "east-west transportation problem" with ALL OPTIONS on the table for the TSG to consider. The TSG is inherently flawed -- lacking representation from the grassroots opposition to the ICC and lacking a well-defined public participation process. Meanwhile, the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) has recently spent roughly $12 million tax dollars to buy the Peach Orchard tract (which is directly in the path of the SHA's Hybrid ICC), surveyed land in the Hybrid's path, and asked Montgomery County to preserve right-of-way in all ICC alignments (a request that the County council rejected). Action: Contact Gov. Parris Glendening, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (800) 811-8336, and ask him to a) drop ALL highway alternatives, b) remove the ICC from county master plans, and convert all of the state-owned right of way into a park, and c) to work with the community on finding a non-highway alternative. Calendar: Thurs-Fri, Dec 10-11 Transportation Solutions Group Meeting Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ III. MD transportation / LAND USE issues CONGESTION RELIEF STUDY: Contact Carl Henn of Stop That Infernal Road (STIR) at 301-251-0310 or stoproads@juno.com The State Highway Administration (SHA) has concluded the first phase of the congestion relief study. They selected 16 intersections in Montgomery and Prince George's County to widen. Survey crews are already working, with a goal to begin construction in spring of 2000. The study never addressed market strategies to reduce traffic, or land use changes that could reduce the projected increase in traffic. These widenings will damage communities and make life harder for pedestrians. Action: Contact Parker Williams, Director of the State Highway Administration 800-206-0770, fax: 410-209-5009, e-mail: planning@sha.state.md.us. Tell them to go back to the drawing board to broaden the scope of the congestion relief study to include travel demand management, land use, and pedestrian access. Calendar: Wed, Nov 4, 7pm Intersection Widening Public Meeting The Maryland State Highway Administration will hold a public meeting on the intersection widening of Georgia & Emory Lane at the Aspen Hill Library in Rockville. The proposal includes a left turn from eastbound Emory to northbound Georgia and an added through lane to South bound Georgia Ave. This is the first of many meetings on the intersection improvement study that SHA is doing in place of building the ICC. Come to the meeting and ask SHA what they are doing to make this and other intersections bike and pedestrian friendly. Nov 10, 7:30pm Public Meeting on the Silver Spring Regional Bikeway The Department of Public Works and Transportation will present revised bikeway concepts for a trail running along Wayne Avenue from the Sligo Creek trail to the future Capital Crescent and Metropolitan Branch Trails. Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Auditorium, 8787 Georgia Avenue, Silver Spring. For more information and to forward written comments, contact Gail Tait-Nouri, Project Manager, Office of Project Development at 301-217-2699, 101 Monroe Street, Tenth Floor, Rockville, Maryland, 20850-2540. TRANSPORTATION POLICY STUDY: Contact Pam Lindstrom of the Citizens Planning Association at 301-869-7139 or ptlindstro@aol.com Citizens in the Washington area have the chance to assist, and even help shape an ongoing project in Montgomery County that has many of the attributes of the LUTRAQ project in Portland. The Citizens Planning Association is involved in a County long range transportation study called the Transportation Policy study. This study evaluates different combinations of transit, highway options, land use changes, and various pricing incentives. The Citizen's Planning Association will provide an alternative land-use scenario based on LUTRAQ-like principles. Action: Please contact Pam Lindstrom at 301-869-7139 or Debby Sugarman at 202-588-5570 if you are interested in participating or learning more about this project. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IV. HOWARD COUNTY Contact Pete Oswald at 301-725-6156 or oswaldp.hehs@gao.gov Background: In 1992-93, Howard officials rezoned several large properties, including over 800 acres of farm land along the county's southern border, to permit high density "mixed use development" (MXD). The rezonings were opposed by hundreds of County residents, along with Montgomery and Prince Georges Co. officials, in part because they would add several thousand residences to failing local roadways, and along the congested commuting corridor between Columbia and Washington. At the same time, these officials decided against rezoning a 500+ acre tract in North Laurel as MXD. Update: Within the past year, developers submitted preliminary development plans for the two rezoned parcels (Cherry Tree and Fulton / Maple Lawn Farm) in southern Howard County. They also included a plan for the 500+ acre Laurel site that had not been zoned for MXD. Development plans for two projects (Cherry Tree and Laurel) were approved. The Laurel site developers (the Rouse Company) successfully argued that the Zoning Board had made a mistake when it did not rezone the property for MXD in 1993. This argument was vigorously opposed by a southern Howard County land use group comprised of residents from 16 communities and the group is appealing the decision. The development plan for the Fulton / Maple Lawn Farms was temporarily withdrawn after the local community rejected several minor development concessions and a $100,000 offer from the developer. The community expects to oppose this project when it is resubmitted (the developer has said it will be resubmitted with higher densities) in December or January. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ V. 301 CORRIDOR / WALDORF BYPASS (MD) Contact Amy Freise of Citizens Against the Waldorf Bypass (CAWB) at 301-932-7098; or amy@aard-res.com or Millie and Harry Kriemelmeyer at 301-372-8766 or hkriemel@radix.net ***GOVERNOR GLENDENING RECENTLY EXPRESSED HIS SUPPORT OF A SOUTHERN BRIDGE ACROSS THE POTOMAC. It would connect the Waldorf Bypass in Charles County MD to Prince William County, VA. This is a major advancement toward the State Highway Administration's plan to build an Outer Beltway. Action: Contact Governor Glendening, State House, Annapolis MD 21401, (800) 811-8336 to express your opposition to a Potomac Bridge crossing. Summary: The Waldorf Bypass would direct sprawl growth to the rural and agriculture areas of Southern Maryland. Alternatively, the upgrade of US 301 on its existing alignment through Waldorf has been identified by the US 301 Task Force's Environmental Committee as the only way to solve the safety and congestion problems caused by multiple traffic lights and opportunities for left and U turns without irreparable environmentally damage. Unfortunately, the US 301 Task Force denied these recommendations, and voted instead to recommend building the Waldorf Bypass. Overwhelming citizen opposition prompted Governor Glendening to appoint a blue ribbon commission (composed of elected and appointed officials and agency representatives - no citizens) to study implementation of the US 301 Task Force recommendations. Charles County Commissioners appointed a citizen committee to study the upgrade of US 301 through Waldorf. Update: The Charles County Citizens' Advisory Committee (formed to study the upgrade of US 301 through Waldorf on the current alignment as well as eastern and western bypasses of Waldorf) is slowly getting off the ground. The members were briefed superficially on some of the environmental features of Charles County. It is of concern that the information being provided to the members comes only from the SHA. CAWB will be looking from assistance from other Metro groups on the bigger picture so that a more balanced information load can be passed on. Public attendance at the meetings is encouraged and any written comments to the chairmen will be forwarded to all members of the committee. Calendar: Dec. 3, 6:30pm Charles County Citizens' Advisory Committee Commissioners' Meeting Room, Gov't Building, La Plata, MD. Contact Amy Friese for details (contact info above). ***Northern Corridor US 301*** Public hearings were held in Bowie and Upper Marlboro on the Draft EIS for the "Northern Corridor" of 301 from US 50 to Brandywine. Approximately 30 people spoke at the hearings, overwhelmingly in opposition. Copies of the DEIS are available at public libraries throughout Prince Georges' and Charles Counties. The SHA plans to convert this 25 mile stretch of US 301 into a limited-access freeway with interchanges. US EPA and US Army Corps of Engineers are concerned that US 301 has been illegally segmented into several projects. A new citizens group has been formed to address the US 301 "Northern Corridor". Interested persons should contact Pam Austin at 301-574-3832. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VI. CHAPMAN FOREST SAVED -- ALL OF IT! (MD) Contact Bonnie Bick of Friends of Mount Aventine at 301-283-2948, or foma@radix.net or Joy Oakes of Sierra Club at 301-261-2314 (DC line), 410-268-7411, or joy.oakes@sierraclub.org WEB SITE: http://www.radix.net/~foma Summary: Chapman's Landing was to be the largest development project currently proposed in Maryland, transforming the ecologically sensitive riverfront forest into a 2,250-acre city almost as big in area as Annapolis. A GIANT STEP FORWARD... On August 20, Governor Glendening and Legend Properties signed a Letter of Intent, to sign a contract on October 1, and complete a sale by October 31, that would have the following elements: 1) The State is to buy 1850 acres of Chapman Forest for $25.3 million. Fifty acres will be deeded to Charles County, which is to use the land for "economic development." 2) A nationally-recognized conservation organization (understood to be The Conservation Fund) will have one year to buy the remaining 375 acres. The price will be negotiated by the Conservation Fund and Legend. If the option parcel is not sold in one year, then the developers can attempt to build 800 residences and nearly half a million square feet of business space. 3) The 1850 acres are to be managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources - except for 170 acres around the historic house, Mt. Aventine, which the County is to manage. The Campaign to Preserve Chapman Forest believes that a contract was signed but do not yet know the terms of the contract. Update: On October 28, the same day that the State and Legend Properties closed on a contract for 1850 acres of Chapman Forest, the Conservation Fund purchased the remaining 375 acres with a $3.2 million gift from the Richard Mellon Foundation!! To achieve the total purchase of Chapman Forest was a difficult and overwhelming task. It took political, legal, regulatory and media strategies. To accomplish it, every bit of effort toward that end was necessary every letter, every phone call, every conversation, every bit of research, every flyer, every photograph, every bit of testimony, every wish, hope and prayer. The efforts of Governor Glendening, Sen. Mike Miller, John Griffin, Secretary of Natural Resources, and Pat Noonan, the head of the Conservation Fund, were essential elements of this victory. Somehow through the complications many, many people in our region and also some outside of it managed to keep working together in an overriding harmony. We who have accomplished this are diverse citizens who care, including volunteers and people doing it as part of their jobs. THERE WILL BE A CELEBRATION -- STAY TUNED!! And your help may be needed again to make sure that this precious resource is managed appropriately. We will stay in touch. Calendar: Sat. Nov 14, 10am-4pm Discover the newly preserved Chapman Forest Ecosystem At Ruth B. Swann Park. Remove invasive growth to uncover rare natives such as Virginia Day Flower, grape fern species, and Chinquapin Oak. Meet at the library parking lot at Ruth Swann Park. Bring gloves and bag lunch with drink (beach party). Long-sleeved shirts and pants recommended. Contact Marc Imlay, w:703-607-7989, h:301-283-0808. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ VII. SMOOT COVE / National Harbor Contact Robert Boone at 301-699-6204, aws3@his.com, or Karen Egloff at 301-855-7476 Summary: Smoot Cove is the site of a proposed Disneyesque development by Peterson Companies to be called National Harbor. Most of the waterfront (100 acres already clearcut) will be closed off to the community for a $20 to $40 per day theme park. The project would impose a 6-story, 8000-car parking garage on nearby homes, and would bring 35,000 average daily visitors and 10,500 employees with 59,000 daily car trips to the area on average days. This represents 20 to 25% of future Beltway traffic. In a real sense, the project is forcing a 244 foot monster Wilson bridge onto the historic community of Alexandria. At the same time, the citizens of Prince George's County have no assurance that they will receive the upscale retail that they hope for. Update: On June 2, the Prince George's County Council voted to approve the conceptual site plan with only minor conditions. The focus is now on the National Capital Planning Commission which has initiated a Federal Environmental Impact Statement process. The NCPC has their study on a fast timeline and may have its Draft EIS available for public review in October. Citizens of Prince George's County have filed suit against the county over zoning changes and abuses of process, with a court date set for Nov. 12. A new coalition has formed to save Smoot Cove, restore the Potomac Heritage Trail and riparian buffer along the Potomac Riverfront, and bring quality retail economic development to the beltway parcel. Contact Karen Egloff 301-855-7476 for details. Action: Write letters to local officials, the NCPC and local papers to express outrage and concern over the destruction of the Potomac shoreline and the proposal for a theme park. Letters should ask for restoration of public access, the hiker/biker trail and shoreline tree buffer, better protection of historic resources, water quality, and neighboring communities. Please call 703-683-5704 if you have information or expertise in water quality, historic resources, fisheries, traffic impacts, or light and noise pollution. This information is needed in preparation for comments on the DEIS. Calendar: Mon, Nov. 9, 7:30 Friends of Oxon Hill Oxon Hill Jaycees Community Center, 6907 Oxon Hill Rd. Discussion of National Harbor next steps. *** Court date for citizen lawsuit Thurs, Nov. 12, 1:30pm Circuit Court at Upper Marlboro. Come show your support. Back to Contents ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- VIII. RESTORE THE CORE (DC Issues) SHAW CONVENTION CENTER Contact Beth Solomon of the Shaw Coalition at 202-789-7864 or Debby Henrehen at 202-462-2054. Summary: A new convention center that will destroy the historic African- American neighborhood of Shaw, displace residents and businesses, cripple downtown traffic, increase noise and pollution, and raise taxes on all D.C. businesses has been approved by the DC City Council, the Financial Control Board, and Congress. A groundbreaking ceremony has recently taken place. The Shaw Coalition and many other concerned citizens have been advocating for an alternate site at Union Station North, which currently consists of storage lots and abandoned buildings, would cost approx. $270 million less to build, would allow for above ground parking, would be walking distance from Amtrak and Greyhound stations, as well as Metro and commuter rail, and would allow for further expansion. Update: In 1994, a law was passed requiring the Convention Center Authority to give a fixed price for Convention Center construction before any tax could be collected. But $50 million of tax money has already been collected from restaurants, bars, etc., without the fixed price. Concerned citizens and organizations including the Shaw Coalition and the Green Party have hired a lawyer and are filing suit.on the illegal collection of the tax. Calendar: Fundraiser / Party Fri., Dec. 4, 7-9 To raise funds for the lawsuit. 926 N St., Rear entrance. Food. Band. $25.00. Call 202-462-2054 Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE THE CORE / FEDERAL JOBS RETENTION: Contact Danilo Pelletiere of the Sierra Club, New Columbia Chapter at 202-543-7791, or dpelleti@gmu.edu. WEB SITE: http://www.sierraclub.org/chapters/dc Summary: Through community outreach, regional coalition building, and an on- going dialogue with regional policy-makers and businesses, the Restore the Core campaign has become proactive in the policy-making process, working on issues of neighborhood redevelopment, the location of federal facilities, suburban sprawl, the Anacostia clean-up, and other issues that affect the environmental and economic health of the region. The campaign is working with regional allies to get the House and Senate appropriations committees to designate funding and require the federal agencies consider public transit accessible locations in the core, conserving green space in the region and bringing jobs and economic development to brownfields. Action: *Ask your organization to sign on to the Restore the Core Campaign's "Federal Facilities Recruitment and Retention Pledge." Encouraging elected officials to keep federal jobs in the District and inner suburbs near Metro is one antidote to federally subsidized sprawl. Contact Larry Bohlen at 202-783-7400 x251 for more information. *Get involved. We are looking to implement a number of new campaigns in 1999 and we need volunteers to get these efforts started. Calendar: RtC Monthly Meeting and Talk Nov. 10, 7:00 - 9:00 pm Friends of the Earth, 1025 Vermont Ave, NW (McPherson Square Metro). We will have a regular meeting (7:00 pm) and the first of a new season of Restore the Core talks (8:00 pm), in our continuing effort to introduce our members to different perspectives on urban development. George Cook, the principal of George Cook & Co. and Chairman Emeritus and retired CEO of Colonial Parking will discuss the issues for developers in urban development within the context of the redevelopment of Alexandria. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PROPOSED WARD 8 PRISON Contact: Anna El-Eini, Sierra Club Vice Chair at (202)-332-4644, eleini@scenic.org The DC Side of the Story: In an unpublicized land swap, in 1997, Congress voted to turn Oxon Cove, a National Park Service property in DC's Ward 8, over to a private developer to build a prison. DC citizens had no warning and no voice in this land giveaway. Two years ago, the National Park Service turned Kingman and Heritage Islands in the Anacostia over to the District government to facilitate development of a private amusement park on the site. These giveaways constitute a dangerous precedent for the misuse of our parklands in DC, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. As a park in DC, Oxon Cove offers the potential for waterfront access and recreation to the surrounding communities of Ward 8 -- benefits currently enjoyed by the residents of Prince George's County on the other side of the cove. The placement of a federal prison at Oxon Cove is an attempt to dump more unwanted facilities on an already environmentally stressed community, and an absurdly inappropriate use of precious waterfront parkland in the District of Columbia. The MD Side of the Story: The private prison developer gave waterfront land on the Prince George's County side of Oxon Cove to the National Park Service in return for the D.C. land. Maryland's Congressional delegation is now pushing to have that NPS land transferred over to the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission so that the land can be developed as a "threshold to the National Harbor development." Maryland activists opposing waterfront development on the Potomac need to get active now to make sure that NPS gets to keep the land! Action: 1) Write a letter to the zoning commission asking them not to permit development of a prison at the Oxon Cove site: Address to: The Interim Director, Office of Zoning, Suite 210, 441 4th St. NW, Washington DC 20001. 2) Sign up to testify at the hearing: Call (202) 727-6311 and ask to testify in opposition to the prison. ***3) ATTEND THE HEARING!! Show Ward 8 residents that we all care about D.C.'s communities and parkland. Calendar: ***Public Hearing on locating a Federal Prison in Ward 8 Thurs Nov. 12, 7pm Office of Zoning Hearing Room, Suite 220, 441 4th St., NW Washington DC 20001, Judiciary Square metro. Contact Anna El-Eini at 202-332-4644 Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ IX. VIRGINIA TRANSPORTATION ISSUES Contact Jolly de Give of the Piedmont Environmental Council at 540-347-2334 WEB SITES: http://www.pec-va.org , http://www.erols.com/card1997, http://www.members.aol/vawtc Summary: The Western Bypass is a 59-mile, 1.5 Billion dollar highway proposed for construction west of the Washington suburbs, and as currently planned would connect Rte 7 in Leesburg and I-95 at the Quantico Marine Corps Base. The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) ultimately intends the highway to cross the Potomac River and continue for another 30 miles through Maryland agricultural land to end at I-70 in Mt. Airy, MD. Update: VDOT and the highway lobby were handed a defeat on the Western Transportation Corridor when the federal agencies confirmed what they've been saying and what citizens have been saying for two years: VDOT has not established the purpose and need for the highway and would be violating federal law if it limited its Environmental Impact Study to the one mile corridor. This sends VDOT back to square one, as the EIS will have to examine all alternatives selected by the Commonwealth Transportation Board all over again. ------------------ I-66 Major Investment Study The Virginia Department of Transportation and the Department of Rail and Public Transportation have scheduled public information meetings on the I-66 corridor Major Investment Study. Calendar: VDOT I-66 MIS Public Hearings: All meetings begin promptly at 7pm. Thurs, Nov. 12, Oakton High School, 2900 Sutton Rd, Vienna, VA Mon, Nov. 16, Holiday Inn, I-66 And Sudley Rd, 10800 Vandor Ln, Manassas,VA Wed, Nov. 18, City Hall, 10455 Armstrong St, Fairfax, VA Senate Transportation Committee: Thurs, Nov 12, 2pm Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Jefferson Davis Highway (Route 1). The committee will consider carried over bills for 1/2 hour followed by a VDOT briefing at 2:30 and then by tours of Northern Virginia traffic problems. Contact: (804) 698-7450 House Transportation Committee - Retreat: Fri, Nov 6, 9am Federal Speaker, at Clarion Hotel (Secretary of Transportation Slater invited) followed by visits to Monitor-Merrimack Tunnel, Highway Construction Site, Norfolk Int'l Airport Contact Dawn Smith at Committee Operations (804) 698-1542. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ X. Beltway MIS / WILSON BRIDGE Wilson Bridge: Contact Judy McVay 703-683-6943, jamcvay@erols.com or Ron Ullrich (703-739-9472) of Coalition for a Sensible Bridge WEB SITE: http://dctoday.jones.com/nonprofit/bridge MD Beltway MIS: Contact Jim Clarke at 301-340-8994 or jim.clarke@sierraclub.org VA Beltway MIS: contact Jim Wamsley at 703-751-6086 or jwams@erols.com Summary: Maryland and Virginia are conducting separate studies which could result in the Virginia section of the Beltway being widened to twelve or more lanes, with Maryland making transit improvements instead. The proposed Springfield Interchange will have at least 46 overpasses and a price tag of half a billion dollars. Hundreds of acres, 60 houses and dozens of businesses will be lost. The Woodrow Wilson Bridge would be widened to 244 feet, nearly three times the current width. Wide enough for 20 lanes, it would sacrifice a high rise apartment building and garden apartments, displacing 600 residents from affordable housing. It would overwhelm the historic city with traffic, air pollution, and noise. In response, Alexandria City and its citizens have sued the Federal Highway Administration. The widening of the Fairfax portion of the Beltway would destroy the tree buffer and create huge interchanges at Braddock Rd, Little River Turnpike, Gallows Rd, Route 123, Route 7, and Old Georgetown Rd., with overpasses soaring over adjoining neighborhoods and off- ramps extending deeper into communities. None of these projects is likely to result in real relief of traffic since studies show that new urban highway lanes can fill up in as little as 5 years. Update: The EPA has just asked VDOT to do a full Environmental Impact Study instead of a limited Environmental Assessment. The EPA raised serious concerns about air pollution, loss of forested buffer and the increases in auto trips and miles traveled that will result. VDOT has announced three Public Information Meetings in November, but Public dissatisfaction with this meeting format is so great that Fairfax County Chairman Hanley and Chairman of the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC), Al Eisenberg, have written to VDOT with their concerns. Action: Please attend VDOT's Public Information Meetings on the Beltway (see dates below). Call, write, and visit your local, state, and federal elected officials to register your opposition to a widened Beltway and 12 lane bridge. The message: 1) STOP the 12-lane Beltway; 2) LOOK at rail/bus alternatives; 3) LISTEN to public input. Ask for a full Environmental Impact Statement, study of rail alternatives, full public hearings and public participation in planning and analysis. Calendar: (VDOT) Public Information Meetings Nov 17, 4-8pm, Falls Church, Luther Jackson Middle School, Multipurpose Rm, 3020 Gallows Rd Nov 18, 4-8pm, Annandale, Poe Middle School, Cafeteria, 7000 Cindy Lane Nov 19, 4-8pm, McLean, Franklin Sherman Elementary School, Cafeteria, 6630 Brawner Street Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XI. LOUDOUN COUNTY (VA) Contact Gem Bingol of the Sustainable Loudoun Network / Piedmont Environmental Council at 703-771-1645 or cbingol@juno.com WEB SITE: http://www.pec-va.org DULLES TOLL ROAD PLAN: The Planning Commission is still reviewing the Toll Road Plan. The Board of Supervisors is expected to have its public hearing on November 4th. The Sustainable Loudoun Network has developed a "Citizens' Alternative to the Toll Road Plan," which they are sharing with Supervisors this month. Suggestions focus on a few major changes: 1) Reserve the Dulles to Ashburn corridor for office space only. With existing residential, this creates the desired balance of jobs and houses in the greater Ashburn community. 2) Include a Transition Area with lower density housing to separate Ashburn and Leesburg. 3) The Rt. 28 Tax District, a county priority growth area, should be built out before allowing commercial development to begin in the Toll Road area. Adequate infrastructure should also be already in place. IMPACT FEE TASK FORCE: The citizen task force has completed its work in crafting draft impact fee legislation to be introduced in the '99 General Assembly. The Board of Supervisors will now review their suggestions and decide how to proceed. While these suggestions would increase revenue, impact fee legislation by itself is not enough to solve the county's growth-related fiscal problems. ONE LOUDOUN CENTER: The Planning Commission recommended denial of this application, and the applicant has asked for a deferral of the public hearing, scheduled for November 4th. This is the newest major project to come in with a rezoning request. Located between Route 7 and Ashburn Village across from University Center, the land is currently zoned for industrial and research park which the applicant requested be changed to residential, office park and commercial center uses. The applicant wanted 543 homes to be built in the first phase of the project. Board action on this application will be a litmus test for their resolve on both controlling residential growth and following their own directive not to allow residential development in keynote employment areas. The applicant's decision to ask for a deferral signals some sort of regrouping effort. There is no reason for the Board to have to accept this application with the current residential component. Action: Contact the Loudoun Board of Supervisors and tell them that we don't need any more houses or retail. They do not need to grant this rezoning in order to get the commercial office growth that they want. ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES ORDINANCE (APFO): An APFO would allow the county to supplement impact fees with another tool to manage growth. Such an ordinance would require infrastructure in the form of schools, roads and other services to be in place prior to allowing zoned development to proceed. This would help the county to manage the 15 year+ house backlog currently on the books. The Board of Supervisors voted in October to delay their decision of whether to ask the General Assembly for APFO enabling legislation. In the meantime, citizens have organized a petition drive to show their support for APFO enabling legislation. Action: Contact Gem Bingol for a copy of the petition to sign. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XII. PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY: Waterfront Development Plan Contact Jim Waggoner at 703-497-0506, or Alli Alligood at 703-684-5923 Potomac Parkway: The Potomac Parkway bond referendum was defeated by a landslide in the November 3 election. County Executive Bern Ewert wanted to turn the entire waterfront into a "destination" and link the developments by a "parkway" along the Potomac shoreline. While the Parkway is not going to be advanced any time soon, the county continues to emphasize town center developments in Belmont and Cherry Hill. Reviews of site plans as well as comprehensive plan and zoning amendments should follow by the end of the year. Action: Many issues are coming before the Planning Commission which challenge the new comprehensive plan. Please attend these hearing to make sure that the Planning Commission doesn't deviate from the approved plan. Calendar: Planning Commission Public Hearing Nov. 18 Alternate sewage disposal systems. Contact Bob Moler at 703-754-7895. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XIII. Fredericksburg Outer Connector Contact Larry Gross at the Coalition for Outer Connector Alternatives (COCA) at 540-786-6843 or coca@pobox.com See also Friends of the Rappahannock web site: http://www.crrl.org/for Summary: The Outer Connector is a proposed beltway around the Fredericksburg area. The Northwest Quadrant is currently the most controversial proposal of the entire connector project, which has ripened for public debate and controversy. The Draft EIS was released and declared deficient on a number of NEPA review grounds by the Army Corps of Engineers, the Department of the Interior and the EPA. Update: On June 9, Federal Highways issued a determination that a Supplemental DEIS will be required for the Outer Connector planned to cross the Rappahannock River near the confluence. Back to Contents ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ XIV. CONFERENCES and other... WRN Quarterly Forum Featuring the Split Rate Tax. Mon, Nov. 9, 6:30-8:30 pm The District of Columbia has over 10,000 vacant lots, and additional thousands of boarded-up buildings. What if there were a financial incentive for owners of these vacant lots and boarded-up buildings to either fix up their properties or sell to those who will? Such a financial incentive exists, and it's called the split rate tax. If implemented, the split rate tax will promote affordable housing and sustainable economic development in the District without expensive programs or cumbersome regulations. Learn more about the benefits of split rate taxation at this workshop. Light refreshment provided; small donation requested. 1777 Church Street, NW. Contact: Deborah Katz (202) 667-5445. The Chattanooga Miracle Wed, Nov 11, 7:30 pm What Can We Learn from the Extraordinary Success of this Small Tennessee City? Come hear Dave Crockett, Chair of the Chattanooga, Tennessee City Council, talk about that city's remarkable turnaround and sustainable development. Mr. Crockett will describe the success and the lessons learned and respond to questions about what Arlington might learn from Chattanooga's experience. Arlington Central Library, 1015 N Quincy St. (Parking in back of building- garage closed. Near Ballston and VA Square Metro stops) Contact: Martin Ogle; w: 703-528-5406 h:703-522-8325 Pedestrian Planning and Design Workshop Thurs, Nov. 12, 8:30am-4:30pm 777 North Capitol Street, NE, First Floor Training Room. Planners and engineers across the country are turning their attention to pedestrian access as a means to reduce auto trips, improve access to transit, and revitalize neighborhoods. The National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board is pleased to host a workshop on pedestrian issues, conducted by Charles Denney. The conference is open to all, but seating is limited, and preference will be given to local staff and officials responsible for pedestrian issues. For more details on the workshop, call (202) 962-3760. $20. Includes training materials and lunch Alliance for Revitalizing the Greater WDC Region: Town Meeting Mon, Nov 30, 7:00 pm A volunteer initiative, sponsored by Renew America to connect people, ideas, issues, and action for improving quality of life in the region. Regional Action Groups are forming. Call 202-721-1545, web site: http://www.swampnet.org Partners for Smart Growth Dec. 15-17 Break the mold, jump the fence, dispel the myth, and join the Smart Growth discussion. Sponsored by the Urban Land Institute, EPA, and the City of Austin. To be held at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, TX. Call 1-800-321-5011 for information. Edopt News, an environmental quarterly for the DC metro area Send us your press releases, news items, and events for our calendar. Print run: 8,000; website: http://www.edopt.com. For more info, including ad rates, call Dan Kulpinski at 301-260-0734. Fall deadline: Oct. 26.
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