Community News – Crystal City Civic Association (CCCA)

CCCA General Meeting May 19, 2021

Posted onMay 23, 2021June 11, 2021Authorcfuller603

Apologies for the technical difficulties in live streaming on Facebook and delay in posting subsequently. You can view it on YouTube here or on Facebook here, even if you don’t have a Facebook account. It was a very good and informative meeting with two excellent presentations: the Long Bridge Park Aquatic Center and the National Park Service general presentation of projects in our area.

The fee schedule is included in the Aquatic Center presentation and can also be seen here. The slide show presentation is very large and will be uploaded when the County provides us with a link. In the meantime, you can see photos on the project website here.

The slide show presentation by the NPS can be viewed here. It was disappointing however to learn that the 2012 study for Roaches Run went nowhere and will have to be redone. But that will only happen if we convince the County Board that this is important. Stay tuned for more information on a coming campaign to urge an ecological development of Roaches Run.

How can citizens get involved and help? To help with invasive plants, look for Weed Warrior training and then sign up. Also, check the NPS volunteer web site to see specific volunteer opportunities (mostly group activities) or join the appropriate NPS Friends Group.

https://www.nps.gov/getinvolved/volunteer.htm

https://mountvernontrail.org

Become a Weed Warrior

CCCA General Meeting May 19, 7-9 pm

Posted onMay 11, 2021May 11, 2021Authorcfuller603

From 7-8 pm, we will have a presentation by the County on the opening of the Aquatic Center at Long Bridge Park around July 1 and meet the new facility manager.

From 8-9 pm, the National Park Service will make a presentation on upcoming changes in our area and possible projects, including Roaches Run.

The meeting is open to all 22202 residents by Zoom registration or visible on the CCCA Facebook/Live streaming page: https://www.facebook.com/crystalcitycivic/live.

Registration is required in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwpceCtpzwjE9NuuLBcgyBcTnVRmdAtGPiu

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting by Zoom or phone.

Alternatives to Calling the Police

Posted onMay 3, 2021June 11, 2021Authorcfuller603

SURJ NoVa (https://www.surjnova.org/) and the Crystal City Civic Association co-hosted a webinar on alternatives to calling the police on Sunday afternoon, April 25. The presentation, breakouts, and discussion were thought-provoking and intense. For many participants, realizing the implications of calling the police were a revelation and something to consider when encountering a potential criminal activity. The webinar recording is here: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/mVAOgb2NtO-86moqCT-64ys-ilKaoWp4rIafrsO8TupbRmIAlCzvC6hjIgpJeDrf.9cLFsPR9z0G8NkKV

Enter this password – including the period: zvykS8w. The speaker also shared a link to the SURJ NoVa Alternatives to Calling the Police resources for Arlington: English, Spanish.

CCCA Meeting March 17, 7-9 pm

Posted onMarch 11, 2021May 3, 2021Authorcfuller603

Excellent Meeting–Very informative.

You can see the presentation on Project Journey at National Airport by the Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) here. The new terminal will open by summer. The work on the security checkpoints is ongoing.

You can see the presentation by the Arlington County Police Department about Outreach and prevention in 22202 here, crime statistics compared for the first 3 months of 2019-2021 here, and crime statistics for the entire years of 2018-2020 here. The lists are broken down by civic association in 22202 and by the crime established by Virginia statutes.

The meeting was recorded on the CCCA Facebook/Live streaming page and can be seen here: https://www.facebook.com/crystalcitycivic/live.

You can also see the timeline updates for Upcoming Meetings here and for Development and Other issues here.

Livability22202 Open Space Working Group Meeting, March 2, 7-9 pm,

Posted onFebruary 28, 2021March 31, 2021Authorcfuller603

(Updated March 3)

Open Space: Is it important to you?

COVID has shown us how important it is to have parks, trails, and open spaces. Yet 22202 is very lacking in those amenities, except for Virginia Highlands Park and Long Bridge Park. The Livability22202 working group created an open space report in December 2020, but this is no time to rest on our laurels. There is so much more to be done. This is not a roll up your sleeves and dig the ground working group. We are looking for your ideas and input. Join the working group: email [email protected] for more details.

As demonstrated by three recent meetings, we’re starting to have an impact. See the current status here: https://livability22202.org/open-space/ But it’s soooo important to expand membership of the working group to ensure participation, not only geographically across 22202 but also demographically, with emphasis on renters in high rise multifamily buildings needing access to open space. And not just during the COVID pandemic, but year round. An Arlington County Civic Federation White paper shows residents in multifamily units have some of the least access to open space in the County.) Not a surprise to us, is it?

The March 2 Open Space meeting covered:

1. Briefings on recent meetings with County staff (DPR, DES, CPHD) and the Parks & Recreation Commission (described on Livability22202 Open Space working group page)
2. Presentation of the Civic Federation White Paper on Equity in Arlington County Open Public Spaces
3. What does OpenSpace mean to us? (A summary of comments coming soon.)
4. Future of the Highlands Urban Garden (HUG) and further projects with FOUA; volunteer here
5. Furthering the Integrated Pedestrian Map
6. Roaches Run Clean Up Days in April
7. Cherry Blossom Festival activities in National Landing and Virginia Highlands Park
8. National Landing BID support for open space and Cherry Blossom Festival

See the recording of the meeting on Facebook here and on YouTube here. The PowerPoint presentation for each agenda item can be viewed here. View the Open Space final report, the Fact Sheet, and the press release.

Livability22202 Meeting with VDOT on Route 1 Feasibility Study (Summary)

Posted onFebruary 16, 2021March 31, 2021Authorcfuller603

Good meeting February 22 with VDOT. Although the Livability Working Group on Route 1 provided VDOT with 19 pages of comments and requests for more data on their feasibility study, they responded only to a few comments at this meeting and promised more substantive reply on data later on. We took the opportunity to review the scope of the study, community concerns, and possible alternatives or ideas on how to deal with Route 1. You can view the recorded meeting here and see the Livability slide show and VDOT slides here.

According to the VDOT project website, the study on Route 1, from approximately 12th Street to 23rd Street South, will explore an at-grade urban boulevard, but also review and compare potential improvements to the current elevated condition, and the elevated urban boulevard described in the Crystal City Sector Plan. Ultimately, the study aims to provide sufficient information to make the best decision on a future project on Route 1 in Crystal City. However, from comments at the February 22 meeting, it appears that VDOT is only focusing on whether it is feasible to bring Route 1 down to grade and not on other options. This is disappointing and we will continue to advocate for a variety of alternatives and emphasize safety issues for crossing Route 1 without making it a major highway.

There will be a Task Force meeting February 25 (in which several Livability representatives participate) and a public meeting March 3. Register for the March 3 VDOT meeting here.

Agenda (Feb 22)
1. Introduction to Livability22202 and the Route 1 Working Group role in the VDOT study
2. Overview of VDOT Route 1 Multimodal Improvements Study scope and status
3. Issues the Working Group identified through the L22202 survey and workshops
4. Review of suggested alternatives for Route 1
5. VDOT Responses to Livability22202 input
5. Review of Working Group requested data & analysis (Us) (7:40-7:50)
6. Scope and purpose of next VDOT public engagement March 3
7. Q&A and discussion of next steps

On January 11, 2021, the presidents of the three civic associations in 22202–Arlington Ridge, Aurora Highlands, and Crystal City–forwarded to VDOT the Livability22202 comments on the VDOT feasibility study. These comments provide feedback to the VDOT Public Information Meeting on the Multimodal Improvements Study for Route 1 on 16 December 2020. The covering letter and the four extensive Appendices are linked here.

Livability22202 Meeting on County Planning and Affordable Housing

Posted onFebruary 10, 2021March 24, 2021Authorcfuller603

Good meeting February 9 of the three 22202 civic associations: Arlington Ridge, Aurora Highlands, and Crystal City.

7:00 pm: Matt Mattauszek, Arlington County Master Planner, Crystal City/Pentagon City Planning Coordinator, provided a detailed overview of the county planning activities for 2021 in 22202. The year will be very busy as development ramps across our community.

7:30 pm: Kimberly Driggins, Executive Director of the Washington Housing Conservancy, explained what the WHC is, its funding by Amazon to acquire Crystal Houses for $377M, and the affordable housing parameters for Crystal Houses. The acquisition will lead to the preservation and creation of 1,300 affordable homes.

8:00 pm: The Livability22202 Housing Working Group provided a summary and highlights of the Livability Housing report issued in December, the ongoing county Missing Middle Study and Housing Report, and the Working Group’s meetings with County Board members.

The meeting was recorded and can be viewed here when available. Currently viewable on the CCCA Facebook page.

This information is also posted on livability22202.org