In regard to your post today “Landbay L: Put It Back on the Table?” I offer the following.
The US Green Building Council is an organization that certifies buildings based on their contributions to sustainable design. If a building achieves a certain number of points in various categories then it gets rated; certified being the lowest and continuing on up through silver and gold to the highest rating which is platinum. A building is awarded one point, i.e. considered environmentally friendly, if it is located with ½ mile of a commuter rail station.
I have attached the page from the LEED reference guide that defines the requirement. I have also attached a map which shows a ½ mile radius around the Braddock Road Station. It clearly includes the terminus of the proposed Main Street.
The USGBC disagrees with city staff that 1,500 – 2,500 feet is too far to walk. In fact that range of distances falls nicely within the ½ mile standard; ½ mile being 2,640 feet. As you already know approximately ½ of the metro stations catchment area is left out of consideration in the current plan.
This map illustrates that pretty well. I think this is certainly a picture that paints a thousand words.
Friday, June 29, 2007
These Boots Were Made For Walking
An alert neighbor who read yesterday's article adds more fuel to the debate about Landbay L at Potomac Yard, which is getting less development density than the eastern side of the Braddock Road Metro station.
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I remember being at a neighborhood meeting at one point which was also attended by Stewart Schwartz, director of the coalition for smarter growth. He said that around here, people will walk much further than the average to get to metro from their homes. I forget the actual figure, but I'm sure you could ask him. Whatever it was, it was way more than 1500 feet, because I remember being surprised that the figure was so large.
I like that map. It's a perfect bumper sticker. Or campaign button for us non-drivers.
"I remember being at a neighborhood meeting at one point which was also attended by Stewart Schwartz, director of the coalition for smarter growth."
Mr. Schwartz like Mr. Levy should be sidelined during the debate. We should not assume that Mr. Schwartz's statements have been consistent over the years especially with regard to Potomac Yard. Schwartz now wants to advertise Braddock as opportunity. One that provides intermodal transit development. It was the Yard that provided an opportunity and the opportunity now has come and gone. Schwartz's comments are mostly hollow. Both Schwartz and Levy are Colecroft residents useful only as political tools of the city. Levy is stuck in a time warp if nothing else.
Growler I today noticed that you have in addition to the blog a topical website including history. Please can you explain website's purpose maybe its relevance to the planning discussions now on the table? Many newspaper stories have been written over time so what criteria did you use in chosing these? Would you also consider linking to the Alexandria Times editorial team? Interesting site.
Maybe they can move some thugs over to Landbay L.
I walked by Adkins and Bland 5 times this weekend and all 5 times, I saw officers with flashers on, officers questioning suspects, or officers making an arrest.
Sure made me want to walk some more....
The thing with smart growth is that Alexandria is so far behind on this concept and so not doing it right that this mish-mash they have come up with is bound to fail and fail badly.
Eisenhower has a chance (though it probably wont work too well) but Braddock is just a mess; too much density on one side, too much public housing blocking the Metro station, and no infrastructure or amenities to support the growth.
Its like a Petri dish; lets put 500 residents down right next to toxic housing projects and see what happens.
"I think this is certainly a picture that paints a thousand words.
"
And facts like this are certainly worth a thousand words as well:
900 block of Madison Street. Between 6/27 at 10:00 P.M. and 7/2 at 2:58 P.M. Unknown suspect(s) entered the residence by force. Once inside, electronic and household items and personal property were taken.
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