Happy New Year to the Growler's faithful readers! Here's hoping you all had pleasant and relaxing holidays.Now back to the fray ...
The new year brings with it much uncertainty, particularly on the economic front. The Growler almost dreads going to the front porch to pick up the Post in the morning.
But one of the most remarkable stories amid all the gloomy headlines was one that appeared on New Year's Day about Arlington County.
While Arlington officials anticipate they will probably have to raise taxes to continue to support a broad range of services, "the county reported this week that residential property values declined just 2 percent and commercial values rose a point, insulating Arlington taxpayers from the devastating shortfalls facing neighbors in Fairfax, Prince William and Loudoun counties."
Just two months earlier, Arlington had braced itself for a 5 percent drop in residential home values with the expectation that commercial values would remain flatlined.
Compare that with Alexandria, which started scrambling to make budget cuts last fall when projections indicated existing residential real estate values were expected to drop 5.7 percent in 2009, reflecting a 4.6 percent slide in the combined value of single-family houses in the city and an 8.2 percent drop in the value of condominiums. Meanwhile, the value of commercial real estate here is projected to drop 6.8 percent.
This contrast between jurisidictions is intriguing, and not the first occasion when some have asked why our officials appear to be less successful, nimble, enterpreneurial and visionary than our neighbor to the north.
Arlington has been able to successfully balance neighborhood preservation and protection with strong economic development along established commercial corridors. The county is renowned for its extraordinary long-term planning scope — decades and decades into the future — and made smart decisions as early as the 1970s when its leaders opted to spend the extra money to underground its Metro stations.
Compare that to Alexandria, where planning is a short-term process, an after-thought that is usually undertaken in a scramble when some big landowner is about to move on a project.
Readers may be interested to know that some local activists (including the late Ellen Pickering) suggested in the past that Alexandria officials talk to Arlington planners and economic development specialists to find out more about Arlington's success and whether there are lessons that could be applied here. This suggestion was brusquely rejected.
But is it time once again to start asking "What Would Arlington Do"?
43 comments:
Several comments/obersations:
Alexandria does planning? Really? I thought they just made it impossible for home owners to fix their houses and bring them into the 20th century.
I have seen a slip in the city government for the last 4-5 years. My big question would be: My taxes have more than doubled but my services haven't, where is the money going? Why aren't you more responsive to TAXPAYERS and less responsive to people not contributing to the betterment of the community?
Maybe its time that more people that live in the city are employed by the city instead of people with no ties to this area deciding on very important things going on in our community. Should people who live in Woodbridge or Maryland get to decide what goes on here, because at the end of the day it doesn't really affect them.
was not deputy city mark jinks hired from arlington? maybe the growler should debrief him.
Actually, Alexandria officials have collaborated with Arlington officials on various occasions. The "smart growth" organization Alexandrians Delivering Smart Growth Around Metro Stations, which has members of the Planning Commission on it, has sought advice from Arlington officials that were involved with the urbanization of Ballston and Clarendon. Council has also referred to Arlington on multiple occasions when planning redevelopment.
It's not a secret to anyone -- including city officials -- that Arlington has a leg up on what Alexandria is trying to accomplish.
I read the article, too.
Certainly, Arlington's retail is far more successful and desirable than Alexandria's. Compare Pentagon City to Landmark, for example. Compare Clarendon to Potomac Yard or Carlyle.
But another thing I wondered is how Arlington and Alexandria compare in terms of public housing and its fiscal impact.
We in Alexandria have an enormous amount of brick and mortar public housing per capita and a dysfunctional housing authority. From what I understand, Arlington has no brick and mortar public housing and no housing authority. (Not sure how we compare in terms of section 8 residents).
Additionally, given our large contingency of public housing residents, our schools are an expensive disgrace, particularly compared to Arlington's. How else to explain how our median household income is soooo high (one of the highest in the nation) yet 2/3 of our public school students qualify for free or reduced price lunches?
As a consequence of our large stock of public housing and resultant poor schools, I wonder if our real estate values (both commercial and residential) aren't depressed, resulting in lower revenues for the City. (Never mind the higher amount of services (and tax dollars) those public housing residents consume). I know people like David Dixon argue that public housing does not depress real estate values, but that's crap in our case and we all know it. Maybe macro numbers show this to be true, but let's be frank. My house would be worth 50% more on South Lee Street. And, moreover, I don't see desirable retail establishments beating down the door to locate across from Adkins.
Arlington is committed to affordable housing, too. Is it possible Alexandria should take a cue from Arlington on that front as well??
Honsestly, I don't wonder if our current fiscal situation isn't due to our Council living in la la land. I remember reading about the Safe Haven debate in the paper. One of the Council members said something to the effect that everyone has a right to housing. Well, maybe, but not everyone has the right to live in a multi-million dollar property in the middle of Old Town's tourist district. This is just one illustration of how the council has its head up its ass. Maybe this fiscal crisis will force them to be more realistic.
"It's not a secret to anyone -- including city officials -- that Arlington has a leg up on what Alexandria is trying to accomplish.
"
And what have they done with this information? Create more pretty slides?
It can be boiled down to a simple thing; Arlington does things and Alexandria doesn't.
I have a business that operates in both jurisdictions. Its a pleasure doing business in Arlington and they know it; of all the jurisdictions in the area, alexandria is by far the worst to deal with in terms of regulations, forms, permits, etc... And its not even the amounts, its the failure to communicate who you need to talk to to hand in a form or get a permit from.
Most business owners in Arlington also deal with bureaucracy but the difference is they know how to get through it.
I wont even go into ARHA; its an utter and complete disgrace that is the butt of jokes of Arlingtonians who wisely said no thanks to a public housing authority.
"What Would Arlington Do"
We should apply this to all areas of City decision-making.
We know what they did with public housing - they said no thanks to a PHA and have no bricks and mortar public housing, yet its clear they do a better job taking care of their poor, elderly, and disabled residents.
Affordable housing - hundreds of units coming online while Mayor Euielle keeps appointing task forces and designing Powerpoints.
The list is endless....
"Council has also referred to Arlington on multiple occasions when planning redevelopment. "
Agree, i think they know what Arlington is doing. I think they just cant execute in the same manner and are stuck with ideological weights around their necks.
Arlington is nearly all-Democrat too but they dont make the issue of public housing into a racial issue. They provide what they can and they use the private sector to do it. And Arligntons affordable housing policy kicks butt.
Its not that Alexandria leadership doesnt know whats going on or that they dont realize we are getting our butt kicked commercially. Its that City Council members dont make the tough decisions that might be involved in emulating Arlington's success.
Instead they hire ethicists and poet laureates.....
"Alexandria does planning? Really?"
Yes, we Alexandrians draw nice slide decks and then flash them all over the place as examples of our "innovation"
I recall that the 1992 Braddock Metro Plan had a nice slide deck. Someone should try to locate it.
"Why aren't you more responsive to TAXPAYERS and less responsive to people not contributing to the betterment of the community?"
Because they know who breads their butter. Keep the nice parts of town safe from all those poor black and Hispanic folks who might move in and garner that 10% slice of the total voting population.
Plus I cant blame them. No matter who Susan Kellom runs, Democrats vote for them.
I know one thing, you wouldnt see this on an Arlington blog:
---- What the HELL is going on?? I have now heard gunshots near Bland for three consecutive nights in a row... ---
I can only imagine how Arlingtonians would react if they had the Adkins, Madden and Bland daily soap operas at the Clarendon or Ballston metros.
Oh no, Growler, you are going to get a swarm of bloggers upset about how they wished they moved to Arlington instead of the Artist Formally Known as Parker Gray......
"I can only imagine how Arlingtonians would react if they had the Adkins, Madden and Bland daily soap operas at the Clarendon or Ballston metros."
Probably not like our Mayor does
"What the HELL is going on?? I have now heard gunshots near Bland for three consecutive nights in a row"
I live in Rosemont but isn't Bland right next to the new Community Center?
Yeah, debrief Deputy City Manager Jinks then tell us what he says. Tell us before the May elections, please.
"The "smart growth" organization Alexandrians Delivering Smart Growth Around Metro Stations, which has members of the Planning Commission on it, has sought advice from Arlington officials"
Is this that damn ADAM group? Now with Komoroske on board? The group is a prepackaged bunch of Euille's shills.
"... not everyone has the right to live in a multi-million dollar property in the middle of Old Town's tourist district. This is just one illustration of how the council has its head up its ass."
Exactly. When I moved to the DC area a while back I wanted to live in the Old Town area but after looking around I realized it was far out of my financial means. So, I moved to a less expensive area, worked hard, and saved money so that eventually I could afford to move here. A right to housing does not equate to a right to live in one of the more desirable areas. Otherwise, what is the motivation to work hard and better yourself so that you can move up the economic ladder.
Poor planning and a lack of good governance is what Alexandria gets for voting for Democrats again and again, even though the same problems become larger and larger every year. Wake up and smell the coffee... what we need is change we can believe in. We can do it. Just vote the current bums out of office. Seriously, will it take all of the new developments/condos/houses becoming vacant because of poor planning and rising crime to bring some to their senses?
Yes, Rosemont - Bland is immediately next door to the new community center.
It's also next door to a church, a daycare center, my house, and those of my hardworking, taxpaying neighbors. Hundreds of metro commuters also walk by it every day.
So far today, we've heard no gunshots, but the night is young. Hopefully, the police can find this gunman before someone gets shot and killed.
I hate Alexandria's public housing. It does far more harm than good.
I think this story says it all about the difference between Arlington and Alexandria.
A friend of mine lost his dog on New Years Eve. He lives in Park Fairfax. We heard from someone walking their dog that Alexandria Animal Control had been trying to capture the dog, but he was unsure if they had been successful.
My friend called the Arlington Shelter that is right across the border. The Arlington Shelter, was staffed (on New Years Eve), they took his information and filed a report. The people were friendly and very helpful.
He next called the Alexandria Shelter. Closed, Call the Police non-emergency number. He calls the number and they tell him to call the shelter. He explains to the officer what the deal is and the officer says that he would have the Animal Control officer on duty call my friend. No call. Calls the non-emergency number on new years day, gets the same response that an Animal Control Officer will call him. No Call. Calls the shelter on Friday, Jan 2. Bear in mind that he has left 2 messages with the shelter. The shelter opens at 9, he calls at 9 and gets the same message that they are closed for the holidays. He calls at 10 and gets the same message and then calls at 11 and still no one answers. He still hasn't heard from the shelter.
He has his dog back thanks to Arlington. Someone found the dog and called the Arlington shelter. The shelter gave the person my friends contact information and then called my friend letting him know that someone might have found his dog. He was able to pick the dog up friday afternoon.
Maybe Arlington doesn't indulge bureaucrats in quite the same way. I'm put off by most bureaucrats because they tend to live life with their heads down. Alexandria's employees are pretty much over the top always hiding especially behind over priced consultants. City employees are hopelessly indulged rarely held accountable but maybe that's because the Manager like them thinks time is eternal.
"Maybe Arlington doesn't indulge bureaucrats in quite the same way."
It would be interesting to know if Arlington's politicians live evenly dispersed throughout the county and/or they have representation by district and if that makes a difference.
Here, our council members live only in the "good" parts of town. Nobody from Parker Gray, Arlandria, Eisenhower, and poor representation in the West End. So maybe they tend to screw us in favor of Old Town, Del Ray, etc. Parker Gray and Arlandria get all the public housing, the West End gets totally ignored (while Landmark rots in the best economy in generations), etc....
The Old Town Fish carryout on Pendleton, a block from Bland and the new Community Center, was just robbed at gunpoint. The guy ran straight back to Bland according to officers. Still on tthe loose.
Public housing explains the lack of care about PG planning, but does not explain the lack of planning for the rest of the city.
I think the main problem with Alexandria has always had a smaller commercial tax base than neighboring counties. And it's only getting worse.
And I don't think you can make a direct comparison between Alexandria and Arlington. Arlington does not have a historic district to complicate development, a history of industrial uses on much of its land to overcome. It also benefits from its proximity to DC and having the Pentagon within its borders. Alexandria does not have either of those forces going for it.
What's really sad to me is to see the redevelopment work start around the Pentagon metro stop. Along with the new buildings already going up, they are close to breaking ground on the major redevelopment of the mall with Costco and Best Buy. In the short timespan that Arlington has redeveloped all of its metro stop areas, all we have done is Carlyle. What's worse is that the good times are now over and we are going to have to wait years for the next construction boom. All we can hope is that Madison and/or Payne St can get started to provide at least some glimmer of hope. It's so frustrating how nothing has been done to the APPROVED Madison or Payne St projects in the same timespan that the rec center was razed and built. So the only thing built in this neighborhood in the past 10 years besides the Monarch is the rec center -- which was built for the public housing residents. And that speaks volumes.
The new recreation center was not built for public housing residents. It was built for the entire community.
There may in fact be a marked difference in the quality of governance between the two jurisdictions, but you're basing your assertion on Alexandria's projected assessments. Arlington's initial projection was similar to Alexandria's, and perhaps Alexandria's actual change in assessment will be close to Arlington's. We don't know yet. I think it is wise to wait for the statistics before using those numbers to make your argument.
"The Old Town Fish carryout on Pendleton, a block from Bland and the new Community Center, was just robbed at gunpoint. The guy ran straight back to Bland according to officers. Still on tthe loose."
This stuff doesnt even shock me anymore....
"This stuff doesnt even shock me anymore...."
It will when someone you know is shot. Please don't get complacent. Send an email to the city complaining about the crime in our neighborhood.
Just now I checked the reporting DB (www.crimereports.com) and cannot find anything related to shots fired over the last week. I see the robbery on Pendleton though.
Does anyone know if or how the call-in complaints ever make it to the report? This would provide us with some facts to use when complaining to the City about crime and nuisance behaviour. Whenever I have submitted any kind of complaint the response that I get typically includes some statement about how there are few or no event records on file for the area or subject in question.
Last weekend I saw a Loiterer drinking from a quart bottle in a plastic bag at the Spa Court, and called the Police to request action. But there is no record of this in the crime report DB. My guess is that if the Police do not see anything themselves then there is no report generated. But it seems like gunshots are a bigger deal than public drinking, and would merit more attention.
"The new recreation center was not built for public housing residents. It was built for the entire community."
True but its internal management has yet to be tested.
Re Charles Houston Center: the City's tough financial situation may force the levying of fees for service for many activities at Parks & Recreation facilities.
This in itself may affect the mix of users once the Center opens.
Re: Crime Reports.com
From what I understand there has to be an arrest for it to make the list. I think calls for service data should be included. If it is included, I haven't been able to find it on the site.
The Growler understands that the police not only have to investigate but find some evidence that an event happened before it is reported as a crime. If shots are fired and there are no shells and no eyewitnesses, it may not be officially reported.
"Re Charles Houston Center: the City's tough financial situation may force the levying of fees for service for many activities at Parks & Recreation facilities. This in itself may affect the mix of users once the Center opens."
Of course it won't. Because the City will waive the fees for the Bland folks and others who are either similarly disadvantaged, elderly, disabled, etc.
"Of course it won't. Because the City will waive the fees for the Bland folks and others who are either similarly disadvantaged, elderly, disabled, etc."
Apparently some people have forgotten that this has already been agreed to. All fees for Bland residents will be waived as per the Rec Center discussions that occurred in the planning stages. this includes elderly and disabled residents (who deserve it).
"From what I understand there has to be an arrest for it to make the list. I think calls for service data should be included. If it is included, I haven't been able to find it on the site."
That data is kept by the police, according to officers I have spoken with, but its not posted to the public.
The department uses that data to determine where to post resources and at what times to post them. Thats why, for example, you usually see a small army of cops in the post office parking lots and in the streets intersecting Bland every Friday and Saturday evening.
Whats truly more disturbing is that service data is also provided to ARHA, according to officers. So they know whats going on but they obviously just dont care.
Redevelopment and Housing Authority
Yes 32,808 33.12%
No 66,235 66.87%
Thats what Arlington said to ARHA, the sequel, in their community.
"It would be interesting to know if Arlington's politicians live evenly dispersed throughout the county and/or they have representation by district and if that makes a difference."
No, there are no wards in Arlington County either...
The five member County Board is elected at-large for staggered four year terms.
The only difference that might be VERY critical is the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board are not elected by Arlingtonians, like we "elect" our Mayor --not e the air quotes -- The Chair and Vice Chair are selected by the Board. The Board tends to rotate this Chairmanship.
"It will when someone you know is shot. Please don't get complacent. Send an email to the city complaining about the crime in our neighborhood."
It does not a whit of good. The cops care bu the Council doesnt. What good is that going to do me?
The fact that they run to Bland bothers no one, not a single bureaucrat or elected official.
Until, of course, someone gets shot in front of their shiny new Rec Center.
"Arlington's initial projection was similar to Alexandria's, and perhaps Alexandria's actual change in assessment will be close to Arlington's."
I am much more confident that Alexandria cannot make the type of recovery Arlington has, simply based on the tax base mix and also on the fact that Arlington has already made many of the deep cuts necessary. We are still dillying around trying to "save" the CSB budget.
TRF, they dont need the facts, they have them.
All complaints and calls for service are collected by the Police. This is the data used to determine where the police provide their focus. what makes it clear to me that they get it is the level of police in areas we all know as trouble spots; they know where the problems are. The problem is that its difficult to contain troublemakers once you push them out of their comfort zones. The police pushed loiterers and drug dealers out of the Adkins courtyard, so where did they go? They loiter on Madison and Fayette and now are starting to use the abandoned warehouses as well.
This is not a data problem, this is a City leadership problem.
"If shots are fired and there are no shells and no eyewitnesses, it may not be officially reported."
Absolutely correct, but what you can also find is you can learn about incidents you never even knew about simply based on the collection of service data that goes on.
For example, in taqlking to one of the officers who regularly patrols our area, I learned that many of these "shots fired" problems are simply random thugs shooting guns in the air as either 1. warnings to gang members who they see patrolling their turf, such as the ongoing Adkins/Delray beef or 2. drunk youths who simply shoot off guns.
All this data gets reported by the police to both the Mayor and to the ARHA board. The service data is not withheld and IS collected. Its just not released to the public. The reasoning I have gotten is that the police do not want to tip off potential criminals as to where police focus is or will be.
"For example, in taqlking to one of the officers who regularly patrols our area, I learned that many of these "shots fired" problems are simply random thugs shooting guns in the air as either 1. warnings to gang members who they see patrolling their turf, such as the ongoing Adkins/Delray beef or 2. drunk youths who simply shoot off guns."
How do they know this?? And why is it happening so frequently recently? I've lived here for years and years and only in the last couple of months or so have I heard these frequent gunshots. It's truly alarming.
It shocks me to the core that we are hearing gunshots literally four or five times weekly, yet there has been no statement from the Mayor or City Council members.
And by the way, anytime an idiot (whether he's a drunk or a thug or both) fires a gun, it's a big deal. Doesn't matter if he's just firing it in the air.
"The Board tends to rotate this Chairmanship."
Alexandria ought to try rotating Chairman of the Planning Commission.
Look, I grew up in Arlington County and now live in Alexandria City. I lived for four years in what is now Eaton Square and then for six years in Arlandria Chirilagua Housing Cooperative on Commonwealth and just bought a house in Alexandria this past summer. Having lived in both places I can tell you what the difference is, the poor are being pushed out of Arlington completely. Yeah, yeah, Arlington provides great services for those who live there, but who the heck can afford to live there (which I would say about Alexandria too, but Arlington is worse)? They are constantly "redeveloping" housing units which displace the working poor (hello, can anyone say Arna Valley and what do you think Pentagon City displaced years ago? ). Yes, they are very liberal as long as it isn't in their neighborhood (sound familiar Old Town?) and yes, they have done great things with metro but only in the areas where the poor didn't live. There are huge swaths of south Arlington that are NOT well-served by public transport and that is because they didn't bother to make sure that Shirlington, the areas around Wakefield, Green Valley, or the southern areas around Carlin Springs Road were taken care of because those people didn't have money. Arlington has great schools, a fantastic commercial district in Clarendon which was planned for many, many years ago and has come to fruition but the neighborhood has lots its flavor and spice in favor of bland big name chains, but don't hold it up as a complete paragon of virtue. The only reason I could afford to buy a house is that I was able to live in poor housing and save money to get out. Yeah it sucked and yes, as long as Arlandria Chirilagua and James Bland exist, property around those areas, especially in Arlandria around the Birchmere, will not be as expensive as it could be, but your maids, lawn care professionals, painters, contractor laborers, etc. have to live somewhere.
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