December 2005 Archives
December 30, 2005
Understatement of 2005 Comments (0)
One Town official commented today:
"If they are going to have the District, they need to have some structure."
That is the understatement of 2005!
December 29, 2005
Video Ban 'Spin' Continues; Brian Trompeter of the Sun Gazette Hides the Truth Comments (0)
From this week's Sun Gazette newspaper reporter Brian Trompeter writes:
"[Vienna Town] Council members earlier this month had mulled a ban on videotaping at public meetings, but were told by Town Attorney Steven Briglia that such a restriction would violate Virginia's open-meeting laws. 'It's a part of free speech in Virginia, and we're on board with that,' Vienna Mayor M. Jane Seeman said."
The only reason the Mayor is "on board" with not banning video is because it is against Virginia State law! She makes it sound like she never wanted to ban video when in actuality she was told she would be violating State law if she did so. The larger question looms: why would Vienna Town Council members seek to ban video at all? Who exactly proposed this ban?
Brian Trompeter was there. Trompeter has refused to report the truth and the Town records are silent as to who made the proposal. That is cr*p.
Here is the governing Virginia State Law regarding freedom of information. Here is the exact code section. State code clearly says:
"Any person may photograph, film, record or otherwise reproduce any portion of a meeting required to be open."
It appears certain members of Vienna Town Council clearly intended to violate State law. Is it believable that after all these years the Town Council did not understand or know about State law? If you know who proposed the videotape ban please email us. Anonymous tips are welcomed.
As a side note, the Virginia Coalition for Open Government may be a useful resource. Their web site includes this useful guide. Also consider:
"If you feel you've been wrongfully denied a public record, if the government doesn't respond to your request for records, if you think the notice for a meeting or the topic of it was improper, there are a few things you can do. For starters, you can try to work out a mutually satisfactory agreement with the public body directly. You can ask the Freedom of Information Advisory Council to issue an oral or written opinion. The council's opinions are persuasive and its answers are generally respected by citizens and government alike. There is no charge for the council's help."
December 24, 2005
Do We Call This Leadership? Comments (3)
What a few weeks for the Vienna Town Council! First, their Historic Chairman blows a gasket and then the Council proposes to ban legal video taping and legal appeals. While we opined on the subject here, the Mayor was publicly questioned about these events on December 19th and here is the video:
The Mayor is not correct. The Town maintained audio is not the official minutes, but who cares about such a silly legalism? The Mayor just puts her head in the sand and hopes the District and Steve Bukont (Bukont house photo 1, 2, 3) will just go away. The questioning continues:
First she says the Council did not want to ban 'anything'. Fifteen seconds later she floats some inane story about reading a newspaper article that said it was fine to ban video. Why did she want to ban the video that she says she did not want to ban? Apparently cameras intimidate people who want to speak. Say what? Last we checked Vienna was the only jurisdiction in Fairfax County that refused to put their meetings on cable TV. Bottom line, we fully expect the video camera to intimidate dishonest people. The questioning continues:
Mayor Seeman, the Town tape you refer to is NOT the official minutes. You know it and we know it. Perhaps you might want to correct yourself. Sure does seem like a whole bunch of legal parsing doesn't it? Once again, here are the videos Mayor Seeman refused to watch:
Mayor Seeman knows full well these are the exact verbatim videos of the meeting in question. Any attempt to say the videos were altered is easily disproved by listening to the audio maintained by the Town. The Mayor can't see perfect correlation from the audio on this site and her Town tape? Nice spin Mayor.
December 23, 2005
The 'Historic' Office Building Comments (0)
The office building in these 4 pictures (1, 2, 3, 4) in the red outline was in the Windover Heights Historic District from 1979 to 1991. It was built in the District in the early 1980s after the creation of the District. Another fine example of 'preservation'!
For comparison, Laine Hyde's 1995 new house (built and designed by Steve Bukont) is inside the yellow outline on all 4 pictures. Her brand new house is also in the Historic District.
If Hyde's house and that office building could be built in the so-called District, what can't be built? Did a house like Hyde's ever exist in Vienna 100 years ago? Was this the type of house built in 1850's Vienna Mr. Bukont? Or is that roofline a Victorian "flight of fancy" perfectly appropriate with our "carte blanche" District?
December 22, 2005
A Picture Says a 1000 Words Comments (0)
A picture says a 1000 words. As Maud Robinson and Laine Hyde would say, "historic preservation at our finest!" We say: beautiful new 2004 house? Of course. Historic preservation? Give us a break!
December 21, 2005
Laurie Cole Gets a Big House. Do You Too? No. Comments (1)
Laurie Cole's New House Built by Steve Bukont
Laurie Cole voted against this house, but the picture above is her new million dollar plus house built by Steve Bukont. Does that make sense? Does that seem fair?
This is the kind of nasty and unfair politics Cole plays. Here are two other views of Cole's new house: View 1 and View 2. Do you want to be the next person Cole treats unfairly?
December 19, 2005
The Mayor: Cover-Up, Damage Control & 'Spin' Comments (1)
The Mayor of Vienna now says that she refuses to watch the video of Windover Heights Board of Review Chairman Steve Bukont here. She said that she listened to the audio tape maintained by the Town and heard no problems. She said she would not watch video on this site because it is not official. Say what? It's the only video that exists since the Town purposefully keeps all of their meetings from being broadcast on cable TV.
By the Mayor's backward logic, if Chairman Bukont had physically assaulted another citizen in his capacity as Chairman and it was caught on video not maintained by the Town, the Mayor would not view it. How would the Mayor like it if Bukont yelled f-bombs at a member of her family?
Amazingly, even though multiple unconnected eyewitnesses, including female Town staff, saw and heard Bukont launch his obscenity tirade, the Mayor of Vienna covers it up. The Watergate break-in was a crime, but it was the shenanigans that came after (cover-up) that sank a President and exposed corruption.
The Mayor of Vienna might refuse to watch the video of her Chairman verbally attacking other citizens, but the web logs for this web site show clearly the people of Vienna are watching!
December 16, 2005
Neighbor Feedback Ain't Pretty Comments (0)
Our posts on Chairman Steve Bukont have struck a chord as evidenced by this comment. In an effort to make sure it is well read, here is the anonymous post received today repeated and verbatim:
***
Dear Mayor Seeman:
A few questions for you:
- Why does the Town of Vienna allow resident Steve Bukont to operate his two multi-million dollar construction companies, Ayr Hill Homes and BFR Construction, out of his home in a residential neighborhood in violation of Town Home Occupancy Permit Regulations? We would be happy to enumerate and document these violations here on this website, incuding video of his clients, employees, and subcontractors visiting his home businesses throughout the day, week after week, without appointment; and his distributed storage of construction equipment and materials throughout the neighborhoods on residential properties he controls but which are not under development.
- Why has the Town of Vienna enlisted Steve Bukont (is he a licensed architect in the state of Virginia?) who is reknown for over-the-top "flights of fancy", to define the reconstuction of our Town center? Do Town residents really want their Town center to become a creeping Bukontville of pedestrian unfriendly, high-maintenance, fake Victorian, 'what is that for?' storefronts?
- Why has the Town of Vienna appointed Steve Bukont to chair a town board presiding over Town development and contruction regulation despite the obvious conflicts of interest with his private construction business activity within the Town and the now well-known fact that Steve Bukont is emotionally ill-equipped for public service?
- How many Town employees including close relatives such as [edit], have purchased a home from Steve Bukont or have had private business dealings with his companies?
- The Town is destined for long-term redevelopment. When will the Town establish and enforce firm, fair, and clear regulations to manage this growth, and not leave it to the subjective sentimental longing of a few for all things old and Victorian, and to whichever developer or applicant who has the most friends in the Town government or lays claim to the most Town boards?
- Do you intend to post Town police in Town meetings to intimidate legitimate free speech by Town residents, and will that matter here?
Feel free to post your reply here on this website or in the Town Newsletter.
Steve Bukont's Neighbors
December 14, 2005
The Town Response: Censorship Comments (0)
The Town has finally responded to their Chairman's 4-letter obscenity tirade. Here are the steps they took to solve the problems:
- They proposed ending the video-taping of Town meetings (censorship).
- They proposed ending the legal appeal process.
- They left Bukont in power to continue his abusive attacks on citizens.
The above actions are not the moves of honest politicians. Our comments:
- Whose idea exactly was 'censorship' as a solution? They must not like what they see on this web site. Instead of halting legal video taping, why not stop the lies on the video tape? Instead of hiding Bukont's attacks, why not stop him?
- The local press wrote, "Bukont allegedly uttered profanities." There was nothing 'alleged' about Bukont's words. He directed multiple 4-letter insults at citizens.
- We understand the Town may have law enforcement at further meetings to protect citizens from further attacks by Steve Bukont. That is a positive step.
The Town had a problem either way they went. If they fired Steve Bukont, their beloved (and fraudulent) historic district meets its demise sooner than later. However, keeping Bukont in power makes Vienna look like a banana republic. It's a disgrace and an embarassment.
December 13, 2005
Can You Imagine Maud Robinson Under Oath? Comments (0)
This site firmly establishes the Windover Heights Historic District as a fraud. Disagree? Watch this rambling diatribe from Council Member Maud Robinson:
The Vienna Town Code, the law that governs the Historic District, does not speak to "flights of fancy". It doesn't mention "Victorian". The code doesn't say that when you want to justify new construction to run off to the library for "rules". Robinson knows that every word she utters is baseless. She knows she is making it all up. She knows the Windover Heights Historic District makes no reference to the age or character of the structures within the District's boundary. That still doesn't stop Robinson from manipulation and deception. Can you imagine Robinson under oath?
Jane Seeman exposes Robinson:
Maud Robinson: A Severe Problem with the Truth
December 11, 2005
Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely Comments (0)
During the summer of 2004 at a Town Council work session for the proposed construction of 315 Windover Avenue (now complete), Robert B. Petersen, a member of the Windover Heights Board of Review, was chastised by Maud Robinson for not coming up with a better design for the new house. Robinson tried to make Petersen look foolish in front of Town government. Petersen bit his tongue and did not respond in kind. However, during that same meeting Carey Sienicki asked about conducting a survey of the structures in the Historic District. Chairman of the Review Board Steve Bukont was in the room when Sienicki made her point.
Roll forward to Spring 2005 and listen to the question Petersen asks Bukont. Petersen wants to know when the survey that Sienicki spoke of the prior summer will be conducted. Bukont's response is clear.
Now roll forward to December 2005 and watch this video:
Steve Bukont knows full well that there are no "historic structures" in the Windover Heights Historic District. Nothing has been officially designated as "historic" in Vienna, but it still doesn't stop Bukont from pulling out a library book in an attempt to make up "historic structures". The end of the tape shows Bukont in a lie and his only option is to stutter. Mr. Bukont should reflect on a famous political quote from Adlai Stevenson:
"A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation."
December 10, 2005
"Ludicrous Historic Vienna Crap" Comments (0)
After being alerted to Steve Bukont's expletive tirade, members of Malcolm Windover Heights Civic Association, Liz & Mike DiFrancisco, offered us this erudite feedback:
"I really have no interest in your harassment of the citizens of this Town. You are inappropriate...and I wish you would stop spamming me your ludicrous Historic Vienna crap."
The DiFranciscos don't live in the Windover Heights Historic District. When backed into a corner and surrounded by facts, the only recourse for proponents of the District is to lob 4-letter curses.
It also appears the DiFranciscos did not consult with Civic Association Board Member Sharon Kallio who is concerned.
December 09, 2005
Lawsuits Update for Vienna Historic District Comments (1)
Recently we exchanged emails with Sharon Kallio who happens to be a leadership member of the Malcolm Windover Heights Civic Association. We said:
"[This website HistoricVienna.com is] concerned about the abuse of property rights. The MWHCA [Malcolm Windover Heights Civic Association] should be alarmed at what is on that web site [HistoricVienna.com]."
Sharon Kallio responded:
"Believe me I am [concerned about the content on HistoricVienna.com] as are many others, but we were under the impression that this was going through the Fairfax County Court system. Where are you with that? It is unfortunate that the Town hasn't taken steps in order to fix at least some of the problems with the Historic District. Maybe they are waiting for the outcome or direction as well."
We responded:
"It's in the court system. The Town is doing everything in their power to "stall", but it's going forward. The historic district is a law created by Vienna Town Council. It's their law. They know it is flawed. They know the enforcement is flawed. [Now] they have their Chairman flying off the handle throwing f-bombs at meetings. Why doesn't the Town fix the situation? Why don't you ask Maud Robinson? It's our guess [the Town Council] wants to have the court declare [the Historic District] unconstitutional so they can blame the loss of their "district" on someone other than themselves. Read this link. How does that make you feel as a citizen of Vienna? The Town Council makes the laws, they can change the laws."
Forget roads, traffic, sidewalks, schools...Maud Robinson, George Lovelace and Laurie Cole want to blow your tax dollars on defending lawsuits they know that they will lose just so they can save face and not take blame for a boondoggle of a District.
December 07, 2005
Throwing F-Bombs: Par for the Course in Vienna Government Comments (0)
Steve Bukont, the Chairman of the Windover Heights Board of Review, showed the true colors of Vienna's "historic district" movement last night with a wild attack on another Town resident.
What leads up to this outburst by a government official? Early on in the meeting Bukont declared there were "historic structures" in the Windover Heights Historic District. When asked to define what structures were historic, Bukont actually appears to say that he is making it all up out of thin air:
Later in the meeting when asked a simple question about determining the appropriateness of one type of stone v. another, Bukont, shaking and threatening, goes ballistic:
Bukont was not done as he attacks two other residents:
For the record, Steve Bukont has built numerous homes for Town Council members and high-level Town staff. It is perfectly appropriate to question conflicts of interest, but apparently in Bukont's mind he is immune to such criticism. Immediately following that outburst Bukont stormed out of the Council chambers declaring that he had resigned. As he ran out of Town Hall he called various citizens "f**cking morons" and "f**cking nuts".
Chairman Gives Obscenity-Laced Tirade: Welcome to Vienna! Comments (2)
In an obscenity-laced tirade, Chairman Steve Bukont, a multi-millionaire Vienna developer who owns Ayr Hill Homes, resigned last night from the Windover Heights Board of Review. Here is a video clip of Bukont in action as Chairman of the Windover Heights Board of Review (December 6, 2005):
Chairman Steve Bukont right before his 4-letter obscenity tirade.
Bukont called citizens "f**cking morons" and "f**cking nuts".
This type of intimidation is not acceptable from Town officials. It is definitely time for an outside investigation. Watch more of Bukont's tirade here.
December 06, 2005
Feedback Since Launch Comments (0)
Lori Beer wrote in complaining about "balanced" information. Lori wanted more information on "older" homes - whatever that meant exactly. We responded:
"Lori, that's the problem. There is no baseline. Which are the older homes? Which home in the neighborhood is original? How old is old? How do you define historic? Does old mean historic? Has the Town ever defined any of this? Has anyone defined any of this? Will your home be historic 50 years from now? Or will it just be old? Take a close read of all on the site and see if you don't see another side to the "historic" spin."
We never heard back from Lori. Imagine that, no response back when we force someone to think about the issues.
1985 Boundary Change Request Comments (0)
The first petition to be removed from the District was in 1985. This petition was a direct result of the Town allowing a transitional office building (243 Church Street) to be built in the District next to the petitioner's property:
- Before: 243 Church Street (Rear of 230 Lovers Lane, Laine Hyde, in the distance).
- After: 243 Church Street (Compare light poles with Before picture).
- After: 243 Church Street (Full length).
- After: 243 Church Street (Rear of 222 Lovers Lane in the distance).
- After: 243 Church Street (Precedent setting construction).
This building was never approved by the Windover Heights Historic District review board, but remained in the District until Town Council removed it in 1991. In 1985 Frank Lillis argued to deny the petition:
To take the property out of the historic district would make no sense at all. In addition if the request were approved, how could the Council refuse all the other requests which would surely follow.
Francis Lillis
September 13, 1985
Interestingly, today in 2005 George Lovelace tries to pass off an entirely different explanation for this request to be removed from the District.
December 05, 2005
Disneyland Historic District Comments (0)
Vienna pretends that it has a real "historic district", but the Windover Heights Historic District is like Disneyland. It is a "fake" of the real thing. Beyond the depth and breadth of the evidence presented on this web site, consider:
- Guidelines for Conducting Cultural Resource Survey in Virginia (PDF).
Vienna did not do this. - Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources Archaelogical Site Inventory Form (PDF).
Vienna did not do this. - Virginia Dept. of Historic Resources Reconnaissance Survey (PDF).
Vienna did not do this. - How to Preserve a Historic Building from the National Trust (PDF).
Vienna did not do this. - County of Albemarle Historic Preservation Plan (PDF).
Vienna has nothing like this. - Financial Incentives Guide Putting Virginia's Historic Resources to Work (PDF).
Vienna has nothing like this. - Vienna had one dwelling on a legitimate historic register. Under Laine Hyde's leadership it was destroyed.
The politcal leaders of Vienna know the Windover Heights Historic District could never pass any of these tests. They know it is a joke. Unfortunately, the joke is on Vienna taxpayers who must foot the legal bills to defend this boondoggle.
Shirley Damon: The Town House View Comments (0)
Shirley Damon, a long-time political activist in Vienna, is on the Windover Heights Board of Review. She also Chairs the Town of Vienna Commercial Architectural Review Board. At the 2004 Windover Heights Board of Review meeting for this now finished house Shirley Damon said:
To the average person it probably sounds like Damon was making some form of an intelligent comment (maybe not). Unfortunately, nothing Damon said was grounded in law. She made it all up on the fly. Here is the now completed house that apparently "confused" Damon:
Click to Enlarge
Can you imagine being the property owner before Damon, knowing that she can stop your new home from being built, and hearing that you need to, "try and determine what you want" when presenting the above house? What in blazes was Damon rambling about? Does Shirley Damon have any residential or commercial architectural expertise or is she just a political crony?
Since Shirley Damon appears to hold herself out as an architectural expert on the video, we decided to investigate what type of house she lives in at 259 Commons Drive, NW in Vienna, Virginia. Damon resides at this Vienna town house complex (her town house is in yellow):
Shirley Damon Town House Residence
Here are aerial views of Damon's town house: View 1, View 2 and View 3. It appears Mrs. Damon has a problem with citizens of Vienna building nice, new homes, but apparently town houses are fine with her. Sadly, none of this is funny as Damon has no problem trampling the rights of both residential and commercial property owners through her "interpretations" of Town ordinances.
Guess the Houses in the District Comments (0)
Can you guess which houses are in the Windover Heights Historic District and which are not?
The houses in yellow are in and the houses in red are not in the District. Do these borders make sense to you?
Who Is Telling the Truth? Comments (0)
In 2005 Council Member Maud Robinson on "color":
In 2005 Windover Heights Board of Review Chairman Steve Bukont on "color":
One is clearly not telling the truth. Why should residents of Vienna tolerate officials in power playing fast and loose with the truth?
December 04, 2005
Jane Seeman: Time to Review the Code Comments (1)
Jane Seeman in this 2004 video (a year after lawsuits were filed) says it is time to review the Windover Heights Historic District. When is this supposed to happen? As you watch this keep in mind that there are NO guidelines:
December 03, 2005
Smithsonian Institute? Comments (0)
In the now infamous 2004 Town Council work session that laid bare the nonsense that is the Windover Heights Historic District, George Lovelace tossed forward this pearl of wisdom:
"I don't think we want to any way limit what this board does...how they get it done...You want to go to the Smithsonian Institute...whatever they want to do, but I think that it's been proven that may be a little more research needs to be done when you get to deal with these applications..."
Yes, you heard that right. George Lovelace proposes that when the Windover Heights Board of Review receives an application they should consult with the Smithsonian Institute. Guess how many times this type of consultation has happened in the past? Zero times.
We assume Lovelace's scenario would unfold something like this:
"Hi, we are from the Town of Vienna. We are the Vienna historic review board. As background, we have no rules or guidelines and nothing in our District has been validated as "historic", but we need your help Mr. Smithsonian. We have an application before us to tear down a standard 1970s house and replace it with a brand new structure. Our Town Council member George Lovelace says you will help us."
All of this would be funny if Lovelace wasn't intentionally damaging property rights. Doubt that statement? Lovelace was personally responsible for causing economic harm to the owner of 315 Windover Avenue.
George Lovelace: Not An Advocate of Property Rights
December 02, 2005
George Lovelace Crosses the Line Comments (0)
In this video George Lovelace declares:
"If he follows the ordinance he can't come up with that design."
Say what?
Here is the finished house Lovelace refers to.
Will Lovelace ever explain how the Windover Heights Historic District should have prevented this construction? How could he say that with a straight face? Where is the law that backs Lovelace's silly assertion? Do you think George will say the same thing under deposition when he has to raise his right hand?
On Court Battles: "This Isn't Europe" Comments (1)
Developer and Review Board Chairman Steve Bukont during a 2004 Town Council work session regarding the new house at 315 Windover Avenue offered candid wisdom:
Video Part 1:
Video Part 2:
Don't be fooled by Robinson's propaganda about protecting "property rights". Robinson fails to mention that there are NO rules. Bottom line: Maud Robinson is against your property rights. The evidence is clear.
Steve Bukont - Multi-Millionaire Vienna Developer
Steve Bukont and anti-property rights advocate Maud Robinson
December 01, 2005
Color or No Color? Comments (0)
Watch this 2005 video. The Mayor says the Town Council can't rule on "color" in the Windover Heights Historic District. Why is that important? A few years back the Town said color was an issue they could rule on. That seems to have changed now and the end of the video shows the realization that the "storyline" was contradicted.
The Mayor looks to the code for mentions of "color".
The Mayor looks to Maud Robinson for confirmation.
The Mayor realizes the "story" was just "altered".
