The Green Hedges School 'Lobby'

The Windover Heights Historic District has a rather curious group of supporters with extremely close ties to the ultra-private Green Hedges School located behind the Amphora restaurant. Green Hedges School (aerial photo) just so happens to sit next to the border of the Windover Heights Historic District, but not in it. This group is extremely active behind the scenes in backing the Windover Heights Historic District. Consider their politics:

1. George Creed's wife is a teacher at Green Hedges School. Creed is on the Vienna Planning Commission. He voted in 2003 to not allow 5 properties to be removed from the Historic District. Litigation is pending now. In 2006, Creed still thinks the District is "fine" even after reading this website. On the other hand, does Creed support an expanded Green Hedges? Will he recuse himself when its time to vote on the school?

2. Sherry Dart is a teacher at Green Hedges School. Dart is virulently opposed to the removal of properties from the District. She read this letter at a community meeting in 2003. Dart's house touches the border of the District, but is not in the District. She lobbies for others to be in it, but she doesn't want in herself. Lastly, Dart's house at 331 Lewis Street, NW is on this list of so-called historic structures.

3. Sharon Kallio and Gloria Runyon both have an association with Green Hedges School (Runyon is a Trustee). Both are also Board Members of the Malcolm Windover Heights Civic Association. They have ignored all problems with the Historic District. They have refused to stand up as Board Members of the Civic Association and do anything toward the resolution of the Historic District mess.

4. Green Hedges School is currently planning a monster addition in the middle of a residential neighborhood (off Windover Avenue, NW). How many of these students reside in Vienna? How many teachers reside in Vienna? How is it appropriate to force the neighbors who live in the neighborhood to deal with the increased traffic the expanded school will bring?

5. Chuck and Laura Anderson have a long history with the Windover Heights Historic District. For example, their new home was added to the Historic District in 1998 for no cogent reason. They also happen to be big supporters of Green Hedges School. Laura Anderson, for example, is Vice-Chair of the 2005-2006 Board of Trustees for the school. It should be noted that Chuck Anderson argued against this house being built in 2004 saying it was too "massive". But apparently the new Green Hedges School, only three houses away from the one Anderson opposed, will not be "massive"?

6. Church Street Closed with Barricade. Any expansion of a school in a residential neighborhood will be a burden on the people who live there. While Laura Anderson, a Green Hedges School Trustee, thinks it's fine to burden neighbors with the increased traffic, she had no problem keeping Church Street behind the Marco Polo closed to one-way traffic. Anderson was instrumental in making sure this silly barricade (see yellow square on picture) is the only one of its kind in Vienna. For those not recognizing the location, the red square is the Post Office, the green square is the Marco Polo restaurant and the blue square is Chuck and Laura Anderson's house. How many times have you ever wondered why that barricade is there? Blame Laura Anderson for creating her own private road.