Maud & Jane Still Have Your Norfolk Pattern Book?
Maud Robinson and Jane Seeman, while facing down the barrel of historic district lawsuits and playing games with Maple Avenue's revitalization, have had a little document in their possession for several years now. What is that document? It is the City of Norfolk's A Pattern Book for Norfolk Neighborhoods. In fact, they have bragged about how great this document is (when you click on link above each section has a detailed PDF to download). Unfortunately, like everything in Vienna, their excitement was short-lived and fleeting. It's not that Vienna politicos don't know the 'right' way. They know their way is backward. The problem? The current powers that be don't have the skill to implement anything, work solely to keep their political power and plain just don't care. They are lazy AND manipulative. Lazy is too strong of a word you say? What would you call someone who has the above document and does nothing with it? Why can't Vienna implement good ideas from other jurisdictions?
Comments
What does a book about neighborhoods have to do with Maple Avenue? Isn't it an apples and oranges comparison? Sorry, I don't get the point.
Posted by: Confused | June 5, 2006 12:15 PM
The Vienna Commercial Architectural Review Board has no rules or guidelines just like the Town's historic district. Whether looking to Norfolk, or other communities, Vienna knows there is a proper way to establish rules, categorize, inventory, and design residential and commercial areas, but arrogantly refuses to do so. How do you not get that point?
Posted by: Historic Vienna | June 5, 2006 12:22 PM
I heard on April 1, 1950 the completely sloshed editor of Archeologist's Digest asked the Town to help prevent any future cases of "archeologist elbow" by ceasing all development activities.
Posted by: Vienna Klingon | June 5, 2006 07:36 PM
I get the point! And it is even worse than that. In the absence of established standards, the Town allows review boards and committees to rule and dictate as though according to some objective public standard. But there typically is no standard so it comes down to a few microphones subjecting the applicant to a subjective ordeal of their opinion while wasting a huge amount of civic time. Go visit Town Council chambers to see for yourself!
Posted by: Town Resident | June 6, 2006 07:33 AM