Vienna Reality: Accept or Reject

Not particularly. In the timeframe you highlight (50 years) there has been alot of multiple-family residences built along 123 and the immediate surrounding streets. Much of that, particularly the recent building, is at the high-end, and given your advocacy of property rights, I can't imagine you would argue with the developers right to pursue that type of development. Beyond zoning changes that would make more land available for multiple family residential (are you advocating that?), what is it that the town should do? Were any of the existing condo/apartment developments envisioned as elderly housing or higher-density than they are now?

Where are the multi-family dwellings on 123 in Vienna? There is no such thing. Where is it? Of course zoning changes are needed. No zoning changes equals Maud's status quo. How many more times will you respond without addressing the Maud political reality? Bottom line: Maud is lost in another era, another time. She only wants single family housing in Vienna and can't imagine downtown Vienna ever having vibrancy or life. She has created a pass through for traffic - one mess of congestion all on her watch. Sure, the residential neighborhoods in Vienna are great, but her efforts to quash any change on Maple Avenue/123, including any housing that would allow older folks to downsize, are deplorable. She should be ashamed, but then again, why should she really care, money is no object for her.

If you want to see how Maudie has controlled this Town for the last 50 years, check out the Virginia State Supreme Court Decision Town of Vienna Council v. Kohler, 218 Va 966. She and her henchmen forced the builders of the Council Square Town House development (Church Street and Beulah Road) to the Supreme Court and the Town lost. She did not want the type of people (whatever that crazy statement means) who live in town houses in her Town. She said it. I was at the hearings. Now tell me she has not prevented other types of housing in Vienna. Give me a break!

Let's look at the very few multi-family dwellings on or around Maple Avenue in the Town of Vienna in the past 50 years.

Wolftrappe Square: Corner of East/Maple, 35 townhome units built in 1969.

Vienna Village: Corner of Follin/Maple, 10 townhome units built in 1990.

Vienna Commons: 60 units by James Madison HS built in 1970.

Townes of Vienna: 20 units behind McDonald's built in 1995

Townes of Vienna: 11 units behind Tequila Grande built in 1989.

Towns of Vienna: 10 units behind Vienna Pediatrics built in 1987.

Ayrhill Square: 15 townhome units on Center NE built in 1967.

Regency Ridge: 27 townhome units on Center NE built in 1999.

Council Square 2A: 49 townhome units on Church/Beulah NE built in 1984.

Council Square 2: 19 townhome units on Church/East NE built in 1981.

That's a ton? Not.

Forgive my math, but that is 256 townhomes for 15,000 people in the town. Not that townhomes are some sort of magical solution, but it sure shows how few multi-family housing units we have. I may have inadvertently left off some but you get the drift. There are some apartments on Church, Park, Cedar, Patrick, Glyndon. But quite frankly, these apartments/condos are not exactly liveable by the standards many of us would want these days (underground parking, weight rooms, multimedia rooms, spas, gourmet kitchens, wood floors). They are destined to decay further into the ground over the next 50 years and if measures aren't taken to eliminate these structures, they will be crime ridden sooner than later (as evidenced by the problems at the ones on Cedar).

And what measures would you suggest to eliminate the lower-income appartments? The thread started about elderly housing. My 80 year old mother does not want a spa, gourmet kitchen or multimedia room. She wants an affordable place in a safe neighborhood. And what is this 1978 case Mr. Tractorman sites? I did not know Maud was in power 25 years ago?

And what measures would you suggest to eliminate the lower-income appartments? The thread started about elderly housing. My 80 year old mother does not want a spa, gourmet kitchen or multimedia room. She wants an affordable place in a safe neighborhood. And what is this 1978 case Mr. Tractorman sites? I did not know Maud was in power 25 years ago?

Are you in la la land? Who was Mayor 25 years ago? Of course she was in power along with her husband the Mayor. Enough said.

In terms of housing...Vienna is not headed down the path of lower-income housing. The land is too valuable. However, there is no reason, except for Maud Robinson's opposition, why Vienna can't have affordable condos built over top commercial along Maple Avenue. 1 bedroom condos will be much more affordable that the typical new $1.4 million dollar house selling in Vienna.

In terms of the poster above speaking of spas, etc. Much of that is commonplace in condo complexes today. There are amenities. Those amenities, however, often included with a 1 bedroom condo are much more affordable than the lower income housing we have in Vienna now - which is none due to Maud.

In terms of measures to eliminate lower-income housing, I don't think that will ever happen as long as Maud refuses to incentivize the owners of those complexes. Many of those complexes from a safety standpoint are an issue today, but once again, regular bank robberies, these are the kinds of things that happen to a community when the control and power are in the hands of one person who is obviously past the point in her life where she will do much except bark "NO".

Would you be happy if we just told you that Maud really isn't in control and really isn't the reason why your 80 year old mother can't find an afforadble place in Vienna?

it appears confused wants semantic debates while ignoring the political reality of vienna. ug. wake up please.

Confused - Let me get this straight. All that is needed for your elderly mother is a run-down apartment building in SE Vienna? I happen to know that my grandmother lives in a 5-year old Church built apartments/assisted living/nursing home in Southern virginia that has as many ammenities as luxury condos in this area. Shame on you for saying that because you are old, you do not need some extra ammenities (possibly more) like a 3-meals a day dining room, in-house beauty salon, kitchens with safe/new appliances, doormen, nurses on staff, exercise rooms, etc. And, I'm also guessing that a multimedia room with internet access isn't need because we all know those old farts don't need to learn anything new, either.

Tsk, tsk, tsk.

I see one constructive suggestion all the above above posts (mixed residential/commercial use building), and one comment about the need to incentivize builders (but no info how) and no information about what zoning would have to change to allow that type of development. In almost all other posts, I have noted derision and sarcasm, and little new information. Thanks to all for your assistance in making up my mind. I started out thinking you could be a source to get solid information on some difficult issues facing this time, and in "noone's camp." I now realize that there is little constructive criticism here, and alot of intellectual laziness - its easier to rant than to be constructive. Its been real, goodbye. Consider me pushed into the "other camp" by the lack of quality of information posted here.

Nice post 'confused', or should we say 'Maud'? Pushed to the other camp? That would be the camp where nothing changes? Good luck over there!

Confused - Seriously, I think we all know it's about changing our zoning. The details are all there. Ask the Town leaders why they are so afraid of form-based code. Ask why change is bad. Ask why we can't put one foot in front of the other and get a little closer to 2006 and not 1966.

"Intellectual Laziness"

This term really makes me laugh. The reason being is that "confused" is not some random town resident who just happened to wander onto historicvienna.com. "Confused" is most likely someone who knows all the issues in town very well - including why we don't have form based code in Vienna. Rather than actually trying to talk about the issues, "Confused" just wants to point fingers & talk down to others (much like a cranky old school marm). "Confused" likes to distort the issues and keep things cloudy for the the voters because power may be lost if things change. And, if you lose power, you have nothing. Because, you have no career or life if power is removed.

Rather than being a town official as a means to an end (making Vienna better), being a town official is actually just an end unto itself (power, power, power).

It's really sad when you think about it.

Oh gosh 'confused' you had me fooled...for a second I thought you might just be intellectually honest! Not! Your too transparent.