Dead Trees at the Town Green

It is not unusual to lose a few new trees, but to lose them all suggests something went wrong. They should be under some sort of nursery warranty unless the project manager, Director of Trees Selgado, tried to save money by having town workers plant them. Either the nursery will pay, or we will pay, but Selgado never pays... ah, the joys of spending other people's money on other people. Watch for the Council's vote of confidence in Selgado... a vote to buy more trees!

With all the run-off water from the fountain, we still have dead trees?!

...but Selgado never pays... ah, the joys of spending other people's money on other people. Watch for the Council's vote of confidence in Selgado... a vote to buy more trees!

Walk the length of Maple Avenue or Church Street. Look closely at the Town contractor installed brick sidewalks and planters. Shoddy is a nice way of saying it. It's all falling apart. This discussion is about far more than dead trees though. Vienna's government has no taste nor attention to detail. It's like the silly neighbor who has all the money in the world, but still can't make something look nice. Quality is a foreign word to these people.

Seriously, look at the Town Green fountain. Did the engineers really plan to have that thing putting water onto the sidewalk 24/7? It's always wet everywhere! Was that their plan? Or were their no engineers involved, just the garden club building something, and excuse my French, half-a**?

The last time I saw the trees and bushes at town green being watered was the late evening of the day Deborah Brehony was staging an election party near the Vienna Inn which is also near the TG. it seemed highly coincidental that a noisy and smelly diesel truck was running to pump water for the trees.

Yes, I've long pointed out the poor presentation achieved by the Maple Avenue Beautification Project. In passing, people don't notice what a mess it is... but it is a mess... by design, by materials, by construction, and now by maintenance. And all built before any significant redevelopment plan, so it will remain an endless mess. They should have just poured some nice, wide concrete sidewalks with flush tree wells bordered with pavers... asthetically simple, functional, and durable sidewalks. But no, they are hell bent on the small town historical look.

Close your eyes and imagine Maple Avenue with simple, wide and bright walks with no-profile tree wells and an elegant, arching, single-beam bridge ferrying W&OD pedestrians overhead... unimpeding an increasingly critical traffic route [123]. Space and function for people, not for the garden club history nuts. Vote, Vienna, to rescue your tax dollars from the past for your future.

>>Seriously, look at the Town Green fountain.

Look at the sitting benches on crushed stone. How long before that temporary surface is marred and polluted by people being people. Nice tidy place to sit with your toddler, not. They put the same surface at the entrance gate to Waters Fields, waited a year while people and rain tracked crushed stone out onto the artificial field surface, and then finally decided to pour a proper concrete entrance walk. Why are they so dumb? We have got to stop putting a Parks and Recreation Department Director in charge of capital improvement projects.

Early on while checking the TG I was aghast to see that there was no sidewalk on the Mill St. side of the TG near Maple Ave. I have since observed persons walking the curb of Mill St. Sooner or later someone will walk in the street where our infamous truck traffic exists. To whom it may concern: Tear out the plantings and complete the sidewalk at TG along Mill St.

"Close your eyes and imagine Maple Avenue with simple, wide and bright walks with no-profile tree wells and an elegant, arching, single-beam bridge ferrying W&OD pedestrians overhead... unimpeding an increasingly critical traffic route [123]. Space and function for people, not for the garden club history nuts. Vote, Vienna, to rescue your tax dollars from the past for your future."

Town Green, I will vote for you.

Well Maud you are right..When you stop in traffic and look at the Town Green, and the dead trees and wasted water run off "You know you are somewhere." Yep you are in a Town with no vision and no future.

Does anyone know why the flags in the TG have been flying at half mast? The ones in front of Town Hall are not. Is it for the dead trees?

Early on while checking the TG I was aghast to see that there was no sidewalk on the Mill St. side of the TG near Maple Ave. I have since observed persons walking the curb of Mill St. Sooner or later someone will walk in the street where our infamous truck traffic exists. To whom it may concern: Tear out the plantings and complete the sidewalk at TG along Mill St.

Agreed! How absolutely ridiculous. The {...]s put in a "park" along side Vienna's one and only industrial drive, Mill Street, AND in the center of the Town's commercial district... it IS the Town Green, yes?... and they don't even have the decency to install a complete, connected sidewalk. What a bunch of stupid morans! It's crap like this that has me participating on this blog. The backward thinking old garden clubbers controlling our tax dollars will never be able to redevelop Vienna... they simply do not have the ability. Maud is right about one thing... in one to two years, voters will decide on Vienna's future... honor her crappy legacy of doing nothing but repainting water towers every five years... or elect new, young people capable of leading Vienna out of the dark ages.

it's just shocking how poorly planned the town green is. they took an inappropriate site and spent several million dollars to come up with an illogical and inconsistent design, then built it using the wrong materials.

Re: But no, they are hell bent on the small town historical look.

I agree with you both, TG and anne smith.

How in the world can anyone even think that this was supposed to come close to a small town feel? It's as if they has an agenda-like list, and all had to be checked no matter how little effort, taste, or thought went into it. With all the money that was stolen to pay for it, you would have thought we would have something a lot nicer. Heck, a large grassy lot with a few benches and a simple flag pole would have been nice. The front with all the large concrete planters looks like the frontage of a large bank or office building... is that in our future, here?

Have you noticed when they have "Movie Night" the stage is effected by the traffic and lights from passing vehicles? What a joke.

Mayor Boob and Mad Maud just have to have their way. Mayor Boob, Mad Maud, you gotta be proud. Perhaps the dead trees are an omen for Mad Maud and Mayor Boob...

I don't really think the dead trees are an oversight on the parts of these two clowns, digging deeper, reveals the rest of the story. Stay tuned. More to come.

Dead trees, no side walk, poorly planned, inappropriate site, crappy legacy, etc., etc. Well, maybe it IS an appropriate memorial for Maude.

the saddest part is that voters will probably continue to re-elect these incompetents because they don't know any better and/or don't care.

I can only imagine our new town green has led us to our new and improved slogan "70th Best Place to Live." Go, Vienna! Say it proud. Who cares if there are 69 better places to live in the US? I bet none of them have the Maud factor - that alone is worth the top spot.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2007/snapshots/PL5181072.html

I'll take 70th over "Failed to make the Top 100", which is what McLean, Falls Church, and Fairfax City earned. Vienna was the only locality in Northern Virginia to crack the top 100. In fact, the Money Magazine article puts Vienna in the category of "Winner." Evidently, by failing to unseat any of the incumbents in the past two elections, you've contributed to Vienna being declared a winner! Keep up the good work!

I'll take 70th over "Failed to make the Top 100", which is what McLean, Falls Church, and Fairfax City earned. Vienna was the only locality in Northern Virginia to crack the top 100. In fact, the Money Magazine article puts Vienna in the category of "Winner." Evidently, by failing to unseat any of the incumbents in the past two elections, you've contributed to Vienna being declared a winner! Keep up the good work!

So, if Seeman and Mud were responsible for #4 in 05, and responsible for no ranking in 06, and now #70 in 07...we are supposed to look at that track record and see achievement?

Nonsense. Mayor Boob and Maud had nothing to do with these rankings for the last 3 years. The first ranking was not Vienna alone to begin with, it included 60,000 people through Oakton and Tysons.

It is always nice though when a Council member or their kid stops by here to add their 2 cents.

the saddest part is that voters will probably continue to re-elect these incompetents because they don't know any better and/or don't care.

They just don't care...

I'll take 70th over "Failed to make the Top 100", which is what McLean, Falls Church, and Fairfax City earned. Vienna was the only locality in Northern Virginia to crack the top 100. In fact, the Money Magazine article puts Vienna in the category of "Winner." Evidently, by failing to unseat any of the incumbents in the past two elections, you've contributed to Vienna being declared a winner! Keep up the good work!

Vienna was carried into its place by the majority of places outside of Vienna. We should be honest and at least put credit where credit is due.

Maybe Deborah B would have won a spot on the council if you folks hadn't been handing out "VOTE ONLY FOR SUSAN STICH" pamphlets at the polls (and presumably following your own advice when you voted). I voted for her.

First, all these "places rated" lists are highly subjective and pretty worthless. but even if you do believe in them, the factors they consider have nothing to do with the town government. Here are some of the criteria:
*median family income
*state income tax
*average property tax
*colleges & universities within 30 miles
*test scores in reading/math
*movie theaters within 15 miles
*restaurants/bars within 15 miles
*weather conditions
All of these are regional features, except for property tax, and on that, the town average is $5,636, versus the average for all the "best places" of $3,585.

I continue to believe that TOV's ranking in Money Magazine was achieved in spite of the TC not because of it. That being said, the rankings should always be taken with a grain of salt. Last time I checked, high house prices lowered a city's ranking. This is questionable to say the least. When prices are high it is because so many people want to live there. There are many more reasons to be leery of their methodology.

There is confusion about high house prices in these parts as well. Certain TC members have been known to lament high prices in Vienna, especially the impact on retired homeowners. High house prices, per se, are a good thing for homeowners. What the TC members should lament -- and do something about -- is high taxes.

Maybe Deborah B would have won a spot on the council if you folks hadn't been handing out "VOTE ONLY FOR SUSAN STICH" pamphlets at the polls (and presumably following your own advice when you voted). I voted for her.

Logic like that has no peer.

I continue to believe that TOV's ranking in Money Magazine was achieved in spite of the TC not because of it.

Of course. The fact that other local places are not in the top 100 doesn't really say one thing for Vienna. They had to include some sort of "small town" for the article which was near the nation's capital. Vienna is the only one who fits their criteria. Areas like Oakton or Reston are just that - areas within Fairfax County.

Mad Maud or Mayor Boob cannot take any credit. If anything, credit owners of local institutions like the Inn or Connell's or newer establishments like Norm's and Bazin's. They foster more community spirit than the Town Brown.

Read the article you linked to, vienna mommy. The other localities I listed were in fact rated, and they didn't make the top 100. The fact that Oakton and Reston weren't rated is irrelevant to the fact that McLean, Fairfax City, and Falls Church all were rated worse than Vienna. If Vienna's rating has nothing to do with the town government's performance, why did you post the link to begin with?

If Vienna's rating has nothing to do with the town government's performance, why did you post the link to begin with?

Huh?! I posted the link because no one else had (and others may not have seen it). This rating has ZERO to do with our government. If you can prove otherwise, please let me know. Of course, I can guess you are either a town government employee, a town council member, or a town council member's child or spouse.

It's dumb luck that Vienna is included. Vienna is in the center of one of the best economies in the country but not because of VTC. You can thank the Fed for most of that. Because of this, we also have a solid housing market. Our school system is fantastic because of the caliber of parents/students.

So, all of this stated, they needed to include a "small" town in their article in the DC metro area.

I keep reading bits and pieces of how Mclean is managed and to my best recollection there is no aspect of their community that is not covered by citizen input than that you would expect in the Town of Vienna. All development is reviewed locally they have a library and a community center and a central park, designed by the community. Help me. Am I getting this right?

Guess away vienna mommy. I guess that you are a relative of a failed candidate for mayor who is now suing the town of Vienna for his personal gain. And my guess is right, and your guess is wrong.

Oh, snap! What about that vienna mommy?
Best in NoVa, congratulations, you have reached an all new state of imbecilic crony!
Oh please, actually voting for who's on Town Council? Vienna is way too advanced for that. Nowadays, we just rig the elections. We don't even need to vote!
Best in NoVa, you're totally right. The government is totally responsible for the drop from 4th to 70th in the ratings.

Come on guys, get real. The Town Green could be great, if not for the brutal waste of water fountain and the dead trees. And the crappy path.
Besides, the money wasted on Town Green could be used to make Vienna so much better. For example, my family and I like to walk to where we need to go in town, and (to be brutally blunt) it’s not safe. Half of the streets have no path, so I have to dodge cars walking down my own street! Crossing Lawyers takes an hour and a half, the only time it’s actually safe is at bloody midnight. The Town Green is nice and all, but if Mad Maud would let go of her vice grip on the town’s balls for ten minutes, the town could be a lot more than a rest-stop on the 123. In that ten minutes, we could fix the gang problems in the Wolftrapp Motel, fix the Town Green, make paths on the rest of the roads, turn “Vienna’s Best” to actually live up to the name, rather than being the cronies of the Town Council and Co. For God’s sake, my 3 year old godchild could do a better job keeping the peace.

Mad Maud, step away from the cauldron, and but the broomstick down!

"In that ten minutes, we could fix the gang problems in the Wolftrap Motel, fix the Town Green, make paths on the rest of the roads, turn “Vienna’s Best” to actually live up to the name, rather than being the cronies of the Town Council and Co."

The Wolftrap Motel is a high-class establishment. Just check the DC Madam's phone records: The Wolftrap shows up nine times. Go to
http://www.dcphonelist.com/ to search.

Which is worse?

• Relative of a failed politician in Vienna

-or-

• Relative of a politician in Vienna

I'll let everyone else decide.

Guess away vienna mommy. I guess that you are a relative of a failed candidate for mayor who is now suing the town of Vienna for his personal gain. And my guess is right, and your guess is wrong.

Or ....

All else equal, I would prefer that Vienna receive a higher ranking, but the rankings and the year-to-year changes are a bit suspect. Imagine neighboring communities that are mirror images of each other and are therefore ranked the same by Money Magazine. Then, the TC in one community passes ill-considered legislation or makes bad spending decisions that cause property values to lag behind those of the neighbor. Next year, Money ranks the poorly governed community above the well-governed community. Bad government, by depressing property values, can actually raise a community's ranking by making it more "affordable."

Did I mention that Mclean also has a Fairfax County police sub-station"

gridlock - interesting point. You definitely cannot take a good/bad ranking at face value. There are so many other factors that work together.

OK, I just took a morning walk to get some fresh beens for my espresso machine.
I spent time taking a slow walk through the "green".
I addition to the absolutely DEAD trees, as evidenced by crumbling, brittle leaves and branches, I will also predict that by Jan., the bricks lining the walkway will all need to be replaced. They are already loose and easily "kicked" up.

And why has the water feature been shut off for a week, at least.? (been out of the area for a few weeks) That was supposed to be the centerpiece, based on design and location.
The grass is holding it's own as is most of the other plant life. And I think that ToV must spend special time to cleaning it up because I don't see much litter or trash cans around, yet Church St. and other immediately surrounding streets are littered with....litter.

The names on the plaque must be proud to have this as their "legacy".
Me? I would not want my name on it.

Overall, I tend to agree that the area was poorly thought out and then poorly executed.
That's a shame because there are plenty of good architects and designers that might have easily lent a hand, had it not been conceived and designed (apparently) in a "closed session".

Is the TC's plan to leave these dead trees up and once autumn/winter hits just call them "dormant"?

Here's the thing...I'm wondering if any of the commentors have had the distinct pleasure of trying to work through, not only, bureaucratic red tape, but also the immense joy of trying to coordinate the people needed to pull off an ambitious effort, such as the Town Green.
I have.

People, you cannot have your cake and eat it too. If you want to create such a vision of green space than you need to pony up the resources (read: money) to do so.

The Town employs 2 of the finest arborists/horticulturists I ever had the pleasure of working with, but it also keeps their hands tied because of financial resources. (It also often fails to involve them in the planning process, and eventually just hands over inadequately planned projects to them for management.)

If you all want change so damn bad, run for office.

Otherwise, try to find the positive...you know...like the fact you live in one of the wealthiest places in the country. Virtually no where else are towns tearing down building for use as green space. Remember, it's usually the other way around.

Rebecca Greenberg, former Assistant Arborist, Town of Vienna Parks and Recreation

Poor Rebecca. She doesn't get it. Knows nothing about the issue but simply defends her interest and probably votes as responsibly.

Thanks for stopping by Rebecca. Maud's view is welcome here too.

If you all want change so damn bad, run for office.

You say this, in all seriousness, on this site?! Come on.

"The Town employs 2 of the finest arborists/horticulturists I ever had the pleasure of working with, but it also keeps their hands tied because of financial resources. (It also often fails to involve them in the planning process, and eventually just hands over inadequately planned projects to them for management.)"

This sounds like quite an indictment of TC. TC tried to do too many things and did none of them well.

"Otherwise, try to find the positive...you know...like the fact you live in one of the wealthiest places in the country. Virtually no where else are towns tearing down building for use as green space. Remember, it's usually the other way around."

Yes, we live in a wealthy county, but when $1,000 is taken from every household in Vienna I will obsess on that fact for awhile. The other point to remember is that the site they chose is not the best site for a park.