Maud Enlists Fantasy Island Stars to Solve Vienna Business Woes

The Town also made mention of Danor Plaza in the last newsletter. Sounds like Vienna officials know they screwed up just a wee bit. The government should not go about their business to the detriment of the people who actually keep the town going (re: the businesses, the residents).

I still cannot believe the public works director did not personally notify Danor Plaza but she did say next time she would hand deliver a letter. (Yeah, right)

next time??? these people shouldn't be given a "next time." hand delivering a letter isn't good enough. when something that disruptive is planned, the town leaders are supposed to sit down with local businesses & work out a plan that addresses everyone's needs. that's simply what good government does.

Deja vu, kids? The Town of Vienna politicians are dipsh**s.

Construction tests town's patience Business owners losing money, commuters losing time

Fairfax County
By Kali Schumitz
Source: Times Community Newspapers
TUESDAY, JULY 16 2002

The owner of the Wolftrap Deli and Restaurant for 23 years said since the construction began June 6, his sales have been down 20 percent, as compared to last year.

"It's been a tough year to begin with," Anderson said. "Just when you see a glimmer of light, they do this."

Steven Wu, owner of the neighboring Wu's Garden Restaurant, said his restaurant's sales have gone down "a little bit," but he still supports the construction.

"It's worth the little inconvenience because it will be better in the long run," Wu said.

This is the position that town officials have taken as well.

Town of Vienna Mayor Jane Seeman said revitalization is a "necessity" to make downtown Vienna attractive to businesses and consumers.

"I don't look at it all just as window dressing," she said. "It's a commitment to the business community."

The current phase of the Maple Avenue Enhancement Project is installing new brick sidewalks and crosswalks, new curb and gutter and new light fixtures, and making other aesthetic improvements to Maple Avenue, from East Street to Park Street.

The changes will match the work done in the first phase of the project from Park Street to Lawyers Road, but will also include a unique bridge feature over Wolftrap Creek at Beulah Road.

Anderson said he will not benefit from having a nicer-looking downtown area.

"I'm not facing Maple Avenue. [The end result] is not going to affect me one bit," he said.

In addition to the complaints of frustrated residents who have contacted town officials, the project was openly criticized in the July 11 "Dr. Gridlock" column in The Washington Post, written by Ron Shaffer.

A Vienna resident who wrote to Shaffer was frustrated with the clogged traffic on Maple Avenue (Route 123) and was unsure of what the project was trying to accomplish. The columnist quoted an official of the Virginia Department of Transportation, who explained the project.

Shaffer then offered his own opinion, dismissing the project as frivolous and saying, "This project could be one to take note of before the next town elections."

Seeman said she was upset that the columnist did not take the time to contact any town officials.

"If he had called the town, he would have gotten a better answer," she said. "[The project] is to improve the economics of the town."

She also disputed Shaffer's assertion that the project was the result of "free money" from the federal government. Seeman pointed out that money from Vienna's meals tax is being used for a portion of the funds.

"First of all, no money is 'free,'" she said. "And yes, [U.S. Rep.] Tom Davis got us $2.2 million, but we put up the rest of it."

Anderson said it was a mistake for the town to raise the meals tax to fund the project. At the time the tax was increased, he said, it was implied that it would draw money from the people who come from other areas to eat at Vienna establishments. However, Anderson feels that the traffic on Maple Avenue is discouraging those people from coming to Vienna.

"They're shooting themselves in the foot," he said.

He said because of crawling traffic and the elimination of left turns, it is taking his customers 20 to 30 minutes during lunchtime to get to Wolftrap Deli, which is at the intersection of Maple Avenue and East Street, from the Tysons Corner area or from Navy Federal Credit Union.

The business owner said he normally serves 95 to 100 people a day during lunchtime, but is now averaging 65 to 75 people.

"It's like being on an island," he said, describing the way traffic has been rerouted.

To try and recover some of his customers, Anderson even started giving out maps to customers to route them through the residential streets, avoiding the Maple Avenue backup. However, he said that doesn't work either, because there is a place on nearby Follin Lane where left turns are prohibited during certain hours.

People are either forced to go on Maple, or risk getting a traffic ticket, Anderson said. He thinks the town should at least temporarily suspend that regulation during the construction to give people more options.

"I wish there were a way to do construction without inconveniencing anyone," Seeman said.

She acknowledges that the construction has created traffic problems, but is unsure of what more could be done to alleviate the problem.

"I think the traffic management could have been handled better. ... We've done what we could do," she said.

The construction company is responsible for managing the traffic, Seeman said. The town has authorized workers to take one lane during non-rush-hour times, and if they need to block off two lanes, they must do the work at night.

Construction is expected to continue through the end of October. Town officials were hoping to have the bulk of the construction done in time for the annual Halloween parade Oct. 23.

Work has started on the north side of Maple Avenue, progressing from the intersection with East Street to Park Street. Once that is complete, construction will start on the south side of Maple Avenue, from Park Street to East Street.

What has prompted the most complaints is the elimination of all left turns from Maple Avenue within the construction area. Seeman attributes this to people's driving habits.

"People are upset that they've always made a left turn there and they can't now," she said. "Once you realize there will be no left turns, you can plan your route."

There are signs at both ends of the construction informing people of the traffic pattern changes, and the town has increased the green time of the traffic light on Follin Lane at its intersection with Maple to help move traffic coming from Navy Federal Credit Union.

Seeman added that the town did everything it could to inform the public, particularly businesses, about the project in advance, giving them the opportunity to voice concerns to Town Council members.

"This has been in the works for a long time," she said.

In the months before construction began, information about the project was published in the town newsletter and in local newspapers. The town also had several information meetings for businesses and one that was also open to the public.

Anderson said he opposed the project from the beginning and told this to council members. He had talked to business owners on the other end of town who were adversely affected by the first phase of the Maple Avenue project. He had even heard that one or two businesses were forced to close because they lost so much money during construction, though he was unsure if this was true.

"Every dime counts when you're a small business," he said.

From 2002: Seeman said she was upset that the columnist did not take the time to contact any town officials. "If he had called the town, he would have gotten a better answer," she said. "[The project] is to improve the economics of the town."

How is this person Mayor? Sad commentary on the older voters of Vienna that this is the best they can elect.

Town of Vienna Mayor Jane Seeman said revitalization is a "necessity" to make downtown Vienna attractive to businesses and consumers.

"I don't look at it all just as window dressing," she said. "It's a commitment to the business community."

SIDEWALKS (that are falling apart) is what this Mayor considers REVITALIZATION????

Sidewalks are the window dressing and the building/business is the commercial district. My blood pressure is up. Now that is awful!!!

Approximately every five years, the Town of Vienna reapplies the equivalent of Maud's bright pink lipstick and runs a few more businesses out of town.

Like I said, dipsh**s.

I am never amazed anymore that we have these incompetent Vienna citizens re-elected year after year. You all sit around and write about the inane actions and lack of real leadership in Vienna, and while that is true, what are you doing about it?

A few you-tube videos and a few revealing posts here and there may look good on paper or this site, but in the end, who cares about the idiotic behavior of an eighty year old out of touch with reality Maud Robinson? For the most part, many of her older followers really believe that she is saving this town, and fighting for their small charm. While on the surface, this seems nice, they forget, as I think you do, that they are doing what almost all politicians do well, get re-elected.

Mayor Jane Seeman and her family, I suppose, really do think, that she is doing something great for this town. I mean, her aged white hair perhaps makes her look like she has the sage and wisdom of a great leader, when nothing could be further from reality. I was happy to see the Madison Homecoming parade last week, and saw the energetic students, and families and proud parents, and it make me happy to see this small town feel in action. However, I did notice that all the "real leaders" had smiles on their faces, and waved with enthusiasm, and looked like they were enjoying the whole community involvement, but Jane had a continual puzzled and fearful, if not dazed look frozen on her face throughout the whole time she passed.

Why is this so? Is it a clue to the lack of any real substance that usually inhabits a mind that people are supposed to look up to?

Sadly, I think both Seeman and Robinson, don't have a clue to what this town is all about, and they are there only for the glory inside their clouded minds. They don't really care about the many things that keep this town great, because they don't have a clue with what it takes to be a real leader.

Where are the sidewalks?

Where are the small businesses?

Where are the safe routes to school?

Where are the smiles?

I can tell you a picture is worth a thousand words, and if you saw Jane's face in that parade, you would have thought she was marching herself into the gates of hell, and she didn't have a clue as to why the people of this town deserve better.

Sad. Reality? It maybe hers, but Vienna deserves better.

We really should vote the whole lot of them out before anymore people get hurt, before any more businesses get hurt in the shuffle.

PS. If anyone has any pictures of Jane during the parade, please send them to HV, and please HV, please post, and you will see what I saw last week.

I went to the Danor shopping center yesterday after reading this post, and the once packed parking lot was nearly vacant. No one was in any of the shops, and this was mid-day. I started to wonder what business is going to go where Hancock was with this mess going on???? Someone with deep pockets who doesn't care about the rent? As if there is not enough of that in Vienna.
It would be a pity if Cennans leaves Vienna. Just keep kicking out these little businesses TC and we will be worse than Tyson's. Now that is irony!

I'm still making it to Norm's.

what business is going to go where Hancock was with this mess going on???? Someone with deep pockets who doesn't care about the rent?

No, just the opposite. That space, at best was a low-rent third choice kind of location. It has no real visibility, poor access, and the shopping center is headed toward obsolescence. Most likely, Hancock paid little & the next user will pay even less. It will certainly remain vacant during construction, further hurting the other businesses in the shopping center.

People are either forced to go on Maple, or risk getting a traffic ticket, Anderson said. He thinks the town should at least temporarily suspend that regulation during the construction to give people more options.

Excellent idea! Sorry to reply so late, but I have some catching up to do since Im new here!

Construction is expected to continue through the end of October. Town officials were hoping to have the bulk of the construction done in time for the annual Halloween parade Oct. 23.

So much for that.

Just to throw a random, irritated comment, I think Safeway should share their parking lot with the Noodles & Co, Chipotle, etc place. Safeway's parking lot is almost always very unoccupied for the most part.
thanks for listening lol.

Minerva, it is good that you stated that you are new to Vienna. FYI, the information you reference about completing a project before the Halloweenparade refers to Maple Ave. Projects TheBeulah Rd. project is due for completion in May 2008 Hope that allows them enough time to connect all the houses to the main sewer line and not have the sewer backups that occured after the Park St. reconstruction. Note the article posted was dated 2002.

Minerva, some people think that Safeway should share their groceries. You know, they take them without paying for them. It is my understanding that the shared agreement between Safeway and the old SS shoping area is costing Safeway company two thousand dollars a month for security. I wonder if the SS's carry a million dollar policy to cover parking on Safeway property.

Ohh no no Im not new to Vienna, Ive lived here 16 out of the almost 20 years of my life LOL. Im new to this website.

Unfortunately, people will steal groceries no matter where they are located :-\

I will be sure to eye the dates of the articles next time.

Thanks for responding :)