Another Example of Maud's Zero Leadership
From the Washington Post a reminder for Maudasaurus that not all local governments are made up of incompetent boobs:
Falls Church Turns to the Future Council Gets Ready To Vote on City Center Redevelopment PlanBy Kristen Mack
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 25, 2008; B01Falls Church, long considered the hallway between Baileys Crossroads and Tysons Corner, wants people to stop there instead of driving through.
This week, the city of 11,000 should find out whether that could happen. After public hearings tomorrow and Thursday, the Falls Church City Council will vote on an ambitious plan to remake its aging downtown, a goal of city leaders for nearly eight years.
Atlantic Realty, a Tysons-based developer known for such projects as Bethesda Corner, Plaza America in Reston and Ashbrook in Loudoun County, is proposing to tear up the city's center of vacant parking lots and buildings and replace them with an eight-story hotel, office buildings, apartments, a bowling alley and a Harris Teeter supermarket.
If approved, the $317 million project would be the biggest thing to happen to Falls Church since Metro extended the Orange Line there in 1986. In addition to attracting shoppers and diners from across the region, city officials say, they hope the revival of the downtown area will bring young professionals, first-time homeowners and empty nesters to buy condominiums, rent townhouses and establish roots in Falls Church.
Right now, Falls Church Mayor Robin S. Gardner says, the downtown is "not walker-friendly; there's no big open space. It's underutilized, and I don't consider it pleasant. There's nothing that would draw me here."
Falls Church's downtown, bisected by West Broad Street (Route 7), is not unlike other aging city centers that need rejuvenating. In recent years, Fairfax City, Herndon, Springfield, McLean and Annandale, among other places, have redone their downtown commercial areas or have been considering it.
One reason is to expand the commercial tax base to shift more of the burden from homeowners to businesses. Falls Church has one of the area's best school systems and has largely paid for that success through increases in the real estate tax rate and, until recently, higher residential assessments. The so-called City Center project would bring in almost $3 million a year in revenue once the project was complete.
The council voted last month to move Atlantic Realty's proposal forward but will take a final vote Thursday. If approved, construction could begin as early as summer if the developer and officials can resolve details about siting. The proposed schedule would take place in two phases, wrapping up by 2013, according to the developers.
For an investment by Falls Church of $6 million, City Center would add a million square feet of development to a four-block area near Broad and South Washington streets.
The proposal faces some uncertainty. No hotel chain has committed to the site, although developers have been talking to Marriott about putting a Residence Inn there. Harris Teeter has signed a letter of intent, not a contract.
Concerns about the project's financing led the Falls Church Planning Commission to recommend recently that the council reject it. Maureen Budetti, chair of the Planning Commission, said the panel also believed the downtown plan "felt rushed" and did not include the commission's involvement.
Budetti said the council is "pretty sold on the project. I don't know whether any of our specific concerns will be addressed."
"The council is going to have to reevaluate the project, especially in light of the planning commission's vote," said Nader Baroukh, a lawyer who lives in Winter Hill. "We want a city center, but this falls on its face. They have sold city land at garage-rate prices. The city has to have the stewardship to get the development it deserves."
Detractors have raised other questions. They say that the project's mix of 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial development is unbalanced and that the project doesn't have enough parking, lacks access to transit and needs to include open space.
Jeff Peterson, president of the Village Preservation and Improvement Society, said the city is throwing in all the land it owns and buying additional land without getting a "public square or commons" in return.
"The height, mass and modern design elements of the proposed project all act to undermine the distinctive feel of Falls Church as a special place," he said, citing the architecture of the historic church that gave the city its name.
Adam B. Shulman, a partner at Atlantic, said: "This process has been long in the works. . . . It's not me coming in and saying, 'This is what you need.' It's us responding to what the city wants."
Added Gardner: "This is not our first go. We've had many iterations."
The uncertainty of the economy is another potential barrier. Some places that are hoping to rejuvenate their downtowns -- notably Herndon, Manassas Park and Springfield -- recently have scaled back projects or even killed them because of the real estate market slowdown and its drain on local government revenue. Falls Church's budget for the coming fiscal year will show a drop in revenue mainly because of the housing market slump.
City Manager Wyatt Shields said the housing troubles would not hurt the City Center plan because the city has not seen a marked slowdown in private investment.
"There may be several reasons for this: Confidence in the long-term strength of the Washington area economy is certainly one reason," he said. "But there are local factors specific to the city as well, such as our great location and our strong schools. Falls Church is a great place to live and work, and the market for high-quality mixed-use development here remains healthy."
On Thursday, Gardner said, the council will take the planning commission's recommendation into account. But she said she believes the timing is right for City Center.
"We are at a major crossroads, and this will determine where we are going," she said. "This is the right project for now."
Go ahead Maud, remind us again how successful the Town Green wasteland is!
Comments
GEEZE HV, YOU DIDN'T EXPECT MAUD TO LEAD US FORWARD DID YOU? SHE CLEARLY WANTS TO DRAG US BACKWARDS TO THE 1940's OR EARLIER. MAYBE SHE IS AFRAID OF LOSING HER DRIVER'S LICENSE AND THUS, WANTS ALL VIENNA TRAFFIC TO DRIVE THROUGH BY HORSE AND CARRIAGE.
Posted by: HISTORIC LIES | February 25, 2008 02:40 PM
Do you know what an "Economic Development Director" is code name for? He who kills strip malls.
We all know Mad Maud would sooner DIE than lose one of her precious parking lots or strip malls.
Posted by: vienna mommy | February 25, 2008 04:11 PM
What a novel idea: shifting the tax burden away from the residents and onto the businesses. Wow.
One reason is to expand the commercial tax base to shift more of the burden from homeowners to businesses. Falls Church has one of the area's best school systems and has largely paid for that success through increases in the real estate tax rate and, until recently, higher residential assessments. The so-called City Center project would bring in almost $3 million a year in revenue once the project was complete.
Posted by: vienna mommy | February 25, 2008 04:35 PM
Falls Church definitely gets it. Vienna--not so much
Posted by: anne smith | February 27, 2008 10:44 PM
I am actually glad that Maud and Jane are not doing anything to revitalize downtown Vienna. I would rather wait and let Mayor Briglia, Mayor Kelleher, or Mayor Smith spearhead the efforts. Let Maud and Jane keep building sidewalks at their pedestrian pace, but do not encourage them to undertake any more large projects. The Town Green provides all the evidence we need.
Posted by: gridlock | February 28, 2008 07:58 AM
True, we don't need any more senior moment projects not connected to reality. I wish we had a big sand box that we could Maud and Jane in until they pass on to the other side. And if there were elections in Vienna, not rigged Maud club meetings, jokes about people dying in office would not be needed. Unfortunately, the current machine in Vienna only transfers power upon death.
Posted by: Charlie R. | February 28, 2008 03:00 PM
Council Approves Controversial Downtown Revitalization Project
By Kristen Mack
Washington Post
Friday, February 29, 2008; B06
The Falls Church City Council unanimously adopted a plan to renovate its downtown, over the objections of some residents and the city's planning commission. The vote came just about midnight yesterday after more than eight hours of comments and deliberations over two days.
Atlantic Realty, a Tysons Corner-based developer, will replace the city's center of vacant parking lots and buildings with an eight-story hotel, office buildings, residential units, a bowling alley and a Harris Teeter supermarket.
Construction could begin this summer if the developer and officials can resolve details about the site. The proposed schedule would take place in two phases and wrap up by 2013, according to the developers.
"This was a historic moment in the city," Mayor Robin S. Gardner said after the vote. "This is the largest decision we've had to make since the founding of our city. This project will help Falls Church, not only in terms of revenue, but in building a sense of place."
The $317 million project would add a million square feet of development to a four-block area near Broad and South Washington streets. Four small apartment buildings will have to condemned to make way for the project.
Critics said the project lacked distinction from other mixed-use developments in Northern Virginia.
Council member David Snyder said the project is an "utterly unoriginal design that does not reflect Falls Church."
"The city staff and leadership want this at all cost. They are wedded to it," he said in an interview before the vote. "I accept it because of the tax generation."
The completed project is expected to bring in almost $3 million a year in revenue.
Falls Church, a city of 11,000, wants to expand the commercial tax base to shift more of the burden from homeowners to businesses. The city has one of the area's best school systems and has largely paid for that success through increases in the real estate tax rate and, until recently, higher residential assessments.
The planning commission recently recommended that the council reject the project, citing concerns about financing.
Detractors also said that the project's mix of 60 percent residential and 40 percent commercial development was unbalanced and that the project wouldn't have enough parking, would lack access to transit and needs to include more open space.
The issue has sparked a referendum effort, led by former vice mayor Sam Mabry, to amend the city's charter so that on future projects the City Council can approve construction on a commercially zoned property only if it is 60 percent commercial or retail and 40 percent residential.
The Falls Church voter registrar office's said yesterday that enough signatures have been collected to certify the referendum for the May 6 ballot.
Even if the new measure is passed, it would have no effect on the City Center project, city officials said.
Posted by: vienna mommy | February 29, 2008 11:27 AM
Each day I observe the barren Town Green I envision what once was a busy commercial building with cars coming and going, happy people and happy merchants making money. One could say that the TG falls into the category of a swimming pool, but we do not have a swimming pool. Why?
Posted by: Wyltn | February 29, 2008 05:22 PM
Our dimwitted politicians have somehow convinced their loyal sheep that the mulch at Beulah Road is a Town perk that cannot be touched. What would happen if we did not have free mulch delivery?! OH, THE HORROR!
Which leads me to the topic of pools. Beulah Road Park, site of the infamous smelly mulching, would be a perfect location for a large pool.
If you do not believe the mulch is part of the Town strong hold, do not forget this email which circulated amongst the Maudites a couple years back:
http://www.historicvienna.com/2007/09/sharon_boob_baum_on_mulch.html
Posted by: vienna mommy | March 2, 2008 11:46 AM
The Falls Church City Council unanimously adopted a plan to renovate its downtown.....OF COURSE THEY DID!
Now with that area cleaned up Vienna is going to be the biggest eye sore in this area! Does anyone remember the meeting where we thought we might be getting a Maple Ave Vision? Remember how excited we were hearing about the possibilities of a REAL Pedestrian District? Unfortunately the only people who were not on board were the ones with the power. But don't worry come May they will be elected again. Just like Putin!
Posted by: USSR | March 5, 2008 09:34 AM