March 2009 Archives
March 31, 2009
Elections May 5, 2009: Meet Your Candidates Comments (109)
From the April 2009 Vienna Newsletter:
“As a resident of the Town of Vienna for over 13 years, I have enjoyed all that Vienna has to offer. From participating in community events, dining at local restaurants, playing on the recreational fields, and walking around Town, my family and I have made Vienna a part of our lives. The Vienna community and its spirit, as well as my desire to give back, are what motivate me to run for Town Council.
“The next few years will be critical to the future of Vienna. Since our Town is facing a recessionary economy and redevelopment at Tysons Corner, it is important to be fiscally responsible and forward thinking. It is crucial that we preserve our residential neighborhoods, improve parking on Church Street, and create a vision for Maple Avenue. By maintaining a vibrant and attractive commercial environment, we can support our current businesses and attract new businesses. I believe traffic planning, water and sewer maintenance, and recreational facility improvements are of utmost importance in the coming years.
“I am currently the chairperson for the Planning Commission and have also served on the Transportation Safety Commission and was Treasurer for the Marshall Road PTA. I am involved in many school and community organizations. I have a B.S. and M.B.A. in finance, and was an adjunct professor of finance at George Mason University. For more information on my ideas and background please visit LaurieDiRocco.org.
“I would like to provide a new voice for the Town of Vienna. Please take the time to vote May 5.”
“My wife Anne and I are proud to call Vienna our home – a place where we are raising our two children, and where we actively participate in civic, school, sports and community organizations.
“I have a strong and active history of service and involvement, with more than 9 years on Vienna’s Transportation Safety Commission and over 20 years with our local volunteer fire department where I have held senior leadership positions.
“Public safety, good recreational programs, responsive public works, and effective planning and zoning are the basis of good local government. If given the opportunity to serve on the Town Council, I will work hard to improve traffic safety, support our recreational programs, maintain our infrastructure, build more sidewalks where residents indicate a need, and upgrade our aging water and sewer system. I will support Vienna’s long-standing policy of limited growth and low-density zoning as we face the challenges of an ever-expanding Tysons Corner. I offer unique local community experience, a strong professional and educational background, and a reputation for accessibility and for getting the job done.
“Our country is undergoing an unprecedented economic downturn and Vienna is not immune. It is essential that we maintain our prudent spending to ensure Vienna’s fiscal stability and our excellent bond ratings. This is of particular importance since our capital improvement projects are funded by bonds.
“I hope you share my vision and enthusiasm for Vienna and will support me on Tuesday, May 5.
“As a Vienna resident for 37 years, I know that Vienna is a great town. My vision is to strengthen our sense of community and residential quality of life, ensure that our businesses prosper, and provide a safe environment for all citizens, especially our children and seniors.
“This requires responsible growth and development in residential and commercial areas. We must continue to provide town services that are cost-effective and keep taxes as low as possible. I pledge my full support to our Police and Fire Departments. Addressing the rise in gang activity nearby is paramount to preserving our town.
“Vienna must not become a parking lot for the new Metro in Tysons. I support additional commuter service to provide access to and from Vienna without creating additional traffic in addition to working to resolve our traffic problems. I will work with citizens to ensure that their voice is heard, and with businesses to make Vienna more business friendly, thereby creating jobs and revenue for the town. Making sure that we have clear communications with Town and County governments will ensure that we have a strong voice in the resolution of issues impacting Vienna.
“With 30 years of experience as a business leader I understand the need for a balanced approach to all issues. For over 20 years I have volunteered in local education, Habitat for Humanity, and my church. As a father of three teenage children I understand that our choices today will affect their tomorrow. I am asking for your vote on May 5 so that we can work together for Vienna.”
[Incumbent]
“I am George Lovelace and I am seeking re-election to the Town Council.
“Citizens desire that Vienna remain a residential community with the character and flavor of a small town. To that end I will continue to dedicate my service. The current state of the economy coupled with the expansion of the Metrorail service at Tysons and the expected development of MetroWest will challenge our ability to preserve our character. They will provide special challenges for both our residential and business communities that we must be prepared to meet head on.
“I will continue to be fiscally responsible and work to make sure that the taxes we pay are the lowest possible, consistent with budgetary constraints. The business community is vital to Vienna and I will continue to support improvements that ensure its viability.
“Proposed development on our borders makes transportation alternatives a major issue. I pledge to continue to work with County leaders to implement a system that is reliable, safe, and accessible and provides access to Town services, Tysons and Metro. Preserving green space, going-green policies and first-rate recreation facilities add to our quality of life and I will continue to make these services available to our citizens.
“I pledge to continue to work to maintain the services citizens expect. My attention will also be focused on addressing infrastructure issues resulting from infill development and ensure that development standards are met.
“I would consider it an honor and a privilege to be re-elected to the Council.”
[Incumbent]
“Growing up in Vienna and now as a Town Council member, I have seen Vienna evolve from a two-lane Maple Avenue and no Vienna Woods to one of the most desirable places to live in our country.
“I’m very proud to call Vienna my home and I am willing to continue working to keep it a quality place to raise our children, live, and in some instances work. Our town didn’t become one of the best places to live by accident. It took hard work by dedicated citizens making sometimes difficult decisions to get us to this point.
“My 33 years of professional experience in decision making, fiscal responsibility, and my ability to work closely with clients parallels what is needed by a person who serves on the Town Council. My experience on the Council has reinforced my desire to continue to serve Vienna and work with its citizens.
“With major developments scheduled for both Tysons Corner and MetroWest, we must continue to seek alternative solutions to our traffic problems and I still support a shuttle through Vienna from Metro to Tysons.
“Redevelopment in residential neighborhoods and the commercial district can and has enhanced our community, but only by adhering to our comprehensive plan and the zoning laws and if the capacity of our infrastructure can support it. “I have demonstrated the ability to handle the duties of a Town Councilman and I know I can continue to make a difference as we work together to keep Vienna a quality town we all love and that’s why I ask for your support on May 5.”
NEVCA Candidates Forum Comments (0)
The Northeast Vienna Citizens’ Association (NEVCA) invites all Vienna voters to a candidates’ forum for the upcoming town election on Wednesday, April 29, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the Vienna Community Center. For more information, contact NEVCA president Dan Mulville at dmulville@cox.net.
March 22, 2009
Traffic Flow: A Novel Idea in Vienna Comments (20)
In Va., Vision of Suburbia at a Crossroads Targeting Cul-de-Sacs, Rules Now Require Through Streets in New SubdivisionsBy Eric M. Weiss
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 22, 2009; A01Virginia is taking aim at one of the most enduring symbols of suburbia: the cul-de-sac.
The state has decided that all new subdivisions must have through streets linking them with neighboring subdivisions, schools and shopping areas. State officials say the new regulations will improve safety and accessibility and save money: No more single entrances and exits onto clogged secondary roads. Quicker responses by emergency vehicles. Lower road maintenance costs for governments.
Although cul-de-sacs will remain part of the suburban landscape for years to come, the Virginia regulations attack what the cul-de-sac has come to represent: quasi-private standalone developments around the country that are missing only a fence and a sign that says "Keep Out."
Homeowners choose cul-de-sacs because, they say, they offer safety, security and a sense of community.
"Cul-de-sacs are the safest places in America to live," said Mike Toalson, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Virginia, which opposes the new rules. "The first lots sold are often on the cul-de-sacs because they are safe." As for developments with single entrances and exits, Toalson said, such configurations ensure that all traffic is local, neighbors watch out for each other and speeds are kept down. "Crooks look for multiple exits."
Prince William County residents Brian and Donna Goff chose to raise their children in a cul-de-sac life. They live on Vixen Court, one of seven cul-de-sacs in Bridlewood Manor, a subdivision in Bristow. "You've got a family atmosphere. It stays quiet here," said Brian Goff, 42. The couple, who have two young children, have lived in the cul-de-sac for nine years.
The changes come as cash-strapped states and localities can no longer afford the inexorable widening of secondary roads that are overburdened with traffic from the subdivisions, strip malls, schools and office buildings that feed into them. The system forces drivers to enter these traffic-choked roads to go even 50 yards or so to the neighborhood coffeehouse or elementary school. North Carolina and Portland, Ore., are moving on similar fronts.
"When you have 350 to 400 miles a year of new roads you have to maintain forever, it's a budgetary problem," said Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine (D), who pushed the new regulations through the Commonwealth Transportation Board last month. Virginia has had to cut more than $2.2 billion from its six-year transportation spending plan. "But it's not just about the money. It's about connecting land-use and transportation planning and restricting wasteful and unplanned development."
To buy a gallon of milk, the Goffs have to drive onto Linton Hall Road, one of the busiest streets in the region, and go a mile to Safeway. Goff said that it would be easier if there were back roads that connected to the Safeway but that it wouldn't be worth the increase in through traffic.
"There are kids in all these subdivisions. You put more traffic in subdivisions, it's a recipe for disaster," he said.
March 14, 2009
Spring Elections: More of the Same? Comments (22)
Election: May 5, 2009 Vienna Town Election
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/eb/upcoming.htm
Election Day Information: Only qualified voters in the Town of Vienna are eligible to vote in this election. The polls are open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. The polling place for the town elections is the Vienna Community Center, 120 Cherry Street, SE, Vienna, VA 22180.
Voter Registration: The final day of voter registration is Monday, April 6, 2009. (If you are already registered at your current address, you do not have to register again.) In-person voter registration forms must be received in the Office of Election by 6 p.m. on April 6, 2009. Mail-in registration applications must be postmarked on or before April 6, 2009.
Candidates:
Town Council (Vote for not more than three)
Dan M. Dellinger
417 Park Street, SE
Vienna, VA 22180
703-255-2918
nautdan@aol.com
Laurie A. DiRocco
316 Moorefield Road, SW
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-7010
robert.dirocco2@verizon.net
Mike J. Gadell
513 Kramer Drive, SE
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-8620
mikegadell@msn.com
George E. Lovelace
425 West Street, NW
Vienna, VA 22180
703-938-8729
glov1990@mac.com
Howard J. Springsteen
609 Upham Place, NW
Vienna, VA 22180
703-242-0536
hjspringsteen1@verizon.net
Absentee Voting
Location: Fairfax County Government Center only (no off-site satellites)
Absentee Voting Schedule:
Absentee Voting In Person
Weekday:
Friday, April 3 through Friday, May 1, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday:
Saturday, May 2, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last day to vote absentee in-person)
Absentee Voting By Mail
First mail-out approximately April 3.
Absentee Voting Deadlines:
Applications to vote absentee by mail must be received in the Fairfax County Office of Elections no later than 5 p.m on Tuesday, April 28. The voted ballots must be received in the Office of Elections by 7 p.m. on Election Day, May 5, in order to be counted.
If you will be away from Fairfax County on Election Day or are unable to go to the polls because of illness or disability, you may vote by absentee ballot by mail or in-person.
March 11, 2009
The Big Bang: Fireworks to Return Comments (22)
Once again, we are caught in another typical Vienna quandary: do we cheer or run for cover?!
Fireworks Will Be Back at Vienna's 4th of July Celebration
by Brian Trompeter
Wednesday, March 11, 2009Vienna officials next week will move ahead with plans to bring fireworks back to the town’s Fourth of July celebration, albeit at a new location.
After meeting with southwest Vienna residents on Feb. 17 and receiving mostly positive responses, Vienna Town Council members indicated at a March 9 work session that they would like to hold a fireworks show at Southside Park.
Town officials scrapped fireworks altogether and held a laser show at last year’s Fourth of July celebration. The move was prompted by a 2007 fireworks malfunction at Waters Field, which injured 11 spectators.
In previous years, the town paid about $10,000 for its fireworks display. That figure shot up to $22,000 for last year’s fireworks display.
Town officials issued a request for proposal to fireworks vendors, but received no responses. After a purchasing agent followed up, Melrose Pyrotechnics Inc. offered to do a show for a minimum of $15,000.
That offer was above the town’s suggested limit of $12,500, but would include $10 million worth of liability insurance, which is $2.5 million more than the town usually stipulates, said Vienna Parks and Recreation Director Cathy Salgado.
Melrose Pyrotechnics will do Langley High School’s show and two displays in Loudoun County this year, Salgado said. The company’s 25-minute display in Vienna would be triggered electronically, rather than manually by crews wielding flares, she said.
Some council members were hesitant to spring for the extra money for the show, given tight budget circumstances. Others were eager to bring back pyrotechnics.
“I want fireworks, one way or the other,” said Mayor M. Jane Seeman. “It’s a tradition.”
Salgado said the Parks and Recreation Department already realized some savings after it opted to cancel a performance by B2B, a Jimmy Buffett cover band. The band then agreed to perform at half-price, saving the town $2,250, she said.
Town officials also might allow the fireworks to be sponsored in part by a local business or community group. Although the display would not be renamed in honor of the sponsor, the donating group’s name would be listed on a banner over Maple Avenue and in the town’s print and Web-site publications.
The Fairfax County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that Southside Park is an acceptable site for a fireworks display, Salgado said. The park offers double the distance needed for spectator safety, she said.
The town may close off portions of Patrick and George streets and Ross Drive to allow pedestrians safer entry and exit.
Vienna will continue to hold Fourth of July festivities during the day near the Vienna Community Center. Town officials considered providing shuttle-bus service to ferry spectators to Southside Park, but discarded that idea to save money.
Town officials also must receive permission from Vienna Little League leaders to have spectators watch the fireworks from Yeonas Park, which is adjacent to Southside Park. Vienna officials said they did not expect much opposition to the proposal because the baseball group would be allowed to sell concessions at the event.
The council will revisit the fireworks issue at its March 16 meeting.
March 10, 2009
Town of Vienna Politicians' Accomplishments Comments (12)
What was the last thing the Town politicos did that deserved kudos? Feel free to discuss (this should not take long).
