August 2009 Archives
August 26, 2009
The Maud Green Costs More and More Comments (37)
Now that the Maud Town Green is getting up there in age...has anyone considered how much this empty-all-the-time park costs Vienna every year? First, it cost millions to buy. Second, there is the opportunity cost of continuing to use a prime piece of Vienna commercial land in this way. That's right, every year it costs Vienna a loss of tax revenue that we would otherwise receive from a business that could actually benefit Vienna. As of now we have a carbon monoxide filled wasteland that no one uses. The price tag for this boondoggle goes up every day in perpetuity.
August 20, 2009
ARB Overruled in Sign Case. Comments (26)
The town has been wrong about signs for years. For once, they are right.
From the Sun Gazette:
The council voted unanimously to overturn a June 18 ARB ruling and allow HSBC Bank to use its corporate logo on its facade sign at 214 Maple Ave., W., in the Vienna Shopping Center.ARB chairman Shirley Damon, who owns a gallery and framing business in the shopping center, said allowing logos now would be unfair to tenants who had been denied them in the past.
But John Kelly of DMS Sign Connection Inc. said the shopping center's owners will present at the ARB's Aug. 20 meeting a master sign plan allowing logos the facility. HSBC Bank officials had planned to have only a pylon sign at the shopping center if the council did not approve a building sign with logo, Kelly said.
Council member George Lovelace said the sign did not detract from the shopping center.
“I couldn't find anything that would make this application invalid,” he said.
Bikers: 1. Town of Vienna: 0. Comments (1)
Vienna Council Holds Back on New Bicycle Ordinance
by Brian Trompeter
August 19, 2009The Vienna Town Council on Aug. 17 deferred action on a new bicycle ordinance after cycling advocates said the rules would assign less responsibility to drivers and potentially discourage riders from using sidewalks when traffic conditions are dangerous.
Several bicyclists who spoke at the public hearing said they had been struck by vehicles in the town. One of them, Vienna resident Hunter McCleary, opposed the ordinance.
“Anything that reduces the attentiveness of drivers is not a good thing,” McCleary said.
The council voted unanimously to send the proposed ordinance back to the Vienna Transportation Safety Commission, which soon will form a Bicycle Advisory Committee.
Unlike some jurisdictions, Vienna allows children 11 and under to bicycle on sidewalks at any time and permits adults and children 12 and older to ride on sidewalks if road conditions are too hazardous.
One version of the proposed ordinance would have required bicyclists riding on sidewalks and bike paths to stop at all intersections, crosswalks and street crossings. An alternate version would have required those riders to yield or obey posted signs at those areas.
The proposed ordinance also would have allowed riders accompanying children ages 11 and younger to bicycle on sidewalks at any time.
Bruce Wright, a Reston resident representing Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, said the new ordinance would unfairly single out bicyclists and not apply to runners and in-line skaters, who use the same sidewalks and paths.
“Riding on the road is really safest, but it takes educated cyclists,” Wright said. “It will be easier to blame cyclists if they're required to stop or yield.”
Vienna police this fall will roll out their Eye-to-Eye program, which will encourage bicyclists and pedestrians to make eye contact with motorists crossing each other's paths.
Town police since January 2006 have recorded 27 accidents, including one fatality, involving bicyclists who were struck by vehicles, said Vienna Police Chief Robert Carlisle.
Bicyclists who spoke at the public hearing encouraged town officials to improve safety by cutting back brush along Vienna's roadways, clearing slush and snow from sidewalks after snowplows pass by and installing bicycle lanes on Nutley Street and Tapawingo and Courthouse roads.
Council member Laurie Cole commended residents for turning out in such large numbers at the hearing and recommended they support state Sen. Patsy Ticer's (D-30th) pedestrian-safety bill, which keeps getting killed in the General Assembly.
“Please channel this energy also in the direction of Richmond,” Cole said.
August 13, 2009
Hilarious. Comments (6)
We are unaware of criminals putting up their own crime scene tape.
Vienna ‘C.S.I.’-Themed Party Draws Actual Police Officer Sun Gazette, August 12, 2009Master Police Officer (MPO) Jarod Evans of the Vienna Police Department on Aug. 2 responded to a call in the 500 block of Mashie Drive, S.E., from a resident who became terrified after arriving home and finding “Crime Scene” tape all about her house.
The woman left the area and called police to report the suspicious finding. She then asked for an officer to enter her home with her to investigate.
As she and Evans entered to assess and search for some type of criminal, they were greeted with a rousing “Happy Birthday!” The crime-scene tape was part of a surprise birthday party with a theme based on the hit television show “Crime Scene Investigation.”
“The officer handled it as he would have handled any case and approached with caution,” said MPO William Murray, a police spokesman. “Upon entry, he was able to figure out what occurred immediately.”
August 06, 2009
Back to the Usual PATHETIC Halloween Parade Themes ... Comments (29)
Halloween is for the kids NOT for Vienna busy bodies or politicians. Last year they actually got it right and, yet, here we are back to this:
Halloween Parade Will Celebrate Vienna Community Service [SERIOUSLY?!]Do you love a parade? Then the Vienna Halloween Parade Committee wants you! Join in planning for the 63rd annual parade, or help out on parade night, October 2.
For more information, call parade chairman Rebecca Diamond at 703-463-4241 or e-mail rdiamond1@cox.net.
The theme of this year's parade is "Vienna Celebrating Community Service," and the Grand Marshal will be former Town Council member Maud Robinson, longtime Vienna resident and community volunteer.
Entry application forms and information about the parade can be downloaded from the Town's Website, www.viennava.gov, or call the Vienna Parks and Recreation Department at 703-255-6360. The entry deadline is Wednesday, September 30. Because space is limited to the first 90 approved applicants, the parade may fill before the entry deadline. Completed applications do not guarantee entrance.
Traffic Gripes? Come to Town Hall (Not!). Comments (1)
Or, people could just lay out their concerns here in a public online forum and encourage the TSC members to read them. No need to spend hours at Town Hall and not have your concerns addressed.
Concerned About Traffic Conditions in Your Neighborhood?The Vienna Transportation Safety Commission (TSC) will be holding public hearings over the next few months to listen to citizen concerns and suggestions relating to traffic safety for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists. Residents are encouraged to attend the hearings scheduled for each quadrant of town:
September 29
Northeast quadrantOctober 27
Northwest quadrantNovember 24
Southeast quadrantJanuary 26
Southwest quadrantAll meetings will begin at 8 p.m. in the Council Chamber at Town Hall. Residents may also send written comments to TSC Chairman Steve Kenney in care of Town Hall or e-mail tsc@viennava.gov.
August 01, 2009
More Assualts on the Bike Trail Comments (14)
Sketch of the Attacker:
What new safety measures are in place in the Town of Vienna to protect women from further attacks? Where can the public go to hear about these measures?
