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April 27, 2008
Joan Lillis Takes Vienna "Walk on the Hill" to New Low Comments (17)
Today was the annual Historic Vienna, Inc. "Walk on the Hill". Historic Vienna, Inc. is of course a Town of Vienna created and run corporation. At the "walk" neighbors put this sign up at each participating yard's entrance:
However, today there was something different, because today historic nut job Loan Lillis posted some "extra" discriminatory language on this sign at her front yard entrance:
For those wondering yes those signs are ultimately paid for with tax payer dollars. Should citizens of Vienna be outraged at Lillis or just feel sorry for her? Unfortunately it is just further evidence that our government has been hijacked by corrupt and petty politicians.
However, the best spectacle of the day was launched by queen historic nut Laine Hyde. Apparently Hyde filed a police report because pictures of her house were taken. Yes, this is the same Laine Hyde who is President of Historic Vienna, Inc. and who also sits on the Town of Vienna Commercial ARB. More to come on Hyde.
January 03, 2006
Talking Loud; Saying Nothing Comments (0)
Joan Lillis: Spin, Spin and More Spin
Joan Lillis is typical of the supporters of the Windover Heights Historic District. They say much without saying anything. For example, watch the video from when Joan Lillis attempted to stop her immediate neighbor from building his new house in 2004-2005:
On the surface, perhaps to some, Lillis' presentation sounds remotely plausible. However, consider:
1. This District has nothing to do with preserving architectural history.
2. Lillis speaks of standards. There are none. None. Nada. They don't exist.
3. What is "responsible architecture"? Where is this defined?
Joan Lillis is talking loud and saying absolutely nothing.
November 25, 2005
Joan Lillis: Not a Good Neighbor Comments (1)
Maud Robinson and
Historic District Activist Joan Lillis (Click for House)
Joan Lillis of 313 Windover Avenue had plenty to say in arguing against the new house at 315 Windover in 2004:
"Joan Lillis...stated that she is against the proposed application. Ms. Lillis said that the proposed house is a “mass” which she believes to be inharmonious and incongruous to the existing homes in that area. Ms. Lillis said that the ramblers are not such a bad thing and thinks there is a renaissance resurgence noting that ramblers are based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s prairie house. Ms. Lillis said that she thinks it is unfortunate to have these personal attacks here about her and Mr. Lillis as well as other neighbors."
Let's set the record straight for Mrs. Lillis:
- Mass is size. Size is not regulated by the Windover Heights Historic District. Lillis knows this.
- Lillis never provided any proof that the new house at 315 Windover Avenue was "inharmonious and incongruous to the existing homes." Where is the proof?
- Lillis may think ramblers are not such a bad thing and she is entitled to her opinion. The reality? The house she opposed in the summer of 2004 is now complete. The house that was there in the so-called Historic District was sold for $575,000. It was then demolished. The brand new house built in its place is gorgeous and recently sold for $1.8 million. That is good for all citizens of Vienna!
- Up until the day the new $1.8 million dollar house went to settlement in November 05, Lillis was working hard to stop the closing and prevent occupancy.
Her husband Frank Lillis at the same meeting argued:
"Lillis said that if the Board continues to approve the kinds of house that are before the Board this evening, than pretty soon anything that comes in is going to be compatible; the area will become a high priced neighborhood and not a historic district."
Is Frank Lillis calling for the devaluation of real estate? He clearly is. He is not on same page with the vast majority of Americans who actually desire to see their home increase in value! If you live in the Windover Heights Historic District be aware of Lillis' behind the scenes actions to lower property values.
Keep in mind though, Frank Lillis as a member of the Vienna Board of Zoning Appeals voted for 316 Windover's brand new house (across the street from Lillis). That house happens to be 15,000 square feet and worth $8 million dollars now. Lillis wants "tear down rambler type houses" next door to him, but apparently in some locations approved by Frank Lillis multi-million dollar houses are acceptable. Frank Lillis is a hypocrite of the highest order.
Here is the house at 315 Windover BEFORE.
Here is the house at 315 Windover AFTER.
A good article from the local paper outlining the nonsense Lillis engineered.
315 Windover Avenue & Frank Lillis Comments (0)
Joanna Franco authored this piece for The Connection on August 18, 2004:
"If any consensus was reached Monday night, it was that the ordinance for the Windover Heights Historic District should undergo a review of its own. The Vienna Town Council upheld Monday evening the decision by the Windover Heights Board of Review, to grant a certificate of appropriateness to Sagatov Associates to build a 4,800-square-foot home in the Windover Heights Historic District, at 315 Windover Ave., N.W. Yet the approval wasn't unanimous, with the vote being 4 to 3 in favor of granting the certificate. Council members Edythe Kelleher, Mike Polychrones, Sydney Verinder and Vienna mayor Jane Seeman voted to uphold the ruling by the Windover Heights Board of Review, while Council members Laurie Cole, George Lovelace and Maud Robinson voted against it. The tally mirrored an earlier, July 26 vote on the issue, with the exception of Verinder, who had been absent from that meeting. "The house is in compliance with everything," said Polychrones, one of the members voting in favor of the applicant. Lovelace disagreed, arguing that the current proposed design of having a large garage and house on the same visual plane created the appearance of house incongruous with the scale of its smaller lot. "If [the house] was properly modified, it would be compatible," Lovelace said as he cast a dissenting vote. THE PROJECT submitted by Lou Sagatov's Arlington-based firm came before the Council because of an appeal by the Lillises, who live next door to the proposed house. Because the project was in the Windover Heights Historic District, it needed to be in compliance with the stricter guidelines for the historic district in regards to scale, congruence with immediate surroundings, and preservation of the historic character of the northwest neighborhood. The Lillises had appealed the decision by the Windover Heights Board of Review, which provided permission for the project to proceed, because they had said they thought the project wasn't in scale with its surroundings. Particularly of concern to them was that the proposed house wasn't in scale with the two ramblers located on either side of 315 Windover Ave. The Lillises occupy one of the ramblers. But at the July 26 meeting, the Council voted 3 to 3 on the appeal, disagreeing on whether the application was indeed incongruous with the neighborhood. "I think something that is troubling here, there is no sense of openness," said Councilwoman Maud Robinson at the July meeting, who had voted in favor of the Lillises' appeal and against the applicant. The same concerns came up again as the Council addressed the issue on Aug. 16, as some Council members felt the applicant had met all the requirements of the ordinance for the historic district, while others thought the application was not complying with the requirement for appropriate scale to its surroundings. Although the Council had met with the Windover Heights Board of Review during a work session prior to that evening's meeting to gain insight on the Board's decision, the Council remained split on the proposed project as well as how the ordinance for the historic district should be interpreted. "My decision is, the house is out of scale to its own lot," Robinson said. Of the ordinance, Councilman Sydney Verinder said: "I do believe if there are inefficiencies ... the burden is on the town and not the applicant." While a consensus couldn't be reached, both sides agreed that the ordinance for the historic district needed to be addressed at a future work session, particularly examining whether the ordinance is vague and needs modification. "If we care about the historic district, let's ... move something" forward, said Robinson on the work session, adding that the input of Vienna residents needed to be included. That discussion on the relevance of the historic district has been discussed for over a year, as several residents had approached the town to remove their five properties from the historic district. Although both the town Planning Commission and the Town Council voted unanimously for the properties to stay within the district, the town is currently in a lawsuit with the applicants on the decision."
November 23, 2005
The Japanese Tea House and Frank Lillis Comments (0)
Here is an interchange between Frank Lillis and Windover Heights Board member Fred Skaer from 1999 when a Certificate of Appropriateness for a new house was denied:
Skaer: Do you have institutional knowledge on 326 West Street. It’s a modern house.Lillis: Its almost buried.
Skaer: Its almost a Japanese tea house.
Lillis: That's exactly right.
Skaer: That went in after this ordinance passed?
Lillis: That went in after the ordinance passed. There was no discussion on that, because it was a very, very modern house, however the way it was situated back off the road, low level, it did fit in with the neighborhood. It was not something that stood out like a sore thumb.
A house that best resembles a Japanese tea house built after the district was formed is deemed "historical" by Frank Lillis? Wow. Interestingly, Frank Lillis led the 2005 charge to have the new house just completed at 315 Windover stopped. Why did Lillis do this? Because he lived next door! Lillis was fortunately stopped and the Town now has one of the most attractive homes ever built.
