Approximately fifteen people attended the Civic Association meeting on Tuesday evening 30 April at Firehouse 9.
The agenda included:
Shannon Early, Landscape Architect for Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation reviewed the current status of the Doctors Run Park Trail lighting project.
This project was approved by the County Board in February 2011 using funds from the Neighborhood Conservation Program. The project will install 6-8 LED lighting fixtures along the trail from the rear of Randolph Elementary School to South George Mason Drive, to enhance the safety of children walking between the school and Barcroft Apartments. In addition the project will:
- Realign parts of the trail, especially to reduce the grade descending to and from South George Mason Drive.
- Widen the existing trail, replacing the current asphalt surface with the County’s softer bike path paving.
- Remove existing asphalt swales and install bioswales.
- Install concrete steps on the approach to Randolph Elementary School.
- Remove one tree.
- Install a wood pedestrian bridge along the branch of the trail connecting to South Randolph Street.
The anticipated timeline:
- Finalize plan and contracting draft (2 months)
- Review and approval by various County departments (2-3 months)
- Bid process (two months)
- Construction (two months)
Completion is currently scheduled for Spring 2014.
No changes are contemplated to the trail between Randolph Elementary School and its eastern terminus at South Quincy Street and 12th Street South.
The Civic Association members present at the meeting were in general support of the project with a few reservations:
- The ‘lights out’ time on the trail is currently set for 6.00p. A time of 6.30p or 7.00p is requested due to after-school programs, including extended day-care which runs through 6.00p.
- No time was given as to ‘lights on’ in the morning.
- Concern was expressed that the project be reviewed by the Arlington Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) as the site was once a Civic War campground.
- A request was made to remove the curbing at the South Randolph Street junction of the trail to facilitate bike use. Staff advised that the request was outside the current project scope.
A PDF overview of the project may be found here.
We discussed possible cleanup projects around the neighborhood. Suggestions included:
- Weed/replant islands along South Highland Street
- Continued cleanup around neighborhood entrance signs
- Investigate repainting the information kiosk in Douglas Park
- Increase participation in Marty Neilsen’s invasives removals in Douglas and Monroe Parks
- Gauge the feasibility of a neighborhood cleanup day where residents could dispose of junk not normally picked up by regular refuse collections (Al Fox to investigate)
We discussed redoubling our efforts to update Douglas Park’s Neighborhood Conservation Plan. The current plan was approved in 1998. We have been working on the revision intermittently since the end of 2009. Two volunteers have stepped forward to update three sections of the document; we could still use assistance on other sections. To learn more or to volunteer, please contact any board member. An updated Neighborhood Conservation Plan is essential to participate in funding for various neighborhood projects such as the Doctors Run Trail Lighting project. Our goal is to complete our revisions by the end of the year and receive County Board approval early in 2014.
Douglas Park resident and Phoenix Bikes Executive Director Henry Dunbar presented a preliminary overview of new facilities for Phoenix Bikes. Phoenix Bikes is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that teaches youth teamwork, hard work and entrepreneurship through bike maintenance and education programs. The bike shop is currently located in Barcroft Park. The new facilities are proposed for the northeast corner of South Walter Reed Drive and South Four Mile Run Drive, just across from our neighborhood in Nauck. Further details will be forthcoming as plans are developed.
The next Civic Association meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, 18 June 2013 at 7.30p in the basement meeting room at Firehouse 9.
DPCA Newsletter June 2024Fri 14 Jun 2024 - 22:15 EDT
Easter Egg Roll, Saturday 30th March 2024Wed 13 Mar 2024 - 20:12 EDT
Recap of 18 June Civic Association Meeting
Civic Association Meetings, Civic Association Recaps, Green Streets, Stormwater Management, Traffic CalmingApproximately twenty people attended the Civic Association meeting on Tuesday evening 18 June at Firehouse 9.
The agenda included:
Christin Jolicouer, Watershed Planner; Greg Emanuel, Director of Arlington DES and other DES staff presented an update on the 16th St South ‘Green Streets’ project. We also heard from residents on 16th St South affected by the project.
Afterwards, Civic Association attendees discussed the presentations and expressed numerous concerns with the project. A consensus emerged to have the Civic Association formally communicate those concerns to the County Board and DES staff. That letter is available here.
Update: Arlington County has agreed to delink the ‘Green Streets’ project from the previously approved traffic-calming project on 16th St South and revisit the ‘Green Streets’ project itself. See the full response in this post.
John Snyder, Immediate Past-President of DPCA, updated us on plans for the 31st Douglas Fourth of July Park Parade and Picnic.
Adam Henderson was elected President of the Civic Association.
The next Civic Association meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, 17 September 2013 at 7.30p.
County Conducts Survey of Future ‘Super Stop’ Design
Public TransportArlington Transport/DES is seeking input from Pike residents and bus
users on the future design of the Columbia Pike ‘Super Stops’. The
survey is open now to 21 July:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
ATTENTION COLUMBIA PIKE NEIGHBORS, BUSINESSES, AND WALTER REED SUPER STOP USERS
Arlington County is conducting a comprehensive review of the performance, cost, design and construction of the recently completed Walter Reed Super Stop prototype. The goal of the review is to facilitate the construction of the remaining 23 planned Stops faster, more cost effectively and with improved functionality where necessary.
The assessment takes on a three-pronged approach with distinct processes:
The community consultation process includes you – current stop users and Columbia Pike neighbors and businesses – to get your feedback on the site’s design and amenities!
The intent of the feedback process is to seek input on the prototype’s physical elements and their functionality and effectiveness in order to inform the design review.
The findings from the overall comprehensive review will be used to determine how to proceed on future Super Stops. The review and outreach process is slated for completion in late fall 2013. The County Manager, after consulting with Arlington County Board members and WMATA, will announce her decision later this year.
Stay tuned to the Columbia Pike Super Stops webpage for updates!
Civic Association Meeting Tuesday 18th June
Civic Association Agendas, Civic Association MeetingsThe next meeting of the Douglas Park Civic Association will be held Tuesday 18 June 2013 at 7.30p in the downstairs meeting room at Firehouse Nr 9, South Walter Reed Dr at 19th St South.
On the agenda:
1. A presentation by County staff on the 16th St South ‘Green Street’ bioretention project (links to more details below).
2. Recap of plans for our 31st Annual Fourth of July Parade and Picnic.
3. Other business.
All are welcome to attend. The Douglas Park Neighbor News will be delivered to your doorstep the weekend of 15/16 June. The digital PDF copy is here.
Links to more details on the 16th St South ‘Green Street’project on the Arlington County website:
Main project website
Project plan [PDF]
Drainage area for the project [PDF]
Streetlamp Conversion to LED Technology
StreetlightingThe County is converting streetlights to LED technology in order to modernize the overall streetlighting network, reduce costs, minimize energy use and environmental impact, and improve safety and visibility for vehicular and pedestrian traffic on County roadways. As part of the LED Streetlight Conversion Program, streetlights on the following streets in Douglas Park are slated to be converted to LEDs in the next few months:
The retrofitting/conversion process takes approximately two weeks for each street. During the conversion installation process, streetlights will remain off, and crews will work to minimize the traffic impact in the area. This process also includes testing of the initial operation of the newly retrofitted lights and the implementation of the remote dimming capability. Each light must be individually programmed for dimming purposes.
A detailed fact sheet regarding the new LED technology and conversion process is available here. This information can also be found on the County’s website at www.arlingtonva.us by searching “Streetlight Conversion”. For specific questions regarding the upcoming installation, please contact Santosh Neupane, Streetlight Engineer, at sneupane@arlingtonva.us.
Street Sealing in Douglas Park
Construction, RoadworkThe 2013 County Street Slurry Seal preventative maintenance program will begin around 8 July and end sometime in November 2013
We have been advised that the following streets in Douglas Park are currently scheduled for sealing work this summer:
Slurry Seal is a water-based, emulsified asphalt mixture spread one-eighth inch (1/8″) thick over the street surface. It protects streets from water penetration, provides a new surface with improved skid-resistance, and is a quick and economical repair method between full resurfacings.
The operation requires street closures and parking restrictions for 4-8 hours depending on weather.
A notice will be mailed out to affected addresses 4 week in advance on the affected streets and is followed up with door hangers. These provide information about the planned activities and suggestions for residents. A detailed area map showing the proposed work locations can be accessed via the Internet at: http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/EnvironmentalServices/dot/StreetSlurry.aspx.
More details will follow as available.
Arlington Transportation Development Plan Forum Set for Sat 1 Jun 2013
Public TransportCounty staff will be hosting a Transportation Development Plan Forum on Sat 1 Jun 2013 from 9:30a to 12:30p. The meeting will be held in the Navy League Building at 2100 Wilson Blvd. Attendees will be asked to suggest ART and Metrobus service changes for this fall’s annual update to Arlington County’s Six-Year Transportation Development Plan. More details available here.
Overnight Lane Closures on Glebe Road
Construction, RoadworkVDOT crews will perform alternating overnight lane closures on southbound Glebe Road (VA Route 120) from Wilson Boulevard to 24th Street South. These closures will take place from 9.00p to 5.00a on Tuesday, May 28 – Thursday, May 30, 2013.
Local Chorale Presents Spring Concert
Community EventsThe NoVA Lights Chorale presents their Spring concert Voices of Freedom: 150 Years of Emancipation Saturday 9 June at 4p at the Arlington Presbyterian Church, 3507 Columbia Pike. Details on the chorale website here.
Recap of 30 April Civic Association Meeting
Civic Association Meetings, Civic Association Recaps, ConstructionApproximately fifteen people attended the Civic Association meeting on Tuesday evening 30 April at Firehouse 9.
The agenda included:
Shannon Early, Landscape Architect for Arlington County’s Department of Parks and Recreation reviewed the current status of the Doctors Run Park Trail lighting project.
This project was approved by the County Board in February 2011 using funds from the Neighborhood Conservation Program. The project will install 6-8 LED lighting fixtures along the trail from the rear of Randolph Elementary School to South George Mason Drive, to enhance the safety of children walking between the school and Barcroft Apartments. In addition the project will:
The anticipated timeline:
Completion is currently scheduled for Spring 2014.
No changes are contemplated to the trail between Randolph Elementary School and its eastern terminus at South Quincy Street and 12th Street South.
The Civic Association members present at the meeting were in general support of the project with a few reservations:
A PDF overview of the project may be found here.
We discussed possible cleanup projects around the neighborhood. Suggestions included:
We discussed redoubling our efforts to update Douglas Park’s Neighborhood Conservation Plan. The current plan was approved in 1998. We have been working on the revision intermittently since the end of 2009. Two volunteers have stepped forward to update three sections of the document; we could still use assistance on other sections. To learn more or to volunteer, please contact any board member. An updated Neighborhood Conservation Plan is essential to participate in funding for various neighborhood projects such as the Doctors Run Trail Lighting project. Our goal is to complete our revisions by the end of the year and receive County Board approval early in 2014.
Douglas Park resident and Phoenix Bikes Executive Director Henry Dunbar presented a preliminary overview of new facilities for Phoenix Bikes. Phoenix Bikes is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization that teaches youth teamwork, hard work and entrepreneurship through bike maintenance and education programs. The bike shop is currently located in Barcroft Park. The new facilities are proposed for the northeast corner of South Walter Reed Drive and South Four Mile Run Drive, just across from our neighborhood in Nauck. Further details will be forthcoming as plans are developed.
The next Civic Association meeting is scheduled for Tuesday evening, 18 June 2013 at 7.30p in the basement meeting room at Firehouse 9.
Civic Association Meeting Tuesday 30 April
Civic Association Agendas, Civic Association MeetingsThe next meeting of the Douglas Park Civic Association will be held Tuesday 30 April 2013 at 7.30p in the downstairs meeting room at Firehouse Nr 9, South Walter Reed Dr at 19th St South.
On the agenda:
1. An update presentation by County staff on the Doctors Run Trail Lighting project.
2. Discussion of a possible neighborhood cleanup day.
3. Discussion on proceeding with the update to our Neighborhood Conversation plan.
4. Other business.
All are welcome to attend. The Douglas Park Neighbor News will be delivered to your doorstep the weekend of 27/28 April. The digital PDF copy is here.