June 2017 Newsletter

[View the printed-format newsletter here]

All Aurora Highlands residents are invited and encouraged to come to our monthly meetings where we meet neighbors, discuss topics of interest, and share information. MEETING – Wednesday, June 14 at 7 p.m. Aurora Hills Senior Center 735 18th St. S.

Aurora Highlands Civic Association Newsletter – June 2017

Meeting Agenda

• Nelly Custis Park Planning. The Nelly Custis Design Working Group begins its efforts on June 7.  A design should be completed late summer or early fall with the hope to bring it to the Civic Association for approval later this fall.  The timeline will be posted on the project’s web site in the near future. Visit https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/nelly-custis-park/ for updates.
• Water Pollution Control Plant. A consultant for the Water Pollution Control Plant will talk about the master plan for dealing with solids at the plant. County staff have identified four options, from simply upgrading the current process to building a digester to generate biogas to power the plant or perhaps as fuel for buses. Although staff believe emissions from biogas combustion would be minimal, burning of biogas at the plant would represent a continuous point source of emissions affecting air quality in the immediate area. However, the results of an air quality modeling study will not be known until after the master plan is finalized.

  A “regional solution” involves trucking biosolids to the nearby Blue Plains plant in DC. This could reduce initial capital investment and point sources of emissions. Staff is investigating this solution, but it is currently not being considered as an option in the master plan.

  In all, there appears to be a desire to work collaboratively with the community, but the neighborhood will have to stay engaged and push for the final master plan to include responses to the air quality study and regional solution.

• Planning for the Boo-Ha-Ha Festival. Planning is well underway for the fall festival held in October each year. Jenny Sullivan will update us on plans to increase sponsorship, provide a mechanism for neighbors to donate, recruit volunteers and performers, etc.

Community Updates

• Traffic Study of Fern & Eads. At the May meeting, staff from the Transportation division discussed their study of traffic along S. Fern and S. Eads, which was prompted by community concerns about increasing – and dangerous – cut-through traffic through the neighborhood. The study focused on the bottleneck at S. Eads and 23^rd St., which causes such a backup that drivers often divert onto side streets south of 23^rd St. In a follow-up letter, DES has responded that by the middle of the summer they will have made adjustments to signal timing, lane markings, parking, and enforcement that should improve congestion at that intersection. Neighbors have been requesting signage to prevent cut-through traffic, and DES has promised to evaluate that request and respond during June.
• Virginia Highlands Park. At the April meeting, staff from the Parks Department presented the process to develop a framework plan to map out future changes to VHP. Questioning by residents revealed that the county is moving forward with the vision of replacing existing facilities like the softball fields instead of considering how to meet current needs and requests by the community. AHCA is working with the County Board and County Manager to push the Department of Parks to provide usage data for the fields and facilities, develop a robust, transparent community engagement process, and allow the community sufficient opportunity to weigh in, as requested and unanimously supported by our association in February 2016, before any funds are spent on renovating the west side of the park.
• Whole Foods Outdoor Café Use Permit Review. In July, the County Board will conduct a one (1) year use permit review of the outdoor café at the Whole Foods Market in Pentagon City (520 12^th St. South – the Bartlett apartment building). If you have questions or concerns, please come to the meeting to share them, or email president@aurorahighlands.org.
• AHCA Community Social. Join neighbors for a pint or a bite to eat at the Crystal City Sports Pub on Tuesday, June 20. Second floor, 6:30 to 8:30 pm.
• Fridays at the Fountain. Crystal City’s popular outdoor beer and wine garden returns in June. Open for business immediately after work at 5 pm, the event is free to attend and a cash bar is available with hand-picked beers and wines from the Crystal City Wine Shop. Come listen to live music in the beautiful Water Park at Crystal Drive and 18^th St. and mingle with some of your Crystal City neighbors. A great way to end the work week. Pre-purchase a bulk order of drink tickets ahead of time to save. https://www.crystalcity.org/do/fridays-at-the-fountain
• Spray Park is Now Open. Temperatures haven’t exactly been conducive to splashing in the park, but summer is officially here. The Virginia Highlands Park sprayground will be open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. through Labor Day.

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Aurora Highlands Civic Association       P.O. Box 25201       Arlington, VA 22202

www.aurorahighlands.org

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