October 2016 Newsletter

[Original PDF 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, October 12 at 7 p.m. Aurora Hills Community Center 735 18th St. S. *** Doors open at 6:30 ***

Aurora Highlands Civic Association Newsletter – October 2016

Meeting Agenda

Introductions

For Discussion

• Consideration of donation to Oakridge Elementary School for kinesthetic classroom furniture. Dana Dougherty will talk about this innovative and successful project.
• County Board candidates Audrey Clement (Green Party) and Libby Garvey (Democratic Party) will attend our meeting. Each will be given 20 minutes to address the audience and take questions.
• Nominations for AHCA executive board. Elections will be held at the November meeting.

Community Updates

• The 9th Annual BooHaHa Neighborhood Halloween party: Oct. 15, 3–6 PM at the Aurora Hills Library/Community Center (see below). Even if you have just an hour, please sign up to volunteer at the event:  http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0b4baead29a02-boohaha1.
• Eads and Fern St. Traffic Incursion: To better address the problem of traffic cutting through the neighborhood, the Traffic Engineering Department will conduct traffic counts on Eads and Fern Streets, and do an analysis of before and after conditions as well as of traffic conditions during peak hours. The analysis will be completed by November 30.  Thanks to County Board Member Katie Cristol for her efforts in getting the County to focus on this problem.
• RiverHouse: Vornado has filed a request to change the zoning on its RiverHouse property, and is proposing two options, one for increased residential plus new retail and one for residential only. Under both plans, an additional 900+ residential units would be added. The County is still studying the application to make sure it is complete. Mike Dowell will give an update, and once the application has been accepted, we will have a more thorough discussion.
• Crystal City: Vornado has proposed changes to the Shops at 1750 Crystal Drive and plans to build a pair of retail pavilions on the open area in front of 2101 and 2201 Crystal Drive. Mike Dowell will give an update on new proposals.
• Last Chance for a Beautiful Free Shade Tree: Applications for a free tree, planted free of charge, through the Tree Canopy Fund close on October 14. Here’s an easy and unusual opportunity to increase your property values, beautify the neighborhood, and lower your energy bills. Please email Natasha Atkins or Kathy Landis ASAP if you are interested. landis59@gmail.com or natashaatkins1@gmail.com
• Quarterly Police Meeting: Oct. 26, 7 PM, at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, 23^rd St. S.
• Senior Center renovations and upcoming elections: Elections on November 8 will be held as usual in the Aurora Hills Senior Center. Thereafter, the senior center will be closed for renovations, with 55+ programs moving to Gunston Middle School after Oct. 21. AHCA meetings will be held across the hall, in the back room of the library.
• Proposed regulations on short-term residential rentals (e.g. AirBnB): The Arlington County Zoning Office has received both questions from those interested in legally participating and complaints about some properties now being rented. On Oct. 15, the County Manager will propose an outreach plan at the County Board’s regular meeting. Prior to voting on the issue on Dec. 10, the County Board will hold a public hearing. Stay tuned for more details.
• November Elections Info: Deadline to register is Oct. 17. Even if you have moved within Arlington, you must re-register at your new address. In-person absentee voting is now available at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. Visit https://vote.arlingtonva.us/elections/ for info on registration, polling places, hours, absentee voting, ballot questions, etc.

Bring your goblins, witches, and pirates to this free, fun neighborhood tradition.  We’ll greet you with face painters, a horse-drawn hay ride, and moon bounces for all ages. Let your kids kick off their shoes and challenge the rock climbing wall. Entertainment will be provided by the Old Town Tradition banjo band and Nathan, our unicycle-riding juggler. Getting hungry?  Grab some pizza and apple cider. Let loose your inner artist and decorate a pumpkin to take home. Many thanks to Cheryl Mendonsa, Geva Lester, and Mike Dowell, along with many others, for their hard work pulling this together, and to our many sponsors. Volunteers are still needed for the day of the event.

How You Can Help  Big things will be happening next year, including the renovation of Virginia Highlands Park, proposed new development at RiverHouse, the next phase of Metropolitan Park development, and more. As a civic association, we get a seat at the table with County officials and developers. You can help our community determine how those projects affect our quality of life. We are looking for people to help with membership, zoning, and transportation issues, among others. Please contact one of the officers if you would like to get involved.

Important Websites

AHCA Bank Account Balance (required by by-laws): $6305.15

Please sign up with the Aurora Highlands group on Nextdoor to stay informed about happenings in the hood, including AHCA-related issues. We also encourage people to use Nextdoor as a way to spread the word about events or other items of interest to the whole 22202 community.

Category: Take Note