Aurora Highlands Civic Association (AHCA)

January 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-01-09 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Accessory Dwellings: Neighborhood Case Study. In 2017 Arlington County amended its ordinance governing Accessory Dwellings (ADs). An accessory dwelling is a second dwelling – separate or within a main house – with kitchen, bathroom, and separate entrance on a single family lot. The Affordable Housing Master Plan identified ADs as an existing tool to help augment housing supply and to support older adults aging in place. A detail in the new regulations, however, precludes many existing detached structures from qualifying even if they meet setback and height requirements. We will hear about the case of one neighbor and a legislative fix he will be pursuing to address the Catch-22.
Elementary Schools—Boundaries and Projections. In late December, the school board finalized school boundaries which will alleviate the decade-long overcrowding at Oakridge Elementary School by sending some students in our neighborhood to Hoffman Boston. However, APS continues to grow their student population at an unprecedented rate and even with the boundary change Oakridge will again be over capacity by 2021. Arlington Ridge neighbor Colleen Pickford will share her experience in the Facilities Advisory Committee to look at the changing student population and the facility needs before APS in the coming years with a look at how that may impact our community.
Welcome to Amazonia. If the announcement that Amazon is likely to be our newest and biggest corporate neighbor has gotten your attention, our meeting is for you. We’ll hear a presentation by members of the County Board and JBG-Smith, the landowner/developer who would be working with Amazon to develop its new campus. Come with your questions about Amazon’s agreement with the County and State, and the possible impacts or opportunities, including new residential density, schools, housing affordability, traffic, proposed infrastructure, employment, and more.

Love the Run You're With 5K
2019-02-10 06:00 - 11:00
The annual Love the Run You’re With 5K will take place in the area of Pentagon City on Sunday, February 10, 2019. The Arlington County Police Department will implement the following road closures to accommodate the race:

Joyce Street, between S. 15thStreet and Army Navy Drive, will be closed from 7:00 AMuntil 11:00 AM.
15thStreet, between S. Hayes Street and S. Joyce Street, will be closed from 6:00 AMuntil 11:00 AM(The southern entrance to the Pentagon City Mall Garage will be closed for the duration of the event).
Army Navy Drive, between S. Joyce Street and S. 23rdStreet, will be closed from 7:00 AMuntil 11:00 AM.

Local street parking will be restricted and motorists should be on the lookout for temporary “No Parking” signs. Illegally parked vehicles may be ticketed and towed, particularly along S. Joyce Street near Pentagon Row. If your vehicle is towed during this event call the Emergency Communications Center at 703-558-2222.
Race attendees are strongly encouraged to use Metro or other “for hire” transportation options. Participants seeking parking options can utilize the Pentagon City Mall garage, which will be accessible via the Army Navy Drive entrance.
For more information regarding the event visit the Pacers Running website.

February 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-02-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Come early for refreshments and socializing!
Doors open at 6:30.
WE WILL HAVE BABYSITTERS AT THE MEETING

7:00pm – Updates & Action Items
Miriam Gennari, AHCA President, will introduce the Executive Committee, share new membership initiatives, and lead discussion on action items – including 2019 budget, a letter to the county, and more!
7:20pm – Scooters & Dockless Bikes
We’re 4 months into the county’s 9-month pilot program into Shared Mobility Devices. Share your feedback! If you use them, how’s it working for you? If not, do you have concerns? Greg Matlesky, the County’s Shared Mobility Planner, will speak along with representatives of various companies. More info: transportation.arlingtonva.us/scooters-and- dockless-bikeshare/
The following are the meeting presentation materials: http://aurorahighlands.org/wp-content/uploads/Presentation-to-AHCA-19-2-13.pdf
8:00pm – Amazon HQ2 with JBG Smith
Andrew Vanhorn, Exec VP at JBG, will discuss JBG’s vision for future projects and offer an update on current projects and anticipated timing. We will discuss the community’s goals, and share input and concerns. Check out nationallanding.com (a JBG sponsored page) and jbgsmith.com to prepare.

March 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-03-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Childcare will be provided.
Doors open 6:30 for socializing.

Agenda
Presentation by Crystal City Business Improvement District
Tracy Gabriel, President & Executive Director will share details about their upcoming projects and strategic plan, including expansion into Pentagon City. See the February 21 ARLnow article for background.

County Board Member Erik Gutshall on Amazon
Erik will take questions from residents including any lingering questions on Amazon, prior to the Board’s vote on the incentive package this Saturday, March 16.

Upcoming Work to Dominion Glebe Substation
Dominion Energy will be working project at our Glebe Substation on S Eads St, near Four Mile Run beginning Fall 2019-Spring 2020. See the Dominion Glebe Rebuild page for background and plans.

Vote on Accessory Dwelling request
In January, AHCA heard a presentation about a homeowner who legally built living quarters over his garage in 1983, but is now in violation of current Accessory Dwelling (AD) regulations. The owner is asking for a letter of support that the County grant his unit grandfathered legal status as an Accessory Dwelling. The property in question is located at 734 21st St. Additional information is available in a variance request.

Sustainability Statement – Discussion & Vote
The AHCA executive committee has prepared a draft statement on areas we expect the county to address given expected growth in the area. Please review the draft statement on the aurorahighlands.org web site. A vote will be taken to endorse this as an official neighborhood position. Amendments may be offered. New resolutions may also be introduced at this time; a resident notified AHCA of a related resolution requesting a solid commitment from Amazon on community engagement as they move into our neighborhood.

Community Updates
Women in STEM panel, senior center activities, pocket park at 20th & Ives, film screenings, construction on Arlington Ridge

Crystal City Civic Association April Meeting
2019-04-03 19:00 - 21:00 | Westin Hotel, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, 22202, United States
CCCA has invited Aurora Highlands residents to the April 3rd meeting.
An Amazon representative will share Amazon’s plans to be a “good neighbor” to our 22202 residents. Come welcome them and ask questions.

CCCA General Meeting
Westin Hotel

1800 Jefferson Davis Highway

April 3, 7:00-9 pm

This meeting is limited to Crystal City, Aurora Highlands/Pentagon City, and Arlington Ridge residents.

April 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-04-10 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Placeholder for AHCA monthly meeting.
See the current AHCA newsletter for the agenda.
Come early for refreshments and socializing! Doors open at 6:30.

May 2019 AHCA Meeting **Schedule change: 3rd Wednesday**
2019-05-15 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States

Primary Elections
2019-06-11 06:00 - 19:00
The next General Election will be November 5, 2019. Offices on the ballot in Arlington will be Senate of Virginia (30th, 31st, and 32nd Districts), Virginia House of Delegates (45th, 47th, 48th, and 49th Districts), Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, two County Board seats, and School Board.

If primaries are called for any offices, they are scheduled to be held on June 11, 2019 (subject to change).

Note: Aurora Highlands is split between the 30th and 31st Virginia senate districts and the 45th, 48th, and 49th Virginia house districts. Check your home address if you are unsure who your representatives are.

June 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-06-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
7-9pm, 735 18th St.
Aurora Highlands Community Center
Childcare provided!

7:10 Update on 20th & Ives lot
Scott McPartlin, DPR, will update AHCA on the parcel the County aquired last year. The County does not currently have funding for the planning, design, or construction of this site, but will discuss the upcoming house demolition and installment of a casual use space that could involve basic improvements such as grass restoration and tree plantings.
7:30 Managing our Environmental, Energy, and Recycling Challenges
What is Arlington doing to respond to climate change? Manage stormwater? Promote green building and energy efficiency?
Demetra McBride, Bureau Chief of Arlington’s Office of Sustainability and Environmental Management will discuss Arlington’s environmental performance, including topics like stormwater infrastructure, stream restoration, energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reduction.
How can Arlington meet aggressive Sustainability and Zero Waste goals if we stop recycling glass, and trash more plastics, styrofoam, etc?
Neil Seldman, PhD, director of the Waste to Wealth Initiative at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) explains what’s happening in the world of Recycling and how Arlington could turn waste into resources. His Institute is a not-for-profit so communities can hire his organization to do studies on markets.

Army Navy Drive Complete Streets Project Open House
2019-06-25 16:00 - 19:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
You are invited to the upcoming open house on theArmy Navy Drive Complete Streets Project. The project will re-build Army Navy Drive within the existing right-of-way as a multimodal complete street featuring enhanced bicycle, transit, environmental and pedestrian facilities.
Please join us anytime between 4:00-7:00 pm to learn about the project, talk with staff and share feedback on the 30% designs.
Tuesday, June 25
4:00 – 7:00 pm
Aurora Hills Branch Library
735 S 18thStreet
Arlington, VA 22202
You can learn more about the project, the public process and view the designs on the project page.

Met Park / HQ2 public kickoff
2019-07-10 19:00 - 20:30 | trades center, 2700 S Taylor St, Arlington, VA, 22206, United States
The County will hold a community meeting to kick off the review process for the proposed Met Park Phases 6 & 7/8 site plan. This is the location for Amazon’s first phase of new development in Arlington. Learn about the proposed development, planning background and how the review process will work. County staff and the applicant will be available to answer questions.
NOTE: In addition, the Planning Commission’s committee-level public review of the site plan proposal will start on July 15.

July 2019 AHCA Meeting **Note Date Change**
2019-07-17 19:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States

Nelly Custis Ribbon Cutting & Social
2019-07-27 11:00 - 13:00
Come join your neighbors and Arlington County Board Members Christian Dorsey and Matt de Ferranti for the official park ribbon cutting ceremony and re-opening.
The park has been updated with a completely new playground area and equipment for ages 5-12, along with built-in seating, benches, tables, plantings and landscaped areas for the enjoyment of everyone from ages 0-116! Come out and explore the new Nelly.
There will be food, entertainment, and fun for everyone of all ages:

Live acoustic music by Giff
We’ll have pizza, popsicles, and refreshments. Pizza by Extreme Pizza
Dogs get treats and water sponsored by Two Way Dog Walking
Pick up your wildflower seed packet from Friends of Aurora Highlands Parks
Explore the new playground and natural areas

This project is the culmination of a Neighborhood Conservation project kicked off in 2015. Thanks go out to David Litman, our NC rep, and the members of the working group Alexander Fernández, Paul Guttridge, Mary Humphreys, Geva Lester, Stephanie Lyons, Stacy Meyer, William Pott, and Julie Bartsch Riley who worked with the county to come up with the new changes.

Street Sweeping
2019-08-14 07:30 - 15:00
Street sweeping will occur from approximately 7:30 a.m.- 3 p.m. You can help this effort by making your street accessible:

Move your car to a driveway, garage or non-sweeping street during this time.
Remove any low hanging limbs from the curb so the street sweepers can access and clean them.

Arlington’s street sweeping service will occur from April to October. Street sweeping removes accumulated debris and pollutants such as sand, salt, metals, petroleum products and bacteria before they wash into streams, the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
Aurora Highlands and Arlington Ridge are in Zone 8, scheduled for sweeping on:

Wednesday, August 14
Wednesday, October 16
Wednesday, April 15, 2020
Wednesday, June 17, 2020

For more information, visit the street sweeping webpage. When not performing residential sweeping, street sweepers will be focused on sweeping commercial areas and bike lanes throughout the County.

September 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-09-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States

October 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-10-09 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States

General Elections
2019-11-05 06:00 - 19:00
The next General Election will be November 5, 2019. Offices on the ballot in Arlington will be Senate of Virginia (30th, 31st, and 32nd Districts), Virginia House of Delegates (45th, 47th, 48th, and 49th Districts), Commonwealth’s Attorney, Sheriff, Commissioner of Revenue, Treasurer, two County Board seats, and School Board.

Note: Aurora Highlands is split between the 30th and 31st Virginia senate districts and the 45th, 48th, and 49th Virginia house districts. Check your home address if you are unsure who your representatives are.

November 2019 AHCA Meeting
2019-11-13 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Tentative agenda:

2020 AHCA officer elections
22202 Transportation Projects
Volunteering for 2020 Census
Climate change & Arlington Energy Plan
GoBox

See the current AHCA newsletter for the final agenda and details.
Come early for refreshments and socializing! Doors open at 6:30.

Holiday Party & Social
2019-12-11 18:30 - 21:00 | The Acadia, 525 12th Rd S, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
Please join us for our Holiday Celebration
Wednesday December 11
6:30 – 9:00 PM
The Acadia
575 12th Rd S
19th Floor Sky Lounge
All neighbors welcome

Amazon got you thinking about job opportunities, rents, traffic?
The Aurora Highlands Civic Association represents the neighborhood (including you!) in County discussions and works to make our area a great place to live.
Come learn about the Livability Action Plan for National Landing being developed by our three area civic associations. Meet your neighbors. Grab drinks or a bite to eat at this zero-waste event. Get a ride home on Flare’s electric shuttle.

While no dogs are allowed at the holiday party, Two Way Pet Services (twowaydogwalking.com) and Pentagon City Dogs (PentagonCityDogs.org) will be giving away holiday dog goodie bags for pet owners to take home.
Eco conscious? This year’s event has a zero-waste goal. Party supplies will be reusable and will be made available for you to use at your community events like block parties throughout the year.
Ditch the car! Local electric vehicle shuttle FLARE will provide free service along Fern, 15th, Joyce, and 23rd street to get you safely home from the event. Or just go for a joy ride to experience the future! FlareRides.com

January AHCA Meeting
2020-01-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
7pm, 735 18th St.
Aurora Hills Community Center
Childcare provided!
7:10Pentagon Centre Construction
Developer Kimco will provide details on the construction starting this month at 15th & Hayes and answer questions from residents.
7:30 Melwood / Miracle on 23rd donation
Recap of the Miracle on 23rd event from December and consideration of $500 donation. Melwood will also talk about their new initiatives like abilIT that trains individuals of differing abilities and injured veterans skills to compete for high-demand jobs in the IT sector.
7:45 Showing of Styrofoam Mom: The Movie
Our planned speakers on Climate Reality and the Community Energy Plan had a last minute conflict.
Fortunately for us, this opens up some time to break out the popcorn and watch the 1-hour documentary from our local hero speaking out against unsustainable packaging. Check out the trailer at http://styrofoammom.com
Come early for refreshments and socializing! Doors open at 6:30.

Joint CA meeting & panel on Livability
2020-01-14 19:00 - 21:00 | Westin Hotel, 1800 Richmond Highway, Arlington, 22202, United States
The three 22202 civic associations are joining forces to start off the new year with a joint meeting of great importance to our neighborhood: The Livability Framework and Action Plan, which provides us a way to tackle the challenges facing our area with holistic strategies based on shared livability themes to create a better, more livable city.
The confirmed agenda is:

1. Matt Mattauszek on “Beyond Amazon” with a PowerPoint on all the development areas in 22202.

2. Presentation of the Livability Framework and the Action Plan. Mike Dowell will again be our main presenter, with Eric Cassel as Introducer. The talk will be tailored to our residents in the 3 CAs with more details on the Action Plan and implementation.

3. Panel on Open Space as an example of how we can implement the LF Action Plan: JBG Smith Andy VanHorn on the Crystal City parks; Brooke Overdetter of Amazon (unless they send someone else) to talk about community benefits in redesigning the Metropolitan Park; and Tracy Gabriel on how the Livability Framework fits with the BID’s Strategic Plan, how they did the mapping of Open Space, and what the BID’s role is with implementing the LF for Open Space. Brian Harner, our facilitator for development of the Livability Framework and Action Plan, will moderate. The Open Space planning committee decided to focus primarily on the Crystal City parks, plus Amazon and the Metropolitan Park, to keep this manageable time wise. The charette which is being planned for February 22 will cover our larger OpenSpace issues.

Arlington Cemetery Road Project - Design Public Hearing
2020-02-11 18:30 - 20:30 | Sharaton Pentagon City, 900 South Orme St, Arlington, 22204, United States
The ANCSE is being supported by a Defense Access Road (DAR) Project to realign Columbia Pike and modify the Columbia Pike/Washington Boulevard interchange near the Pentagon. The DAR project is under design now and is being accomplished by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Eastern Federal Lands Highway Division (EFLHD).
A Design Public Hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 11, at the Sheraton Pentagon City. See attached copy of the ads from the Washington Post (Metro Section, January 14, 2020) and El Tiempo Latino (January 17, 2020). “ArlingtonNow” is also advertising the Public Hearing (https://www.arlnow.com/events/design-public-hearing-arlington-national-cemetery-defense-access-road-project/). Separate mailers have gone out to more than 8,000 addresses near the project area.
The FHWA project website is up and accessible to the public: https://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/projects/va/vastanc-1/.
The general agenda for the Public Hearing is as follows:
6:30 PM Open House
7:15 PM Presentation
7:30 PM Public Comments
8:00 PM Open House
8:30 PM Adjourn
The presentation will be made by the DAR Project Team of FHWA and Kimley-Horn and will provide an overview of the DAR project, discuss the interchange modification, and discuss the anticipated change in limited access control along Route 27 and I-395 adjacent to both the DAR and ANCSE projects.
During the open house sessions, members from the DAR design team (FHWA Eastern Federal Lands and Kimley-Horn staff) will be stationed at boards to answer any questions from the public.
Public hearing participants will be encouraged to provide comments on the project by speaking after the presentation, by talking with the court reporter who will be at the hearing, and by submitting written comments.

West Glebe Road Bridge Reconstruction Project Open House
2020-02-12 18:00 - 20:00 | Gunston Community Center, 2700 S. Lang Street, Arlington, VA, 22206, United States
Arlington County staff, in coordination with colleagues in the City of Alexandria, will host a drop-in style open house on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2020, at Gunston Middle School. Stop by anytime between 6 and 8 pm to learn more about the project, ask questions of staff and provide feedback on bridge cross sections and visual preferences.

If you are unable to attend the open house, an online feedback form will be available from Feb. 13 through Feb. 27. Arlington staff will also share information and collect feedback at “pop-up” opportunities at activity centers near the project, including one in Alexandria, to reach additional community members.

Status
In Design
County staff are currently working on a bridge design. Staff will seek community feedback on cross sections and visual preferences in February 2020.
About the Project
Background
A routine inspection in fall 2018 uncovered deterioration that required a vehicle weight restriction of 5-tons and closure of the sidewalks in both directions. The southbound lane across the bridge was converted for the exclusive use of people walking and biking.
County staff are developing designs for a bridge that replaces the deteriorated roadway substructure and reuses the existing piers, which are stable. This reduces impacts to the watershed, helps reduce project costs and contributes to a shorter construction timeline.
Project Goals
The goals of this project are to:

Return the bridge to a safe operational condition for all users
Improve access for people walking, biking and driving
Advance the community vision of the Four Mile Run Master Plan

February AHCA Meeting
2020-02-12 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
7pm, 735 18th St.
Aurora Hills Community Center
Childcare provided!
7:10 Climate Reality
Carolina Peña, volunteer of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, will share the science behind what is causing climate change and the reality – that the solutions to address it are available, we just have to have the determination to make it happen.
7:30 Community Energy Plan
Rich Dooley (Arlington County) will provide information on the Community Energy Plan (CEP) update recently adopted by the County Board and highlight actions the community can take to help us reach our goals.
7:50 Q&A with Matt de Ferranti
County Board Member Matt de Ferranti will follow up from last November’s discussion with perspective on the Livability Framework. He will be joined by County transportation staff to provide an update on the County’s traffic analysis.

Livability Workshop: Open Space
2020-02-22 09:00 - 15:00 | Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
We all know that 22202 is a great place to live. But for many of us, the only backyard we have is our neighborhood. With all the new proposed development, we have an opportunity to reshape what our backyard looks like. What do we love? What’s missing? What’s not working? Could our open spaces be greener or more attractive? More inviting or accessible?
We are inviting you to attend a workshop where you can share your experience, learn about existing and planned open spaces, and help develop a community vision for Open Space in 22202.
This is a part of a resident-led effort to ensure that planning for open space, as well as for community needs such as schools, transportation, and housing affordability, is holistic, responsive, and comprehensive. And we will begin to define priorities for Open Space in the County’s Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). You can read more about the Livability 22202 Action Plan at http://livability22202.org/
The workshop will focus on discussing ideas for four topics, with walking tours in the morning and afternoon:

Developing a holistic approach to planning Crystal City Parks
Re-envisioning Virginia Highlands Park as the backyard for the Pentagon City community
Connecting residents to the natural world and enhancing biodiversity throughout 22202 green spaces
Exploring the possibility for a publicly accessible greenway from Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary along the railroad tracks to the southern end of Crystal City

The workshop is scheduled for February 22, from 9am to 3pm, at the Crystal City Marriott, 1999 Richmond Hwy (the corner of 20th and Clark Bell). An informal lunch is included. It will be interactive, with opportunities to hear from fellow residents who have different experiences and needs for Open Space.
Please join us if you can. Space is limited so sign up soon. Please indicate which of the four workshop topics you are most interested in, and we will do our best to include you in the group you prefer. But in any of the groups, you will bring your experience to the table and learn from others!

Livability Workshop: Housing Affordability #2
2020-03-07
One of a series of workshops discussing the Livability Framework for 22202.
Details forthcoming.

March AHCA Meeting
2020-03-11 19:00 - 21:00 | Aurora Hills Community Center, 735 18th Street South, Arlington, VA, 22202, United States
7pm, 735 18th St.
Aurora Hills Community Center
Childcare provided!

Tentative agenda:

Presentation from County on work planned for 31st Steet Water Treatment Plant parking lot
Feedback from our first workshop on housing affordability
Presentation of the County’s Missing Middle Housing Study
Discussion with County Board Member Katie Cristol
Presentation by AHCA Ives Park working group on proposed volunteer enhancements

Livability Workshop: Future of the Underground (POSTPONED)
2020-03-28
This event has been postponed due to complications planning and scheduling with the COVID-19 situation.
It will be rescheduled when planning is complete and it can be safely held.

April AHCA Meeting (CANCELED)
2020-04-08 19:00 - 21:00
7pm, 735 18th St.
The April monthly meeting has been canceled.

Livability Workshop: Route 1/East-West Corridor. (POSTPONED)
2020-04-18
