April 2018 Newsletter

[View the printed-format newsletter here]

All Aurora Highlands / Pentagon City residents are encouraged to come to our monthly meetings to meet neighbors, discuss topics of interest, and share information. MEETING – Wednesday, April 11 at 7 p.m. Aurora Hills Community Center 735 18th St. S.

Aurora Highlands Civic Association Newsletter – April 2018

Meeting Agenda

Oakridge Walk Zone Review. The results of the walk zone reviews conducted around each elementary school were reported to APS on March 22, 2018. APS has conducted walk zone reviews and a community survey to identify possible areas for walk zone expansion and to see what infrastructure improvements would facilitate walking. The review was the first step in the process toward elementary school boundary changes. ACHA students will be affected by these changes. Come hear the details of the walk zone review and the next steps in assessing boundary changes. Public comment is still accepted
through www.apsva.us/engage.

Invasive Plant Treatment for 31st St Site. The County will soon begin a 5-year treatment program for invasive plants at the 31st St. site used by DES for parking and construction. The proposed treatment was included in County’s short-term site improvement plan presented to AHCA in January 2017. The work includes cutting/removing and chemical treatment of the invasive plants. Details will be provided in the meeting presentation.

Water Pollution Control Plant. At the March meeting AHCA heard a presentation on the County’s plans for upgrading sewage treatment and disposing of the residual solids, which can be “cooked and digested” at the plant into fertilizer or trucked to the larger DC Blue Plains facility, which already is processing solids into usable fertilizer. After a discussion about the cost and health effects from emissions under various alternatives, AHCA passed a motion to send a letter to the County Board to motivate them to negotiate with Blue Plains to truck the solids there. The letter will be voted on at the meeting.

Virginia Highlands Park: Use of West Side. Staff from the Dept. of Parks and Rec will come for an open discussion with meeting participants about current and future uses of the west side of the park, where the two softball fields and picnic area now are. We intend to raise (again) alternative community use of the space – either permanent or interim – and DPR’s plans for master-planning of the park and spending capital funds in the budget. Staff will give a brief presentation, but will answer any other questions you have about scheduling, reservations by commercial leagues and businesses, maintenance, etc.

Community Dates and Updates

Community Spring Party. About 100 neighbors turned out for our pop-up party at the softball field on March 31. Six showed up to practice softball on the adjacent field. Kids made kites and as the wind obliged 40 kites took flight. At another table kids were hard at work decorating eggs. We roasted Peeps to make s’mores, ran egg races, blew bubbles, bashed open a piñata, and played games. Thanks to Connie Hansen, Jenny Sammis, Joanne Mann, Les Garrison, and many other adults and kids who came together to make this event possible. Thanks also to Susan French, who made a generous gift for the purchase of the kite-making kits. If you have photos, please post them to the AHCA Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/aurorahighlands/.

The Nelly Custis Park renovation project is still in the construction planning phase. County staff is awaiting approval of permits so they can start the bidding process. If all goes well with the bids, the project will go before the County Board for contract approval sometime in the fall. The overall project timeline is on the County’s project page ( https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/nelly-custis-park/). Linden has applied for a grant under the County’s Stormwater-wise program to address the stormwater runoff from Linden’s parking lot that affects Nelly Custis Park.

The Route 1 pedestrian tunnel to Crystal City will eventually be removed as part of the 23rd Street alignment project, though a scheduled closing has not been set. The project, which is several years out, will “accommodate redevelopment on the east and west intersections of 23rd Street S. between Crystal Drive and S. Clark-Bell Street” in two phases. (Clark and Bell streets are also being realigned and merged into one.) See https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/23rd-street-south-realignment/.

Crystal City Farmers Market. Tuesdays, 3–7 p.m., Crystal Dr. between 18th and 20th Streets. Now open till Thanksgiving. Shop from local producers for fruits and veggies, artisan baked goods, flowers, meats, eggs, dairy, and specialty foods.

DMV 2 GO. Apr. 12, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 1900 Crystal Dr. This handicapped-accessible full-service mobile office is equipped to process all DMV transactions including applications or renewals for ID cards or drivers licenses, copies of birth certificates, fishing and hunting licenses. https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/#dmv_2go.asp

Please sign up with the Aurora Highlands group at Nextdoor.com to stay informed about happenings in the hood, including AHCA-related issues, and to share events and other items with your neighbors.  AHCA will also post information on the 4D-A listserve, https://groups.yahoo.com/4D-A

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

Please join online with Paypal www.aurorahighlands.org

If you are interested in advertising, please email treasurer@aurorahighlands.org

Category: Uncategorized