Washingtonian article about Alexandria

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well - I read the article and that mayor sounds wackadoodle. The town I live in has its own share of issues so it was nice to read that maybe other areas around here have their own nutty local governance problems too.

+1, I live in City of Fairfax and our mayor was arrested for swapping meth or sex but Alexandria’s mayor just sound like a space cadet who has no idea what she is doing.

Oh, geez, yeah y'all had some problems. The point is that you recognized the problems and took care of it. In Alexandria we have so many people drinking the kool aid that they think the problems are solutions!

+1. After years of reading DCUM as someone who lives in Alexandria City, I am pretty upset how so many infrastructure projects were put off over the decades of Mayors Euille and Ticer. e.g., the sewer outlets, new and remodeled schools, fix of city hall. Were was any real leadership? All we got was developer build up and out (w not enough concessions by developers).

Taxes and fees here went up nearly 9% over the last 2 years! Now add on the Alex Renew sewer outlet fees starting now and to 2021 and we residents are in for a horrible time of it. It's shockingly bad managing over the last 30 years. I'm not seeing it's good now either.

The infra was delayed precisely because the Council then did not have the courage to raise taxes.

Are you kidding? That's just not the truth. Our real estate taxes went up hugely over the years (decades) prior to this recent Council. Alexandria City was flush with cash but just didn't manage the city revenue income correctly as evidenced by the pile up on expenditures now. Time=money flow.

The rates increased? Or the assessments?

Rates and assessments. So you are happy that mandatory and known city infrastructure needs were put off while the City was flush with cash, pp? You're denying it was a major oversight and now we are stuck in a perfect storm in Alexandria City? Just look at PY Metro comments by fellow Alexandrian's. How many decades was that project delayed to the point? ps. I forgot to mention Kerry as a past mayor: he gets no pass on this mess.

No, I just find it odd that people seem to be at the same time complaining about the infra delays and the tax rate increase last year by the current council. I mean pretty much the only person on the current council from the bad old days is Pepper, and I can see voting against her.

[Anonymous]

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

+1

OP here.
+2

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

+1

OP here.
+2

+3. The way the city went about this completely behind closed doors FOR A YEAR is so messed up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

+1

OP here.
+2

+3. The way the city went about this completely behind closed doors FOR A YEAR is so messed up.

+4 and 5. It is the same old way of operating. I would not be surprised if there is cash changing hands. All of them need to be out: the Mayor, City Council and the whole City staff. We need to clean house. As if the sewage thing wasn't outrageous enough (and heading into summer we're about to be reminded about it on a daily basis with the stench) but now with the Potomac Yard Metro thing … no one could be that grossly incompetent. Could they? I think the Council members are so happy to have their Council jobs and their side businesses that feed off of their Council work that they have forgotten what they are supposed to do as Council members.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

+1

OP here.
+2

+3. The way the city went about this completely behind closed doors FOR A YEAR is so messed up.

+4 and 5. It is the same old way of operating. I would not be surprised if there is cash changing hands. All of them need to be out: the Mayor, City Council and the whole City staff. We need to clean house. As if the sewage thing wasn't outrageous enough (and heading into summer we're about to be reminded about it on a daily basis with the stench) but now with the Potomac Yard Metro thing … no one could be that grossly incompetent. Could they? I think the Council members are so happy to have their Council jobs and their side businesses that feed off of their Council work that they have forgotten what they are supposed to do as Council members.

I could actually believe Wilson and Silberberg didn't know about too much in advance but I see the City dept that is dealing with it knowing. And I really have zero sympathy for those who might be upset. They have spent the last few months droning on and on on the affordable housing like they do every year. That's why it needs to go. Too much time and resources wasted on it. And it's annoying to hear people claim it's housing for "teachers, police officers, " - those people are all priced out of the affordable housing initiatives

The metro station isn't going to be that big of a deal as they anticipate anyway. It will be a pass through station - more people will pass through it on the train to their destination without ever getting off. the City's mistake here and at King St. is the failure to provide parking. Now if they built a huge parking structure, that would be a game changer. There are simply not enough residents who are ever going to live in walking distance to that station and there are not going to be enough bus riders or bike riders. Taking the bus and then the metro from Alexandria is silly because it can triple the time for your commute vs just driving in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

+1

OP here.
+2

+3. The way the city went about this completely behind closed doors FOR A YEAR is so messed up.

+4 and 5. It is the same old way of operating. I would not be surprised if there is cash changing hands. All of them need to be out: the Mayor, City Council and the whole City staff. We need to clean house. As if the sewage thing wasn't outrageous enough (and heading into summer we're about to be reminded about it on a daily basis with the stench) but now with the Potomac Yard Metro thing … no one could be that grossly incompetent. Could they? I think the Council members are so happy to have their Council jobs and their side businesses that feed off of their Council work that they have forgotten what they are supposed to do as Council members.

I could actually believe Wilson and Silberberg didn't know about too much in advance but I see the City dept that is dealing with it knowing. And I really have zero sympathy for those who might be upset. They have spent the last few months droning on and on on the affordable housing like they do every year. That's why it needs to go. Too much time and resources wasted on it. And it's annoying to hear people claim it's housing for "teachers, police officers, " - those people are all priced out of the affordable housing initiatives

The metro station isn't going to be that big of a deal as they anticipate anyway. It will be a pass through station - more people will pass through it on the train to their destination without ever getting off. the City's mistake here and at King St. is the failure to provide parking. Now if they built a huge parking structure, that would be a game changer. There are simply not enough residents who are ever going to live in walking distance to that station and there are not going to be enough bus riders or bike riders. Taking the bus and then the metro from Alexandria is silly because it can triple the time for your commute vs just driving in.

Interesting reading and take pp. So we arrange payment for a $320 million on a pass through station for the somewhat limited number of City of Alexandria residents who go to the new PY Metro and actually take it. Seems like a huge waste unless as you say some parking structures are built in the city. But that goes against us being a "green city", even though everyone know Alexandria City needs more parking.

It's clear Alexandria is banking on future tax income from future developer and retail income spent and new residents at Potomac Yard. We all have heard the guesstimate of:

$1.1 billion in new tax revenue gained from new developments in Potomac Yard over the next 30 years,

and

is expected to generate billions of dollars in new private sector investment and support 26,000 new jobs and 13,000 new residents

https://wtop.com/tracking-metro-24-7/2018/04/amid-budget-increases-alexandria-review-updates-potomac-yard-metro-station/

Will this all materialize in reality? Are the estimates correct? This latest fiasco on eliminating the south entrance is riling up lot of Alexandrians.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope I don't have to vote for either of them. He has the vision of an ant in a tunnel, and she is completely daft and is entirely too dependent on that sycophant who hangs around her.

This city is definitely going in the wrong direction if these two are the best we can get to run.

Our family priorities are solutions to the horrible traffic problems. I would like to be able to get from one side of the city to another in 20 minutes or less. That is completely impossible these days.

I think Justin definitely has a vision for the City.

I can get from NW Alexandria to Old Town in about 30 minutes on my bike. You are going in one of the most crowded corridors at peak? Welcome to living in a city. The solutions are going to be better transit - west Alex BRT on the way, for example - nothing will make driving easier.

You know, I would bet that I've been living in the City a heck of a lot longer than you AND that we have a lot more financially invested in it than you. The traffic has only gotten really bad in the last 2 years. There hasn't been some horrible thing that happened except purposeful incompetence in City Hall both on the part of our elected officials and paid staff. Last night at 5 pm, as I was heading from West & Braddock to our home off of Russell, the line of cars heading east was backed up from West all the way to West Luray Street. That is appalling.

I understand you want to ride your bike. Good for you. But it is not for everyone and isn't a good match for a lot of people who need to get back and forth easily and without looking like a doofus in the weird clothes. So ,no, not everything can be solved with a bike. It is hard to carpool 5-6 kids from the neighborhood on a bike.

And Wilson's vision doesn't exceed his foot size. It is hard to respect him he is such a bumbling fool. And I definitely don't want someone so incompetent to be in charge of things like public safety. Sheesh.

NP here, OMG I love you!

I have to use Waze often to get from Rosemont to OT to check how traffic is, it’s just ridiculous. Forget me trying to go west of 395 for anything. The Bike lobby is strong in Alexandria, for some godforesaken reason, at the expense of pedestrians and cars. The traffic has exploded in the change of administration and I also believe due to the popularity of using traffic apps like Waze, now commuters are zipping through Alexandria to avoid 395/495/295 etc. Tons of Maryland drivers going up and down my street which used to be super quiet. Police don’t enforce speed limits, the city won’t invest in more traffic calming (like speed bumps or stop signs or stop lights) except on Quaker or Seminary where the bike lobby got the speed limit change. Adults and children are constantly getting hit by cars, some fatally. Does The city care? Doesn’t seem like it.

The school system is totally shameful for the taxes we pay. Putting a homesless shelter far away from mass transit is idiotic. Now the city wants to scale back the Potomac Yard metro. My head explodes with this place, even though I really like the people and location in which I’ve lived for the last 20 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope I don't have to vote for either of them. He has the vision of an ant in a tunnel, and she is completely daft and is entirely too dependent on that sycophant who hangs around her.

This city is definitely going in the wrong direction if these two are the best we can get to run.

Our family priorities are solutions to the horrible traffic problems. I would like to be able to get from one side of the city to another in 20 minutes or less. That is completely impossible these days.

I think Justin definitely has a vision for the City.

I can get from NW Alexandria to Old Town in about 30 minutes on my bike. You are going in one of the most crowded corridors at peak? Welcome to living in a city. The solutions are going to be better transit - west Alex BRT on the way, for example - nothing will make driving easier.

You know, I would bet that I've been living in the City a heck of a lot longer than you AND that we have a lot more financially invested in it than you. The traffic has only gotten really bad in the last 2 years. There hasn't been some horrible thing that happened except purposeful incompetence in City Hall both on the part of our elected officials and paid staff. Last night at 5 pm, as I was heading from West & Braddock to our home off of Russell, the line of cars heading east was backed up from West all the way to West Luray Street. That is appalling.

I understand you want to ride your bike. Good for you. But it is not for everyone and isn't a good match for a lot of people who need to get back and forth easily and without looking like a doofus in the weird clothes. So ,no, not everything can be solved with a bike. It is hard to carpool 5-6 kids from the neighborhood on a bike.

And Wilson's vision doesn't exceed his foot size. It is hard to respect him he is such a bumbling fool. And I definitely don't want someone so incompetent to be in charge of things like public safety. Sheesh.

NP here, OMG I love you!

I have to use Waze often to get from Rosemont to OT to check how traffic is, it’s just ridiculous. Forget me trying to go west of 395 for anything. The Bike lobby is strong in Alexandria, for some godforesaken reason, at the expense of pedestrians and cars. The traffic has exploded in the change of administration and I also believe due to the popularity of using traffic apps like Waze, now commuters are zipping through Alexandria to avoid 395/495/295 etc. Tons of Maryland drivers going up and down my street which used to be super quiet. Police don’t enforce speed limits, the city won’t invest in more traffic calming (like speed bumps or stop signs or stop lights) except on Quaker or Seminary where the bike lobby got the speed limit change. Adults and children are constantly getting hit by cars, some fatally. Does The city care? Doesn’t seem like it.

The school system is totally shameful for the taxes we pay. Putting a home[]less shelter far away from mass transit is idiotic. Now the city wants to scale back the Potomac Yard metro. My head explodes with this place, even though I really like the people and location in which I’ve lived for the last 20 years.

These and a handful of closely related decisions in this year's capital budget will haunt the City for the next 40 years. And Wilson just plain does look identical to Silberberg right about now.

[Anonymous]

Potomac Yard Metrorail Implementation Work Group Meeting

http://alexandria.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=29&coa_clip_id=4035&coa_view_id=29

For those interested in viewing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac Yard Metrorail Implementation Work Group Meeting

http://alexandria.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=29&coa_clip_id=4035&coa_view_id=29

For those interested in viewing.

No thanks Justin, I don’t want to view this video. It’s politics as usual in Alexandria. So much talk, no action. It’s not as if the council didn’t have over a decade to get this done.

This might out me, but in the mid 2000s I was in a meeting with WMATA and their general counsel and the topic of a Potomac yard metro stop came up. He told me, well it will never happen, not in my (his) lifetime because: 1) Alexandria City has to pay for it, and 2) well Alexandria can never get their act together ever. Don’t count on it.

That was back when Euille was fighting to have our client/developer pay for the straightening of Monroe Avenue/ Rt 1 and build that bridge. And build Potomac Avenue. We paid, you don’t want to know the price tag.

Now 15+ years later, we still got nothing. What in the world is there left to talk about? Why are there still meetings? SMH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Potomac Yard Metrorail Implementation Work Group Meeting

http://alexandria.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=29&coa_clip_id=4035&coa_view_id=29

For those interested in viewing.

These things are always a total waste of time in Alexandria. The results are always completely pre-ordained. Even the individual questions and comments are scripted. Dumb to bother.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Alexandria Chamber “outraged” at Potomac Yard Metro changes

https://alextimes.com/2018/05/potomacyardmetro/

Good. They should be outraged. The City seems to have known about this in advance and kept quiet due to some confidentiality agreement relating to the construction that isn’t happening. Well, if there’s an agreement to breach, that’s the one. This is a signal moment for Alexandria. Wilson and Silberberg look kinda the same today.

+1

OP here.
+2

+3. The way the city went about this completely behind closed doors FOR A YEAR is so messed up.

+4 and 5. It is the same old way of operating. I would not be surprised if there is cash changing hands. All of them need to be out: the Mayor, City Council and the whole City staff. We need to clean house. As if the sewage thing wasn't outrageous enough (and heading into summer we're about to be reminded about it on a daily basis with the stench) but now with the Potomac Yard Metro thing … no one could be that grossly incompetent. Could they? I think the Council members are so happy to have their Council jobs and their side businesses that feed off of their Council work that they have forgotten what they are supposed to do as Council members.

I could actually believe Wilson and Silberberg didn't know about too much in advance but I see the City dept that is dealing with it knowing. And I really have zero sympathy for those who might be upset. They have spent the last few months droning on and on on the affordable housing like they do every year. That's why it needs to go. Too much time and resources wasted on it. And it's annoying to hear people claim it's housing for "teachers, police officers, " - those people are all priced out of the affordable housing initiatives

The metro station isn't going to be that big of a deal as they anticipate anyway. It will be a pass through station - more people will pass through it on the train to their destination without ever getting off. the City's mistake here and at King St. is the failure to provide parking. Now if they built a huge parking structure, that would be a game changer. There are simply not enough residents who are ever going to live in walking distance to that station and there are not going to be enough bus riders or bike riders. Taking the bus and then the metro from Alexandria is silly because it can triple the time for your commute vs just driving in.

Precisely this. I live in the city and I don't ever take metro because I live to far away to easily and conveniently walk, and there is no place to park. If I want to take the metro, I drive to Huntington or Crystal City and park there. It is crazy! It makes me wonder under what rock some of these dunderheads live that they don't understand that some of us have obligations outside of the 20-block stretch of King Street.