Saturday

Citizens to Investigate Pike 'Planning'

Hello, Yupette,

Enough is enough. I live off the Pike. Work in Alexandria. Old Town residents have had it with 'development for the sake of development' along the Alexandria waterfront. I and many others have had it with Arlington's so-called 'planning process'.

Do you know how much the week-long (June 24-30) planning charettes will cost Arlongton taxpayers? More than $200,000. Most of it to Dover, Kohl. Oh, there's $5,000 per day for the hotel. For what? To make my street into a public park? To triple the density of the Pike? To rubber-stamp approval of an unnecessary $150 million streetcar system? To turn residential streets into arterials?

I and several other Pike residents are going to investigate exactly how much is being spent on this turkey. Looks like Dover, Kohl has a gold mining operation going on the Pike. No mention in their planning reports about our already-overcrowded schools. And the effects of massive infill on the environment. If members of Chris Zimmerman's Pike plenary group aren't going along with Dover, Kohl and the County's Planning Staff, why should I?

But first, I want to know how many millions have already been spent to make our historic Pike neighborhoods 'redevelopment opportunities'.

Cindy