Hello,
Heard who was just appointed Arlington County's Planning Division Director? None other than Mr. Mega-Dumb Growth, Peter Katz.
Peter was/is America's prime proponent of massive Smart Growth aka Dumb Growth aka Resegregation Through Gentrification aka Massive Urbanization. He was the lead proponent of Arlington's Dumb Growth 'planning', including the Pike's Form Based Charades and Pike Revitalization, aka Pike Plenary Charades.
Peter moved to Sarasota County, Florida three years ago to inflict mega-infill mayhem on Sarasota County, as Director of Smart Growth/Urban Planning. Peter's 'vision' for Sarasota County was mega-infill beyond anything yet seen in Arlington. Peter was a very Bad Kitty and managed to anger just about everyone - affordable housing activists, environmentalists, slow-growth advocates, and so on. Everyone except the developers, REITs, and mega-infill 'planners' who he couldn't do enough for. Peter is not only Mr. Mega Dumb-Growth, he's also Mr. Mega-Arrogance. Peter's mega-infill 'planning' was such that Sarasota County residents were told they should use bus transit to avoid congested streets and roads, even though the buses would be stuck in traffic.
After three years the Sarasota County Commissioners had enough and told Peter his services were no longer required. Sarasota County's loss was the Arlington County Board's opportunity to totally urbanize Arlington. So the County Board hired Peter without a second thought. After all, the five urban village idiots on the County Board are only slightly less arrogant than Peter.
Susan