The Buckingham Herald Tribblog

Georgetown Strategic Capital, of Washington, is in the “exploration” phase of redeveloping the four corners of the N. Glebe Road and N. Pershing Drive intersection, said Bob Moore, a principal partner in the group.

“We have been looking at this for about a year,” said Mr. Moore. “We’ve become very enamored by it as a sort of gateway to the community.”

Although everything is still very preliminary, Mr. Moore said his company is considering what can be done with the property given current zoning and historical restrictions. Zoning, he said, allows for mixed use of retail and residential space with buildings as high as 45 feet, or about four storeys.

The corner is protected by the county’s Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board.

Georgetown Capital has been talking with Jenco Group which owns the property.

Jennifer Smith, a coordinator in the county, said, “I just am trying to pull together some information for someone who’s looking at some options for the property….It’s really a preliminary proposal right now.” She added later, “It’s just not at a project stage.”

The company would lease the buildings from Jenco and redevelop them, eventually returning the improved property back to Jenco, Mr. Leventhal said, an idea that Mr. Moore confirmed.

The redevelopment as Mr. Leventhal understands it is to leave the two strips on the east side of the road as is, but to replace all the buildings—Glebe Market, CVS, El Paso Café, and Popeye’s Chicken—on the west side with four-storey buildings of combined residential and commercial space. It was also Mr. Leventhal's understanding that the owners of the restaurants have been asked to stay in new spaces.

Mr. Moore said that sort of project might be allowed under current zoning. His company likes the idea of redeveloping the west side since there is a lot of parking lot space that could be developed, but access to and from the building is a concern. There are a lot of “ifs,” he said.

“The goal is for everybody to have an improved place there,” he said.

“They are not doing anything at present,” Mr. Leventhal said. “This is not like this is imminent.” No site plan has been drawn up, he said.

“If someone told you there is an agreement with anyone, that’s not accurate,” said Marvin Jower, of the Jenco Group, in a telephone interview today. “I’m talking to a number of people about it.”

Mr. Moore seems sensitive to the historic nature of the property. He called it “a shame” that the corner, with the dirt and disintegrating sidewalks is not appealing right now.

“We have pictures from the 1930s that show landscaping with bushes and trees on the corners,” he said.

He grew up in Alexandria, and remembered going to the Buckingham Theatre (what is now the post office) in his coonskin cap to see a Davy Crockett movie back in the 1950s.

“It has a lot of old time memories for me,” he said.

The plan came to light when Mr. Leventhal spoke at the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board’s most recent meeting because it is similar in scope to the Lee Gardens redevelopment now in front of the HALRB. The four corners is protected as a county historic district and is regulated by the HALRB, Mr. Leventhal said.

It will be interesting to see how the HALRB handles a proposal such as this, should the project make it that far. AHC Inc. was allowed to build additions onto their buildings at the Gates of Ballston, but were not allowed to change the real slate roofs with faux slate, though it would have saved them about $4 million, AHC officials have said.

“[Georgetown Capital’s] idea was not met with wild excitement” by the HALRB Mr. Leventhal said.

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 1:56 PM 2 comments

Notice the new link to the Buckingham Neighborhood Conservation Plan in the right hand column (thanks to Bernie Berne for getting me the link).
In the meantime, enjoy this...

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Sure, Virginia State Senator Mary Margaret Whipple talked about what happened during the legislative session, and answered questions about everything from fish in the Shenandoah river to immigration, to the Dominion Virginia Power Company (1, 2, 3, 4), but the room of 30-odd people at the Hyde Park condominium last night got a little heated when the topic turned to pedestrian safety in this area.

Mary Margaret Whipple

Ms. Whipple said she has been the patron of a bill which states “the driver would be required to stop if a pedestrian is in the crosswalk” which she is hoping will replace the current law that uses “yield” instead of “stop.”

She said, “The police say it’s extremely difficult to enforce the law as it is written.” This concern gets regular attention with media and politicos.

Even though the legislation makes it through the Senate, “It will not get out of the House Transportation Committee.” She held out some hope, as the chair of that committee is not seeking re-election.

A man—who bikes, walks and drives in Arlington—warned against being too draconian with the laws as they may have unintended consequences. He said that mid-block crosswalks will cause more rear-end accidents as drivers do not anticipate stopping there. He added that the signs at traffic lights that say “No right turn on red when a pedestrian is present” is unclear as it does not say the pedestrian has to be in the crosswalk, merely present, perhaps standing at the corner, unmoving. Drivers have to wait without taking the right turn, even though the pedestrian also might never move, he said.

The room was less sympathetic to his plight. People told him to wait for the green light to make the right hand turn. Ms. Whipple agreed that the signs are a little vague, but she said traffic lights in Arlington only run about 90 seconds at most, so “it’s not going to hold anybody up too much.”

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 4:13 PM 2 comments

I have had plenty of terrifying times in Buckingham, all of them in the intersections along Thomas, the nightmare at Glebe and Pershing, and especially trying to walk across George Mason Drive on the north side of route 50. We walk up Thomas all the time from our home in Arlington Oaks up to the mall, Harris Teeter, or to our church--First Presbyterian. It is not fun having three heart attacks while walking to church or to go grocery shopping.

These intersections are in the middle of multi-family housing with tons of pedestrian traffic. I have complained and written letters to the county board at least 3 times--nothing is ever done. I guess if we had single family homes we would have nice crosswalks.

I was pregnant with my first child who is turning seven this summer when I first started giving input to the county on pedestrian issues in Buckingham, and that was just adding my voice to others who had been complaining before me.
With the construction in Bham Village and the large pedestrian population, it is just a matter of time before someone gets killed.

For example, one day our kids were getting off the bus at 2nd Rd and Thomas and one of the neighborhood kids needed to get to his grandmother's house on the other side of Pershing because his parents weren't home yet. There is NO WAY an elementary school aged kid, even a 10 year old, can get across Pershing by himself. So I went with him just as I saw his grandmother coming to get him on the other side.

In other words, kids are cut off from their family as well as from their friends all because they can't get across Pershing safely along Thomas.

So, in addition to the crosswalks noted by Steve, I would prefer a flashing yellow light that pedestrians can turn red by pushing a button---like on Washington Blvd by the housing complex near route 50. We should have these at Pershing, Henderson, and Carlin Springs.

I say SO WHAT if commuters cutting through our neighborhood get annoyed by pedestrians. They should drive around our neighborhood, not through it anyway. I am tired of the county telling us that we are an “arterial” and can’t have decent crosswalks.

These “arterials” of Henderson and Pershing are only two lanes. Does the county not realize that folks who live in Buckingham see what other neighborhoods have and that we don't have the same thing? Look at Ashton Heights! Look at Westover! If Westover and Ashton Heights can have whole stoplights on Washington Blvd. and Pershing Dr. respectively and at intersections with FEWER cars and pedestrians than we have, then we can have it, too.

If Falls Church can put up stoplights, crosswalks, and a 25mph sign on ROUTE 7, then we can have the same on Henderson and Pershing for TWO BLOCKS through a much more densely populated area than the mansions on Route 7 between 7 Corners and Washington Blvd.

As long as I am on the subject of arterials, why is it that when you are traveling south on Quincy/Henderson that there is a sign pointing folks to route 50 at Henderson and George Mason and not at Quincy and Glebe? Drivers coming from Quincy should turn left onto Glebe to go to Route 50 and not travel through our densely populated neighborhood and then turn left on George Mason through our neighborhood to get to route 50.

Arlington Forest has done a good job of trying to cut down cut-through traffic, and if we moved this one little sign from George Mason to Glebe, and put in the cross walks and flashing yellow lights, then maybe folks would take the hint and travel down Glebe instead of cutting through.

PLUS we need to rezone parking for all of Buckingham to get rid of commuters who park in the neighborhood and walk to the mall and the metro and block the view of the intersection and clutter the neighborhood with cars.

It is easy to see on Sunday mornings walking to church that there are NO CARS when then rest of the week the streets are full of them. No one should get to park in Bham unless they live here or are a guest of someone who does.

So in addition to what Steve said in his article we need:
1. Pedestrian-controlled yellow flashing lights that turn to red along Thomas at Pershing, Henderson, and Carlin Springs.
2. Move the “to route 50” sign from Henderson and George Mason to Quincy and Glebe.
3. Re-zone parking so commuters can’t park here.

Cathy Thurston

The writer is the wife of Steve Thurston, this blog's editor. She wrote the letter at her desk, not seven feet from mine, and then emailed it to me. Eh, works for us. --ST

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 9:40 PM 0 comments

The following questions were generated by Buckingham citizens at the June 29 meeting of county staff and citizens at The Carlin senior living apartment building on N. Carlin Springs Road. The responses come from county staff. The meeting addressed the on-going renovation of the N. Glebe Road and N. Carlin Springs Road intersection outside the Ballston Commons Mall.

The questions and answers are taken from the official notes from that meeting, provided by Tom Hutchings, the county’s project manager of the renovation. Check out the July 10 story on this renovation. The photo, above, also came from the county meeting notes.

Q: Can the pedestrian lead times be longer? [Lead time is the time given to pedestrians to cross before allowing any traffic to move. –ST]
A: The current five second lead time allows pedestrians to begin crossing before traffic. It was suggested that residents cross Glebe to the mall on the south side of the intersection from the Goodyear corner and return on the north side Exxon corner to best take advantage of the lead times. Returning on the south side of the intersection may also be a good option. Extensive lead times confuse both pedestrians and drivers and would not create a safer condition overall. Information on Metro bus routes was also shared with the residents as an alternative way to get to the mall or the Ballston Metro rail and bus station. There is a Metro bus stop nearby The Carlin.

Q: Can there be a complete pedestrian walk phase?
A: The intersection currently has a very long pedestrian walk time at 38 seconds. This is creating short cycles for vehicles and the back up on Carlin Springs is often more than one cycle now. A complete pedestrian phase would worsen vehicle flow on Glebe and Carlin Springs roads where signal timing is coordinated with multiple signals along Glebe Road. A full pedestrian cycle would need VDOT approval and would significantly increase delay for both motorists and pedestrians.

Q: Can there be speed humps on Carlin Springs?
A: Carlin Springs is an arterial street that is a main route for transit as well as emergency vehicles. Speed humps are not recommended based on current county policy for arterial streets.

Q: Can there be a ladder crosswalk in front of the mall garage entrance? [A “ladder” crosswalk is created when the lines are painted to look like a ladder lying flat across the road. –ST]
A: Yes. This will be added to the project plans, and staff have submitted a work order to install the striping in August or sooner depending on the contractor’s schedule.

Q: Can right turn on red be eliminated?
A: Right turn on red prohibition does not eliminate pedestrian conflicts, and in some situations actually increase them. This is not recommended for this intersection. Some approaches of the intersection are currently signed “No Turn on Red when Pedestrians Present”. Staff will request police enforcement at this intersection to help address this issue. Residents strongly supported additional police enforcement. Visibility on the south side of the intersection is blocked due to the shrubs in the center island. Staff has issued a work order to removed 50’-75’ of the shrubs as needed to open up the view for both pedestrians and traffic.
[In a subsequent email, Mr. Hutchings wrote: “I have just received word that the Arlington County Police Department will be conducting a 30 day enforcement detail at the intersection of Carlin Springs and Glebe Road. This action will be starting within a week. The officers will be looking for both speeding and turning violations with a focus on pedestrians.” County police were unable to verify this information in time for this post. –ST]

Q: Can striping be put in front of The Carlin entrance to stop the cars waiting for the Glebe Road light from blocking the driveway?
A: There is currently a sign in front of the driveway that says “DO NOT BLOCK”. We will add a stop bar on Carlin Springs at the driveway to reinforce driver behavior.

Q: Can the two parking spaces in front of The Carlin be removed to help with the visibility of oncoming traffic?
A: If they are removed, traffic will use the parking lane as an extension of the Glebe right turn lane and two lanes of traffic could then block The Carlin entrance. The two parking spaces also have a traffic calming effect by not allowing cars to speed up to the Glebe intersection in a dedicated long turn lane.

Q: Can the County sign the Street “Senior Citizens Present” or something similar?
A: Staff is exploring this option, but it has not been used before and it is unclear if this would change driver’s behavior. Police enforcement of current signage may be more effective.

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 3:40 PM 1 comments

You’ll find stories of interest posted today, right here :

Stories since last Thursday (the most recent email communiqué) are listed here (enjoy!):

Little Bit of Blues at Lubber Run (including “This Weekend at the Lubber Run Amphitheatre”). I have one more photo from the concert that was lost on my cellphone/camera and I like it since the mic stands and other paraphernalia are not in the way. They are from left, Michael Baytop, Rick Franklin, Jay Summerour, and Warner Williams.

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 4:05 PM 0 comments

Wait just another year. Or more like 16 months. Then, THEN, the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Carlin Springs Road should have gotten new traffic signals, new paint on the crosswalks, wider islands (and shrubs removed) in the middle of Glebe Road, and wider sidewalks with better curb cuts (for those people who drive wheelchairs).

These improvements, part of the North Glebe Road Pedestrian Improvements Project, have been in the works since 1999—by the time they are completed it will have been nearly a decade to get new lights and curbs.

“Isn’t that incredible?” asked Tom Hutchings rhetorically. He is the county project manager overseeing the renovations. “I can talk about this without any apologies…I’m as frustrated as the community is.”

The $1.9 million project, funded by federal and state money, also covers the Glebe Road intersections at N. Fairfax Drive and Wilson Boulevard. The Carlin Springs intersection was the topic of a meeting June 29 at The Carlin, a senior independent living center on Carlin Springs Road about half a block from Ballston Commons mall.

The "apron" of the curb where this woman stands will be enlarged over the next 12 to 16 months.

Like other officials and project managers in Buckingham and the county, Mr. Hutchings sited difficulties dealing with VDOT and collecting all the proper easements from property owners.

“It’s shear process that’s part of VDOT design and approval. And Arlington, Arlington trying to establish urban standards on all our roads,” Mr. Hutchings said. He said the process has included trying to educate VDOT, trying to get them to see that Glebe is not Arlington Boulevard somewhere in Fairfax County, but a dense urban corridor with extreme pedestrian volumes.

Seniors who live in The Carlin walk through the intersection a lot. As well, residents such as Mick Pulliam, have complained about the speed of cars on Carlin Springs Road and the lack of visibility exiting The Carlin’s parking lot.

To be fair, Mr. Hutchings said he hopes some new paint will delineate crosswalks more clearly as soon as two weeks from now. He also said that the county tried to complete the relatively minor repairs at Glebe and Carlin Springs with its own money, but VDOT said that would put in jeopardy the funding for the entire project.

The shrubs that block the driver in the gold car from seeing the entire crosswalk will be removed.

Shrubs will be removed from the island on Glebe Road to increase pedestrian visibility. The county first has to figure out who “owns” the shrubs; that is, who put them in and maintains them, Mr. Hutchings said. Sidewalks and the islands that run down the middle of Glebe Road will be widened. The islands may get their own crossing lights. Curb "cuts" for wheelchair accessibility will be upgraded.

This island in the center of Glebe Road will be widened.

At one point, a pedestrian overpass was considered for the corner, but that was ruled out years ago for many reasons, the main two: the corner really does not have the space to install one, and people tend not to use overpasses, preferring street-level crossing, Mr. Hutchings said. Someday, the Goodyear Tire Company site might be redeveloped, and a new building might include an overpass.

Mr. Hutchings said the county has decided to make traffic “behave itself” so that pedestrians are safe.

[Notes from the June 29 meeting with tasks and other information were not available at the time of this post. I assume they will contain information of value; I’ll be sure to update this story. –ST.]

Labels: Buckingham, Carlin, Carlin Springs, Glebe, intersection, pedestrian

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 3:38 PM 0 comments

Three armed robberies in Buckingham over the week do not appear to be related, Arlington Police say, and they will be looking into whether or not they need to step-up patrols in the neighborhood (scroll down to see more details).

“They [investigators] do not believe that it’s the same suspects,” said Det. Steve Gomez of the police. “They definitely don’t see a pattern in the way the robberies were done.”

“It was a crime of opportunity,” Det. Gomez said, meaning that the attackers suspected the people in the neighborhood had a good deal of cash or other valuables on their persons.

Lt. Brian Berke will be meeting with operational commanders, discussing whether or not there needs to be special details patrolling the neighborhood.

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Police Notes for Buckingham

July 8: Armed Robbery, 4300 block of N. Pershing Dr. At approximately 2 a.m., a man standing outside of an apartment building was approached by three men with their faces covered. One of the men displayed a knife and took the victim’s wallet. The suspects fled on foot. “The impression that the victim got was that they were light skinned people.”

July 7: Armed Robbery, 200 block of N. Thomas St. At approximately 8:10 a.m., a man was approached by a stranger who demanded his money. The victim was compliant and the suspect took an undisclosed amount of cash. A witness tried to intervene but the suspect pulled out a knife and fled on foot. The suspect is described as a white Hispanic male, 25 years old, 5 feet 3 inches tall, 140 pounds (which is skinny), with black curly hair and a mustache, last seen wearing a dark blue T-shirt and black pants.

July 6: Attempted Burglary, 700 block of N. George Mason Dr. Between 10:45 a.m. and 2 p.m. July 6, someone broke a window pane on the rear kitchen door of a house in an apparent attempt to gain entry. At the same home, a screen was removed from a bedroom window and the pane was partially shattered. It does not appear that either attempt to break in was successful.

July 6: Burglary, 4200 block of N. 2nd Rd. Between 6 p.m. on July 5 and 6:03 a.m. July 6, someone entered an apartment under renovation by smashing a window. It does not appear that anything was taken. Det. Steve Gomez of the Arlington County Police said, it might have been a homeless person or someone else who “just wanted to have someplace to crash.”

July 4: Armed Robbery, 4300 block of N. Pershing Dr. At approximately 12:45 a.m., a 21 year old man was standing in a bus shelter talking on a cell phone when he was approached by four men. Two of the suspects grabbed the victim while a third punched him in the face. The third suspect then produced a gun and pointed it at the victim’s face while the fourth suspect threatened him with a knife. The suspects demanded money and searched the victim’s pockets before fleeing with his cell phone. The attackers were all black males, Det. Gomez said.

Labels: Burglary, Police, Robbery

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 2:13 PM 0 comments

I was generally pleased with the outcome of the community meeting held at the Gates office last week. It was good to see the Oaks management as well as the business owners. I feel that the meeting was productive in that everyone seems to want the same thing. We are all tired of the loitering and the drinking, not to mention the trash and damage left in its wake.

A couple of weeks ago, there was a lot of trash, beer bottles, food containers etc. by the sign for Buckingham Village. Someone even managed to bend the flagpole and loosen it from the ground. This makes no sense to me. Someone in that courtyard saw and heard the noise. I don't understand why no one called the police. While I have been a thorn in Paradigm's side about common area maintenance, I can almost understand their reluctance to fix things. Why bother, someone will come along and destroy it. And, save for a few tenants, no one else seems to care.

Last week, the police were a very visible presence in our neighborhood. It made a difference on N. Pershing Drive. The crowds of men who hang around the corner and in the courtyards drinking were no where to be found. It was quiet in the neighborhood for a change.

I would propose though, that our local police put some officers on bikes or on foot to work in our neighborhood. And I would also suggest that we get together with the police to form a community neighborhood watch. If we ask the police to get out of their cars and go on foot..we need to do the same.

At times, I feel as if I am bothering the police dispatcher at the non emergency number with my complaints of noise, drinking etc...I really hate to call. The police have more urgent problems to deal with. But if it takes multiple calls on multiple days...I am willing to do my part to work with the police to curb the drinking and loitering in our neighborhood.

I hope our neighborhood will be able to get together periodically to talk about our common problems. I know we can make this neighborhood a great place to live.

We just have to all work together.

Pate McCullough
Buckingham Village 3 resident

The writer is a board member of BU-GATA, the Buckingham Village and Gates of Ballston Tenants Association. --ST

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 2:42 PM 1 comments

The humid air and clear skies made last night “languid” according to my friend Matt Baker, which here means “the perfect night to listen to the blues” at the Lubber Run Amphitheatre. Blues greats (they tour with Smithsonian Folkways nationally) Jay Summerour (snare drum and harmonica), Warner Williams (guitar), Rick Franklin (guitar), and Michael Baytop (“bones” and washboard), played about an hour long set including “Hey Bartender, There’s a Big Bug in My Beer,” “Travelin’ Man Blues,” and, believe it or not, “Auld Lang Syne.”

People spread out on lawn chairs, and chairs they attached to the bleachers. They were walking dogs. At least one group had their crackers and cheese near the back of the amphitheatre. The audience clapped to beat, and many gave the group of Piedmont stylists a standing ovation at the end. At the height of the performance, about 200 people sat in the audience.

Michael Baytop claps the "bones," wood blocks connected by a spring.

After the show, 20 or 30 headed to stage to meet the band and buy the CDs.

“I thought the show went tremendous, to tell you the truth. The audience was very nice; it was one of the friendliest audiences that we played before in a long time,” said Rick Franklin, who lives in Arlington’s Douglas Park. “They didn’t throw anything at us.”

“That reached the stage,” others chimed in.

“That reached the stage! They usually have one of those fences around,” Mr. Franklin joked.

Audience member Andrew, 11, who said he is in a rock band, came out to see the show, and he bought a CD.

“I know Rick from awhile ago,” he said.

Jay Summerour said of Mr. Williams, “We’ve been together like 20-something years.” This includes shows at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Mississippi Valley Blues Festival, and all the way from Maine to Washington state.

“Mike and Rick and I play together a lot,” Mr. Summerour said.

Warner Williams finger picks the chords, Piedmont style blues.

Mr. Franklin, who plays guitar, said playing Piedmont blues, where the player finger-picks the chords rather than strums them, is a bit like bluegrass music “slowed way down.”

Mr. Williams and Mr. Summerour, Little Bit of Blues, will celebrate the release of their latest CD along with Mr. Franklin and Mr. Baytop at Strathmore Hall in Maryland on Aug. 1.

The 30-second video is from an “obstructed view” at Lubber Run—I really never even noticed before that our little theatre had obstructed views, but the light tower blocked my view of Michael Baytop.

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This weekend at Lubber Run Amphitheatre:

Friday, July 13
7:00 p.m. “Robyn’s Place” WPFW Jazz Simulcast

Saturday July 14
8:00 p.m. A Cappella Festival with “The Tone Rangers”

Sunday July 15
8:30 p.m. Film: “Slapsticon Festival Preview” accompanied by Tina Chancey of “Hesperus”.

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 2:12 PM 0 comments

This story was first posted at about 10:30, and was clarified and corrected at about 1:30. Sorry for the confusion. --ST.

People are on the same page. That is the message coming from the code enforcement meeting regarding littering, loitering, and public drinking in the Buckingham neighborhood, especially in the area surrounding the Glebe Market, CVS and Ravi Kabob at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Pershing Drive. The meeting was held June 27 at the Gates of Ballston offices.

“It was very good that property management and some business was represented,” said James Vandeputte, an Arlington Oaks resident (4300 block of N. Pershing) who has been vocal on this matter since his backyard, he has said, turns into a “beer party.” From his window he has seen people urinate and vomit while sitting on the red benches in his backyard, he said.

James Vandeputte attended last week's code enforcement meeting. He said his backyard becomes a "beer party" and that he has seen people urinate and vomit from benches like these in his backyard.

Marlene Terreros-Oronao, a historic preservation code inspector for 29 historic districts in Arlington, convened the meeting of about 15 area residents, business mangers, property managers, county staff and police.

“I was satisfied with being able to make sure that these people were communicating with each other,” she said in an interview.

One point of the meeting was to make sure everyone knew the roles they played, Ms. Terreros-Oronao said. The police don’t worry about litter, but they do worry about public drinking.

Officer Joseph Lutz said he was happy with the meeting, as well, but wanted people to know that stopping public drinking was a community affair. We need to "fire on all cylanders," he said in an interview.

Officers cannot arrest anyone for public drinking unless the officer sees the person drinking the alcohol, or the person is obviously drunk. Therefore, people must call the police when they see public drinking.

This applies to any location considered "public": sidewalks, space around the businesses, and even the common areas around and behind apartment and condominium buildings, Ofr. Lutz said.

The police do not have "power of attorney" for the business property in the area, meaning that they cannot re-arrest repeat offenders for trespassing.

"We have no authority to say 'You can't come back here.'," Ofr. Lutz said.

Arlington Oaks Condominium and the apartment complexes in Buckingham have granted police the power of attorney.

Ms. Terreros-Oronao said she is very concerned about littering.
Progress on these issues will require a lot of work and community input, she said. “It just has to be worked intensely," she said.

People can call her office (703-228-3818). If business owners do not respond to individuals, “They do respond to us,” she said.

Businesses are responsible for the garbage in and around their trash containers even if other people are throwing the trash there. If the area is not kept clean, she can site the property manager or owner, she said.

However, she said, that she makes allowances and works with the property manager when there are extenuating circumstances. A few months ago she worked with Ravi Kabob and the Gates of Ballston to clean up the trash behind the Ravi Kabob and CVS. People from The Gates were using the trash and Ravi Kabob could not keep up, she said. The Gates stepped in, and put out more trash recepticles, Ms. Terreros-Oronao said.

Noticeably absent from the meeting was Mr. Chon who owns the Glebe Market. Ms. Terreros-Oronao said he has never been too responsive to loitering and drinking on his property for fear that rousting the men who stand along the side of his building will push other customers away.

// posted by Steve Thurston @ 10:34 AM 1 comments