Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Board to Take Up A Number of B'ham Items Saturday
The county is set to issue $43 million in bonds, with $14.8 million going to purchase property on Village 1 that will become a street and park, between N. Pershing Drive and N. Henderson Road, west of N. George Mason Drive (the four-storey Madison at Ballston Station apartment building is there). The vote comes this Saturday at the county board's monthly meeting.
As part of the 2007 agreement between the county and Paradigm Development Company, the owner of the property, the county would buy road and park space on the Village 1 property.
The road will extend N. 3rd Street from N. Henderson to N. Pershing and would build a park, about the size of a football field, on N. 4th Street just west of N. George Mason. According to county documents, Paradigm will complete the road and park; the money spent includes those improvements.
According to the county manager’s report, “Under the terms of the purchase agreement, closing on the acquisition is dependent on the developer’s completion of certain site work, including demolition and removal of above and below ground structures and site grading. This work is anticipated to be completed later this fall, with closing and settlement of funds to occur on the acquisition shortly thereafter.” These bonds are not part of the “general obligations” fund but the “annual appropriations pledge” and therefore will likely carry a “double-a” rating, and therefore higher interest. They might also be issued under the “Build America Bonds” as part of the federal stimulus package, the “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act,” the report said. “Estimated annual debt service in [fiscal year] 2010 on the bonds totals $0.9 million. Approximately $0.2 million will be paid for from the Transportation Investment Fund and is attributable to the portion of the Buckingham Village 1 acquisition related to the public street extension. The remaining $0.7 balance will be paid for from the General Fund and is within the County’s adopted FY 2010 budget,” the report states.
Federal stimulus money will also go to Carlyn Springs apartments for energy improvements. The board is set to approve up to $151,120 of “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act” money to Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing for the apartments at 4318 N. Carlin Springs Road (on the corner of Carlin Springs and N. Thomas Street). The complex, two buildings, is a mix of market-rate and affordable units.
Union Jack’s Pub in the Ballston Commons Mall is looking to expand its outdoor café from 20 to 54 seats, and the plan they have puts tables and chairs at the boundary of the right-of-way along the Glebe Road sidewalk. County staff, according to the manager’s report, felt it required a site plan amendment to make sure chairs and tables do not encroach on the walkways. The report says that Ashton Height’s Civic Association was notified and no comments were made. The restaurant must maintain a six-foot, barrier-free walkway between any fencing that corrals their tables and chairs, and the “tree pits” that run along N. Glebe Road, according to the report. Citizens may comment on this item at the recessed meeting Tuesday July 14, 6:30p.m. (see the comment, below).--ST
Public comment starts 8:30a.m. July 11 at the county board meeting room, third floor of the county office building, 2100 Clarendon Blvd.--ST
Related stories…
Labels: ballston, Buckingham, county board
Monday, June 08, 2009
Adventure Park, Town Center, or Mini-golf Considered for Glebe/Randolph Corner
This post has been edited twice for clarification since its original post yesterday. Sorry for the confusion and inconvenience. --ST After about a year of analysis, county planners want to see if an adventure park, a town center, or a mini-golf course would work best in the empty space at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street, a triangle of grass next to the Ballston Commons Mall parking garage. Last week the county engaged the services of Brailsford and Dunlavey, a facilities planning firm, to analyze which of the three, if any, would hit the county’s goals to activate the space with an aesthetically pleasing design. At the same time, the programming held there would have to be revenue neutral. County planner Scott McPartlin said B&D, the firm that helped plan Washington Nationals’ baseball park, will be looking at the financial feasibility and marketability of all three ideas. “There are good examples of all three [ideas] nationwide,” Mr. McPartlin said. “I’m hoping the results [from B&D] will be good,” he said. But if not, “we go back to the drawing board.”
It would not be the first time back. In October 2007, the county posted a request for interest in a mini-golf course at the site, and in the spring and summer of 2008, the Buckingham Community Civic Association pushed back, saying that the idea was being forced on the community without enough community input. County planners have maintained that part of their jobs is to narrow choices to those likely to succeed in the space, and that there will be opportunities for input. In 2008, the county, deciding internally to look closer at the matter, put together an interdepartmental team from the Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources; Arlington Economic Development; and Community Planning to reinvestigate the use of the space. Buckingham Community Civic Association President Pat Hope, a leader in the push back a year ago, said that he still wants the county to ask the basic question: “What does the community want?” before they push forward with any idea. A charette regarding the best use of the space, he said, should include the Bluemont, Buckingham, Ballston and Ashton Heights neighborhoods as well as commissions and committees that would have a stake in the project. Mr. Hope said he takes issue with the idea that the park must be “activated.” “I haven’t gotten past the original discussion of ‘what do you want here?’” he said. The question to the community would ask whether they want an active or passive park or something else. “I’m happy that [the offerings are] more than mini-golf, but I still want a discussion,” he said. He warned the planners that the “worst thing that could happen” is 15 people show up at the county board meeting saying that they don’t like any idea put forward. “We ought to be the ones to drive this discussion,” he said. [Other civic leaders could not be reached before this posting. –ST] The current plan is that B&D will finish their analysis by the end of the summer, and public discussions over the different ideas would occur in the fall, Mr. McPartlin said. The town center might be a space to hold performances, civic meetings, shows or ceremonies, Mr. McPartlin said. In April, he said the idea that the county had decided only on performance space was a “rumor.” Today, he said that the county is keeping any possible uses of a town center open, even ice skating, though the Kettler Capitals Iceplex sits atop the parking garage adjacent to the park space. “That’s why we hired B&D, to look at the feasibility,” Mr. McPartlin said. “We’re looking at these ideas as examples. We’re not excluding any one [idea].”
The adventure park might include rock climbing and huge climbing structures such as that found at the City Museum of St. Louis or Port Discovery in Baltimore. This might also include a skate boarding park or a wave pool where people could surf or kayak, Mr. McPartlin said.
He cited the historic and educational possibilities of mini-golf as a reason to recommend the idea. The “Earthscapes” 9-hole mini-golf course at the Science Museum of Minnesota allows players to see the role of water in shaping the surface of the earth. “This 30,000 square-foot course gives the words ‘water hazard’ a whole new meaning!” their web site says. In Philadelphia, players putt through the liberty bell and into Independence Hall. A partnership with a private company most likely will be required in such a way that the company can make a profit while servicing the needs of Arlingtonians. Part of the decision-making will come down to how the financing is structured with a partner, Mr. McPartlin said.
Related stories and sites…
Labels: ballston, mini-golf, park, redevelopment
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Police Investigate Possible Enticement of 5-year-old
From a press release:
On Saturday, May 23, at 11:50a.m., a woman was shopping at the Ballston Common Mall in the 4200 block of Wilson Boulevard. Her five-year-old son was approached by an unknown African-American male.
The man asked her son to walk away with him, and offered him ice cream. When the child declined, the suspect left the area. The suspect is described as an African-American male in his 20s, 5 feet 6 inches to 5 feet 8 inches with a medium build. The suspect had short hair and was wearing a bright yellow shirt and long black shorts.
This is being investigated as an isolated incident. The police department has not received any other reports of this nature, but parents should remain aware of their children's surroundings when in public.
Anyone with any information that may be relevant to this investigation is asked to call the Arlington County Police Department Tip Line at 703-228-4242, or Det. Dan Borrelli at 703-228-4052. Det. Borrelli can also be reached by email at Dborre@arlingtonva.us.
Labels: ballston, Crime, Police
Friday, December 12, 2008
Letter: Choose Gardens Over Mini-Golf
Having just learned about the proposal for a mini-golf course near my home in Ballston beside the Ballston Common Mall, I would like to make an alternative suggestion for use of the space.
Knowing that such a visible and valuable plot of land probably has many options for development in the future, my proposal can make use of the space immediately, with future development an inexpensive enterprise.
Instead of minuture golf, use the land for agriculture.
My proposal for the lot includes community vegetable garden plots in raised beds surrounded by pine bark mulch.
Community garden plots on public land have been gaining a great deal of attention in urban environments around the United States. The safety of our food supply chains has made headline news recently; our desire to eat local, sustainable and healthy food has become a movement gaining force throughout the country.
Each vegetable bed can be sponsored by a church, community group (Girl Scouts, as an example), or schools. Demonstration beds and classes can teach Arlington residents how to grow their own food in their own yard.
Surrounding the vegetable garden could be rose gardens and wildflower beds, similar in beauty to the Rose Garden in Bon Air Park. The view from outside the garden would be of beautiful flowers, maintained by the award-winning Arlington Master Gardeners program.
The flowers would attract pollinators, such as bees and butterflies to the vegetable beds.
Community gardening attracts young, old, wealthy and people of modest means; which describes the diversity of citizens in that community very well. While working in community gardens, diverse groups of people talk, share and learn from one another.
The entire garden can be surrounded by the black, wrought-iron fencing that surrounds Westover Playground; high enough for children to be safe, but not so high to appear "gated".
With reduced amounts of fresh produce being donated to AFAC from Giant grocery stores, a portion of the produce could be grown especially for them.
As the garden beds would be raised, there would be little concern of contamination from existing soil.
In a few years, when public will or private money is raised for mini-golf, the site can be developed without a large initial investment in the gardening project.
Best regards,
Dan Redmond
Bluemont
Advocate for Regional Food systems and Renewable Energy
Dan's letter, which he emailed to me for posting and to a few others in Arlington, has generated a little buzz. What follows are portions of the responses. Click "comments," below, to add your own two cents. --ST
Hi, Dan.
I really like your proposal. The garden you are envisioning will
be a great community resource and contribute to Arlington's green movement.
Rosa Briceno
I strongly support your proposal for a sustainable, teachable, useful, community garden in Ballston with multiple sponsorship and opportunities for the community and individuals to come together to “grow a row” together.
We find at Tuckahoe the more you improve your grounds, woods and gardens the better is your neighborhood kept clean and the greater is your sense pride in your place, the more it feels like a neighborhood to call home.
Sincerely,
Mary McLean
Outdoor Learning Coordinator
Tuckahoe Elementary School
Arlington Public Schools
Labels: ballston, garden, mini-golf
Friday, November 21, 2008
Letter: Hokies Not Planning Mini-Golf Site
I would like to bring to your attention some inaccurate information contained in a Buckingham Herald Tribblog article dated Nov. 17, 2008 relative to Glebe and Randolph Park.
The article, titled “Hokies to Tackle Mini-golf Site?” incorrectly states that “the County had turned the parcel [the triangular shaped green space next to the Ballston Common Mall parking garage] over to the Virginia Tech Architecture and Design School to serve a blank slate for ideas in a student design competition. Outdoor public dancing was cited as one of the potential functions.”
First, given the constraints of the site and limited funding, the County is currently exploring a variety of viable and affordable options for the use of the site, and an urban mini-golf course remains one of the options.
Second, the parcel was never “turned…over to the Virginia Tech Architecture and Design School” as the article suggests. Rather, professors selected this site for a theoretical exercise in site design and building functionality based on its challenging constraints and colorful history.
The County has had no further involvement in the student project. Any Virginia Tech student ideas for the site will remain between the professors of the course and the students as their projects are finalized and will not be informing the County’s purview of the site.
Please contact me if you would like to discuss this project further.
Thank you,
Scott McPartlin
Urban Planner
Arlington County Park Development Division
The incorrect story has been pulled from the post. My apologies for the error. --ST
Labels: ballston, Glebe, mini-golf
Monday, November 17, 2008
HeraldTrib Today: Nov. 17, 2008
Buckingham’s own Miles Grant is running for the House of Delegates' 47th District in Arlington. Incumbent Democratic Al Eisenberg told David Schultz at the Arlington Connection that he is unsure if he will seek another term. Read Mr. Schultz’s story here.
I think there’s more to this, so I’ll keep you posted if I find something.
In the story, Mr. Grant calls himself a resident of Ashton Heights, which technically he is since he lives in Historic Ballston Park, but he lives maybe two blocks from the Buckingham Shopping Center (behind the Eastern Carryout) and he has paid attention to what goes on in Bham, so I’ll claim him for our own.
A number of people have asked me how it is being back to work after a year-long sabbatical. I took the 2007-2008 school year off at half pay to run this blog and study hyperlocal and electronic journalism. Now I’m back to a full schedule teaching at Montgomery College in Rockville, and let me tell you: half pay without working totally beats full pay if you have to work for it.
The posts have been skimpy and the coverage spotty this fall because so much of my time is taken up elsewhere. I did run this blog, however, for the school year prior to my sabbatical. I just revisited November and December 2006 to find that I kept up postings—not great, but they were there.
Adjustments will be made. Don’t give up on me yet (a mantra I have repeated to my readers many times in the past). Thanks for sticking with me.
The Week’s Headlines…
As always, you can scroll down to see all the recent stories, or simply click the links below (if the link doesn't work, scroll down to find the story, and email to tell me what's busted: heraldtrib@gmail.com --Steve Thurston).
Today's Headlines:
Headlines from Earlier in the Week:
Labels: ballston, campaign, mini-golf
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Summer Flashback: Founders Square and Mosaic Park
County moves to change an EPA "Brown Field" into a LEED certified block. In a PowerPoint presentation to the Hyde Park during the July 16 Board of Directors meeting, developer John Shooshan and attorney John Kinney presented the final renderings of the Founders Square site plan. The redevelopment to replace the Metro bus yards recently sailed through the Planning Commission with 9-to-1 approval. On Saturday, July 19, the Arlington County Board swiftly gave Founders Square a final OK. We expect construction to commence by early winter, 2008. It’s a huge project and it will take years to complete. The evolved, second-generation schematic renderings of Founders Square show increased emphasis on ground floor retail and open public spaces, parkway and sidewalk cafes. There’s now a twenty-foot wide walkway between Quincy and Randolph that cuts through the middle of the project. It is clear that Ashton Heights voices were heard on this matter. An “axis-to-the-mall” pass-through in this block has been discussed for decades. Lo and behold, it is finally here. When? Construction of the one story retail annex on Quincy (for now, the recycling lot) could start as early as this winter. Chicken shack “Super Pollo” has a long lease but agreed to transfer to the one-floor, neighborhood-facing retail area. The super-secure Department of Defense tower for DARPA and the 12 floor residential tower on Quincy are slated to start construction by spring 2009. In Phase Two: a 15 floor office building (now the Shell station) and its 17-to-19 story residential tower at the corner of Quincy and Wilson will open in 6 to 7 years, given the current market conditions. What’s New? Environmentally-aware Hyde Park residents, rejoice! The aging asphalt bus yards are an EPA “brown field” classification – not good. Founders Square as a development site was just awarded a LEED Platinum level certification. That’s an unprecedented designation for new eco-savvy projects, and it will be right next door. A total of 51 percent of the 5.35 acre site footprint is green space, open to public. The developers noted the site’s many green areas are being designed by a “world-class” landscape architect firm. They plan two edgy slim-panel water curtain fountains that look great in a slide. We’ll see. The buildings themselves will be LEED Silver rating when they are finally erected. What's the Nicest Feature? We return to that important new sidewalk/promenade that cuts through that huge block. It will be dramatically paved with translucent, recycled glass block. The 20 foot wide glass path is edged with the two fountains, space-age lighting and lined with sidewalk cafes and benches. It promises to be a unique destination in its own right. With final approval in hand, there’s still time for a few site amendments. The County wants a larger, greener, more expensive Mosaic Park (which will be discussed here next month) and they are willing to trade extra stories in nearby towers for a few developer-provided amenities. Let’s start with a quote from County Board Chair Walter Tejada: “Founders Square replaces a bus garage that paid no property taxes with an outstanding mixed-use development that will provide transit-oriented offices, homes and shopping in the heart of Ballston. In addition, residents will get a bigger, better Mosaic Park.” Mr. Tejada refers to the community benefit of the land exchange that will significantly expand Mosaic Park in granting bonus density and height for Founders Square. These days, Mosaic Park is a spare 1.08 acre playground for kids but as a landscaped “park” it is a bit of an odd-duck. Bordered by Quincy Street, 5th Street and Pollard Streets, the park’s few trees are immature and the parched lawn is just heavily-mowed crabgrass for the most part. There is a climbing wall and a 3-D Spider Web that look like props from “The Jetsons.” Fortunately, the two modish climbing apparatus are often teeming with kids. That is good; it is in use. A further expansion of Mosaic Park with new landscaped areas dotted with benches and some donated amenities (to be announced) would be a huge neighborhood benefit. The two tall residential towers going up at Founders Square will be directly across from it on Quincy. Fifty-one percent of the entire footprint of Founders Square is open space and it will flow seamlessly into Mosaic Park for added pedestrian greenway. Good for Ballston. When? We’re all eager to view the landscape plan for Mosaic Park, but a final design is at least a year away. When completed, Mosaic Park will cover two-and-one-half acres. The new areas of expansion are the current asphalt Metro parking lot and the tiny, in-fill property that Mack’s garage sits on. The county already owns cleared land fronting Pollard Street. Once the Metro buses move, likely by spring 2009, their parking lot on Quincy will then convey to the county. Mack’s faces eviction and will have to relocate. The landscapers will then fill-in behind the bulldozers. Gone is any further discussion of relocating the recycling station across Quincy Street. A new county drop-off location will be announced soon. (Informed gossip: it may be an area near the new high school.) What’s New? The land swap may not be finished. The county is negotiating with the folks who own Gold’s Gym, for property they own that could evolve into the northern edge of the park. It’s currently their rear parking lot. The county is serious about Ballston having an open green area in our burgeoning downtown’s busy southern corner. What's the Nicest Feature? Its location! Just across the street from Founders Square planned glass block sidewalk parkway, the new park is welcome transition into a residential neighborhood, just as the multi-use park next to the main library on Quincy blends into its surrounding area. The Shooshan Company’s contributions, above and beyond the land exchange, means the new park is sure to feature some nice amenities. I take the name literally and would enjoy a collection of outdoor public art pieces composed of mosaics being an unusual focal point to attract and entertain park visitors. They can call it … Mosaic Park! --Tom Lauria Labels: ballston, hyde park, park
(August 2008)
View Larger Map
Piecing Together Mosaic Park
(September 2008)
Related stories…
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Minigolf It Is
Some people in Buckingham felt the county had chosen the use of the property without the proper input from all affected parties, such as Buckingham residents. Therefore, meetings were held between the Buckingham Community Civic Association and county staff earlier this year, but no changes were made.
“We are still proceeding with our initial plans to construct a miniature golf course. We’re still on that path,” said Scott McPartlin of the county’s Department of Recreation and Cultural Resources. In the interview early last month, he noted as he has many times, that he and his staff spoke with other civic associations and affected groups and received very positive feedback.
“We listened to their [the Buckingham residents’] opinion, but it did not change the direction of the project,” Mr. McPartlin said. He is the county's lead planner on this project.
The county is preparing a very detailed Request For Qualifications which will seek out developers who want to partner with the county to make the 0.45 acre space a “world-class” minigolf course, Mr. McPartlin said. The RFQ should be ready this summer. Development of the space is still some time away.
The green outline shows the location of the greenspace planned for minigolf.
Related stories and sites…
Labels: ballston, mini-golf, recreation
Monday, November 19, 2007
Amenities of Ballston's Liberty Center (Opens Early '08)
Hyde Park Newsletter, December 2007
BALLSTON UPDATE
New Retail Amenities heading to Liberty Center
As workers put the finishing touches on the striking Liberty Center complex on Wilson between Randolph and North Quincy, it's time for a preview of the street-level retail that will soon be just steps away. Developer John Shooshan attended the last HP Board of Directors meeting to forecast his company's plans for the Metro bus yards (to be chronicled in "Ballston Update" next month) and to welcome us to the new restaurants and shops soon coming to Liberty Center.
When: Early in 2008, we will see some exciting new businesses open. Of course, there's an obligatory bank. This time it's HSBC, right at the corner of Randolph and Wilson. While they seem to be popping up everywhere, Ballston's critical mass of new banking facilities is appropriate for a prosperous city center. Nearby, a new branch of downtown DC's successful "Marvelous Market" will bring some of the area's best fresh breads and cheeses to Ballston. And in a neighborhood that has no less than four Starbucks coffee shops, the coming of "Saxby's Coffee" from Philadelphia is a nice change of pace.
What’s New: The success of "Bruegger's Bagels" along the Northeast corridor is due to their product's authenticity: they make genuine, New York-style, kettle boiled bagels. The new Liberty Center location will feature creative sandwiches, ciabattas and wraps, but it's those warm, fresh bagels that will have Hyde Parkers trundling down Randolph or Quincy on Sunday mornings.
Nicest feature: Quickly now, can you name a good seafoodrestaurant in Ballston?
If you're drawing a blank, you'll be happy to hear that "D.C. Boathouse," the very popular white-tablecloth seafood restaurant on McArthur Boulevard, is opening second branch in Liberty Center. The 7,000 square foot establishment will soon hang its familiar "crossed oars" logo on our side of the neighborhood. There seems to be other retail venues possible within Liberty Center, but the developers are off to a terrific start with the establishments already on board.
The are of the liberty center is in blue.
Labels: ballston, redevelopment
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Letter: Writer Decides FOR Mini-golf
You might recall that I was against making a quick objection to the idea of the miniature golf course. I was not prepared to vote, and I wanted time to consider the idea.
[To read the original story and the comments on it, click here. --ST]
After speaking to many of my neighbors at the Carlin, (and their family members), I have now made my decision.
I went to two other golf parks and found that the parks were used primarily by families with small children. Both of the parks were peaceful, and I was told that there were no crime problems near, or inside the parks. It appears that these parks attract the best of our fellow county residents.
I now believe that the golf park would make me, and my neighbors safer than we are now. The more good citizens walking around the neighborhood, the safer I feel.
Some of my neighbors mentioned that it would be nice to be able to walk to the park with their grand children. I must agree that having something fun to do in the neighborhood is a plus.
Most of the visitors would park inside the county garage. The coming and going of these cars would make our mall safer.
I am now more than 98 percent in favor of the golf park. If it is built, I could enjoy standing outside of the fence and watching the little children learning to play golf. On occasion, I would also enjoy a game of golf.
I now believe the addition of a golf park to the new ice rink, would actually raise our property values. If you and I wanted to talk about something that was happening in our neighborhood, we could enjoy conversing while playing a round of miniature golf. I think you, as a reporter, might find that people open up more when they are playing golf.
The golf park would not attract a huge crowd, but it would bring added revenue to the mall. If the stores in our mall do not make a profit, we might actually see the mall go away, or worse, it might become one of those malls that have more vacancies than nice stores. More customers, particularly customers who come into the mall with their families, equals a nicer, more upscale mall for all of us.
Mick Pulliam
Mr. Pulliam is an active member in the Buckingham Community Civic Association.
Labels: ballston, mall, mini-golf
Friday, September 21, 2007
Mini-Golf Plans Progressing
"I am happy to state that we do, we finally got [the easement],” Mr. McPartlin said, "I don't know that it's been recorded yet, but it's been signed, which is the big deal." He said it was signed by the mall’s owners (Forest City Enterprises) at the end of August.
Rather than simply sending out a request for proposals for a developer to make a basic golf course, the county might go the route of a request for qualifications, in an attempt to find a company who could become a partner in the development. That partner would take on some of the financial burden while building a course that matches the urban setting around it.
"For the type of first-class course that we want, we just don't have the funding for that,” Mr. McPartlin said. He added that the county has the money from the original site plan to put in a regular mini-golf course, but he said county staff thought that would not fit the setting.
County staff came to the civic association meetings over the past year with the idea for the golf course and asked if the associations liked it; staff did not ask what the associations wanted, but if they liked what was offered. This has bothered some people in Buckingham, among them, Pat Hope, the president of the Buckingham Community Civic Association. That sentiment, and questions about the choice of mini-golf, was echoed by others at the BCCA meeting on Monday, Sept. 17. Mr. McPartlin does not deny it.
"That is exactly what we did. That is the truth,” Mr. McPartlin said. “This was a unique process, different than some of our parks, to take advantage of this opportunity.”
His office went to civic associations (that's a large pdf file) with the idea of the golf course, and asked if the associations liked it. One reason for this process was the pressure his office felt from higher in the county, he said. "We did receive clear direction [from the county board] to do something to activate this corner."
He said that a “passive” corner, one filled primarily with trees, plants and benches would not work on that corner, with two large streets and the wall of the parking garage making up the three sides of the triangle. Professional landscape architects told him people would not make the trip to that corner to sit, he said, adding that non-use could spell a haven for rodents and loose garbage.
He has said that county staff considered other uses—an outdoor ice rink, a climbing wall—but that the mini-golf had the longest season and was a multi-generational activity.
He added that the Ashton Heights Civic Association (the property is part of the Ashton Heights neighborhood) loved the idea and sent a letter to the county board stating this.
Mr. McPartlin and Pat Hope have both said that meetings are being planned for residents of the neighborhood to voice their opinions. Mr. Hope said he hopes to involve the Bluemont Civic Association as well.
"I respect Patrick's opinion. Patrick an I have been in communication....I will be attending a BCCA meeting in the near future, most likely this fall, to learn more about the public space needs of the Buckingham community. All I can really say is I respect his opinion." Mr. McPartlin paused for a few moments. "Any concern they have is valid to me." He said again that nothing is etched in stone.
Related story information: Request for Information.
Labels: ballston, mini-golf, park
Monday, July 02, 2007
Mini-Golf
In this space last week, I wrote that the county’s sports commission was to see plans for the miniature golf course at the corner of N. Glebe Road and N. Randolph Street. That was not quite correct. In an interview today, Scott McPartlin, the project manager handling that space, said “we have to secure the easements,” for the park before any further plans could be made. “I expect that will happen soon.”
At the sports commission meeting, as part of making the public aware of the project, Mr. McPartlin ran through the planning for the site that has already been completed: the decision to use the space as a mini-golf course including a section on the history of mini-golf in general and in Ballston; the nearness of parking, shopping, dining and metro; and how the space will “accentuate” the downtown experience, Mr. McPartlin said.
He said this plan is unique, a mini-golf course in an urban setting. “This really would be the first of its kind,” he said today.
Mr. McPartlin said the decision to pursue a mini-golf course was made before he came into the position a couple years ago. The county board asked staff to consider an “active” park. Some of the other choices were a rock climbing wall, outside ice, and an amphitheatre, but the mini-golf was chosen because it could be “enjoyed by all generations at the same time,” Mr. McPartlin said. It is also would enjoy nearly year-round use.
Since then, the county has asked for letters of interest from contracting companies, and the response was strong, he said. Over the past year, or so, Mr. McPartlin has taken the idea to many meetings, including nearby civic associations.
Labels: ballston, Buckingham, mini-golf
