West End Columbia Pike Coalition Meetings
Meeting
This is just a summary of some of the main pointsWednesday, April 17
Linda LeDuc opened the meeting with a presentation of the coalition's mission:
Mission
The West End Columbia Pike Coalition is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots, organization comprised of residents, businesses, civic associations and other persons and organizations whose purpose is to promote and advocate for the enhancement of the environment and quality of life along the West End of Columbia Pike.Christian Dorsey
Christian Dorsey, Arlington Board Chair and Coalition Liaison welcomed everyone to the meeting and gave an overview of some activites on the Pike. Mr. Dorsey was asked if it was possible for the main Columbia Pike Library to move to the West End of the Pike. Mr. Dorsey said that the main Columbia Pike library would definitely remain in the East End of the Pike but it was always possible that there could be some library presence at the West End of the Pike if a need was shown. Someone also suggested that maybe we could select books electronically, then make a pick-up at Arlington Mill Community Center. Mr. Dorsey thought this was a very good idea.
There was also some discussion about the parking lot which is located at Four Mile Run Drive and Columbia Pike, as to whether or not there are any plans for this area. Mr. Dorsey replied that Nova Parks owns part of the lot (Washington and Old Dominion Trail) and that there were no plans to do anything with it. It can be used to have Pop-ups. At the moment there is the Food Truck Party Pop-up which is three or four times a year and the Lions club held one there last year for their Christmas Tree sale.
Kim Klinger
Kim Klinger is the recently appointed Executive Director of CPRO, Columbia Pike Organization. She started by giving a brief overview of CPRO and displaying maps that showed work and construction both completed and scheduled for the future. She discussed the progress of the roadwork being done at the West End of the Pike. She announced that Columbia Pike will soon have its 100 year anniversity. She went on to talked about upcoming events, recent openings on the Pike, Market Retail Study and CPRO's website:
Upcoming Events:
Arlington Mill Farmers Market , May - November Saturdays 9am - 1pmPike Park Farmers Market, year round, Sundays 9am - 1pm
Movie Nights June - September, Fridays at Arlington Mill, Saturdays at Penrose Square
24th Annual Blues Festival, June 15, Walter Reed & Columbia Pike
Paws on the Pike, September 15, Arlington Mill Community Center
5th Annual Fall Fest, October 5, S. Adams St and Columbia Pike
Two Recent openings on the Pike
Market Retail Study
Ms. Klinger discussed the Market Retail Study - What the market will bear on the Pike. The study is expected to be completed by the end of June. It will then be sent to be anaylzed and we should get the results by the Fall.Website
The CPRO website is in the process of being redesigned.Changing the target audience for the site. At the moment the audience is those who are already on the Pike. It will change to those that want to come to the Pike.
Alison Oleson
Alison Oleson is the acting director of the Baileys Crossroads Seven Corners Revitalization Organization whose mission is to support and promote the revitalization of the Bailey’s Crossroads and Seven Corners area. (BC7CR). BC7CR and WECPC hope to work together on some projects/events in the future.
Emily Carnes and Lloyd Bell
Emily Carnes, Past District Governor of Lyons of Virginia and LLyod Bell, Secretary Arlington South Lions Club along with a newly inducted member talked about the program: Lions Eyeglass Recycling .
Meeting
Wednesday, April 17 - 7:00 pm
Arlington Mill Community & Senior Center
Guest Speakers:
Christian Dorsey, Chair, Arlington County Board
Kim Klingler, newly appointed Executive Director of the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization
Alison Oleson, current VP, Baileys 7 Corners Crossroads Revitalization Organization and future partner
Emily Carnes, Arlington South Lions Club—find out about their goals and our partnership
january 21, 2018
Meeting Thursday Jan 17, Arlington Mill Community Center
This is just a summary of the main points. There were two speakers, Marwin Shahin, VP of Operations, Pillars Development Group and Susan Finotti, Capitol Projects Management, Arlington County, Departments of Environment Services, Division of Transport. The Coalition was represented by Linda LeDuc, Rita Rutsohn and Brendan Adams.
Marwin Shahin, Update on Trafalar Flats and 4707 CP
Trafalar Flats is almost complete and is expected to be to have some occupancy by March. At the moment 49 units, priced in the mid $200s - low $500s have already been sold, mostly to Millennials. It has 78 units which includes 1 and 2 bedroom apartments and studios, a Gym and Lounge, 78 parking spaces for tenants, 17 parking spaces for retail customers, a 3,572 square foot private courtyard, 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, indoor bike storage.
Pillars Website has more images.
Mr. Shahin also talked about 4238 Columbia Pike which is further east on the Pike near to George Mason Drive. At the moment there is just one house on this large plot, which has been there for many years. Pillars Development Group is planning to build a group of town houses here. The project will not include any commerical space. Contractors are not required to conform to the Form Base Code within this area of the Pike (South Wakefield to George Mason on the South Side of the Street, and not quite to George Mason on the North), which is all residential. This project is still in the planning stage.
Susan Finotti updates on CP Multimodel Project
Gas Utitilies are completed. Wet Utitlities are 80% complete. Storm Utitlities are ongoing. Street and sidewalk construction ongoing where possible sidewalks will be 10ft wide otherwise they will be 6ft wide. Sidewalk on the north side of the bridge over 4 mile run will be 10ft wide and will be shared by both predestinations and bikes. The bridge is a separate project but might start before the end of 2019. Major road work on Dinwiddie / Columbus. Entire project should be complete by the end of 2020. Construction of the transit shelters should be started by the beginning of 2021. Ms. Finotti is going to check to make sure that the surface crackes on the wall at 5226 CP will be repaired in preparation for artwork. We were also told that all transformers and cabinets have to be above ground. The main public art structure for the east end will be installed after 2020.
Coalition
After the presentations Brendan, Linda and Rita brought us up to date, they discussed:
Wandering the West Pike, last years Lions Club Christmas Tree sale and the possibility of having an event at the same time and place for Christmas 2019.
Arlington Mill Farmers Market and the need to include activities which would attact the surrounding neighbors.
Baileys Crossroads/7 CR Corporation which is willing to work together with our Coalition in support of West End projects that are mutually beneficial.
Cleaning up the pike there is still too much trash.
Art
Art on the wall of Good Will at Four Mile Drive: Asking permission from the owners of the Shopping Center
Art on the Tranformer Cabinets
Incorporation of art on the new transit stations not everyone thought that this was a good idea
Discussed the possibility of a park or some type of public art in front of the 7/11, but lots of work needs to be done for this to become a reality.
Events Etc
January 21: Meeting with Sush Mazumaar to discuss installation of art for the wall in front of 5226 Columbia Pike
August 6: Introduction of National Night Out Program for the east end of the pike
March 21: Next West End Columbia Pike Coalition Meeting
Meeting
Next meeting will be in November date and time to be announced
This meeting was cancelled
Meeting
Art at the West End of the Pike
Thursday July 19th 2018 7:00pmArlington Mill Community Center - Room 525
Meeting
Cleaning Up the West End of the Pike
Thursday June 14, 2018 at 7:00pmLocation: Arlington Mill Community & Senior Center
Featured Speaker:Cecilia Cassidy, Executive Director, CPRO
Also Invited: County Board Member Christian Dorsey
Arlington Mill Community Center - Room 525
Meeting
Thursday May 17, 2018 7:00pm
Location: Arlington Mill 527 A & B
Featured Speaker: Angela Adams, Director of Arlington Public Art
Also invited: Arlington County Board Vice Chair, Christian Dorsey
Priorities list on Meeting Announcement
1 of 3 Top Priorities for the West End Pike Coalition
Embody the West End in a healthy, clean, visually attractive built and landscaped aesthetic environment incorporating art.
Would you like to see a mural painted on the retaining wall between Greenbrier and Frederick at 5353 Columbia Pike?
Would you like to see art featured on the West End Pike bus stops? If yes, what kinds of art?
Do you think the traffic signals should be wrapped with art? If yes, how would you like that art to look?
Would you like to sign up for a walk about to identify potential art sites at the West end of the Pike?
april 16, 2018
Final Report from March 22 Meeting and Next Meeting
Final Report word doc THIS DOCUMENT IS NO LONGER ON LINE
Next Meeting Thursday April 19 Location: Arlington Mill 527 A & B
friday march 22, 2018 7:30pm
Location: Arlinngton Mill 527 A & B
First Meeting
The purpose of the meeting was to suggest and discuss ideas for improvements along the Pike within the area from the Western Gateway beginning at the county line all the way through to the Village Center at George Mason Drive.
Linda LeDuc opened the meeting with a few announcements which included information about events at the Arlington Mill Community Center and information about the Full Circle Montessori School see below. It was also announced that Columbia Hills Appartments will soon be completed. And that the $15million contract that covers work from the Western Gateway to Four Mile Run for water, sewer and sidewalks is well underway.
Christian Dorsey, Vice-Chair, Arlington County introduced the program for the evening.
Gary Mason led the meeting.
Main Topics
Tell us what you like about living here
Share with us your vision for the future
Express your desires for future activities
Inform us of your interests/issues/concerns
The following is an overview of the suggestions and comments that were made during the meeting. I have placed the information in various groups which is not necessary in the order they were made.
Adams Morgan
The overall look and feel should be something like Adams Morgan in DC. The
architecture needs to be more diverse than what has already been built (the newer buildings on the Pike are beginning to look too much alike). The area should be much more colorful, with a lot more going on. More aesthetically pleasing , with fountains and green spaces.
Art
We need to incoporate art into the Pike. One way this could be done is to include murals, controlled graffiti or street art along the lines of Banksy. This has already been done in Crystal City (see below). Suggestions included two major areas which were the end wall at Goodwill on Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run and the long wall at 5353 S. Columbia Pike. This wall is owned by the county and is a real eyesore. Other sugguestions included the outside of some businesses.
Cecilia Cassidy, Executive Director CPRO suggested using Graham Projects for the public art.
Other Street Art from Crystal City
Busnesses
Commerical propery needs to be more attractive. Lobby local businesses to beautify their areas
Co-Working Spaces
Busnesses that would bring more nightlife
Broader range of restaurants
Cafes with outside tables
Professionals with diverse services.
A good balance between day and night activities
Clean
Overall the area needs to be cleaner
We need more trash cans especially in Four Mile Run. Quite a few people that live in the neighborhoods pickup the trash in the Park while they are out walking but there are not enough trash cans and they are too far apart (which means we have to carry the trash for quite a while before being able to throw it away).
Cecilia Cassidy, Executive Director CPRO said that until recently there was just one person for the whole of Columbia Pike to clean up trash, sweep, rake leaves and mulch who worked Monday - Friday. We now have two people one whose hours include the week-end. This does not include Four Mile Run.
Coordination
Coordinate with Baileys Crossroads and Seven Corners Revitalization baileyscrossroads.org
Events / Entertainment
More Cultural Events
Block Parties
Annual Signature Event
The Food Truck party was mentioned but it was suggested that the Signature Event be all day have a larger music venue and a better space, simular to the Blues Festival at Columbia Pike and Walter Reed which is held during June.
Flowers and Street Furniture etc
Street Furniture that is aesthetically pleasing
Install more benches along the pike.
Flowers at the edge of the road and in tubs along the sidewalk.
Include flowers in the median strip in the center of the road.
Replace and install more trash cans.
Enclose newspaper vending machines in an attractive boxes
We would be interested in getting street furniture similar to Rosslyn's benches, flower tubs flower containers, trash cans.
Housing
More home ownership.
Better looking houses at all price points.
Housing that will attract young people.
Lobby owners to fix up unattractive housing.
Park or Businesses
The parking lot at Four Mile Run and Columbia Pike needs to be replaced with either a park or a new building for businesses.This lot is owned by the County
Pike Plaza
It was asked if they were any plans to upgrade Pike Plaza Shopping Center . We were told that the owners had no plans for changing this center or selling it in the foreseeable future. .
Trail via Carlin Springs
Although this was brought up during the meeting I have no comments or suggestions about the Trail.
Transportation
We need the best in the region Public Transportation Network.
Buses extend Operating Hours
Buses should run into DC throughout the day but only one bus goes into DC via the Pike which is 16Y and that does not have any service between 9:00am and3:30pm.
16Y
Route: Columbia Pike and Four Mile Run to McPherson Square
Weekday Eastbound from 5:55am to 9:00am
Weekday Westbound from 3:30pm to 7:52
The Pike has much more limited service than
Clarendon which has a subway and bus service that both go into the DC throughout the day. Also the Pike has the most profitable lines so it also does not make sense that we get the worse service.
We also need a balance between cars and buses,
particular in the area next to Arlington Mill Community Center on Dinwiddie. Often it is difficult to get around the buses particulally with the on street parking next to the center.
Announcements
Arlington Mill Farmers Market
9am - 1pm
Grand Opening
Saturday May 5 2018
Chalkapalooza
Saturday May 7
12pm - 3pm
Afternoon of family fun. We provide the chalk, you make the sidewalk your own. With Music, Food Vendors and your creativity.
Full Circle School
There was also a representative from the Full Circle Montessori School who gave information about the school, activities and students. The school opened in the fall at the The Shell building which is at the corner of Greenbrier and the Pike.