Date: Mon, 10 May 1999 17:04:07 -0400
From: "Greenfield, Thomas" <greenfit@ncr.disa.mil tom.greenfield@erols.com>
To All,
Getting my head above water again, and wanted to update everyone on the progress on the Eckerd development.
Presidents, please read the action regarding the park naming process at the bottom of this message. Just to familiarize people with the addressees on this list starting with current presidents:
- Henry Dunbar - new president of Douglass Park neighborhood
- Pat McDevitt - current president of Penrose (formerly Central Arlington) neighborhood association
- Dorothy (Dotsi) Rowe - president, The Commons of Arlington Condo Association
- Jay Wind - president, Arlington Heights Civic Association
- Mary Ellen Finn - vice president, Arlington Heights Civic Association
- Chris Zimmerman - Douglass Park resident, County Board member
- Reid Goldstein - former president, Douglass Park
Park Details:
As per the letter from Eckerd's attorney, Eckerd has agreed to shift the northside walkways entering the park to a diagonal arrangment coming in off the corners. They'll accomodate the archway and benchwalls if the County funds. Remaining item is the bus shelter on the sidewalk at the corner of S. Edgewood and Columbia Pike. Current plans show this shelter located *in the park*. I've asked that the shelter be moved northward several feet so it's completely on the sidewalk. Reggie Nixon in CPHD is trying to get this request confirmed with Jim Hamre in DPW.
S. Edgewood St. Planters:
Eckerd has agreed to install a planting island amidst the nose-in parking on the west side of S. Edgewood St. We had originally asked for two planting island and trees to be situated amongst 16 head end spaces. The configuration would've been 5 parking spaces - planter - 6 parking spaces - planter - 5 parking spaces. The number of spaces has been reduced by three in the latest design because there is a pair of transformers currently in place at what would've been the southern end of the row of parking. These transformers were installed by VEPCO when the utilities were originally undergrounded along S. Edgewood and according to County staff, VEPCO is unwilling to relocate them without a significant cost. In light of the fact that we're now looking at 13 spaces (16 - 3), Eckerd has proposed one large planting island, which I've agreed to, and a configuration of 6 parking spaces - planter - 7 parking spaces.
Farmers Market:
If you attended the first market of this year's season, you already know that the market has been moved to S. Edgewood St. courtesy of CPRO and the Uncommon Market. This is the intended long-term location for the market.
Design of Archway and Bench Wall:
I met with Angela Adams, director of cultural affairs for DPRC on 26 April and we discussed the process for getting involvement from local artists and architects in the design of the archway and benchwall. We're going to do a "Call to Artists" to solicit designs once we know the overall budget for these projects. We'll use a panel of professionals with resident participation to evaluate the designs and select from there. I'm going to work with Angela to lay out the overall dimensions and criteria for the Call to Artists.
I'll submit the Call to all of you before we go public to get your thoughts.
Naming of the New Park:
I'm tentatively considering a 3-step process in all the surrounding neighborhood and condo associations to ensure maximum citizen involvement by the adjoining residents in this naming process. I'll be sending out an article in the next couple days to be inserted in your newsletters that describes the timeline for the naming contest. We're going to solicit naming suggestions in the first round of newsletters with a deadline for submissions. I'll then collect all the proposed names (with descriptions supporting those names) and send out again for the next round of newsletters. After the names have appeared in your newsletters, the idea would be for everyone to take a recorded vote at their next subsequent general membership meeting. I'd tally up the collective votes to determine the winning name and then work with the Park and Recreation Commission (advisory) and the County Board to get that name officially adopted.
I know how hard it is to get out regular newsletters, so we may end up dispensing with the second newsletter item if it looks like the collective publication cycle will take us far into the Fall. We want to do this process right, as this name will be featured on the park archway and may find its way to other places in our community but I also don't want the process to run forever.
ACTION FOR PRESIDENTS:
Could the presidents of the Arlington Heights, Douglass Park, and Penrose neighborhoods (note: the Columbia Heights neighborhood association is inactive) and the Commons of Arlington condo association, please drop me an email predicting your best estimate on when your next TWO newsletters will be published, so I can get a feel how long the currently proposed process could take. We'll make adjustments based on the publication cycles.
Email or call me if you have any questions. I'm recharged! 1999 is going to be a banner year for the East Columbia Pike community!
/s/
Tom Greenfield
(with minor edits by Jay
Wind)