Email list?

I know there was some interest in starting an email list. I was wondering if we could get this started as my inbox is getting a bit cluttered. Anyone else have any strong feelings about this?

Public Meeting Tonight

The last of the County Focus Group meetings is tonight at Lake Anne Elementary from 7 to 9 P.M. This is the one that everyone is invited to, so it should be fun.

Just in case anyone actually reads this blog.

The Community is Getting Together

Hi everyone,

I was happy to attend a further organizational meeting of the grassroots cluster group that originally met on 6 May. Among other things, we decided to call ourselves Lake Anne Village Advocates, and I'm happy to be a member. The name was chosen a lot like we used to pick band names when I was an up and coming wanna-be rockstar. As always, I found the results to be perfectly wonderful.

I also attended a Focus Group that was ably conducted by the perspectives group for local merchants.

All participants of both groups are feeling good about the process. I'll provide a more detailed update and will provide some promised documentation later this weekend.

Peace

I don't care, just give me money

This view has been attributed to some in the community, but, perhaps not surprisingly, I have not yet heard anyone "own" it. It basically holds that those of us who own property in the development area should do whatever we can to maximize the return on our investment. Line up any developers who might be interested and let's make the deal that makes us the most money, regardless of the specifics of the development plan.

Believe it or not, I completely respect this view, even though, once again, I do not share it.

"No revitalization without condemnation"

This is another view that I do not share, but I'm throwing it out there for comment. It is reportedly held by some highly respected members of the community.

Basically, it holds that because of the complexities of property ownership and easements in the historic core, there is no way we're going to get a consensus developed within a reasonable time period unless the County condemns the property or the owners somehow voluntarily submit their own property for condemnation. The upside here is that everyone gets paid for their property and development can proceed in a cohesive way.

I don't buy it. Who does?

Let's Do Nothing

This is the first view that I will attempt to articulate, even though it is one that I do not share. (Please see "J'accuse" below.)

Many people in the community have the feeling that our village is already a wonderful place to live, even if the Plaza Proper is a little bit shabby, and any increased development density will be harmful to the quiet and peaceful life we are already living. Who wants more traffic, more people, and more buildings? Sure, clean up the plazaa a little bit, but leave the rest alone.

I welcome comments in support or opposition to this view.

J'accuse

Well, my efforts to encourage people to actually contribute to a community discussion through this blog have failed, and much to my disappointment, it looks like this is turning into the "Jeff Crowe talks about revitalization" blog. I think that I have made my own views on the subject clear, at least in broad terms, so now, lacking any input from anyone else, I'm going to attempt to anticipate what some other views might be, and do my best to articulate them.

This will in no way be as interesting as if someone had the stones to actually share another view publicly, or even if someone had the stones to expand or elaborate on the views I have already shared.

J'accuse, or however you spell it....you're all a bunch of wusses.

Green Development: A Broad Vision

It should go without saying that I speak only for myself...but just in case, I've said it. Since nobody has yet engaged in anything substantive, I'll try. I really do not want this to turn into "Jeff's Blog", but my hope is that within a week or two all these posts by me will be lost in the pages full of interesting and valuable input from others. Hell, maybe I'll even delete my own posts.

On to the whole "green" thing. A reasonable question is, "What does that even mean?" Do we put up some solar panels on one of the new buildings and call it "green"? Do we figure out what "Grey Water System" is, encourage it's use, and call it Green? I think not.

What I'm saying is that Reston at it's founding was a model for "New Town" development, and Lake Anne is its centerpiece. I'd like to see this revitalization effort be a model for Green Development. A "Big Deal". Something people write about all over the world, as in, "Wow, those silly Reston people did a redevelopment project of their historic core and actually improved and enhanced it's sustainability, environmental impact, and commercial value. All at the same time."

Please let's not end up with what they did to Tall Oaks or Hunters Woods.

I'm specifically interested in comments or new posts which explore the following:

• Am I off my rocker? Is it realistic to expect that we can influence the process that much, given the complexities of ownership, easement, historic overlay, etc.
• Even if we can, is it really a good idea? I mean, it's not possible that everyone agrees with me.
  
• My concept of "Green Development" is so broad as to be almost meaningless. Please help me refine it.
  

chat about Lake Anne

Hi all -

I am excited about this blog. Let's get talking!!!! I do know that a survey is being put together to determine why people do and DO NOT go to the Lake Anne plaza. This survey should be VERY informative and help us, as a community, communicate clearly to the county and to the RCRC about what our community wants in the way of development. Very exciting!

-Kimberly

County Announces Resident Focus Group

The County has announced what I believe is the first Focus Group for residents. Attendance is limited to 50. Washington Plaza Cluster Association and Lake Anne of Reston Condominium (LARCA) residents are invited to participate. I think this means residents of the Heron House, Quayside, Chimney House, and Washington Plaza Cluster only. There will be additional focus groups for other residents and stakeholders at other times. I will post announcements of these as I become aware of them.

The meeting will be on Tuesday, May 17th at 7PM in the Reston Community Center at Lake Anne.

Attendance is limited to 50.

The announcement from the county is here.

Rules for Posting and Comments

Hi Everyone,

This is a "Team" blog. Team members, also known as "Contributors", can post articles. Anyone can post a comment on an article.

I am the administrator of this blog. I'll delete comments I find inappropriate in my sole discretion. I may delete articles as well, but I doubt it. You'd have to get petty raunchy to offend me.

To be a team member (Contributor), you need to be invited. Please, send me a note, I want to invite you. This blog needs you. Somebody post something, or I'll be forced to start a stream-of-consciousness reminiscence of my childhood adventures on the plaza, and why it was so much better then. I beg you. Spare us all.

You've been warned.

Making the news

How can we get more (positive) news coverage of the plaza? The restaurants were packed for Mother's Day, and the plaza was ripe with photo ops... no reporters. There has only been one story about LakeAnne.Net, and that was over a year ago.

Encouraging Community Meeting on 5/5

I was encouraged by the surprising amount of agreement that was found around the table at the community meeting organized by Kimberly Dillard at the Community Center on May 5th. My hat is off to Kimberly for organizing a truly grass-roots effort. Personally, I think that the most important thing to do next is to share the vision parts of that conversation with the members of the Lake Anne Condo and other affected property owners. It was great (and frankly surprising to me) that we all seemed to share , at least in broad terms, a vision for revitalization that acknowledges that new development and increased density are not necessarilly bad, but that, especially here, we should make damn sure that we take our time and do something beautiful, sustaianable, remarkable, and maybe even a little bit revolutionary. I think we can pull it off.

I look forward to hearing everyone's thoughts.

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