Know More, Engage More!
Arlington County government produces newsletters covering dozens of topics of interest that can be sent directly to your inbox. Follow this link to see all the things you can stay on top of with just a few clicks. Just enter your email for a complete list of available newsletters.
The County Manager's Office of Communications and Public Engagement is also there to help citizens understand, navigate and participate in local government. See more of what they do on their webpage:
Promoting Nature in AEFCCA
Mary McLean, Tuckahoe Park Steward would like to hear from residents interested in supporting and preserving the natural world around us, not just in Tuckahoe Park but in our own backyards. Contact marydmclean@icloud.com to receive regular information about ongoing programs and activities in the neighborhood, in Arlington County and in Northern Virginia. Attached is a link to just one site Mary would like to share, and a link to a site where you can sign up for volunteer opportunities at Tuckahoe and other Arlington Parks
Recap of Fall 2024 General Membership Meeting
Recap of AEFCCA General Meeting of November 14, 2024
AEFCCA President John Wilson opened the meeting at 7:00 pm with miscellaneous announcements and election of new officers and executive board members. All sitting Board members and Officers were re-elected with the exception of Bill Walls (Board member and Civic Federation Rep) and Wells Harrell (Vice President) who will be moving on to other endeavors and we are most grateful for their years of service to the neighborhood. The Association members present voted unanimously to waive the Association by-law's 2 year limit on the office of President in order to re-elect John Wilson for another (and final) term. The New Officers and Board members for 2025 are: John Wilson, President; Pete Schirmer, Vice President; Toby Davis, Secretary; Julie Bruns, Treasurer; Karen Sulivan, Arlington Neighborhoods Program Representative; and Chris Hulett, John Bell, Pam Nardolilli, Lynda Maguire and Dori Mitchell, Executive Board Members.
We had good attendance (approximately 35 persons) and great guests including J.D. Spain, County Board member-elect, and Christine Baker and Laura Castro of Vision Zero/Arlington.
J.D. Spain provided a lively recap of his personal and civic life in Arlington and was ready for a range of questions from the membership on pedestrian safety issues, housing supply, County governance, and more. Our meeting was his first publc engagement with the Arlington community since his election.
Christine Baker and Laura Castro gave us a detailed overview of what Vision Zero is doing in Arlington to help decrease the incidence of traffic injuries and fatalities. They also explained the various sources of funding for neighborhood projects (Vision Zero, Complete Streets, the CIP, Arlington Neighborhoods Program) and briefly, the ways that neighborhoods can access these funds. There were numerous questions and comments from the membership about specific locations in the AEFCCA area and about our experiences with seeking action and funding. Our guests explained that they are getting ready to do what they call an "audit" of the stretch of Langston Blvd. between Lexington and I-66/Washington Blvd. It was agreed that we would send them (already done) a list of comments from residents about perceived pedestrian and traffic safety issues to add to the audit.
County Manager, Mark Schwartz, Seeks Input on 2026 Budget!
Take the Manager's survey and put in your two cents today!
It really helps him know what we want of our government.
Take the Transportation Survey Please!
Dear Residents, Arlington County needs to know what pedestrian safety issues we have here in East Falls Church. Add your comments to the interactive map that is offered after you complete the short questionaire. We need all the help we can get to have our pedestrian safety issues recognized and dealt with so please take a few minutes to have your say! Thank you, John Wilson, President
Dept. Human Services 2024 Survey on Community Needs
DHS seeking your input on community needs in areas like health, housing, economic stability, mental health and substance use, disability services, and other safety net services. Take their survey here: DHS Survey
Pedestrian Safety Issues
Hazardous intersections and pedestrian crossings, routine speeding on residential streets? Do you know of a specific location unsafe for pedestrians that you would like to see addressed by Arlington County? The Civic Association is preparing a list of such places in AEFCCA for County officials so please let us know at aefcca2020@gmail.com. Provide a detailed description of the location and problem and we will include it on our list. Send it to aefcca2020@gmail.com.
Arlington Art Truck
Did you know that Arlington has a mobile Art truck? It visits different locations throughout the County bringing art projects for people of all ages to engage in!
To learn more go to their website: Arlington Art Truck
They are also looking for volunteers to help with these creative events if you are interested send an email to: lsimpson@arlingtonva.us
Sycamore St. Improvement Project (Complete Streets)
A project design for multi-modal safety improvements on Sycamore Street near the Metro Station is now complete.
Details can be seen at the links below:
Crossman Run Stormwater Improvements
Arlington County is planning to improve stormwater resilience in the Crossman Run watershed which lies in our Civic Association area. For details go to:
Helicopter Noise Complaint Links
Are the Choppers bugging you too? Here's where you can learn more and get you two cents in!
https://beyer.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5829
https://www.planenoise.com/dcmetro/
Plan Langston Blvd. and East Falls Church
The AEFCCA area was not included in Plan Langston Boulevard (approved by the County Board on November 11,2023) as it has a relatively recent redevelopment plan: The East Falls Church Area Plan (look under the Planning tab). The County Board also committed to take action in the short term to bring WMATA (Metro) and VDOT together to discuss their interest in development of the Park and Ride site which they jointly own. Only after confirming such interest, a review of the East Falls Church Area Plan could then take place, but is not likely to occur for several years. The County's stated purpose of such a review is to "align" the goals and recommendations of the East Falls Church Area Plan with those of Plan Langston. This should be a straightforward task as the goals of both Plans are largely the same: transit-oriented development that promotes economic vitality and environmental sustainability, that diversifies the housing stock available for families of diverse economic means, that creates a sense of place, and that promotes streetscapes that are safe for all.
For more info and to sign up for the Plan Langston Newsletter see:
Arlington Neighborhoods Program Proposal for Stewart Park Playground
Area residents and users of the Stewart Park Playground were seeking funding under the Arlington Neighborhoods Program (ANP) to replace the aging playground equipment and facilities. The project was presented to and given priority by the AEFCCA Executive Board and is now formally in the ANP queue. It will be two years, however, before design can begin. In the meanwhile, other sources of capital funding can be pursued by interested neighbors.
