THE ARLINGTON - EAST FALLS CHURCH CIVIC ASSOCIATION

The old Lee Center on Langston Blvd at Lexington used to house a Senior Center with activities for seniors, a gym, recreational opportunities for youth, an art center, among community oriented activities.   All of these activities were moved to other locations or discontinued several years ago, with the exception of the Art Center which moved this past summer.  The empty building and adjoining outdoor gardens and recreational space are being studied to consider future uses of the site.   The Langston Blvd Alliance and a committee of local civic association leaders have been promoting the restoration of the building and its various community facing uses.   A study of the site, its challenges and its potential was conducted in the summer of 2025.  The early conclusions of the study are summarized here:  Lee Center Study Page  .  More details available here: Study Details.

You can see the final report here:

Vision Zero Safety Audit Langston West

Construction is estimated to begin in January 2026.  Purpose is to address flooding.  Work will last about 4 months and require closure of one lane on Sycamore St. For more information look here: On Crossman Run  and  Sycamore Langston Stormwater Projec

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@verizon.net 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

Native Planting

Volunteer Opportunities

Thanks for responding to the County's call for feedback on pedestrian safety. Preliminary analysis of feedback available here:

Summary of Survey Feedback 

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.

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:

View Concept Design

Concept Plan Summary

Learn More Here

Arlington County is planning to improve stormwater resilience in the Crossman Run watershed which lies in our Civic Association area.  For details go to:

Crossman Run Flood Resilience Plan

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/

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.

The AEFCCA is represented on the Langston Blvd. Alliance President's Breakfast by John Wilson in order to stay abreast of relevant developments in the Plan that may affect AEFCCA.

For more info and to sign up for the Plan Langston Newsletter see:

Langston Blvd Plan

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.  Update, April 2025:  The scoping and costing of the project have begun but preparation of a stormwater management plan has resulted in some delay.  Approval will likely come in 2026.