Membership Meeting Minutes – September 2014

DRCA – September 10, 2014

Meeting Called to Order at: 7:44PM        By: President Jay Nestlerode

 

Simpson Park Upgrades: Walking Tour;

1. Past two years, Simpson Park Improvement plan – part of larger Park Improvement plan for large parks.
2. Incremental improvements to parks; when funding is received, quick turnaround on projects.
3. Plans were completed in January 2014, now coming online
4. Simpson has multiple projects as part of this plan
   1. Parking Lot repaved
   2. Picnic tables on order near basketball court
   3. Dog park improvements at Simpson, Simpson Park Dog Owners Group
      1. Formal MOU – raising funds for improvements.
      2. $18,000 from city, $10,000 fundraising from SPDOG for lighting
      3. Berm stabilization
      4. Alternative surfacing
   4. Improvements to soccer field entrance
   5. Find places for passive use/open space (no funding yet for clearance of BRT site)
      1. No design currently
   6. Moving equipment/trucks off of Duncan Avenue
   7. Land Water Conservation Funds to renovate area from Tennis Courts to Western side of playground; $200,000 (LWCF) and $200,000 from city.
      1. New playground to be built
      2. No design yet
      3. Funding available next July (2015)
   8. New bleachers for storage (long term plan, not funded yet
   9. Neighborhood Parks (1/2 acre to 10 acres)
1. 17 parks in total
2. Hume Springs Park
3. Landover Park (not pool)
4. Goat Hill Park
5. Timberland Park
6. Community feedback will begin on Friday, September 12, 2014
   1. Survey with preliminary questions available
7. Mount Jefferson is not included in this survey plan – included in Oakville Triangle Plan
   1. City staff will be working on park plan through Oakville process
   2. City will see if there is a way to duplicate process for Mount Jefferson
   3. Pocket Parks (under ½ acre) next year for planning

1. Police Update – Capt. Scott Ogden, Alexandria Police
2. Level 1 Crime Report
   1. Del Ray; 20.4% decrease during the calendar
   2. Citywide; 4.15% decrease
   3. Burglaries in the past few days; detectives are assigned to specific area and crime
      1. Early in the investigation, no details yet
      2. 12 burglaries compared to 18 last year
3. Charles Severance – indicted for the three murders in Alexandria (Dunning, Kirby, LoDato)
   1. Trying to move from Loudon to Alexandria jail
   2. Information will shift to Commonwealth Attorney’s Office; Brian Porter lead attorney
      1. 9 – 18 months in length
      2. Attorney is prohibited from talking about the case in public
   3. Further information on the Alexandria Police Website
   4. Dunning case had never gone cold; had been actively worked since 2003.
4. Murder of Carol Anne Cross
   1. Deputy Director of D.C. Corrections
   2. Murdered by 28 year old male, had chosen her as victim.
   3. Perpetrator has arrested and confessed
   4. 4^th homicide in the city for calendar year; up from 3 last year
5. Spoofing Fraud
   1. Criminals are calling citizens as if they are calling from non-emergency number
   2. Police Department supposedly calling for outstanding fines, threatening
   3. No victims, have alerted the police department and other jurisdictions experiencing similar type of frauds.
   4. Non-Emergency Number is legitimate; the spoofing can only mask the number being placed to you, cannot redirect phone calls
   5. Police Department will not call you about money you may owe
6. Crime Analysis Section
   1. Raidsonline.com – criminal statistics/data
   2. Data back to January 1, 2013
   3. Look up recent crime trends
   4. Intent is not to go back through time, instead more of a current picture
   5. Crime data available nationwide

 

Oakville Triangle Update – Ben Flood, DRCA Representative

1. Broke for the summer; one formal full session meeting
   1. Walking tours have taken place
   2. Connections and connectivity surrounding the Oakville area
      1. Connection – more than road/sidewalks; bike paths, green space, options that connect communities
      2. City has thought holistically about the process and options for connections/connectivity
      3. Options have been weeded down and further analysis will take place
   3. Park will open at Stewart Avenue
2. Please come out to meetings; several years before construction activity will occur
   1. Zoning will likely be decided though in the next 12 months
   2. September 22^nd 7PM-9PM – Mount Vernon Recreation Center
3. City has information online; meeting recaps and other information
   1. Ben is available for questions regarding Oakville; essentially do not panic and ask questions/be informed

Land Use Committee

1. Two meetings since last DRCA meeting
2. August Meeting – Presentation on Dorn 519/521 E. Howell and Route 1.
   1. Originally office building but modified to be a restaurant
   2. Not supporting request for restaurant – don’t believe the area can support it
      1. Howell cannot support delivery trucks
      2. Dangerous for traffic
   3. If applicant moves forward and approved by city; Land Use Committee
      1. Requests for size of trucks allowed (deliveries on site); delivery times; no parking allowed
      2. No onsite parking eliminated; citizens need parking spot
      3. City Staff reviews application at 6 months.
   4. Motion for endorsing land use letter regarding restaurant; approved by not unanimous (27/3/1)
3. Redevelopment of Arlandia Floors
   1. Redeveloping into residential units – unofficial
4. Del Ray Pizzeria – 2^nd floor exterior seating, trellis on porch/outside
   1. Most support the idea, would like design drawings of what it would look like
   2. Planning commission defers until seeing the plans; determine what is being agreed
   3. Same hours as restaurant
   4. On the October docket – recommending deferment
   5. Deferral wins by a 27 – 3 vote
5. September Meeting
   1. 1905 Commonwealth Avenue; subdivide into two properties and put in a semidetached.
   2. Support approving proposal; any variances would need to be re-presented to the land use group
   3. Approval passed 1 abstentions/ 21 Yes, 7 No; Quorum called, not enough members; more members leave after realizing this.
6. Next Land Use Meeting is October 7, 2014
   1. Change at Seva Café – extend offerings; more menu options/alcohol
   2. Del Ray Montessori to add students

 

Budget FY 2015 (October 1 – September 30) ***Please see budget attachment to be sent out***

1. Significant increase in funds from House and Garden Tour
2. Expense in pocket Commonwealth Park in FY13
3. How do we spend money – projects need to be proposed and followed through
   1. How do we present? Control is loose, proposals in newsletter (previously)
   2. Email – President with your wildest spending fantasies or realistic worthwhile proposal
4. A request $5,000 for Simpson park not be removed from the Parks fund; move it to Tree/Beautification
5. A request to increase the scholarship fund proposed amount was approved
6. Motion to table – approved

NO QUORUM – NO BUDGET VOTE; See you in October, please come so we can vote and do stuff

 

In Other News:

Committee Summary – need new chairs to take over (Transportation and Safety Committee, Traffic and Parking Board (city wide board)). By-Laws Committee – need to implement process for submitting ideas.

City Manager reached out for ad hoc underground electronic transmission lines for President to be on the group. Identify impacts and other possibilities, review substations. Provide memo to city council to be presented to Dominion Power. Will present to DRCA in October.

Possible Holiday Party – Commonwealth Academy gym has been dedicated and available for our use; no membership meeting – Holiday party instead.

Del Ray Artisans – Current show – Put A Bird On It; October – Metamorphosis (Halloween Costume Party); Show at Vola Lawson Animal Shelter, through October.

President of Lynhaven – voting against 24 hour 7/11 Route 1/Glebe.

 

Meeting Adjourned at 9:46PM