VOTE YES FOR ARLINGTON'S PARKS
5040 7th Road South #201 · Arlington, Virginia 22204
www.voteyesforparks.org
October 4, 2006
Dear Friend:

Please vote to preserve our greenspace, improve our park system, and build a new community center in Arlington.  Please VOTE YES for the Bond Issue for Arlington's Parks at the polls this November 7.

Every two years, Arlington's voters determine Arlington's future by considering a set of bond issues.  Besides funding land acquision consistent with the County's newly-adopted Public Spaces Master Plan, this year's bond issue is targeted specifically to complete projects already underway or fully-designed at Arlington Arts Center, Lee Center, Washington-Lee High School swimming pool, and Arlingon Mill, a long-needed community education and recreation center in West Arlington, an area not currently served by any nearby facility.

Arlington is one of the most densely-populated counties in the nation. Over the last 24 years, Arlington's voters have recognized the importance of parks and open spaces for our growing, diverse population and have approved bond proposals to develop and maintain the county's parks and recreation facilities. These bonds enabled Arlington to acquire land for nature centers, soccer fields, running and biking trails, to preserve historic sites like Fort C.F. Smith, and to build facilities like Thomas Jefferson Community Center and Barcroft Recreation Center.  Park bonds also helped to support public art and cultural activities, and to improve and enhance our existing parks. Arlington's triple-triple A bond rating means the lowest available interest rates.

amcc The 2006 Bond Issue for Local Parks and Recreation includes these components: 

     $ 26,000,000 Arlington Mill Community Center 
        8,000,000 Parks and Open Space Land Acquisition 
          400,000 Arlington Art Center 
          400,000 Lee Center Site Work 
          750,000 Washington–Lee Pool 
     ------------
     $ 35,550,000 Total
  • Arlington Mill Community Center (AMCC), 4975 Columbia Pike, is the largest component of the bond issue. The County is pursuing a public-private partnership to develop a new community center at the site of the current AMCC. The new mixed-use facility includes recreational space for preschool, elementary, teens, and adults, a gymnasium, multi-purpose classrooms, parking, landscaping, a plaza, and connections to the adjacent park along Four Mile Run Stream. The partnership may include residential, retail, and commercial components.
        The present community center opened 10 years ago in a former supermarket building. Citizen planning for the redevelopment began 5 years age. The new AMCC will provide needed social services and recreational and educational programs county-wide previously unavailable to its nearby community, a diverse low- to moderate-income Neighborhood Strategy Area, and is part of the Columbia Pike redevelopment initiative. It will be the County’s largest investment on the Pike since the initiative was adopted, and its first public-private partnership. See
    www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ManagementAndFinance/CIP07Proposed/7ContingentProjects.pdf p.8-9 and
    www.arlingtonvirginiausa.com/index.cfm/11168 for more details.

  • Parks and Open Space Land Acquisition expands existing parks, creates new parks, buys unique parcels and conservation easements for open space as they become available, and funds purchases of real property and required ancillary activities (appraisals, surveys, environmental reports, relocation, demolition, and site restoration. See www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ManagementAndFinance/CIP07Proposed/7ContingentProjects.pdf p.6-7
        ·     Parks beautify neighborhoods and increase your property values and your quality of life.

    •     ·     Parks provide open space and recreation in a community of ever-increasing density and diversity.
        ·     Parks preserve our environment and make Arlington's history come alive.

  • Arlington Art Center, 3550 Wilson Boulevard, is a widely-used, highly-praised treasure. The project makes it ADA-compliant, completes the heating and cooling system, and finishes the interior and exterior.     See
    http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ManagementAndFinance/CIP07Proposed/5SupplementalFunding.pdf p.10-11

  • Lee Center, 5722 Lee Highway, hosts family and seniors programs. The project improves the parking lot and adds parking spaces, an accessible, well-lit pedestrian path to the building, site drainage, a lighted basketball court, landscaping including a butterfly garden and a senior garden, fencing and signage. See
    http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ManagementAndFinance/CIP07Proposed/5SupplementalFunding.pdf p.12-13

  • Washington–Lee Pool, 1300 North Quincy Street, will be rebuilt by Arlington Public Schools during the replacement of the high school.  The bond issue funds two additional lanes for the school's currently-planned 8-lane pool to meet community needs. W-L is the busiest of the County's three public indoor pools and is often overcrowded during community use times, which outnumber school use times. Population in Central Arlington has surged and continues to grow, and the W-L pool will be Central Arlington's pool for the next 25-30 years. The school's 8-lane plan is designed only to satisfy students' instructional and scholastic competition needs, not those of the community at large, including senior citizens, young single adults, and families. The County's planning consultant showed a County-wide deficit of more than 150 lap lanes. Adding two additional lanes at W-L helps meet that deficit. See
    http://www.arlingtonva.us/departments/ManagementAndFinance/CIP07Proposed/5SupplementalFunding.pdf p.16-17

    How you can help:

  • Endorse the Bond Issue. We will list you on flyers , in mailings, and on Election Day
  • Donate to cover the costs of the campaign. (Volunteers do all the work, but printing and postage will cost $500)
  • Volunteer to help with the campaign. We need your help! · You can join our e-mail list for announcements

    Thank you for your support!
    Linda LeDuc (703-578-1178), Eileen Kenna (703-845-1817), Gregg Leslie (703-671-3336),
    Doug Ross (703-528-6386), Toby Smith (703-553-7732), Jay Jacob Wind (703-218-2726, fax 703-521-6157) 

    ENDORSED BY: Elected officials: Virginia State Senator Mary Margaret Whipple, State Delegate Bob Brink, State Delegate Adam Ebbin, State Delegate Albert Eisenberg, Arlington County Clerk of Courts David Bell, Commissioner of Revenue Ingrid Morroy, School Board members Libby Garvey and Frank Wilson, County Board members Barbara Favola, Paul Ferguson, Jay Fisette, Walter Tejada, and Chris Zimmerman ; Organizations: Alcova Heights Civic Association, Arlington County Civic Federation, Arlingtonians for a Clean Environment, Claremont Civic Association, Columbia Forest Civic Association, Columbia Heights West Civic Association, Douglas Park Civic Association, Potomac Valley Track Club ; Arlington residents: Corinne Abbott, John E. Andre, Sally Baird, Sandra Brawner, Milton (Mac) Brown, Sharon Davis, Lynn Dorfman, Marc Dorfman, Linda Dye, Larry Finch, Dan Fleischmann, Bailey Garfield (Papillon Cycles), Madi Green, Isabel Kaltenbach-Montemayor, Stan Karson, Eileen Kenna, Linda LeDuc, Gregg Leslie, John Love, Inta Malis, Kay Malone, Ruth Massie, Peter Owen, Norma F. Peters, Teresa Pietroski, Joan Porte, Michael Raizen, Lorraine F. Ramos, Doug Ross, Julie Smith, Toby Smith, John Snyder, Michael W. Swisher, Gertrude Wieckoski, Jay Jacob Wind, Jeff & Rebecca Yeates ; Other stakeholders: Amy McWilliams, Jim Whittaker

    Please send to VOTE YES FOR PARKS
    5040 7th Road South #201 · Arlington, Virginia 22204     · or e-mail to Linda LeDuc at LAL5040@AOL.COM
    Name _______________________________________ Phone ___________________________

    Address _____________________________________ City, State, ZIP ____________________

    E-mail ______________________________________  [_] Please add me to the e-mail list

    [__] I endorse the 2006 Bond Issue for Arlington's Parks 
            I can ...
    [__] Leaflet my neighborhood       [__] Speak at meetings in support of the Bond Issue
    [__] Prepare mailings                   [__] Post signs / help at polling places 
    [__] Write letters to newspapers  [__] Post a Vote Yes For Arlington's Parks lawn sign

    [__] I enclose a donation of [_] $2 [_] $5 [_] $10 [_] $25 [_] $50 [_] $75 [_] $100 for the campaign

    See our web site www.voteyesforparks.org for the 2004 BOND ISSUE PROGRESS REPORT









    Lisa Grandle of Arlington County DPRCR prepared a report on projects covered by the 2004 Bond Issue for Local Parks and Recreation. | Original memo

    The 2004 Bond Issue for Local Parks and Recreation totaled $75,395,000, including these components:

  • $61,750,000 -- Park and Open Space Development
  • $  9,000,000 -- Recreation Center Development
  • $  4,000,000 -- Land and Facility Acquisition
  • $     500,000 -- Public Art Program
  • $     145,000 -- Issuance costs

    • The County’s 2004 CIP also covered pay-as-you-go investments in parks, including Northern Virginia Regional Parks Authority

  • 2002 Bond Issue Letter