Update: Thanks to everyone who participated in the survey. It is now closed, and results are being tabulated.
The Arlington Neighborhood Conservation Program is a County effort where we as residents of Bluemont produce a plan that presents our vision for our neighborhood. Once completed and accepted by the Arlington County Board, the Bluemont Neighborhood Conservation Plan (NCP) is used to guide the County, potential developers, businesses and others to better understand what Bluemont residents believe now and in the future will make our neighborhood livable and lovable. It also encourages their decisions to be consistent with our plan.
This survey is an important step in revising the Bluemont NCP. Your response will help to produce a plan that reflects Bluemont residents’ current opinions and wishes. When complete, a proposed plan will be presented to the BCA membership and, if approved, to the Arlington County Board for its acceptance.
All Bluemont residents, property owners, and business owners are invited to participate in a design forum on Sat., 2/6/10, sponsored by the Bluemont Civic Association (BCA). At the forum, we will discuss and solicit ideas from all stakeholders to create a community vision to guide the future revitalization of Bluemont’s Wilson Boulevard commercial corridor (from N. Greenbrier Street to N. George Mason Drive).
The forum will be led by Jane S. Kim, a county design engineer and graduate student at Virginia Tech, who is working with Bluemont residents as part of her graduate project to produce a design framework for a unified Bluemont Village Center.
The results of the design forum also will be used to update Bluemont’s Neighborhood Conservation Plan, a civic association document that records Bluemont’s development guidelines and goals for the next 10 years.
Saturday, February 17, 2010 - 6:30 pm
Arlington Traditional School, 855 N. Edison Street.
Please Fence Us In!
On January 29, several BCA members met with the county’s trail manager, Kevin Stalica, and landscape architect, Aaron Wohler, to discuss replacement options for the split-rail fence removed from Bluemont Park on 8/2/08. Stalica reported that a new continuous fence would cost approximately $20,000; a noncontinuous fence would cost approximately $10,000. The new fence will be located along the trail between N. Emerson and N. Harrison Streets.
It was noted that the cul-de-sacs on the north side of the Bluemont Junction Trail might need boulders or smaller sections of fence to prevent vehicular access to the park. Low-maintenance shrubs (4 feet or less) or small trees may be desired as part of an intermittent fence design, and there is some interest in incorporating herbs or a community garden if there are plantings. The Parks and Natural Resources Division will work with the community to select the plants once a design has been selected.
There is no current plan to construct a sidewalk along Bluemont Drive. If BCA would like a sidewalk, then the request for a sidewalk, curb and gutter can be made through the Neighborhood Conservation program.
On 2/25, BCA members will vote on the type and extent of the new fence, including any plants that may be included in the design.
Read the January 29th meeting summary.
Check out the 2 plans presented by the county:
Document 1
Document 2
View pictures of options from other neighborhoods:
Virginia Highlands rail fence
Lee Heights splitrail fence