Wiehle Avenue Steering Committee

Meeting Minutes – 8/10/04

 

Minutes of the 7/26 meeting approved and accepted.

 

Site Focus

Lindsay (DPZ): Across the toll road is considered adjacent. Would require separate zoning to consider properties that are adjacent not contiguous.   

 

Suggested wording change for Site Focus description: 

 

Proposed modified language for the scope of the Joint Development Solicitation

At minimum, joint development proposals must include the County-owned site adjacent to the proposed Metro platform in parcel G-4. Preference will be given to proposals that also include assemblage of contiguous and/or adjacent parcels to include land units within ¼ mile of the station to produce a well-designed, coordinated, transit-oriented development project.

 

After discussion the proposed language change was unanimously approved.

 

Supervisor Hudgins:

Purpose of convening the group was to insure that citizen input was not left out.

It is imperative that we keep in mind the deadline and the need for timeliness in developing alternatives for joint development.

 

Air rights will be involved in developing the County owned property.  Air rights on the federally owned property requires approvals and is likely to cause delays. At best, we might want to have a criteria that includes air rights, specifying which locations,  but since this was not included in the EIS and could cause a delay. Air rights can’t result in a delay in the project. 

 

Karl Rohrer, in a recent letter, captures the emphasis – “need to avoid risk of missing the joint development opportunity trying to get perfect.”

 

Karl (DRPT): They looked at air rights and felt they could not take on this dimension in the project time frame.  Costs are likely to outweigh benefits.  These are:  

1. use/approval issues

                        2. FAA issues

                        3. other Federal concerns

 

Frank:  Can we get a non-standard pedestrian walkway? Could include other uses on the walkway (i.e. newspaper stand).

 

Karl:  Must meet metro design standards. Requests of changes in scope (i.e. the County or the developer) must take care of the cost. There are operating cost issues as well. (Who maintains the “extra stuff”.)  The WMATA design standards were in materials from the 6/30 meeting.

 

Community Input During Preliminary Engineering (P.E.)

·                    Public input around specific practical issues dealing with P.E. for the project.

·                    New community outreach plan being developed.

 

New DRPT Project Director: Sam Carnaggio, New Office: 1595 Springhill Road, Vienna, Virginia 22182.

 

Carey (DPWES):

Laurel Hill joint development of high school and South County building are good models for our work.  Carey reviewed the roles of the technical advisory committee (TAC) and the selection advisory committee (SAC) in this project.  He indicated that the Steering Committee may have a role in either of these, it is most likely that the voting members in the selection process will be senior county agency staff.

 

Chip Gertzog reiterated that while there is broad opportunity for public involvement in the process of developing and issuing a County RFP, once it is issued this becomes a purchasing process bound by strict rules that require arms length by anyone who may be construed to have a vested interest or who could influence the outcome of selection process.

 

To facilitate input on the principles and the proposed process, it is suggested that developers, financiers, area property owners, be invited to a meeting for review and discussion with the Steering Committee members. Late afternoon, 3:30 – 5:30 pm was suggested as a good time.  Potential dates for this  meeting are: 

·                    Wednesday, October 6th

·                    Tuesday, October 12th, or

·                    Wednesday October 13th

 

Supervisor Hudgins staff will look for an appropriate meeting location for the developer meeting.  Possibly in the area of the Wiehle Ave Station.

 

Next two Steering Committee meeting dates:

·                    Monday, August 23rd,   7 pm         Thursday, September 9th   7 pm

·        Discuss whether a chair is needed for the steering committee.

·        Discuss date and sites for field trip to visit other Metro Joint Development areas.

·        Steering Committee members should bring names and contact info for the “invite” list for developers, landowners, etc., for October meeting.