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VOLUME 35 NO. 31
G R E AT FA L L S • M c L E A N • V I E N N A • O A K T O N
MARCH 27, 2014
Faced with Angry Neighbors, Sidewalk Decision Delayed BRIAN TROMPETER Staff Writer
Vienna residents tend to favor new sidewalks on principle, but sometimes get cold feet at the idea of having their own properties dug up for walkways. That scenario played out again March 17 when the Vienna Town Council considered authorizing a $47,500 contract to Rinker Design Associations to design sidewalks near a
new three-lot subdivision at 350 Church St., N.E. The project would fill in missing sidewalk gaps along Beulah Road, N.E., between Maple and Ayr Hill avenues. But some neighboring property owners said they worried about the project’s impact on their property values and trees. Edgar Adamson, who lives at 230 Beulah Road, N.E., told the Council the project would necessitate the removal of about a dozen trees on public right of way in front of his
property. “The right of way where the sidewalk is to be built starts 37 feet from my front window,” said Adamson, who was one of three residents who spoke out against the project. Adamson said about 12,400 cars pass by his home every day and many of them idle while waiting for the traffic signal at Church Street. “The only thing assisting me in my privacy and protecting us from traffic noise are those
TELECOM LEADERS, OFFICIALS TRADE NOTES ON DISASTER PREPARATION
LaureL Pitman of Texas Task Force 2 puts rescue dog Sonic through the paces at a March 20 business-continuity forum hosted by AT&T in Tysons PHOTO BY BRIAN TROMPETER Corner. For more on this story, see Page 23.
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trees,” he said, adding the project could harm his property values. “I mean, who would want to buy my house with the loss of privacy, the increase in the noise and the smog?” he asked. “I wouldn’t.” At the suggestion of Council member Howard Springsteen, the Council voted 5-1 to defer decision on the matter until April 7, so members could inspect the site and evaluate residents’ concerns. Council member Laurie Cole cast the sole vote against deferral, saying that sidewalk projects often encounter opposition, but are a key priority of town officials and of vital importance in Northeast Vienna, which will have increased bus service as Tysons Corner redevelops. “We need to give people a way to safely walk to catch the bus,” she said. Approving a design contract now would not necessarily mean the project would be built, Cole said. In the past, problems detected during the design phase have caused some sidewalk initiatives to be canceled, she said. Adamson, a retired U.S. Justice Department executive and former member of the Vienna Town/Business Liaison Committee, is first vice president of the Northeast Vienna Citizens Association. Adamson was among residents who, distraught with the town’s handling of a mulchgrinding facility along Beulah Road, N.E., staged an unsuccessful, last-minute write-in campaign in the 2004 Town Council election. Adamson ran for mayor and lost by a wide margin to incumbent M. Jane Seeman. Council OKs 5-Year Franchise Agreement with Qwest: The Vienna Town Council on March 17 unanimously approved a five-year franchise deal with Qwest Government Services Inc. to allow the telecommunications provider to use the town’s right of way. Qwest, doing business in this case as CenturyLink, does not have any customers within the town.