Posts tagged Public Involvement
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Proposed project stirs debate
This article was posted as an April Fool’s joke. A new controversial project has drawn vigorous support from some residents but strong opposition from others. Proponents insist that it will enhance the community, while those against see it as yet another example of change in an already changing neighborhood. Both sides agree that the change that will greatly impact the… Keep reading…
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Events roundup: Spring has sprung
This week, celebrate spring by helping clean up the Anacostia River and learning about trees in urban environments. You can also talk about bicycling in Montgomery County, bus technology, and safer streets in DC. Clean up the Anacostia: On Saturday, April 5, the Anacostia Watershed Society is organizing clean-up events in DC, Montgomery, and Prince George’s. Organizers… Keep reading…
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In the planning process, social media talk is often cheap
People who testify at long public hearings or write letters aren’t the only ones with opinions about important planning issues. A lot of conversation happens online, on Twitter and blogs, but commissions that make decisions often don’t see or consider this kind of public opinion. How can the old, formal processes mesh with new ways of communicating? Last summer,… Keep reading…
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Events roundup: Be there or be square
This week, think about the future of a plaza in Arlington and the urban landscape through photos and film at events around the region. Re-imagine Arlington’s Courthouse area: Envision Courthouse Square is a community effort to plan the future of Arlington County’s civic center including a Keep reading…
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Alexandria board rejects King Street bike lanes
Alexandria cyclists and city staff agree that King Street west of Old Town could use bike lanes. But after a public hearing November 25, the city’s Traffic and Parking Board recommended not to build them in order to preserve 37 on-street parking spaces. Bike lane proponents say it will improve safety and access to the King Street Metro station, while many nearby residents… Keep reading…
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Zoning update opponents ask for yet more delay
Foes of DC’s zoning update have the script down to a science. If the Office of Planning (OP) doesn’t change its proposals to cater to their wishes, they shout that there hasn’t been enough public input. If OP does give in, claim that the plans are “a moving target” and call for more input anyway. John Chelen, the Cleveland Park resident who set up… Keep reading…
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Dan Reed debates BRT opponents
Greater Greater Washington staff editor Dan Reed appeared on Fox 5 to talk about Montgomery County’s BRT plans along with opponent Paula Bienenfeld. Visually, even just the scene on set brings into sharp relief the changes the county is undergoing. Keep reading…
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DC Council makes major policy changes overnight
Virginia and Maryland changed their gas taxes this year. Both proposals included weeks or months of debate, including public hearings before the legislature. DC made a similar change yesterday. The total time from the first news story about it to final vote? Less than a day. In DC’s budget process, the mayor releases a proposed budget. Various council committees hold… Keep reading…
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Short-term Washingtonians deserve a voice, too
New residents of the District are sometimes discouraged from taking part in local politics. However, it’s in everyone’s interest for more people to get involved, even if they’re only here for a short time. I’ve had the pleasure of living in DC over the past four years as a student at Georgetown, and I enjoy being involved in the civic life of this great… Keep reading…
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Office of Zoning: We don’t want emails, they might be fake
If you want to express an opinion to your councilmember, you can send an email. But if you want to tell the DC Zoning Commission what you think of a development proposal, you have to print out a letter on paper, sign it, then scan it back in, or send them a physical letter. This makes it hard for many residents to participate in the forum where the city’s land use decisions get made. Keep reading…