Arlington Greens will meet on Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 7:30 PM at the Ballston Fire House located at N. George Mason Drive and Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA  22203.   The public is welcome to attend, but only members can vote.  Membership is open to any Arlington resident for $5 annual dues.

Agenda items

Outcome of local election and implications

Historic preservation of Westover Apartments

Amazon Headquarters in Arlington

Arlington Energy Plan and environmental advocacy in 2019 with the Virginia General Assembly

Plan to attend.

For more information, email John Reeder  info@greensofarlington.org

Arlington Greens will hold their next meeting on Wednesday, September 5, at 7:30 PM at the Ballston Firehouse Community Room, located at George Mason Drive and Wilson Blvd, Arlington, VA.

Major topics

Amazon HQ2 in Arlington, next steps for our opposition

Westover Apartments historic preservation–setting up a legal fund

environment–saving more trees in Arlington

opposing approval of Kavanaugh for U.S. supreme court

All are invited, but only paid members may vote.  Membership is $5 per year and limited to Arlington residents.

Arlington Greens will meet at Booeymongers Restaurant (1020 N. Glebe Road in Ballston) on Wednesday, Aug. 1, at 7:30 PM. The public is cordially invited to attend, but only dues paid Green members may vote. Dues are $5 per year; you can join at the meeting.

Major topics:
Amazon HQ2 in Arlington–results of townhall and next steps to stop county funding for Amazon in Arlington

Status of local elections races–county board, school board

Westover Apartments preservation

Rental (housing) grants and reforming local real estate property tax relief

Environmental issues–energy plan, banning plastic bags and saving older trees

Other topics

Please note our new meeting location at Booeymongers Restaurant http://www.booeymonger.com/locations

You can order food and drink or just attend our meeting without ordering anything

Local Arlington Green Miriam Gennari is debuting her new documentary on the environmental problem of Styrofoam, at a showing on August 1, 2018 at 11:30 AM at the Center of Concern in Washington DC

Produced, directed by and starring Miriam Gennari–aka StyrofoamMom–this movie underscores the significant environmental challenges presented by single-use expanded polystyrene (EPS) products.

Ms. Gennari is a powerful force for changing the polarizing beliefs that waste is inevitable or that one can simply ban EPS without a plan. For the last ten years she has followed EPS through the waste stream. In this film she shares what she believes is the ultimate solution to the risks posed by Styrofoam®

Ms. Gennari, and other experts, will join us in person to discuss the movie,

To register go to: http://www.steveoffutt.com/p/green-business-roundtable.html

Date: Wednesday, August 1, 2018
Time: 11:30am – 1:00pm
Location: Center of Concern, 1627 K St. NW, 11th floor, Washington, DC
(nearest Metros – Farragut North/Farragut West )

Lunch included

Center of Concern researches, educates and advocates from Catholic social traditions to create a world where economic, political and cultural systems promote sustainable flourishing of the global community.

Greens vote: No county funds to Amazon to move its new offices HQ2 to Arlington

At their June 6 meeting, Arlington Greens voted to oppose any county funds for Amazon to move its new office to Arlington. Greens are concerned with the secretive and hidden negotiations between the County Government and Amazon to provide that company with potentially billions of public dollars in order to open a large office complex in Arlington or nearby Alexandria. Greens are very concerned that these public funds will detract from funds now used to support our schools, libraries, public safety, affordable housing assistance, recreation, and the other public programs that make Arlington a great community already. It is bad for democracy to keep the people in the dark.

Community activists have already asked the Arlington County Board to make public its bid for the Amazon headquarters with as many as 60,000 employees. Many of the final top-20 areas being considered by Amazon have made public their bids which range from $4-7 billion. Northern Virginia is one of the top areas Amazon wants; Jeff Bezzos the Amazon owner and the world’s richest man has a mansion in Washington DC and owns the Washington Post. Why does the richest man on the Earth need our county tax dollars?

Greens are concerned that Arlington County cannot afford to waste any dollars on Amazon, given the tight budget approved in April, the rising cost of more school students, more Metrorail funding, and the need for more assistance to renters to be able to stay here. Arlington has 2% unemployment rate today; traffic is considerable and rising. Adding 60,000 employees to our community–none of whom will pay taxes locally–is going to raise rents, increase traffic, and make life miserable for us the county residents, all done with our own tax dollars.

Greens also voted to support a town hall discussion of Amazon sponsored by Our Revolution Arlington on June 21 at Central Library from 7-9 PM (see separate article with details).

Come to the HALRB Public Hearing on Westover
Where: County Office Bldg 2100 Clarendon Blvd
When: Wednesday, May 16, starting at 7:30 PM
Why: Save Westover Apartments

Public Hearing to Consider Historic Designation of Westover Apts

Plan to attend and speak in favor of local historic designation of Westover Village apartments; local designation would prevent demolition of existing market-rate apartment buildings. In the past three years, 11 buildings with 100 apartments were demolished or scheduled for demolition. In their place are now towering million dollar townhouses surrounded by pavement.

Save our neighborhood and trees and green space and our neighbors who are moderate income renters who have lived here since 1940. Arlington must have a place for moderate income renters and not become a place just for the rich.

Historic Designation Preserves Apartments!
• Stop demolitions and keep current affordable rental apartments
• Attend and speak in favor of historic designation at the Arlington County Historic Affairs Landmarks Review Board public hearing on Wednesday, May 16, 2018, starting at 7:30 pm at Arlington County Building, 2100 Clarendon Blvd, https://projects.arlingtonva.us/projects/westover-neighborhood-study/

Meet in front of Westover Post Office at 6:45 PM on May 16 if you need a ride and we will carpool together

Arlington Greens had a booth at the 2017 Arlington County Fair Aug. 18-20, 2017, and promoted Green Party membership and as well the candidacy of Charles McCullough, an independent candidate for Arlington County Board in November 2017 election. Arlington Greens endorsed Charles for the county board this year.

Greens shared the booth with Charles this year and had an opportunity to meet many Arlington residents and old community friends again.

Kirit Mookerjee at our booth

Charles McCullough and Green Steve Davis