MINUTES OF THE NORTH ROSSLYN CIVIC ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS
President Jennifer Zeien called the meeting to order at 7:40 PM. Board members in attendance were Jennifer Zeien, Mark Antell, Katie Elmore, and Terry Brown.

The board discussed recent developments in AHC’s continuing effort to build an outsized condo/affordable housing complex on the site of Key Boulevard Apartments. Despite county and civic association opposition AHC is pressing forward, its plan being to complete the site plan review committee (“SPRC”) process, be heard by the planning commission, and obtain a ruling of the county board. Terry Brown representing the Mews, Roa Lynn representing the Atrium and Jennifer Zeien and Katie Elmore representing NRCA will attend the second SPRC meeting on July 14.

The board discussed the inter-related issues of Wilson School, the Western Rosslyn Area Planning Study (“WRAPS”), and the county’s Public Land for Public Good (“PLPG”) initiative that would create new affordable housing stock on county parkland. Rosslyn Highlands Park, which is immediately adjacent to the Wilson School parcel and part of the WRAPS study area, has been identified as a PLPG site. The board also discussed Arlington Public School’s (“APS”) plan to put a 1,300 seat Middle School on the Wilson site. The combination of APS’s plan for a high-density urban school and the PLPG rumblings mean that the county’s revised charge to the WRAPS committee contains substantially less parkland and open space than its initial charge, and only a small fraction of what is now on the site. The board Debated various approaches to have the county board reconsider its charge and to have APS reconsider a new Middle School on the site. Mark Antell is working toward a push-back on the PLPG matter through the Civic Federation. There was also a suggestion that the tot lot at Rosslyn Highlands Park become a feature of the redeveloped APAH affordable housing complex. The board discussed ways to mount a campaign to “Save Rosslyn Highlands Park.” Another task is to figure out the dimensions and square footage of a standard (not kiddie) soccer field and to query APS on its intent for the field it proposes at the Wilson site as it is clearly of inadequate size for middle school-aged children to play soccer.

The board discussed the redevelopment of Metro Rosslyn. Nothing further has been heard following the developer’s presentation of its initial plans to Jennifer Zeien. The developer planned to provide some affordable housing on the site by having an affordable housing entity such as APAH acquire condominium units within the building and lease them at affordable rates. In this way, the building retains a condominium character, in contrast to AHC’s plan for Key Boulevard Apartments which would essentially create two different buildings with no integration – one affordable rental building and one condominium building.

Katie Elmore discussed setting up one or more NRCA summer happy hour events.

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 PM.
Jennifer Zeien, for the Secretary