The Rosslyn Business Improvement Corporation's Beautification Committee has preliminarily identified the following projects which it believes would improve the appearance of Rosslyn's core commercial area. The committee has not yet ranked and prioritized from among these ideas, nor have they yet committed to undertaking any of these projects. This list is merely a rough draft "wish list" of things that they believe would be helpful. The committee does appear to be open to comment if North Rosslyn members have ideas that we would like to contribute. I am reprinting the committee's list verbatim, for the information of all North Rosslyn residents, without endorsing any of these comments; in particular, North Rosslyn does not endorse the committee's characterizations of any homeless individuals.
Maintenance Street sweeping is currently done 10 hours per week.
Maintenance Coordinating public street paver replacement through Department of Public Works.
Maintenance At the Rosslyn Metro Station on Moore Street, the neighborhood Rosslyn sign is dirty and stained. We might consider a cleaning and maintenance fund.
There is a homeless situation outside the American Association of School Administrators.
Marketing Consider a "Get your butts off the Street-Non-Smoking" Campaign.
Capital Under the skywalk between Metro and Olsson's Books, we should consider wacky lighting and also possibly sponsorship of the columns holding up the skywalk.
Activities Consider a vendor market in the park across from Metro.
Capital We may consider more segmented dividers to keep people from sleeping on them in the next iteration of the benches.
Capital Consider landscaping for Metro Park, particularly seasonal color.
Maintenance/Coordination Note: On the AASA building, the wall fronting Metro Park needs to be cleaned and or painted.
Coordination The pavers in front of the AASA building on Moore Street are sinking.
Coordination The AASA building front along Moore Street needs to be cleaned.
SS Note: The bum sleeping against the AASA building stinks of urine and she has stored a urine soaked box to sleep on.
Capital In Annie's Park, the design of the grass hills makes it difficult for the grass to survive.
Capital/Maintenance There is some seasonal color in Annie's Park, but we might consider a little more and some shrubbery ground cover.
Capital The benches in Annie's Park also need sleep dividers.
Capital Consider speakers planted throughout the park, a la Clarendon Market Common.
Maintenance Generally, the sidewalks on Moore Street are pressured washed once a week.
Capital Rosslyn public areas seem to have no standardized garbage can/ashtray.
Capital We agree that Crandal Mackey Park is very pleasant. In Crandal Mackey Park the people are kept on concrete and stone and the plantings are well done and separated. The water fall in Crandal Mackey Park provides lovely white noise.
Capital/Coordination Note: On Moore Street around the VEPCO station the metal fencing is not attractive.
Capital We could consider vines or public art along the fencing.
Coordination There is a $20,000 fund available for public art for the VEPCO station.
Maintenance Note: The skywalks are prone to be unclean and smelly and poorly maintained.
Coordination Note: The vacant lot adjacent to Chelsea's Pines of Sicily has ugly chain around it, dumpsters in it and is poorly maintained.
Capital/Coordination Note: On 1901 N. Moore Street, there is opportunity for public art along the patio.
Capital Note: It would be nice to have a bike rack system for Rosslyn. Outside the new billiard place there are a couple of bikes just strapped to street signs. "FlexBike": Rental bikes available for all of Rosslyn with a credit card delivery system!!
Capital/Coordination Horse Taxi or Rickshaws? Minibus maybe?
Capital Along Lee Highway as you enter Rosslyn, the medians between Moore Street and Ft. Myer Drive are badly in need of landscaping.
Capital/Coordination Note: It is difficult to get to Gateway Park. We could use a mid-block crossing from the billiard place to Gateway Park.
Maintenance Note: The tree grates outside Gateway Park need weeding.
Maintenance Inside Gateway Park, the pavers are settling and there are weeds growing up through the pavers.
Capital/Maintenance The bush bed adjacent to the non-filled fountain in Gateway Park needs a little work.
Coordination/Activities Note: Consider a concession in Gateway Park, particularly during special events.
Capital The fountain in Gateway Park is apparently broken and may require $200,000 worth of repairs.
Coordination Note: Smartscape may have occasional need to store various maintenance materials away from Gateway Park, which is their central area. For example, the Dark Star Park maintenance materials.
Capital Note: Gateway Park gets a lot of traffic walking from Rosslyn to Georgetown. An information kiosk in Gateway Park may redirect them back to Rosslyn.
Capital Welcome to Rosslyn/Arlington signs for the various entries into Rosslyn might be needed.
Capital/Maintenance On the entrance from Route 66 to Lee Highway by the bike path, the edge of the exit ramp is ill maintained.
Capital On the face of the bridge over Route 66 as it goes from Roosevelt Bridge west, we might consider signage or a nice feature.
Maintenance The guardrail along Lynn Street over Route 66 needs painting.
Capital/Maintenance On the bike path adjacent to Route 66 exit ramp, there is temporary fencing and barriers that are unattractive.
Capital/Coordination The island at the edge of Key Bridge; first it has a large portable traffic caution sign which is extremely ugly, the landscaping minimal at best, and it could use a Welcome to Virginia entrance sign.
Capital On Ft. Myer Drive, the Gateway Park bridge above Lynn Street could be a nice place for Welcome signage.
Capital The Welcome to Virginia sign on the Marriott property says Welcome to Virginia, but primarily says "Radar Detectors Illegal" and "Speed Checked by Radar and Other Devices", which is not a very pleasant welcoming.
Capital The bushes adjacent to the access road leading to the GW Parkway between Lynn Street and Ft. Myer Drive are not attractive but are useful in preventing panhandlers.
Coordination Compliments to the Key Bridge Marriott on their landscaping.
Capital/Marketing Something to emphasize Rosslyn's connection to the river via the bike path would be nice.
Capital/Marketing Something to implore bikers to stop in Rosslyn as they traverse the bike path would be nice.
Capital/Maintenance Gateway Park along Lynn Street, in the planter on the bridge over Route 66, the plantings look poor and the decorative granite work is falling apart.
Capital/Coordination The gateway from Roosevelt Bridge into Virginia is rather heinous, particularly as you get onto Route 50/Arlington Boulevard.
Capital/Marketing As you walk from Georgetown back into Arlington where you are staying in your hotel, there is no kiosk indicating where Iwo Jima is.
Coordination Note: The left over pieces from the old Rosslyn signage system need to be taken down and in particular there is an "R" at the intersection of Lynn Street and Lee Highway outside the Inlingua School of Languages.
Capital/Maintenance The park adjacent to 1925 Lynn Street is a little tawdry looking. It could be just that it is winter.
Marketing The Arlington County Rosslyn Neighborhood signs don't list restaurants.
Capital/Coordination The sidewalk on the East side of Lynn Street between 19th Street and Gateway Park is settling severely.
Maintenance/Coordination Adjacent to the park at 1925 Lynn Street there is a big electric utility box which badly in need of painting.
Marketing Things that need to be marketed; Iwo Jima, Freedom Park, Dark Star Park etc.
Maintenance/Coordination At the triangular median, at the exit from Lee Highway towards Roosevelt Bridge, the grass is dying.
Coordination An issue that we will have is how to work with owners of deteriorating buildings.
Capital/Coordination One thing that the committee needs to work on is a "Treewell Program", recommending grating or not grating and colors for plantings where people choose to do so.
Marketing/Coordination Note: Beautification Committee needs to exploit internal public art.
Marketing Should consider signage outside buildings that have interesting public art inside.
Coordination Note: The old "R" sign at the corner of Wilson and Lynn Street outside the Orleans House needs to be removed.
Capital An idea for public are is to paint in shadow lines for parking meters and fire hydrants with cats on them in such.
Coordination Note: Beautification Committee needs to plan color coordination for building plantings in Rosslyn.
Coordination Note: In general the BID should encourage outside seating.
Coordination The Lynn Street entrance to Freedom Park needs a little more "oomph" to draw people in.
Capital/Coordination Note: At the Metro Bus stop on Lynn Street outside the entrance to Freedom Park, the grass is all dead.
Maintenance/Coordination Note: The grass on Lynn Street between the entrance to River Place and the entrance to Freedom Park is not doing too well. Find out who deals with the sidewalk between the Route 50 entrance onto Lynn Street and River Place entries along Lynn Street.
Capital/Maintenance The fence on the bridge over Route 50 is rusted and heinous.
Maintenance Some of the flowers are very pretty as you enter Rosslyn from Route 50.
Capital The entrance from Route 50 into Rosslyn could use some snazzy ness.
Capital Currently the Welcome to Arlington sign on the ramp leading from Route 50 into Rosslyn is small and not noticeable. We might want to do something fancy since that is "Arlington Boulevard".
Capital Note: Consider some fabulous painting or entrance feature on the bridge over Route 50.
Marketing Note: Whenever we try and promote Iwo Jima, we should be promoting the cemetery as well.
Maintenance Note: The on ramp towards Rosslyn from Route 50 going east is not in very good shape, the grass is dead around the edges.
Note: The view from the bridge over Route 50 towards DC is very nice.
Capital/Coordination Note: Consider closing down one of the lanes on the bridge over Route 50 to make it more pedestrian friendly.
Capital Note: It would be nice to have a bench to sit in the park between Monument Place and Route 50.
Capital The view from Iwo Jima into Rosslyn is not very enticing. We might want to add coin operated or free binoculars in the park between Monument Place and Route 50.
Capital The park between Monument Place and Route 50 has an irrigation system and it is very helpful.
Maintenance The ramp from Ft. Myer Drive to Route 50 west leaves something to be desired and the median in particular is very beat up.
Maintenance The triangular median between Lynn Street and Ft. Myer Drive, where Dark Star Park starts, the grass is unkempt.
Coordination The giant brown wall on Ft. Myer Drive that is the garage for 1616 N. Ft Myer Drive is not attractive.
Coordination/Maintenance In the parking garage for 1616 N. Ft. Myer Drive, underneath the 17th Street bridge, the brick is severely stained.
I'm the Civic Association's representative on the Rosslyn Business Improvement District (BID) and have joined its Beautification Committee.
I just wanted to give everyone a heads up that the Committee walked much of the BID's territory looking for ways to spruce up Rosslyn. We noted some needed walkway repairs, including repair of the deteriorating skywalk over N. Fort Myer Drive that connects Metro and Arlington Temple, painting the underside of the skywalks in a neutral color, and assessing the electrical lighting and lighting on the skywalks. This list is being given to the County's Dept. of Public Works, which has requested such a list. The BID's staff will also be planting purple and yellow pansies in the tree pits and beds along portions of Wilson Blvd. and N. Lynn. So look for those improvements as they start next month.
