Subject: Re: Wilson Site Relocatables

Alison Denton
Facilities/GIS Specialist
Arlington Public Schools

Alison,

You've told the affected neighborhoods (NRCA, RAFOM, Colonial Village III) that the westernmost two rows of trailers currently parked on the Wilson Athletic Field will be replaced by newer trailers for use by the Childrens School and Integration Station (preschool day-care programs), starting this Fall. The preschool programs will also use the multipurpose room and some administrative rooms inside Wilson School during the day. Despite considerable community disatisfaction about never-ending 'temporary' stationing of trailers on our green space, I've offered a personal welcome to the daycare programs. After all, we have a decade-long record of welcoming all of the programs that have used Wilson School. But, you may expect that we will lobby hard, both within and outside APS, to assure that new trailers are accompanied by a strict, short, timeline for removal.

NRCA and RAFOM have asked that the new trailers be clustered to cover the least possible acreage in order to recover some play space. It's my impression that APS will not honor that request. Also, we recommend that APS take appropriate measures to ensure the safety of school students walking along 18th Street to the bus stops at 18th and Quinn during this construction period..

You've also told us that the easternmost row of trailers will be used, starting January, as swing space for the Arlington Mills HS Continuation Program. The HS continuation program will also use the remainder of Wilson School. I'm dubious about this part of the plans. There are enormous issues with co-locating a prenursery and a high school program. These issues become even greater at Wilson School which is so small that many of the physical resources would have to be shared. High School attendees are big and not always so terrific at impulse control. What happens when a three year old gets between two big young people 'pushing the envelope'?

Further, it's still not clear where the daycare children will play. The principals of the programs thought they might obtain exclusive use of Rosslyn Highlands Park to meet their need for an outdoor exercise area. The civic associations and the neighborhood residents would strongly oppose any restrictions on our access to the only small playground within convenient walking distance of our neighborhood.

These are not issues to be left till 'later.' If a safety and resource plan for HS and preschool co-location at Wilson doesn't work, the easternmost group of trailers should be removed now. This past year APS paid tens of thousands of dollars to rent empty trailers at Wilson only to decide that those trailers were unusable and had to be replaced. That shouldn't have happened; and it certainly shouldn't happen again. If the easternmost group of trailers are not going to be used, they should be removed to save money and to free up a little playspace in a community that is desperately short of playspace.

I'd like to talk with you about this as soon as possible.

Mark Antell
202/3218627
cc. NRCA membership


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This is the incoming note (Mark)
Alison Denton wrote:

>Stan and Mark,
>
>We wanted to update you on the status of the relocatables at the Wilson Site. Staff and contractors have begun the process of dismantling the current units. A crane will be set in place this weekend and the individual units will be craned off of the site on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week. This will disrupt traffic along 18th St, which may be closed completely on those days.
>
>After the units are removed, APS staff will be working on the site to ready it for the arrival of the new relocatable units later this summer. We will let you know when we have an exact date for the setup of the new units.
>
>Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.
>
>Thanks, Alison
>
>Alison A. Denton
>Facilities Planner/GIS Specialist
>Arlington Public Schools
>2770 S Taylor St
>Arlington, VA 22206
>703.228.7741 phone
>703.671.2959 fax