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Candidate Response for Claire
Eberwein
CLAIRE EBERWEIN
City Council
Republican
1647 Preston Road
Phone: 703-820-9442
FAX: 703-820-9442
E-mail : vote4eberwein@comcast.net; eberweincouncil@comcast.net
1. BIOGRAPHY
EDUCATION:
Juris Doctor, Georgetown University Law Center
Honors: Law Review: Law and Policy in International Business
Memberships: International Law Society, Environmental Law Forum
Bachelor of Science, School of Architecture, University of Michigan
Bachelor of Science, School of Natural Resources, University of
Michigan
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY:
DeRand Housing Associates: Assistant manager to principals of
firm specializing in the acquisition and development or rehabilitation
of multi-family housing packaged for syndication to qualified investors
under federal and state low income housing tax credit programs.
John Andrews Companies: Project manager, supervising design, engineering,
land use, and legal aspects for real estate projects including a
1000 acre proposed industrial site and a 72 acre mixed use/affordable
housing development.
Tucker, Flyer, Sanger & Lewis: Law clerk working with real estate
and tax attorneys. Assisted in writing chapters in book on "Tax
Aspects of Real Estate Investment".
Dr. Edith Brown Weiss, Georgetown University Law Center: Research
assistant concentrating on Environmental and International law.
Office of Architecture and Urban Design, City of Cincinnati, Ohio:
Architectural designer with project responsibility for various streetscape
and neighborhood business district planning projects, city office
renovations, projects for the Office of Business Relocation (design
and planning for low income businesses forced to move due to rent
increases), building/zoning code reviews, and budget projection
and analysis.
Freelance architectural work, Cincinnati, Ohio.
CIVIC INVOLVEMENT:
Alexandria City Council (2000-2003)
* Metropolitan Development Policy Committee, Metropolitan Council
of Governments
* Chesapeake Bay Committee, Metropolitan Council of Governments
* City Council Liaison, T.C. Williams High School Steering Committee
* Alexandria Waterfront Committee
* Arlington/Alexandria Waste to Energy Task Force
* Alexandria Sister Cities Committee
* Alexandria Call to Community
Alexandria School Board (1994-2000)
* Chairman, School Board (1996-1997)
* Vice-Chairman, School Board (1998-2000)
Alexandria Board of Zoning Appeals (1992-1994)
Alexandria Economic Opportunities Commission (1990-1992)
Parkfairfax Board of Directors (1991-1996)
Parkfairfax Architecture and Planning Board (1987-1991)
2. EBERWEIN PLATFORM
My platform reflects the issues important to Alexandrians and
retains and expands on those goals I successfully campaigned on
in the 2000 election.
QUALITY EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN
"A strong and vigorous public school system means a secure and
economically healthy city."
While on the School Board, I accomplished the following:
* Spearheaded the educational revitalization of Alexandria's schools
at a time when parental confidence was at an all-time low. This
included the implementation of the Primary Initiative, concentrating
fiscal resources at the elementary level, yielding higher test scores
citywide and the continueing accreditation of an increasing number
of our schools.
* Successfully secured the capital funding necessary for the first
new elementary school in Alexandria in 30 years.
* Successfully advocated for funds from City Council to renovate
and maintain aging school buildings. Included long range planning
for new capital funds for the remodeling, expansion, and new construction
of the middle schools and high school that is occurring today.
On City Council, I have and will continue to advocate for Alexandria's
children, both with strong support for the public school system
and for meeting the extracurricular and recreational needs of all
children who reside in our city.
RESPONSIBLE, BALANCED DEVELOPMENT
"In the last three years, the City Council and the Planning and
Zoning Department have completely changed how we handle development
issues in our city. For too long the City Council waited for developers
to come forward with projects and then relied on citizens to critique
them. Our land use process is now coming closer to the pro-active
one I advocated for three years ago. It emphasizes an intensive,
up-front planning process with Planning staff, citizens, and developers,
eliminating problems and implementing positive design changes, before
the projects move on to the various city boards and commissions.
As a leader and advocate of this change, I will continue my work
to ensure proper funding and staffing for the Planning Department,
to guarantee the success of this initiative."
As a member of City Council, I have and will continue to work
to:
* Ensure that traffic, density and the architectural quality of
a development is planned before the project is finalized, to avoid
pitting citizens and developers against one another.
* Ensure that development respects the scale and integrity of existing
neighborhoods.
* Ensure that commercial development, an important source of tax
revenue that mitigates the burden of residential assessments, is
sited in areas with public transit and access to major transportation
corridors.
* Ensure that the social, as well as economic, impacts of development
are considered carefully.
* Ensure that special use permits are granted only after careful
negotiation and consideration of the public amenities that are proffered
by a developer.
TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT
"The ever-worsening traffic throughout our city threatens to erode
the high quality of life which drew many of us to Alexandria. We
must continue to attack the problem on all fronts."
As a member of City Council, I have and will continue to use my
planning background to work with city department heads to:
* Seek solutions to traffic problems in a practical and creative
manner that protects Alexandria's residential neighborhoods.
* Implement traffic calming measures on an as needed basis.
* Allocate funding to resolve safety issues at those public schools
where student pedestrians are at risk from speeding commuter traffic.
* Implement alternatives to automobile use and encourage the use
of public transit, such as the free Dash shuttle on King Street
and the availability of short-term car rentals from metro stations.
* Develop pedestrian and bicycle friendly transportation routes
such as on the new Monroe Street Bridge.
* Identify existing traffic choke points and appropriate the funds
necessary to address them.
* Ensure that the traffic impacts of new development are critically
examined and that site-specific improvements are in place before
the projects are occupied.
* Work with other jurisdictions and the state to identify solutions
and establish multi-year funding sources to address the congestion
impacting our city.
PRESERVATION AND EXPANSION OF OPEN SPACE AND PARKLANDS
"As our city comes closer and closer to being built out, City
Council must continue to work aggressively to conserve and expand
open space, parklands, and to create "urban oases" in new developments
for the enjoyment of Alexandrians, now and in the future."
During my tenure on the City Council, I will continue my work
to:
* Expand funding for the Open Space Trust Fund. Options include
set-asides on development fees and continuation of the effort to
seek permission from Richmond to levy an open space set aside on
real estate recordation transactions.
* Ensure that funds are adequate for the maintenance of our public
parks and that the parks remain accessible for all users, with a
special emphasis on the safety and security of our senior citizens
and youth.
* Plan for the multi-generational recreation center, which will
meet the service needs of residents and be located in a central
and secure area, as set out in the conclusions of the recently completed
Recreational Needs Assessment Study.
* Ensure that adequate playing fields for all sports, as well as
protected passive areas, be included in any new parks and considered
during any redesigns of existing ones.
* Engage citizens and staff in the inclusion of amenities in new
developments to create vibrant, exciting urban plazas and streetscapes
that will draw pedestrians in for enjoyment.
3. There are many positive aspects to ASG's vision for Alexandria.
This stated, the lengthy ASG questionnaire was transmitted on December
24, with an original due date of January 3, extended via e-mail
at 11:10 p.m. on New Year's Eve to January 6, at noon. Given the
timing and the inevitable family, health, and travel issues that
can arise for candidates, it is not feasible to comment in detail
on each aspect of the goals, related strategies and vision.
Again, while there are good ideas, many of which are currently
in practice by Alexandria's city government, there were some inconsistencies
in the vision. As one example, it is stated that Alexandria needs
to "proactively work with colleagues in neighboring jurisdictions
to … solve regional problems" while at the same time offering the
opinion that there is "… a governmental decision making process
and culture that … subordinates Alexandria's needs for the interests
of the region …" This is not further explained.
Additionally, in conjunction with a proposed Alexandria 2025 Plan,
the vision calls for conducting a citywide, comprehensive transportation
planning process only "…after the Master Land Use plan is reviewed
and updated." The City is currently conducting the study for such
a Transportation Master Plan. Given the traffic woes of this city
and the impact that transportation has on all existing and potential
future development, it does not seem prudent to stop this transportation
planning process, which is being conducted by the Transportation
Department in conjunction with the Planning Department.
A further concern to me both as a parent and former School Board
member, was the lack of real substance with regard to education
issues, which cuts across income levels. This is inconsistent with
expressed ASG goals to represent all socioeconomic groups in the
City.
4. I am supportive of all long-range planning efforts. Given the
staff time that would be required to develop, for example, an Alexandria
2025 Plan, I would ask the Planning Department, in conjunction with
the Planning Commission, to come up with specifics as to prudent
updates and revisions that would be required to the current Master
Plan and a time frame for accomplishing them. Such a time frame
would include requisite public input and public hearings.
5. The major deficiency of the current Master Plan is that it
is, to a great extent, a series of small area plans. The Master
Plan lacks a citywide, general land use overlay that sets out generally
targeted uses for specific areas.
Urban planning requires flexibility. The small area plans should
create specific goals for the land in those areas.
6. Alexandria has an excellent record in seeking to retain and
expand affordable housing and is using the most current methods
to do so. It is a very complex issue that is made more difficult
by aggressively rising land values, rising real estate assessments,
and market rate rent increases.
7. Yes.
8. Alexandria's Board of Architectural Review for the Old and
Historic District is charged with maintaining the historic design
integrity of Old Town. Old Town is a vibrant mix of homes, stores,
offices, restaurants, churches, schools and other buildings dating
from the founding of the city in the mid-eighteenth century with
its Colonial architecture to Victorian buildings to contemporary
structures. The board's purpose is to assure that new buildings
or changes to existing buildings are designed in an historic context.
BAR meetings are open and the board considers public comments on
each of its cases. Decisions can be appealed to City Council. I
encourage concerned citizens to participate in this process.
9. Professional staff with backgrounds in urban planning and transportation
engineering review Transportation Management Plans to ensure they
effectively deal with the construction project at issue. Should
oversight of these plans not be a part of the designated responsibilities
of the Traffic and Parking Board's citizen members, the feasibility
of expanding their jurisdictions should be explored.
10. Increasing the use of transit, bicycles and walking will be
accomplished by the continuation of the policies outlined in previous
answers. The determination of the number of parking spaces at a
Metro Station varies with the station's location, current and future
development, the blend of commercial office, retail, and residential
located in the vicinity, and market forces. The need for spaces
may vary over time. A set parking policy for Metro Stations would
most likely lack the requisite flexibility to be successful.
11. The City Council directed staff to begin a comprehensive planning
effort for the western Eisenhower Valley. In discussions, with the
Director of Planning and the City Manager, I have expressed my strongly
held view that such a venture should include discussion of current
and future land uses and aesthetics along Duke Street, west of the
Masonic Temple. The area is also being studied as part of the Transportation
Master Plan. It is premature to discuss any new roads before this
process has begun.
12. An Open Space Trust Fund is already in existence. I am pleased
to have played an active role in its establishment. Please refer
to previous answers for additional information.
13. The Washington Street Guidelines were created to ensure the
historic architectural integrity of Washington Street. Since recent
construction along the Waterfront is contextually appropriate in
an historic sense, it is not clear to me, from the information provided,
what such guidelines would accomplish beyond the regulations governing
the Old and Historic District. If the guidelines are to ensure adequate
open space and public access to the waterfront, it is an idea worth
exploring.
14. Please refer to previous answers. A final comment: the planning
process for Eisenhower East was extraordinarily successful and the
public was an integral and important part of that process. The City
will use it as the model for planning Eisenhower West.
15. As noted above, the Eisenhower East planning process that
was put into place by the current City Council is an extremely effective
model for meaningful participation and impact by the public in the
design process. An additional successful model, at the neighborhood
level, is the inclusive process used to rejuvenate Del Ray and Arlandria.
16. Task forces have their place and are particularly appropriate
for working through localized neighborhood issues and planning.
On citywide issues, additional avenues need to be explored. The
process used by the School Board during the attendance zone redistricting,
which occurred when I was a member of that body, is an example of
a process that sought extensive input by the public from throughout
the city.
17. Elimination of the Dillon Rule in Virginia. Elimination of
State controls over the powers in our City Charter. Given that the
first two initiatives are unlikely to pass, continuing current legislative
initiatives that seek to gain additional land use powers and aligning
with other jurisdictions seeking the same power
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