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LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Published in the Gazette Packet
March 27, 2003
We're All In This Together
By Frank Putzu
First Vice-President
Alexandrians for Sensible Growth, Inc.
In his March 12 piece, Rodger Digilio, a School Board member, developer, and
former member of the Chamber of Commerce, argued in favor of a connector
road because he believes that it will benefit commuters from exploding
development in the outer suburbs and residents of some parts of the city.
He complains that traffic will always increase, there is nothing we can do
to manage it, and it will simply spill onto other corridors in the City.
Based upon that reasoning, he suggests that "east" Alexandria should not let
"west" Alexandria participate effectively in the debate over the future of
our quality of life. As explained below, Digilio's position is based upon
false assumptions and failed policies.
I live in the Seminary Hill area and concluded that the connector road
between Duke and Eisenhower would be a mistake for the city. I reached this
conclusion because it was apparent that the city was trying to stuff more
traffic into the valley to increase development, make it more attractive for
big development and easier for commuters to drive through our city, with
nothing in return except more congestion and pollution. More broadly, the
debate over the connector road highlighted the failure of development
policies in the last ten years throughout the entire city, including the
invidious practice by advocates of unrestrained development to pit
neighborhoods against each other in a divide and conquer strategy. For
example, far too many affected neighborhoods were underrepresented on the
original task force on the connector road, thus skewing the results.
I am also a board member for Alexandrians for Sensible Growth, Inc. (ASG).
ASG was formed because of quality of life issues affecting residents and
taxpayers in the entire city. To ASG, the issues in Potomac Yard, Windmill
Hill Park, PTO, Washington Street guidelines, BAR, open space, affordable
housing, and other quality of life matters, are every bit as important and
related as the connector road. We advocate the preparation of an Alexandria
2025 plan that would consider what we want our city to be in 23 years. From
a personal standpoint, one reason I joined ASG is to show that these issues
affect all of us in some material way. The only effective representation
citizens can have in this City is to stop playing divisive games and unite
in a common vision. ASG Board members live throughout the city, including
Old Town, Rosemont, and "west" Alexandria.
Alexandria's withdrawal from the lawsuit involving the Woodrow Wilson Bridge
exemplifies how these neighborhood protection concerns affect the entire
city. Our withdrawal from the lawsuit means loss of scarce affordable
housing, playing fields, and introduction of unmanaged massive new commuting
traffic. While we needed a new bridge, more care should have been taken
about the environmental affects and the impact upon the city. We will live
with the new bridge for a long time, so there was every reason to do it
right the first time. Under Digilio's theory, I should not care because the
Wilson Bridge should only affect Old Town. However, these issues are all
interrelated. Having made it easy for massive new traffic to egress into
Alexandria, new traffic will search for easier egresses to cross the City,
meaning all of our streets.
Every credible traffic study performed demonstrates that increasing road
capacity does not manage traffic but simply adds new traffic. That is true
in "west" Alexandria, "east" Alexandria, and every neighborhood in the city.
We are a small city in geographic terms, and what affects one part
necessarily affects other parts. In Potomac Yard, for example, we are
introducing a huge new development without the benefit of a Metro. Since
the only way to get there is by car, many thousands of additional cars will
pass through all parts of our city to get there. ASG recognizes that we
need to advocate a forward-looking policy that considers the City as a
whole. This position is a significant departure from the policies of the
last ten years, but one we believe is needed.
I am proud that ASG endorsed candidates (Cleveland (R) for Mayor, and McVay
(R), Natale (R), Reardon (R), Gaines (D), Pepper, (D), and MacDonald (D) for
Council) who share our vision of sensible growth, such as maximum use of
Metro and balanced and green commercial/residential development. These
candidates believe that we should look at the next 25 years instead of the
next 25 minutes, and make the effort for a more united, less divisive
Alexandria. Visit our website, www.alex4sensiblegrowth.org, to learn about
our vision, issues, goals, and strategies, as well as why we endorsed our
candidates. Digilio just may be surprised to learn that we are all in this
together as neighbors.
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