Please come support Phoenix Bikes *tonight* – 7p at 2700 S. Taylor St.

[KLizotte]

I will be there tonight in full cycling regalia

[Arlingtonrider]

I was at the first meeting and will be there tonight as well – for the kids as well as for the cycling community.

[bobco85]

I’ll be there with bells* on! I won’t have anything regal, but I will have a biking t-shirt (and helmet, because really nothing else signifies a cyclist better than a helmet).

* the bells will actually be on my bike, and the bells will actually be a singular bell on my handlebars. I apologize for any disappointment.

[Tim Kelley]

I wonder if it makes sense not to overdo it with all the cycling clothing/gear/accessories? Do you think it would be beneficial to show up in regular clothes so it doesn’t create such an “us vs them” mentality?

Any thoughts?

[GB]

If you bike there, you should have your bike gear with you. If you drive, leave your helmet at home.

To some extent biking there will show people concerned about parking at the new facility that their concerns may be over blown.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@Tim Kelley 70934 wrote:

I wonder if it makes sense not to overdo it with all the cycling clothing/gear/accessories? Do you think it would be beneficial to show up in regular clothes so it doesn’t create such an “us vs them” mentality?

Any thoughts?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4208[/ATTACH]

[dasgeh]

@Tim Kelley 70934 wrote:

I wonder if it makes sense not to overdo it with all the cycling clothing/gear/accessories? Do you think it would be beneficial to show up in regular clothes so it doesn’t create such an “us vs them” mentality?

Any thoughts?

Come as you are.

[mstone]

@dasgeh 70942 wrote:

Come as you are.

as you were,
as I want you to be
as a friend, as a friend, as an old enemy.
take your time, hurry up
the choice is yours, don’t be late.

[cyclingfool]

Dasgeh wrote:

Reason: And now the song is stuck in your head, too.

Thanks, me too. Actually, I don’t mind. It’s a good song. As long as it’s not stuck for days, I’ll be happy.

[KLizotte]

@Tim Kelley 70934 wrote:

I wonder if it makes sense not to overdo it with all the cycling clothing/gear/accessories? Do you think it would be beneficial to show up in regular clothes so it doesn’t create such an “us vs them” mentality?

Any thoughts?

If I wore my work clothes while commuting I would (being sure to show my helmet) but alas, that is not the case, so they will have to suffer lycra shock. If I make it out of work early I may take your suggest and change into civies before heading over to the meeting.

[dbb]

[ATTACH]4212[/ATTACH]

Here are the renderings of the proposed building. Note that it will be aligned along Walter Reed

[PotomacCyclist]

@ShawnoftheDread 70937 wrote:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4208[/ATTACH]

Will Ferrell was in town just the other day (Tuesday). He spoke at a VIP event at the Newseum about the upcoming Anchorman 2 movie and the new Anchorman exhibit there. (The exhibit is open through next fall.)

http://www.newseum.org/programs/2013/1203-invitation-only/an-evening-with-anchorman-star-will-ferrell.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFM5e9zFax8

P.S. I figured the (slightly) off-topic post is OK since the meeting is now over. And no, I wasn’t one of the VIPs.

– David Koechner (Champ Kind) will appear at the Newseum on Dec. 17 at another Anchorman event. Not limited to VIPs, but the event is already sold out.

[bobco85]

I attended the meeting, and well, since I can’t seem to sleep, I shall type furiously into the night…

There were 2 handouts I collected:

The feedback from the November 23 meeting
[ATTACH=CONFIG]4213[/ATTACH]

Phoenix Bikes handout
[ATTACH=CONFIG]4214[/ATTACH]

My notes from the meeting (I was about 10 minutes late, so here’s what I was able to write down):

…attempts were made to get a school building, but:

• Phoenix Bikes would lose their independence and instead become a school program
• Wakefield HS had only a temporary solution due to their construction

Presentation

• talking about Fun Ride and other rides
• video about Phoenix Bikes
• talking about community aspect
• photo showing the current area is packed full of bikes – need more room

Building Goals

• Phoenix Bikes needs a building with adequate space for its educational mission
• Space should include bathrooms, workspace, meeting space, and storage
• Ideally located near a trail
• Phoenix Bikes pays for the building (design and construction)
• Arlington County will supply land
• Phoenix Bikes will also offer bathrooms, drinking fountains, air pumps, and adult education
• Decision for location
• Plot of land goes almost up to Randolph Street
• A visual approximation I sketched and later Photoshopped (I tried to draw the plot and already made the image for this so I’m adding it here, but the PDF that dbb provided has the actual dimensions)
  [ATTACH=CONFIG]4215[/ATTACH]

Future Plans

• Next public meeting will be January 14th at 7 PM (same location)
• Phoenix Bikes will submit Letter of Intent to County Board
• Phoenix Bikes will fundraise
• Detailed 20+ year agreement will be developed between Phoenix Bikes and Arlington County
• Phoenix Bikes will submit building plans and obtain Use Permit if required
• Process is expected to take about 2 years

Public Feedback
(quick note: it was unanimous that Phoenix Bikes does a good service to the community, a point that every single speaker mentioned before saying anything else)

Speaker 1 (lived in her townhouse on Randolph for 25 years)

• concern about loss of privacy due to loss of trees
• louder noises due to increased traffic
• loss of tree buffer will allow lights and louder noises into neighborhood

Speaker 2 (has young children)

• concern about safety due to previous accidents on Walter Reed Drive
• referring to past accident between cyclist and driver on WR
• why not have larger/more space in Barcroft Park
• Barcroft Park is being underutilized

Speaker 3

• questions about traffic – have any studies been done on impact on traffic?
• What about parking?
• Why have more public bathrooms?

Answered: Park rangers will lock bathrooms at night

Speaker 4

• why can’t they expand the current PB building?

Answered: There is no room for expansion of the PB building in the current location

Speaker 5

• questions about site selection process
• what about the WETA lot or Jennie Dean Park?

Answered: JD Park is about to have a master plan process

Speaker 6

• concern about gangs, bums, etc., being attracted to the new facility

Speaker 7

• concern about funding & block grants & the schedule given only $50k of the $1 million has been raised
• notes that she has congressional experience with these matters
• is a new resident to Arlington County
• recommends site-surveys for next meeting
• concerned about loss of parking (irony here is she moved into one of the newer condos in the area that has increased traffic and decreased parking)
• concerned about effect on her property values

Speaker 8

• concern about building on such a swampy site
• what about water drainage due to runoff from the adjacent hillside?

Speaker 9

• Location is great due to being right on the W&OD
• Concerns about safety are moot because the trail itself is safe

Speaker 10

• Longtime resident, likes that more people will be there
• Having more people in an area makes it safer for everyone

[Mark Blacknell]

Thanks to all who showed up and an extra special thanks to Bob for an excellent write up for those who couldn’t make it.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@bobco85 70986 wrote:

• concern about building on such a swampy site
• what about water drainage due to runoff from the adjacent hillside?

And what about air conditioning? It gets hot in the summer! Have they thought of that? And all that stuff from the bathrooms has to go somewhere, where’s it gonna go?!

/s

[Author]

Posts