The Future for Annandale: An open letter to Mason Supervisor Andres Jimenez
By Dan McKinnon
It was 54 years ago when my family arrived in Annandale, thanks to the U.S. Navy. We bought a townhouse; I complained, and wound up president of the Pinecrest Heights Community Association.
We saw neighbors picking up trash on Little River Turnpike and guiltily joined because we had yet to pay Virginia taxes. I wound up chair of the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee, and eventually, Chair of the Fairfax County Commercial Revitalization Coalition.
We compelled the Board of Supervisors to hold a retreat in Mason District on commercial revitalization. I remember a young Jeff McKay in the audience. The program was reorganized, new staff were assigned, and I became chair of the Board of Supervisors’ Commercial Revitalization Advisory Committee.
After several meetings, lots of briefings, and little action, I said “Kill it.” They did. Competent staff didn’t need our help.
And you don’t need my help.
But there are big ideas where you can help Annandale, and there are wonderful people to help you. Offered are four; prayerfully developed for the benefit of all.
Annandale is a county transportation vortex and a family/fun commercial destination with a small-town Main Street core surrounded by wooded neighborhoods with beautiful single-family homes, as well as more population-dense well laid-out and attractive apartments and townhouse complexes.
Diversity is our middle name.
Idea #1 – Turnpike to Main Street
Turn Little River Turnpike through the commercial area – between Hummer Road and Braddock Road – into a real downtown Main Street, maybe even a boulevard.
Now, it’s more like a highway, with cars coming in at one end and going out the other – to someplace else – although many people do stop here to shop, eat at our many ethnic restaurants, go to a salon or barbershop, and otherwise take advantage of our diverse and exciting downtown.
Let’s give those drivers in a hurry to get home or go to work the four middle lanes and leave the rest to us.
There have been studies over the years recommending improved walkability by creating more attractive sidewalks, eliminating some of the service roads, improving access to businesses, and even providing on-street parking. It can be done. Think walkway/roadway sculpturing like they do in small towns in the Midwest.
Idea #2 – Wedgewood to Hollywood
Well, not quite. But we could have dancing.
The Wedgewood Apartments represent opportunity. As a county-owned affordable housing complex on Little River Turnpike, it is a small community asset capable of being a large community asset. It would be a thing of beauty; not physical and external, but possessing those exquisite internal human qualities that can be captured and shared.
That whole western end of our greater Annandale area is characterized by heavy population density and multiple apartments and condos. There are lovely neighborhoods with no indications of squalor or uncaring residents.
It is culturally diverse and very much the home of many “New Americans.” You will find their children at Annandale High School, which has a minority population of over 85 percent, 90 national origins, and 50 spoken languages. Over 60 percent of the students are considered “economically disadvantaged.” And many of these young men and women excel.
A few years ago, Arlington took what could have become a stagnant civic asset on Columbia Pike and transformed a small land footprint of old buildings into a community center. We could do something like that – but different.
Picture an elegant complex in Annandale with more apartments and a real community hub with multiple uses that could serve, maybe focus on, new Americans … and even us old Americans.
Let the minds and ideas of Annandale families and leaders run wild: From daycare to healthcare, to any of the multitude of services in the Fairfax County wonder-filled “catalog of care.” We have that catalog because people who live in Fairfax County are predominately gifted with personal success, high levels of education (manual and mental), and the wealth and well-being that goes with what we generally think of as economic and personal success: Incentives, opportunities, and multiple means to help others abound.
“A rising tide lifts all boats” is not a bad metaphor. Wedgewood could provide space for service providers, advocates, like one of my favorites, the Legal Aid Justice Center, and other groups that help others – even if it’s just a closet.
Think working spaces to meeting spaces to dancing spaces. Think how exciting it would be for all members of the community to help design and build something from scratch – nothing preconceived, just people who care and think.
Let’s call it the “Annandale Opportunity Center.” The word community speaks for itself. Opportunity speaks for everyone.
Idea #3 – Entrepreneur Village? Innovation Avenue?
Drive down Poplar Street in central downtown Annandale and what do you see? An ugly street where something great could be. (Love those poets.)
Once a family neighborhood, it’s now a backwater to a growing nearby downtown. When it rains, mud and water dominate a friendly walk on an ugly street without curbs or storm drains.
There are a couple of nice buildings, but most are old houses. Front yards have become cement landscapes and parking lots.
But what happens inside those old houses is not ugly. There are small businesses with entrepreneurs creating jobs, supporting their families, and trying to grow.
That’s a struggle for most people; it’s even tougher for new Americans.
For the county, this can become an economic development opportunity, maybe an experiment. Fairfax County has a wonderful reputation for encouraging, even sponsoring, new businesses. The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority, Department of Economic Initiatives, and Fairfax CORE are terrific assets.
We can turn this troubled area into something special – an “Entrepreneur Village,” maybe on “Innovation Avenue,” with a small business center that can serve as an incubator for entrepreneurs, while (absolutely) retaining current business occupants.
Organize owners and tenants to help. Involve students, perhaps as a graduate project for students at UVA’s terrific Darden School of Business. Focus on helping new Americans learn and succeed.
Idea #4 – Just a walk in the park.
This one is easy. There is land with beautiful trees and shrubbery lying fallow next to our impressive local downtown library. Years ago, the owner attempted to make it commercial. The community said “no.”
Now this small wooded area between our town center and George Mason Regional Library is for sale.
Last year, there was a proposal for the county to take control of this lovely nature site and create a library park with benches to sit and read, tables for lunch or group study, and maybe a small play area for those needing a few months or years before they can read. It would also be a beautiful joining of the business area with residential family areas.
Former Mason Supervisor Penny Gross gained support from the Library Board and the Park Board for this proposal. The idea is hopefully still moving.
What is moving are actions to improve livability and beautify areas outside the beltway due to proffers from developers, professional public/private land initiatives, and roadway planning.
The Annandale commercial revitalization effort continues. We should take advantage of this attractive family-friendly oasis in our small downtown. This is a great opportunity. It is low-hanging fruit. Pluck it.
There is another opportunity on the other side of the library: A real park where many years ago neighborhood opposition killed any proposal to make it better.
Poe Terrace Park has historic stonework dating from the Civil War era. It should not be difficult to achieve a land design that does not violate neighbors’ backyard privacy and still allow others to just take a walk in the park. Beautiful “green barriers” growing between two property uses are everywhere. It is time to try.
We all have friends and helping hands. There are plenty of knowledgeable people who’ve been working for the good of Annandale for a long time, including those with the Annandale Chamber of Commerce, the Annandale Central Business District Planning Committee, the Legal Aid Justice Center, local community associations, and church groups. The Korean American Association of Greater Washington is headquartered in Annandale and its president, Steve Lee, is a prominent resident.
Annandale’s Korean-American community is a beautiful and remarkable contributor to what can be achieved when great people come together both economically and culturally. We become one.
Annandale wishes you success.
Dan McKinnon is president emeritus of the Annandale Chamber of Commerce.
The Annandale that once was: the residents, government servants, community feel, civic investment… is long gone and will never return.
Andres Jimenez doesn’t have your vision, capabilities, drive.
He will be much more concerned that you wrote him a public letter than he will be about doing anything in the letter.
Dan McKinnon, WoW, I do not know YOU; your thoughts are the BEST!! The fact that you put all this together; you know the area and know what it needs, should and could be done. NOW follow thru and make it happen.
Then, PLEASE come to the Seven Corners area and make ‘it’ wonderful again — THE PLACE for shopping — the first “Shopping Mall” in this area–Is Gone!! Now bring a bit of CLASS — Not an empty SEARS building; which originally was “Lord And Taylor”, with a revolving restaurant at the top. VERY S A D what has happened to this area. I asked one of the developers involved with the “Skyline” project; come to Seven Corners; make it like a Mosaic. I was told ‘Mason District’ does not want the area to grow.
VERY S A D
I truly appreciate the sentiment of the author’s letter and the hope it conveys. Yet hope is not a plan to address real challenges. First – The BOS must refocus on the fundamentals of local government and that is two desperately needed and connected items. (A) increase law enforcement personnel to enforce all the laws in a serious crime crackdown (not just felony crimes, and stop adding misdemeanor crimes that are not going to be enforced). Crime has increased exponentially and in part due to lack of officers and support for them. (B) The BOS needs to do real oversight of the commonwealth attorney not prosecuting all crimes, this undermines our police officers efforts; and if necessary find a way to stop the lackluster prosecution. We can never have a “Main Street” on LRT if traffic laws are not enforced, and no one wants to walk because of multiple violent incidents (gangs shooting other gangs and everyone is in their way). The BOS has washed what information is released in the crime reports that Annandale Today collects and none of it is linked to enforcement, to prosecutions, to convictions – without those metrics how are any of us getting the information needed. Safety & Security is the pre-requisite for growth and development. Second – Fairfax county BOS is not friendly to business entrepreneurs like the City of Falls Church or even Fairfax City. I know of businesses that wanted to open in Fairfax, but practice, procedure and regulations from the county government drove them away (county obstacles/ meddling is horrible compared to other jurisdictions). We need to broaden the tax base for these ideas, raising the residential real estate tax when assessments go up is not helpful for us and not viable. Finally, some serious oversight and reduction in spending/ programs needs to be done by the BOS, but I’m not as optimistic as the author because I only see these issues getting worse. I fear the hopeful vision of the author will never come to be if the BOS doesn’t focus on reducing crime, supporting business entrepreneurs by encouraging instead of using red tape to push them away, and making the county government more efficient by redirecting funds from non-essential items because we can’t tax our residents enough to do all of this and have affordability for folks. Again I appreciate the author and the hopeful vision; but it is not going to get any better till these challenges are addressed.
I thought the draft study that was done for annandale suggested using columbia pike to create a downtown. I have a hard time seeing LRT over such a large stretch ever being like a downtown. Maybe eventually but I like the idea of having columbia pike becoming a main street. It’s long enough. But I agree with other posters that none of this will ever happen without support from the county and after 23 years in this town I just don’t see that as a possibility. We are the butt of fairfax county. They don’t care about this area except to extract money from us.
Annandale does not need anymore apartments. If anything some older complexes should be raised and replaced with single family homes or put in a mixed use retail, condo, townhome and single family development. As a long time resident of Annandale 40 years the crime has significantly increased in some of the older complexes. While the Fairfax County police have done a good job of staying on top of crime why not make the change and let the police focus on other areas of concern? The quality of life improves and the county picks up more revenue through property tax. What’s not to like?
There is a serious gang problem festering in the new Americans community… and a crime problem drawn in from PG county and DC by ease of access and low law enforcement. We’re also a draw for a persistent homeless population. A community center and a park and an innovation hub only address those issues tangentially. An initial, well communicated push to address gangs, homeless, and crime. Vocational training center and English classes funded by a fee to the owners of building leased to laundry mats, 7-11, gas stations and thrift stores. Vacant commercial buildings charged additional fees for road reconstruction and trash clean-up, extra police. Establish a special code enforcement unit to stop the destruction of residential neighborhoods. Just drive through older areas of Vienna to see what real revitalization looks like. Jiminez is not going to do any of this.
Couldn’t agree more been in Annandale (downtown) and really nothing has changed. Still the recalcitrant landlords unwilling to combine properties but just keep raising rents. The disappearance of KMart was a real blow to us older folks since nothing is really readable. Amazon filled the void and I don’t have to fight the traffic.
I lived right next door to Poe Terrace and my parents did not object to the plans that were presented to them for a lovely park with a tennis court and wonderful amenities. However, they did object to Fairfax County attempting to take their land — which ultimately did not happen. So, who were the neighbors that objected??? Only a few houses could have objected; ours was not one of them, and our property line was next to the park. What I recall was that Fairfax County spent taxpayers’ money taking that property from the owners, then conducted numerous proposals for the land (using more time and taxpayers’ money), took down some of the barrier built during the Civil War, and then left it to be a haven for drugs and the homeless — right across from a public library and not far from Poe Middle School. How many years ago was that? Up until the time that Fairfax County took that land it was kept up — both by my Father and by the owners of the land. So, you may think you have a good idea but I have yet to see anything completed except using taxpayers’ money that is spent on meetings and proposals, taking of land, and empty promises. Every once in a while you put in a brick sidewalk and call it the center of town. You let that former gun shop and houses on Columbia Pike sit there with trash for over a year — rats enjoying the freedom provided. Please……… don’t just number your ideas and think you are doing something to help out. Do something better.
Jimenez has no vision. And the people perish as a result. But those who voted for him need to get vision and stop living at a low level as you hurt everyone else.
Jimenez: lead, follow, or get out of the way!
All fantastic ideas. Something absolutely, desparately needs to be done to Little River Turnpike between 495 and John Marr. For most of its length LRT is an open and fast-moving highway. But in this section it crams into a jumbled and dangerous mess of side streets and business entrances. The road here is as disorganized, jumbled and ugly as the spiderweb of power lines overhead. The area of Annandale around LRT and Backlick could be a vibrant walking district like Mosaic, but as it is LRT is choking it to death.
I say tear up half of LRT and put in a light rail going from Fair Oaks to Old Town. If you absorb the side streets there’s enough room for a 3 lane road, a light rail line, dedicated bike path and another row of homes or businesses.
I agree with both of you guys, this would be the one of few transit ideas that could actually fix Little River Turnpike.