To the Editor:
Neal Learner [Letter, “Need Smart Development,” Oct. 1-7] points out that he forewarned that something like a car crashing into the first Potomac Yard building near Monroe Avenue Bridge would happen and now it has. His point, though, is not trivial. If city hall had been listening — for real, not just going through the motions of pretending to listen — it would have insisted the developers install protective bollards instead of just rubber-stamping all this development.
Unlike the wise development at Carlyle, anchored by federal facilities, what do we have to show for a dozen years doing development Bill Euille’s way? Taxes are higher while services are cut or jeopardized and staff went years without a pay increase. Where’s the promised pay-off from giving development carte blanche?
Stringing us along with “Just trust me … things will work out,” doesn’t cut it 12 years in. Clearly a “time out” to think through these things and contemplate course correction is needed right now. That course correction might not look like what the anti-development hard core would like, but before embarking on a more sustainable development direction, we have to get out of our hole. The first thing you do when you find yourself in a hole is to stop digging.
Dino Drudi
Alexandria