tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412900754136064810.post6969428370509868180..comments2009-07-12T13:42:56.945-04:00Restonianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15519884797760354007noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412900754136064810.post-67889594536066417962009-07-12T13:42:56.945-04:002009-07-12T13:42:56.945-04:00Olympus Gym in Chantilly just closed. Along with Gold&#39;s and Sport &amp; Health, Olympus is one of the larger gym chains in the area, not just in the number of outlets but typical gym size.<br /><br />I think that the design of Lake Anne Plaze was poorly conceived from the beginning. They built the lake and the plaza too close to Baron Cameron Ave (606). They should have designed it more like Portofino or Old Town so that there would be several rows of streets of stores, homes, and small offices. Instead, it was designed like a shopping center.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412900754136064810.post-79215853061697916872009-07-08T12:58:39.040-04:002009-07-08T12:58:39.040-04:00As I mentioned in another thread on this blog...the County and RA and RCC need to finish what they started and have been spending millions on ...<br /><br />Smyers needs to read Simon&#39;s plan -- at least once -- and understand the value of bringing an HQ building, a smaller rec center, more businesses, new homes, and more density to Lake Anne – which desperately needs it and would flourish once again.<br /><br />http://mars.gmu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1920/2559/1/rm4_10_01.pdf<br /><br />http://mars.gmu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1920/2518/1/rm1_01_01.pdf<br /><br />Lake Anne was where Reston was dedicated in 1966, as a new concept -- a village of villages. RA used Lake Anne as its primary advertising piece until the &quot;new Bethesda&quot; came in with its fountain square.<br /><br />The County started the Lake Anne Revitalization effort -- they need to finish it with RA and RCC leading the charge.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412900754136064810.post-42576819275541074862009-07-08T11:38:27.269-04:002009-07-08T11:38:27.269-04:00They got a dosing of it last night. A Mr. William Smith (his real laid it out to a lengthy sustained and loudest-of-the evening applause: and I paraphrase: just when will you understand the meaning of &quot;NO.&quot;<br /><br />Dimwit, and self-admittedly, childless Smyers compared the rec center to schools that she pays for but doesn&#39;t use (wrong -- schools are mandated by statute and paid for by state and local taxes -- not a self-serving 40-year old &quot;memorandum of (mis?)understanding.&quot;<br /><br />There is no mandate for indoor recreation, covered swimming and tennis for what is, at the very best, a loose and poorly organized tiny group of swimmers and tennis players.<br /><br />Then they went on to further paint themselves into a corner by commenting that centralizing the facilities is desirable --- so much for the neighborhood village concept in Reston. And that the facility should be the highest LEED (read: EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE) facility possible (platinum standard) so that we can all drive to the rec center in our gas-guzzling and highly polluting aged SUVs -- it&#39;s just all idiocy!<br /><br />Gaudie -- who was not his usual self last night for some reason -- did get it right on when he called them on the FACT that not only had they picked out a name for the center but that they had identified programming.<br /><br />Few people seemed to catch that the RCC indicated that the facility would pave over &quot;no more than&quot; 8 acres but that RA was looking for at least 40 acres for such a site.<br /><br />And, of course, we were all stunned to learn that neither RA nor RCC had contacted Fairfax County about the two most promising sites (Baron Cameron and Lake Fairfax) for this clearly-not-wanted white elephant.<br /><br />Our Votes: NO on the Rec Center anywhere and YES to reducing the tax district tax to 0 (that is abolish it and roll it into the county). <br /><br />What was nice, and relatively affordable, 40 years ago is redundant today and we can no longer afford such waste in today&#39;s economy.<br /><br />If there IS a will and way forward, it has to be a tax-PAYING private entity who will build, operate and program the facility. <br /><br />No more tax and spend liberal idiocy!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6412900754136064810.post-76985436963616421812009-07-07T11:14:55.182-04:002009-07-07T11:14:55.182-04:00Well because this excuse we have for &quot;fair and balanced reporting&quot; the pro rec center people could never get the word out to organize a pro rec center group.<br /><br />BTW, I was joking about the balance issue. Probably should the humour to Restonian.Joshua Davishttp://joshuadavisphotography.com/blog.pgpnoreply@blogger.com