New County Manager Talks Plans for Arlington

New Arlington County Manager Michael Brown on Monday emphasized a need for speed and efficiency in all of the county's major development plans, as he laid out his preliminary comments and criticisms of the five-year development plan at the county Planning Commission's first public hearing since June.

"In terms of the attention to detail in commercial areas and historic districts, we could argue for a year whether there should be a new parking deck or what the depth of window mullions should be," Brown said.

He suggested that certain elements of the plan should be prioritized, such as work on the Four-Mile Run trail and the completion of the Crystal City sector plan. He also stressed that community participation and input into all of the county's development projects take a front seat.

Before his appointment in April, Brown served as the city manager of Savannah, Ga. Brown began work with the county in May, with a salary of $220,000. This was his first time addressing the commission in a public meeting.

Other major issues discussed at the meeting were minor modifications to the existing Arlington Mill Community Center plan and a zoning modification for an increase of bedrooms to a residential development in Colonial Village, 80 percent of which will qualify as affordable housing.