Leeway Overlee Civic Association
Notice of General Membership Meeting:
HYBRID: ZOOM & IN-PERSON:
WHEN: Wednesday, March 19, 2025
6:30 PM
HYBRID – VIA ZOOM AND IN PERSON
LOCATION: LAC STUDIOS formerly known as LEE CENTER
5722 Langston Blvd.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85630747012?pwd=fy4pbcuhXhr0VZsrEjk7EP2Rti7JGt.1
Meeting ID: 856 3074 7012
Passcode: 977749
(please find a live link on our Facebook page and web site)
Speaker: Patrick Hope
Our Representative in the Virginia House of Delegates (representing the 1st District)
Member of the Virginia General Assembly in his 8th term
Patrick A. Hope is the Delegate from the 1st District of the Commonwealth of Virginia where he serves as the chair of the House Courts of Justice Committee, is a member of the House Public Safety Committee and the House Health and Human Services Committee. Per his official bio: Patrick is a health care attorney with over 20 years of experience working for Virginia and has been recognized by numerous organizations for his leadership and community service.
Patrick serves on several Virginia Commissions, namely the Joint Commission on Health Care (2014-current); the Behavioral Health Commission (2017-current); the Virginia Disability Commission (2021-current), and the Virginia Crime Commission (2024-current).
Patrick has a strong record of community leadership. Patrick was the founder and first president of the Buckingham Community Civic Association (2003-2009) and chaired the Arlington County Community Services Board (2005-2008). He also was co-chairman, Arlington Implementation Task Force to End Homelessness (2008-2010), and Commissioner for the Arlington County Commission on Aging (2002-2007).
In addition, Patrick belongs to numerous community organizations and causes: Arlington County Bar Association, Arlington Committee of 100, Leadership Arlington (Class of 2010), Arlington Kiwanis, South Arlington Kiwanis, Arlington Optimists, the Arlington Free Clinic, and the Arlington Historical Society.
Please come with your questions for Patrick and to learn about the General Assembly's actions in the 2025 session just concluded!
ANY QUESTIONS? CONTACT A MEMBER OF THE LOCA EXEC COMMITTEE
President: Jean Henceroth (president@leewayoverlee.org)
Vice President: Karen Guevara (vicepresident@leewayoverlee.org)
Secretary: Ladd Connell (secretary@leewayoverlee.org)
Treasurer: Jennifer Michener (treasurer@leewayoverlee.org)
ArNAC Rep. Rob Swennes ArNAC@LeewayOverlee.org
Are you willing to switch from paper to electronic documents?
LOCA’s primary expense is printing this newsletter which is distributed 3-4 times annually by volunteers walking door to door.
To reduce newsletter printing costs and paper usage, the LOCA Executive Committee is considering sending via email the Newsletter, Notices of Meetings, etc. If you would like to receive these electronically, please send an email including your name, street address and phone number to: president@leewayoverlee.org. Both the Notices of Membership Meetings and the Newsletter will continue to be available on our web site and Facebook page.
LEE COMMUNITY CENTER / LAC STUDIOS / LEE COMMUNITY PARK
(located between Langston Boulevard / 24th Street North and North Lexington / North Kentucky Streets)
Did you know that this property and its facilities have been a vital and publicly available gathering place and park within the Leeway Overlee community as one of Arlington's earliest public schools (1926), Lee Community and Senior Center, then the LAC Studios?
Did you know that County planners are proposing to repurpose the Lee Center block by removing almost a century's worth of athletics on that property, which is the ONLY PUBLIC PARK WITH OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATION?
Are you willing to abandon these historic limited public recreational options within our neighborhood?
Most importantly, it has been used for almost 100 years for children's recreation. This was true when the original elementary school was opened in 1926. It remained true when Arlington Public Schools (APS) closed the school in 1971 and transferred the property to Arlington County. It was true when the former school building housed the Lee Center Children's Cooperative. Today it continues to be true with its playground equipment, softball diamond, basketball court, and open green space providing neighborhood children with multiple recreational opportunities.
The Executive Committee of Leeway Overlee Civic Association requested Arlington County preserve The Lee Community Center Park "as is" with no new construction on the site. IF YOU SUPPORT THIS, PLEASE TELL THE COUNTY BOARD and send it in writing to the County Board and Planning Commissioners -- they count the number of letters received regarding issues (a LOCA Executive Committee letter to the County is available below and on the LOCA Facebook page; you can print it and add your signature and your printed name, scan it, and email it to the County Board via its web site).
Please refer to pp 28-32, 61 the Langston Boulevard Area Plan Draft 1: June 2023 detailing the county's plans: www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/projects/documents/plan-langston-blvd/draft-langstonboulevard-area-plan.pdf
Date: September 13, 2023
To: Residents of Leeway Overlee Civic Association (LOCA)
From: Jean Henceroth, President
Leeway Overlee Civic Association
RE: Langston Boulevard Area Plan, Draft 1: June 2023 ("the Plan") and
LEE PARK AND FORMER LEE COMMUNITY CENTER/LAC STUDIOS
Hello Neighbor,
Today I'm writing to ask you to send an email or letter (via email) to the Arlington County Board regarding the future of Lee Park and the former Lee Community Center / LAC Studios, both of which are threatened by the current version of Langston Boulevard Area Plan ("the Plan"). Although not yet approved by the County Board, the Plan refers to the former Lee Community Center as demolished, with the probability that a building replacing it could be 5 stories high and its footprint could take half of the park. Its purpose had not yet been determined but it probably would not be a community center.
If you support saving our park, please use the attached sample letter or email to write to the County Board. The County Board considers the volume of letters or emails received regarding a specific community issue when voting on it -- YOUR LETTER COULD HELP SAVE OUR PARK!
The LOCA Executive Committee is determined the park and any structure built therein be committed to serving our community and wrote a letter on August 31, 2023, to the County requesting:
"Arlington County conduct a public evaluation with public input to determine the short- and long-term uses of the former Lee Community Center (now LAC Studios) and the Lee Community Center Park (located between Langston Boulevard / 24th Street North and North Lexington / North Kentucky Streets) to commence no later than early 2024."
HOW TO SEND A LETTER OR EMAIL:
A Word copy of this letter is provided for your use, either to send in a traditional letter format or as an email. Please:
remove the red writing in the document
add your name
email to the County Board at the following address: Countyboard@arlingtonva.us
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
Link to Traditional Letter (to be mailed via USPS): document for mailing
Link to Electronic (to be copied and pasted into an email and then emailed): document for emailing
ARLINGTON PERMANENT DRUG-TAKE BACK LOCATIONS
The Arlington County Police Department offers four permanent drug take-back boxes to dispose of unused, unwanted and potentially dangerous prescription drugs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with no questions at the following locations: Fire Stations #2, 5, 9 and Arlington County Police Department.