Welcome to the Donaldson Run Civic Association web site!

This site has been created to provide information about DRCA to our neighbors.  Located in Arlington, Virginia, the boundaries of the Donaldson Run Neighborhood can be seen on this map. 

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DRCA is an active civic association that is engaged in community affairs. The organization is administered by elected volunteers.  DRCA is not affiliated with any political or religious organizations. Our goals are to:

• Promote information sharing about issues affecting the neighborhood

• Provide leadership and advocacy about neighborhood interests

• Preserve and enhance the assets of the neighborhood

• Promote a sense of community

Membership:  If you live in the neighborhood, you can become a member of DRCA by paying dues which are $15 annually.  Additional information regarding membership can be found here.

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DRCA Email List:

  If you live in the neighborhood, and especially if you are new to the neighborhood, sign up for DRCA's Email List at drca-group+subscribe@groups.io

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NEWS-October 1, 2022

Read DRCA's letter to the County Board regarding the County's draft Forestry and Natural Resources Plan here.

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NEWS-May 23, 2022

Read DRCA's letter to the County Board regarding Spout Run stormwater mitigation here.

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NEWS- December 22, 2022

Donaldson Run Holiday Decorating Contest Winners have been announced and they are:

Best Inflatable Display: 3963 26th Street, N.

Best Lights: 2611 Marcey Road

Best Doorway: 2322 Stafford Street

Best “Griswold” (most humorous): 2448 Utah Street

Best Traditional: 2541 Vermont Street

Best Block/Cul-de-sac/Intersection or Street: 26th Street, North between Yorktown Boulevard and Wakefield Street

Best Tree: 2737 Wakefield Street

Judges’ Choice: 2321 Utah Street

Thanks for all who participated!

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NEWS-September 27, 2021

Read DRCA's letter to the County Board about the deer population problem in Arlington here.

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NEWS-September 13, 2021

Read DRCA's response of July 2, 2021, regarding Plan Lee Highway's preliminary designs/proposals here.​

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NEWS-January 18, 2021

Links to recent information about the Tributary B stream restoration: 

Field Report December 2020

County Response to Field Report-January 2021

County web site for the project

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Next DRCA meeting:

Weds, November 16 at Taylor Elementary School

Topic:  Preliminary Concept Plan for the future of Langston Blvd. 

Social half hour begins at 7:00 and the meeting begins at 7:30.

Additional details can be seen here.

 

The Cherrydale Farmers

Market is located at Dorothy

Hamm Middle School,

4100 Vacation Lane.. Hours

of the market are

Saturdays from
8 am until noon.  The final 

market for 2022 will

be on November 19.

President's Letter

Bill Richardson (bill@drca.org)

November 2022

 

We will be devoting our next meeting, on Wednesday, November 16, to a discussion of the County staff’s 135-page Preliminary Concept Plan Report for “Plan Langston Boulevard,” made available this past August.  As noted in the accompanying article, this plan proposes fundamental changes to the entire Langston Boulevard (formerly Lee Highway) corridor.  We would like to get your reactions to these proposals, particularly as to “Area 3,” the segment of the corridor closest to DRCA, which includes the current Lee Heights Shops.  As usual, our meeting will be at Taylor Elementary School, at 7:30 p.m., with a social half-hour beginning at 7:00.

 

At the same time, the County is in the midst of an equally fundamental change to residential zoning in Arlington, which is the “missing middle” proposal discussed at our June 8 meeting.  As of the date of this letter, this proposal would eliminate single-family only zoning, so as to permit multifamily residential development throughout DRCA and all other neighborhoods across Arlington County, from duplex to “8-plex.”  DRCA has been actively involved over the past several months, in coordination with ten to fifteen other civic associations, in highlighting for all five County Board members the concerns about this proposal we have been hearing from you and that are reflected in your responses to our survey on this question.   See the accompanying article for more detail on these issues. 

 

The “missing middle” issue was also central to the October 5 debate co-sponsored by DRCA among the three County Board candidates, one of whom supports the proposal, one of whom opposes it, and one of whom is exploring whether some changes should be made to it.  At last count, over 50 people attended this debate at Hamm Middle School.  I want to extend the board’s great appreciation to DRCA board member and former County Board candidate Susan Cunningham, who moderated this debate with her usual diplomatic skills and served up a “lightning round” that got quick answers to many of your questions about a wide range of issues.  We also continued to rely on the very effective cowbell of our professional timer, former DRCA board member Mike Green, which he has employed over many years  to stifle candidates’ impulses to exceed the time permitted for them. 

 

Finally, many thanks to those who helped DRCA organize a very successful first annual Labor Day ice cream social, which was a great way to meet new neighbors and catch up to old ones.  Please stay tuned for more details about our third annual holiday decorating contest and associated festivities.

 

I hope all have a Happy Thanksgiving.  And until then, don’t forget to take advantage of the Cherrydale Farmers Market, every Saturday morning at Hamm MS.