For those of you who have ever served on the board of the Pimmit Hills Citizens Association or any other similar organization, you'll find the following still true whether it is today, 10 years ago or 47 years ago. The perennial frustration of why Pimmit Hills residents don't attend PHCA meetings or participate with events, activities and projects in the community.

From the PHCA "President's Corner" of the November 1965 issue of the Pimmit Hills Dispatch. The President was Carl Carver.

"Something is wrong. What is it? Why, from 1,600 homes in the community and a paid membership last year [1964] of 1,150 persons [2012 Note: WOW! 1,150 paid PHCA Memberships?], can we not get more than 25 person to a meeting of the citizens' association? And why do all the jobs have to be done by the same handful of people time after time after time?

In the February 1966 issue of the Pimmit Hills Dispatch newsletter, it says that,

"The Resident Engineer for the Department of Highways has replied to our [PHCA] request for installation of a traffic light at Pimmit Drive and Route 7, and our requrest for a left turn provision for the traffic light at Lisle Avenue and Route 7. It will be necessary that traffic studies be made to determine whether the traffic pattern warrants the facilities which we have requested. The Department of Highways has assured us that they will institute such surveys in the near future."

Then in the September 1966, the PHCA received its answer: NO

"The Virginia Department of Highways has completed another survey of the intersection at Route 7 and Pimmit Drive. There is still inadequate traffic to warrant installation of a light."

Don't we wish there was "still inadequate traffic" on those roads!

A current issue in Pimmit Hills is the proposed redevelopment of the old milk barn property on Cherri Drive. I came across a photo of the barn from the 1950s when brand new little 'GI-Bill' houses were being built all around it in what was once farm land. See more photos of the Monahan's house in Pimmit Hills in the 1950s.

Do you have photos of Pimmit Hills in the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s? Let us know

Regarding the previous post, the information about the Tysons Corner Plan in the November 1961 issue of the Pimmit Hills newsletter consisted of a map of the proposed plan and an item in the agenda for the November 7, 1961 Pimmit Hills Citizens Association meeting:

A member of the Fairfax County Planning Staff will be present to discuss both the "Tyson Corner Area" Plan and the proposed development of the Magarity Road property. He will also have with him certain maps of the area for display.

Sometimes issues that seem so important at the time take on a different meaning with the perspective of time. This blog, "Perspective" will excerpt articles and items from past Pimmit Hills Dispatch newsletters that show 'the more things change, the more they stay the same'. People were dealing with similar issues back then that we deal with today. And sometimes a bigger, longer perspective on things helps.

This first entry comes from the January 1962 Pimmit Hills newsletter. The author, a Pimmit Hills resident, is very upset about a proposal to build apartments along Magarity Road, which he thinks will lead to "overcrowded schools, jammed roads, crowds at the proposed park and even more limited recreational facilities for all." He is very concerned about what will happen if the "population density is doubled." The same as our concerns today about the redevelopment of the McLean Commons apartments.