Thursday, March 3, 2011

Next "Affordable Housing" Mega-Deal Will Gentrify Out Shirlington Workers

Hi Yupette,

I live in the Park Shirlington Apartments, which are located on South 31st Street between Fairlington Villages and Shirlington. I'm an assistant manager of a Shirlington restaurant and I walk to work every day. I don't own a car, don't need one, shop at Harris-Teeter in Shirlington Village and take public transit. I pay $1345 for a 2-bedroom apartment and I have a roommate to share rent.

You should be aware that the County's Planning and Housing Divisions are in active negotiations with the landlord to tear down Park Shirlington Apartments, owned by Home Properties, and replace them with luxury condos. I understand this is being pushed by some people in Fairlington who don't want minorities living next to Fairlington.

Many of us who live in Park Shirlington walk to work in Shirlington or take public transit (the bus stops in front of Park Shirlington) to the Pentagon and then to D.C.

This seems to be another attempt by a County Government that hates middle class and minority workers to gentrify us out and replace us with yuppies and upscale older people. I have to come to believe what I hear is true - Arlington is run by Racists and Elitists.

Jorge, Park Shirlington Apartments, S. 31st Street.

55 comments:

22206 said...

Hmmm, Park Shirlington, that's next to Fairlington Villages, home of Planning Commissioner Nancy Hunt.

Ken, 22206 said...

FYI, there were exactly 15 affordable housing units constructed in Shirlington Village when Shirlington was redeveloped.

Anonymous said...

So much for affordable market rate housing in Arlington County. Home Properties is another huge New York REIT, by the way.

Progressive said...

Nanny Hunt is Reitsfuhrer Von Zimmerman's favorite Reitsminster of Mongrel Race Relocation.

2100 said...

The Fairlington Civic Association is pushing this, but has not gotten around to telling the 9,000 Fairlington residents it supposedly represents.

Susan said...

Just what we need, more traffic in Fairlington from 500 more in-fill parking spaces and more Yups from in-fill condos using our community as a dog park, bicycle racing course, and recreation area.

2200 said...

Fairlington homeowners know nothing of this. The Arlington Police will be attending the Fairlington Civic Association's March 9th meeting where plans for this project will be discussed and approved by the Fairlington Civic Association in the event some people show up to complain. Fairlington's 'community leaders' have already told several residents who oppose gentrification that they will be arrested if they show up up complain on March 9th.

former delegate said...

The Civic Federation will also be facilitating this workforce gentrification.

Duh said...

More "Smart Growth". Gentrify out people who don't own cars and walk to work. Replace them by people who own 2 cars and drive everywhere.

Cindy, Fairlington said...

FYI, Nancy Hunt recently purchased a luxury retirement home in Charlottesville.

F.V. said...

Nancy Hunt lives at the end of a dead end street in Fairlington.

delegate said...

Know what the planning, housing, transportation directors say? We don't make the deals.

fairlington villages resident said...

Fairlington is already a recreation area for the surrounding communities. Our so-called civic association serves everyone's interests but ours. To the point where if anyone shows up to ask them a question about this redevelopment on March 9th he or she will be arrested for "disorderly conduct".

Dennis said...

Look at the Howard Manor Gentrification Charade at the last County Board meeting. The County Board hates the classmates of their own 20-something children.

Anonymous said...

What can you expect when the County Manager and Chief of Police both live in an exclusive community in western Fairfax County and they get a big paycheck for maintaining the status quo?

EFC said...

Know what this is all about? Bringing back the de facto segregation that was in place 50 years ago. But it's worse than that because the County Board and the "Community Leaders" not only want the "undesirables" out of their neighborhoods but out of the County entirely.

fairgrrl said...

Reitsfuhrer Von Zimmerman's Reitsminister of Gentrification Planning and Reitsminister of Gentrification Housing are coordinating this Mongrel Race Removal Project with the Home Properties REIT.

You can speak with them directly. Reitsminister of Gentrification Housing Aughenbaugh - 703-228-3281. Reitsminister of Gentrification Planning Brosnan - 703-228-3516.

Anonymous said...

While you're at it you can contact Reitsminister of Transportation Leech at 703-228-0588 and ask him why he is planning a huge increase in parking for this property when there is too much traffic in the neighborhood already.

Boycott Pro-Gentrification Events said...

Time for a boycott of the events sponsored by the people and organizations involved in re-segregating Arlington County through Gentrification, starting with the Sister Cities Conference Banquet which the County Board of Resegrregation through Gentrification is promoting.

Marisol said...

Also boycott the Civic Federation's annual banquet. What have these Elitists ever done for anyone but themselves?

retired from county gov't said...

The Fairlington "Citizens Association" went to the Civic Federation for permission to represent the P-S Apartments in the same manner the FCA micro-manages the Village at Shirlington. Zimmerman allows them to do this because he wants the REITs to gentrify out everyone who lives in market-rate rental housing in older buildings that can be redeveloped.

Anonymous said...

Yupette, did you know what Alexandria City Council just did? One of the Republicans, Frank Fannon, told City Council to forgo all the B---S--- and just buy individual condos for affordable housing on the housing market, so that's what they're doing.

Anonymous said...

Know what's really sad? County Staff who can't afford to live in the County and commute in from 40 miles away are tasked with implementing these gentrification schemes.

Barcrofter said...

Chris Zimmerman is to the residents of market-rate rental housing at the Barcroft Apartments as Iran is to Israel.

Anonymous said...

Planning Commissioner Nanny Nancy Hunt is coordinating this from her luxury retirement home in Charlottesville. Receiving long-distance advice from Zimmy's all-time favorite retired Planning Commissioner, Carrie 'Nana from Montana' Johnson

22201 said...

People, what can you expect? No one in County Government denies that Barbara Favola and Mary Hynes wasted $2 million moving DHS to Ft. Myer from Clarendon because they don't want poor people in their upscale neighborhoods.

I Hate Poverty Pimps said...

For $2 million we could have a great year-around homelessness treatment and prevention program.

Megan said...

What is wrong with a co-op conversion? I guess because if that happened Home Properties can't make a billion dollars doing a luxury condo conversion and CPHD can't keep it's bloated bureaucracy a bloated bureaucracy constantly looking for more affordable rental units to gentrify.

Upstate Kate said...

Home Properties? What are the Elitists who made Rochester NY a Third World housing disaster going to do for us?

County Staff said...

Zimmerman ordered Housing Division Director Ken Aughenbaugh to contact all the owners of affordable market rate rental housing urging them to redevelop.

retired from EK said...

If Home Properties wants to redevelop anything they should start with the massive slums just north of their corporate headquarters.

Pikester said...

Megan, all Housing Division staff is doing is looking for market rate rental housing to redevelop. Did you hear what they said during the Pike planning meetings last month?

Kathyrn said...

There are what, 500 homeless on Arlington's streets and this is what Arlington's Housing Division is doing full time - gentrifying out restaurant workers?

P S Residents said...

We are going to issue a statement about the false and malicious remarks being generated about Park Shirlington by the nearby condo association and civic groups and county staff and the police department.

Get Over It said...

If County Board Member Walter Tejada wants illegal days laborers living in and around Shirlington then we will have illegal day laborers living in and around Shirlington.

Anonymous said...

Time for Ken Aughenbaugh and Robert Brosnan to retire.

Anonymous said...

Time for a new County Board.

2100 said...

Next County Board Meeting is March 12th, 2100 Clarendon Blvd., 3rd Floor, Courthouse Metro station.

Public speakers on any topic (2 minute max) not on the agenda start at 8:30 sharp.

S. Stafford Street said...

Want to see what mega in-fill does to residential neighborhoods in the area? Check out the Fairlington Community Center on Stafford Street and see if you can find a parking space evenings and Saturdays. Who's there? People from redeveloped Shirlington where there is no park, playground, or community center who are not going to walk or ride a bicycle up a steep hill to reach Fairlington.

S, 36th St. said...

They were repeatedly told to build parks and other public infrastructure in Shirlington. The developer, Federal Realty, and its law firm, Walsh Colucci, said no. And Paul Ferguson and Jay Fisette went along with that. All Ferguson cared about was getting a supermarket and all Fisette cared about was getting the Signature Theater.

S. Stafford Street said...

BTW, the picnic shelter inside the tot lot is off-limits except to parents with children and the picnic shelter in Utah Park is part of an on-leash off-leash dog park.

Anonymous said...

Walter Tejada lives in Dominion Hills, 7 miles from Shirlington, in a neighborhood of McMansions and expensively renovated single-family homes.

Anonymous said...

County Board doesn't need minorities anymore now that it has dropped the HOT lanes suit.

Anonymous said...

I don't think Home properties owns Shirlington House. They manage Shirlington Park, up the hill closer to Fairlington. There is a big proposed development at Arlington Mill. Is that what you're thinking of? Also, the Fairlington Citizens Association is meeting as you said, signs are posted all over and everyone is invited to hear police and fire department representatives talk about safety.

Anonymous said...

FCA will have the cops there to scare anyone who asks questions about FCA away. FCA monthly secret board meeting occurs after this fire and police charade presentation. Police seldom patrol Fairlington and fire department refuses to build a new fire-ems station near Fairlington to adequately serve south Arlington. Arlington Mill charade was approved by the County Board last month. Check out previous postings on AY.

S 28th St said...

Arlington Mill? "Affordable" only if your income is between $25,000 and $45,000. I thought that the 294 parking spaces at the new Arlington Mill complex will generate 2,000 vehicle trips per day, but I don't think that includes people who drop off and pick up kids like at Barcroft Sports Center.

S 34th St. said...

I want nothing to do with the FCA, which is a Democratic political club, after my experience with them and the Arlington Police when I tried to get a flu shot at the community center several years ago.

mews resident said...

Know who pulls the strings of the Arlington Police Department in Fairlington? Fairlington's closeted gays and lesbians.

22206-1314 said...

Yes, Fairlington's closeted gays and lesbians want anyone who's not like Sally Baird and Jay Fisette out of Fairlington.

Dennis said...

HOT Lanes? Will just dump more traffic onto I-395, local streets and roads at Edsall Road.

county employee, s arlington resident said...

After 15 years of Jay Fisette on the County Board one thing is clear - Arlington's Gays and Lesbians are Racists and Elitists.

FV Kristine said...

Fairlington's Nanny Nancy closeted gays and lesbians, who are working to remove the non-trendy non-upscale people who work in Shirlington and live in Park Shirlington, are throwing a wine and cheese social at the Fairlington Villages Community Center on March 11th to discuss their strategy. Arlington Police will be present in the event any "troublemakers" appear.

Anonymous said...

Same Fairlington Villages "community leaders" who in 2009 threatened Green Party candidate for County Board (and affordable housing activist) John Reeder with arrest if he dropped his campaign literature in Fairlington Villages.

L O L said...

This blog lives up to its motto - All About Yuppie Arlington.

Anonymous said...

I have lived at Park Shirlington for 12 years. I work, Community and school volunteer. 35% of my yearly salary is spent on my healthcare. I'm ill. 30% of my salary is for rent. I'm not an illegal alien. I don't sell drugs. I'm a struggling working mom that can't afford the high Arlington rent. This apt. community is all I can afford.