Another expensive item on this Saturday's County Board Consent Agenda. The County is buying a historic affordable arts and crafts home on a lot adjacent to Douglas Park for $480,000 and demolishing it to add more space to the park, although Douglas Park is lightly used, apart from the playground. The home, located at 1700 South Quincy Street is between two larger homes and the intent is to purchase more homes adjacent to Douglas Park in the future. Many homes in this area are in need of basic upgrades, but the neighborhood is a primary source of affordable single family homes in South Arlington. I live a quarter mile from the Douglas Park neighborhood and I question whether an affordable home should be demolished to provide open space that would be a vacant lot between two existing homes. There's a huge lack of open space elsewhere in the county which should be addressed first. BTW, former County Board member Chris Zimmerman lives on South 16th Street, across from Douglas Park.
Pamela, Douglas Park
15 comments:
Yes, taxpayers are paying for a vacant lot between two large existing homes. Also taxpayers would pay for the cost of demolition and landscaping and County would lose $4,000 per year in real estate taxes. Community would lose a small affordable home.
Arlington needs to preserve starter homes for young families and homes for seniors to move to from townhouses with steep stairs.
Smart Growth at its worst - $480,000+ for a vacant lot. Thank you Chris Zimmerman.
Did this ever go to the Housing Commission?
It gets worse. The home is virtually unsellable because there were numerous companion animals living there who were not properly cared for, for years.
It gets even worse. There's $1.5 million set aside in the FY 15 budget for similar purchases of new 'open space'.
"Chris, the neighbors are complaining about the odors from that home down the street. Why don't you call Parks and Rec and see what you can do about it."
Why don't they buy the parcel that's awaiting redevelopment at the corner of Washington Blvd. and George Mason Drive?
Sheesh...Chris is a neighborly guy and was probably just trying to help a neighbor unload a 'problem' home.
Yeah, that's what the Consent Agenda was designed for --- to fix these little $500,000 problems that occur before every County Board meeting.
No surprise that Lisa 'Cost Overrun' Grandle's name is on the staff report. Consent Agenda Item 9.
County Board, I have a group of obnoxious Yuptards living in a rental single family home next to mine, adjacent to Bluemont Park. I will e-mail you the address. The home is assessed for $625,000. Can I and my neighbors please have Parks and Rec contact the owner and make her an offer she can't refuse? Thanks in advance.
Meanwhile, Wash Post, ArlNow, Sun Gazette are focusing on the wants of the business community - Alan Howze for County Board and more of the status quo.
Is this what 'Smart Growth' is all about? Smart Growth VIPs urbanize every neighborhood but their own?
New Urbanists want to demolish everything in Arlington that won't be acceptable to Urban Hipsters.
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