I wanted to know why Arlington's housing is such a mess and who's to blame. So went back 20 years and the answer is --- Arlington Democrats and the Arlington Democratic Party. As soon as Jay Fisette, Chris Zimmerman, Paul Ferguson, and Barbara Favola come onto the County Board they embraced New Urbanism / Smart Growth, which meant gentrifying the poor, working poor, and middle class out and replacing then with an upscale elite. That meant no more affordable housing that was / is actually affordable. So they didn't allow any to be constructed in Potomac Yards. Or anywhere else where there were large parcels of land to be developed.
So, having gentrified the middle class out of Arlington the gentrifiers, like Jay Fisette and Erik Gutshall, complain about the "missing middle" and their "solution" is to re-purpose older residential neighborhoods for "Accessory Dwellings", a code word for re-purposing single-family homes and town homes into 2, 3, 4, or more apartments. Coming to your quiet neighborhood soon.
Of course it's all a big joke, sham, charade to Erik and Jay. Erik is going to make millions when his construction company, Clarendon Home Services, converts single-family homes and town homes into apartments. Jay will be retiring to his estate on Florida's Trump Coast, until recently referred to as the Treasure Coast. And Jay's kept Smart Growth out of his Ashton Heights neighborhood for two decades.
Jay, Erik, and the others are nothing like Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt who promoted the construction of middle-class housing in Arlington eight decades ago. Arlington Democrats like Jay and Erik are Bill and Hill wannabes.
No way will I vote for any Arlington Democrat on the ballot in November.
Thanks for your blog.
Tom, Westover
