Which should come first for the Virginia Village redevelopment in Falls Church: Selecting a development partner, or considering zoning changes?
City leaders are facing a “chicken-and-egg”-type challenge as they tackle the major affordable housing initiative.
Culpepper Garden boosters put a difficult year in the rearview mirror and looked to the future at the organization’s “BBQ & Blooms” summer fundraiser.
“We’re raising the bar and we’re hoping to do more” in support of residents, Culpepper Garden’s president, Marta Hill Gray, said at the June 6 event, held at Rock Spring Congregational United Church of Christ.
Falls Church leaders are weighing a few options as they decide the fate of a major affordable housing project.
City officials plan to rehabilitate or redevelop at least a portion of the 40 fourplex apartment buildings on the Virginia Village site through a future partnership with a housing developer. A work session on Monday focused on refining the request for proposal that will be put out, soliciting partnerships.
An affordable housing redevelopment project at the Goodwill on S. Glebe Road broke ground over the weekend.
Community leaders joined Goodwill of Greater Washington and Affordable Homes & Communities (AHC) personnel at the ceremony to mark the beginning of work on redeveloping Goodwill’s longstanding retail outlet and collection facility at 10 S. Glebe Road.
Arlington leaders are still working through the implications of a change to state law making it easier for religious organizations to build affordable housing.
The Faith in Housing Act removes some, but not all, local regulatory approval for affordable housing constructed on land owned by nonprofit organizations, including religious groups. Despite some concerns from various local governments around the commonwealth, the measure had the backing of Democrats in the General Assembly and ultimately was signed by Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D).
It will be the heat of summer when Falls Church leaders consider possible changes to the city’s snow-removal ordinance.
At an April 29 calendar-setting work session, City Manager Wyatt Shields told City Council members he’d like to hold a “scoping” session on July 20, focused on rules applying to commercial property after snowstorms.
Tensions already are appearing among Falls Church’s elected and staff leadership, even before planning for a major affordable housing plan starts to take shape.
Council members voted 5-1 on April 27 to authorize spending up to $175,000 on a consultant to help guide potential redevelopment in portions of the Virginia Village community. Even then, however, leaders disagreed over how the process should move forward and how many potential development scenarios should be considered.
The “Yes in God’s Backyard” movement is celebrating after the Faith in Housing bill, supporting expedited church-based affordable housing development, has been signed into law.
Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) signed state Sen. Jeremy McPike (D-29)’s SB 388 and Del. Joshua Cole (D-65)’s HB 1279, which will eliminate the rezoning step for faith-based organizations and other tax-exempt nonprofits to develop affordable housing on their properties. The law will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027 and will sunset on Jan. 1, 2031 unless reenacted by a future General Assembly.
The Culpepper Garden housing complex for low-income seniors is on track to fully phase out assisted-living services by June 30.
“We are looking forward to having all our residents settled [in other housing arrangements] by that day, which is what we promised,” Culpepper Garden CEO Marta Hill Gray told ARLnow.
A variety of new pathways for redevelopment projects in Arlington and around Virginia are poised to open up following the passage of numerous housing-related bills.
On the way to Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D) are bills that would allow localities to make an administrative approval process for affordable housing and eliminate rezoning requirements for churches that develop affordable housing on their properties.
A key county advisory panel has recommended giving historic protections to portions of the former Nelly Custis School in Aurora Highlands.
The 7-4 vote by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board on March 18 sends the matter to the Planning Commission and County Board. And it complicates efforts by Melwood and Wesley Housing to redevelop the 1.7-acre site at 750 23rd Street S. for affordable housing.
Falls Church officials this week sketched out more details in what would be the largest affordable-housing effort in city history.
“What you’ve laid out today is really exciting,” said Jim Coyle, vice chair of the city’s Economic Development Commission, at a March 2 joint work session between that body, the City Council and Planning Commission.
