affordable housing | ARLnow.com

Morning Notes

Published July 18, 2013 at 8:30AM

Board Ponders Affordable Housing on Pike — County Board members are still deciding how best to pay for the 6,200 units of affordable housing they have pledged to maintain on Columbia Pike. One option is to use Tax Increment Financing, using the growth of real estate values (through redevelopment on the Pike) to fund affordable housing. However, a majority of Board members remain skeptical of that plan. [Sun Gazette]

Silver Line Delayed — The initial opening of the Silver Line has been delayed by eight weeks to allow for additional safety and performance testing. It was previously expected that the first phase of the Metro line, which will run to Reston and Tysons Corner, would open in late December. [MWAA]

News

Housing Authority Referendum Goes To Board

By Ethan Rothstein

Published July 11, 2013 at 3:00PM

By statute, the Board must approve the referendum if 2 percent of the county’s qualified voters sign a petition. After a six-month campaign championed by the Arlington Green Party, the petition to create the authority got the necessary 2,845 signatures in June.

Approval is scheduled for the Board’s Tuesday meeting, its last meeting until September. The Board must approve the measure before it goes on its summer recess in order to meet the state-mandated deadline of August 16.

News

County Names New Housing Director

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 28, 2013 at 1:30PM

Cristeal has served as the County’s Housing Development Supervisor for nine years. He is lauded for leading his team in enhancing and implementing affordable housing financing and planning tools, working with partners to leverage federal and state funding and making policy recommendations to address the county’s affordable housing challenges.

“The County conducted a nationwide search for this key position and had a strong pool of applicants,” said County Manager Barbara Donnellan in a press release. “We chose David because he has a solid track record of working successfully with Arlington community members and non-profit partners to plan and preserve affordable housing. We know he’s the right person to carry out Arlington’s aggressive affordable housing program.”

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 24, 2013 at 9:15AM

Arlington Popular With ‘Echo Boomers’ — Those between the ages of 25 and 34, also known as “Echo Boomers,” have increased in population by 10 percent in Arlington over the past two years. Such residents say they’re attracted to Arlington’s mix of urban amenities and suburban comfort. Instead of moving further out into the suburbs upon having kids, many Echo Boomers are opting to stay in Arlington and other areas around D.C.’s urban core. [Washington Post]

Bloomberg BNA Faces Snack Abuse — Crystal City-based Bloomberg BNA sent a memo to employees on Friday threatening to install surveillance cameras to monitor the snack pantry, after some employees were observed taking a copious amount of snacks home. Managers rescinded the threat after pushback from the employees’ union. [Jim Romenesko]

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published June 19, 2013 at 8:50AM

County Invests in Supportive Housing — Arlington County has matched a $500,000 grant from the Arlington Community Foundation to convert 10 units at the Marbella Apartments in Rosslyn to Permanent Supportive Housing. The apartments will be offered to the county’s most vulnerable homeless residents at a rate affordable to those making about $22,500 per year. [Arlington County]

Spring Athletic Achievements — Sportswriter Dave Facinoli recounts some of the most notable achievements of Arlington teams and athletes this spring. [Sun Gazette]

News

Housing Authority Referendum to Appear on Ballot

By Katie Pyzyk

Published June 14, 2013 at 9:30AM

The referendum will ask Arlington voters to authorize the operation of a low income housing authority, similar to those in more than 25 cities and counties around the state including Alexandria and Fairfax County. The Arlington Green Party (AGP) spearheaded the signature gathering efforts.

“Arlington’s current housing assistance program has failed to stop the loss of affordable housing, and a housing authority would raise funds more easily, lower administrative costs, and provide more affordable rental units,” said AGP chairman Steve Davis. “Arlington should follow Fairfax’s County’s outstanding example with a housing authority that provides more affordable housing to more people at less cost.”

News

Morning Notes

By Katie Pyzyk

Published May 21, 2013 at 9:00AM | Updated May 21, 2013 at 9:42AM

Pierce Queen Apartments Too Costly for Tax Credits? — The Virginia Housing Development Authority has flagged the Pierce Queen Apartments project in Ft. Myer Heights as being too expensive for Low Income Housing Tax Credits. The units must remain at $350,000 each to receive credit, but the Pierce Queen units come in at $402,000. The project developers asked for a little more than $2 million in tax credits. VHDA is still examining the request and will make its final decision on June 5. [Arlington Mercury]

DOD Renews Lease in Crystal City — The Department of Defense decided to renew its lease at 2530 Crystal Drive in Crystal City. The agency was expected to stay in the more than 550,000 square foot space due to money being tight within the federal government. [GlobeSt]

News

Board Approves New Apartment Tower in Fort Myer Heights

By ARLnow.com

Published March 12, 2013 at 12:45PM

The project will redevelop five existing garden apartment buildings that make up Pierce Queen Apartments, along 16th Street and between N. Pierce and Queen Streets. The buildings currently contain 50 market rate affordable apartments, that rent from $1,057 to $1,390. Three would be torn down to make way for the 181-unit apartment tower, and two would be renovated and reconfigured to contain 12 three-bedroom units.

Of the 193 total units in the complex, 76 would be reserved as committed affordable housing for 60 years. As a condition of approval, the tower will be built to LEED Silver sustainability specifications. Other community benefits include a $75,000 public art contribution designated exclusively for the Fort Myer Heights area, and preservation of the two garden apartment buildings, which are considered historic by the county.

News

Morning Notes

By ARLnow.com

Published March 6, 2013 at 9:05AM | Updated June 29, 2018 at 2:49PM

Trash Collection Canceled — Trash collection in Arlington has been canceled today due to the snow storm. Trash collection is currently expected to resume tomorrow, with collection delayed one day for the rest of the week (Wednesday customers’ trash being collected on Thursday, etc.). “Please do not put your trash or recycling on the curb this Wednesday,” said the Arlington County Department of Environmental Services. “Wednesday collection routes are in the hilliest parts of the County and expose the collection crews and the public to the greatest safety risks in a snow event.”

School Boundary Meeting Canceled — A school boundary meeting scheduled for today has been canceled. Instead, Arlington Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Patrick Murphy will be holding a boundary town hall meeting at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, March 11, at Williamsburg Middle School. APS, meanwhile, has made some minor tweaks to its boundary change plan, after hearing critical feedback from parents. [Arlington Public Schools, Patch]

News

Apartment Development Approval Deferred

By Katie Pyzyk

Published February 27, 2013 at 1:50PM | Updated February 27, 2013 at 8:38PM

Bozzuto Development Company had submitted a proposal for a large scale project in the 1600 block of N. 16th Street. It would involve redeveloping the five buildings that make up Pierce Queen Apartments; three of the buildings would be razed and replaced with a new 12-story apartment tower, and the other two buildings would be preserved and renovated. In total, the buildings would house more than 190 units.

The county’s Site Plan Review Committee raised several issues with the proposal during a January meeting. Problem areas included the proposed building bulk, lack of open space, above-grade parking, proposed locations of electrical switchboxes and the lack of a public art contribution. Additionally, concerns arose regarding the applicant’s request for Affordable Housing Investment Funds (AHIF) for the 76 affordable units and the anticipated request for competitive Low Income Housing Tax Credits from the Virginia Housing Development Authority (VHDA).

Opinion

The Right Note: Caution TIFs Ahead

By Mark Kelly

Published January 17, 2013 at 3:00PM

The Right Note is a weekly opinion column by published on Thursdays. The views and opinions expressed in the column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARLnow.com.

Enter a tax increment financing district (TIF).

News

Tejada Outlines 2013 Priorities as County Board Chair

By ARLnow.com

Published January 2, 2013 at 12:35PM | Updated January 2, 2013 at 12:59PM

Tejada and other County Board members outlined their vision for the county at the Board’s traditional New Year’s Day meeting on Tuesday. As Chair, Tejada’s priorities will receive the sharpest focus.

In a seven-page speech, Tejada repeatedly called on the county to “move forward together… for all of Arlington.”