A major redevelopment project next to Gateway Park is receiving largely positive feedback from local leaders, despite some concerns about pedestrian safety and vehicle access.
The One Rosslyn project received its first vetting at a Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) meeting last week. Developer Penzance proposes to raze existing office buildings at 1901 and 1911 Fort Myer Drive and replace them with a three-building complex with over 800 units.
Proposals to build more housing in Green Valley and a new restaurant and gas station in Claremont are slated for County Board consideration this weekend.
Potential sidewalk improvements to S. Carlin Springs Road and a reduction in the number of early voting sites are also on the agenda for the Saturday meeting.
The population of every jurisdiction in Northern Virginia, including Arlington, increased between 2023 and 2024 for the first time in seven years.
The region as a whole saw its largest population increase in quite a few years, rising by 35,181, according to new estimates from the Northern Virginia Regional Commission. Arlington’s population estimate increased by just under 2%, while the region as a whole grew by 1.4%.
Significant divisions remain as Falls Church City Council members approach final-decision time to enact rules regulating accessory-dwelling units.
“There are so many concerns” still to be worked through, Council member Marybeth Connelly said at a March 10 work session on the topic.
Members of the Arlington government’s Tenant-Landlord Commission are aiming to forge deeper bonds with both its constituencies.
At the advisory panel’s Feb. 12 meeting, commission chair David Timm said the body was seeking to “cultivate some relationships” among tenant groups at some of Arlington’s larger apartment complexes.
A recent spike upward in the number of price cuts in the Arlington housing market could be connected to local and regional economic anxiety.
A key expert in the field tells ARLnow the data will be worth watching, but it is still too early to tell whether it is a one-time blip or the start of a more significant trend.
Possible changes to Arlington rules on lot coverage could affect how large swaths of the county can be developed — and also make numerous existing homes out of step with zoning regulations.
County Board members on Feb. 25 directed staff to begin preparatory work to study if it makes sense to change how permeable surfaces on a lot are calculated.
Facing ongoing gentrification issues, Arlington’s historically Black communities are trying to preserve the social cohesiveness that helped residents triumph over past struggles.
“It used to be [that] when something happened, the community coalesced. It’s not what it used to be — some people don’t want to be bothered,” said Wilma Jones, who has written extensively about her Halls Hill/High View Park community.
The civic association representing residents living adjacent to the planned Melwood development project near Crystal City is taking a last stab at slowing down the approval process.
“It is time to take a pause and do better for this neighborhood,” said Stacy Meyer, vice president of the Aurora Highlands Civic Association, in a letter to County Board members. “We need the County Board to listen to its residents who have been very clear about opposing this project.”
Legislation to give Falls Church more tools to promote affordable-housing development is moving forward in Richmond.
Two companion bills, if approved by the legislature and signed by the governor, would add Falls Church to the list of Virginia localities allowed to craft a program related to affordable dwelling units through their zoning ordinances.
Falls Church officials are nearing a decision on an ordinance that would make it easier to build accessory-dwelling units.
A vote on the ordinance is expected in late March or April. At a Council work session last week, however, there was a split between elected leaders and top staff on how much remaining public input is advisable before the matter goes to a vote.
Developers’ emphasis on building apartments instead of condos in Arlington is proving a challenge for efforts to expand local homeownership opportunities.
County Board member Maureen Coffey lamented the lack of new condominium stock, particularly in more affordable price ranges, during a discussion of the situation at the Jan. 16 Housing Commission meeting.
