Arlington and Alexandria are two of the most densely populated jurisdictions in Virginia, but that’s not slowing the re-development of older neighborhoods at even higher densities. Densification proceeds despite objections by residents who worry about localized traffic congestion and don’t want to see the character of their neighborhoods change.
The Arlington County Board of Supervisors has just approved construction of a 10-story apartment building near the Clarendon METRO station. The project will contain 116 apartments, 70 of which will be designated as affordable housing and rented at below-market value rates. Writes the Connection Newspapers:
[Supervisor Walter] Tejada said that he “is not always a fan of maximizing density [in a neighborhood].” But he said that affordable housing is so crucial in Arlington right now that the Board cannot pass up this opportunity. “The 70 units are an enormous benefit to the community,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Connection Newspapers profiles the Parker-Gray neighborhood east of the Braddock Road METRO station in Alexandria, where abandoned industrial buildings are being demolished and replaced by six-story condos. Resident Steve Carman articulated the viewpoint of residents who don’t like to see their neighborhoods change:
“I suggest we define smart growth to emphasize the quality of life over the quality of jamming as many people as possible together in an area that already has a high level of traffic,” said Carman. “Few residents bought into this area hoping to see its character transformed in front of our eyes into the impersonal concrete giants of Ballston and Tysons Corner.”
I would say that Carman would have a legitimate point if he lived in, say, a historical district like Church Hill (Richmond) or downtown Fredericksburg, where legal covenants create an expectation among home buyers that the character of the neighborhood will be preserved. In the absence of legal covenants, I would suggest that Carman’s view is entirely unreasonable. Neighborhoods are continually in a state of evolution, falling or rising in value, deteriorating or re-developing. Who is Carman to say, “I want to freeze things the way they are — no more transformation”?
Carman’s desire for stasis is counterbalanced not only by the desire of “greedy” developers to make money but the desires of the people who buy those condominiums. Homeownership near the urban core is something that many people covet. Homeownership near a METRO station is valuable, too. Why should access to such housing be limited to the handful of people who live in those desirable locations right now?
Carman’s understandable desire to optimize his quality of life should not come at the expense of others who want to optimize their quality of life. Thousands of Northern Virginians would prefer to live in a location where they don’t have to commute 50 miles to work, where they have easy access to the METRO, and where they can enjoy the amenities of an urban community. Furthermore, putting more housing in Arlington and Alexandria helps to rectify the marked jobs-housing imbalance in the urban core of the Washington New Urban Region. That takes long-range commuters off Northern Virginia’s overloaded roads and provides a measure of relief for miles and miles of Interstates and arterials.
Thank you, Arlington and Alexandria, for letting the marketplace work its magic in providing the greatest good for the greatest number of people.