Arlington - the hypocrisy is shocking

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Once the county gets it they can do whatever they want but a park will definitely attract the homeless population. Development of some sort would be so much better.

Then I propose to relocate all the homeless bears to that plot of land as well!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, missing middle is itself a scam. A developer handout in disguise. It was never about “diversity.”

This. Investors are scooping up all these properties and turning them into rentals. This was never about teachers or minorities buying houses.

Heaven forbid! Not more rentals! I mean, we all know that the laws of supply and demand don't apply to real estate, especially the rental market.

This is the unintended consequence of government policies promoting home ownership (tax deductions, low interest rates, etc). Make more people "owners" and suddenly they are opposed to increased housing supply, because that reduces the value of their investment. Everyone wants to pull up the ladder once they climb it. It's just like they say about wilderness areas -- "A developer is someone who wants to build a cabin in the woods. An environmentalist is someone who already owns a cabin in the woods." It is the height of hypocrisy, and the least you all can do is be honest about it.

DP. I’m not against rentals but they shouldn’t have trotted out the NAACP to talk about how it would increase homeownership for minorities in Arlington in order to get people in the south side of the county to vote for it. Also in many cases they’re replacing older style homes that would rent for less than a single unit in new rentals at multiple times the price. They’ve been building the same type of luxury rentals throughout the county for years and rental prices have increased year over year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington already has more than enough affordable rental units. Anyone who wants to live in them is welcome. They are often tagged with MS-13 graffiti and increasingly prone to gun violence.

Some of us worked really hard to become financially stable enough to buy a nice home… the biggest caviar dream imaginable when we were kids. This idea that I’m supposed to welcome the rot of public/subsidized/affordable housing into our neighborhoods and schools is offensive.

If all the lily white liberals whose parents paid for their college, law school, and house down payment want to assuage their guilt and prove how morally superior they are, they should do it in a way that doesn’t affect the rest of us.

Way to grossly stereotype those who live in affordable housing. Maybe they, too, dream caviar dreams of one day owning a house in the 22207.

One of the worst things I saw in the Missing Middle debate was a meeting that included people living in inexpensive apartments, many of which were subsidized. Two members if the Arlington County board assured them that they would receive nice new apartments with Missing Middle. It was shameful for people to engender caviar dreams for people who will not benefit fro Missing Middle housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like Arlington County is going to buy land in the northern part of the county that would be ideal for adding density, exactly what missing middle is for. This could add some much needed diversity to the northern part of the county and the land has significance to African Americans. Instead they are talking about making it a park for the rich white people in north Arlington. I cannot believe the hypocrisy. Pathetic Arlington. https://www.arlnow.com/2023/07/11/arlington-could-buy-a-property-within-what-was-once-a-secluded-black-settlement-for-100-years/

You do understand that the land is located in the Pimmit Water Shed and a resource protection area. The Walker brothers originally sold part of the land to a formerly enslaved man because it had no economic value to them. Unless the EPA greatly changes its requirements for resource protection areas and a major, expensive engineering feat is undertaken to divert water out of the Primmit Run Water Shed it would be extremely expensive to build on the land. As my mentor said: "the juice ain't worth the sqeeze." Parkland may be the best use for the land, particularly since more heat islands are being created in the county by dense development, such as Missing Middle Housing.

As you know the 94 acre Glencarlyn Park in South Arlington has similar features and it would be difficult to build housing in that area. It along with the Long Branch Nature Center provide greenspace for Arlington County.

If you want to see more affordable housing built, please support the Langston Blvd. Alliance that plans to build 6,000 housing units along Langston Blvd, much of it for people at the 60% AMI level. You do understand that most of the recent park development has also been in South Arlington, such as the new Jennie Dean park along Four Mile Run.

I am not a defender of Arlington's policies -- but in this case -- you have your panties in a twist for naught.

Only part of it is in the resource protection area and the rest can and should be developed. There are more than enough parks in that part of the county.

But it is all in the Pimmit Water Shed. How do you propose to divert the water?

If you look at a map there is plenty of room behind Richmond St for a new road with development or at least cul de sacs with development.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It looks like Arlington County is going to buy land in the northern part of the county that would be ideal for adding density, exactly what missing middle is for. This could add some much needed diversity to the northern part of the county and the land has significance to African Americans. Instead they are talking about making it a park for the rich white people in north Arlington. I cannot believe the hypocrisy. Pathetic Arlington. https://www.arlnow.com/2023/07/11/arlington-could-buy-a-property-within-what-was-once-a-secluded-black-settlement-for-100-years/

You do understand that the land is located in the Pimmit Water Shed and a resource protection area. The Walker brothers originally sold part of the land to a formerly enslaved man because it had no economic value to them. Unless the EPA greatly changes its requirements for resource protection areas and a major, expensive engineering feat is undertaken to divert water out of the Primmit Run Water Shed it would be extremely expensive to build on the land. As my mentor said: "the juice ain't worth the sqeeze." Parkland may be the best use for the land, particularly since more heat islands are being created in the county by dense development, such as Missing Middle Housing.

As you know the 94 acre Glencarlyn Park in South Arlington has similar features and it would be difficult to build housing in that area. It along with the Long Branch Nature Center provide greenspace for Arlington County.

If you want to see more affordable housing built, please support the Langston Blvd. Alliance that plans to build 6,000 housing units along Langston Blvd, much of it for people at the 60% AMI level. You do understand that most of the recent park development has also been in South Arlington, such as the new Jennie Dean park along Four Mile Run.

I am not a defender of Arlington's policies -- but in this case -- you have your panties in a twist for naught.

Only part of it is in the resource protection area and the rest can and should be developed. There are more than enough parks in that part of the county.

But it is all in the Pimmit Water Shed. How do you propose to divert the water?

If you look at a map there is plenty of room behind Richmond St for a new road with development or at least cul de sacs with development.

You sound like the YIMBYs who insisted MM housing could be built on 20,000 square foot lots in Bellevue Forest. Only problem is that to engineer the lots to support even one house would cost millions in engineering and retaining walls. But with your experience, I defer to you. I am a mere civil engineer who has consulted on many similar projects, including one about a half mile away in Fairfax County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington already has more than enough affordable rental units. Anyone who wants to live in them is welcome. They are often tagged with MS-13 graffiti and increasingly prone to gun violence.

Some of us worked really hard to become financially stable enough to buy a nice home… the biggest caviar dream imaginable when we were kids. This idea that I’m supposed to welcome the rot of public/subsidized/affordable housing into our neighborhoods and schools is offensive.

If all the lily white liberals whose parents paid for their college, law school, and house down payment want to assuage their guilt and prove how morally superior they are, they should do it in a way that doesn’t affect the rest of us.

Way to grossly stereotype those who live in affordable housing. Maybe they, too, dream caviar dreams of one day owning a house in the 22207.

One of the worst things I saw in the Missing Middle debate was a meeting that included people living in inexpensive apartments, many of which were subsidized. Two members if the Arlington County board assured them that they would receive nice new apartments with Missing Middle. It was shameful for people to engender caviar dreams for people who will not benefit fro Missing Middle housing.

Please post a link to these comments during the board meeting. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, missing middle is itself a scam. A developer handout in disguise. It was never about “diversity.”

This. Investors are scooping up all these properties and turning them into rentals. This was never about teachers or minorities buying houses.

Heaven forbid! Not more rentals! I mean, we all know that the laws of supply and demand don't apply to real estate, especially the rental market.

This is the unintended consequence of government policies promoting home ownership (tax deductions, low interest rates, etc). Make more people "owners" and suddenly they are opposed to increased housing supply, because that reduces the value of their investment. Everyone wants to pull up the ladder once they climb it. It's just like they say about wilderness areas -- "A developer is someone who wants to build a cabin in the woods. An environmentalist is someone who already owns a cabin in the woods." It is the height of hypocrisy, and the least you all can do is be honest about it.

DP. I’m not against rentals but they shouldn’t have trotted out the NAACP to talk about how it would increase homeownership for minorities in Arlington in order to get people in the south side of the county to vote for it. Also in many cases they’re replacing older style homes that would rent for less than a single unit in new rentals at multiple times the price. They’ve been building the same type of luxury rentals throughout the county for years and rental prices have increased year over year.

The public didn’t vote for or against MMH and MMH luxury rentals have not been built. The first permit applications were filed within the past two weeks. Also, could you imagine how much rents would have increased if no new housing was constructed in the last 10-20 years?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, missing middle is itself a scam. A developer handout in disguise. It was never about “diversity.”

This. Investors are scooping up all these properties and turning them into rentals. This was never about teachers or minorities buying houses.

+1.

It's amazing to see otherwise itelligent people completely fooled by this. Did anyone actually think MM would suddenly make plumbers able to buy a house in Lyon Village?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlington already has more than enough affordable rental units. Anyone who wants to live in them is welcome. They are often tagged with MS-13 graffiti and increasingly prone to gun violence.

Some of us worked really hard to become financially stable enough to buy a nice home… the biggest caviar dream imaginable when we were kids. This idea that I’m supposed to welcome the rot of public/subsidized/affordable housing into our neighborhoods and schools is offensive.

If all the lily white liberals whose parents paid for their college, law school, and house down payment want to assuage their guilt and prove how morally superior they are, they should do it in a way that doesn’t affect the rest of us.

Way to grossly stereotype those who live in affordable housing. Maybe they, too, dream caviar dreams of one day owning a house in the 22207.

One of the worst things I saw in the Missing Middle debate was a meeting that included people living in inexpensive apartments, many of which were subsidized. Two members if the Arlington County board assured them that they would receive nice new apartments with Missing Middle. It was shameful for people to engender caviar dreams for people who will not benefit fro Missing Middle housing.

Please post a link to these comments during the board meeting. Thanks!

Rally organized by Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE) in February 2023 at Unitarian Universalist Church, Arlington. If you had been involved in this process you would know that County board members had numerous meetings with the public outside of board meetings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, missing middle is itself a scam. A developer handout in disguise. It was never about “diversity.”

This. Investors are scooping up all these properties and turning them into rentals. This was never about teachers or minorities buying houses.

+1.

It's amazing to see otherwise itelligent people completely fooled by this. Did anyone actually think MM would suddenly make plumbers able to buy a house in Lyon Village?

Plumbers are more able to afford these houses than the girls who work at non-profits and want a house in Lyon Village at age 28. But then one of these girls will likely be on the Arlington County Board and making decisions on your behalf.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, missing middle is itself a scam. A developer handout in disguise. It was never about “diversity.”

This. Investors are scooping up all these properties and turning them into rentals. This was never about teachers or minorities buying houses.

+1.

It's amazing to see otherwise itelligent people completely fooled by this. Did anyone actually think MM would suddenly make plumbers able to buy a house in Lyon Village?

As a missing middle supporter who lives in Lyon Village, I assumed a plumbing contractor could probably afford a nicer house than mine and a plumber’s apprentice probably can’t afford to buy a house anywhere in Arlington

[Anonymous]

I’m okay with green space in N NA where homeless can congregate and sleep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m okay with green space in N NA where homeless can congregate and sleep.

Some of these guys in DC are living tax-free on sprawling 2-acre tent estates with a view of the water. No commute whatsoever, free lawn care. And they’re not going to be replaced by AI.

Can’t wait to welcome these new neighborhoods in Arlington. Diversity is our strength!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m okay with green space in N NA where homeless can congregate and sleep.

Some of these guys in DC are living tax-free on sprawling 2-acre tent estates with a view of the water. No commute whatsoever, free lawn care. And they’re not going to be replaced by AI.

Can’t wait to welcome these new neighborhoods in Arlington. Diversity is our strength!

And your PTA will be shamed into making sandwiches for them and fundraising to buy shoes and socks for them. Your children will be forced to wade into the mess to deliver these items for community service. Meanwhile, your church that has an outreach to food insecure seniors and low income families will be accused by the woke liberals of Arlington of "poverty proselytizing."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I mean, missing middle is itself a scam. A developer handout in disguise. It was never about “diversity.”

This. Investors are scooping up all these properties and turning them into rentals. This was never about teachers or minorities buying houses.

+1.

It's amazing to see otherwise itelligent people completely fooled by this. Did anyone actually think MM would suddenly make plumbers able to buy a house in Lyon Village?

As a missing middle supporter who lives in Lyon Village, I assumed a plumbing contractor could probably afford a nicer house than mine and a plumber’s apprentice probably can’t afford to buy a house anywhere in Arlington

She can if she married a law firm associate. How do you think most women got into Lyon Village?