South Arlington and North Arlington Schools

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, why would putting some in Halls Hill not be a good idea?

Glebe is the only school in that part of the county with a significant FARMs population. Glebe is the neighborhood school for Halls Hill.

Add to that the fact that Glebe is an already overcrowded school and the problems get worse. If they add more AH to that area, they might as well make a Jamestown island, like they did for Yorktown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait, why would putting some in Halls Hill not be a good idea?

Glebe is the only school in that part of the county with a significant FARMs population. Glebe is the neighborhood school for Halls Hill.

Add to that the fact that Glebe is an already overcrowded school and the problems get worse. If they add more AH to that area, they might as well make a Jamestown island, like they did for Yorktown.

They definitely need to get creative to spread the AH and farm's numbers to schools like Jamestown. You are correct that Glebe is quite diverse now, and probably has a good ratio as it is.

[Anonymous]

I would just suggest that s Arlington be one a becone a separate county at this point. It would do better. Still confused about when, from 2000 to now,it went off the rails.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would just suggest that s Arlington be one a becone a separate county at this point. It would do better. Still confused about when, from 2000 to now,it went off the rails.

That isn't a possibility, and it would not be good for south Arlington.


And south Arlington didn't go off the rails. The. Arlington democratic commitee went off the rails.

If you hopped in your time machine and went back 15- 25 years you'd see how much nicer the area has become. There used to be murders people! Four mile was scary.

The fact that the area has turned around is what is causing all the fuss. It was an easy de facto dumping ground politically before- now there are educated, significantly invested stake holders saying, " wait a second! This isn't going to work for us"
And they should make a fuss. 22204 saw the biggest percentage tax increase in the county last go around. The county is enjoying the increased homeowner revenue. Now they can also enjoy dealing with demanding homeowners as well. You don't get one without the other.

And I contend it's coming to a head with the lack of choice schools. When south Arlington parents stopped having choice schools as an option, the volume got turned way up. It happened to coincide with the cancellation of the streetcar, so now IT'S ON!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Yes. That has been addressed upthread.
Many of the people in Arlington's affordable housing are happy with the status quo and would like to have cheap housing, where they feel most comfortable, keep their children with like children, as the majority in their local school, and not integrate into the county.

There are too many reasons not to be sympathetic to that viewpoint to list.

And by creating these huge enclaves of similarly populated communities as exist on the Pike, we are creating communities of affordable housing for people who work outside Arlington and where other people who work INSIDE Arlington would not want to live. Mix it up some ad give all kinds of people a chance at the low cost housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Yes. That has been addressed upthread.
Many of the people in Arlington's affordable housing are happy with the status quo and would like to have cheap housing, where they feel most comfortable, keep their children with like children, as the majority in their local school, and not integrate into the county.

There are too many reasons not to be sympathetic to that viewpoint to list.

And by creating these huge enclaves of similarly populated communities as exist on the Pike, we are creating communities of affordable housing for people who work outside Arlington and where other people who work INSIDE Arlington would not want to live. Mix it up some ad give all kinds of people a chance at the low cost housing.

Over 60% of people living in Arlington's AH - work outside of the county.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Almost no one would believe that creating neighborhoods of concentrated low incoming housing is a good thing. At the federal level, the move has been towards mixed income housing for the past 10 or 20 years. The affordable housing developers make money from 100% commited affordable housing so they are against mixed income.

Mcmenamin is willing to take a stand for responsible planning for housing and schools. There is a lot of discontent among the electorate this year, and housing and schools could be the two issues that get him the county board seat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Yes. That has been addressed upthread.
Many of the people in Arlington's affordable housing are happy with the status quo and would like to have cheap housing, where they feel most comfortable, keep their children with like children, as the majority in their local school, and not integrate into the county.

There are too many reasons not to be sympathetic to that viewpoint to list.

I don't think sympathy or lack of sympathy will have any effect. I think the forces that are behind concentrating AH make it unlikely that any spread of AH will actually take place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Yes. That has been addressed upthread.
Many of the people in Arlington's affordable housing are happy with the status quo and would like to have cheap housing, where they feel most comfortable, keep their children with like children, as the majority in their local school, and not integrate into the county.

There are too many reasons not to be sympathetic to that viewpoint to list.

I don't think sympathy or lack of sympathy will have any effect. I think the forces that are behind concentrating AH make it unlikely that any spread of AH will actually take place.

If we sit around and don't speak up- that will be true. If we continue as before, we will keep getting the same old crap. The board needs a shake up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Yes. That has been addressed upthread.
Many of the people in Arlington's affordable housing are happy with the status quo and would like to have cheap housing, where they feel most comfortable, keep their children with like children, as the majority in their local school, and not integrate into the county.

There are too many reasons not to be sympathetic to that viewpoint to list.

And by creating these huge enclaves of similarly populated communities as exist on the Pike, we are creating communities of affordable housing for people who work outside Arlington and where other people who work INSIDE Arlington would not want to live. Mix it up some ad give all kinds of people a chance at the low cost housing.

Over 60% of people living in Arlington's AH - work outside of the county.

Right. What is the point of that? Wouldn't it be better for the affordable housing we build to be in mixed housing buildings where teachers and police officers and other people who help our communities wouldn't be embarrassed or uncomfortable to live? Rather than further turning the Pike into a kind of minority ghetto and further increasing the % of FARMs kids in the South instead of spreading things around to Northern schools that have the resources to handle more FARMs kids?

What exactly ARE the arguments in favor of continuing to build affordable housing on the Pike?

[Anonymous]

That way Arlington can says it has its share of AH and North Arlington can remain lily white and diversity-free. Did you not get the memo?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Yes. That has been addressed upthread.
Many of the people in Arlington's affordable housing are happy with the status quo and would like to have cheap housing, where they feel most comfortable, keep their children with like children, as the majority in their local school, and not integrate into the county.

There are too many reasons not to be sympathetic to that viewpoint to list.

And by creating these huge enclaves of similarly populated communities as exist on the Pike, we are creating communities of affordable housing for people who work outside Arlington and where other people who work INSIDE Arlington would not want to live. Mix it up some ad give all kinds of people a chance at the low cost housing.

Over 60% of people living in Arlington's AH - work outside of the county.

Right. What is the point of that? Wouldn't it be better for the affordable housing we build to be in mixed housing buildings where teachers and police officers and other people who help our communities wouldn't be embarrassed or uncomfortable to live? Rather than further turning the Pike into a kind of minority ghetto and further increasing the % of FARMs kids in the South instead of spreading things around to Northern schools that have the resources to handle more FARMs kids?

What exactly ARE the arguments in favor of continuing to build affordable housing on the Pike?

Your original supposition is off. Our fire fighters, teachers, and police largely don't qualify for AH in Arlington. They make too much money. The workforce in the AH of Arlington is largely comprised of cab drivers and day labors. The county has studies to support this.
And more than half of those people are working elsewhere.
So, we are paying for the housing of the workforce of other jurisdictions.

Which isn't even my biggest complaint- I'm just tired of hearing candidates like Katie Cristol extol the virtues of our current housing policy, and touting how important it is for our local, low wage workers.... Who aren't actually living there...

It would be better if we could stop pretending that AH is for the middle class. It is not.

[Anonymous]

Yeah actually it makes sense that Arlington's teachers might not qualify for affordable housing, but I'd be surprised if some of the people who work in our schools (or even libraries) -- teacher's aids, office workers, librarians, aides, custodians, etc. -- would not qualify.

[Anonymous]

The overwhelming majority of people who live in affordable housing are immigrants. Even the senior citizen housing. There may be a token teacher aid or two, but generally no. I work in one of them they are all immigrants. I have friends who qualify who are single moms and they cannot get off the wáitlist.

The earlier question about the arguments for the continued plan to build on the pike. Simple, no pushback from the community. Any push back is labeled racist, look at Mi Voz Cuenta. The argument that land is cheaper is false, if you look at costs of land it is not cheaper than other areas of arlington for the most part. There is available land, because there are so many dilapidated areas to knock down. So, build as much as you can. Affordable housing builders make more money, liberals can say how altruistic they are.

In case anyone hasn't noticed, the economy along then pike is tanking. More and more empty store fronts. Places going out of business. The new building at glebe and the pike, mostly empty commercial space. Arlington mill and shell, empty. The mixed use condo project at Buchanan, shelved, bc not enough money to be made. You all wonder why we have not head anything more about food star?????? The problem isn't the street car. It is that the majority of people who live along the pike lack enough discretionary income to support the local businesses.

The whole pike plan needs to be revisited because the vision has been and will continue to be an epic fail. Either gentrify the pike, for real, or stop pretending there will ever be any economic vitality.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Let me rephrase:

have you considered the possibility that the communities looking for affordable housing would like to inhabit their own neighborhoods and not be strewn about town?

Yes. That has been addressed upthread.
Many of the people in Arlington's affordable housing are happy with the status quo and would like to have cheap housing, where they feel most comfortable, keep their children with like children, as the majority in their local school, and not integrate into the county.

There are too many reasons not to be sympathetic to that viewpoint to list.

And by creating these huge enclaves of similarly populated communities as exist on the Pike, we are creating communities of affordable housing for people who work outside Arlington and where other people who work INSIDE Arlington would not want to live. Mix it up some ad give all kinds of people a chance at the low cost housing.

Over 60% of people living in Arlington's AH - work outside of the county.

Yes, this is crazy. The whole affordable housing master plan is doing the near opposite of what they are saying it is supposed to do!
You cannot make this #%€£ up, when you look at the website explaining the rationale for AH....

" middle class families must have a chance to get help to live in Arlington!"
Reality: middle class families will be driven out with this plan. Living here is too expensive. Taxes are rising due to ever higher (unrealistic) assessments.
Middle class does not qualify for their "help"
"We must ensure people who work in arlington can live in arlington."
Reality: the majority of people who are in AH work outside of arlington, work illegally, or do not work at all.
"Seniors must be able to age in place"
Reality: the seniors who are homeowners are financially better off than anyone else. They have everything paid off and are sitting on half a million to several millions worth... Many paid far less than 10% of the current value... Something that will not happen again in real estate.
The renters that are local and elderly AND in AH are a small percentage of all AH.
"Our public servants must be able to live affordable."
Reality: again, only a very small percentage of firefighters, policemen, teachers etc. live in AH.

I think there were a few more "reasons we need AH" on , but at that point my tears were making it impossible to read on....