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[quote=Anonymous]The argument isn’t that “we” don’t want “these” people living here. “They” do live in the western pike and that will never change. Many of the people who oppose more cafs are Latino and African American and older who have watched their nest egg lose value over the years while the rest of Arlington and even the more eastern areas of the pike go up in values. These are not wealthy people, but barely middle class who had hoped to reap the benefit of home equity to bring their families solidly into the middle class. Property is the single greatest ticket to the middle class and while most property owners in Arlington have benefitted, the western pike has not, especially the condo and duplex owners.

The argument is that when the pike plan was being developed (by developers, especially caf developers), the community was told that it would bring mixed income buildings and amenities. All that the neighborhood got was more cafs. I can’t say it was an outright lie, but I suspect the community was sold a bag of goods to keep them quiet. The housing people in the county and caf advocates will argue that 80% ami is mixed income, it is not. The street car was supposed to help and it never happened.

The argument is that concentration of poverty has been researched to death and almost all conclusions are that it impedes student achievement and leaves to generational poverty for all but a few token students. Cities across the nation have tried to break up concentration of poverty to improve schools.

Crime crime crime. More poverty brings more crime. There is lots of along the western pike. There is a lot of poverty for an area that is mostly residential- it isn’t as dense as the metro corridors. Just ask any cop.

Zero amenities. Doctors and dentists and fast food. And a laundry mat. The economic study of the pike tried to soften the facts, but the reality is that the western pike only caters to the poorest of people, and people with some money must leave the neighborhood. Most businesses do not want to locate there. Why? Surrounding neighborhoods have low education, high poverty and crime and little disposable income. Look at the pike Econ study. Centro is new and the developers admitted  they took a huge risk. Let’s hope they stay in business, the place is always empty. Orange theory doesn’t have a chance. The only other tenant is a doctor and optometrist. Huge sections still not rented... see a pattern??

So, many people who have any property interests, and even renters, oppose more cafs. They want better schools, they want less crime, they want more amenities that cater the middle class. our housing does not support that. AHC has been itching to build infill, expand what they have. NO NO NO. AHC operates its cafs along the western pike like slums. Multiple families living in squalid conditions. APAH recently has been focusing elsewhere- good for you APAH. Wesley, they are building a new caf on the south end of Buckingham, the poorest section of the county zoned to the one school in north Arlington that has about 60% families qualified from frl. Bravo-NOT.

Yes I am passionate about this subject. The neighborhoods plan that provides disincentives to build market rate housing, and requires 30% caf for all net new units along the pike is being reconsidered next year. The board and caf advocates are terrified of amazon and think it is a reason to build more cafs along the pike, even though there is no evidence that rents are pricing people out bc of Amazon. If you care about these issues, at all, advocate and organize or be lost in the dust.[/quote]

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