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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Doesn't the issue boil down to the fact that Arlington schools are out of room and we keep hearing over and over again that there is no land left to build on?  So why would you increase housing density anywhere in Arlington (north or south) until you have figured out how you are going to ensure enough school seats for the new families?  I don't oppose AH, but I do think the Board is putting the cart before the horse if they pass that plan before figuring out what they are going to do about the school situation.  [/quote]

I agree with you, but I think that it comes down to how you want to allocate scarce resources.  If you don't have school age kids, school issues just aren't at the forefront.

I serve on my little neighborhood association's board in north Arlington, and what I have heard from some older neighbors is that they favor affordable housing generally because they don't like how the character of Arlington has been changing.  In their view, it used to be a more collegial, accessible, middle class place, and now it's becoming snobby and out of touch.  They like their neighborhoods and they're sick of the ostentatious new builds.  They would rather see zoning rules relaxed to permit multifamily dwellings than a neighborhood full of mc mansions.  I can't even tell you how much I have heard about this.  Even when they're talking to me (I live in a small old house we bought for less than 800k, but I'm fairly new to the neighborhood), there's this undercurrent of animosity against new residents, and an assumption that we're all living in $1.6 million new homes.  They're older, they don't have kids in school, and they bought a long time ago, so they don't really mind if property values deflate a bit; they're still sitting pretty.  There's also a sense that a ton of money has been spent on gold plated schools to serve the small slice of affluent young families who don't need it.  They feel that school populations have peaked, and so it's stupid to keep building- they lived here in the 80's and early 00's when Arlington was closing schools.  Anyway, to them, affordable housing is a worthy expenditure, and all these rich new people can either afford higher taxes or private schools on the off chance school overcrowding gets out of control.

Obviously this attitude is troubling to me, but those are the views I have heard expressed.  For a lot of long time residents who have the time and inclination to get involved in Arlington planning and politics, schools are just not the number one priority.[/quote]

This is really interesting to me, and I'm glad you posted this, because these are the EXACT same sentiments and phrases from elderly neighbors at my South Arlington neighborhood association!  My neighborhood has a lot of elderly homeowners that would rather keep it quaint and low key. 
Not realistic of course!  Our well regarded neighborhood school has ever increasing enrollment- breaking a record now every year, since we've lived here.[/quote]

Interesting- kind of makes you think that the real divide is not so much north vs. south, but generational.  I live in north Arlington- not in country club hills or one of the traditionally affluent neighborhoods up there, but in one of the many neighborhoods formerly populated by modest colonials with smaller lot sizes.

To other PPs, I agree that it's hard not to have a visceral reaction to long time residents who complain that Arlington is now TOO nice, especially if (like me), you bought fairly recently.  I'm not defending it, but I think it's worth looking at things from their perspective- they bought when Arlington wasn't nearly as ritzy, and quite a few of them put a lot of legwork to develop the community centers and parks that we all enjoy.  So, for example, when the county was closing schools a few years back, it was residents who advocated for repurposing the land into senior centers or whatever.  There's a lot of pride in a long tradition of civic engagement in Arlington.  Hell, some of the really old timers in my neighborhood were actively involved in Arlington's efforts re limiting 66 to 2 lanes back in the 1970's.  I think there's a sense that now that they worked hard to make Arlington into a desirable community, they are being pushed out.  Sure, they are sitting on a more valuable property, but they don't want to leave, and that's why rhetoric like "just sell your house for a gazillion dollars" doesn't help.  It's nice, but people in their 60's see themselves staying in their homes for many more years yet.  And I think that the divide is exacerbated because a lot of new residents aren't around as much, and don't really have the time to get involved.

But whether you agree with them or not, I can't emphasize this enough- these are the people who are participating in the political and planning process.  I had the opportunity to talk to someone from some county office about a neighborhood board thing, and he basically said that they have a ton of meetings, and the same 10 guys in their 50's from north Arlington show up at every single one.  Virtually no one else.  I think a lot of us with kids sometimes look at the school issues in a vacuum, and really focus on the school board and county board meetings where the big ticket items are discussed.  But there are SO MANY meetings and planning sessions that take place every month, and so many competing priorities- ESPECIALLY re land use- and unfortunately people in the young families with kids category are just not particularly well represented.  Understandably so- if you have a job and kids, evening meetings are a giant pain.  But if you really want to make a difference with this stuff, I would suggest getting involved with your neighborhood association, vs a PTA or school based organization.  Or even just talking to your neighbors.  I have found that a lot of newer neighbors just aren't attuned to what is going on, and a lot of older neighbors just appreciate talking to someone who cares.

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