A Trolley on the Pike Eliminates Over Half of Market-Rate Housing in Arlington
The Arlington County Government’s redevelopment on Columbia Pike should be called by one of its real names- “the minority removal plan,” says Arlington Greens chairman John Reeder. Just the the cost of the trolley alone will exceed $240 million, much of which will likely come from county revenues, Reeder said.
County board Democratic chairman Mary Hynes tells us that she wants to keep current moderate income renters along the Pike, but the economic impact of the trolley makes that impossible, says the chairman of the Arlington Green Party. The county’s own economic consultant, Partners for Economic Solutions (PES), concluded that the cost to the county of subsidizing preservation of 5,000 of the existing affordable apartments along the Pike would be roughly $300 million ($60,000 per unit).
Over the past decade, the county government was unable to meet its annual countywide goal of adding 400 committed affordable apartments, in 2010 adding only 141 units and spending $5 million from its Affordable Housing Investment Fund for this purpose. It is highly unlikely that the county government will be able to come up with at least $300 million to keep 5,000 affordable apartments along the Pike, particularly given the severe school overcrowding, and need for more school classrooms.
“The County Board’s urban renewal for the Pike should be described as to what it really is: minority and low income people removal and a gift of public money to developers.” John Reeder, Chairman, Arlington Greens, www.greensofarlington.org
If you are concerned about affordable housing, fiscal responsibility for schools and and preserving your historic communities, Reeder says that the Arlington Greens county board candidate Audrey Clement will help by working to block the trolley and the inevitable loss of nearly half of the remaining market-rate rental housing in Arlington County. To help go to AudreyClement.org.