Arlington Approves Contentious Ballston Multifamily Project
Two dozen community members with "Save Our Neighborhood" T-shirts and signs were not enough to stop Arlington County from approving 84 new housing units in Ballston.
The Arlington County Board Saturday approved NVR Inc.'s proposal to build a 58-unit condo building, plus two rows of townhouses totaling 26 units, the Washington Business Journal reports.
The development will be built on the site of the former First Baptist Church of Ballston. It sits four blocks from the Ballston Metro station at the intersection of 11th and North Vermont streets.
The opposition group placed "Save Our Neighborhood" signs around the neighborhood and received more than 500 signatures for an online petition. Roughly two dozen opponents testified against the project, citing issues such as traffic, parking and pedestrian safety. Others complained the seven-story project would block light from residents of the Westview condo building at 1001 North Vermont St.
The project will set aside four two-bedroom units as affordable for those making up to 80% of area median income.
“The redevelopment of this site will provide much-needed ownership housing in the heart of Ballston, including affordable units, within walking distance of Metro,” Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol said in a release. “We heard from some in the neighborhood who have had strong differences of opinion about the development’s appropriateness, but the Board, in partnership with staff and the Planning and Transportation Commissions, believes that it is consistent with the long-held goals of the Ballston Sector Plan.”
