Arlington County Board Approves Arlington Mill Residences APAH receives strong support from the community |  The Arlington County Board unanimously approved the Use Permit amendment and Option for Ground Lease of the Arlington Mill Residences on Saturday, February 12. The approval puts APAH's Arlington Mill Residences one step closer to reality.
"APAH is honored to partner with Arlington County in pioneering the use of 'Public Land for Public Purpose,'" said APAH President/CEO Nina Janopaul. "We appreciate the support of the County staff and diligence of our development team in assembling an attractive, fiscally responsible and environmentally sensitive plan in a short time period. The discounted, 75-year ground lease is a great tool for creating affordable housing for lower-income families, offsetting the escalating land prices in our community." At the hearing, Yvonne Aiken, a long-time resident of APAH's Columbia Grove Apartments, said she would like to see her Columbia Pike neighborhood "integrated to include affordable and market-rate housing, not necessarily in the same building but in the same neighborhood, on the same street, so that people of different incomes can go to the same schools and shop at the same stores." Others who spoke in favor of the Arlington Mill Residences included Mary Rouleau, Executive Director, Alliance for Housing Solutions; David Leibson, a citizen active in housing issues; and Susan Korfanty, Executive Director, BRAVO. APAH has met with community leaders along Columbia Pike and gained the unanimous endorsement from the Planning and Housing commissions. The goal is to apply for an allocation of Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) through the Virginia Housing and Development Authority (VHDA) in March; start construction on Arlington Mill Residences in spring 2012, and complete construction in December 2013. For more information: News release, Arlington Mill Presentation, Letters of support |
| Planning Along Columbia Pike to Move Forward
Forum presents innovative options for financing and planning | |
On January 24, at "Let's Talk Housing", a forum of housing officials from around the country, encouraged Arlingtonians to consider innovative financing and planning measures to preserve affordable housing along Columbia Pike.
This program was part of a County planning effort for Columbia Pike's residential areas: how to strengthen what exists now, how to preserve affordable and mixed income housing and how to expand housing opportunities. Columbia Pike offers 7,300 multifamily homes that are affordable to families earning under 80% of Area Median Income (AMI) (about $80,000 for a family of four). Only 1,000 of these homes are committed to be affordable for the long term, e.g. through non-profit ownership. Most are poised to change with the swiftly changing housing market. Without an aggressive and comprehensive preservation plan, the Pike's cultural and economic diversity could disappear in the near future.
In early 2009, APAH CEO Nina Janopaul was appointed by the County Board to the Columbia Pike Land Use and Housing Study Working Group. This small group of County staff and citizens has been leading the planning effort for the Pike. The next step is a report from the consultant's initial work on Thursday, February 17, followed by a Charette in late June. See the County's webpage for more details.
Rental Unit Affordability: Arlington v. Columbia Pike
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Meet APAH Board Member
APAH Community Relations and Relations Committee Chair |  Danine Fresch Gray, DDS, serves on the APAH Board and is Chair of the Community Relations and Resources Committee. Dr. Fresch began her dental practice in 1989 and moved the practice to Clarendon in 2002. She is an active in the community. Her practice, Clarendon Dental Arts, is a member of the Clarendon Alliance and Arlington Chamber of Commerce. She is a 2006 graduate of Leadership Arlington and is actively involved with the organization.
Dr. Fresch received a B.S. in math from Boston College and graduated from the Georgetown Dental School in 1988 where she was class president. She is a member of the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the Seattle Study Club of Northern Virginia. She was a past editor for the Northern Virginia Dental Society newsletter and served on the executive committee. Continuing education is a fundamental characteristic of the entire office. She is currently in the process of accreditation from the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (AACD).
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| Columbia Pike Documentary Project Exhibit at the Artisphere
Documentary project includes photos of APAH residents | | The Columbia Pike Documentary Project is a multi-disciplinary history of Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA, one of America's most-ethnically diverse communities. The project uses photography and oral history to document life along the Pike and is sponsored by the Urban Alternatives Foundation. The Artisphere will be hosting an exhibit of the Columbia Pike Documentary Project from March 14-20, in the Town Hall Gallery of the Artisphere, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA. There will be an Artists' talk and reception on Friday, March 18, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm. View the invitation. |
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