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Proposed Clarendon Development Causing a Stir

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By Rebecca Shillenn

This architectural rendering shows the church and proposed apartments.

Despite neighborhood opposition, a church-apartment building development in Arlington is still in the works.
 
The Church at Clarendon got approval from the Arlington County Board to build The Views at Clarendon, a 116-apartment building, in 2004. This won’t be the only condo-church combination in the area—The First Congressional Church of Christ in Gallery Place is planning a mixed-use project. But The Views at Clarendon plans have met much more resistance.

Neighborhood residents complained that the nearly 97-foot-tall building would overshadow their houses and the community; the church argued that it planned to incorporate affordable condos into the building, leave the steeple in place, and set aside the first two floors for church business.

The conflict pushed the issue to the Virginia Supreme Court last fall. The court ruled that the Arlington County board approved the building in violation of a zoning ordinance.

In response, the board amended the ordinance and rezoned the area, which means the Church at Clarendon can continue with its original plans.

The neighborhood’s still up in arms.  Here’s a map from The Post showing the crush of development in Clarendon that concerns residents. If The Views at Clarendon are completed, here’s what they’ll offer:

Here's a photo of the church as it looks today.

What: The Views at Clarendon.

Where: 1210 N. Highland Street, Arlington.

Number of units: 116, including 70 priced at less than market rates for families with an income roughly half the area median.

Pricing: For the six cheapest units, monthly rents range from $620 for efficiencies to $720 for two bedrooms. Rents for the next price group start at $750 for efficiencies and $1,325 for three bedrooms, the only ones available in the building. Market-rate units range from $1,000 for efficiencies to $2,250 for two-bedrooms.

Amenities: Parking garage, fitness center, 180-child daycare, and meeting space. The church can seat 450 people and runs services for Spanish, Vietnamese, and Ethiopian congregations.

Closest Metro stop: Clarendon, less than a block away.

Comments

Northern Virginia govt officials have been bought out by the developers. Clarendon used to be a nice, convenient area to hang out. Now it's the Container Store-Cheescake Factory lame corridor. And parking sucks there with all the Nova transplants crowding in condos that are depreciating faster than they are being built. Sorry for the rant, but commerce is ruining our communities.

Posted by: Bob Franklin,

I think the development will be great for the neighborhood and as a resiident of the neighborhood, I support it wholeheartedly!!!

The "not in my backyard (NIMBY)" people probably would have opposed the original church steeple as a view obstructor if it were to be built today. I realize that you cannot bottle up a neighborhood or city as a museum piece. How would these NIMBY people like it if their own homes were barred from being built in the name of overdevelopment??

I say, let the church have the Condo. I might even buy one to show my support!

Posted by: David Smith,

I live in Clarendon, two houses from the church. I do not support the height of the Views at Clarendon building, but not because I am a NIMBY (name-calling never accomplishes anything good). Furthermore, the county does not allow me to develop my lot. Arlington County, this same board, passed zoning regulations that severely restrict the use of my lot. My lot is non-conforming. The board said that they did this to protect the character of Arlington, and to stop McMansions. How are condos more in keeping with the character of Arlington? However, if I am a religious institution that hides behind public mission to maximize the profitability of my lot, well, then that will only benefit the community! The church could build the condos at a lesser height, but they won't make the money they feel they need to justify reducing the height to meet the zoning ordinances.
This board is violating zoning laws in order to put a political band-aide over a larger problem, the affordability of housing in Arlington. These units won't address the root economic cause of housing cost disparities. The approval of this project opens the door for many churches in Arlington to turn into condos. What most of the supporters don't realize is the precedent this sets. There won't be NIMBYs because these condos will be in everyone's back yard, front yard, and across the street. By the time residents of Arlington realize what the board has done, it will be far too late.

Posted by: Shelagh Harb,

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