GARDEN SPOT NEWS ROUND-UP

WWCA News: Coming events. Activities of WWCA’s new zoning committee chaired by Don Rouse.

Hospital: Report on issues from the Nelsons, our new liaisons. Healing Garden big meeting, Jan. 18th.

Infills: A new teardown at 5200 16th (SW corner of 16th St & Geo. Mason). Two McMansions coming. Hopefully some trees, shrubs can be saved.

Lot coverage reduction: Three concepts being considered. County board timelines: Request to Advertise Feb. 12th, public hearing and decision—March at the “earliest”

Crime: Somewhat, on the upswing after a 1-2 year lull. Police will speak at Jan. 11th meeting.

Passing of our much loved neighbor—Jerry Hill , Hill’s Nursery at 87: Mr. Hill’s talk at the April 1981 WWCA meeting.

Homes Sold: 13 houses including 2 infills and one rehabilitated home averaged $607, 000 plus sale price.

Historic neighborhood preservation: Should WWCA consider this as one of the tools to deter McMansions? Excellent short overview by Mike Leventhal, Arl. Cty Historic Preservation Coordinator.

Historic Glebe House sold to local Edison St residents: House at 17th & Wakefield saved from developers plans to build 6 houses by the National Genealogical Society and the Ortmans, WWCA. Remarks by the Ortmans.

History here and nearby: Oral history tape from 1974 about area on Brown’s Bend Rd (16th St) just west of here. Search for people who were parents or students at Woodlawn Elementary, 1941 to 1969. History Night in the spring.

President’s message,

Happy New Year! I hope everyone has enjoyed the marvelous New Year’s weather and is ready for real winter, which will probably come all too soon. As we reflect on our own blessings going into 2005, I urge you to contribute to relief efforts in Southeast Asia as they deal with the devastation left by the tragic Tsunami last week.

Closer to home, we’re gearing up as an association to deal with the influx of new development besieging The Garden Spot. The Zoning Committee is working hard to determine an effective approach we can take to preserve the character of our neighborhood. This is a very challenging problem, which will require us, as individuals and as an association to make compromises. It may well come down to deciding whether its more important to have near-complete control over our own property (which of course means all property owners have such unfettered control) or whether we accept some form of oversight/regulation in exchange for a more cohesive neighborhood character. Not an easy choice, but one which I urge every one of you to think about, discuss with your neighbors. Though the committee is still working on a recommendation, thinking about this fundamental crux (property rights vs neighborhood oversight) now will help ensure an educated discussion this spring. I urge all of you to check out the excellent WWCA Zoning Committee website who address is http://www.mistergizmo.com/wwca .

If you haven’t joined already, I urge everyone who has e-mail to join the community listserv by simply sending an e-mail to waycroftwoodlawn-subscribe@yahoogroups.com This is an excellent resource to stay informed and connected to the neighborhood.

I wish everyone a happy, peaceful and healthy New Year. We’d be honored if you’d make “get more involved in your neighborhood” a New Year’s resolution. There is so much going on throughout the County, we need to work hard to ensure our concerns are being met. Please let me know if you’re ready to get more engaged!

Hans Bauman, hans.bauman@sun.com

BIG CHANGES IN 2004/2005 IN WWCA: The hospital expansion, Glebe Elementary renovation/expansion, the hospital healing garden coming. McMansion developers march on. But—the people of Waycroft-Woodlawn are what still will make it “The Garden Spot”—with a small town feel and a small town heart.

WWCA NEWS

WWCA COMING EVENTS

Thurs. Jan. 6th, 7 pm: Zoning Committee meeting at Hospice Conference Room

Tues. Jan 11th, 7:30 pm: WWCA General meeting & Glebe School tour

Tues, Jan. 18th, 7 pm:Hospital Healing Garden Working Gp meeting at the hospital board room

Tues., Jan. 25th, 7:30 pm: Zoning Com. attend Williamsburg Civic Assoc. Infill/teardown meeting

Monday, Feb. 1, 7:30 pm: WWCA Exec. Com. meeting

(deferred from Jan. 25th)

I-66: Though it’s not a WWCA event—the Arlington Coalition for Sensible Transportation (ACST) is having a major Town Hall Meeting on Mon. , Jan 10th , 7 pm at the NRECA building 4301 Wilson Blvd in Ballston. VDOT, ACST and Chris Zimmerman, Cty Bd will speak.

WWCA HOLIDAY PARTY had a very good turnout according to chairperson Jill Reuter. Everyone stayed until the end and Louise Knudsen of “Songcatchers” did a wonderful job of leading the youngsters in singing. Thank you to Bob Templeton for his 18th year bounding through the door in his Santa suit and giving joy to young and old. And the food that was donated to the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for the needy was appreciated.

WWCA TREASURER’S REPORT: Diana Anderson reported that as of Dec. 14th there was $6,1 07.95 in the General Fund and $2230 in the Park Fund. $300 was donated to the Hospice Landscape Fund.

****WWCA MEMBERSHIP REACHES 360. GOAL IS 400 HOMES****

George Cecchetti and our residents have been doing a great job moving toward the goal of 400 members out of 587 houses. Please see the membership form at the bottom of this page and the list of member addresses thus far on page 3. Incidentally, memberships are coming from as far away as Wisconsin, George reports. His mother-in-law Rose Demeny, who lives in Neenah Wisconsin (not far from Oshkosh) is 82 and has raised 6 children. Rose “can’t wait to get each issue”. The What-all is sent to a number of retired residents who have moved away by the way, as well as the individual County Board members, Dist. 1 Police commander , hospital management, High View Park leaders etc.

ITEMS FOR THE FEB. 05 WHAT-ALL are needed by Monday, Jan. 24th. Please drop through the door slot at 1503 N. Buchanan, mail to Ben Bullock, 1503 N. Buchanan St, Arlington, Va, 22205, call 703-528-7362 or e-mail: benandann@juno.com . Ads for youngsters babysitting, snow shoveling , yard work and the like are free as are needs for , availability of , nanny or house cleaning services etc. Business ads: Business-card sized ads are $80.00 for 10 What-alls a year from Sept.-June.

WWCA ZONING COMMITTEE HAS PLENTY TO DO: Don Rouse and the Committee will meet Thursday, Jan. 6th, 7 pm at the Hospice for their second meeting. Some members will also attend a Jan. 25th meeting of the Williamsburg Civic Association meeting on infills/teardowns to hear how they are dealing with the issue. Meanwhile lot coverage ordinance revision is on the front burner again since the County Board will apparently have a hearing and vote on the issue in March. The committee will further explore creation of a mission statement. Some research has started on whether WWCA should consider applying for historic district status as part of trying to mitigate oversize home construction. Fallout from planned construction of two homes at 4906 and 5200 N. 16th St will be on the agenda. There will be a lot of basic research this year including on impacts of the Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance, researching potential infill lots in WWCA to see if there are restrictive covenants limiting construction to one home etc. We are learning the covenant research process at the moment.

HOSPITAL NEWS

Rick and Rebecca Nelson, WWCA Hospital Liaisons met with Carl Bahnlein, VA Hospital Center-Arlington Chief Operating Officer in mid-Dec. on a number of issues.

Is you have questions/concerns about the hospital please call the Nelsons at 703-351-9118 or e-mail Rebecca at delicatefern@hotmail.com .

Healing Garden: Its assumed the demolition of the three hospital-owned homes on 16th St will start this winter and the garden will be installed in the spring. We should know more after the Jan. 18th meeting of the Healing Garden Working Gp, which includes WWCA , hospital and County reps.

17th & Edison electronic gate: The hospital is “committed to building the gate”. It will be bi-directional and used by some hospital employees, ambulances, and trash and oxygen trucks. The hospital is researching the technical approach to installing the gate.

Unauthorized truck traffic via the 17th Rd & Edison entrance: There is a “No Trucks Allowed” sign. Mr. Bahnlein envisions the eventual gate structure would limit the height of vehicles. The hospital will “strongly encourage” hospital employees to use the George Mason Drive “alternative” entrance and exit from the hospital. The hospital is willing to work with WWCA to try and come up with other solutions.

Two noise complaints: In early December, noise from two back-up generators at the heating plant at 17th Rd & Edison was heard up to 5 blocks from the hospital by a WWCA resident walking his dog. “On the positive side, this generator is apparently almost never used.” However, Mr. Bahnlein also stated that “the decibel levels generated by said generator are “well within required limits.”. The Nelsons believe the hospital is unlikely to put further effort into soundproofing even if its possible because of infrequent use of the generator and it meets the noise level code. Mr. Bahnlein believes a second noise complaint from a 15th St resident related to the back-up generator also.

Street lights around the hospital not operating: Mr. Bahnlein said the lights are not the responsibility of the hospital, though it paid to have them installed. Mr. Bahnlein thought the lights would be operational soon, but it was a County/electric company issue.

Better signage to route traffic: Hans Bauman said individuals have difficulty locating the entrance to the hospital “drawn –as they are- to the bright red “Emergency” sign on 16th St, when the entrance is on Geo. Mason. Mr. Bahnlein agreed to initiate different signage to alleviate this problem.”

HOW TO BECOME A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY LISTSERV: To join send a blank message to waycroftwoodlawn-subscribe@yahoo.com OR just go to http://groups.yahoo.com/waycroftwoodlawn/ and click on the button to join the group. If for some reason these two approaches fail—send Kathleen Nebeker an e-mail with your name, address and phone number at kathleen_nebeker@yahoo.com

INFILL NEWS

5200 N. 16th Teardown: two homes to be built:

SW corner of 16th & Geo. Mason

In a recent discussion with a representative of Bo Bud Construction of Annandale (bought the land from developer Gary Kirkbride) it was revealed that two 3500 sq. ft homes (plus basement) will be built on the 20,240 sq. ft. lot where the former home of the Mattney sisters still stands. One house will face George Mason Drive and the other 16th St. Type of construction is not firm but one might have “stone, wood and siding” and the other might have a little brick in it. Prices will be available by the end of January (Editor: I assume $1 million plus). (Note the Cty Real Estate Assessment data base says 5200 16th consists of lots 10 and 11, Larchmont.

4906 N. 16th St: On 3 January Dittmar Realty Gp affirmed that construction will begin in January. Two approximately 5,000 sq. ft. homes will be built and priced at $1,299,000, for delivery in mid-2005. The homes will face 16th St and be on 10,000 sq. ft. lots. They will have “sumptuous kitchens ….oak hardwood floors, concrete stone paved driveways etc”. The County Real Estate Assessment data base says 4906 consists of two lots , 11 and 12 of Forest Park addition to Waycroft. (Note: A WWCA rep spoke with a Dittmar employee and said he thought the McMansions Dittmar builds “were out of scale with the neighborhood and the lots, especially at Tara Manor. The employee did not agree, and said that “people are snapping these up.” )

1400 N. Buchanan St teardown/ infill lot coverage: Now that construction has started some residents are asking whether the lot is under the limit of 56 percent lot coverage. Answer is yes—well under. The lot is 12,739 sq. ft. and the coverage of house, driveway, walk is 27 percent. The developer and resident-to-be David Springberg, says the topography of the lot and the dirt piles may give the appearance that the house consumes the lot. “Once the foundation is backfilled and the lot is graded, you will have a better feel of the final product”. The basement is constructed into the hillside and the 2 story house total height from the basement floor will be 31 ft.

A FEW COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY LISTSERV ETC –ON INFILLS:

16th St resident: “I wonder why our neighborhood can’t attract quality designed homes like the Morris Day homes one can see in Waverly Hills and other neighborhoods of north Arlington….these homes actually successfully reflect the cultural heritage of the homes surrounding them….”

Buchanan St resident: Regards the two houses to be built at 4906 N. 16th: “The houses on George Mason Drive at Tara Manor are not as incongruous as the homes to be built on 16th St because Tara Manor is built on a 4 lane road across from the large buildings of the hospital etc.

16th St resident: “Now the home and I’m sure, many of the trees will be taken down to make room for two cookie-cutter ….McMansions, devoid of any mid-20th century aesthetics, architectural nuances, or neighborhood compatibility.” The resident lamented the impact of increased property taxes, construction environment hassles etc—all in the wake of hospital construction and water main re-lining projects.

16th St resident: “Its just sad to see the neighborhood we moved into 10 years ago disappearing before our eyes house by house….I have a feeling we are going to have a lot of “slash and burn” (development) going on in our neighborhood for the next several years.”

IT’S BEEN WISHED: Ann’s sister Virginia lives in the old homestead out on Ragged Mt. this side of Cumberland. Last winter she had to leave her jeep at the top of the block long lane for over 5 weeks due to all the snow. She used a wok to take groceries down to the house. She said in an e-mail the other day “I’m hoping it (snow) doesn’t come until July so it won’t last so long!!

LOT COVERAGE ORDINANCE REVISION STATUS

Editor’s note: This is a little complex—I did the best I could.

THE BIG PICTURE: THREE IDEAS FOR LOT COVERAGE REDUCTION IMPLEMENTATION:

All are up for review

Thus far there are two formal proposals to cut lot coverage: Proposal number one in winter 04 ,recommended by the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee (ZORC), was to cut (for example) coverage from 56 to 40 percent on all properties zoned R-6. A second proposal proffered Dec. 15th by Cty staff: Apply to only new construction and houses undergoing more than 50 percent renovation. A third recent proposal by a ZORC member suggests maybe reduction apply just to houses that have been sold after a certain date.

COUNTY TIMELINES

County Board review of ordinance revision for advertisement: Sat. Feb. 12th (Deferred from Dec. 15th) . The request to advertise “was delayed because some Cty Bd members were concerned that the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee’s recommendations were not proposed to be advertised to cover existing houses.”(Mr. Snyder, Cty staff).

County Board public hearing and decision: At the “earliest” sometime in March 05.

Dec. 15th Cty staff proposal: The staff significantly reduced the scope of homes impacted by lot coverage reduction proposals. Limit lot coverage reduction to new construction or renovation of not more than 50 percent of an existing home. Restrictions would not apply if a “homeowner wanted to add a single new room, expand a kitchen or add a deck.” Lot coverage reduction would be

56 to 40 percent for R-6 zoned lots/homes if new construction or renovation is to be 50 percent or more.

Some Cty staff details

“Under this recommendation, all existing houses would be permitted to retain the present 56 percent coverage requirement, unless they are substantially changed. “Substantial change” is defined as the “relocation of more than 50 percent of a building’s outer walls from their location” or an increase in the main building footprint “of more than 100 percent.” “Accordingly the proposed amendments provide assurance that existing houses can be modernized and reasonably expanded, and actually preserve the character of the neighborhood. At the same time, the amendments will mitigate against oversized construction of new in-fill houses or tear-downs of existing houses.” There would be a bonus of 5 percent for a detached garage and 3 percent for a front porch.

County Bd turns down incremental lot coverage ordinance revision approach: The Cty Mgr “suggested his proposal could possibly be a first step, with additional restrictions to follow if they found public support.” Several Cty Bd members disagreed: Now Cty Bd Chairman Jay Fisette said: “I am not sure I would like to do this in a piecemeal fashion. I would like to take one swipe at the apple, then put this on the back burner for a couple of decades.” Bd member Zimmerman agreed. Ms Favola said the legal advertisement (in Feb. o5) “needed to be as specific as possible, to avoid creating more public consternation on an issue that has seen more than its share.”

DISCUSSION/DEBATE AT THE OCT. 04 WWCA MEETING OF THE ORIGINAL LOT COVERAGE REDUCTION PROPOSAL –as applied to R-6 lots

Reduction of lot coverage from 56 percent to 40 percent for all residences, existing or new construction , was proposed and is still “on the table”. The Cty said “Approximately 95 percent of all existing R-6 lots would be in compliance with this proposed standard.” In general, 90 percent of all developed lots analyzed would remain in compliance under the proposed recommendations.

Comments against the comprehensive (applies to all properties) original ZORC proposal by Terry Showman, Chairman of Concerned Arlington County Homeowners (CACH). From the Oct. WWCA meeting

-Mr. Showman is a long-time Arl. resident & builder

Seventy percent of building permits are made to residents, 30 percent to builders. It costs $7500 more to get permits now than a few years ago. That shows “where the water is going.” Now you need a grading plan, impact statement, tree plans. You can’t use surveys from house settlement. (Mr. Swennes, ZORC rep, said no new paperwork is being required.) The proposed ordinance would give away property rights. Non-conforming lots (under 6,000 sq. ft.) will be made less valuable. If a homeowner’s house is close to the new 40 percent maximum coverage he will be adversely impacted, including if he goes to sell. Fifteen hundred of the homes in Arlington are impacted, plus those that fall close to the proposed 40 percent coverage ( “under the bubble”) Costs to get building permits for the impacted homeowners will soar (eg. increased need for topographic surveys). You will need a site plan , not just a survey, for even a deck (To prove lot coverage amount to the County). There are insurance issues for non-conforming homes where if a house burnt down it could not be replaced due to lower lot coverage. ( Note: Mr. Snyder, Cty staff says they are looking at a “hold harmless” provision in the ordinance that would allow replacement at the old coverage.) Mr. Showman said no builder has endorsed the lot coverage proposal. He noted the Va Supreme Court “Cochran Decision” which has caused some confusion about the power of Boards of Zoning Appeals. He said variances could be hard to get at all. Background: A WWCA lawyer interprets this decision: “Another way of putting it is the BZA cannot grant variances unless the zoning ordinance as applied to the property owner would yield an unconstitutional result. In talking about “hardships” the court is not really talking about hardships as one might think in terms of fairness or harm per se, but rather is saying the impact must be so severe it raises constitutional issues. That is almost never going to happen. …So my reading is the BZA’s appear to have little authority under Cochran to do much of anything except act as a constitutional safety valve for the rare case where an owner is deprived of “all beneficial use” of a property. However---Some say Cochran applies only to the three cities in the Va Supreme Court case. Fairfax County put a moratorium on BZA activity. Arlington staff has been turning down variances for months but the BZA overrides staff and says Cochran doesn’t apply throughout Va. There has been talk of need for legislative action to overturn the Cochran Decision. What a mess!

(Continued next column)

IT’S BEEN GETTING HARDER: After doing the lot coverage article I started getting what I call “early phase out” which precedes early senility . I get “byte interflow”—brain data scrambling just thinking about “lot coverage.” I have been thinking about signing up for an NIH study or something—impact of civic issues on human brain functioning —something like that.

IT’S BEEN “BLOCK BUSTED”: Ann and I were on our walk a week or two ago and I told her Blockbusters not charging late fees for some reason made the national news. Are they that bad off finding news? She said—“blockbusters—that’s what we should call Dittmarr and the project on 16th St.”

LOT COVERAGE (Cont.)

Comments at the Oct. 04 WWCA meeting in favor of lot coverage reduction on –all- lots

By Jeff Snyder, County staff

Most neighborhoods have R-6 (6,000 sq. ft. lots) . The limit on the size of the house lot coverage itself in the proposed ordinance would be 30 percent plus 3 percent bonus for for front porch and 5 percent for detached garage. Without the bonus you could build a 3 story house on an R-6 lot of 5400 total square feet, plus the basement. One objective is to not end up with too much of the County as impervious surface (houses, driveways etc). We want to ensure reasonable-size houses and preserve community character. If all the County lots were 56 percent covered we would have fewer trees, more paving and run-off. If coverage were left at 56 percent, Snyder said over time you would get typical coverage at close to 56 percent (for teardowns etc) We need to protect Arlington for the future. What is a reasonable amount of coverage to set now? He spoke of homes paving their rear and front yards for driveway and other uses. Mr. Snyder sees no negative impact on property values (No direct connection between size, coverage and value). Staff looked at the level of compliance now—most houses already comply with the 40 percent proposal. The house, driveway, garage and accessory buildings count under “coverage”. Sidewalks, patios, low decks are not in coverage. His colleague Ms Namioka said the Cty didn’t just use anecdotal data to develop the 40 percent standard, but GIS (Satellite) data for 26,000 residential lots. How many existing homes are near the proposed 40 percent R-6 lot coverage now , where owners might have to spend more on surveys to build additions, driveways etc? The Cty staff is going to analyze this. Mr. Swennes, ZORC, said this proposal will impact those who want to add on to –and already—large house. Rarely will people buy large houses to expand even more. He said the proposed solution is not perfect. A resident said that “anything that cuts out a class of buyers cuts the selling price.” A resident asked “If I have a 50 ft. wide lot, non-conforming setback, am I going to be penalized more than a home with (standard) 60 ft front ---if I were to enlarge my house? Mr. Snyder said he didn’t believe so. If you have a 6,000 sq. ft. lot with the same home footprint coverage doesn’t change if you have a narrower lot. A resident asked if a 5,000 sq. ft. lot would get the same lot coverage amount as a 6,000 sq. ft. lot? Mr. Swennes, ZORC said this was discussed but turned down (“No exceptions for undersized lots.”) Mr. Snyder said a sub-standard size lot was constrained by set-back rules more quickly than by lot coverage percentage changes.

County hotline for resident questions on lot coverage:

703-228-4793

COMMENTS AGAINST LATEST COUNTY PROPOSAL TO APPLY LOT COVERAGE REDUCTION JUST TO NEW CONSTRUCTION AND HOUSES REMODELED MORE THAN 50 PERCENT:

Robert Swennes, Zoning Ordinance Review Committee:

“ The coverage proposal that the Cty Mgr (in Dec.) has recommended to the Board for advertisement amounts to a radical reduction in the coverage changes recommended by the Zoning Ord. Review Committee and Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Committee (NCAC)…..The effect of these changes…would be fairly minor for the foreseeable future, thus reducing only slightly the risk of McMansions and other inappropriate infill in our Arlington neighborhoods.” He went on to suggest a compromise—applying lot coverage reduction only to individual lots (homes) when they are sold by the current owners.

John Bennett, WWCA NCAC: Agree with Mr. Swennes about ZORC and NCAC stance> “In addition , the concept of leaving “50 percent of existing walls standing” (in remodeling) as a criteria for determining new vs existing construction will only encourage developers to come up with creative ways to meet the letter, but not the intent of the law…”

OTHER NEWS IN THE GARDEN SPOT

AND BEYOND

CRIME NEWS IN WWCA & NEARBY

After a lull in crime this year there were some disturbing incidents of car vandalism and home entry attempts in latter Nov. and early December.

The police will make a brief presentation and answer questions at the WWCA Jan. 11th meeting at Glebe Elementary.

Police liaison to WWCA: Sgt Ron Files. 703-228-4119 or e-mail rfiles@arlingtonva.us .

Car vandalism: Three incidents in latter Nov/ 1 Dec.

Dec. 1, in the 1500 block N. Edison: A resident reported on the community listserv that she discovered her car had been vandalized just before leaving for vacation. The culprit(s) apparently tried to pry open the driver’s door and failed, then smashed the driver’s window to smithereens. Upon returning from vacation the resident found “damage was much more extensive—parts under the hood were torn, slashed or even removed, so that the car was undrivable….The total damage was $1600.”

North Frederick near Washington Blvd: A Washington Blvd resident reported that sometime the night of Friday, Nov. 26th her niece’s car—parked on No. Frederick just north of Washington Blvd, had its lights smashed.

1200 block, N. Dinwiddie: A resident reported that “a neighbor had their driver’s door window and mirror destroyed by vandals on the Wed. before Thanksgiving. The car was on the street in front of the victim’s house.

Attempted home entry:

1200 block N. Dinwiddie St.: Someone tried to see if the front door was unlocked at 6:15 am as a resident was getting ready to go to work. The resident’s husband was walking the dog—and reached by cell phone. He searched his property and nearby blocks and saw no one. Responding police advised locking home, garage and car doors and becoming more around of surroundings.

4600 block N. 17th St. :A resident came home at night to find their garage door was open. He thinks someone was looking for a way into the house.

Stolen license tags near WWCA: In early December in the 1100 block N. Glebe and 4600 block Wash. Blvd.

Car stolen nearby: 1991 silver Plymouth Voyager in the 4700 block of N. 20th just before Christmas.

Athletic fields vandalized: The police report that sometime between Dec. 23 and Dec. 28 unknown subject(s) caused damage to Taylor, Tuckahoe and Nottinham Elementary School fields. Also Williamsburg and Swanson Middle schools and H.B. Woodlawn High School. Damage appears to have been done by someone(s) driving all-terrain vehicles.

“ARLINGTON OPENS DMV OFFICE AT COURTHOUSE PLAZA”: A Cty press release said the site is operated by the Arlington Cty Commissioner of Revenue and is at 2100 Clarendon Blvd, 2nd Floor, Suite 218. Hours are Monday-Friday, from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Residents can now file applications for titling and registration in a single transaction.

1400-1700 BLOCK BUCHANAN ST STORM DRAIN IMPROVEMENT: Per Mr. Froh, Arl. Cty, a design recommendation will be done this winter. Homeowners will be notified of any construction plans. “Most storm drain ..projects are within public right-of-way; however, if we need to work within private property the Cty will contact the owner to obtain written permission (Deed of Temporary Construction Easement). Also, the Cty will show WWCA the plans as they are developed. One facet of this project is likely to be construction of a relief storm drain . Timelines are uncertain—possibly in 12-18 months.

NEWS ABOUT NEIGHBORS

MR. JERRY HILL, OWNER OF HILL’S NURSERY PASSED AWAY NOV. 30, 2003 AT 87.

The Hill’s loved plants and trees and their customers loved and respected Mr. Hill and his wife Helen. The Hills have operated one of the most prominent nurseries and landscaping businesses in the Washington area since 1939. There were written up in the August 14th, 2000 Washington Post (reprinted in the Oct. 2000 What-all). The focus was on Hill’s nursery’s outstanding work for many important figures in the region. Mr. Hill is survived by his wife Helen, son Linden and a daughter-Ann. Mr. Hill was born on Jan. 24th, 1917. The picture below is from the Aug. 14th, 2000

AN ARTICLE FROM THE MAY 1982 WHAT-ALL:

“HILL’S NURSERY: A GOOD NEIGHBOR FOR OVER 40 YEARS”

The article was based on a talk by Mr. Hill at the April 14th, 1981 Civic Association meeting.

“Sorry it took so long, but here are a few notes on Jerry Hill and his nursery, from a talk to the Association on April 14th, 1981. As some of you know, Mr. Hill can walk through WWCA and tell you the history of many of the shrubs he has installed to beautify landscapes. Mr. Hill was a government worker when he bought the property at 18th & Glebe Rd in 1939. He soon had a hobby of growing camellias. He did not then envision a business, or as Mr. Hill termed it—“an art or profession”. People were not that interested in landscaping in the Arlington of the early 1940s. They would plant a few forsythia, or arbor vitae, grow a little garden and raise a few chickens. Today, he and his wife have the nursery at 18th & Glebe plus a 36 acre farm and sales place on Rte 7 the other side of Tyson’s corner—used to supply stock for landscaping.

Mr. Hill works “a very enjoyable 18 hour day” 7 days a week. He spoke of the nursery business having more than it’s share of pressure –keeping plants and helping customers understand how to take care of plants. (Continued page 7)

PASSING OF MUCH LOVED MR. HILL (Cont.)

He said that he doesn’t have all the answers. Raising plants is an “on-going situation with weather, nature, disease, drainage problems. He mentioned that Bill Anderson at 16th & Abingdon lost camellias he had had for 15-20 years—in the winter of 81. Problems typical to many homes: crowding of shrubs, failure to combine textures properly, too many vertical shrubs chop up the house in segments. Also, lack of mulch, hiding the house in with greenery. On watering, Mr. Hill said that most people have been told to let a hose run for 24 hours, drop by drop, to water a plant. He said that “is making things complicated”. Water a well-mulched plant for one minute. Mulch is essential. Watering most new plants one a week for 2 hours is sufficient. Speaking of his nursery, Mr. Hill said he operated at a loss the first few years. He had a night job. Mrs. Hill worked as a government statistician. “A wife is the best kind of helper a husband can have.” Eventually the business grew to the point where Mrs. Hill resigned her government job to work at the nursery.

Don Bowman (WWCA volunteer who did the Hospice landscape design) commended Mr. Hill on his assistance to the landscaping effort at Hospice (50 percent price reduction) and said: “I hope you stay in the Community forever.” No one knows better than the local nursery the weather and soil conditions.” (Mr. Hill , over the years was very charitable to Arlington institutions etc.)

-Mr. Hill -our residents and your customers, everyday and the rich and famous, will miss you very much. Mr. Hill’s beloved wife Helen and son Linden will

continue on with the business. God bless them.

WELCOME TO NEW NEIGHBORS

1523 N. Buchanan: Brian Leach and Colleen McCullock (Former Frambes residence)

4718 N. 17th St: Matthews Berry and Josh Goldfoot (Former Stuart residence)

4918 N. 14th St: Nicholas Monroe (Former Gilstad residence)

5020 N. 13th St: Patrick Savage and Marnie Ganotis (former Ferder residence)

Christmas delights—local Christmas decorations and lights:

Thank you once again this year to Calvin and Eleanor Marcey, 1610 N. Abingdon for all the effort that went into creating one of the most beautiful decorated homes in the Washington area (as frequently recognized by the press). I can testify we took a mother and her little girl to the Marcey’s yard (They were having a rough Christmas). It made their faces light up with joy for 10 minutes. Also thank you to all the others who did such a beautiful job such as Jim Pebley and Cecile Rogers at 4851 N.16th St and the Veis’ at 1611 N. Edison St. Sorry for those I missed.

EXPERIENCED NANNY AND HOUSEKEEPER: Lives in the neighborhood and is available for child care and housekeeping. Hours flexible. Regular or intermittent. Please call Bereneta @ 703-812-3899. Reference: Holly Wise, 703-351-8012 (evenings before 9 pm).

WAYCROFT-WOODLAWN KNITWITS TO MEET

Interested needle workers can share this joy with neighbors Wed. Jan. 12th, 7-9 pm at the Lee-Harrison Shopping Center Starbucks. Experience not necessary. Info: Mary Beth Mathews, 703-525-1714, marybethmathews@msn.com

AVAILABLE FOR HOUSE CLEANING: Connie Canas. Recommended by Connie Cohen, 16th St (703-528-0547) who says Connie is “so willing, has a great sense of humor and I find working with her very enjoyable. She also has a great deal of common sense.” If interested—please call Connie Canas at 703-979-2985.

MOTHERS OF NORTH ARLINGTON: Holds monthly socials the second Thursday at 10 am at Cherrydale United Methodist Church. Is a supt. gp for mothers who primarily stay home with children or have home-based businesses, or work part time. Meet Jan. 13th. Info: 1-866-248-7670 Ext. 1021.

HOMES SOLD IN WWWCA

From County Real Estate Asssessment data base

--A large number of houses were sold in WWCA since May 04. Here are some.

1317 No. Evergreen ($845,000/house was gutted and rehabbed). 4639 N. 16th St ($549,000); 4649 N. 17th ($650,000); 4912 N. 16th Rd ($589,000); 4712 Washington Blvd ($326,667); 4821 N. 13th St ($627,000); 4906 N. 16th ($950,000, teardown bought by Dittmarr); 5013 N. Washington Blvd ($812,500/infill); 4824 16th Rd. No. ($655,000); 4905 N. 17ths St ($666,500), 4814 N. 13th St ($627,000), 1232 N. Dinwiddie St ($510,000); 4731 N. Washington Blvd ($187,000).

The average price of these 13 homes including the 4906 16th st infill, 13th & Edison rehab etc was $607, 764.

Without the teardown , infill and rehab the average price was $539,016.

The Sun Gazette reported on Dec. 23rd that the average single-family dwelling sold for $607,764 in Arlington in November. “A total of 14 properties changed hands for more than $1 million…up from 3 homes a year before.”

HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOR HOMES AND NEIGHBORHOODS—A WAY TO MODERATE INFILL SIZE?

-Some residents have proposed researching whether it would help our neighborhood avoid some oversized houses to apply for either “Local Historic District” status or placement on the “National Register of Historic Places” or both. This is a likely WWCA meeting topic in 2005.

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COMMENTS FROM MR. MIKE LEVENTHAL, ARLINGTON COUNTY HISTORICAL PRESERVATION COORDINATOR

-Excellent overview

“There are two types of historic districts: One is a local designation and the other is a national designation. They are not mutually exclusive of each other. A historic district can have both types of designation such as the Maywood Local Historic District (in Cherrydale). The national designation comes from a nomination that is accepted by the National Register of Historic Places, a program run by the National Park Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior. This designation has no property owner restrictions with it. A building on the National Register is primarily honorific, but it does serve as one of the requirements for Federal and State Tax Credit Programs dealing with the rehabilitation of historic buildings. For more information on these tax credits you can internet search them at both the National Park Service and the Va Dept. of Historic Resources.

The local designation is conferred by the Arlington County Board. With local designation all exterior changes to a building in the district, save for maintenance items, must be reviewed and approved by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) before being able to secure any building permits (Cont. on page 8)

HISTORIC DISTRICTS (Cont.)

Local Historic District: While the HALRB cannot stop teardowns indefinitely or prohibit new construction, it can slow the process down and make all new construction conform to a more compatible design with the neighborhood. The size of the building is a zoning matter and the HALRB cannot stop that which is allowed by right.

In both cases -national and local designation—the age of the neighborhood is at least 50 years. There are about 15 different criteria that go into analyzing an area to determine if it should be so nominated. Nothing of course can be nominated to either designation without majority support of the neighborhood.”

More on historic districts in the Feb. What-all. Meantime here are some local resident’s comments on the listserv and to the editor:

“May be possible to have both historic designation and preserve property rights”: A 16th St resident said “I look forward to all of us becoming better informed about the historic designation process…May I add that I am a STRONG supporter of personal property rights, but I believe it may be possible to have both historic designation and still preserve property rights>” The resident notes the Maywood community in Cherrydale: “If you drive through the Maywood neighborhood, you will see many recent additions and remodelings, but you will not see any outsized and incongruous McMansions. I think that I can safely say that the Maywood neighborhood has only appreciated in value since their historic designation, and is one of the most sought-after areas to buy a home in No. Va.

Look into historic designation: A 13th St resident had spoke with a member of the Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board (HALRB) and inquired about the procedure for having our neighborhood designated historic. “I understand that the civic association has to formally approve a request for HALRB to review the neighborhood. We should look into the procedure and decide whether there is something WWCA wants to pursue.” Note regards resident approval requirements: WWCA Pres. Hans Bauman said designation as a local historic district “will require at least 50 percent of residents of WWCA to sign a statement, at which point the board will consider it.

A combination of approaches to mitigate against McMansions: A 13th St resident told the editor we do need to research clear distinctions between the two types of historic districts. “As for McMansions, etc., what I do think is that you’ll want to look at a combination of things, lot coverage (reduction) , historic districts, etc.to try and preserve the character of the neighborhood.”

COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION WEBSITE:

http://www.arlington.va/Departments/CPHD/OnsHpHpCoa.aspx

IT’S BEEN AUTOMATED: I was trying to “dis-establish” an old car’s tags at the Commissioner of Revue in Arlington. I was given all those options and re-routed back to a dead line. It got to be funny –ha ha. I somehow think that some automated call systems are a form of purgatory. I did call later and get a live line. Getting a live person is such a treat!

GOOD OLD DAYS IN WWCA & NEARBY

HISTORIC GLEBE HOUSE SOLD TO RESIDENTS OF WAYCROFT-WOODLAWN

Jonathan and Anne Ortmans bought the house in Nov. 2004. It is at 4527 N. 17th St (& Wakefield)

GLEBE HOUSE TOUR IN LATTER JANUARY

There will be a tour to benefit the Arlington Arts Center in one of the last two weekends in January. It is hoped historian James Massey who wrote a detailed book on the house will be available. Will and Ann Webb, former 17th & N. Buchanan St WWCA residents and co-authors of the 2003 book “Colonial Glebe Houses of Virginia” will be at the tour. The tour will be advertised in the Sun Gazette.

A short history of the Glebe House

The house was built on a site purchased by the Episcopal church for a parsonage. The first structure burned in 1808.

The current home was built in the 1850s and in 1860 an octagonal wing was added. “Glebe houses provided a plantation-style home to ministers in the 1700s.” “Today only 10 Glebe houses remain standing in Virginia.” The Glebe House has been burnt out and rebuilt in various portions more than 5 times since the 1700s..” U.S. Attorney Gen. Caleb Cushing owned the home in the 1800s. He served under Pres. Franklin Pierce. The Ortmans have been in close contact with the Arlington Historic Preservation Program office and other Arlington historical organizations. Planned modest changes to the home were approved by the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board. Mr. Ortmans said they have listened carefully to the County and historical officials and he is “pretty pleased at what we have done.”. The National Genealogical Society had been trying to sell the home since 2003. (Cont. page 9)

GLEBE HOUSE (Cont.):

The Genealogical Society was “very conscientious” as to –who- they sold the home to, saving it from developers. The Society had owned the home for 14 years. The July 8th Sun Gazette reported that “A dozen serious people have brought in architects and engineers to the property to see what they can and cannot do. We have already gotten a couple of offers.”

A NOTE FROM JONATHAN AND ANNE ORTMANS—PROUD NEW OWNERS OF GLEBE HOUSE:

“We are honored to have been given the opportunity to be the latest stewards of Glebe House, and so relieved that the National Genealogical Society decided to sell it to us rather than the developers who were exploring building 6 houses on the lot! Coming from England and Boston, we grew up in old houses, and were thrilled at the chance to raise a family in such an historical home complete with a good sized yard. We are both excited about the restoration work we have embarked on to return it to a family home, and the potential to develop the gardens. So far the hardest part for us as gardeners has been to watch the removal of the dead and dying trees which were threatening the home and sadly had to go. (While we have plans to plant nearly 25 new trees, it was a shame that cabling and other techniques were simply not enough to save them.) Short of replacing the existing kitchen extension however, with the excellent counsel and guidance from the State of Virginia and Arlington County, I am pleased to say we have devised a plan that will enable us to restore and save the remainder of the House along with the historical features inside.

We know this is going to be a great place to live from the fact that the community has already been so welcoming and supportive of our efforts.”

Happy New Year , Jonathan and Anne Ortmans

From the Dec. 1976 What-all

AN EARLY 1900s HISTORY OF THE AREA WEST OF WWCA INCLUDING TORRESON’S FARM

On Dec. 15th 1974, Margaret Evelyn Wright, former resident of Brown’s Bend Rd (Now 16th St) near Westover, made an oral history tape for the Zonta Club of Arlington

Preface: Before 16th St was paved in about the early 1940s, it was known as Brown’s Bend Rd, for a storied man who lived at the Bend where 16th St now turns into Lexington. Just to the south , near what is now Reed School, a Mr. Torreson had a farm. Near Waycroft-Woodlawn, on George Mason Drive, across from George Mason Center was the Basil Hall House. It was burned down by rebels in the Civil War. Capt. Hall gave part of his land to the freedmen and slaves (Hall’s Hill—now High View Park). The yellow house now across from the George Mason Center was built after the first house burned (Editor: This house was torn down in July 01 to make way for 12 houses—Tara Manor.) The following are Mrs. Wright’s memories from the tape.

On a 1900s map 16th St was called Lubber Rd. “Mr. Hall had this land, and all that hill up there belonged to him, so he sold the lots out there for 60 cents an acre or something like that and people could buy as much as they could and my mother and father bought a piece of land down there on 16th St. The Hall place was sold to Mr. Gilead Hunt, who lived in the District and used it as a summer home. Our place…adjoined Torreson’s farm and the railroad (trolley?) went up there. You could get off at Mr. Torreson’s stop and go through the cow pasture if you weren’t afraid of cows and bulls. (Questioner: At that time were the colored people living in the 16th St area?). That’s all that lived there and there was a piece of land that was kind of a circle like and they called it Brown’s Bend. You know, when we lived out this way we called Washington “town”. We went to Washington every Saturday.

We used to walk down there (to DC) to school, to the Wormley School across Key Bridge on Bank St. Torreson’s woods was back of us and then Lacey’s Woods was down a little further (east). (Editor: Remember Civil War Union Major Lacey built the big house at 14th & Evergreen; he could see Washington from the upstairs.) Mr. Torreson had a farm , horses and a mare and the mare was lame and he just kept the mare to bear children and he loaned my father a horse and buggy anytime he had to go to the hospital (Emergency Hospital on 15th St in DC; now Washington Hospital Center). (Editor: Mrs. Wright said her husband was seriously injured in quarry dynamite accident on the Potomac.) Mr. Torreson was a little fellow…had a red beard that came down to about here…He had a lot of cows and pigs and he raised everything. Reed School is where his barn used to be. Regarding segregation on trolleys: If three seats were taken you were supposed to go no further up, but rather stood in the back. Church camp meeting grounds on Glebe Rd—this side of Lee Hwy: This was up where the Glebe Theatre was, then a Rustler Steak House (Editor: now a credit union). There used to be a camp meeting over there in the woods near Glebe Rd. They had an altar and seats and then they had tables, in the open. There might have been some tents there. They used to cook and serve meals and they had these services. It would be about a week or 10 days I guess. You could stay for a whole day or a week. Down on Brown’s Bend Road my mother’s sister had a well and we used her well and we brought water in buckets and put it in a barrel. Boys used to play ball games on holidays near where McDonalds is on Lee Hwy. The boys and girls used to walk up and down the road on Sunday afternoon. The boys would be behind and the girls would be in front. The boys and girls would meet. “ (Thank you Mrs. Wright)

HUNT FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE ASSOCIATED WITH WOODLAWN ELEMENTARY (1941-1969)

WOODLAWN ELEMENTARY HISTORY NIGHT IN THE SPRING:

Here are some names I have of former parents/students at Woodlawn which was open from 1941 to 1969. If you have more please call or e-mail Ben Bullock, 703-528-7362, benandann@juno.com .

Parents: Edith Black, Nate & Connie Cohen, Dean and Connie Allard, Alberta Abel, Dan Dinan, Ann Blackston, Margaret Bouschka, Adele Jenney.

Students: Kim Roll, Lawrence Devron, Candy Gerstein, Linden Hill, Joyce Chandler, Harold Heffler, Elizabeth Tait, Joe Brainer, Stickney family, and Doug Eastridge.

GRAND OPENING OF THE RENOVATED AND EXPANDED GLEBE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

The grand opening will be on Wed. Feb. 2nd at 10 am.

Snow date: Wed. Feb. 9th.