LEGALIZE them

Board To Consider Housing Law Change
Arlington Connection
Jul 16, 2008
David Schultz
http://www.connectionnewspapers.com/article.asp? article=317393&paper=60&cat=104
THE ARLINGTON COUNTY Board is leaning toward approving a change in local housing laws that would allow rental units in single-family homes, according to interviews with all five Board Members conducted last week.

This weekend, the Board is scheduled to take up the controversial measure, which would legalize what are known as accessory dwelling units. Accessory dwelling units are basements, attics, guest rooms or other parts of homes that can be rented to private parties.

Many homeowners vehemently oppose the measure, saying that it will cause overcrowding in their neighborhoods and that the measure is impossible to enforce.

“They’re trying to shove this down our throats,” Arlington Ridge resident Chick Walter said.

A petition urging the all-Democratic County Board to keep accessory dwellings illegal has collected more than 400 signatures as of press time. And the Planning Commission, which advises the County Board and whose members were appointed by the Board, did not recommend approving the measure.

Board Members Jay Fisette and Barbara Favola both said that they were inclined to vote for the measure. Board Members Walter Tejada and Chris Zimmerman said they were waiting until this weekend’s hearing to make their final judgments on the issue.

But Tejada, the Chairman of the Board, has made the consideration of the accessory dwelling issue one of his main priorities this year. “We are going to try to make accessory building units within the County ordinance,” Tejada said in an interview conducted at the beginning of this year.

Zimmerman also expressed interest in legalization of accessory dwellings, saying “I’m very interested in it. We have to look at every opportunity to expand housing.” Favola also said she believed that Zimmerman would vote for the measure. Board Member Mary Hynes refused to comment for this story, saying “I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”

FAVOLA said that she is leaning towards supporting legalization because it will increase the amount of affordable housing in the community without causing an adverse impact on single-family neighborhoods.

“I believe it is a proposal that can be implemented with careful monitoring that will prove to be not as scary as some neighbors think it will be,” she said. “I think people don’t like the idea that something is changing in single-family neighborhoods.”

Favola also said there would be very few accessory dwellings in Arlington because the measure being considered this weekend contains many restrictions on which homes will be allowed to have them.

For Fisette, making accessory dwelling units legal in Arlington would allow the County to keep tabs on them.

“There are some number of illegal accessory dwellings in the community now,” he said. “You never know how safely they’re created. If, over time, you have a legal path then … you will be able to ensure that they are meeting the safety codes.”

MANY HOMEOWNERS are skeptical of this claim, however. They are concerned that legalizing accessory dwellings will lead to a flood of overcrowded houses and they doubt the County’s ability to regulate this deluge.

At the more than four-dozen public meetings held on this topic, residents have said that the County should crack down on another housing issue, overcrowded houses that currently exist.

“[Homeowners have] knocked their heads against the wall to get the enforcement done,” Civic Federation President Larry Mayer said. “A lot of people want to see it actually work before they’re willing to consider this.”

The consideration of this proposal for accessory dwellings has also raised awareness of overcrowded houses in Arlington.

Shahriar Amiri, Arlington’s chief building inspection official, said that his office received 56 complaints of overcrowding from 2005 to 2007. In the last three months, however, the County has already received 65 complaints.

“People are more willing to come to talk to us,” Amiri said. “We expect that [number] to go up.”

Quoted: FAVOLA said that she is leaning towards supporting legalization because it will increase the amount of affordable housing in the community without causing an adverse impact on single-family neighborhoods.

If the welfare state were removed, I'd have no problem legalizing all of them, shame, because many do want to work for a better life, its those that come to exploit a system that shouldn't exist that I have a problem with.

Quoted: If the welfare state were removed, I'd have no problem legalizing all of them, shame, because many do want to work for a better life, its those that come to exploit a system that shouldn't exist that I have a problem with.

Yeah, many want to work for a better life
but, many of them are really just criminals

The problem is that there are sooo many of them
If they hadn't been pouring over the border for the
last ten years at a rate of approx a million a year it
would not be nearly the problem that it is and will be

Sounds like the "Board" wants to turn certain areas into the Texas version of the slums of Calcutta.

Can't wait for this idea to catch on down here in the bastion of South Florida Liberal thinking, Broward County..

Quoted: If the welfare state were removed, I'd have no problem legalizing all of them, shame, because many do want to work for a better life, its those that come to exploit a system that shouldn't exist that I have a problem with.

But there is already a path to that -- it is eing short-circuited by massive "family reunification"fraud.  Yet something else Bush hasn't bothered to fix.

Ohhhh boy the HOA's will have hardons if that happened here in Florida.

They are criminals once they jump over the fence

That makes perfect sense.

Lets accommodate the illegals.

LET ME TELL YOU WHY I LIKE THE IDEA. Arlington County Virginia, just across the river from DC is a hot bed of high income DEMOCRAPS with Obama signs on every block. These ass holes deserve it. They vote for any left wing idea that comes along and make fun of Republicans & Libertarians in the local news rag. Zwillow the houses in North Arlington and remember they are all hard left Democraps who work on Capital Hill and the Federal Agencies. Maybe living with some third world citizens will teach them we may not be all just the same after all.  

FAVOLA said that she is leaning towards supporting legalization because it will increase the amount of affordable housing in the community without causing an adverse impact on single-family neighborhoods.

<Rant On>

Mother fucking thunder cunt of a fucking god damned bitch!!! Fuck her with a fucking god damned rough cut telephone pole!!!

Without causing an adverse impact on single-family neighborhoods? Who are they kidding? It's illegal right now and it has a very immediate very negative impact on neighborhoods were it isn't stopped as soon as it starts.

The law against it is largely ignored right now. The ONLY time it is enforced is when honest law abiding tax paying citizens bust their ass to MAKE some .gov flunky get off their ass and do their job.

What do they think will happen if they eliminate the only real recourse we have when fighting the invasion of our Palestine's, our own Hun army?

Good Fucking God Almighty!!!

Do we really as a nation want our cities to look like Mexico City?

Do we really want slums stretching out to the horizon in every direction? Can you imagine the nightmare of having your once nice neighborhood suddenly swarming with the equivalent population of a small city? People stacked to the rafters like firewood, hot bunking on mattresses spread over every flea invested inch of floor space, 50 ba-gizzillion cars parked in every yard until they get around to paving over the grass since it's all been killed anyway, 50 gazillion radios blaring 24x7 in an exuberant celebration of their vibrant culture, 50 gazillion little nose pickers running around wearing diapers packed to over flowing with 3 day old feces running down their legs, man o man talk about the gang problem when you have that many teenagers in one area whose parents have done nothing but get drunk, beat the kids, and screw on the couch to make more welfare bringing babies, man what a site 50 bazillion teenagers running around thinking it's normal to get drunk and high and rape, rob, and kill for fun.

Whahoo!!!

Talk about making our current inner city slums look like paradise by comparision.

Someone needs to remove that woman from public office.

This pandering to illegals must stop!

Quoted: If the welfare state were removed, I'd have no problem legalizing all of them, shame, because many do want to work for a better life, its those that come to exploit a system that shouldn't exist that I have a problem with.

Yeah, pretty much.

Quoted: Quoted: FAVOLA said that she is leaning towards supporting legalization because it will increase the amount of affordable housing in the community without causing an adverse impact on single-family neighborhoods.

+ uno...

Fucking idiot  

bumped for no particular reason.

Anybody else notice that "Favola" is only one letter away from "Favela"?

Quoted: LET ME TELL YOU WHY I LIKE THE IDEA. Arlington County Virginia, just across the river from DC is a hot bed of high income DEMOCRAPS with Obama signs on every block. These ass holes deserve it. They vote for any left wing idea that comes along and make fun of Republicans & Libertarians in the local news rag. ...

QFT

Quoted: If the welfare state were removed, I'd have no problem legalizing all of them, shame, because many do want to work for a better life, its those that come to exploit a system that shouldn't exist that I have a problem with.

Come to Los Angeles and tell me that's what you want for your children's future.

Funny, that same problem is rampant in the ATL, some of the burbs (Roswell) have enacted legislation to prevent mass crowding of single family dwellings like apartments. The are making illegal just the sort of thing that the article you posted are trying to legalize.

It's real easy to pick out the rental's around here. They have 4 work trucks in the driveway and 3-5 other cars parked in the yard in various states of disrepair. Don't forget the beer bottles and trash in the yard either.

Not too long ago I had a house for rent, I had 6 males, 4 females and 5 kids show up one time to ask about renting it. He asked me how many bedrooms, I said "three with one adult per bedroom allowed". He went and asked me how many people the garage would hold.

Good, let the tax re-assessments begin, and then let the fire marshall inspect

Quoted: If the welfare state were removed, I'd have no problem legalizing all of them, shame, because many do want to work for a better life, its those that come to exploit a system that shouldn't exist that I have a problem with.

They want to work for cash and pay for their groceries with WIC, use the ER as their primary health care source, that legally cannot deny anyone treatment and over burden the property tax/school system by have 17 children living in one house that is assessed for one family.

My MIL lives in GA and her county refuses to enforce those regs in her some areas including her neighborhood.  On her culdesac there are her house, one vacant house, one 3 BR house with 3 families of at least 4 people each and one 3 BR house with 4 families of at least 4 people in each family.  That last house has 6 cars in the driveway and 6 in the culdesac.  You don't drive around the loop there - during the day you do a 3 point turn, at night you do a 5 point turn.  Up the street all the driveways are filled, cars are bumper to bumper on both sides of the street and bumper to bumper on the sidewalks most of the way.

Oh, and before anyone says it, the majority of the yards are not mowed.  Some of them are high enough that I wouldn't walk in them without my boots and snake chaps.

My MIL kind of wishes that her street had joined the HOA that's in the rest of the neighborhood because the area under the HOA doesn't have that problem.  I guess there is some good even in HOAs.

I recommend they do NOT pass this.

This guy has an idea of how to clear out those houses.

This is why it is important to become part of your community leadership and get on a board, commission, etc. because our enemies sure as hell are doing it.

Quoted: This is why it is important to become part of your community leadership and get on a board, commission, etc. because our enemies sure as hell are doing it.

Ain't that the truth

Quoted: Quoted: LET ME TELL YOU WHY I LIKE THE IDEA. Arlington County Virginia, just across the river from DC is a hot bed of high income DEMOCRAPS with Obama signs on every block. These ass holes deserve it. They vote for any left wing idea that comes along and make fun of Republicans & Libertarians in the local news rag. ... QFT

My thoughts, too.  Let them experience the consequences of their liberalism.

They try that shit up here too.  You've gotta make lots of calls, get lots of homeowners to call, email and write those SOB's who want to allow that crap.  If it happens, that area will go down the toilet for sure.

Its the only strength the illegals have, is to buy a house then rent to about a dozen or so people, thats how they afford to pay the high mortgage.  It happened in my area, and LOTS of pissed off neighbors BOMBARDED the city, police and anyone else you could thing of with angry calls.  Eventually, the illegals got so much heat from their "GROUP HOUSING" as it is politely called, that they couldnt rent out to so many, then they couldnt make their payments.  So now we have two empty homes on the block. HOORAY for the common citizen.  I wish you luck in your area.

It's a damn shame that so many elected officals in this country represent lawbreakers and illegal aliens rather than the interests of the legitimate American taxpayer.

Somethings got to give.

Passed, even though their Citizens overwhelmingly objected to the proposal, go figure

Accessory Units Win 4-1 County Board Approval
Arlington, Virginia Sun Gazette
July 19, 2008
SCOTT McCAFFREY
http://www.sungazette.net/articles/2008/07/21/arlington/news/nws09.txt
County Board members on July 19 voted 4-1 to support a scaled-back proposal that will legalize accessory-dwelling apartment units in single-family neighborhoods, but caps the number of units that can be approved each year.

The vote wrapped up an often cantankerous, six-month community debate, and came at the tail end of a seven-hour hearing in which critics of the accessory-dwelling proposal significantly outnumbered proponents.

That lopsided ratio of opponents to supporters may have been the key factor why board members agreed to limit the number of accessory units approved each year to just 28. The number was chosen because it has long been the government's rather loose estimate of how many homeowners will come forward each year to seek to create accessory units.

“The purpose of the cap is to contain an explosion in new units,” said County Board member Chris Zimmerman. He called the measure “a very cautious proposal.”

“It isn't that ambitious,” Zimmerman said.

The annual limit would apply only to homeowners who want to create new accessory apartments in their homes. Those who currently have such units, many operating illegally, will be able apply for legal status outside of the cap's limits.

“We want those who might be illegal to come out of the shadows and into compliance,” County Board Chairman Walter Tejada said.

Proponents of the accessory-dwelling proposal say it will help provide more housing options, and may help homeowners financially. But Mary Hynes, the lone County Board member to vote against the plan, said the proposal wouldn't achieve the objectives of supporters.

“It's too random to be smart growth,” Hynes said of the units. “I don't think they're likely to contribute in any meaningful way to our affordable-housing needs.”

Local residents will be able to begin applying for permits needed to create accessory units in January. Because of the cost of creating self-contained apartments in homes, and the complexity of regulations, County Manager Ron Carlee said he did not anticipate a rush of applications.

“I don't see an onslaught,” Carlee said. “I'd be surprised if people will be lining up at the door.”

The County Board's action on July 19 essentially approved Carlee's recommendations, with a few modifications.

Accessory units will be limited to the interiors of single-family homes, and in general can be no larger than 750 square feet. They must be fully self-contained, with a separate entrance, kitchen and sleeping area. One or two people could live in them.

In another last-minute addition, board members required that anyone applying for a permit to operate an accessory unit must have owned and lived in the home for at least a year.

Since the accessory-dwelling proposal was first floated by the government's Housing Commission in January, it has received decidedly mixed reviews.

Even County Board-appointed advisory panels had trouble with the proposal: the Planning Commission could not reach consensus and offered no recommendation, while the Neighborhood Conservation Advisory Commission voted overwhelmingly to reject the idea. Housing Commission members, by contrast, voiced disappointment that their original plan had been watered down significantly through months of community input.

The Arlington County Civic Federation was opposed to the measure, as were most civic associations that took a stand on it. The Arlington County Republican Committee attempted to organize a protest prior to the board meeting, though the effort fell somewhat flat.

Critics say the accessory-dwelling proposal essentially ends single-family zoning in Arlington, putting homeowners at risk of deteriorating neighborhoods and falling housing prices. Critics also contend that the county government has done an abysmal job enforcing current rules, leading to hundreds, perhaps thousands, of illegal accessory units countywide.

Carolyn Connell, an Arlington resident and local Realtor, said she was “baffled” as to why the board was moving forward in the face of such opposition.

“This is not good for Arlington,” said Connell, who termed the proposal “radical, sweeping change.”

Christina Moore told board members she had never felt the need to attend a board meeting during her 30 years in Arlington, until this proposal came forward.

“The County Board and county staff are out of step with me and my values,” Moore said.

Robert Adamson, a long-time Realtor and county resident, said critics of the plan represented “a bastion of sanity fighting our own local government.”

“I don't see a burning housing crisis - there is plenty of available housing,” said Adamson, who pleaded with county officials to listen to the “stunned majority” that opposed the concept.

But supporters said the proposal, on balance, was a good one.

“It will benefit the elderly, students and young professionals - it's going to be good for everyone, I believe,” said Sharon Williams, who backed the idea.

Bill Braswell, another supporter, said critics were caught up in “the fear of the unknown and the fear of change.”

“The [county] staff have done just a phenomenal job of listening,” Braswell said.

County officials say they understand the frustration of residents angry at lax code-enforcement efforts of the past.

“We need to change the way we do business,” said Susan Bell, director of the government's Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development.

As part of the proposal, homeowners would be required to live in the home, would have to agree to annual inspections and cooperate with government agencies if complaints are received. Those who don't cooperate could see their accessory-unit permits revoked.

Under the new rules, about 20 percent of the county's 28,000 single-family homes sit on lots that are too small to accommodate accessory units.

Still unknown is whether the new rules will entice those with illegal accessory units to do the paperwork and make changes necessary to bring them into compliance. Bringing a patchwork accessory unit up to current code standards could cost upwards of $100,000, some housing officials estimated.

While the County Board, and community, was deeply split over the accessory-unit proposal, there was neary unanimity in support of a related proposal, which updates rules for “caregiver suites.”

Such units would be similar to accessory units, but, as the name implies, are designed for those who provide assistance to homeowners and family members. County Board members approved a measure that would allow up two two people to live in caregiver suites within a single-family home.

County Board members also unanimously paved the way for civil fines to be levied against those who break housing rules.

This represents a super bowl for infectious diseases.

Quoted: Anybody else notice that "Favola" is only one letter away from "Favela"?

No irony there....

Quoted: <Rant On>

9.5, and 100% true to boot