In October 2014, a total of twenty-one (21) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. Eighteen were for single-family homes. Three of the permits were re-applications from previous months. There were no permits for commercial property.

North Arlington accounted for all but one of the permits. Two of the homes are in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District (1818 North Monroe Street and 1713 North Taylor Street) and one each in the Lyon Village National Register Historic District (1704 North Harvard Street) and Aurora Highlands National Register Historic District (638 19th Street South).

Fourteen of the 18 single-family demolition permits are for speculative developments. One of the homes (4210 Washington Boulevard) is part of an Arlington County Board approved redevelopment.

Totals for 2014

Homes: 146
– 29 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 95 are speculative developments (owned by developers)

Commercial buildings: 16

The looming demolition of these houses and buildings represents an incredible loss of history, architecture, time, energy, and materials. Many had the potential for renovation and additions or, at a bare minimum, reclamation/reuse of building materials. These buildings are often replaced with new construction that is out of scale and proportion to the community. Preservation Arlington urges citizens to adopt Local Historic District designations for their communities, with standards for design, height, and placement that could be customized to reflect community needs while still allowing reinvestment to occur.

Similarly, if you are a property owner and are contemplating a change to your property, Preservation Arlington encourages you to work with your architect or builder to consider how some or all of your house or building could be incorporated into a renovation, or the materials reused.