March brings the start of Spring and the start of construction in Arlington. This March had more applications than any of the last months of March. There were a total of 20 applications for demolition permits. All are for single family homes. In comparison, March 2018 was 11; March 2017 was 13; March 2016 was 16; March 2015 was 16; and, March 2014 was 9.

Single Family: All 20 of the permits were for single-family homes. Three were in South Arlington with the remainder in North Arlington. Ten, or half, are for speculative developments. Eight of the homes are located in a National Register Historic Districts:

• 31 North Jackson Street is in the Ashton Heights Highlands National Register Historic District
• 1106 18th Street South is in the Aurora Highlands National Register Historic District
• 1015 21st Street South is in the Aurora Highlands National Register Historic District
• 4024 20th Street North is in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District
• 1535 North Randolph Street is in the Cherrydale National Register Historic District
• 1412 North Hartford Street is in the Lyon Village National Register Historic District
• 1711 North Edgewood Street is in the Lyon Village National Register Historic District
• 4523 19th Road North is in the Waverly Hills Highlands National Register Historic District

Prices
The March demo applications include three single lot properties which were purchased for over $1 million. In 2018 there were a total of 19 single lot homes which sold for over $1million and were demolished. In 2017 it was 12 single lot homes sold for over $1m. The three in March 2019 are the first for 2019

• 4739 34th Road North (22207) purchased for $1,030,000 in February 2017
• 1412 North Hartford Street (22201) purchased for $1,140,000 in September 2018
• 1711 North Edgewood Street (22201) purchased for $1,501,000 in June 2018

Totals for 2019
Homes: 45
– 13 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 27 are speculative developments (owned by developers)
Garden Apartments: 3
Commercial Buildings: 5
Other Structures: 1
Civic Buildings: 0

The pending demolition of these homes and buildings represents a 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.