In December there were a total of twenty-one demolition permits applied for in Arlington County. One was for a commercial property in National Landing and one for a County building to make way for a new park. The remaining were nineteen were single family homes. All but one of the homes were in North Arlington. 70% of the permits are for speculative projects. In comparison, last December there were 7 demolition permits for single family homes. December demolition permits have range from the 2019 low of 7 to the high this year of 20.

Only two homes this month are located in the National Register Historic districts:

– 3123 Key Boulevard is in the Lyon Village National Register Historic District; – 620 21st Street South is in the Aurora Highlands National Register Historic District

Totals for 2020
Homes: 134
– 30 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 84 are speculative developments (owned by developers)
Garden Apartments: 0
Commercial Buildings: 8
Other Structures: 4
Civic Buildings: 3

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.

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