In January 2016, a total of thirteen (13) demolition permits were applied for in Arlington County. All were for single-family homes. All but one of the homes were in North Arlington. Four of the home are located in a National Register Historic Districts:

• 1600 North Edgewood, Lyon Village National Register Historic District
• 2033 North Utah Street, Cherrydale National Register Historic District
• 710 North Highland Street, Lyon Park National Register Historic District
• 3626 Vacation Lane, Cherrydale National Register Historic District

Totals for 2016
Homes: 13
– 4 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 7 are speculative developments (owned by developers)

In case you missed it, our end of year report for 2015 was substantial:
Totals for 2015
Homes: 204
– 43 are located in National Register Historic Districts
– 113 are speculative developments (owned by developers)
Commercial buildings: 12
Garden Apartments: 9

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.