College grads have always had to crash with their parents or get roomies in major metropolitan areas. A glaring difference between FX and some areas like NY/Phila/Boston is that FX scrapped it's public transportation system and brought us the WO & D. Also, the over developement here has resulted in persons not living in anything that is not new or almost new construction.

I suppose it's what sells newspapers, but I get really annoyed when the Post continues to perpetuate myths such as those Michael Grunwald cites in this article.

Mr. Grunwald equates opposition to certain housing developments with a NIMBYism to affordable housing, citing Metro West and the adjoining Poplar Terrace as examples. In fairness to Mr. Grunwald, he may not be familiar with the details of the controversy, but it was never about an aversion to affordable housing.

In fact, there was huge concern in the community about the LOSS of affordable housing. The area around the Vienna Metro has always been a middle class neighborhood of moderate housing prices. Metro West was designed as a high-end development, not as affordable housing as the article suggests. At the insistence of both the community and the Supervisor, the developer was required to replace all of the moderately-priced houses he destroyed and add a number of additional affordable units - most of which will be age-restricted. But even with an increased density of 2,248 units, only a very small percentage of the total units will be "affordable."

Second, Poplar Terrace, was a no-go from the start. The Planning Commissioner and Supervisor of Providence District were both against the project, but not for the reasons cited. Poplar Terrace is a stable moderate-income neighborhood outside of the Transit Station area. The developer proposed to destroy a neighborhood of moderately-priced single family houses to build a high-density high-priced development.

These are the very neighborhoods where Mr. Grunwald's "riffraff'" live.

Most developers are not interested in building affordable housing - they build a few units as the price of doing business. And, unlike requirements for building single-family housing developments, there is no requirement in Fairfax County for setting aside a percentage of units in multi-family buildings as affordable housing. It is a fallacy to equate density with affordability.

The County is beginning to take some important steps with its Affordable Housing Fund which buys traditionally affordable units in order to maintain the existing supply, but it's a slow and expensive proposition.

The issue of affordability, especially in Fairfax County, is a critical issue and needs to be discussed more fully. Scare tactics such as pictures of Cabrini Green, words like "riffraff", and phrases such as "'the element' that high rises might attract" have no place in this discussion.

A very poor article on an important subject ends up as a vitriolic attack on suburbia and its residents

The author has clearly not read the transit-oriented comprehensive plan which outlines the 25 centers identified for increased density and prefers to rant about snob zoning and imply that traffic congestion is a myth.

His suggestions that we should scrap zoning and take all our lessons from LA is amusing unless you've ever been to LA. If we wanted to live in LA we would - or DC for that matter.

It reads like a manifesto from the NVBIA or something from one of the build-at-all-costs astro-turf/crab-grass groups

His suggestion that renting rather than buying would solve the problem is facile (mode does not impact supply) and his call for a real estate crash shows a complete lack of understanding of basic economics

Can the Post please do a story that kills the myth that high-rise condos equal affordable housing?

Any person who knows anything about construction will tell you that a building's costs skyrocket once the structure extends above three or four stories. Unless there are huge taxpayer subsidies, Fairfax County builders simply cannot afford to construct affordable high-rise condos or apartments. That is especially true when one factors in the price of land in places such as Tysons Corner.

For a live example, check out the website for the Park Crest condos at Tysons Corner. http://www.twoparkcrest.com/home.htm This 19-story building will look nice, but it's not affordable housing. A one-bedroom condo starts at more than $500,000. Adding density to Fairfax County will not result in affordable housing. The economic factors prohibit it.

Great article by Grunwald! It's obvious from the blogs here that the truth hurts for advocates of snob zoning.

Snob zoning has created a housing crisis in Fairfax County, and it is worse than even Grunwald realizes.

The County's antiquated planning and zoning regulations still require 2 acre minimum lot sizes along the Dulles Toll Road near the Hunter Mill interchange.

Older homes on nearby 2 acre lots are already being purchased and torn down to build 3 to 5 million dollar super mansions.

This is fast becoming the ultimate snob zone in Fairfax County.

Recent attempts to halt this land waste for the elite rich and provide more affordable housing were rebuffed by NIMBY snobs who continue to scare the politicians into paralysis.

the apparently bitter 'great article' has it completely wrong and would seem to have some axe to grind - by design the comprehensive plan includes a green belt that seperates tysons and reston - the northern section of the hunter mill road is part of that green belt

its not snob zoning to want some trees and open spaces left in the county and for our roads not to be gridlocked

The majority of established commmunities along the Hunter Mill Road are modest 70's and 80's communities with much of the zoned space given to communal and public uses. In my neighborhood, both parents tend to work, nearly all of the kids use neighborhood schools and most people use the remaining woods and trails. Many of the families are second generation and we have a high density of retired folks and small kids. Hunter Mill Road is already at or beyond capacity.

Only in our dreams are we the elite rich!

We're hard working, tax paying voters and if avaricious land owners and greedy developers get their way and convert fairfax into another LA, we'll just take our skills elsewhere

As discussed at the Hunter Mill Special Study by county staff, there is already planned capacity for 12,000 more homes in the reston-herndon corridor alone and hence no need to increase density along the road. As 'great article' presumably knows, this was the clear consensus of the hundreds of local residents who attended the public meetings in the face of a sustained dirty tricks campaign by developers

Destroying the green belt is neither necessary nor desirable

Fixing the covenants in Reston so that a proper transit-oriented development can occue at Weihle and removing the ADU exemptions on towers are the way to go

ummmm...... I live on less than 2200 sq feet of land. I'd qualify for the County's affordable housing program. I don't know how that qualifies me as an advocate for snob zoning!

My point was that Metro West is not going to bring much affordable housing to the area, and in fact, had destroyed existing moderate housing.

I'm not sure what that has to do with Hunter Mill.....

Over 20 years ago we bought our first piece of real estate and have always lived in a major metropolitan area. Our first two homes were not items that many in FX would consider - a duplex with an owner occupied unit and a 1.5 bath split level that needed work. Stop the whining and move to another state or area. I think a poster resents persons who can afford property on 2 or more "builders " acres. Stop complaining - those people have the same number of kids yet pay more taxes.

50 years ago a visionary named Robert E. Simon got Fairfax County to change the Comprehensive Plan for what was then the largest farm in the county.

Simon wanted to build Reston, a community where different socio-economic groups could live side by side in what was then a largely segregated county.

The land was planned and zoned for a minimum lot size of 2 acres and was part of an agricultural belt around Washington, D.C.

NIMBY's living along Hunter Mill Road protested using the same tired arguments we hear today, but they failed to block the new town.

Reston is a national model for building housing that everyone can afford, and it has plenty of green space too.

Super mansions with pools, tennis courts, multiple garages, and maids quarters on 2 acre lots hardly constitute a "greenbelt" or "open space."

The change that was good for Reston would also be good for the surrounding areas that have yet to be developed with mansions.

Most muggers, purse snatchers, MS-13, and trash like that do not live in upscale housing. Ipso facto, I prefer to be surrounded for miles around by upscale housing. And zoning for same.

To: What elements

Thanks for outing yourself as the ultimate zoning snob.

However, wealth and morality do not equate. Some of the worst "trash" in Fairfax County live on large lots with upscale housing. The next door neighbor of one of the founders of the Hunter Mill Defense League was recently arrested for taking "custodial indecent liberties" with a 13-year-old boy.

See article here:

http://www.timescommunity.com/site/tab5.cfm?newsid=15996484&BRD=2553&PAG=461&dept_id=511693&rfi=6

So much for living in large lot paradise!

Snob zoning has been a major reason that housing has become unaffordable for real working Americans.

Are you possibly a Republican who defends Allen's "Macaca" episode and could care less whether the next generation of real working Americans can afford to live here?

I hardly consider Fairfax to be "upscale housing". Face realty, what you pay 1 million for there would only cost about 200,000k or less in other areas.
In addition, there is a lack of true neighborhood or communities in these hulking highrise or townhome communities.
I feel bad for you.