Read Our Vision
WHO ARE WE?
We represent more than 1,000 Arlington residents who are extremely concerned about the current Pentagon City Sector Plan (the plan) and the RiverHouse site specifically. The RiverHouse site is already the fourth largest apartment complex in the greater Washington D.C. area. Because the plan has been developed without wide and diverse community representation, we launched the RiverHouse Neighbors for Sensible Density petition on December 9, 2021. By December 30, 2021, more than 1,000 of our neighbors signed it online or on paper voicing their strong opposition to the plan.
WHAT IS OUR GOAL?
Inspire the Arlington County Board to seize this moment to innovate instead of relying on the “density for (limited) community benefits” paradigm. By partnering with our new neighbors (Amazon, BID) and exploring new ideas, we can lead the nation in creating a vibrant community while diversifying the housing stock and integrating affordable opportunities for ownership and renting, without reducing the quality of life.
Dense That Makes Sense Priorities
The Proposed Pentagon City Plan from Arlington County’s Pentagon City Planning Study
HOW DID WE GET HERE?
The long-range planning committee on the Pentagon City Sector Plan started on January 22, 2020, the date when the first patient with COVID-19 was identified in the U.S. The plan re-started in September 2020 and continued through the pandemic, which is proving to be one of the biggest challenges of our century affecting our communities, the country, and the globe. The timing and the manner of the engagement shaped its outcomes by excluding the voices of most Arlington residents and thus created a document that does not represent a balanced community perspective.
WHO PARTICIPATED?
The community participation was limited to 12 focus groups (September 2020 – July 2021) and five community workshops (October 2020 – April 2021). Neither of these provided the opportunity for the 22202 community to appropriately engage.
Focus Groups:
18 members
Only Five 22202 residents
Three Community Associations (ARCA, AHCA, and CCCA.)
2 of the 18 focus group members (11%) represented JBG Smith, the developer of the site.
Half of all focus group members represented corporate interests