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May 01, 2008
Charles Anderson of Capital Trade, Inc.: Devoid of Ethics and Integrity Comments (0)
Charles Anderson of Capital Trade
125 Pleasant Street was added to the Vienna Historic District without logical reason AND against the Vienna Planning Commission's recommendation in 1998. Apparently the only reason to be added to the District was Charles Anderson (Capital Trade) desire to be in it. However, Anderson waited for his house to be built BEFORE seeking admission to the District. He avoided the review process that all others must endure. This same property was also removed from the District in 1991. Additionally, it should be noted that this property was put in the District against the wishes of the original owner in 1979.
"...the Commission felt there is a problem with redrawing the District's lines just to take in a single property - instead a group of lots that would create a cleaner boundary. The desire to maintain the integrity of the District's boundary convinced the majority to vote 4-2 to recommend denial of the proposed ordinance. If the ordinance was approved to include just 125 Pleasant Street, NW, the Town creates an anomaly whereby you have one non-included property next door to the Anderson's [125 Pleasant] as an "inholding" in the District. The majority did not want such an irregular boundary." Sydney Verinder, Chair Planning Commission, 1998
"Certain Commissioners were concerned that the Anderson home is a new structure completed in September 1997 and is not historic. There was also some consideration of the fact that the structure was built without the benefit of review by the Historic Board..." Sydney Verinder, Chair Planning Commission, 1998
"It was unfortunately removed from the District at the request of its owner in the late 1980's, perhaps because of its proximity to commercial property and a belief that it, too, could become commercial. However, now that the Andersons have built a handsome house incorporating many historic details from older houses in the District, it is logical and appropriate that it be placed back in the District. It has always belonged there and surely belongs there now." Charles Sloan
Sloan's quote fails to acknowledge that NO "historical details" of the District (whatever that may mean) have EVER been inventoried. There is no objective evidence to say this new house incorporates details from older houses in the District. By this logic if you build a new house and it is deemed "handsome" by some, it should be included in the District. It should be noted that commercial property across the street from 125 Pleasant Street is owned by Charles Sloan.
The Town Council accepted Sloan's logic and rejected their Planning Commission's recommendation.
In Charles Anderson's letter to the Planning Commission dated May 14, 2003 he argues:
"The Windover Heights Historic District is a residential historic district, with no commercially zoned properties within it's boundaries."
The Town Council removed the transitional office building from the District in 1991. Anderson left that fact out of his lobbying effort. Andeson continues:
"Moreover, the pattern of pre-existing development rendered 243 Church Street an unattractive residential location."
Anderson continues:
"A quick review of information on historic districts posted on the internet demonstrates that boundary extensions are a common feature of historic district administration."
The Windover Heights Historic District is supposed to be defined in law. While boundary extension may be common in some random district Anderson found on the internet, it is not part of law in the Town of Vienna.
December 23, 2005
The 'Historic' Office Building Comments (0)
The office building in these 4 pictures (1, 2, 3, 4) in the red outline was in the Windover Heights Historic District from 1979 to 1991. It was built in the District in the early 1980s after the creation of the District. Another fine example of 'preservation'!
For comparison, Laine Hyde's 1995 new house (built and designed by Steve Bukont) is inside the yellow outline on all 4 pictures. Her brand new house is also in the Historic District.
If Hyde's house and that office building could be built in the so-called District, what can't be built? Did a house like Hyde's ever exist in Vienna 100 years ago? Was this the type of house built in 1850's Vienna Mr. Bukont? Or is that roofline a Victorian "flight of fancy" perfectly appropriate with our "carte blanche" District?
December 06, 2005
1985 Boundary Change Request Comments (0)
The first petition to be removed from the District was in 1985. This petition was a direct result of the Town allowing a transitional office building (243 Church Street) to be built in the District next to the petitioner's property:
- Before: 243 Church Street (Rear of 230 Lovers Lane, Laine Hyde, in the distance).
- After: 243 Church Street (Compare light poles with Before picture).
- After: 243 Church Street (Full length).
- After: 243 Church Street (Rear of 222 Lovers Lane in the distance).
- After: 243 Church Street (Precedent setting construction).
This building was never approved by the Windover Heights Historic District review board, but remained in the District until Town Council removed it in 1991. In 1985 Frank Lillis argued to deny the petition:
To take the property out of the historic district would make no sense at all. In addition if the request were approved, how could the Council refuse all the other requests which would surely follow.
Francis Lillis
September 13, 1985
Interestingly, today in 2005 George Lovelace tries to pass off an entirely different explanation for this request to be removed from the District.
December 05, 2005
Guess the Houses in the District Comments (0)
Can you guess which houses are in the Windover Heights Historic District and which are not?
The houses in yellow are in and the houses in red are not in the District. Do these borders make sense to you?
November 28, 2005
Boundary Changes in the District Comments (0)
Boundary from 1979 to 1992
Boundary from 1992 to 1998
Boundary from 1998 to Current
There have been multiple boundary changes in the Windover Heights Historic District.
November 23, 2005
Borders Come and Then They Go Comments (0)
Here is a map of the ever changing borders of the Windover Heights Historic District.
Here is the office building that was in the Historic District for over 10 years - then removed by the Vienna Town Council for reasons still unknown:
The 1990 Petitions Comments (0)
In 1990 nearly half the property owners in the District petitioned to be removed from the District due to inconsistent application of law. Before the Council vote on the removal petition the following statements were issued specifically regarding the Windover Heights Historic District:
"There are 3000 historic districts in the U.S. None have ever been repealed. I am only aware of one property that was ever removed from a historic district. That was in Chicago. It was removed by court order because the property had been damaged to the point where it had no historical character left and could not contribute to the district. What reasons have the petitioners given for removal? None, except wanting out. If you grant this, you will get applications for exemption from the height ordinance and every other ordinance which people perceive affects them adversely. You should also be aware that the removal of any property from the District, effectively repeals it. The Ordinance encompassed an old venerable neighborhood in Vienna called the "Hill". It is a geographical entity. All of the Hill must be included or none. This logic was accepted by the Council in 1979 and is just as valid in 1990."
Charles Sloan
January 16, 1990
More was added to the subject:
"Permitting individual property owners to "opt out" of the historic district simply because they would prefer not to be regulated would undercut not only the effectiveness of the historic district ordinance as a whole, but also the perception that the ordinance is fairly and rationally applied."
Paul Edmondson
National Trust for Historic Preservation
March 15, 1991
In 1991 the Vienna Town Council voted to remove 3 properties (243 Church Street, 125 Pleasant Street and 129 Pleasant Street) from the District. The Council randomly decided to let some owners out, but not others. However, by the logic of Sloan and others above ANYONE should be able to get out of the District if they so desire.
