A nearly century-old house in Arlington, Virginia, has sparked a dispute between a family and their county government.
The house, located at 1802 Columbia Pike and built in 1929, has been in Sandra Fortson’s family since the 1950s and is currently owned by her cousin, Karen Newman.
However, after a carbon monoxide leak in the house left Newman with brain damage, Sandra has been appointed conservator of the house and is fighting to save it from demolition.
Arlington County is attempting to invoke eminent domain to acquire the property for traffic and safety improvements.
“(Karen) can’t fight for herself, so I’m fighting for her,” Sandra said. fox 5. “There are very few African-American-owned properties in the neighborhood and they are trying to take this one over.”
The century-old home, located at 1802 Columbia Pike, has been in Sandra Fortson’s family since the 1950s and is currently owned by her cousin, Karen Newman.
“If they offered me a million dollars, I still wouldn’t want to accept the money. I want the house to stay in the family,” Sandra said, emphasizing the historical and sentimental meaning behind the home.
Negotiations have been ongoing for several years, but Sandra maintains that the county’s offer of $620,000 is well below fair market value.
He also highlighted the historical and sentimental significance of the house.
In fact, he told Sandra that the house is priceless.
“If they offered me a million dollars, I still wouldn’t want to take the money. I want the house to stay in the family,” he said.
Dr. Scott Taylor, president of the Black Heritage Museum in Arlington, highlights the disproportionate impact that situations like Sandra’s have on historically black neighborhoods.
“Let’s talk about it because if you have a plan A, there has to be a plan B somewhere where everyone can be satisfied,” he said.
‘This is repeating history. Every time it seems like a project comes up and they have to demolish something, it happens to black residents.’
Sandra said renovations are already underway inside the home and her attorney is preparing legal action ahead of the June 8 deadline set by the county for a title change.
After a carbon monoxide leak in the house left Newman with brain damage, Sandra has been appointed conservator of the house and is fighting to save it from demolition. (Pictured: old photographs of Karen and her family at the home table decades ago)
Negotiations have been ongoing for several years, but Sandra maintains that the county’s offer of $620,000 is well below fair market value. (Pictured: old family portrait with Karen)
He said he also has the support of his neighbors, who sent a letter to the county expressing their opposition to his demolition plan.
Arlington County Board candidate Natalie Roy expressed support for Sandra’s case, echoing Dr. Taylor’s words that there has to be a better solution to the problem.
“This is outrageous,” Roy said. ‘This is a situation where, think about it, where else in the county would this be happening?’ I think the county should quickly reassess, regroup and say we’ve come up with a better plan.’
Arlington County Board President Libby Garvey issued a statement to Fox 5, acknowledging Sandra’s concerns but also standing by her reasoning.
‘The resolution and offer are the procedural steps the County needed to take to keep the possibility of the realigned intersection in play as we continue negotiations with the property owner; “It was not intended to signal the end of all negotiations and conversations,” the statement said.
Arlington County Board President Libby Garvey said in a statement that demolishing the house (pictured) is vital to the ‘Columbia Pike Multimodal Project’ to improve traffic and safety.
Dr. Scott Taylor (pictured), president of the Black Heritage Museum in Arlington, highlights the disproportionate impact that situations like Sandra’s have on historically black neighborhoods.
The statement also maintains that demolishing the house is vital to the ‘Columbia Pike Multimodal Project, which seeks to convert this main thoroughfare into a complete street that balances all modes of travel and supports high-quality, high-frequency transit service in one of Arlington areas. more diverse neighborhoods.”
Garvey also stated that the county has been trying to contact Sandra and work out an appraisal agreement, but they have not received a sub-appraisal.
“The county is committed to exploring as many options as possible to reach a mutually acceptable solution,” the statement concluded.