Arlington County wins court case
Staff Writer
2011-01-04
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Peter Glassman loses his case in the U.S. Court of Appeals. This decision is the latest, and perhaps, final ruling in what has been a six-year legal battle over the land use approval, and now the funding, for the Views at Clarendon affordable housing project. After one early ruling for plaintiffs in the land use case, each decision has been in favor of the County. Throughout this latest litigation, both the District Court and the Fourth Circuit refused numerous requests to enjoin further construction of the project. Construction began in December of 2009 and is now well under way.
"We welcome this decision,” said Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette. “The Court has reaffirmed that the Board’s goal in approving the Views at Clarendon was to provide affordable housing less than one block from a Metro station in the heart of Clarendon.”
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit on Dec. 23 affirmed the Eastern District of Virginia’s dismissal in the case of Peter Glassman v. Arlington County, et. al. The case had attempted to claim that the County violated the constitutions of the United States and Virginia when it loaned funds for an affordable housing project to be located on property at 1210 North Highland Street, formerly owned by the First Baptist Church of Clarendon.