Too Much Density in Arlington?

Here's a man-bites-dog kind of story - some residents near a proposed 23-story apartment and retail project in Arlington County's celebrated Ballston area are complaining that the project is too much development in the wrong place.

It doesn't sound like the neighbors will prevail, but running into some opposition there is an interesting twist - not sure if it's just NIMBYism or if the county isn't getting the word out on what's coming to transit-oriented development sites like the Ballston-Rosslyn corridor.

Here' are a few graphs from the Washington Post story:

'Neighbors say the development will add to the daily traffic headaches of the 1,000 residents of the small block, which is already home to five residential and office buildings, said Glenn Elliott, president of the Ballston Smart Growth Alliance, a group that represents the residents.

We don't oppose the development of the site," said Elliott, a resident of The Continental at Ballston, a 411-unit condominium high-rise adjacent to the site of the proposed 23-story building. "Our issue is the direct effect it will have on the area, with more congestion and overpopulation. It's important for us that the overall size be kept down."

"The fact that it's tall is a problem that other high-rise tenants have, but they have to realize that it is compliant with the overall plan for the area," said Terry Savela, vice-chair of the county's Planning Commission.'