Barcroft Neighborhood Conservation Plan
Summary
A History of Barcroft
The Plan opens with a History of Barcroft, tracing the development
of the neighborhood from its 19th century mill and homes to the
first subdivision over 100 years ago, and then to its current
mix of single-family homes with a border of apartments, townhouses
and business properties.
Neighborhood Goals
The Plan lists 11 worthy goals beginning with preserving the neighborhood's
essential character as an area of single-family homes and ending
with encouraging neighborhood spirit and the open, friendly relations
between neighbors that make Barcroft a fine place to live.
Land Use and Zoning
This section highlights Barcroft's determination to maintain the
core area of the neighborhood as detached single-family housing
and to discourage infill development. The most important element
of this Plan is the statement that the neighborhood strongly prefers
to maintain its current housing density and preserve the atmosphere
of space and greenery it now enjoys. Barcroft actively supports
neighborhood use of parkland on the Arlington Hall site. The
Plan asks the County to designate unopened street rights-of-way
along Four Mile Run (through Glencarlyn Park) as trails.
Transportation
This section is primarily devoted to Barcroft's traffic problems.
The Plan recommends that cut-through traffic be contained on
major arterials by facilitating free-flowing traffic movement
on those main streets rather than by restricting the neighborhood's
own internal movements. It details problems of speeding and cut-through
traffic and requests the County's help in dealing with them, including
better enforcement of speed limits. It recommends modifications
to a number of intersections to improve pedestrian and vehicular
safety, but rejects the use of nubs, speed bumps and street narrowing.
The Plan notes that Barcroft needs good access to and across
the major arterial streets that border the neighborhood. It requests
installation of an off-ramp from westbound Arlington Boulevard
at North Henderson Road, and better enforcement of parking regulations.
It recommends widening 8th Street South between South Stafford
Street and South Taylor Street. The neighborhood requests improvement
of safety at the intersection of Columbia Pike and South Buchanan
Street. Barcroft residents need and want to preserve convenient
access to Arlington Forest Shopping Center. The neighborhood
is concerned about the new Arlington Hall traffic patterns. Barcroft
asks that the Paratransit Plan be implemented and that good metrobus
service to metrorail stations be maintained.
Capital Improvements
The Plan recommends that curbs, gutters and sidewalks be constructed
where missing, particularly on the County property along South
Pershing Drive and on several streets used by school children.
It identifies 18 locations where sidewalk repairs are now needed,
and recommends that the County provide more frequent routine sidewalk
maintenance. The Plan supports the installation of curb ramps
for wheelchairs. It identifies drainage problems and areas
where street lighting is inadequate. It recommends that
lighting be installed on the Washington and Old Dominion (W&OD)
Trail along Four Mile Run.
Parks and Recreation
The Plan outlines recommendations for parkland within the Arlington
Hall redevelopment, including a neighborhood park and a usable
bicycle trail to the Thomas Jefferson Community Center. The Plan
recommends that the County purchase a vacant site from Virginia
Power, improve neglected County property on South Pershing Drive
and improve Barcroft's pedestrian access to Glencarlyn Park along
Four Mile Run. It recommends that the W&OD Trail along Four
Mile Run be widened.
Community Services
This section welcomes the renovation of Barcroft School. The
Plan recommends adding several streets to the snow removal plan.
It calls for support of rehabilitation of affordable housing
at the Buchanan Gardens Apartments, and asks for removal of trash
on County property on South Pershing Drive.
Beautification
The Plan recommends that two County properties on South Pershing
Drive and Columbia Pike be attractively landscaped, and that the
appearance of the Arlington Hall site be improved as soon as possible.
It asks that the County consider some type of ordinance
or program to protect Arlington's more notable trees from destruction
by developers. The Plan notes that placing utilities underground
would be the single most effective measure to beautify the neighborhood.
Barcroft requests neighborhood signs in two locations and asks
the County to control erosion along Columbia Pike.
Commercial Development
The neighborhood welcomes the extension of Columbia Pike revitalization
plans to Barcroft. It recommends encouragement of low-density
redevelopment with a better mix of needed services and retail
establishments. The neighborhood would oppose conversion of commercial
areas on the Pike to residential use.
Historic Preservation
This section notes the possible eligibility of all or part of
the neighborhood for designation as a Neighborhood Historic District,
but concludes that Barcroft needs to explore this subject further.
The Plan recommends that individual homeowners with eligible
houses seek Historic District designation. It notes that the
Barcroft Community House may be eligible for designation as a
State landmark and for placement on the National Register of Historic
Sites.
For a copy of the full plan, with many pages of text, photos, maps and more, send an
email to the Webmaster with your street address
and we will drop one off to you.
Here is our neighborhood Census Data, including apartments.
This page was revised on: July 28, 2004.
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