HUD Raps Parker-Gray DecisionPRINT EDITION | Subscribe to  
                  SEARCH: 
                  NewsWebTop 20 E-mailed Articles






       
       


            Start a New Search | Previous Results 



             Printer Friendly 






            HUD Raps Parker-Gray Decision
            Report Finds Bias In Alexandria Action
            [FINAL Edition]



            The Washington Post (pre-1997 Fulltext) - Washington, D.C. 
            Author:Caryle Murphy
            Date:Jan 15, 1988
            Start Page:c.03
            Section:METRO
            Text Word Count:495



             Full Text (495 words)



            Copyright The Washington Post Company Jan 15, 1988
            Federal housing officials have concluded that Alexandria's 1984 
            decision designating the black neighborhood of Parker-Gray a 
            historic district "was specifically intended to displace low- and 
            moderate-income blacks," from their homes, according to a document 
            released yesterday.
            This was among the findings reached by investigators of the U.S. 
            Department of Housing and Urban Development looking into a formal 
            complaint to the agency from some Parker-Gray residents.
            The law "can only be read as a `green light' to developers that the 
            time has now come to `renew' Parker-Gray in the same manner as the 
            originial Old and Historic District, and that they will have the 
            tacit support of the city in doing so," the summary said.
            The report noted that the refurbishment of Old Town in the last two 
            decades has displaced many low- and moderate-income blacks.
            Those findings, reached in late 1986, appear to support claims by 
            the Parker-Gray residents that their neighborhood, one of the city's 
            oldest black areas, is jeopardized by city policies.
            Last month, HUD dropped its efforts to resolve the dispute between 
            city officials and the Parker-Gray residents, saying they were 
            "administratively closing the case . . . as an unsuccessful 
            conciliation." The residents were free to pursue their grievances in 
            court, HUD said.
            Alexandria Mayor James P. Moran Jr. declined to comment yesterday on 
            the findings, saying he had not read them and citing the possibility 
            of legal action by the Parker-Gray residents, organized as the 16th 
            Census Tract Crisis Committee.
            Attorneys for the committee could not be reached for comment 
            yesterday.
            "I don't think it was the intent of council to discriminate against 
            families in that area," City Manager Vola Lawson said. Its action 
            was aimed at "discouraging people from buying up land for commercial 
            development and preserving {Parker-Gray} as a residential area," she 
            added.
            Lawson noted that some black residents supported the council's 
            action.
            One of the criticisms of opponents was that, as a historic district, 
            residents in Parker-Gray faced added costs for home improvements 
            because they had to meet requirements of an architectural review 
            board.
            But Lawson said Parker-Gray residents with incomes less than $30,500 
            are eligible for grants up to $30,000 for home improvements to help 
            offset those added costs.
            The HUD report said that city officials had enough information 
            before their 1984 action to foresee its effect. That included census 
            data, an opinion by the city's planning department that the law 
            would have a disruptive effect on longtime Parker-Gray residents and 
            the city's recent experience in Old Town, where development forced 
            displacement of many blacks.
            "It appears that the {creation of the historic district and the 
            city's} development plans were specifically intended to displace 
            low- and moderate-income blacks, along with others from the 16th 
            Census Tract, in order to upgrade properties {and} . . . to promote 
            the rise of property values and attraction of new residents," the 
            report said.
            Other, less drastic means could have been used by the city, the 
            report said, to preserve the "few buildings . . . to be protected."
            Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further 
            reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission. 

            About the Archive | Pricing | Account & Purchases | Help | Terms of 
            Service 

       
       


            SEARCH: 
            NewsWebTop 20 E-mailed Articles

      © Copyright 1996-2006 The Washington Post Company  |  User Agreement and 
      Privacy Policy  |  Rights and Permissions  |  Home
      washingtonpost.com: Contact Us | About Us | Work at washingtonpost.com | 
      Advertise | Media Center | Site Index | Site Map | Archives
      E-mail Newsletters | RSS Feeds | Wireless Access | Our headlines on your 
      site | Make Us Your Homepage | mywashingtonpost.com 
      The Washington Post: Subscribe | Subscriber Services | Advertise | 
      Electronic Edition | Online Photo Store 
      The Washington Post Company: Information | Other Post Co. Websites