Arlington County, Virginia

Acknowlegements

The Bellevue Forest Citizens' Association would like to thank the Bellevue Forest residents who put extraordinary time, effort and concern into the formulation of the Bellevue Forest Conservation Plan:

Lynda Carlson

Ken Danforth

Hank McEntee

Douglas Mow

Jacqueline Mow

Sue Nelson

Nick Roth

Kim Smith

Pete Tyler

The Association would also like to thank those who have participated in significant initial editing:

Walter Evans

The Griffen Family

The Micali Family

The Raphael Family

The Association would also like to thank the 163 families who took the time to share not only the most basic information requested in the authorizing survey but also to provide in-depth descriptions of problems and concerns.

Bellevue Forest wishes to acknowledge the work of various historians who have added depth and understanding to our emergence as a strong and vital neighborhood.

Among these are the late historians Eleanor Lee Templeman, a resident of Bellevue Forest until her death, and C.B. Rose, Jr., John F. Weiler of the Pimmit Run Chronicler provided us with an extensive historical chronology, and Jan M. Eakins carefully researched the emergence of suburbs and the architectural history of Bellevue Forest for her Master of Arts in Historic Preservation Degree in 1998 for Goucher College.

Finally, we would like to thank the Arlington County Staff, particularly Chris Nixon, for her tireless efforts and guidance throughout the process.

Executive Summary

The Bellevue Forest Citizens’ Association began exploring the possibility of entering the Neighborhood Conservation Program in the early 1990s. A survey was developed and completed, but because of the general contentment in the neighborhood, languished.

The Bellevue Forest Citizens' Association, motivated in large measure by the Bellevue Forest Garden Club, formed a Steering Committee, met with County NCAC staff, and formally notified Arlington County of its intent to complete a Neighborhood Conservation Plan for the Bellevue Forest area in 2000.

A neighborhood survey was prepared by residents from various areas of Bellevue Forest, and the entire neighborhood was informed of this intent through publications of both the Bellevue Forest Citizens' Association and the Bellevue Forest Garden Club newsletters. Through Bellevue Forest On-Line, Bellevue Forest's e-mail service, recruitment of active participants was again solicited. Neighboring civic association plans were reviewed, as were those in other sectors of the county. Additional input was sought at the Association's Annual Meeting in May of 2001.

Since the planning effort began, the Association has

· Developed a written survey and mailed or hand delivered it to the 415 homes in Bellevue Forest.

· Compiled the survey results and identified public improvement, quality of life, and safety goals.

· Conducted walking/driving surveys of the neighborhood.

· Drafted a plan and made it available to all interested property owners. To insure that all neighbors had the opportunity to review the plans, drafts were situated at various homes throughout the neighborhood and the locations advertised in both the Bellevue Forest newsletter and via e-mail. Since the Association maintains an accurate list of residents in the community and was in its triennial process of updating the Neighborhood Telephone Directory, all households were reached.

· Made available a second draft for final submission to the County.

The plan is intended to guide immediate as well as future development of the neighborhood, to be a living, viable document for current and future improvement recommendations.

Neighborhood Description

Bellevue Forest nestles in northern Arlington County between Military Road and the George Washington Memorial Parkway (overlooking the Potomac River) on the west and east, and Gulf Branch and Donaldson Run and Potomac Overlook Regional Park on its north and south. It consists of exclusively single-family dwellings, 415 homes in all. Among the features most appreciated by its residents are the natural settings, the gentle hills and valleys, its quietness and relative security. Neighbors particularly appreciate the proximity to our four parks where limitless outdoor activities are available, the quality of our local schools, and our reasonable proximity to commercial areas and facilities.

Neighborhood Goals

Bellevue Forest residents are most concerned with preserving and enhancing the quality of life and the natural beauty of the neighborhood.

Recommendations

Project ideas have arisen through a careful assessment of real needs and by gathering the individual ideas and suggestions into one community voice. As such, recommended projects or changes have been developed only where the majority of residents have clearly articulated a desire. All neighbors who would be immediately impacted by any proposed change will be involved in the project development process.

Based on the survey, neighborhood meetings, e-mails, block reviews, and discussions between members and County staff, a list of twenty-one recommendations was developed. The major issues are as follows:

Noise

The problem most frequently identified by neighbors as being a source of concern is the noise, particularly that of aircraft, and to a lesser extent, from the George Washington Parkway. After 11 p.m., Bellevue Forest takes on the cast of a rural area with its quietness and solitude.

Military Road Traffic

Several of Bellevue Forest's families live directly on Military Road. All bus commuters and school children must cross Military Road in order to reach morning bus transportation or to reach our neighborhood elementary, middle and high schools. High speeds, documented through a recent Public Works survey, and a number of accidents make Military Road a barrier to enjoyment of life in Arlington. Although it is classified as a minor arterial, it is still a "neighborhood street" and adversely affects a number of surrounding neighborhoods. Traffic calming on Military Road is a top priority of the community.

Land Use and Zoning

To date, zoning and land use designations have been appropriate. However, because of the size of our lots, neighbors are extremely concerned over in-fill housing, pipe stem development and townhouses. Bellevue Forest expects future development to be in keeping with the existing fabric of our community.

Internal Traffic

While internal traffic is somewhat limited by the design of the neighborhood, speeding is of great concern to our residents, particularly on Pollard Street and Roberts Lane, our longest continuous roads. There are also a number of 3-way intersections that at one time had stop or yield signs. These signs were removed during road repairs and never replaced. A third problem is that many of our streets are "blind". This is the result of rolling hills and sharp curves. These areas present a serious threat to the safety of children, pedestrians, bicyclists and dog walkers. Efforts to reduce speeding cars and improve basic safety of residents and visitors is a priority of many of our residents, especially the residents of these thruways.

Infrastructure

Neighborhood Streets, Curbs, Gutters, Lighting and Sidewalks

The quality of service provided to Bellevue Forest regarding streets has been generally outstanding. The vast majority of curbs and gutters are in good repair, and this report seeks to target those isolated areas where repairs are currently necessary. Some of our drains lack metal bars, which represents a safety hazard, particularly for animals and small children.

Lighting tends to be uneven, with most areas adequately lit and others quite dismal. This is particularly true near the entrances to the parks.

Sidewalks are non-existent in many parts of Bellevue Forest, and the residents in 2002 appear generally content with this state of affairs, with one major exception. A sidewalk is needed on North 31^st Street between Military and Pollard for a number of reasons. Pollard and N. 31^st Street is a blind intersection; it is along the path to a school bus stop (North Pollard and 30^th Road) where at least a dozen children are gathered and returned daily. It is the major route for the Metro bus stop on the other side of Military for all Bellevue Forest residents. The only homeowner whose property faces North 31^st Street wants a sidewalk. A walk is currently preferred on only one side of the street.

Public Safety

While some households were concerned about crime, most consider Bellevue Forest to be a safe community. Vandalism and consumption of alcoholic beverages by teenagers are the most common problems. The neighborhood, however, was the target of a highly skilled silver-thief in the 1980’s, and the transients and con-artists have made their presence felt here. Because of the high number of retired residents, senior fraud is also a source of concern. Another source of concern relate to the parks. Since parks border three sides of the neighborhood, our community is affected by visitors to the area. There are frequent problems with trespassing, littering, drug and alcohol use in the parks. There is no “police patrol” which could reduce these problems. The Forest remains outside the response timeframe of 3 minutes for EMS and Fire Service, to which there appears to be no solution. Police responsiveness to situations in Bellevue Forest has been good as a general rule.

Animals

Animals, both domestic and wild, are a concern to a number of our households. Dogs in particular lead the domestic pack, with concerns focused on barking, loose and menacing dogs, and dog droppings. Among the wild animals, deer and raccoons are frequent visitors to homes, causing concern among approximately 8% of our families.

Beautification and Ambience

Because Bellevue Forest is a woodland community with an active garden club, beautification within the community is not considered necessary. However, a number of residents would appreciate working with the pumping stations to enhance their horticultural landscape.

Our residents who live near Gulf Branch or Donaldson Run pumping stations would like to be assured that odious sewer vapors will not occur on hot summer days.

External Amenities

The covenants originally governing the development of Bellevue Forest ensured that it was strictly and totally a residential community. There are no commercial establishments, parks, schools or other non-housing establishments within the actual boundaries of Bellevue Forest. However, many of the neighbors wished to go on record in support of a wide variety of Arlington services and facilities. Principal among these are the four parks: Potomac Overlook Regional Park, Donaldson Run Nature Area, Zachary Taylor Park, and Gulf Branch Nature Center. Efforts to preserve, protect and enhance these facilities is a major desire of Bellevue Forest residents, and the residents hope and expect that any changes to these facilities would be brought to the neighborhood's attention.

HISTORICAL SUMMARY

Bellevue Forest has had a rich and varied history since pre-Cambrian times. Geological shifting has, in fact, defined much of the history of our neighborhood, limiting both settlement and development.

Our neighborhood was the site of Native American presence from the Paleo-Indian Period (10,000 - 7,000 B.C.) forward. Yet Indian settlements were few, and much of the activity on Bellevue Forest and surrounding lands appears to have been nomadic or temporary in nature.

When Virginia started its march toward settlement, Bellevue Forest lands were part of the vast tracts awarded to faithful subjects of the British monarch, beginning with King Charles II. Bellevue Forest has its origins in three such awards -- to George Mason, to Richard Taylor, and to Lewis Hipkins.

While much of Alexandria and south Arlington were enjoying rapid, and both commercial and residential, development, the area from which Bellevue Forest was carved was largely farmlands and forest. It was not until the mid-1800's that Horatio Reid built a house in what is now Bellevue Forest, and the Simons and Reid families operated a strawberry business. In 1851, Gilbert Vanderwerken acquired the land abutting Military Road to pasture a herd of horses that he used for his omnibuses from Aqueduct Bridge to the Navy Yard.

One notable physical alteration occurred during the Civil War, when, in the fall of 1861, Military Road was built to connect Fort Ethan Allen with Lee Highway, forts to our south, and other strategic locations for the Union forces.

Shortly after the Civil War, a home that would figure prominently in the history of Bellevue Forest was built on Glebe Road. "Bellevue", at 3311 North Glebe Road, was built, in part, of timbers used in the construction of Fort Ethan Allen. The estate extended to the palisades through "a wilderness." The home was owned by Charles and John Grunwell, (the former having been Chairman of the Board of Supervisors and a member of the selection team who chose the current location of the Courthouse).

It was not until 1938 that Bellevue Forest was changed from a primarily "wilderness" area (although several houses had been built since the Civil War) to a neighborhood. On December 23, 1938, the Grunwell brothers filed the first section of a plat for the 120-acre subdivision named Bellevue Forest after their family home. John Grunwell played a principal role in the development, bringing his skills as architect and surveyor to bear.

Bellevue Forest was platted in 18 sections over a period of 20 years. Similar to many post-Depression, pre-world War II subdivisions, it was planned with broad, curvilinear streets. T-intersections and cul-de-sacs were carefully planned. Lot sizes were large, generally between one-third and one-half acre, and because the first sections were built around the natural features, lots are irregularly shaped.

A number of covenants governed the original Bellevue Forest, including limitations on "use of any temporary structures as a “habitation", "lot-line fences", "noxious things", “nuisances to the neighborhood", "farm animals”, "signs and…disturbing noise". No businesses, manufacturing establishments, public entertainment facilities, schools, dance halls, resorts or other public facilities were permitted, and two covenants prohibited apartments. Another covenant sought to govern the streetscape. "No structure shall be built upon or moved onto any lot unless it shall conform to and be in harmony with existing structures in the immediate locality." Lots were originally limited to no less than 6,000 square feet; that number was later increased to 8,000 square feet.

It is believed that the Grunwells made it a policy to file an additional section of the plat only after the majority of lots in the previous section sold. Two more sections were filed close on the heels of the first; Section Two was filed in 1940 and Section Three in 1941. The three plats constituted the first 146 lots in Bellevue Forest. A total of 28 houses were completed before the shortages brought by World War II ground residential construction to a halt.

After the war, the Grunwells formed Bellevue Forest Corporation and hired real estate broker George Mason Green as corporation president and agent. Post-war construction grew gradually: one house in 1946; three in 1947; eight in 1948; nine in 1949; 19 in 1950. Construction accelerated rapidly in the 1950's, with 70 houses being built between 1951 and 1953. The plats for Section Four were filed in 1947 and for Section Five in 1951, for a total of 199 lots. Bellevue Forest Corporation was given decision-making powers previously granted property owners.

While Bellevue Forest was carefully planned, a great deal of latitude was given as to architectural styles. In fact, of the ten styles of homes prevalent nation-wide during its formative period, nine are found in Bellevue Forest.

Beginning in 1954, development patterns changed. Some trees were stripped from lots, and houses with similar facades and plans were built side-by-side. Nearly 150 homes were built between 1954 and 1958. Although they were similar in appearance, they offered the luxuries of the time. It was during this period that Bellevue Forest experienced one of the few documented inconveniences during its development - the blasting of the area between it and the Potomac River to make way for the completion of the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

By 1958, little open land remained in Bellevue Forest. Thirteen houses were constructed between 1959 and 1993. Few vacant lots remain.

Bellevue Forest has changed little over the years. Houses have been enlarged. Homes have been passed down from generation to generation. New families have arrived. A few new styles have been added to the rich architectural panorama. Efforts to depart from single-family homes or to reduce lot size requirements have met with fierce resistance.

Bellevue Forest is rich in history and takes great pride and thrives on its natural setting. In many respects, Bellevue Forest has changed little over the millions of years since its original foundation was laid. It is still hilly, with steep ravines into meandering streams. It is still a forest, and in most cases, houses seem to have been carefully planted among the trees. It is still a neighborhood in which people truly enjoy living.

The full history of Bellevue Forest may be found in the Appendices.

NEIGHBORS AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Bellevue Forest is a stable neighborhood in a somewhat transitional county. While the Neighborhood Conservation survey focused on only the most basic of statistics, anecdotal information is extensive. For census-based demographic information, see Appendix C.

Of the 160 households completing the survey, 21% have lived here for at least 31 years (survey) and a number have lived here since the community began. According to survey responses, 18% have lived here for between 21 and 30 years; 21% between 11 and 20 years; 20% between 6 and 10 years; 20% for less than 1 to 5 years. A survey conducted in 1998 indicated that 17 of the Citizens' Association's past presidents were

still residents of Bellevue Forest. (The Citizens' Association was formed in 1945.)

The ages of our residents reflect not only the longevity of the neighborhood but also its dynamic properties. Under "Age Range of Family Members", we have 22 families reporting children aged 5 or younger; 39 with children in the 5 - 17 range; 23 with young adults between the ages of 18 and 34. The largest group reported family members aged 35 to 64, and the second largest group was composed of members 65 or older. Several of our residents are well into their 80s and 90s.

Bellevue Forest is primarily a community of homeowners. According to the survey responses, 99% own their own homes; 1% rent. Our Neighborhood Directory, published for at least the past decade, confirms this figure, although the census data indicates that the figure is closer to 5%.

Neighbors have structured opportunities in which to get together. In addition to the Citizens' Association's annual meeting, there is an annual Corn Roast and 4th of July Parade (weather permitting). Quincy Street has a yearly block party. When Halloween falls on a weekend, a party is held for the children. The Garden Club, organized in 1968 and a veritable institution in Bellevue Forest, meets monthly September through May. Our neighboring Church of the Covenant fulfills the function of "community center" for all indoor events, given the lack of one within Bellevue Forest; Potomac Overlook Regional Park has made its facilities available to us for major outdoor events. Each year, in December, Bellevue Forest hosts a "Holiday Lights" event whereby decorated homes can be honored for their creativity in a variety of categories.

Communications within Bellevue Forest are facilitated in several ways. A periodic newsletter is sent to all households advising them of major issues within the community and of all events. Bellevue Forest On-Line links over 25% of our households for much more frequent updates on news and needs and makes available to interested neighbors other on-line publications, including the newsletters of the Civic Federation, the

Arlington County Public Schools, the Police Department, and communications from the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, among others. It also allows unofficial surveys, notifies residents of meetings and other community-wide events or program offerings, and garners opinions on problems as they arise. Two new features under development are a formal eGroup, which allows residents to communicate with one another quickly, and the development of a web site (www.BellevueForest.org) with links to major organizations within Arlington County. Through e-mail and other sources, neighbors are crafting the content of the web site to insure that it meets the wide array of needs and interests within the community.

Another anecdotal characteristic of the neighborhood is its love of the outdoors. One of the few areas of internal concern is the issue of fencing. The original covenants prohibited the installation of line fencing, and many within the community have suggested reinstatement of that particular covenant. Many of Bellevue Forest's residents consider an unimpeded view of the trees and other plantings to be one of the

neighborhood's most appealing characteristics, and the installation of any structures that negatively affect this are viewed with strong disfavor. Neighbors are also frequent users of all three parks that either abut us or are in close proximity, Gulf Branch, Potomac Overlook, Donaldson Run Nature Area and Zachary Taylor Park. Several have become trained stream monitors to help improve the quality of the waters that run past (and under) us. Residents participate in the ParksWatch program of the Civic Federation and many of the children of Bellevue Forest have been reared on the programs offered by Gulf Branch Nature Center and Potomac Overlook Regional Park. Our children also participate in a wide variety of community programs, including sports, the arts, church groups, and scouting.

The hills of Bellevue Forest provide neighbors with aerobic exercise, and many of them avail themselves of these hills for running, jogging, biking and walking (with and without children and dogs). The milder months give rise to high levels of these activities, and with the change to daylight savings time, special reminders are given that children will be out and about. This is particularly critical given the fact that a number of our sections have no sidewalks and have winding roads with blind spots.

Many of our neighbors are actively involved in the Arlington community. Churches, schools, non-profits and citizens' committees all benefit from the input and concerns of residents of Bellevue Forest. This not only benefits the organizations and topics involved but also helps keep residents informed of a wide array of activities in the

county.

While Bellevue Forest does have problem areas, the survey confirmed that most of these are isolated or involve situations, such as speeding on Military Road, at our boundaries. Many will be handled directly with the agencies that have authority for correcting the situations. Only those most glaring, and with decided safety consequences, will require more wide-scale assistance.

COMMUNITY GOALS

Bellevue Forest residents are most concerned with preserving and enhancing the quality of life and the nature of the physical and natural surroundings in the neighborhood. The most important goals are:

©Preserve the open, uncrowded nature of the neighborhood by restricting pipe stem development and monitoring in-fill development and making certain it is consistent with the surrounding homes;

©Ensure pedestrian and bicycle safety by focusing on areas where sidewalks, curbs and gutters or street lighting may be inadequate or poorly maintained and specifically ensure the safety of children through the creation of a sidewalk between Military and Pollard on 31^st Street and traffic calming and a sidewalk on the Potomac side of Military Road;

©Encourage a neighborhood spirit that will preserve the friendly, open relations between neighbors, ensuring that Bellevue Forest continues to be an attractive place in which to live;

©Ensure the continued existence of the many county amenities that Bellevue Forest residents enjoy, particularly Potomac Overlook Regional Park, Donaldson Run Nature Area, Zachary Taylor Park, and Gulf Branch Nature Center.

NOISE

While living in Bellevue Forest is a treat for the eyes, extraneous sounds are a torture on residents’ ears. When one looks at a map of Arlington County, one can see that National Airport's main runway is aimed almost directly at Bellevue Forest homes. Most residents bought their homes with an understanding of the flight plans and paths. The situation has changed for the vast majority of residents since the events of September 11^th, 2001. More planes are now traveling overhead as a result of actions at the Federal level. These action have resulted in increased noise on landing because of low altitude and flying west of the Potomac River. Take offs using full power are now common, producing more noise. Furthermore, the hours of National were extended beyond 11 p.m. in the evening, and planes are now allowed to awaken us by flying before the original 7 a.m. starting time, and in many cases, as early as 6 a.m. Studies abound describing the adverse effects of noise on human health. Accordingly, aircraft noise is the primary issue that concerns the majority of our residents.

The environment outside our homes is constantly bombarded with jet plane noise, making gardening, walking, or talking to the neighbors an unpleasant experience. The environment inside our homes is not immune either. Spring and fall no longer are opportunities for open windows and enjoyment of the moderate temperatures. Instead, residents must keep them shut, unless they wish to compete with an estimated 65 decibels, as often as once a minute. Despite claims that airlines are flying quieter jets, sleep is no longer uninterrupted in Bellevue Forest. Flights are common as late as 1:45 a.m.

Aircraft thunder is a major community problem. It lowers property values, produces stress, and spoils enjoyment of the surrounding natural areas.

The northeastern section of Bellevue Forest is subject to another noise pollutant, that of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. The trees modulate the sound somewhat when they are leafed out, but most homes north of Roberts Lane and east of Monroe hear the whiz of tires year round.

Recommendation 1: Arlington County government continue its efforts to ensure compliance with existing noise levels; that periodic monitoring of airplane noise be conducted using state-of-the-art technology; that fly-overs, particularly by helicopters of a non-police or military nature, be prosecuted.

Recommendation 2: That studies be conducted to determine additional natural sound reduction techniques along the George Washington Parkway.

LAND USE AND ZONING

Bellevue Forest is solely a residential area, composed of single-family homes. The County has expressed this in two ways, in Zoning Ordinance and in the General Land Use Plan.

In the Zoning Ordinances, Bellevue Forest has two areas with different minimum square footage per house. One section has R-20 houses that must have 20,000 square feet per unit. This designation applies to all houses east of the north segment of Monroe Street, as well as all houses east of 3606 Roberts Lane. R-10 houses in these areas must have 10,000 square feet per unit. This designation covers the rest of the houses in Bellevue Forest and houses which were built before the Zoning Ordinance Categories went into effect. There is also a section in Bellevue Forest, in the area of North Oakland Street and North 30^th, where 40 houses are under a restrictive covenant necessitating lot sizes of no less than 8,000 square feet for additional houses to be built. According to legal opinion, 80% of the affected residents would have to support removal of the covenants for a change to occur.

In the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) the County also describes how land is used. Low Density is the description of Bellevue Forest Lands. This is characterized by 1 to 10 housing units per acre. It should be noted that this is inconsistent with current zoning. Under R-20, there could be only two houses per acre; under R-10, four houses per acre.

We are truly a bedroom community. There are no commercial or other zones in our borders. Nevertheless, there are several issues about which the residents are concerned. In order to focus on the issues, Bellevue Forest's concerns can basically be split into two areas: growth and other issues. The former is a large concern in the survey; the latter is considerably smaller but important to those who raised the concerns.

GROWTH

This topic is important across the metro-area, and we are no exception. We had divided the issue into 7 areas in our survey. It should be noted that this was a concise survey: we do not have in-depth descriptions of all the specific concerns. The survey simply asked respondents to check those areas that concern them. However, when residents were presented with the option called "other, please explain", they replied in their own words. From these responses, we can get a sense of some of the strong feelings.

The residents were very concerned about growth. In various segments of the survey, the respondents stated that they want to preserve open space, maintain current traffic, and preserve the neighborhood. The residents also decried the clear-cutting of trees that has been the hallmark of new construction.

Specific examples will be illustrative. Even though we are zoned for single-family homes, Bellevue Forest recently had someone unsuccessfully attempt to construct townhouses. As a result, this topic was the area that concerned the largest number of respondents. These concerns are intertwined and involve building new homes between or behind existing housing. The pipe stem is distinguished from in-fill in that it has a long driveway to connect it with the street. Both eliminate existing green space, affecting the privacy of the adjacent lands, increasing run-off to the Chesapeake Bay, and adding more car traffic to Bellevue Forest.

Recommendation 3: That the GLUP be amended to reflect current zoning ordinance allowances.

The General Land Use Plan indicates that Bellevue Forest could be converted to less restrictive zoning. Low-residential density has an array of options while Bellevue Forest is almost entirely zoned R-10 according to County maps, with the exception of a small section at the end of Roberts Lane that is zoned R-20. Any effective Conservation Plan should preserve these larger land designations for the foreseeable future.

House Size of New Construction: Many respondents felt that new houses "are too large and out of scale for the neighborhood". The residents also expressed their dislike of the radical departure in style that the new construction displays. Some erroneously believe that County Zoning Ordinances have been avoided by the owners of these unusual structures. In fact, these larger units are built in accordance with the existing rules. BF has not been designated an historical district, so there are only three major criteria to meet: height, distance from the street, and the coverage (how much of the total property is covered by structure). In many parts of Bellevue Forest, there is nothing to prevent similar construction from continuing.*

Referring back to the townhouse issue mentioned earlier, the only document that stopped the new construction was not one that the County generated. Rather, a covenant among the neighbors prevented the new construction. Some neighbors have expressed interest in pursuing this concept to preserve the neighborhood that attracted us when we bought our homes. While the covenants supercede zoning ordinances under the law, the County currently does not enforce Covenants, leaving the expense up to the individual associations rather than having it clearly recorded on plats of record.

Recommendation 4: That covenants be entered into the plat book of record to prohibit construction plans/development beyond what the covenants allow.

Recommendation 5: That the zoning ordinances be adjusted for each neighborhood as a percentage of landmass to ensure that over-development does not occur.

OTHER

This area of concern was a mixture of several perceived violations. Autos garnered many complaints. Residents were concerned with unused cars parked on the street as well as wrecks parked in driveways. Concern was expressed several times about the state of disrepair of certain homes. Woodpiles in front yards and tarped trailers were also noted. The Code Enforcement office (228-3232) is happy to send an inspector to determine if there are violations, if they receive a specific address to check.

__________________________________________________________

*Randomly choosing streets from Bellevue Forest to check the square footage revealed one street on which only 10% of the lots possessed the square footage to support a second housing unit. Another street had 7 of 15 houses that had sufficient space to support, one, two, or in one case, 3 extra houses.

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Bellevue Forest

Neighborhood Conservation Plan

March 2003

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