A couple of Fairfax County's older homes have been put on the list of properties slated for demolition via the Spot Blight Abatement program.

9310 Gunston Cove Road, Lorton VA 22079 (Overhead: http://is.gd/In96)
This stately old home has sat next to Interstate 95 for longer than there was an Interstate, yet the gas station that owns it seems to prefer it in a dilapidated state. Guess it's easer to hit the "Delete" key on the site than to encourage them to preserve it, huh?

9915 Old Colchester Road, Lorton, VA 22079 (Overhead: http://is.gd/Indo)
This 150-year-old home has been in the process of renovation for about 5 years now, when the owner ran out of money to complete the job. The Board's preferred solution is apparently to bulldoze the structure. Nevermind that it's played a large part in the development and history of Gunston Cove (being an old gas station, an old corner store, and all kinds of other things). That's not important in the least, apparently.

11307 Stuart Mill Road, Oakton, VA 22142 (Overhead: http://is.gd/InjW)
Ooooo, look - the mansions next to this hundred-year-old farmhouse are uncomfortable with it. Guess that means it gets to go to the bulldozer too, huh?

To anyone out where who files blight complaints about abandoned old homes like these -- Is your discomfort at the sight of "blight" *really* worth the fact that we're demolishing a piece of our history to make you feel better? Aren't there more constructive ways that we can preserve these properties, rather than lose them forever?

Argh.

That's a shame. THe first one is a really cool house.

In the case of 9310 Gunston Cove I can understand why. Just from the photo
it looks a mess. Perhaps the owner doesnt have the money to renovate or
rebuild. Gas stations have taken a severe hit in income for a couple of years
now as folks are driving less.

9915 Old Colchester Rd. poses the question of how long is this property going
to remain in this condition. Are the property taxes being paid or are they
behind?

1103 Stuart Mill looks like an eyesore. Why isnt the owner keeping up the
maintenance? Properties like these are easy targets for homeless people,
vandals, pyromaniacs, drunks, covert parties, and illegals looking for a place
to hide from their wives when they're too drunk to go home and face an angry
wife or girlfriend.

These properties obviously are not producing as much tax revenue for the
County as the Board would like. I'm sure if these properties were to be
bulldozed, developers would love to buy the property but today's real estate
market isnt exactly what you would call sizzling, although it isnt as bad
in Fairfax County as it is in other areas. If the market should improve,
I'm sure the Board would love to see tax revenues increase so they could
have more money to throw away on useless social welfare programs.

Their next step should be to tear down all the shit apartments that line Route 1.

Furfur Wrote:
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> Their next step should be to tear down all the
> shit apartments that line Route 1.


Nuking Centerville wouldn't be a bad idea either....

There are plenty of people who would love to renovate these houses. Instead, shitsacks are holding on to them and waiting for a big payout so they can be demolished and turned into a 7-11. It's a shame. There was this AWESOME house in Vienna that a friend of mine lived in that got bulldozed to put up a middle eastern market. That was an AWESOME house.

I'm with you, Furfur. I wouldn't mind seeing Stonegate and Laurel Glade demolished.

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Being vague is almost as fun as that other thing.

496 Wrote:
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>
> Nuking Centerville wouldn't be a bad idea
> either....


And then Meadows of Chantilly...

2nd = bout time

+1 Nice reporting bledbetter-

Re: Blighted farmhouses new
Posted by: Melissa ()
Date: May 28, 2009 04:22PM


There are plenty of people who would love to renovate these houses. Instead, shitsacks are holding on to them and waiting for a big payout so they can be demolished and turned into a 7-11. It's a shame. There was this AWESOME house in Vienna that a friend of mine lived in that got bulldozed to put up a middle eastern market. That was an AWESOME house.

I'm with you, Furfur. I wouldn't mind seeing Stonegate and Laurel Glade demolished.

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"I'm a moron!" -- Vince(1)



+1

I'm assuming the county pay demolishing the buildings...does the county take ownership of the land? Or bill the owner for demolition?

The following link addresses blighted properties in Fairfax County.
http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/living/housing/blight/

Please see this link for information regarding Historic Preservation within the county.

http://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpz/historic/

If you want to save the houses start a petition and try to get support from big names. That's how they saved Sully in 1958 (maybe 59? Need to brush up on my dates :P)

What's the risk factor for exploring one of these old houses? I need to get some pictures taken, and one of them might provide the ambience or whatever I'm looking for.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

MrMephisto Wrote:
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> What's the risk factor for exploring one of these
> old houses?
Attachments:

Good thing I'll have all of my guns with me, then. Cuz, you know, that's what us white people do.

But seriously, what's the worst that can happen? Trespassing?

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Usually its just some pre-payable trespassing citation...

If you want to explore an abandoned house, look out for snakes and black widows.

Also, be careful with those old wooden houses...the floors and stairs could be unstable.

I'm not trying to find pirate treasure or skeletons or vandalize the place or anything. I just think it might be a good setting for some pictures.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Well, I don't know how anal Fairfax is, but if you are up for a drive, Richmond and Hopewell is filled with abandoned industrial areas, lots of graffiti, and the local police don't give a shit.

Furfur Wrote:
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> ...Richmond...

Color me paranoid, but I just can't help but think it's a bad idea for a white boy like me to go to Richmond with one other girl and start poking around in graffiti-covered abandoned houses. That really is the stuff of horror movies right there.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

MrMephisto Wrote:
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> I'm not trying to find pirate treasure or
> skeletons or vandalize the place or anything. I
> just think it might be a good setting for some
> pictures.

Be sure and take Vince with you. He could really use some photography lessons.
He seems to be trapped in the macro dimension and cant get out.

Richmond is not as bad as people make it out to be...just don't go out at night, and don't drive an expensive car. :-)

Churchill is great for 19th century houses that have been abandoned for decades.

Oh, and look out for this guy....



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/29/2009 12:44PM by Furfur.
Attachments:

Furfur Wrote:
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> Richmond is not as bad as people make it out to
> be...just don't go out at night, and don't drive
> an expensive car. :-)
>
> Churchill is great for 19th century houses that
> have been abandoned for decades.
>
> Oh, and look out for this guy....

So metal.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

MrMephisto Wrote:
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>>> So metal.



lmfao

Imfao-

Do you have a PIR, PMB or P911?

How old are you, 12?

that Meade shot in front of the faux barn is a true classic.

Too bad it wasn't the back side of the horse.

Fairfax Underground rules - We had this story forever ago:

http://www.chroniclenewspapers.com/articles/2009/07/01/news/news02.txt

:)