'Historic' Cedar Avenue House Stands... For Now

It's official. The decrepit house on Cedar Avenue is a historical landmark and an asset to the Fairfax Triangle community.

But it still might go.

Fairfax City council decided to classify a moldy, vandalized, eyesore house on Cedar Avenue as historic Tuesday night despite the wishes of the Catholic Diocese in Arlington. Still, there's no guarantee the home of John C. Wood, the city's founding mayor, won't be demolished.

"I can't imagine driving down that street and not seeing that house, no matter what condition, on that property," said Mayor Robert Lederer. "The community is not better served by tearing that house down, just as the church and school aren't served by not having a positive relationship with the neighborhood."

A single-family dwelling at 10606 Cedar Ave. remains a sore spot for neighboring residents and the diocese since 2002, at least. That year the diocese purchased the property to house three Paul VI Catholic High School teachers. Five years later two of the three teachers complained they were having adverse reactions to mold they found in the home. Throughout a four-year lawsuit that ended in favor of the diocese (an appeal was denied), the house was maintained as close to the condition it was in when the lawsuit began.

Plagued by vandalism and break-ins, the vacant house was in poor condition until fall 2009, when a pipe broke in the house, flooding the basement all the way up to the first floor level.

"If not for one of our maintenance people happening by I don't know what would have happened, " said Mark Herrmann, chancellor and general counselor for the diocese. "I have visions of the house floating down Fairfax Boulevard to the Potomac."

Estimates to repair the house range from $100,000 to $300,000 with neither the diocese nor city eager to pick up the bill.

"The house has no current use for us. It's a liability and an ongoing expense," said Herrmann. "We are trying to find a way that we can beautify the neighborhood and achieve the best use for this property within the limits of the law."

The diocese approached the council in December asking to expand their athletic complex into part of the residential-designated property at 10606 Cedar Ave., among other special exceptions and zoning variances. Fairfax Triangle residents decried the suggestion, fearing additional encroachment on their community. The council denied the request.

In May 2010, the diocese applied for a demolition permit, Herrmann said. Residents, particularly those in the Fairfax Triangle area, argued that the home was a historical asset to the city and helped keep the character of their neighborhood.

"Our neighborhood is challenged and I think you only need to look at what's happened in our neighborhood in the last two years to see that," said Ellen Brouwer from 10506 Cedar Ave. "We're the only neighborhood in the city that is bordered by three major roadways. In the last two years on our street we've had a house condemned, we've had a murder on our street, we've had a stabbing, we've had numerous issues of domestic violence, we had a robbery this summer, the time is now if it's ever going to be done."

The proposed John C. Wood House Historic Overlay District was outlined to the council at a June meeting. A historic overlay provides additional regulations on what can be done with the property, aimed at preserving the historical value of the site. This particular resolution also required BAR review of exterior alterations and landscaping, and would remain a residential lot. It didn't, however, completely rule out demolition.

Adopted, the new historic overlay provides a last chance to preserve the Wood house. Yet the owner still retains the right to petition the BAR for demolition if they put it up for sale at reasonable price and wait a specific amount of time determined by the value of property, in this case of up to one year.

Constructed circa 1911, the Wood house is one of the only large lot pre-WWI two-story upright and wing houses in the city. It is also part of the Cedar Avenue/Triangle neighborhood, the oldest residential neighborhood in city. Associated with Washington, Arlington, and Falls Church Electric Railroad. It was home of John C. Wood, the first mayor of Fairfax City, from 1959-1994. He helped establish the city in 1961, was influential in the expansion of the jurisdiction and determined the location of George Mason University.

Never before has the house been identified as part of history.

"If this is a historic property, it was historic in 1994 when Mayor John Wood died," said William Foster Jr., planning commission chairman at a Monday night meeting. The planning commission voted 3-2 to not recommend the historical overlay. "I'm having a lot of trouble why 16 years later we're having this fire drill to protect this home when we had 16 years to do it in an orderly and less expensive fashion."

"History is something that happens in one time and eventually the community comes to recognize the significance," said Steven Stombres, councilmember.

Others believe the fate of the house had more to do with the political history between the diocese and the community.

"It has spiraled down and down," said Patrice Winter, former councilmember from 3502 Old Post Road. "It's very obvious that both parties don't play well together. I suggest looking at hiring an arbitrator who takes the principles from both the city and the diocese and puts you in a room with no food, no water and no bathroom breaks. There's no win-win at this juncture."

There were divided opinions on how the two parties handled the issue.

Councilmember Joan Cross cited the diocese's "lies, half-truths and deceptions" while other councilmembers thanked them for their efforts in reaching out to the community. Others slighted the Historic Fairfax Neighborhood Association and residents, while Councilmember David Meyer applauded their endorsement of the "highest principles of civic engagement."

The house gets a stay of execution. But what happens if the house is too far gone to be fixed? Or the repairs are too expensive? What will happen to the property if it is demolished?

Lederer said right before the council approved the motion: "[We need] to be careful what we ask for, because we might just get it."