Arlington County is buying its fourth home for stormwater mitigation — this time in Westover, near the neighborhood’s main drag.
The Arlington County Board is set to approve the terms of the purchase, including a price tag of $1.5 million, on Saturday. The home is located at 5840 18th Street N., across the street from Cardinal Elementary School and the Westover Library branch.
This purchase is part of its voluntary property acquisition program targeting homes in the Spout Run watershed, which saw severe flooding during rain storms four years ago. Since agreeing to purchase its first home in March, the county has purchased a total of three — all in the Waverly Hills neighborhood.
The goal is to create “overland relief,” or a safe path for stormwater to flow to a stream or storm drain during large rain events. The county contends the existing stormwater systems and public space are not able to handle floods like those seen in 2019.
The newest acquisition is a stone’s throw from the stormwater detention vault at Cardinal Elementary, which was also a “community-driven project following the devastating losses and impacts to surrounding businesses and homes from the July, 2019 storm event,” according to the county.
The single-family home will be demolished, with viable parts of it salvaged for new purposes, if applicable.
