Evening star., 1951-11-13
Found
ToNeed Industry
As Tax Source
Hoyt Survey Urges
County to Stimulate
Commercial Building


Commercial Building
Commercial and industrial de-
velopment of Arlington must be
encouraged because revenue from
single-family homes does not meet
the cost Of services they require,
according to the Homer Hoyt sur
vey of the county.
Apartment units just barely
yield enough to cover their costs to
the county," the report says.
The survey was ordered by the
County Board. A summary is ex-
pected to be released later this
week.
The surveyors reached this con-
clusion: 1.-THE average apartment
yields $87 in taxes and cost the
county $81, producing a slight sur
plus of Sc. 80. The average house.
including duplexes. yields $125 in
taxes and costs $155 for services.
thereby incurring a deficit Of $50
annually"
Basis Of Computation.
The self-supporting status of
apartments is reached in the Hoyt
study by charging them with the
cost Of educating only the chill
dren living in apartments. The
researchers do not assign apart
ments a proportionate share of
education costs based on the to-
tai population of apartments
compared with the total popula-
ton in other types of housing.
Although the number Of apart
ment units is about four-fifths
the number of single-family and
other type dwellings, the report
assesses only about one-fourth of
the total school costs against the
apartments. This is because the
apartments contain only about
one-fourth Of the total school-age
population.
The report makes it clear. how
ever, that apartments do not nav
their share Of the total cost of
education when the total popula-
ton OF apartments is compared
with the total population of other
types Of housing.
Figures Compared.
In 1850. according to the report,
apartment units had an average
of OPT child of school age COM
pared with 0.594 child for each
|single-family home.
The total number of children of
school age in apartments was 24.5
per cent of the total number of
children in that age group, COM
pared with 64.5 per cent in single
family homes. Allocating school
costs on this basis. apartment
taxes which average $87 per unit
yield a surplus Of Sc to the county.
Each Of the single-family homes,
the Hoyt survey estimates, costs
the county about $40 more a year
than 1t pays in taxes.
In 1850, there were 12,187
school-age children In 20,476 sin
gle-family homes and 4.549 In
16.903 apartment units.
Between 1888 and the end of
1850 the number Of dwelling units
of all types increased nearly six
times. but the number of apart
ment units multiplied by 100.
Large Gain Expected.
The report predicts a "very
large gain in revenues" to the
county from the new Hecht Co.,
Kann's and other stores in the
same areas.
The present retail business IL
cenSe tax rate of IL cents per
500 sales volume is termed Eek
tremely low"
The survey predicts that the
increased revenue will bring a
handsome margin Of profit to the
county. Part of this, however,
must be used to improve access
highways and parking areas "that
alone make it possible for the
expected increase in retail busi-
ness to take place."
Now is the time to act on these
improvements, the report says,
when the buying public is form
ing its opinion as to the new
stores now being constructed. It
will be hard to overcome q neg
ative reaction resulting from traf-
nc jams and inability to park"
A proposed $740, 900 bond issue
to set UP three parking areas in
Clarendon was defeated on No
vember 6.
Considering all sources Of COM
mercial revenue, the report esti-
mates that, "by 1860 Arlington
could receive a net income every
year from its commercial prop
erty Of over 100000. BY 1880
Arlington County might obtain
over $1.2 million annually as net,
surplus revenue above the costs of
county services, from commercial
property"