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BOE trims Filmore Gardens assessment after owner appeal, board sets $115.2347M value
Summary
After hearing management and county testimony about income, expenses and capital needs, the Arlington BOE voted 4‑1 to reduce Filmore Gardens' 2026 assessment to $115,234,700, citing actual income and expense reporting.
Keith Glidden, representing property owner Scott Management, appealed the 2026 assessment for Filmore Gardens, a 559‑unit garden‑style multifamily community on South Walter Reed Drive, arguing that assessed income exceeds actual performance and that rising taxes and deferred capital needs threaten operations. "Real estate taxes increasing by 14.9% directly and adversely affect our affordability of the homes and stresses the available funds for continued operations, maintenance, and improvements," he said, and asked the BOE to lower the assessed value from about $116.1 million to $108.9 million based on the property's 2025 operating income and occupancy.
County appraiser Miss Shuttlesworth told the board that an inspection in March 2026 found 35% of units fully renovated, 25% in original condition and 40% partially updated. The county's tested projections used a stabilized 4% vacancy and a tested operating expense ratio near 34%, and the appraiser said county EGI projections were conservative compared with historical increases.
Board members pressed both sides on vacancy drivers, concessions tied to employee apartments and looming capital projects (roofs, waterproofing, plumbing, HVAC, sidewalks and paving). Several board members produced alternative calculations; Mr. Mendes moved to reduce the assessment using the actual 2025 column E income and expense figures. The motion to set the 2026 assessment at $115,234,700 carried 4‑1, with Mr. Pace opposed.
The BOE's decision replaces the county's assessed value for this parcel for the 2026 tax year. The board flagged continued monitoring of 2026 performance for possible future adjustments.
