In the Media
At Glen Ridge Commons, a Fresh Shot at ‘Normalcy’
November 11, 2006 The Washington Post
By Susan Straight
At Glen Ridge Commons, A Fresh Shot at 'Normalcy' Just over a year ago, Anthony Taplin was looking forward to his junior year at Edna Karr High School in the Algiers neighborhood of New Orleans.
He had a close group of friends he had known all his life and they had plans for how they would enjoy their last two years of high school before heading off to college. Hurricane Katrina changed all that.
Anthony, 17, his brother Ashton, 11, and their parents, Anthony and Vonda evacuated the city just before the storm hit. They eventually made their way from storm-ravaged New Orleans through two temporary living situations and finally to stability at Glen Ridge Commons in Woodbridge.
KSI Services Inc., a Fairfax County company that owns and runs apartments around the region, offered 11 free units in six counties to storm victims. Those included a three-bedroom apartment for the Taplins at Glen Ridge, a garden-style complex built in 1997.
KSI waived the application fees and security deposit and provided the apartment to the Taplins rent-free for nine months. It also gave them temporary furniture, Flexcar use, groceries and American Express gift cards to replace possessions lost to the storm, said Karen Kossow, assistant vice president of sales and marketing.
"It eased our minds" after the terrible chaos of the storm and upheaval of their lives, the elder Anthony Taplin said. "At Christmas, they took care of our kids. They were beautiful."
The Taplins needed all the help they could get. Because they had left in a hurry for what they thought was a short evacuation, they had taken little with them. "We'd never planned on relocating," Vonda said.
"We weren't looking for handouts," her husband added. "We were just looking for time to make decisions." Among them: where and how to find work; care for their children; and whether to return to the city where their families had lived for generations.
Not having the burden of trying to pay rent on a retail salary helped, he said. "We knew we had to get to a place where we could get some sense of normalcy for our kids."
Ultimately, the Taplins were among the lucky ones -- they had a safe place to call home near family in Dale City and a house in New Orleans that suffered only wind damage.
Still, much was wiped out -- not only Vonda's childhood neighborhood in the Ninth Ward but also the locations of their jobs: the high school where Anthony was a special-education teacher and the hospital where Vonda worked in administration.
"The school was destroyed," Anthony said. With no jobs and few prospects, the Taplins headed north to Dale City where Vonda's sister had moved with her now-retired Marine husband. "People asked us why we went so far," Vonda said, but the presence of family meant crucial support. They contacted social services and were matched with KSI for an apartment unit. Anthony enrolled in Hylton High School and Ashton started at Beville Middle School.
The Taplins moved into Glen Ridge Commons in September 2005. They are the only family out of the 11 families KSI assisted who still reside in their new community.
In July, they were financially solvent enough to qualify for a two-bedroom unit and begin paying rent. All the units at Glen Ridge are designated "affordable" -- for those making no more than 50 percent or 60 percent of the area's median income. For a single person, this means an annual income of $26,400 to $37,920. A household of four people may earn $26,400 to $54,180.
Glen Ridge's buildings are surrounded by trees and isolated from the traffic of busy Prince William Parkway a few blocks away. The landscaping also includes small shrubs, hearty pansies and well-tended grass. Parking is plentiful and free. Pet-walking stations encourage pet owners to keep the grass and sidewalks clean. There are no restrictions on pet weight -- maximum two pets per unit -- but breeds considered dangerous are not allowed.
Glen Ridge's 140 units are in 12 three-story buildings on nine acres. Residents can choose two- or three-bedroom units with 1 1/2 or two bathrooms. They range in size from 872 to 1,101 square feet. Monthly rents are $877 to $1,239.
The community has an active schedule for residents, including regular parties, holiday gift wrapping and special projects such as a food drive in which residents help a local homeless shelter, said Cathy Sample, property manager.
Dorothy Kashk moved to Glen Ridge from Rhode Island last year and said she likes the many activities at the community. "They have a lot for the children," including movie nights and basketball. Her grandson, 15, often visits and has made friends with children who live there.
"The kids are very respectful around here. There's quite a few kids here," she said.
Kashk would take advantage of more activities for older residents. "They don't have too much for the elderly. . . . If they had once-a-week bingo or trips, I would do them," she said.
Overall, her experience has been positive. "If I knew anyone looking for a place, I'd tell them to come here," she said.
Eunice Omole, who lives in a three-bedroom unit, also likes the community activities. Her daughters have attended movie nights, pool parties and seasonal parties such as Halloween festivities. She also likes the full-size washing machine and clothes dryer in her unit, in their own closet off the kitchen. "I like the fact that I have my own washroom and can wash whenever I want," she said.
Most of all, Omole relishes the relative peace and quiet of the setting. "I love the area because of the tranquility," she said.