Missing Middle housing in Clarendon from 2003! Under the pending “missing middle” law, townhouses such as those pictured above would only be permitted in groups of three. by BeyondDC licensed under Creative Commons.

In March, Arlington could go forward with a zoning change that will allow more types of homes, such as a duplex, a row of three townhouses, or small apartment or condo buildings for up to six units, in the majority of the county where today you can only build a single-family house. These new housing types will seamlessly fit into the neighborhoods. Maximum building height, footprint, lot coverage, and minimum setbacks would be the same as for single-family homes. Here’s why the County Board should approve it, and how you can show your support.

The Arlington Missing Middle Housing Study, which formally kicked off in the Fall of 2020, is nearing the final vote of adoption. In January, the Arlington County Board authorized a “Request to Advertise” (RTA) for the Missing Middle Draft Zoning Text. In March, the County Board will vote on the new amendments that will expand housing options in the portions of the County that currently only allow single-family homes. There are a range of options still up for deliberation. Key options include maximum units per site, the minimum site area, parking requirements, and an annual development cap on the number of sites. Up to eight units per site was being considered since the study began, however the County Board passed a motion to limit the maximum of six units per site in the RTA.

While there has been much debate on this subject, it is clear that legalizing missing middle housing across the county will provide a net benefit for Arlington and the DC region as a whole. The expanded housing options will end exclusionary zoning, which has its origins in racial segregation, allow denser development that is more sustainable and less polluting than suburban sprawl, and allow for homes that fit more sizes and types of families, all while being more attainable. Organizations that support the Missing Middle housing proposal include the YIMBYs of NoVA (with which I volunteer), the Arlington Branch of the NAACP, the Sierra Club Potomac River Group, Virginia Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement (VOICE), the League of Women Voters Arlington/Alexandria Chapter, the Alliance for Housing Solutions, and more.

According to Zillow, the median price for the 131 new currently for sale single family homes in Arlington is $2.3 million. New missing middle housing units will be significantly more affordable, with prices ranging from $520,000-$670,000 for a unit in a 6-plex to $1.1 to $1.4 million for a unit in a side by side duplex. According to Arlington County, the minimum income needed for a unit in a 6-plex is $108,000 to $118,000. A unit in a 6-plex would be obtainable for a 3-person household with the area median income of $128,000.

Image by Alliance for Housing Solutions used with permission.

There have been concerns about how modest increases in housing will affect vehicle traffic and congestion, but they will help Arlington continue its path in reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT), a measure of how much the entire county is driving.

According to the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), from 2004 to 2021, Arlington’s average daily VMT is down 43% on primary roads like Glebe Road and Wilson Boulevard, 17% on interstate highway roads and 14% on secondary roads which are local neighborhood streets.This is incredible considering that Arlington’s population grew by 26% over that time period. Even pre-pandemic there were large declines in VMT.

Arlington is located in a core part of the DC metro area. Almost any development in a central location is likely to generate less automobile travel than even the best-designed, compact, mixed-use development in a remote location. The infill development in Arlington’s single family only neighborhoods will produce very modest density increases and provide great opportunities to decrease VMT, even if the developments are not significant enough to make these areas more walkable. The most remote neighborhoods in Arlington are still within a 30-minute bike ride to one of the two amenity rich transit corridors in the county. Additionally, each new missing middle housing unit will generate a lower VMT than the status quo alternative which is a new single family dwelling.

Arlington is well suited to accommodate more people and homes. In order to reduce traffic and congestion in the region, we must build housing where we already have the infrastructure in place. We should build housing closer to the places where people want to be and in areas that enable people to utilize other modes of transportation besides driving a car. The county is investing $3.9 billion over the next decade to enable long-term prosperity for existing and future residents. Providing additional housing opportunities in Arlington and other core localities is much better compared to the alternative of clear cutting forests and paving over farms in Prince William, Loudoun, and beyond.

It’s time for the County Board to enact the most expansive missing middle housing zoning reform to provide the maximum benefit for all. That means that the County Board should adopt options 2A, 5C, and 7B. Option 2A allows 6-plexes on any lot in the county that meet the zoning district’s minimum size. Option 5C allows for sites with no parking mandates within a transit proximate location. Option 7B does not limit the total number of permits for sites. It’s time to allow for more housing choice and diversity while generating less traffic on our roads.

There are multiple ways to make your voice heard to support this initiative.

Jason grew up in Springfield, Virginia, and now lives by the Courthouse Metro Station in Arlington. He is a full-time Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree candidate at the Virginia Tech National Capital Region campus. He previously worked for 6 years at Cummins and GE Power in manufacturing engineering, warehouse operations, and lean process improvement. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. Jason loves exploring the built environment and has visited over 90 metropolitan areas across the country.