Police car at night (file photo courtesy Kevin Wolf)
Arlington County police are on scene at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Cherrydale for a report of a stolen tip jar and a stolen car.
Initial reports suggest that a man swiped the tip jar at the restaurant, located at 3520 Langston Blvd, then hopped into someone else’s car and drove off in the direction of Rosslyn. Police are on scene investigating.
This is at least the second larceny involving a Cherrydale business in as many days.
According to today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report, someone broke into a business and stole tires from 11 cars. The theft happened early Monday morning on the 3900 block of Langston Blvd, an address that seemingly corresponds with the Brown’s Honda dealership.
More below from the ACPD crime report.
LARCENY FROM AUTO (Late), 2023-03200059, 3900 block of Langston Boulevard. At approximately 7:43 a.m. on March 20, police were dispatched to the late report of a larceny from auto. Upon arrival, it was determined between approximately 1:15 a.m. and 3:15 a.m., the unknown suspect(s) forced entry onto a lot of a business, caused property damage and stole tires from 11 vehicles. There are no suspect descriptions. The investigation is ongoing.
Falls Church carjacking suspect (photo courtesy City of Falls Church)
A man accused of going on a days-long assault, vehicle theft and property destruction spree that extended into Arlington is in custody.
City of Falls Church Police said the man, who is uncooperative and has not revealed his name, was arrested Sunday after leaving a multi-jurisdictional trail of injury and destruction in his wake.
The incidents started around lunchtime Friday, when the suspect made a U-turn on the 1200 block of W. Broad Street, near the Beyer Volvo dealership. Driving a Jeep that had earlier been carjacked in Fairfax County, the suspect struck a pedestrian and crashed into several cars, according to police and a surveillance video aired by NBC 4.
The suspect then allegedly ran to a nearby shopping center, where he attacked a man and stole his car.
“Witnesses say the suspect ran into a parking lot, hit an older man over the head and stole his vehicle,” NBC 4 reported.
The suspect subsequently drove into Arlington, according to police, and rear-ended another driver along Langston Blvd.
“At approximately 1:19 p.m. on March 17, police were dispatched to Langston Boulevard at Spout Run Parkway for the report of a hit and run,” Arlington County police spokeswoman Ashley Savage tells ARLnow. “Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was traveling eastbound on Langston Boulevard and slowed to make a turn when she was struck from behind by the suspect vehicle. The driver of the suspect vehicle failed to stop and fled the scene following the crash. No injuries were reported. The investigation is ongoing.”
Falls Church police say the stolen car was later found in Fairfax County. Two days later, the suspect went looking for another car to steal, just blocks from the first crash, police said.
“On Sunday, March 19, at about 3:45 p.m., police responded to the 1000 block of W. Broad St. for report of an assault and attempted carjacking,” Falls Church police said. “One victim was transported to a hospital for non-life threatening injuries.”
Scanner traffic at the time suggested a “severe” assault.
A witness told NBC 4 that the suspect walked up to a man loading his car, slammed him to the ground and tried to take his keys, but good Samaritans intervened and helped lead police to the suspect, who was taken into custody.
“Exact charges are pending, and the man’s name and photo will be released once available,” Falls Church police said.
The full police press release is below.
City of Falls Church Police announced that the individual arrested on Sunday is the same person wanted for a stolen vehicle, carjacking, and hit and run on Friday. Exact charges are pending, and the man’s name and photo will be released once available.
“I want to thank our officers and dispatch who persevered through the numerous incidents,” said Police Chief Mary Gavin. “And a big thank you to the community members who stopped to help the victims and called in tips. The ‘See Something, Say Something’ mantra helped us immensely with this arrest.”
The Rosslyn skyline in the spring (Staff Photo by Jay Westcott)
Arlington County is the second best “city” to live in the U.S., according to a new set of rankings.
The school-and-place ranking website Niche is out with the 2023 edition of its Best Places to Live in America, and Arlington is second only to Cambridge, Massachusetts — home of Harvard and MIT — on the cities list.
“Living in Arlington offers residents an urban feel and most residents rent their homes,” Niche writes about Arlington. “In Arlington there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in Arlington and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in Arlington are highly rated.”
Arlington received “A+” grades for public schools, nightlife, health and fitness, and family friendliness, plus an A for diversity, outdoor activities and commute. It received a B for weather, C+ for housing and a C for cost of living.
Niche puts Arlington’s median home value at $755,800, compared to a national median of $244,900, while the median monthly rent is $2,094 compared to $1,163 nationally.
A press release about the rankings release is below.
March 20, 2023 – PITTSBURGH – Niche, the leading platform connecting students and families with colleges and schools, has just published the 2023 Best Places to Live in America rankings. In the ninth consecutive year that Niche has produced these rankings, 228 cities and 17,932 towns and neighborhoods were included. Millions of people each year use Niche rankings and profiles to help with key life decisions such as where to live and where to go to school.
This year, for the first time ever, Cambridge, Mass., has been named the #1 Best City to Live in America. Chesterbrook, Pa., a neighborhood in the Philadelphia area, keeps its title as the #1 Best Place to Live in America for the fourth year in a row.
Niche creates the annual Best Places to Live rankings by using data from sources such as the U.S. Census, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics and CDC combined with millions of resident reviews. The company considers factors such as affordability, the local housing market, neighborhood diversity, area public schools, walkability and more.
“For almost ten years now, our Best Places to Live rankings have helped people find a new neighborhood to call home based on what matters most to them, whether that’s affordable housing, easy access to amenities or excellent local schools,” said Luke Skurman, CEO and founder of Niche. “We are proud to be a trusted resource for families, homebuyers, professionals and retirees alike in their research. Families wondering about an area’s school district can also use our comprehensive school profiles and rankings to get a feel for their child’s potential school.”
In addition to the national rankings, users can view the Best Places, Suburbs or Neighborhoods to Live rankings by state, metro area or county. Specialized lists include Best for Families, Young Professionals, Homebuyers, Retirees and more.
Board to Address Pickleball Noise — “While pickleball may be popular in Arlington, Virginia, the noise heard by local neighbors continues to be a big point of debate. The Arlington County Board says they’re working on it. At a county board meeting on March 18, chair Christian Dorsey said that they are looking at community pickleball concerns and potential solutions will be presented at their next meeting in April.” [WTOP]
Camp Registration Starts Today — “This year, we are staggering registration by camp provider type — Partner camps and Arlington County Parks & Recreation camps. Registration will be held at noon for all sessions. The summer camp catalog is organized by the new registration categories. Partner Camps: Registration begins Tue., March 21 at noon. Parks & Recreation Camps: Registration begins Tue., March 28 at noon.” [Arlington County]
Swanson MS Named After Byrd Ally — “In Virginia, that combined with hostility toward black voters — the ‘purifying’ of the electorate driven home via newly installed Confederate statues. Byrd’s allies included Gov. Claude Swanson (namesake for an Arlington middle school). When Swanson in 1933 was appointed Navy Secretary, his U.S. Senate seat was given to Harry Byrd, who would occupy it until the mid-1960s.” [Falls Church News-Press]
More Amazon Layoffs — “Amazon will lay off 9,000 more employees in the coming weeks, CEO Andy Jassy said in a memo to staff on Monday. The cuts are on top of the previously announced layoffs that began in November and extended into January. That round totaled more than 18,000 employees, and primarily affected staffers in its retail, devices, recruiting and human resources groups.” [CNBC]
Metro’s Fare Jumping Issue — From NBC 4’s Adam Tuss: “Metro says 13% of all weekday riders on the system recently did not pay the fare. That’s over 41,000 trips per day according to Metro documents. Now the agency is spending $35-40 million on more ‘swinging gate’ faregates to further prevent fare evasion.” [Twitter]
HS Athlete College Commitments — “Many high-school athletes from Arlington recently announced their commitments during letter of intent signing ceremonies to play various sports in college for the 2023-24 season.” [Gazette Leader]
Free Ice Cream Today — “Locally owned ice cream shop, Nicecream, is celebrating their freezing agent liquid nitrogen (-321°F), Nicecream is offering unlimited, free ice cream all day on March 21st.” [Event]
It’s Tuesday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 59 and low of 35. Sunrise at 7:11 am and sunset at 7:22 pm. [Weather.gov]
Arlington County police are investigating a pair of early morning incidents involving guns over the weekend.
The first happened shortly after midnight on Saturday, when a pickup truck driver allegedly ran a red light, nearly struck a pedestrian who was crossing the road, and then brandished a gun during a dispute with the pedestrian.
More, below, from today’s Arlington County Police Department crime report.
BRANDISHING, 2023-03180012, 2nd Street S. at S. Glebe Road. At approximately 12:20 a.m. on March 18, police were dispatched to the report of an attempted robbery. Upon arrival, it was determined the victim was crossing the roadway when the driver of a white pickup truck allegedly ran a red light and almost struck him. A verbal dispute ensued between the victim and suspect, during which the suspect exited the vehicle and brandished a firearm. When the victim called police, the suspect disconnected the call before reentering the vehicle and fleeing the scene. The victim was not injured. The suspect is described as a Hispanic male, approximately 5’3″, 150 pounds, approximately 30-40 years old, with short black hair and a mustache, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and blue jeans. The investigation is ongoing.
Also in the crime report, police are investigating an early morning Sunday incident in which the passenger of a car allegedly fired gunshots into the air near the county sewage plant along S. Glebe Road.
SHOTS FIRED, 2023-03190050, S. Glebe Road at S. Hayes Street. At approximately 3:20 a.m. on March 19, police were dispatched to the report of shots heard. Upon arrival, it was determined a witness was walking in the area when he observed the passenger of a passing vehicle discharge a firearm into the air. Responding officers recovered evidence in the roadway confirming shots had been fired. Officers canvassed the area for any injuries or property damage yielding negative results. The suspect vehicle is described as a white sedan with heavily-tinted windows. The investigation is ongoing.
Participants in an outdoor painting workshop (photo via Cristian Torres/George Mason University)
With Arlington getting some warmer weather, George Mason University is opening up the plaza of its Arlington campus to a series of free activities and events.
The weekly programs are hosted at Mason Square Plaza at 3383 Fairfax Drive, in Virginia Square. The weekly events started today (Monday) and are scheduled to continue through May 12.
In addition to the pre-scheduled events, the plaza also offers public amenities like cart of board games and a cart of art supplies available Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-7 p.m.
The marquee event this week is Music on the Plaza. The event is basically what it says on the tin, with local cover band Collective performing at Mason Square on Friday, March 24, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Other upcoming events include:
CreativiTEA(Every Monday from noon to 1 p.m.): A crafting workshop with weekly activities ranging from rock painting to poetry and Star Wars-themed Bingo
Outdoor Yoga with Mind the Mat (Every Monday from 5-6 p.m. and Wednesday from 6-7 p.m.): A yoga class. Attendees must bring their own yoga mat and water bottle.
People of Mason Square(Every Tuesday from noon to 1 p.m.): A weekly interview session with “a different personality of Mason Square”
Mason Square Market(Every Tuesday from 2-6 p.m.): A small, locally-sourced marketplace with fresh produce and other goods
Tuesday Dance Party with Ferocity Dance(Every Tuesday from 6-7 p.m.): All levels of dance experience and all ages are invited to a weekly hour-long dance class, with types of dance ranching from merengue to swing
Zumba Power Hour(Every Wednesday from 9-10 a.m.): A cardio dance class; all ages, fitness levels and abilities are welcome
Tiny Stage(Every Wednesday at noon and every Thursday from 5-6 p.m.): A twice-weekly acoustic music session in the plaza, with attendees encouraged to relax and enjoy the music
Beyond Bullet Points (Every Thursday from noon to 12:45 p.m.): A weekly gathering that invites “bright scholars, local thinkers, and change-makers to share what they are doing, researching, and dreaming”
Barry’s Bootcamp (Every Thursday from 6-7 p.m.): A high-intensity workout. All levels are welcome, all that’s required is a yoga mat and a water bottle.
The proposed changes to Pentagon Centre against the backdrop of Amazon’s second headquarters (via Arlington County)
The two phases of the redevelopments envisioned for Pentagon Centre (via Arlington County)
Buildings envisioned to replace Pentagon Centre, compared to nearby redevelopments (via Arlington County)
Buildings envisioned to replace Pentagon Centre, compared to nearby redevelopments (via Arlington County)
The open space and ‘green ribbons’ envisioned when Pentagon Centre is redeveloped (via Arlington County)
Envisioned redevelopments of Pentagon Centre and its surroundings (via Arlington County)
The current Pentagon Centre in Pentagon City (via Google Maps)
The current Pentagon Centre in Pentagon City (via Google Maps)
The current Costco, surface lot and garage (via Google Maps)
Current retail in the Pentagon Centre mall (via Kimco Realty Corporation)
A new vision for replacing the Pentagon Centre shopping center, including the Costco, is coming into focus.
Kimco Realty Corporation revised its plans envisioning the long-term redevelopment of the 16.8-acre site, which were first approved by the Arlington County Board in 2015. Kimco submitted documents articulating these changes — which call for new high-rise residential and commercial buildings — in late December.
“With the redevelopment approvals that have been granted since 2015, and because the Pentagon City Metro Station is contained within the Pentagon Centre block, Pentagon Centre should be part of the intensification of redevelopment — in height, in mix and in overall density — to leverage the significant positive impacts of Metro ridership, job creation and livability here in Arlington County,” per the plan.
Pentagon City has recently been the focus of private redevelopment and county planning initiatives. On the Pentagon Centre site, Kimco has completed the redevelopment of surface parking into an apartment building dubbed the Witmer (710 12th Street S.) in 2019. Another apartment tower, dubbed the Milton (1446 S. Grant Street), is nearing completion.
Elsewhere, the first phase of Amazon’s second headquarters is set to open this summer, and — once economic headwinds change for the company — a second phase with the marquee “Double Helix” building is still planned, though delayed. JBG Smith, meanwhile, plans to redevelop acres of surface parking at the RiverHouse apartment complex into more residences.
Kimco updated its guidelines for redeveloping the Pentagon Centre site because much has changed in seven years. Office demand dropped due to the pandemic, so the real estate company proposes swapping some proposed office space for more apartments. It made changes to align with the 2022 Pentagon City Sector Plan, which guides long-term growth in the neighborhood.
“While we are not part of the sector plan, we thought it was a good time to look at the plan,” Kimco’s Director of Multifamily Development Abbey Oklak told the Arlington Ridge Civic Association during a meeting last week.
The new plans propose two office buildings, down from three, as well as three additional residential towers. Green space increased by about 30%, to nearly three acres, criss-crossed by planted paths, or “green ribbons,” envisioned in the Pentagon City Sector Plan.
Kimco divides the redevelopments into two phases. In the new first phase, S. Grant Street — which currently dead-ends at the southern edge of the mall — will extend through the site as a double-sided retail street.
Existing retail space west of the extended S. Grant Street, including Marshalls, Best Buy and restaurants, would become a pair of towers, one residential and one office, with ground-floor retail and parking.
“We wanted to look at the realignment of S. Grant Street so that Costco could stay,” Vice President of Development at Kimco Greg Reed said. “We’d take the mall down and bring the tenants back if they want to stay, in a different format… and have density above that in the future.”
In the new second phase, the Costco and parking garage on S. Fern Street would become an apartment building, an office tower with a conference center and a mixed-use hotel and apartment building, all with retail at the base.
These changes will not be happening for a while, as Kimco is still signing 10-year deals with retailers in the shopping center with 5-year extension options beyond that, civic association meeting attendees were told.
Hundred dollar bills / money (Photo by Pepi Stojanovski on Unsplash)
Arlington ranks near the top of many lists, but it’s near the bottom of a new one looking at purchasing power.
The county is No. 66 out of 76 on a list of “Where $100,000 Goes Furthest.” The bottom four cities on the list are New York, Honolulu, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., compared to the top-ranked cities of Memphis, El Paso, Oklahoma City and Corpus Christi.
The 2023 study by financial website SmartAsset “looked at what a $100,000 income is worth after taxes and a cost-of-living adjustment.”
“A six-figure salary is an important milestone for many people, but after taxes and amid rampant inflation, it’s not what it used to be,” a PR rep for the site said in an email. “With this in mind, SmartAsset set out to uncover what $100,000 truly feels like in America’s largest cities. To calculate this, our data team analyzed after-tax income in 76 of the largest U.S. cities and adjusted those figures for the cost of living in each place.”
“Our findings show $100,000 in Arlington amounts to roughly $50,000 after adjusting for taxes and cost of living,” the rep noted to ARLnow.
In bottom-ranked New York City, that $100,000 amounted to an adjusted-for-cost-of-living $35,791. The same $100,000 salary in Memphis amounted to $86,444 in adjusted take-home pay, according to SmartAsset’s calculus.
The cost-of-living calculations take into account the local cost of “housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services” as of fall 2022, the site notes.
Josh Katcher, candidate for Commonwealth’s Attorney, at the Arlington Democrats meeting in January (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
A fundraiser for Commonwealth’s Attorney candidate Josh Katcher has drawn some notable local names.
Katcher is running in June’s Democratic primary to unseat his former boss, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti, as Arlington’s top prosecutor. Both bill themselves as justice reformers, though Katcher is associating a local rise in crime — albeit one in line with national trends — with what he calls the “multiple failings” of Dehghani-Tafti’s leadership.
Garvey emailed supporters Friday evening, inviting them to a fundraiser for Katcher this coming weekend. More from the email, below.
Dear Friends,
The first local candidate that I am supporting publicly this year is Josh Katcher running for Commonwealth’s Attorney. I hope you will consider supporting Josh as well and perhaps join me at the event on Saturday, March 25 at 3:30 pm. It would be great to see you there.
If you have any questions, I’m happy to discuss the race.
Endorsements listed on Dehghani-Tafti’s website include Reps. Don Beyer and Jennifer McClellan; County Board members Matt de Ferranti and Takis Karantonis; former County Board member Mary Hynes; former state Sen. Mary Margaret Whipple; current state Sens. Barbara Favola, Scott Surovell, and Dick Saslaw; School Board member Mary Kadera; former School Board members Nancy Van Doren and Monique O’Grady; Dels. Alfonso Lopez and Marcus Simon; Clerk of the Circuit Court Paul Ferguson; Commissioner of the Revenue Ingrid Morroy; and County Board candidate JD Spain.
Katcher recently criticized Dehghani-Tafti for her decision to prosecute a murder-for-hire suspect who was quickly found not guilty by a jury, after the case was highlighted on ABC’s 20/20. ARLnow hears that NBC’s Dateline is also planning to air an episode about the 1998 murder and the case against the victim’s then-fiancee.
Spring tree blossoms and a pedestrian bridge in Ballston (staff photo)
More on Rock Creek Park Crash Victims — “A Lyft driver and his two passengers were the men killed in a crash with an SUV that had just fled a traffic stop on Rock Creek Parkway early Wednesday morning… One of the two young men riding in the Lyft was 22-year-old Olvin Torres Velasquez, who worked at a restaurant in Arlington. Family and friends gathered Thursday to remember him… The other passenger killed in the rideshare was 23-year-old Jonathan Cabrera Mendez. He and Velasquez were on their way home to Arlington after a night out in D.C.” [NBC 4]
Arlington Election Straw Poll — “For County Board, Maureen Coffey led the field with 28 votes, followed by J.D. Spain Sr. (25), Susan Cunningham (19), Natalie Roy (18), Tony Weaver (15) and Jonathan Dromgoole (nine)… For commonwealth’s attorney, Parisa Dehghani-Tafti scored 52 votes to Josh Katcher’s 12.” [Gazette Packet]
Board Meeting Draws 200+ Speakers — “Arlington residents showed up in large numbers at the county board meeting on Saturday to express their opinions on zoning changes that could radically change the county’s single-family neighborhoods. Nearly 250 people signed up to speak about the effort to create expanded housing options.” [Patch, Twitter]
Post Editorial Supports Missing Middle — “As dismay with out-of-reach real-estate prices stacks up across the country, there’s hope that an overdue consensus might start to harden on a key point: That America’s pastoral ideal of a home and a spacious backyard cannot coexist with thriving metro areas. Plowing forward with the fantasy will cause only more dislocation, more unsustainable mortgages and more two-hour commutes. One San Francisco is enough.” [Washington Post]
Driver Crashes into Pedestrian Bridge — “A man drove his car into an abutment of the Jackson Street Pedestrian Bridge across Route 50 near the Thomas Jefferson Community and Fitness Center early Thursday morning and then crashed into a bollard along a jogging path near the bridge, according to the Arlington County Police Department… According to a witness, the driver appeared to be trying to drive his Mini Cooper onto the pedestrian bridge over Route 50 to N. Jackson Street. But after failing to make it onto the pedestrian bridge, the man then drove along the community center’s walking and jogging path toward S. Irving Street, where he struck a large yellow steel bollard.” [Patch]
A Stuck Elevator Is Not Uncommon — “Little known fact: people get stuck in elevators with surprising frequency… elevators get stuck with some regularity in Arlington (which has lots of elevators). ACFD was just dispatched to another one, this one at National Airport.” [Twitter]
Metro Upping Rail Service — “Starting Monday, March 20, Metro will begin increasing train service across the rail system just in time for peak cherry blossom season. Weekday service will see an infusion of trains, as well as weekends. Additional trains will also run as needed during the Cherry Blossom Festival as crowding is monitored during peak bloom. The improvements correspond to growing ridership, with new post-pandemic records being set almost daily.” [WMATA]
Nearby: Retail and Restaurant Changes — A small-format Target store is closing in Falls Church, and a Korean BBQ restaurant in Seven Corners appears to be close to opening. [Patch, Twitter]
It’s Monday — Cold to start the morning and clear throughout the day. High of 51 and low of 29. Sunrise at 7:13 am and sunset at 7:21 pm. [Weather.gov]
Arlington County Board members and the public attend a work session on ‘Missing Middle’ (staff photo by Jay Westcott)
Crowd at anti-Missing Middle housing rally at Innovation Elementary in January (photo courtesy Esther Bowring)
Missing Middle proponents outside Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of Adam Theo)
John Vihstadt rallies Missing Middle opponents at Arlington County headquarters on Oct. 15, 2022 (courtesy of David Cheek)
Update at 9:40 a.m. — The Saturday County Board meeting is underway and 248 people are signed up to speak about Missing Middle. The Board expects to hear speakers today and during its Tuesday meeting before deliberating and potentially voting on Wednesday, according to County Board Chair Christian Dorsey. The Wednesday meeting will start at 4 p.m.
Earlier: The Arlington County Board is set to vote Saturday on zoning changes intended to add housing by allowing greater density in single-family neighborhoods.
The vote is the culmination of nearly a decade of discussion by elected officials that picked up steam after Amazon agreed to come to Arlington.
Since then, the county has taken incremental steps toward increasing housing. First, it allowed accessory dwelling units. Then, in fall 2020, it kicked off the “Missing Middle” housing study.
After more than two years of grassrootsadvocacy, politicking and vigorousdebate — some of it caustic, introspective and divisive — County Board members have a final vote on their weekend agenda. There are no indications, at least as of today, that the discussion will get moved to the Board’s traditional carryover meeting next Tuesday.
The rezoning plan known as Missing Middle has been rebranded and modified in response to some community concerns such as parking, tree canopy, and the pace of development. The county intends it to address the racial, socio-economic and environmental impacts of previous exclusionary housing practices, in addition to allowing more of the moderate density housing currently limited by zoning codes.
Ahead of the vote, a trio of current and former Planning Commissioners, including two architects, published a guidebook with 12 “fixes” they say will help the county meet its goals more effectively. They say the goals of the current proposal are understandable and laudable but they predict numerous problems once the plan is in place.
“We felt that it was important to… not just criticize what the county has, but study what other communities have done and put on the table proposals that address some of what we see as planners and architects as shortfalls in the county plan,” said architect and former commissioner Brian Harner in a meeting of the Arlington County Civic Federation housing committee Thursday night.
The “fixes” range from placing more limitations on height, lot coverage and density to allowing more accessory dwelling units — effectively creating cottage clusters — and building in tools to incentivize affordability and reuse of existing homes, rather than teardowns.
These may come too late, given the vote is set for tomorrow, but Harner chalks this up to the public engagement process once the county had a draft in October 2022.
“The process was teed up in such a way that there was no chance for adequate public discussion,” Harner tells ARLnow.
For instance, the Planning Commission had just over one week to read the document and prepare for three meetings in rapid succession around the Thanksgiving holiday.
“In response, we created the guidebook, hoping to chart a course to a more well-considered EHO,” he continued, using the abbreviation for “Expanded Housing Options,” another term used by the county for Missing Middle. “The Board should pause and improve its proposal before adoption, but if not, we hope our work provides a set of tools to help Arlington get to a better EHO through the follow-on work that will be essential for overall success.”
Specifically, they say the proposal allows buildings that are too tall, too big and too dense, while falling short on affordability, equity, environmental preservation and neighborhood character. The Missing Middle proposal limits multifamily structures on lots to what is currently allowed for single-family detached homes, which the guidebook authors suggested is too big.
“We don’t see it as a zero-sum game where density fights against other qualitative aspects,” Harner said in the CivFed meeting. “We think we can have them both.”
