Omg, a 6 bedroom, 6.5 bath, 6,815 square foot, $2.9 million "single family house" with a cathedral for the bathtub. That's fine, but 2 attached houses with 3 bedrooms/3 baths and 3,400 sf each, that would be the end of the world? ![]() |
There is no place for a thoughtful, nuanced post like this. Not on the internet. |
Most people aren’t objecting to duplexes (see County Board’s own surveys). They are objecting to 6 plexes and 8 plexes - essentially apartment buildings with about 20 people, 16 cars, and either a dumpster or 16 garbage and recycling cans. And no 4th high school or plans to adequately address all these new people. |
6 units, 20 people, 16 cars, AND overcrowded schools. Huh. With a 6,815 square foot building, that's 1,135 square feet per unit (minus space for stairways, etc) which is bigger than many detached houses. |
Well 8 plexes are out (at least until Missing Middle 2.0 😂)
https://www.arlnow.com/2023/01/25/breaking-arlington-county-board-gives-green-light-to-hearings-on-missing-middle/ They never made a lot of sense to begin with, I had always assumed they were included because it was the only way to get the cost of a unit down to like $260k. |
Ok rocket scientist. It's 3-4 units not 2. If 2 units it could be 2 SFH narrow lot line type houses. Those things are like detached townhouses with maybe 1- 2 car garage facing the street. Old house at 1m and to be built at 2.9 each have a 2 car garage facing the street. 2 car width driveway. 4 units double the impervious surface in the front. New plans have 2 car garage at 21.2 width. Need more for 4 separate garages since there are walls. So it's 4 garages across the front with no room for front entrances leaving a vestibule entrance for the 4 units. Unless ARL lets the builder go beyond where current ot pending foundations are shown on floorplans. |
So it's impossible to build such a building? In that case, builders won't build such a building. So you don't have to worry about living next door to such a building, because builders won't build it, because it's impossible to build. |
What? We own one car per driver. Is that too many? |
How much street parking is available and how crowded are the schools for when you double the number of cars and kids on the lot? |
But posters keep assuring us that no families with children will want to live in such housing! In which case, there will be no additional children in the schools. Posters are also telling us that the housing will have to have garages to house the most important members of the family. |
Yes, new units should be required to have at least one parking spot per unit and plan for the required infrastructure and public facilities of increased population. Not sure why you’re opposed to that. I live in a “missing middle” townhouse condo. Our row of 5 units has a combined 10 cars, one motorcycle, and 2 school age children… and this is within half a mile walk of the metro and right on a commuter ART line. It’s ridiculous to act like there are no negative externalities imposed on neighbors by upzoning, so planning is necessary. |
Ah, so families with children actually do live in middle-type housing? Well, well. |
Yes, and they have cars and use schools, camps, parks, etc. what is your plan? |
I guess time will tell. Someone just built a monstrously large house down the street from us. I'm not a fan but at least they used high end materials, an architect, and are plowing tens of thousands into their landscaping. I've seen some real ugly vinyl clad rental units in the county. So even putting aside the street parking issue I'd rather have a $3-4 million custom home than a builder's minimum viable rental structure. |
You seriously seem a little unwell. The tone and snark and what not while some of us are having a reasonable discussion about ways to do this that make sense. IE add units, near transit and account for the infrastructure needed to support them. And then there is whatever you are doing. |