Arlington Missing Middle Housing Q&A

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys have never seen neighborhoods that have nice SFHs and small garden apartments? Or homes that have been converted into condos?

The county is considering 4 story tall buildings in the middle of 2 story houses, plus waiving set back requirements.

wait wait wait, where have you seen this?

https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/housing/documents/missing-middle/mmhs-phase-2-public-presentation_05.02.pdf

Page 12 says they'd be applying single-detached standards to missing middle housing. Same footprint, placement, and height standards. I've never heard anyone say 4-story buildings would be allowed.

If you took the most recent survey, the County asked a specific question about allowing additional height for Missing Middle Housing. The final proposal could easily permit a 4 story building (or more). Additional height is very much still on the table.

[Anonymous]

That would be a pretty shocking bait and switch. Everything I can find on the subject is touting the MMH's adherence to SFH standards (other than reduced parking and larger max size for 5-8 unit buildings - go from 6,000 to 8,000sf)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That would be a pretty shocking bait and switch. Everything I can find on the subject is touting the MMH's adherence to SFH standards (other than reduced parking and larger max size for 5-8 unit buildings - go from 6,000 to 8,000sf)

That's the problem - these are proposals, but then the County will go behind closed doors and do whatever they want and there are no controls over it. If you read the recent articles about Minneapolis, one of the "criticisms' is that it doesn't go far enough bc it's based on existing setbacks. The residents actually have no idea what the board will ultimately adopt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys have never seen neighborhoods that have nice SFHs and small garden apartments? Or homes that have been converted into condos?

The county is considering 4 story tall buildings in the middle of 2 story houses, plus waiving set back requirements.

wait wait wait, where have you seen this?

https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/housing/documents/missing-middle/mmhs-phase-2-public-presentation_05.02.pdf

Page 12 says they'd be applying single-detached standards to missing middle housing. Same footprint, placement, and height standards. I've never heard anyone say 4-story buildings would be allowed.

If you took the most recent survey, the County asked a specific question about allowing additional height for Missing Middle Housing. The final proposal could easily permit a 4 story building (or more). Additional height is very much still on the table.

I took the survey and don’t recall that question. They did ask about changing setbacks—decreasing the front setback and increasing the rear setback by the same amount. Total footprint would not change.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys have never seen neighborhoods that have nice SFHs and small garden apartments? Or homes that have been converted into condos?

The county is considering 4 story tall buildings in the middle of 2 story houses, plus waiving set back requirements.

wait wait wait, where have you seen this?

https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/housing/documents/missing-middle/mmhs-phase-2-public-presentation_05.02.pdf

Page 12 says they'd be applying single-detached standards to missing middle housing. Same footprint, placement, and height standards. I've never heard anyone say 4-story buildings would be allowed.

If you took the most recent survey, the County asked a specific question about allowing additional height for Missing Middle Housing. The final proposal could easily permit a 4 story building (or more). Additional height is very much still on the table.

I took the survey and don’t recall that question. They did ask about changing setbacks—decreasing the front setback and increasing the rear setback by the same amount. Total footprint would not change.

Ah, in order to hide all the parking around back?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys have never seen neighborhoods that have nice SFHs and small garden apartments? Or homes that have been converted into condos?

The county is considering 4 story tall buildings in the middle of 2 story houses, plus waiving set back requirements.

wait wait wait, where have you seen this?

https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/housing/documents/missing-middle/mmhs-phase-2-public-presentation_05.02.pdf

Page 12 says they'd be applying single-detached standards to missing middle housing. Same footprint, placement, and height standards. I've never heard anyone say 4-story buildings would be allowed.

If you took the most recent survey, the County asked a specific question about allowing additional height for Missing Middle Housing. The final proposal could easily permit a 4 story building (or more). Additional height is very much still on the table.

I took the survey and don’t recall that question. They did ask about changing setbacks—decreasing the front setback and increasing the rear setback by the same amount. Total footprint would not change.

They did ask about building height.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys have never seen neighborhoods that have nice SFHs and small garden apartments? Or homes that have been converted into condos?

The county is considering 4 story tall buildings in the middle of 2 story houses, plus waiving set back requirements.

wait wait wait, where have you seen this?

https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/housing/documents/missing-middle/mmhs-phase-2-public-presentation_05.02.pdf

Page 12 says they'd be applying single-detached standards to missing middle housing. Same footprint, placement, and height standards. I've never heard anyone say 4-story buildings would be allowed.

If you took the most recent survey, the County asked a specific question about allowing additional height for Missing Middle Housing. The final proposal could easily permit a 4 story building (or more). Additional height is very much still on the table.

I took the survey and don’t recall that question. They did ask about changing setbacks—decreasing the front setback and increasing the rear setback by the same amount. Total footprint would not change.

They did ask about building height.

I remember a question about building height, too.

[Anonymous]

I live in a "missing middle" style development that was built way back in the late 70s in a neighborhood with a local ART bus line and walking distance to the metro. It's 5 townhouses on a 11,250 sq ft lot. Each has a small one car garage and there is a single shared parking spot outside. We currently have 10 cars and 1 motorcycle between us. We also have 2 school age children for the 5 units. I believe these are well above the projected numbers from the Missing Middle proposal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys have never seen neighborhoods that have nice SFHs and small garden apartments? Or homes that have been converted into condos?

The county is considering 4 story tall buildings in the middle of 2 story houses, plus waiving set back requirements.

wait wait wait, where have you seen this?

https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/housing/documents/missing-middle/mmhs-phase-2-public-presentation_05.02.pdf

Page 12 says they'd be applying single-detached standards to missing middle housing. Same footprint, placement, and height standards. I've never heard anyone say 4-story buildings would be allowed.

If you took the most recent survey, the County asked a specific question about allowing additional height for Missing Middle Housing. The final proposal could easily permit a 4 story building (or more). Additional height is very much still on the table.

I took the survey and don’t recall that question. They did ask about changing setbacks—decreasing the front setback and increasing the rear setback by the same amount. Total footprint would not change.

The question asked if you would tolerate extra height on MM forms. I think (but am not certain) that there was a sub-question further parsing the issue of additional height in certain corridors. I’m not positive about the sub-question but I know they broached additional height at least once in the survey.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I live in a "missing middle" style development that was built way back in the late 70s in a neighborhood with a local ART bus line and walking distance to the metro. It's 5 townhouses on a 11,250 sq ft lot. Each has a small one car garage and there is a single shared parking spot outside. We currently have 10 cars and 1 motorcycle between us. We also have 2 school age children for the 5 units. I believe these are well above the projected numbers from the Missing Middle proposal.

That's....checks notes...15-22% of the expected increase in new students per year right there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they do that, then it looks like they are exempting the best off areas and foisting up zoning on everyone else

Why not let civic associations vote on whether they want to upzone their neighborhood? or put it on the ballot for all of Arlington to vote on at the very least?

I imagine the people living in the neighborhoods that will be most affected are more than 50% opposed - and if that's the case maybe the board isn't making a compelling case for why this benefits their constituents. And if that's the case it seems odd to me that you're going to go against the wishes of current Arlingtonians to benefit potential future Arlingtonians who don't live here now.

I think a lot of people supporting MM are already in Arlington—they just aren’t home owners yet. They are renters who want to buy.

Nobody I have encountered in a SFH in my home near Metro is in favor of this. And, the County has screwed us over time and time again.

Right now due to their lax enforcement we have SFH the height and size of apartment buildings on miniscule lots which has created a serious water table issue.

They are so in the builders' pockets its repulsive. And, yes, the people that want this don't actually own a home in any of these neighborhoods.

They use the vast number of renters along the RBC and S.Arl to drive up the survey numbers in the direction they want. F@)k the homeowners is the 'Arlington Way' now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OMG you people are really sad. Have you never heard of infill building? It's all over the NOVA area. This is basically what the missing middle will be doing. It's been going on for decades. There are examples in South Arlington. Take note, the world did not explode when it happened! LOL

In single family neighborhoods, most of the infill has been single family houses. Now it can be duplexes, townhouses, triplexes, small apartment buildings, depending on the lot size. We don't expect the world to explode, but hyperbole often is often the salve of ignorance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone know which neighborhoods have restrictive covenants?

Broyhill Forest
Waycroft Woodlawn
Lacey Forest
Larchmont

Probably more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You guys have never seen neighborhoods that have nice SFHs and small garden apartments? Or homes that have been converted into condos?

The county is considering 4 story tall buildings in the middle of 2 story houses, plus waiving set back requirements.

wait wait wait, where have you seen this?

https://www.arlingtonva.us/files/sharedassets/public/housing/documents/missing-middle/mmhs-phase-2-public-presentation_05.02.pdf

Page 12 says they'd be applying single-detached standards to missing middle housing. Same footprint, placement, and height standards. I've never heard anyone say 4-story buildings would be allowed.

Depends if one of the four stories is below grade at the front of the building. You have a basement story and three stories above it -- viola a four story building.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If they do that, then it looks like they are exempting the best off areas and foisting up zoning on everyone else

Why not let civic associations vote on whether they want to upzone their neighborhood? or put it on the ballot for all of Arlington to vote on at the very least?

I imagine the people living in the neighborhoods that will be most affected are more than 50% opposed - and if that's the case maybe the board isn't making a compelling case for why this benefits their constituents. And if that's the case it seems odd to me that you're going to go against the wishes of current Arlingtonians to benefit potential future Arlingtonians who don't live here now.

I think a lot of people supporting MM are already in Arlington—they just aren’t home owners yet. They are renters who want to buy.

Nobody I have encountered in a SFH in my home near Metro is in favor of this. And, the County has screwed us over time and time again.

Right now due to their lax enforcement we have SFH the height and size of apartment buildings on miniscule lots which has created a serious water table issue.

They are so in the builders' pockets its repulsive. And, yes, the people that want this don't actually own a home in any of these neighborhoods.

They use the vast number of renters along the RBC and S.Arl to drive up the survey numbers in the direction they want. F@)k the homeowners is the 'Arlington Way' now.

Bingo. The renters revolt