Arlington Missing Middle Housing Q&A

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlingtonians for a Sustainable Future will be holding a rally on Saturday, June 18 at 8:15am at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. this is one of our last opportunities to oppose the plan.

What a wonderful event this was!!! It was great to gather together and then storm the County Board meeting. It felt like 2010 when so many people turned out at Democrat town halls to give those reps a piece of our mind. Then we turned them out that November.

Well we were even more vicious on Saturday morning because this is OUR community, OUR way of life. We hit them hard, and it felt great to boo them and blow off their artificial rules against our free speech. And it’s working, we’re making it really tough on all of them. They can look all across Arlington north of Lee Highway and see a wall of furious, motivated homeowners. How do you feel confident you’ll win elections when block after block you see owners throwing down and saying SFH now and SFH forever!

Did this really happen?

Yes it did. They went to the Saturday County Board meeting and acted like uncivil buffoons. I don't know if this is satire commenting on it or someone who actually thought it was amazing.

arlington.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=4108

Start watching around minute 46:45.

I was expecting some buffoonery and was disappointed. It was just some people chanting about no upzoning at the end of the public comment period.

In an attempt not to be hypocritical (as I support civil rights protests and labor strikes), I don’t like criticize non-violent protest that is mildly disruptive at best and doesn’t hurt any vulnerable people. I can’t see that these protesters did anything but annoy Libby. So eh, I feel like I wasted my time watching that video and don’t recommend others bother.

Okay this isn’t the same thing as a civil rights protest or a labor strike. But whatever.

Why do you think normal people don’t want to be public officials anymore. This type of culture. It’s fine to disagree but stuff like this is toxic. But sure it’s not violent. Good to know that’s the only line we don’t cross anymore. Until we do.

DP. It’s a protest of a potential government action. It’s actually exactly the same as the examples you provided.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlingtonians for a Sustainable Future will be holding a rally on Saturday, June 18 at 8:15am at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. this is one of our last opportunities to oppose the plan.

What a wonderful event this was!!! It was great to gather together and then storm the County Board meeting. It felt like 2010 when so many people turned out at Democrat town halls to give those reps a piece of our mind. Then we turned them out that November.

Well we were even more vicious on Saturday morning because this is OUR community, OUR way of life. We hit them hard, and it felt great to boo them and blow off their artificial rules against our free speech. And it’s working, we’re making it really tough on all of them. They can look all across Arlington north of Lee Highway and see a wall of furious, motivated homeowners. How do you feel confident you’ll win elections when block after block you see owners throwing down and saying SFH now and SFH forever!

Did this really happen?

Yes it did. They went to the Saturday County Board meeting and acted like uncivil buffoons. I don't know if this is satire commenting on it or someone who actually thought it was amazing.

arlington.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=4108

Start watching around minute 46:45.

I was expecting some buffoonery and was disappointed. It was just some people chanting about no upzoning at the end of the public comment period.

In an attempt not to be hypocritical (as I support civil rights protests and labor strikes), I don’t like criticize non-violent protest that is mildly disruptive at best and doesn’t hurt any vulnerable people. I can’t see that these protesters did anything but annoy Libby. So eh, I feel like I wasted my time watching that video and don’t recommend others bother.

Okay this isn’t the same thing as a civil rights protest or a labor strike. But whatever.

Why do you think normal people don’t want to be public officials anymore. This type of culture. It’s fine to disagree but stuff like this is toxic. But sure it’s not violent. Good to know that’s the only line we don’t cross anymore. Until we do.

DP. It’s a protest of a potential government action. It’s actually exactly the same as the examples you provided.

They were disrupting a government meeting and harassing public officials. Those other examples are not that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Arlingtonians for a Sustainable Future will be holding a rally on Saturday, June 18 at 8:15am at 2100 Clarendon Blvd. this is one of our last opportunities to oppose the plan.

What a wonderful event this was!!! It was great to gather together and then storm the County Board meeting. It felt like 2010 when so many people turned out at Democrat town halls to give those reps a piece of our mind. Then we turned them out that November.

Well we were even more vicious on Saturday morning because this is OUR community, OUR way of life. We hit them hard, and it felt great to boo them and blow off their artificial rules against our free speech. And it’s working, we’re making it really tough on all of them. They can look all across Arlington north of Lee Highway and see a wall of furious, motivated homeowners. How do you feel confident you’ll win elections when block after block you see owners throwing down and saying SFH now and SFH forever!

Did this really happen?

Yes it did. They went to the Saturday County Board meeting and acted like uncivil buffoons. I don't know if this is satire commenting on it or someone who actually thought it was amazing.

arlington.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=2&clip_id=4108

Start watching around minute 46:45.

I was expecting some buffoonery and was disappointed. It was just some people chanting about no upzoning at the end of the public comment period.

In an attempt not to be hypocritical (as I support civil rights protests and labor strikes), I don’t like criticize non-violent protest that is mildly disruptive at best and doesn’t hurt any vulnerable people. I can’t see that these protesters did anything but annoy Libby. So eh, I feel like I wasted my time watching that video and don’t recommend others bother.

Okay this isn’t the same thing as a civil rights protest or a labor strike. But whatever.

Why do you think normal people don’t want to be public officials anymore. This type of culture. It’s fine to disagree but stuff like this is toxic. But sure it’s not violent. Good to know that’s the only line we don’t cross anymore. Until we do.

DP. It’s a protest of a potential government action. It’s actually exactly the same as the examples you provided.

They were disrupting a government meeting and harassing public officials. Those other examples are not that.

Have you actually attended any type of strike or protest, or seen one on tv??? You’re being a little precious.

[Anonymous]

They were disrupting a government meeting and harassing public officials. Those other examples are not that.

It’s cool if you draw the line at a two minute nonviolent disruption (in the form of a chant) during a meeting of the government agency planning to pass the opposed legislation. You can think that makes someone an uncivil buffoon.

But maybe consider that you are shaped by the content rather than form of the protest if you don’t keep the same energy for students that engage in a similar protest before a state congress liberalizing gun laws, code pink protesting in the visitor section of the capitol, a Texas representative filibustering abortion laws, or BLM protesting outside a building and making it difficult for officials to enter and do their job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any lawyers know if it will be possible to tie up MM in court?

Sort of like Lyon Village’s lawsuit to block affordable housing at the church? Lyon Village lost and there is no meaningful difference in that neighborhood. Lots of hysteria for nothing. MM is the same.

The church is on the edge of Lyon Village. MM housing can be built on the H streets which are the most valuable in Lyon Village. BCN can now squeeze 3 townhouses on a lot rather than on house. Six cars instead of two and rental rather than owner occupied

Except they won’t because the only townhouses north of a million have a double garage underneath and you can’t fit 3 townhouses with double garages on the average Lyon Village lot. BCN’s model is the SFH and they are crushing it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any lawyers know if it will be possible to tie up MM in court?

Sort of like Lyon Village’s lawsuit to block affordable housing at the church? Lyon Village lost and there is no meaningful difference in that neighborhood. Lots of hysteria for nothing. MM is the same.

The church is on the edge of Lyon Village. MM housing can be built on the H streets which are the most valuable in Lyon Village. BCN can now squeeze 3 townhouses on a lot rather than on house. Six cars instead of two and rental rather than owner occupied

LV should be up zoned to multifamily, but expanding the number of units under current zoning is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately most of the neighborhood has already been redeveloped into McMansions so I doubt much missing middle will even be constructed.

Everyone likes to come for this neighborhood because it’s one of the priciest in Arlington- if not the priciest, on a square footage basis. There is plenty of multi family housing on the R-B corridor and across Langston from LV. There are also plenty of neighborhoods along the R-B corridor that are also SFHs. Why single out LV? My theory is that this comment nearly always comes from renters who live in Clarendon and have no idea what kind of housing diversity Arlington actually already offers.

It’s the priciest because people want the benefits of density without having to share walls, but anything within .5-.75 mile of a metro station really should be zoned at least R8-18.

[Anonymous]

I fully support it. I think architects are smart enough to design homes to blend in. I doubt parking will be an issue in most locations.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any lawyers know if it will be possible to tie up MM in court?

Sort of like Lyon Village’s lawsuit to block affordable housing at the church? Lyon Village lost and there is no meaningful difference in that neighborhood. Lots of hysteria for nothing. MM is the same.

The church is on the edge of Lyon Village. MM housing can be built on the H streets which are the most valuable in Lyon Village. BCN can now squeeze 3 townhouses on a lot rather than on house. Six cars instead of two and rental rather than owner occupied

LV should be up zoned to multifamily, but expanding the number of units under current zoning is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately most of the neighborhood has already been redeveloped into McMansions so I doubt much missing middle will even be constructed.

Everyone likes to come for this neighborhood because it’s one of the priciest in Arlington- if not the priciest, on a square footage basis. There is plenty of multi family housing on the R-B corridor and across Langston from LV. There are also plenty of neighborhoods along the R-B corridor that are also SFHs. Why single out LV? My theory is that this comment nearly always comes from renters who live in Clarendon and have no idea what kind of housing diversity Arlington actually already offers.

It’s the priciest because people want the benefits of density without having to share walls, but anything within .5-.75 mile of a metro station really should be zoned at least R8-18.

There are lots of neighborhoods just as close to transit and businesses that aren’t as pricey. Don’t get me wrong, they are all expensive, but LV isn’t “special.” Plenty of SFH neighborhoods exist that close to transit but everyone always calls out LV. Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I fully support it. I think architects are smart enough to design homes to blend in. I doubt parking will be an issue in most locations.

…as evidenced by all the stunning architecture in Arlington. Brilliant comment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any lawyers know if it will be possible to tie up MM in court?

Sort of like Lyon Village’s lawsuit to block affordable housing at the church? Lyon Village lost and there is no meaningful difference in that neighborhood. Lots of hysteria for nothing. MM is the same.

The church is on the edge of Lyon Village. MM housing can be built on the H streets which are the most valuable in Lyon Village. BCN can now squeeze 3 townhouses on a lot rather than on house. Six cars instead of two and rental rather than owner occupied

LV should be up zoned to multifamily, but expanding the number of units under current zoning is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately most of the neighborhood has already been redeveloped into McMansions so I doubt much missing middle will even be constructed.

Everyone likes to come for this neighborhood because it’s one of the priciest in Arlington- if not the priciest, on a square footage basis. There is plenty of multi family housing on the R-B corridor and across Langston from LV. There are also plenty of neighborhoods along the R-B corridor that are also SFHs. Why single out LV? My theory is that this comment nearly always comes from renters who live in Clarendon and have no idea what kind of housing diversity Arlington actually already offers.

It’s the priciest because people want the benefits of density without having to share walls, but anything within .5-.75 mile of a metro station really should be zoned at least R8-18.

There are lots of neighborhoods just as close to transit and businesses that aren’t as pricey. Don’t get me wrong, they are all expensive, but LV isn’t “special.” Plenty of SFH neighborhoods exist that close to transit but everyone always calls out LV. Why?

It’s the only Arlington neighborhood with SFHs a block or two from the metro (& main drag). East falls church also has SFHs but it’s suburban with limited walkability near the station. There are several blocks of tall apartments or townhomes/duplexes from the other stations before you reach SFHs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any lawyers know if it will be possible to tie up MM in court?

Sort of like Lyon Village’s lawsuit to block affordable housing at the church? Lyon Village lost and there is no meaningful difference in that neighborhood. Lots of hysteria for nothing. MM is the same.

The church is on the edge of Lyon Village. MM housing can be built on the H streets which are the most valuable in Lyon Village. BCN can now squeeze 3 townhouses on a lot rather than on house. Six cars instead of two and rental rather than owner occupied

LV should be up zoned to multifamily, but expanding the number of units under current zoning is a step in the right direction. Unfortunately most of the neighborhood has already been redeveloped into McMansions so I doubt much missing middle will even be constructed.

Everyone likes to come for this neighborhood because it’s one of the priciest in Arlington- if not the priciest, on a square footage basis. There is plenty of multi family housing on the R-B corridor and across Langston from LV. There are also plenty of neighborhoods along the R-B corridor that are also SFHs. Why single out LV? My theory is that this comment nearly always comes from renters who live in Clarendon and have no idea what kind of housing diversity Arlington actually already offers.

It’s the priciest because people want the benefits of density without having to share walls, but anything within .5-.75 mile of a metro station really should be zoned at least R8-18.

There are lots of neighborhoods just as close to transit and businesses that aren’t as pricey. Don’t get me wrong, they are all expensive, but LV isn’t “special.” Plenty of SFH neighborhoods exist that close to transit but everyone always calls out LV. Why?

It’s the only Arlington neighborhood with SFHs a block or two from the metro (& main drag). East falls church also has SFHs but it’s suburban with limited walkability near the station. There are several blocks of tall apartments or townhomes/duplexes from the other stations before you reach SFHs.

Not true. Lyon Park has SFHs within 2 blocks of Clarendon Blvd and other homes literally backing up to restaurants like GPB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I fully support it. I think architects are smart enough to design homes to blend in. I doubt parking will be an issue in most locations.

…as evidenced by all the stunning architecture in Arlington. Brilliant comment.

+1. Please give me one example of a house denied a permit bc it didn’t fit the characteristics of the neighborhood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

They were disrupting a government meeting and harassing public officials. Those other examples are not that.

It’s cool if you draw the line at a two minute nonviolent disruption (in the form of a chant) during a meeting of the government agency planning to pass the opposed legislation. You can think that makes someone an uncivil buffoon.

But maybe consider that you are shaped by the content rather than form of the protest if you don’t keep the same energy for students that engage in a similar protest before a state congress liberalizing gun laws, code pink protesting in the visitor section of the capitol, a Texas representative filibustering abortion laws, or BLM protesting outside a building and making it difficult for officials to enter and do their job.

Good news for me, I do. I think the way we as a culture now too often approach political discourse is absurd and just shuts down normal people wanting to participate in any way, as politicians or just citizens and voters. It’s a performative circus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

They were disrupting a government meeting and harassing public officials. Those other examples are not that.

It’s cool if you draw the line at a two minute nonviolent disruption (in the form of a chant) during a meeting of the government agency planning to pass the opposed legislation. You can think that makes someone an uncivil buffoon.

But maybe consider that you are shaped by the content rather than form of the protest if you don’t keep the same energy for students that engage in a similar protest before a state congress liberalizing gun laws, code pink protesting in the visitor section of the capitol, a Texas representative filibustering abortion laws, or BLM protesting outside a building and making it difficult for officials to enter and do their job.

None of your examples is the same. Do statehouses or Congress allow people to protest in the chamber where voting and debate occur? No they do not. Arlington NIMBYs are free to protest outside the government building as long as they’d like. They were given an opportunity to speak during a public comment period before a board session and did not follow the rules. I doubt it helped their case. Maybe if they scream louder next time, the board will understand what they’re saying.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Any lawyers know if it will be possible to tie up MM in court?

Sort of like Lyon Village’s lawsuit to block affordable housing at the church? Lyon Village lost and there is no meaningful difference in that neighborhood. Lots of hysteria for nothing. MM is the same.

The church is on the edge of Lyon Village. MM housing can be built on the H streets which are the most valuable in Lyon Village. BCN can now squeeze 3 townhouses on a lot rather than on house. Six cars instead of two and rental rather than owner occupied

Except they won’t because the only townhouses north of a million have a double garage underneath and you can’t fit 3 townhouses with double garages on the average Lyon Village lot. BCN’s model is the SFH and they are crushing it.

No garages in missing middle housing. Only a half a parking space per unit. Under missing middle housing, a builder can construct 3 townhouses on an 8,000 sq ft lot. You think some striver associate won’t pay $1.5 M to be on Hartford St with all the swells?