Reply to Arlington Missing Middle Housing Q&A

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Two points I haven't seen brought up by anyone in this whole debate:

1) Arlington doesn't exist in a vacuum - the housing stock exists within the NoVa region. So while MM supporters are correct that only increased supply can bring prices down, what they don't realize is that increase in supply will simply more demand from the outer suburbs into Arlington. Net result is that Arlington is just as expensive as before, at higher density, while the real price advantages show up in Fairfax, etc. Which may be desirable for the region, but not Arlington county. As an aside, I find it disingenuous that supporters of MM ignore this point while making this exact same argument against car-centric development ("induced demand", ie more freeways don't reduce traffic)

2) I also find it disingenuous that supporters of MM try to frame it as a libertarian angle - "the government isn't restricting what you can do with your own property! Isn't that great?". Well, ok, does that mean I can buy a lot next to a SFH and build a prison? What about a casino behind a school? A strip club? "Oh no", MM supporters say, "we just mean you can now build duplexes/triplexes with the same setbacks". Well, ok.....but.....that's still zoning. We're just now having a discussion around what limits of zoning are appropriate. Don't pretend MM is putting forward some libertarian utopia.[/quote]

I would argue your last point is disingenuous. Upcoming residential areas is not the same as switching residential to commercial. But while you raise it, yes, I’m down with that too. I don’t hold the argument that Arlington needs to stay the same green suburbia it was 40 years ago when boomers bought. If you can find a lot in Arlington to put a prison or a casino, by all means, push ahead. ArlCo can’t even find space for a HS, but possibly you have a backup plan. Right now it is by far easier to tear down a house and triple the lot coverage with a new build. So yes, it is less restrictive to say you can build a house with an adu, a duplex and live in one side, etc. It increases the possibilities home owners have by right. Anyone who has wasted weeks of their life dealing with zoning or god forbid the BZA would consider that a step in the right direction.

The question is, what is the justification for allowing the county directly adjacent to DC to remain primarily SFH? What population does this serve and what are the implications.  I have yet to see this answered. [/quote]

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