County Board to Host Community Conversations on Missing Middle Housing

Published on August 11, 2022

The Arlington County Board will be hosting a series of community conversations and information sessions in September and October that will help to inform the County Board’s next steps on Missing Middle Housing. These conversations are part of the County’s Housing Arlington effort to explore opportunities that could potentially address Arlington's constrained housing supply.

This next phase of engagement with the County Board follows a recent effort to draft a framework for exploring various housing types, while balancing community interests and priorities. In addition to hosting community conversations and information sessions, the Board has also asked staff to develop draft zoning text and General Land Use Plan amendments for consideration by both the Planning Commission and County Board as early as late 2022.

Community Conversations

Members of the Arlington County Board are hosting 11 community conversations on Missing Middle Housing. Participants will have the opportunity to learn, listen, reflect, and share perspectives with County Board members and neighbors.

Sessions will be offered in person across the County, and virtually, with registration required. Community members are asked to register only to one session. To sign up, visit the County Board’s Missing Middle Housing Engagement webpage.

Dates and Times:

• Tues., Sept. 13 – 7:00-8:30 p.m. (Virtual)
• Thurs., Sept. 15 – 7:00-8:30 p.m. (In Person)
• Thurs., Sept. 22 – 7:00-8:30 a.m. (Virtual)
• Fri., Sept. 23 – 7:00-8:30 p.m. (En Persona y en Español)
• Sat., Sept. 24 – 9:00-10:30 a.m. (In Person)
• Sat., Oct. 1 – 1:00-2:30 p.m. (In Person)
• Tues., Oct. 4 – 7:30-9:00 a.m. (Virtual/Traducción en Español)
• Thurs., Oct. 6 – 12:00 to 1:30 p.m. (In Person)
• Tues., Oct. 11 – 7:30-9:00 a.m. (In Person)
• Wed., Oct. 19 – 7:00-8:30 p.m. (Virtual)
• Tues., Oct. 25 – 12:00-­1:30 p.m. (Virtual/Traducción en Español)

Information Sessions

The County Board will also host three live virtual information sessions, which will explore and answer questions on zoning, economics, and planning in Arlington, featuring special guests from around the community and region.

Community members can ask questions in advance of the sessions using the links below. There will also be the ability to ask questions in real-time during the information sessions.

• Wed., Sept. 14 at 7:00 p.m.

  Topic: Housing Development and Economics
  During this session, special guests will explore and answer questions on different Missing Middle Housing types and discuss how public policy and private development interact and influence what housing gets built, what it costs, and who owns it. Ask questions in advance.

• Wed., Sept. 28 at 7:00 p.m.
  Topic: History and Future of Zoning and Housing Policy
  Arlington’s planning and land use policies are instrumental in determining which types of housing can be developed and their location. While some planning policies have evolved over time, other policies have remained relatively unchanged. This session will explore both the  past and the future. Ask questions in advance.

• Wed., Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m.
  Topic: Planning for Growth
  As Arlington has welcomed many new residents over the past several decades, the County has developed plans and documents on how to best meet current and future growth. Learn how the County plans for growth through the Capital Improvement Plan, Stormwater Master Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Community Facilities Study, and moreso it can continue to meet the needs of future generations. Ask questions in advance.

The three information sessions will be livestreamed on the County website and on YouTube and broadcast live on Arlington TV, the County’s cable channel, with live captioning on Comcast channels 25 and 1085 (HD) and Verizon FiOS channels 39 and 40. The information sessions will be recorded for later viewing and archived on the County Board’s Missing Middle Housing Engagement webpage.