The Arlington County Board voted 5-0 Wednesday to change zoning so that duplexes, townhouses, and multiplexes are allowed in neighborhoods that have traditionally been single family homes.
The huge shift is an attempt to bring more affordable housing to the Northern Virginia county.
The change will mean that up to six units can be built on properties that have for decades had one house per lot. The change takes effect July 1. The county capped the number of permits for what it calls “missing middle housing” at 58 per year.
Watch the county board meeting:
“After years of study, thousands of emails, phone calls, and community conversations, and thousands more staff hours working on this project, I am proud of the sensible framework that the Board has adopted to permit, by right, options for different housing types in every residential zoning district,” said Board Chair Christian Dorsey, in a news release. “By allowing natural increases in the housing supply, we will lower the barriers of entry into all neighborhoods and, in doing so, address the housing crisis and our history of exclusionary zoning head-on.”
Hundreds of people spoke for and against the change at two days of public hearings, and thousands have weighed in since Arlington started studying the issue in 2019.
A county analysis found that changing the housing would bridge the gap between low- and high-density areas, while appealing to a more diverse and inclusive sector of the community. Providing additional affordable housing options, the county said, would help young adults just starting out, older people wishing to age in place, people wanting to downsize, and public sector employees, such as teachers and firefighters.
Here are the specifics of the zoning ordinance the Arlington County Board approved:
- Uses: Allow up to 6 units on a residential lot (duplexes, townhouses, and multiplexes with 3-6 units)
- Applicability: Allow EHO development by right on properties in the R-20, R-10, R-8, R-6, and R-5 districts
- Annual Development Cap:
- Set an annual cap of up to 58 permits with the following distribution method:
- 21 permits total spread across R-8, R-10, and R-20 districts
- 30 permits in the R-6 district
- 7 permits in the R-5 district
- Set a five-year sunset of the annual cap
- Set an annual cap of up to 58 permits with the following distribution method:
- Maximum Lot Coverage: Duplicate base lot coverage standards for single-detached homes and provides additional allowed coverage even if a detached garage is not built
- Parking:
- Vary parking requirements based on transit proximity
- At least 0.5 parking spaces per unit on sites located entirely within a 3/4-mile radius of a Metrorail station entrance or within 1/2-mile radius of a transit stop along the Premium Transit Network
- At least 1 space per dwelling unit for all other locations — including those residential lots fronting on a cul-de-sac in transit-proximate areas
- Vary parking requirements based on transit proximity
- Trees:
- For 2-4 units: Require a minimum of 4 shade trees
- For 5-6 units: Require a minimum of 8 shade trees
- Minimum Site Area:
- For 2-4 units: Set minimum site area to the same standards for single-detached homes in all districts
- For 5-6 units:
- Set minimum site area to the same standards as single-detached homes in R-6, R-8, R-10, and R-20 districts.
- Increase the minimum site area to 6,000 square feet for the R-5 district
- Gross Floor Area:
- Set the maximum floor area based on the housing types and/or unit type at the following square footage:
- Duplex: 4,800
- Semidetached: 5,000
- 3 townhouses: 7,500
- 3-unit multiplex: 6,000
- 4-unit multiplex: 7,200
- 5- and 6-unit multiplex: 8,000
- Set the maximum floor area based on the housing types and/or unit type at the following square footage:
- Accessory Dwellings: Allow accessory dwellings (ADs) only in two scenarios (interior units within a townhouse or semi-detached home, exceptions for pre-existing ADs)
- Design and Site Layout Guidelines:
- Make the maximum building height, footprint, and minimum setbacks for EHO development the same as currently exist for single-detached homes
- Require EHO development to comply with site layout and design standards for compatibility with surrounding neighborhood
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