March 18 - Details on Speaking to the Board

The Arlington County Board will meet to vote on the Missing Middle or Expanded Housing Options (EHO) Zoning and Land Use amendments this Saturday, March 18 - Note: this may be deferred to the “Recessed meeting planned for Tuesday, March 21st starting at 3 pm due to the high level of comment expected .  The County Manager is recommending to the Board as part of Agenda Item xx that they approve new zoning to allow by-right duplexes up to six-plexes (EHO) in what are now single-family neighborhoods.  If approved, new landscaping guidelines will supplement the Virginia tree canopy requirements already in place for redeveloped lots. We believe that Option 6A is now framed to require the planting 4-8 medium or large shade trees wherever EHO units are built, 4 on lots with 2-4 EHO units, 8 on lots with 5-6 EHO units).  This formula applies regardless of lot size,, so a 7,000 sq. ft. lot with a duplex and a 20,000 sq. ft. lot with a duplex would get the same number of trees!  ATAG showed at the March 8 Planning Commission that this approach fails in several instances to replicate the current 20% tree canopy requirement  applied under State law for single family areas, a percentage that is being severely reduced with the EHO zoning due to greatly increased baseline density.  

 We need you to tell the Board that further tree canopy decline is unacceptable before they vote on the EHO proposal.  Please register here to speak on regular agenda item #33 by March 17 at the latest and/or write to countyboard@arlingtonva.us as soon as possible.  The March 18 meeting ( and the Recessed meeting on Tuesday will be held at 2100 Clarendon Boulevard on the third floor, you may speak in person or virtually via Microsoft Teams (or phone) for two minutes.  Speakers will be called to speak in the order in which they registered. You may save some time by checking the order and speaking virtually when you are called.

A new study has found that Arlington’s tree canopy in 2021 had already declined to 33% from 41% in 2016.  This decline will be exacerbated if the County Board approves Option 6A without amendment.  ATAG will be sending to the Board the same proposal made to the Planning Commission; we ask that you also weigh in as soon as possible with an email or speak at the March 18 meeting.  ATAG is requesting a more practical benchmark for planting that relates to lot size, which also allows for better planning and monitoring of future canopy.  We request that Option 6A be amended to require that owners of new EHO units plant: 

 ·       A minimum of four (4) large shade trees for sites zoned R-5, R-6;

·       A minimum of eight (8) large shade trees for sites zoned R-8 and R-10; and

·       A minimum of twelve (12) large shade trees for sites zoned R-20.