Why I support Missing Middle. 

I would like to add my voice to those supporting the Missing Middle Changes proposed by Arlington County and my personal reasons why. I live in Westover, one of the few neighborhoods outside of the metro corridors which has some existing Missing Middle Housing, in the form of small apartment buildings, townhomes, and duplexes. 

These forms of housing benefit my neighborhood by helping local businesses and supporting a more sustainable lifestyle. I am able to live largely car free as I work at one of the local businesses in Westover, and I can afford one of the apartments nearby, allowing me to walk to work. Many of my regular customers are able to walk to my store as well. 

Not only does this reduce the carbon footprint of our neighborhood, but it also supports local businesses. Land is expensive, so the more customers can walk rather than drive to a store saves money in the form of maintaining and paying property taxes on parking lots. Even when I need to leave my neighborhood on errands, I am largely able to use the 2A bus, which is made possible by dense housing both in Westover and in other neighborhoods along its route. With more residents in my neighborhood, there can be even better service and a larger user base for the 2A, or even additional routes run by WMATA and ART paid for by the additional tax dollars brought by new residents. 

The additional residents in Westover also help to pay for common infrastructure such as roads, parks, and sewer lines. More people living on a street means more people paying to repave the street when the time comes. When people move to our area for jobs in Arlington and DC, I want them to live as close to their work as possible. I would rather someone live here and be able to bike/walk to work than live in a new suburban development in Loudoun county and have to drive in, burning gas and clogging up the roads. Even if they still end up driving in from Arlington, it will reduce the miles travelled and gas burned. 

As a member of Gen-Z, I am going to see the effects of Climate Change in my lifetime, and I see housing density as one of many key factors to fighting climate change. Denser, walkable and transit-served neighborhoods reduce greenhouse gas emissions and save farmland and nature at the periphery of the metropolitan area, both of which we need to do to prevent the worst catastrophes of climate change. 

I care about preserving the tree canopy and pervious surfaces in Arlington as well, and do not believe that these goals run counter to the goals of Missing Middle Housing advocates such as myself. The proposal as it stands will not expand the footprint of Missing Middle Housing on a lot relative to the Single Family homes that are being built today. If we want to see even less lot coverage per resident, we should consider implementing policies to reduce car dependency and therefore the need for off-street parking. Driveways by and large do not help with stormwater runoff. I would like to see more investment in bike infrastructure and transit paid for by the tax dollars of new residents. I would also like to see consideration to allow for neighborhood retail and corner shops in more Arlington neighborhoods. 

 Denser housing supports sustainable living. It helps the planet and brings down infrastructure costs per resident. Zoning changes alone will not solve all of our problems, but I am excited about the future changes that this proposal will make possible.