Morning Poll: How do you feel about duplexes?

Last week, ARLnow reported that neighbors successfully dissuaded a developer from building a duplex in the Tara-Leeway Heights neighborhood.

Their concerns included traffic and parking challenges on the street, writing that the “proposed development will only exacerbate this, endangering residents, including the many children who live on the block.”

While the neighbors were able to leverage a restrictive deed covenant from 1938 to scuttle the duplex and convince the developer to build a single-family home instead, more duplexes are on the way following the Arlington County Board’s approval of the “Missing Middle” zoning changes earlier this year.

According to real estate agent Natalie Roy’s latest EHO Watch newsletter, one duplex has been approved under the new “Enhanced Housing Options” process, another is nearing approval, and two more were recently submitted for review.

Notwithstanding a successful legal challenge to Missing Middle — a lawsuit by a group of residents is set for a court date next week — Arlington residents are likely to see more duplexes, alongside 3-6 unit EHO projects, in the coming years.

Given that, we were wondering how ARLnow readers feel about duplexes specifically, given that they’re perhaps the most palatable to those otherwise skeptical of higher density projects. Yes, duplexes are now allowed countywide thanks to “Missing Middle,” but our poll questions asks if you are in support of that.

Do you think duplexes should be allowed to be built in most or all residential neighborhoods in Arlington — assuming that current EHO restrictions, including only being able construct the same size building as that allowed for single-family homes, remain in place?