Missing Middle construction projects that halted after a court decision last month received permission to move forward today.
Despite declaring Arlington’s Expanded Housing Options unlawful and preventing the county from issuing any more EHO permits last month — a decision the county now intends to appeal — Circuit Court Judge David Schell presented a path forward for some developers Friday morning.
By MATTHEW BARAKAT Associated Press
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered Virginia to restore more than 1,600 voter registrations that she said were illegally purged in the last two months in an effort to stop noncitizens from voting.
Last week’s court decision to overturn Missing Middle zoning changes freezes progress on dozens of projects around Arlington, county staff confirmed.
Following the ruling in Arlington Circuit Court, “the County must void all [Expanded Housing Option] permits and halt all review processes related to EHO development,” county spokesperson Ryan Hudson told ARLnow.
An Arlington man who shot and killed a man in a Buckingham apartment was sentenced to 33 years in state prison yesterday (Monday).
James Ray Williams, 42, received 30 years for the murder of Sean “Malik” Bowman in 2023. He also received a three-year sentence for the use of a firearm during the commission of a felony, in addition to another seven years because he was on probation when he committed these crimes.
On a rainy Friday morning, an Arlington Circuit Court judge overturned a sweeping zoning change years in the making.
The ruling late last week sent a shockwave through the county, disrupting numerous planned developments and calling into question how the county government sets policies. “Missing Middle” opponents celebrated while supporters and at least one County Board member called for an appeal.
More from our reporting:
Judge David Schell ruled against the county on four counts this morning (Friday), finding that the county failed to adequately consider localized impacts, failed to follow proper procedure and violated state tree canopy requirements when adopting the amendments.
As of today, the county cannot lawfully issue any more permits under the Expanded Housing Option, which allowed for the construction of up to six-unit buildings on properties that were previously zoned for only single-family homes. […]
In a ruling read aloud from the bench, Schell referenced testimony from witnesses about possible wastewater backups and overflows that might result from the strain additional housing could place on stormwater and sewage infrastructure.
Although a county expert testified that Arlington does, in fact, have sufficient infrastructure to support anticipated growth, the judge found “no evidence presented that the county considered likely overflows” and other localized impacts.
All things considered, and putting aside your personal feelings about the zoning changes, do you agree with the ruling?
A circuit court judge has overturned Arlington’s Missing Middle zoning changes.
Judge David Schell ruled against the county on four counts this morning (Friday), finding that the county failed to adequately consider localized impacts, failed to follow proper procedure and violated state tree canopy requirements when adopting the amendments.
A man who led police on a wild, high-speed chase involving gunfire and damage to numerous vehicles has been sentenced to two years of active incarceration.
Ricardo Singleton, 29, was sentenced in Arlington County Circuit Court to a maximum of 15 years in prison last week. However, 13 of the years will be suspended unless Singleton violates the terms of his probation during a five-year period, according to court records.
While Fairfax County recently rolled out a new prosecution dashboard with detailed breakdowns of the county’s criminal caseload, Arlington data tracking lags behind.
The new Case Overview Dashboard from the Office of the Fairfax Commonwealth’s Attorney contains a wealth of information on the county’s criminal cases, with data on the age, race and gender of defendants as well as stats on specific charges.
An Arlington Circuit Court judge has delayed the sentencing of a man who admitted to shooting at police officers during a 2022 car chase through Arlington and Fairfax counties.
Ricardo Singleton must first undergo an evaluation through the state’s mental health assistance program, Judge Daniel S. Fiore II ruled Friday, before being sentenced on Aug. 16.
The Arlington County Board has re-approved the Pentagon City Sector Plan, restoring a document that a state court declared void for procedural reasons earlier this year.
The Board’s unanimous vote on Tuesday reaffirmed the county’s original February 2022 decision to plan for substantial Pentagon City development in coming years, particularly at the RiverHouse apartment complex. Developer JBG Smith proposes to build over 1,500 new units on the expansive property, across from the Westpost shopping center and home to three apartment towers.
The future of a judicial and public services agreement between Arlington and Falls Church is on tonight’s Arlington County Board agenda.
The Board will weigh the renewal of the agreement, which outlines how the jurisdictions use and share the costs of the county’s Emergency Communications Center, certain judicial offices and other items.
A county expert asserted that Arlington’s sewage systems are well equipped for expected growth as the Missing Middle civil trial neared its conclusion today (Monday).
Jon Lawler, chief support engineer at Arlington County Water Sewer Streets, pushed back against previous testimony from a plaintiff’s witness, who argued that an influx of additional housing units could cause backups in individual sewer systems.
