ARLINGTON COUNTY, Va. — In a 5-0 vote on Tuesday, the Arlington County Board tasked a lawyer with appealing a decision by a circuit court judge that would limit the amount of multifamily homes that can exist in areas zoned for single-family houses.
The decision from Judge David Schell came in September, a year after the Arlington County Board had voted to allow the missing middle home zoning plan, which would essentially expand multifamily housing into designated single-family areas.
The ruling was a win for some Arlington neighbors who sued the county, saying they were concerned about overpopulation, waste issues and the value of their houses and properties going down.
Libby Garvey, who chairs the Arlington County Board said she believes the board is acting within state law in appealing Judge Schell's decision, which upheld four out of seven counts of the residents' suit.
Virginians Organized for Interfaith Community Engagement, a Unitarian Christian civil rights group, had been pushing for the Arlington County Board's legislation that they believe would help ease what they describe as a housing crisis in Arlington.
"This decision represents a textbook example of why we have the housing crisis we do," the Rev. Ashley Goff said of the court's decision. "It is a shame that a few wealthy and well-connected owners of single-family homes can derail a democratic process that was years in the making."
Arlington Neighbors for Neighbors had raised money from more than 1,000 people in Arlington to support the suit. The lawsuit's lead plaintiff, Marcia Nordgren, said she is trying to preserve the architecture of her neighborhood and celebrated Judge Schell's decision.
"Arlington County underestimated the power of neighbors coming together to fight for the rule of law," Nordgren said in September. "This means that my neighbors can't just arbitrarily tear down a beautiful single-family home and, without any input from me, build a huge six-plex."