Arlington County, a Washington, D.C., community that took shape in the 1950s, when single-family homes were the rule in suburbia, recently became one of the first locations on the East Coast to eliminate single-family-only zoning.
Lots in the 26-square-mile county that previously were limited to one home will now allow densities of two to six units. The actual number of units permitted on each site will be determined by the size of the lot, with lots larger than 6,000 sf permitted to have five or six units.
The new zoning rules will be phased in beginning on July 1. Arlington will allow 58 permits per year for multi-unit conversion on lots that were previously restricted to single-family construction until 2028. At that point, there will be no limits on new multifamily projects.
Multifamily buildings on formerly single-family lots still must conform to the limits on height, lot coverage, floor plans, and setbacks that were applied to single-family homes. The zoning change is the fruit of a report, the Missing Middle Housing Study, conducted by the county to assess the need for multifamily development.
Related Stories
High-rise Construction | Apr 17, 2018
Developers reveal plans for 1,422-foot-tall skyscraper in Chicago
The tower would be the second tallest in the city.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 10, 2018
Luxury apartment community in southwest Charlotte provides 288 one- and two-bedroom units
Each of the six buildings will offer 28 corner units.
Multifamily Housing | Apr 10, 2018
Studio Gang’s 11 Hoyt brings over 480 apartments and 50,000-sf of amenity space to NYC
The tower is Tishman Speyer’s first ground up condominium project in New York City.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 28, 2018
The latest data in the multifamily ‘amenities war’
Download Multifamily Design+Construction’s free 16-page report on the amenities multifamily architects, builders, and developers are providing their tenants and code buyers.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 21, 2018
Apartments outperform office, retail, industrial properties: NMHC research
Apartments offer strong returns and relatively low risk, according to new research from the National Multifamily Housing Council Research Foundation.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 14, 2018
How to solve the housing crunch on college campuses
A growing number of public and private academic institutions are turning to designers and architects for alternative housing strategies—particularly in high-density areas on the East and West Coasts.
Hotel Facilities | Mar 6, 2018
A New Hampshire college offers student housing as hotel rooms during the summer
The opening of a new residence hall could help with Plymouth State University’s hospitality marketing.
Multifamily Housing | Mar 4, 2018
Katerra, a tech-driven GC, plots ambitious expansion
Investors flock to this vertically integrated startup, which automates its design and construction processes.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 28, 2018
Transwestern data points to demand for larger rental units among baby boomers
As baby boomers seek to downsize from large homes, developers are increasingly designing apartments specifically for this demographic.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 27, 2018
Victorian era gasholders become modern residences in London
The new residences are part of the King’s Cross redevelopment scheme.