Skip to content

Editorial: Warts and all, here comes Missing Middle

County Board members know delay could be fatal, so they'll soldier on
editorial-graphic

If all goes according to their plans – and we have no reason to believe it won’t – Arlington County Board members this Saturday will enact Missing Middle housing policies that will fundamentally alter Arlington forevermore.

The five board members are many things, but not dumb. They understand Missing Middle (or are they now calling it “Enhanced Housing Opportunities”?) needs refinement. But they also know there is no time for that.

Were things to slow down and change from a ready-fire-aim approach to the more appropriate ready-aim-fire process, public sentiment would continue to shift against the housing plan as the public discovers its flaws.

And, as is noted in this week’s edition, there’s no guarantee the two County Board members who will be replacing the lame-duck incumbents (Katie Cristol and Christian Dorsey) will be so supportive. Given that it’s now or never to get ’er done, board members have opted for a “damn the torpedoes; full speed ahead” approach.