Welcome to FIVE FOR FRIDAY: A weekly roundup of Public Policy Issues and Headlines from around the Northern Virginia Region, the Commonwealth and on Capitol Hill.
1. County Board Gives Input on Next Phase of Missing Middle Housing Study
On Tuesday, July 12, the Arlington County Board provided feedback to guide the next phase of the Missing Middle Housing Study, including housing types, parking requirements, and building design standards. During a work session with County Manager Mark Schwartz and staff on Tuesday afternoon, where Board members received a presentation summarizing the community feedback received over the past two and a half months and considered key policy questions regarding the next phase of the study.
Related: Read NVAR’s Statement on Missing Middle Framework
2. Housing Providers Send Feedback on Renter Issues
In a letter to the Administration and federal agencies, housing provider groups stressed that there are already myriad state and local laws and regulations placed on lease terms, eviction proceedings, and housing provider responsibilities.
3. Top Four Things Homeowners Should Know about the New Fairfax County Permitting System
On Oct. 31, 2022, the Planning and Land Use System (PLUS) will be the central Fairfax County platform for customers doing business with the following:
- Environmental Health (Department of Health)
- Department of Code Compliance
- Department of Planning and Development
- Land Development Services
- Office of the Fire Marshal (Fire and Rescue Department)
4. Supervisors Pass Long-Debated Rt. 15 Plan
County supervisors have taken a vote years in the making, amending the county’s comprehensive plan to change the vision for Rt. 15 north of Leesburg from a two-lane rural road to one with four-laned, median-divided sections, roundabouts, and a bypass west of the Village of Lucketts. And, with safety concerns on the road today, they also voted to look for more near-term fixes while those longer-term solutions wait their turn in the county’s capital planning.
5. An early look at plans for new rail, pedestrian bridges over the Potomac
Virginia is advancing a $2 billion plan to expand freight and passenger train traffic over the Potomac River, hoping to alleviate a growing bottleneck at a bridge that has connected the Southern and Northeastern U.S. for more than a century. The plan calls for a new two-track span parallel to the Long Bridge, which serves as the main route for trains traveling south of the nation’s capital. The new span between Washington and Arlington would double train capacity to support commerce and increasing demands for passenger rail along the busy East Coast corridor.
6. A shortage of single-family homes is casting doubt on Virginia’s future growth
A shortage of available homes in Virginia is pushing up prices and slowing sales, raising the risk of long-term affordability challenges that could slow the state’s growth. The data, presented Wednesday to lawmakers on the Virginia Housing Commission, reflect trends that are likely to have a major impact on some of the state’s biggest metropolitan areas, according to the Virginia REALTORS association and other housing experts. While statewide home sales have slowed amid rising interest rates, limited inventory means that prices haven’t dropped to match the decline in demand.