Katie Mogg graphic
UPDATED March 17: David Levy, a Precinct 18 Town Meeting, discusses his proposed article, which was on the Redevelopment Board agenda for Monday, March 17.
This Town Meeting marks the first time I’m submitting a warrant article as the only sponsor. I’ve co-sponsored or have spoken in favor of articles in the past, but for me, this is different. I’m trying to answer the question posed to me years ago: “I love it here in Arlington. But where am I supposed to live?”
I don’t pretend to have a silver bullet or a solution that solves this problem in its entirety. But I can no longer sit by and offer no help or improvement to the current situation.
To the next generation of Arlington students that the town has invested hundreds of millions into receiving a good education, I hope this helps. To the parents, wondering where their young-adult children may live someday, I hope this helps. Let me begin to describe my solution.
Source of housing data
Let’s start with the fact that roughly half of our existing housing stock consists of single-family houses.
(The source is 2023 data from the MHP Center for Housing Data. I include single-family detached and attached, which total 19,853 and comprise 45.1 percent.
(In my presentation this evening, I’m going to focus primarily though on the 85 percent of homes in the detached category for where this will be applicable given the by-right ability.)
They exist in residential zones where only single-family houses can be built. And so, when a new house is built in one of these zones, there is only one option for new construction: A new single-family house. The outcome therefore, given our zoning allowances, is large single-family houses.
The large single-family house is not a bad thing, but in town where no more land can be used to build housing, building only larger houses where smaller houses once existed will not make housing more affordable to all Arlingtonians.
What we gain
So what am I proposing? I’m proposing that in our two residential zones for single-family housing, we gain a by-right ability to build two-family housing. In this proposal, the setbacks of a single-family house must be preserved; there are no changes to street parking and ADUs laws.
Where do I think this new option for home construction will help? I have two answers:
The first is sobering. It will not dramatically decrease housing costs in Arlington. I want to make that clear. But it will make the new home construction that is two-family housing much closer to the median price of a house in Arlington, compared to prices of new single house construction far in excess of the median home. Will this help make houses more affordable to some? Yes. For all? Sadly no, but it’s a start.
The second is more hopeful in my opinion. Based on my conversations, I believe there is small but significant portion of residents who I call “early empty nesters.” They’re asking the same question: Where are my children supposed to live? And if I sell? Where might I live?
Now they can do something about it. This gives existing homeowners the optionality to subdivide their homes to allow the next generation of Arlingtonians, and possibly the next generation after that to live here in a more affordable way.
Here’s the final sobering reality: Given the number of new home construction permits we see in Arlington AND the number of sales of existing homes in Arlington, will this dramatically change our residential neighborhoods? I don’t see it in the numbers. But for some people, this will help, and that’s a good thing.
I am presenting my argument and more facts at the Arlington Redevelopment Board this Monday, March 17. In short, I want to give our town the ability to continue this conversation as I believe my solution helps answer that question I’m still trying to answer: “Where am I supposed to live?”
This letter was published Saturday, March 15, 2025, and updated March 17, to add data source.
David –
Does this Article encourage new construction or the renovation of existing housing stock?
Do you have any data regarding how likely the existing housing stock in R0 & R1 would be converted to a two-family dwelling by the existing or new owner vs torn down and re-developed as a duplex by the buyer?
Do you have any information on how likely existing housing stock would be torn down for a new larger single-family home vs a two-family home?
The 3,000 SF new construction single-family homes in town could easily have been built for two families, but are the small existing 1500 SF homes on small lots going to be prey to developers looking to now fit two-family dwellings on 3400 SF lots?
Do you have examples of where a dense suburban town like Arlington re-zoned all of their R0 and R1 properties to R2 at once in the last 5 years?
I’d be curious to know more about what the zoning change might bring – both good and bad – if it were to be adopted.
Thanks,
a homeowner in R1 with a 1500 SF home on a 5000 SF lot
Fascinating perspective, David. The idea to allow 2-family housing could serve as a vital tool in dealing with affordability. It’s also critical to ensure that any regulatory changes are legally sound. In my practice as a lawyer, I often counsel on zoning and land use issues, and I see great potential in these ideas.
I wholeheartedly support this idea. I understand change is scary, but the benefits of more neighbors with families and fresh new people is great news.