At the July 19th Arlington County Board hearing, I opposed to adopting an accessory dwelling ordinance in Arlington at the present time until the isssue of affordable housing has been addressed and ways are found to eliminate the loss of greenspace and tree canopy in neighborhoods.

In place of such dwellings being built in detached houses, I support the creation and funding of an Arlington Housing Authority that will preserve existing rental housing, such as the garden apartments in Buckingham Village that were recently demolished. Keeping historic garden apartments like Buckingham means not only that affordable apartments are kept in Arlington, but the invaluable trees and green space surrounding the buildings are preserved.

John’s full statement against the adoption of the AD ordinance.

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