About Us

Arlingtonians concerned about rapid growth and urbanization in mid-2019 formed an educational and advocacy group, Arlingtonians for our Sustainable Future (ASF) to engage the community and elected leaders of the county. 

 

ASF believes that before the county considers zoning changes to increase density, and as we adapt to a new identity as a hi-tech corridor, we should understand likely long-term impacts and modify growth policies best suited to a sustainable community. 

"Weigh in before you are squeezed out."

-Peter Rousselot, ASF

ASF Presentations:

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ASF has presented its views and requests for action to a number of groups active in the county, beginning with introductory presentations in October 2019.  In late 2019 and early 2020, ASF made presentations to county commissions, to civic associations and business and civic organizations.  Four members of ASF also presented in-depth reviews of the organization's key issues at ASF's first large public meeting at the Central Library on February 24, 2020.  (Presentations from this event, on Environment, Infrastructure, and Development and Missing Middle Housing are posted on our Key Issues pages).  After a brief interval due to Covid-19, ASF resumed (virtual) engagements with a few civic associations in July 2020 and will continue these through Fall 2020.  In September 2020, ASF presented its views on key issues, with an emphasis on Missing Middle Housing, to the Arlington County Board.  That presentation is included in our "official requests" section directly below.

 

Resources: 

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ASF Official Requests to (and replies from) Arlington County:

2020

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                                         Attachment to ASF Letter on Missing Middle Survey of Jan 5

,              March 16, 2021 - Arlington County Board Reply to ASF Concerns about Missing Middle Study

              Dec 17, 2020 ASF Follow-up on Fiscal Planning Tools Pursuant to Dec 12 Comments to the Board

              Date unknown   Arlington County Board Reply to ASF Concerns on Fiscal Planning Tools

 

ASF Official Requests to (and replies from) non-County Entities:

2020

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ASF Platform

We Have a Problem

Don’t let Arlington become the next Houston

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The County is moving to rapidly accelerate growth. Plans to eliminate single-family zoning and other zoning changes would transform Arlington from an urban village to a paved metropolis. Changes will leave us increasingly vulnerable to disastrous flooding and escalating taxes. Leaders have not fully informed us of the magnitude of these plans, quantified costs or addressed consequences.

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Spurred by July 2019 flooding, Arlingtonians for our Sustainable Future (ASF) organized to provide education and advocacy in our community.  We stand for informed citizen democracy.  Before enacting further zoning changes that will increase density, our community needs to understand and address consequences.

 

A sustainable future for Arlington must start with our watershed and the needs of our existing communities. Decisions must be based not on unproven assumptions, but on analysis, clear community understanding of costs and benefits of densification and a broad range of citizen preferences. 

 

Before adopting zoning changes that would increase density, the County should: 

1

Adopt a flooding and land use plan utilizing an accepted floodplain management tool, based on understanding of root flooding causes, their relationship to development, our watershed’s carrying capacity in the face of climate change and what we must do to prevent flooding in the future.

2

Adopt available community planning tools (such as the TischlerBise fiscal impact tool) to assess both costs and benefits of different development scenarios, including assessing fiscal impacts on our capital and operating budgets and infrastructure impacts (such as to storm water management).

3

Create a ten-year projected county operating budget to consider potential population and revenue scenarios.

Arlingtonians for Our Sustainable Future

ASF keeps you up to date as Arlington government seeks to change the way we live, work, play and interact with one another in America’s smallest county.

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