Statement By Arlington County Board Candidate Juan Carlos Fierro About Missing Middle Ruling From Judge David Schell.
Juan Carlos Fierro, Candidate for Arlington County Board, issued the following statement after Judge David Schell's ruling to allow Arlington homeowners' suit against 'Missing Middle' to proceed:
"Arlington neighbors and neighborhoods were vindicated this week by Judge David Schell, who ruled against County leaders in the ongoing 'Missing Middle' lawsuit. Judge Schell rejected arguments by the County that the case should be thrown out, ruling homeowners do have standing to sue the County.
"The ruling is a victory for all Arlingtonians and a rejection of the county's failed governing philosophy.
"One of the reasons I entered this campaign for the County Board is because of my concern that the existing County Board was ramrodding Missing Middle without considering the views of most citizens, and for not conducting adequate development impact analysis.
"While the Judge’s ruling is a positive step to either repeal or modify Missing Middle, it underscores the fact that the County’s public engagement process is not very democratic. The Judge admonished the County Attorney for stating that the lawsuit was a 'subversion of our democratic process.' The County Attorney’s comment illustrates the lack of understanding by the County on what is true public engagement.
"I hope the County takes consideration of what this decision means and begins to reconsider the true impacts of densification policies.
"If elected to the Board, I intend to question all projects that increase densification without considering the negative impacts in our community. I will also promote a truly open public engagement process respecting that homeowners do have in fact 'standing' to challenge the County’s development policies that promote densification at the expense of making housing unaffordable for all, especially our minority communities."