“Not in my back yard!” are the words Vic saying to the GenZers at the conference table. Holly looked concerned and had the ArlNOW paper on the table with bold type “NIMBYs fight YIMBYs!” on the banner headline. “I think the middle is missing.”

Miles was getting is second cup of coffee and sat down across from her. “Your humor about a serious effort by the wise civic leaders in our two Counties to make new housing available across a wide spectrum of social groups is appreciated. It may provide a topic we can feed into TAHE down there.” He pointed at the box with the glowing lights at the end of the table near the screen.

“Missing Middle” said Splash. “Although they aren’t. Our teachers, firemen and cops are huddled out past the Manassas Battlefield, and getting to jobs here is a tough haul. You remember what it was like to get from the office on New York Avenue back across the river with a gazillion other irritated commuters. Plus, even the Millennials are having a tough time buying the sort of houses their parents did. And that is after the inheritances have been spent on those outrageous student loans.”

Splash clicked the controller on the table and the wide-screen sprang to life. “This image is what caused the commotion.”

“Yeah,” said Rocket. “That is why a lot of the Bureaucrats lived over here where they could purchase a modest home with good schools and common sense management. And then protect the investment. Socotra House supported the NIMBYs when the Missing Middle was proposed to eliminate the old zoning standards and open up the neighborhoods to improvement.”

Splash clicked the remote again to display another image. “Here you go. Progress!”

The group leaned forward to see what had occurred to some of the modest houses in Fairfax. Rocket waved at the screen. “That is the house that caused the latest battle between NIMBYs and YIMBYs. They applied for the permit to build the addition out to the property line. It was approved by the County, and construction began legally until the neighbors who live in the shadow of the three story addition took the matter to court.”

Holly threw up her hands. “So, they want to tell the owner that he can’t do something to his own house that is fully legal and approved by the Zoning Board?”

“This isn’t the only one. Dozens were approved and completed. Others, like this one, are sprouting up and making people nervous.”

“It is the nature of change in the urban environment.” said Vic. “NIMBY. That is how we kept our neighborhoods of single family homes in Fairfax County. I owned two houses out here. I kept my lawns neat and yards ready for inspection.”

Miles frowned, “But the nature of things now means we need to provide options for affordable housing.”

Molly threw up her hands. “By throwing up three story additions to single story houses? With no parking? If I decide to settle down, I have to live in an upper story added to a ranch-style house?”

“It is no wonder more guys want to get married than the young women. That is a function of some other impending Missing Middles,” said Vapor as he settled into a chair near the head of the table near to the glowing image on the screen. “Like the population rate declining that produces a need to import some.”

“That is the consequence of attempting the change one house at a time. The developers are going to have to find a new acronym for what they are trying to do. Something warm and approachable.”

“We seem to be shuttling between a converted condo in Arlington and a vibrant multi-story building in the thicket of new high rise in Fairfax. This area was farmland thirty-five years ago. The problem now is that every inch of the county belongs to people who want to keep things the way they are.”

Splash stood up to go do something interesting besides architecture that irritated. “You mean were. It isn’t a missing middle any more. It is going straight up.”

“YIMBY!” shouted GenZ.

Copyright 2025 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com