The February 2026 newsletter is linked below. If you have any comments or questions, email editor@ashtonheights.org.

Arlington County Issues that are Critical to the AHCA
By Scott Sklar, President, AHCA 

This 2026 year will be a critically important political year for our community. There is some good news. Our new Governor will likely help support flexibility for Northern Virginia local governments in many of the issues we care about.

Over the past 18 months, AHCA in concert with other civic association presidents, developed a coalition of 22 civic associations to address MMH-EHO, and has morphed to engage in discussion on lot coverage issues, tree canopy preservation and enhancement.

This coalition’s focus will go beyond the Arlington County Board which may include: developing a text message program for Arlington County residents, developing “issue” lawn signs and a car sticker program, and developing programs to outreach to younger residents. We want to maintain a kind of future not focused purely on increasing building density (which is the current Arlington County Board focus), but rather on comfort, community, environment/wildlife, and attracting building/financing approaches that are affordable to middle incomes (where MMH started).

We have four core issues that will come before the Arlington County Board in 2026 that we must be laser-focused on.

1. Tweaking EHO which is trending against our position, so as to increase the “non-built” footprint on properties and maximize tree preservation and increase native vegetation for stormwater management and preservation of avian and other wildlife.
2. Tracking final approvals on details for the hotel on the Silver Diner site in Clarendon, but also focus on our AHCA position on the lot treatment around and atop of the 10th St N firehouse as a center for recreation. The Lyon Park Citizens Association (LPCA) and AHCA have agreed to make this a joint priority and fits with our common vision of less cement, less McMansions, and more natural landscape. 
3. AHCA and LPCA have a solid and ongoing tree canopy program. If you’ve seen the listserv and local reports, you’ve heard about the removal of the LPCA Gateway Tree. The County acted on the removal without honest interaction with a civic association and this has garnered attention of at least three Arlington County Board members for greater focus on tree canopy and better coordination on canopy issues. This is our chance to have a more formal vision and agreement and I expect we will see some movement on this in the first half of this year.
4. Overall, AHCA has good relationships with the county. I am in continual dialogue with the Arlington County Board members and their staff, and our AHCA Committees are also in contact with Arlington Commissions and Advisory Committees, and Arlington County staff within their issue areas. Because of a variety of issues, in 2026 we will be establishing a fundamentally new relationship with specific County offices. This has been a long time coming and sorely needed.

Finally, I was extremely honored to have five organizations at our AHCA January monthly meeting of nonprofit service associations focusing on education, immigrant support, and healthcare – all focused in making our county and community a better place to live while supporting and caring for all of our residents. 

And that’s what this is all about – quality of life for our families, our local businesses, our neighbors, and our communities. Thank you for your interest and participation, and a most happy, healthy and fulfilling 2026.