Arlington Advocacy on Planning 

Examples of the Chamber’s advocacy in Arlington on issues related to planning include:
The Arlington Chamber expressed support for the request to advertise a hearing on zoning ordinance amendments that would simplify the process for child care facilities to open, operate and expand within Arlington.
The Arlington Chamber requested that the County Board adopt the proposed Adaptive Reuse of office buildings policy, with related zoning amendments. This policy would positively impact the current office vacancy challenges. 
​​​The Arlington Chamber supports the proposed RiverHouse site plan project, and requests that the Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) commit to a five-month review timeline to ensure a timely process.The Arlington Chamber supports the zoning amendment, site plan amendment, grant funding and vacation of easement related to the relocation of the CoStar Group to Central Place Tower in Rosslyn.The Arlington Chamber supports the County Board re-adopting the Pentagon City Sector Plan, which was passed in 2022 following robust community conversation, and was voided due to a technical issue in the original advertisement. The Chamber supported the Plan in 2022.The Arlington Chamber supports the re-adoption of the Pentagon City Sector Plan, which was passed in 2022 following robust community conversation, and was voided due to a technical issue in the original advertisement. The Chamber supported the Plan in 2022. The Arlington Chamber supports the ordinance before the Planning Commission that allows for buildings in Rosslyn to have greater density than a 10.0 floor area ratio (FAR), which is currently the limit for buildings in Rosslyn.  The Chamber supports the Melwood Special GLUP Study, which would redevelop the site at 750 S. 23rd Street to deliver a new facility for Melwood and new affordable housing, and asked the County Board to adopt the GLUP Study document. The Arlington Chamber supports the adoption of two Zoning Ordinance amendments making parking regulations more flexible, and the advertisement of Zoning Ordinance amendments permitting live/work units and self-storage units as allowed uses.  The Arlington Chamber sent a letter to the Zoning Committee supporting the proposed Zoning Ordinance amendment revising the existing Floor-Area-Ratio (FAR) cap of 10.0 in the Rosslyn zoning district to allow more density.  The Arlington Chamber supports the Planning Commission recommending two amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, concerning parking and large media screens, for adoption by the County Board. The Chamber supports the Melwood Special GLUP Study, which would redevelop the site at 750 S. 23rd Street to deliver a new facility for Melwood and new affordable housing, and asked the Planning Commission to recommend approval. The Arlington Chamber supports the County Board adopting one Zoning Amendment, part of the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative (CMRI), concerning parking regulations, and adopting a second amendment at the May meeting, also concerning parking. The Arlington Chamber supports Items 28 and 29 on Saturday's County Board agenda, requests to advertise amendments to the Zoning Ordinance which would provide greater flexibility in sign regulations and encourage the reuse of obsolete commercial buildings. These are part of the County's Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative.  The Arlington Chamber asked the Arlington Planning Commission to support Item 1 on their April 10 agenda, Zoning Ordinance amendments concerning parking minimums for fitness centers and health clubs. The Chamber asked the Planning Commission to support this item, and all other related amendments that are part of the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative (CMRI).  The Arlington Chamber supports the approval of a minor site plan amendment for the sidewalk right-of-way at 1051 North Highland St., to allow for a member restaurant, Smokecraft, to operate the level of outdoor dining permitted to other restaurants in Arlington. The Arlington Chamber supports the County Board advertising the first three components of the second phase of the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative (CMRI), concerning regulations parking and large media screens. The three components advertised would be considered for adoption at the County Board's April meeting.  The Arlington Chamber urged the Planning Commission to recommend the Goodwill site plan and rezoning ordinance for adoption by the County Board at their February 14 meeting. The site plan is part of a redevelopment of the Goodwill site, which will include a new retail and donation center with housing units and a child care center.  The Arlington Chamber supports the agenda item on the January 10 Planning Commission meeting, concerning site plan and GLUP amendments for the 1501 Arlington Boulevard redevelopment project. This project will transform the site, currently including an aging motel and two small garden apartment buildings, into a modern multi-family residential building with 446 units, 24 of which are committed affordable units.  The Arlington Chamber supports the adoption of the Langston Boulevard Area Plan and related amendments, to be considered by the County Board on November 11. The Chamber requests the Board to adopt General Land Use Plan (GLUP) designations for the Langston Boulevard Plan Area by the middle of 2024. Updating the GLUP designations in a timely fashion will encourage development and encourage the realization of the Plan Goals. Also, the Chamber asks that the Board include two additional Area Plan Goals – the retention or expansion of retail and businesses, and the provision of parking resources. This would allow for specific incentives for development to retain and attract businesses of all sizes along the corridor, and for the provision of accessible and sufficient parking in the hubs of the Boulevard.   ​The Chamber is a supporter of Plan Langston Boulevard’s broad goal of development along the Langston Boulevard Corridor, and we do not seek a delay in the adoption of this important plan. The Chamber does urge several revisions to the Plan and urges the concurrent adoption of the Zoning Ordinance and General Land Use Plan (GLUP) Amendments. The most crucial action that the County Board can take on the adoption of the Final Area Plan is to concurrently adopt the Zoning Ordinance and GLUP amendments that will create and implement the Plan’s land use designations and planning processes. For the Plan to have the desired positive impact, simultaneous adoption of the Plan and the package of these amendments is essential. The Chamber asks for a higher base density beyond 1.5 FAR to incentivize cost-effective development along the corridor. We also urge the County to include language that assigns a value to the creation and retention of small businesses to be used in the bonus density calculations. A consistent concern heard from corridor businesses relates to parking, and so we request the Plan to include consideration of ensuring publicly accessible parking for businesses, especially those outside the centers of the activity nodes. ​The Arlington Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the continued works on the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative. As a result, the Chamber supports items on the June 13 County Board Agenda; permitting the by-right operation of ghost kitchens, restaurant direct meal delivery, shared commercial kitchens and large-scale catering establishments. The Chamber is excited by the opportunities that the Zoning amendments would provide to our restaurants. Permitting restaurants to have food delivery services and shared commercial kitchen spaces by right will allow for restaurants to retain more of their revenue, and provide them with flexibility to adapt to the changing restaurant economy. We further suggest that the County consider increased adaptability for new uses and expedited timeframes for approval of these new uses. ​The Arlington Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the continued works on the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative. As a result, we support Item 10 on the May 13 County Board Agenda; the ordinance adopting amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to permit research spaces, development and laboratory uses, and audio-visual broadcasting uses. As we have stated in our previous letters, these items are part of a necessary long-term reimagination of the Zoning Ordinance and how Arlington can develop regulations that promote the attraction of new and emerging business sectors. We appreciate this step forward, and we encourage continued work beyond the proposed amendments that provides for innovation. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce supports the adoption of the Sunrise Senior Living Special General Land Use Plan (GLUP) Study document, and the advertisement of public hearings for the Sunrise North Glebe Road GLUP Amendment. The proposed project will provide a much-needed increase of 35 additional units in a conveniently accessible location in North Arlington. Northern Virginia currently faces a shortage of senior housing units, and this project would help address this issue. We strongly urge the County Board to vote for the document and for the advertising of the public hearings. We also ask that the Board support the Sunrise North Glebe project at its public hearings and the subsequent steps towards its final adoption. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce strongly supports the continued works on the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative. As a result, we support Items 13 and 28 on the April 22 County Board Agenda; the ordinance adopting amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to allow for indoor recreation, and the Request to Advertise other amendments allowing for ghost kitchens, by-right food delivery services and large-scale catering establishments. This amendments would not only continue to open Arlington business districts to new and emerging business sectors, but also provide greater opportunities for Arlington restaurants to utilize their own food delivery or catering, saving themselves the hassle of utilizing third-party services.  The Arlington Chamber strongly supported the advertisement of amendments to the Zoning Ordinance permitting the creation of medical and dental laboratories, flexible research spaces, and audio-visual broadcasting spaces in commercial buildings, as part of the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative. The Initiative is a welcomed part of reimagining the Zoning Ordinance to reflect the businesses of the 21st century and make Arlington more nimble in attracting businesses in sectors that did not exist when the Zoning Ordinance was first written. The Chamber supports the goals of the ordinance as greater density is a benefit to the residents and to the economy of Arlington. The Chamber specifically supports an ordinance with no annual cap on permits, since a cap would create an artificial limit on the benefits that a process like this provides.  The Chamber supports the County Board in voting for a Request to advertise public hearings on the Missing Middle Housing ordinance, which is a necessary step toward the adoption of the ordinance. The Chamber supports the goals of the Missing Middle Housing Ordinance but views it as merely one part of a larger effort to ensure there is enough attainable housing in Arlington for its residents and workforce. The Chamber also urges the County to promote flexibility, and not adopt the cap on permits that are being considered.  The Arlington Chamber strongly supports proposed amendments to the Arlington Zoning Ordinance to permit the creation of urban universities, animal boarding, urban agriculture, artisan beverage facilities, and workshops within Arlington. These amendments are part of the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative, which is a necessary step in Arlington modernizing its Zoning Ordinance to attract the businesses of the 21st century that weren’t foreseen when zoning regulations were originally written. The Chamber commends the County Manager and Staff for moving forward with the Initiative, and hope that the County Board will adopt the amendments at their upcoming meeting.  The Arlington Chamber strongly urges the County Board to commit to passing an implementation framework for Plan Langston Boulevard by summer 2023. Currently the Board has not committed to passing a framework for the Final Plan in the year 2023. The Chamber reiterated concerns that not passing a framework next year could jeopardize several projects along the Boulevard. The Chamber notes that if additional funding and staff are needed to pass a framework, then the County must commit those resources as a means to achieve the Plan’s goals. The Chamber strongly supports the County Board adopting amendments to the Zoning Ordinance to permit the construction of micro-fulfillment centers. The Chamber commends the County Manager and Staff for moving forward with much-needed Zoning changes, known as the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative, that will enable Arlington to attract businesses in new and emerging sectors like micro-fulfillment companies. The Chamber also support the Requests to Advertise (RTAs) for the next phases of the Initiative. ​The Chamber strongly supports proposed amendments to the Arlington Zoning Ordinance to permit the construction of micro-fulfillment centers. The Chamber commends the County Manager and Staff for moving forward with much-needed Zoning changes, known as the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative, that will enable Arlington to attract businesses in new and emerging sectors like micro-fulfillment companies, dog boarding, edge data centers and breweries. The Chamber also Requests to Advertise (RTAs) for the next Phases of the Initiative, as the RTAs will be considered at the upcoming County Board meeting. The Chamber expresses support for a County Board ordinance amending the Site Plan for SER Restaurant on North Glebe Road, permitting them to construct a permanent outdoor pergola. Support for Arlington restaurants is vital, and this ordinance would provide SER with the valuable opportunity to expand seating capacity at a time when restaurants in Arlington are still struggling. The Chamber encourages the Board to permit this welcome addition to SER. ​The Chamber expressed conditioned support for the Plan Langston Boulevard Preliminary Concept Plan (PCP). The Chamber is supportive of policies for additional density and development in the Langston Boulevard corridor. The Chamber contends that the alternative density proposals outlined in the PCP would achieve the Plan’s housing and development goals more effectively. Additional density and an emphasis on development around commercial nodes is beneficial to the long-term growth of the corridor.  ​The Chamber sent a letter to the Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development supporting the goals of the County’s Missing Middle Housing Study, but urging more flexibility on standards to enable more Missing Middle units to be constructed. The Chamber encouraged the Arlington County Board to approve the Clarendon Sector Plan. The draft Plan offers a good compromise on many key items that will better serve the needs of the community today and help move the neighborhood forward. It allows for some increased density in the western part of Clarendon, makes the step-back requirements less restrictive, and allows for redevelopment of several sites in western Clarendon that would greatly benefit from it. The Chamber encouraged the Arlington County Board to approve the Pentagon City Sector Plan, which aims to lead the way for a new dynamic downtown in Arlington. The Plan identifies several locations that are well-suited for increased density in National Landing. The added density would drive significant commercial growth in the neighborhood as well, as businesses would be attracted to the larger pool of residents. The Chamber expressed broad support for the Plan Lee Highway Scenario Analysis, which provides for additional commercial and residential development in the Langston Boulevard transit corridor. As Arlington County moves ahead with designing development plans for this corridor, the Chamber encouraged creating flexible land use policies and regulations to attract investment, and cautioned against restrictions that could limit the ability of future community processes to develop innovative designs and solutions. ​​The Chamber encouraged Arlington County to allow for the broadest possible range of ground story uses in the Columbia Pike Form Based Code. Arlington County is studying how to update the code to add permission for uses that were not envisioned when the Form Based Code was adopted, but such an update still won’t cover desired future uses not envisioned today. The goal of the Form Based Code is to provide a thriving main-street feeling; permitting all uses by default, unless specifically identified as adverse, will help deliver that goal for South Arlington’s central main street. The Chamber expressed support for the broad goals of the Public Art Master Plan update to contribute to Arlington's vibrancy, while suggesting amendments to make the plan stronger. The drafted plan favors County-curated art over privately-curated art, and adds cost without accounting for other public benefits delivered by site plan projects. The Chamber encouraged Arlington County to broaden its definition of public art and to work to minimize the cost burden of public art contributions. ​The Chamber supported allowing more flexibility to give bonus height for site plan projects delivering affordable housing. The proposed amendments to the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance would allow the County Board to approve more bonus height for certain projects that are 100% low- or middle-income housing or that meet the goals of the Affordable Housing Master Plan. Projects receiving bonus height would need to design it to establish effective transitions to neighboring developments.
​ The Chamber requested that the Arlington County Board restore a Principal Planner position in the Arlington County government due to be frozen in Fiscal Year 2022. Restoring this position will help prevent delays in planning studies for which applicants pay cost-recovery fees. Prompt review of development projects is also an investment in Arlington’s future through the taxes they will generate when completed.  The Arlington Chamber of Commerce encourages and supports the broad policy goals of the Community Energy Plan (CEP). The target of net-zero CO2 equivalent emission by 2050 is aspirational, and can be an impetus for innovation. But there is also the risk of losing the plan’s sensitivity to individual circumstances if its implementation is too prescriptive. Arlington County should ensure sufficient flexibility in implementing the plan so that it is viable and economically feasible for businesses and residents, including the availability to consumers of a diverse range of energy choices in meeting growing energy needs.  The Chamber wrote a letter to the County Board regarding the new Green Building Incentive program and highlighted specific aspects that should be reconsidered as well as points that the Chamber agreed with. The Chamber believes that an effective incentive program should remain connected to the actual costs of implementing green building techniques and focused on environmental outcomes.  The Chamber wrote a letter to the County Board encouraging them to accept the proposed amendment to the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance to permit outdoor cafes in zones R-C. This would allow restaurants along and adjacent to Fairfax Drive, N Glebe Road, and Wilson Boulevard to implement outdoor dining. The Chamber believes this will enhance the vibrancy and streetscape near the Ballston, Virginia Square, and Courthouse metro stations. The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board opposing a proposed amendment to the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Form Based Code to add a cash contribution to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund for commercial uses in these districts. The Chamber supports creating more affordable housing in Arlington, but this amendment risks disincentivizing needed development along Columbia Pike. The Chamber expressed support for recommendations for changes to the Form Based Code made by the Columbia Pike Revitalization Organization (CPRO) in a position paper. CPRO's recommendations include allowing retail-equivalent uses at the street level, granting more design flexibility for new construction, and relaxing restrictions on signage. Adopting these recommendations will allow for activity that is economically feasible on Columbia Pike today, which has the potential to seed further development in the future.​ The Chamber wrote a letter to the County Board expressing its views on the proposed amendments related to bonus density and height. The Chamber supports the broad goal of facilitating the use of bonus height and density to achieve public benefits. Allowing for both bonus height and density provides flexibility to support individual site plans, which is why the Chamber encourages the Board to adopt an expanded version of amendment with explicit mentions of both height and density, and not to approve another change that could limit flexibility.​ The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board requesting that the board defer the request to advertise public hearings on the modifications of bonus density and height provisions for a month. There are many elements in the proposal, which strike the Chamber as positive changes, but the Chamber and other businesses in the community are still grappling with the complex implications of other elements. The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board expressing support for the broad policy goals of the proposed update to the Community Energy Plan update, and also to a proposed change to the Green Building Incentive. The letter also noted that the manner in which the plan is implemented will ultimately determine its success. As such, the Chamber urged flexibility in implementation so that it is viable and economically feasible for businesses and residents. The Chamber sent a letter to County Board Chair Cristian Dorsey expressing its support for a package of Zoning Ordinance and County Code amendments for Phase I of the Child Care Initiative. The proposed changes should increase child care availability, and balance community feedback with Commonwealth standards. Affordable and accessible child care is essential for the wellbeing of Arlington’s residents and workforce. The proposed changes are smart approaches to real challenges that have inhibited access and affordability for child care and represent an approach to regulation which we hope Arlington will follow in other areas. The Chamber sent a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol, raising concerns about the direction of the Four Mile Run Valley Initiative and the potentially harmful impact it could have on businesses in our area. ​In the letter, the Chamber requests that planning staff remove the existing businesses from the study area and that planning staff illustrate how the County facilities located in the study area can heighten the businesses currently located in the area.  As a follow up to its November 2017 letter, the Chamber called on the Arlington County Board not to move forward with adoption of the proposed Housing Conservation District (HCD) Policy framework, reiterating its concerns with the policy.  The Chamber called on the Arlington County Board to oppose moving forward with advertising and subsequent adoption of the proposed Housing Conservation District (HCD) Policy Framework, which would limit the development potential of a property, impede access to financing for property owners to reinvest in these properties, and discourage redevelopment of older housing. The Chamber is concerned that this proposal could have unintended consequences that could hinder housing affordability over the long term. The Arlington Chamber sent a letter to County Board Chair Jay Fisette to express support for the Residential Parking Working Group's draft report and recommendations and urge the County to protect businesses from any additional costly requirements. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette regarding concerns expressed by the S. Four Mile Run Business Association and individual Chamber member businesses located inside the Four Mile Run Valley Initiative's Park Boundary Study Area. In the letter, the Chamber requests that planning staff remove the existing businesses from the study area and that planning staff illustrate how the County facilities located in the study area can heighten the businesses currently located in the area.  In a letter to the Arlington County Board, the Chamber voiced concerns over potential codification of building heights as part of the codification of the Realize Rosslyn Plan, which could severely limit Rosslyn’s ability to attract creative innovative development. The Chamber shares its support for the County Manager's recommendation regarding the modifications to Long Bridge Park, provided that the project completed with the County funds not exceeding the allocated capital funding for the project. However, the Chamber supports the possibility of a further enhanced facility should other public or private partners emerge.  The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board in support of the Community Facilities Study Recommendations, recognizing them as good planning practices and appreciating the focus on the importance of the commercial sector. As a follow-up to its June 2015 letter, the Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board to express appreciation for the changes that had been made to the Realize Rosslyn Sector Plan, while taking issue with remaining concerns that had not yet.\ been addressed. The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board expressing concerns with the Realize Rosslyn Sector Plan and requesting that the County Board postpone the advertisement of the Rosslyn Sector Plan until all concerns have been addressed. The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board expressing general support for the direction and aspirational goals outlined in the proposed Affordable Housing Master Plan and the Affordable Housing Implementation Framework. In a letter to the Arlington County Board, the Chamber outlined its concerns over the Phase IIC update of the Zoning Ordinance, particularly the restriction and regulation of business based upon use category rather than zoning district.