Public Policy Archives

​Over the years, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce has served as a key driver of policies that promote a prosperous business environment and benefit the Arlington community as a whole. The Chamber takes policy positions on time-sensitive matters of relevance to the business community.

The Chamber’s policy positions from previous years may be viewed below:
​
2018
The Chamber sent a letter urging Governor Ralph Northam to approve H.B. 1204, related to assessing property devoted to open space use according to its current use. This legislation would bring Arlington assessments in line with neighboring jurisdictions and fairness to the process.​The Arlington Chamber joined area chambers and other business organizations in calling on lawmakers to provide $154 million in annual capital funding for Metro's needs, along with achievable reform measures to ensure Virginia’s quality of life and continued economic growth are preserved for years to come through a fully funded, well-governed, and efficiently operated Metro system.The Chamber called on the Virginia House Finance Committee to renew the additional 0.25% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) for Arlington County. In individual letters to all 21 committee members, the Chamber explained tourism's role as a key driver of Arlington's economy, adding that renewing the TOT will help ensure that Arlington remains competitive in attracting travelers.The Chamber signed onto a letter urging lawmakers to support additional funding for GO Virginia during the 2018 General Assembly session.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. The Arlington Chamber, joined by the Virginia Chamber and local chambers, sent a letter to Governor Ralph Northam, Speaker Kirk Cox, and Senate Majority Leader Tommy Norment, calling on the lawmakers to identify a funding package for Metro, paired with reforms, during the 2018 General Assembly session, in order to ensure a well-governed, efficiently operated Metro system for years to come.
2017 The Chamber called on the Arlington County Board to oppose moving forward with the approval 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.  In a letter to County Board Chair Jay Fisette, the Chamber declared its support for the County Board’s adoption of the Clean Energy Financing Ordinance to authorize creation of the Arlington County Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program. The first of its kind in Virginia, C-PACE would provide a financing alternative that enables low-cost, long-term funding for energy efficiency retrofits and upgrades for commercial properties. 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 Manager Mark Schwartz in support of the VRE Platform Location #2. In the letter, the Chamber expressed support of the findings by the Crystal City Citizen Review Council, which show that the direct connection to Metro offered by Location #2 through the new planned Metro entrance is vital to accomplishing current and future transit goals. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce joined businesses from across the metropolitan area in urging the region's top lawmakers and U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to take bold and innovative action to reform our regional transit system​. The businesses write that reforms must include changes to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's (WMATA) governance, funding, and operations. ​ In a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette, the Chamber expressed concerns that feedback provided by the Chamber's Government Affairs & Economic Development Committee on the proposed amendments to the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance regarding retail signage is not being included in staff recommendations. The committee met with County staff in April to discuss issues with requirements that could negatively impact Arlington's retail locations. In the letter, the Chamber reiterates how these remaining issues could harm businesses and calls on the County to work to fix these concerns. 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 Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce requested that the County Board broaden the Request to Advertise for the proposed amendments to the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance regarding retail signage to allow for discussion of possible improvements. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Jay Fisette objecting to the $66 annual Recycling System Compliance and Inspection fee that the County has imposed on all business locations. The Arlington Chamber of Commerce sent a letter to Governor Terry McAuliffe (D-Va.), urging him to sign into law H.B. 1960, which would prevent the local government from imposing the burdensome and costly second authorization towing requirement on businesses. On behalf of the Northern Virginia business community, the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and other area chambers sent a letter to the Virginia General Assembly, requesting support for protection of budget priorities that were included in the 2016 budget. These priorities include GO Virginia grant and research funding, Workforce Credentials Program funding, Cost of Competing Adjustment (COCA) for school support positions, and salary increases for teachers and instructional staff. ​​The Coalition of Northern Virginia Chambers of Commerce – composed of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and 12 other area chambers – urged the Virginia General Assembly to support full funding for the “Virginia Initiative for Growth and Opportunity” (GO Virginia) in the FY2018 Budget plan, which will be adopted in the upcoming Legislative Session.
​
2016 In a letter to Arlington County Board Chair Libby Garvey, the Chamber called on the Board to adopt the draft recommendation by the Trespass Towing Advisory Board (TTAB) and reject the costly, burdensome second signature requirement for the removal of illegally parked vehicles from private property. The Chamber urged the Arlington County Board to adopt the Trespass Towing Advisory Board's (TTAB) comprehensive recommended updates to the Arlington County Code. The Chamber expressed its vehement opposition to a second signature requirement in order to remove illegally parked vehicles, as well as the prohibition of parking “spotters” to monitor parking areas. These additions would act solely as administrative and costly burdens on local businesses that depend on clear, available parking areas for employees, visitors, and customers in order to remain financially viable, by deteriorating the level of service provided by towing contractors. The Chamber commeded the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA) for funding the Crystal City Streets/12th Street Transit Way, as well as the Lee Highway Corrider ITS Enhancements. ​The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board expressing its support for the proposed amendments to the Sign Regulations for Regional Shopping Centers, as well as the proposed amendments to Regulations for Comprehensive Sign Plans adopted prior to July 24, 2012. The Chamber commends the County and the staff for their efforts on these two updates to provide timely and needed enhanced sign regulations for the County’s regional shopping centers, which are key economic drivers for Arlington County. 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 sent a letter to the Trespass Towing Advisory Board (TTAB), urging the Board to reject burdensome proposed changes to a local ordinance that threaten Arlington business owners' private property rights. By adding another authorization requirement to tow trespassers and placing new restrictions on monitoring parking areas, these proposals would hinder the ability of local businesses to provide parking for customers, employees, and visitors. In a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx, the Chamber called on the DOT to reconsider its decision to not allow United Airlines to offer a Dulles-Havana flight service. In the letter, Chamber President & CEO Kate Bates describes the benefits of a Dulles-to-Havana flight, including the creation of an important "capital-to-capital" link that would foster official travel between the U.S. and Cuban governments, as well as increase the range of consumer travel options to Cuba from the East Coast. 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 wrote a letter to the U.S. Department of Transportation, expressing support for the application from the Commonwealth of Virginia and its partners for credit assistance through the Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) to extend High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes into the Interstate 395 corridor.  The Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority (NVTA), strongly encourage a more multi-modal funding balance of highway and transit projects. The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board to lend its support to two different funding proposals that would enhance economic development in Arlington: the Economic Development Incentive Fund and the re-implementation of the 0.25% transient occupancy tax (TOT) surcharge. The Chamber sent a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Anthony Foxx, requesting the approval of United Airlines’ application for flight service between Washington Dulles International Airport and Havana's Jose Marti International Airport. The Chamber co-signed a letter to the Northern Virginia Delegation supporting Budget Item 438D, which provides a one-time investment of $50 million over two years to improve the competitiveness of Dulles International Airport.  The Chamber sent a letter to the Virginia Senate Finance Committee, expressing its support of legislation that would reinstate the additional 0.25% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) for Arlington County. The Chamber wrote a letter to the Virginia House Finance Committee in support of legislation that would reinstate the additional 0.25% Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) for Arlington County.

2015 The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board in appreciation of the good planning practices outlined in the recommendations by the Community Facilities Study, particularly, the focus on the importance of commercial sector in allowing Arlington County to continue to prosper. ​The Chamber sent a letter to the President & CEO of the Northern Virginia Chamber to express concern about how changing its name from the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce to the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce might cause confusion for many throughout the region, including members of the Arlington business community. The goals of GO Virginia are: to raise awareness for Virginia's significant new economic challenges and opportunities; to mobilize business, education, and community leaders to work collaboratively for economic development, job creation, and career readiness; and to make Virginia's state government and strong and effective catalyst for strategic, job-focused regional collaboration. The Chamber, along with other members of the Commonwealth Transportation Board, sent a letter to the Secretary of the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) expressing general support for the Transform66: Inside the Beltway plan to reduce the traffic congestion inside the Capital Beltway. In the letter, the Chamber commends VDOT’s decision to explore alternate means of reducing congestion of Interstate 66 before widening. The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board expressing opposition to the extension of parking meter hours and requesting that the Board not adopt the proposed extension of parking meter hours.  In a letter to the Arlington County Board, the Chamber expresses its support of the proposed changes to both the site plan review process and the permitting process that are being implemented by the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development (CPHD). 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 in support of the less restrictive direction taken by the Board in the revised Retail Action Plan, while expressing concern over important areas that have not been addressed. The Chamber wrote a letter to U.S. Representative Barbara Comstock (Va.-10), requesting support for the balanced two airport system of Reagan National and Dulles International. The Chamber sent a letter praising the Arlington County Board for instructing the County Manager to explore options for creating a public-private partnership with Forest City Enterprises to redevelop Ballston Common Mall in Ballston Quarter. The Chamber also commends the Board for encouraging the County to adhere to the proposed timeline to ensure that the project accomplishes the County's economic and place-making goals.  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. The Chamber sent a letter to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, expressing support for the yearlong project selection process and the current project list of proposed transportation improvements.  The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board, urging the Board to include additional funding for tourism promotion in its FY 2016 budget proposal. 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.  The Chamber announced its support for Virginia HB 2308, legislation that would enable the County Board to hire an internal auditor that would report directly to the Board. The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board recommending that the Board defer final action on Retail Action Plan to allow for revisions.