Recent Advocacy

The mission of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce is to strengthen businesses and the economic environment for all those who work, live, and do business in Arlington. A key part of accomplishing this mission is by advocating on behalf of the business community, which we approach in a decided, intentional, and strategic manner. 

For more information contact Government Affairs Manager, Scott Pedowitz, at (703) 525-2400 or advocacy@arlingtonchamber.org.

Examples of the Chamber's recent advocacy efforts may be found below:​​​​​​The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board opposing a propose 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 sent a letter to the County Board encouraging that they add more flexibility for building heights to the Shirlington Special GLUP Study. Flexibility will help all stakeholders design creative solutions that meet the project’s goals and connect Shirlington with its surrounding neighborhoods. The Chamber wrote a letter in support of a joint application by the Arlington Convention and Visitors Service and the other destination marketing organizations across Northern Virginia for a grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce. The regional groups are working to counteract the sharp impact that COVID-19 has had on Northern Virginia’s hospitality industry. The grant will fund a program combining travel and tourism marketing with hotel employee training that provides hospitality workers with a certification in the new, post-COVID-19 health, safety, and sanitation protocols. As part of the Northern Virginia Back to Work Task Force, the Arlington Chamber called on Congress to pass workforce training initiatives to bolder coronavirus stimulus bills. Specifically, the task force called for Congress to create tax credits for individuals seeking training and upskilling, to allow the use of 529 account funds for post-secondary certifications, and to make Pell grants available to individuals pursuing short-term workforce training. The Chamber asked the County Board to reject a proposed change in how the Noise Control Ordinance is enforced. Although Arlington County staff have assured the business community that it plans to take steps to engage businesses before enforcing penalties, the proposed text does not provide any guarantee against the ordinance being used in a more punitive manner. The Chamber encouraged Arlington County to create a simple, administrative process for fitness-related businesses to obtain permits to hold activities in public parks and other open spaces. The impact of the pandemic has been devastating to fitness facilities, who are likely to face continued restrictions on indoor activities. Parks and other open spaces have the potential to provide opportunities for fitness classes to spread out and to allow patrons to space out to exercise safely. The Chamber encouraged Arlington County to streamline the process for permitting and deploying small wireless facilities, including allowing providers for file location permits during a technology pilot phase, to avoid delays in enhancing Arlington's digital infrastructure. The Chamber sent a letter to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority supporting the projects in Arlington under consideration for funding in the Authority’s Fiscal Year 2020-2025 Six Year Program. These projects, including Rosslyn multimodal network improvements, a new VRE Station and airport connection in Crystal City, a second Metro entrance in Ballston, and connector trail alongside Arlington National Cemetery will support development in Arlington and connections with the region. The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board encouraging a flexible approach to outdoor dining to help restaurants maintain distance between patrons due to the coronavirus. The Chamber encouraged the Arlington County to establish a simple, administrative process for outdoor seating permits, to allow adaptation of parking space for dining, to consider block closures for restaurants to set up tables, and to expedite zoning changes for outdoor seating in urban zones that do not currently permit it. 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 joined a national coalition to ask Congress to extend Paycheck Protection Program eligibility to local chambers of commerce, civic groups, trade associations, and other non-profits so that organizations like ours can continue to provide important, community-minded services. The Arlington Chamber sent a letter urging Governor Northam to allow Senate Bill 861 to become law.  As part of the Northern Virginia Back to Work Task Force, the Arlington Chamber called on members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to consider addressing specific priorities when negotiating the fourth round of stimulus responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.  The Arlington Chamber wrote a letter to the Arlington General Assembly delegation urging them to vote against an amendment proposed by Governor Northam that would delay benefit consortia for a year. The Chamber supports the bill passed by the General Assembly to allow small businesses to form benefits consortia to expand access to quality, affordable health care coverage for their employees. The Governor’s amendment would cause small businesses and their employees to wait a year to gain this health care access. The Arlington Chamber wrote a letter to the Arlington General Assembly delegation asking them to support Governor Northam’s proposed amendment to allow electronic meetings during the crisis. Holding electronic meetings during the emergency is essential to ensure that important public business can proceed in a way that minimizes risk to participants.  The Chamber signed onto a national letter organized by the American Society of Association Executives calling on Congress to include 501(c)6 nonprofit associations as eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program in the next round of coronavirus-response legislation. The Chamber wrote a letter to the Arlington County Board commending the Board on its efforts to serve the Arlington community during the coronavirus pandemic and to make specific policy suggestions. To further support the community during this time, the Chamber requested that the Board allocate more funds to Arlington Economic Development’s grants for small businesses, defer tax payments, and extend deadlines for permits and plans. The Chamber looks forward to working with the Board on these matters and to continue its strong partnership with the Board to see the community through this crisis. The Arlington Chamber wrote a letter with four other local Chambers of Commerce asking Governor Northam to propose an amendment that would clarify that public bodies may hold electronic meetings during the coronavirus pandemic on all continuing operations. Holding electronic meetings during the emergency is essential to ensure that important public business can proceed in a way that minimizes risk to participants. Continuing public business during the emergency will help prepare for our economic recovery. As part of the Northern Virginia Back to Work Task Force, the Chamber called on Governor Northam to protect important funding for talent development programs, including the G3 Program, university funding, and the Tech Talent Pipeline programs. The Arlington Chamber co-signed a letter with several other regional Chambers of Commerce addressed to Governor Ralph Northam. The letter requested that the Virginia tax deadline be pushed back to July 15, to coincide with the Federal deadline. ​ The Chamber sent a letter to Representative Beyer and also to Senators Warner and Kaine requesting that 501(c)6 nonprofits be included as eligible for the Payroll Protection Program. These nonprofits are major employers nationally and in our region, provide support to the communities they serve, and are facing the same COVID-19-related impacts as 501(c)3 nonprofits and for profit businesses. The Arlington Chamber joined with business leaders from around the DMV in a letter to the Congressional delegation for Maryland, the District of Columbia, and Virginia to encourage the passing of a stimulus package that delivers economic security needed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Arlington Chamber sent a letter to Governor Northam encouraging his signature on Senate Bill 861, which would allow for the creation of benefit consortia. This bill would allow small businesses to form benefits consortia to expand access to quality, affordable health care coverage for their employees.  The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board supporting the redevelopment of 1900 Crystal Drive, including plans that will allow for better traffic flow within the site and access to retailers located in this development.   The Chamber is asking the County Board to delay holding a hearing on a change to the Arlington County Noise Control Ordinance. The County has not sufficiently engaged with affected stakeholders, such as restaurants, to learn about possible consequences of this action and so it is not yet ready to consider the change. The Chamber will support moving ahead with a hearing once the County does the necessary engagement with stakeholders, including businesses.  The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board expressing support for a plan to renovate the Key Bridge Marriott and two construct two new residential buildings and a public esplanade overlooking the Potomac River on the site. The Chamber joined with other chambers of commerce from across Northern Virginia to call for the General Assembly to restore Governor Northam’s proposed eligibility cap for the “G3” community college financial aid program. An amendment to reduce the maximum household income for participants statewide could prevent an estimated 8,000 potential NOVA students from benefiting from the program due to our region’s high cost of living. The G3 program is a key initiative to support Virginia’s talent pipeline and to help Virginians attain the skills and training for jobs that serve the community. The Arlington Chamber joined area chambers and other business organizations in calling on the General Assembly to HB 729, providing $70 million in additional funding to the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority, restoring the funding that was diverted from the NVTA in 2018 which delayed key transportation projects across the region.
  • Chamber Supports Governor Northam's Transportation Package January 30, 2020
          Letter to the House Finance Committee, January 30, 2020
          Letter to the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, January 30, 2020
The Chamber encouraged the Virginia General Assembly to support HB 1414 and SB 890, bills which would implement Governor Northam's transportation package. The package includes critical infrastructure projects such as a new Long Bridge and improvements to the Rosslyn Metro station. The improved connectivity across our region will help Virginia to remain and economic leader in the decade to come. The Chamber sent a letter to the Virginia Senate Local Government Committee opposing S.B. 839, a bill which would allow local governments, like the Arlington County Board, to require developers to enter into binding labor contracts as a condition of certain special exception site plan developments.​
  • Chamber Urges General Assembly to Remove Sunset from Transient Occupancy Tax January 21, 2020
          Letter to the House Finance Committee, January 21, 2020
          Letter to the House Finance Subcommittee, January 17, 2020
          Letter to the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee, January 13, 2020
​The Chamber encouraged the Virginia General Assembly support HB 62 and SB 107, bills which would remove the July 1, 2021 sunset from Arlington County’s additional 0.25 percent Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) that is dedicated to tourism promotion. The TOT surcharge funds tourism and travel promotion, drawing visitor spending into Arlington and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Arlington County and the Chamber have developed a great partnership in tourism promotion, and removing the sunset will allow for longer-range planning. The Chamber sent a letter to the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission encouraging it to adopt the Commission’s proposed work plan for 2020-2021. The NVTC works to increase capacity, accessibility, connectivity, and safety of our regional transit network by maximizing and broadening transit revenues, and engaging with the community to make the system as effective as possible for commuters. We particularly appreciate the work plan’s inclusion of engagement with chambers of commerce and look forward to continuing to collaborate with the NVTC. In a letter to the Arlington County Board Chair Christian Dorsey, the Chamber asked the Board and Manager to direct the Planning staff to include updating the signage ordinance in their work plan to make it more flexible, simple, and consistent. The Chamber also encouraged the Planning staff to ask for input from the business community as they carry out this work.  The Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board encouraging the approval of the Metropolitan Park site plan for the second stage of Amazon's headquarters.  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 expressing its support for the adoption of the proposed ordinance for micro-mobility devices. The amendments will help to facilitate a diverse transportation network in Arlington, which the Chamber supports in its Local Policy Positions. The Arlington Chamber sent a letter to the Arlington County Board encouraging the approval of an application to redevelop the site of the Harris Teeter and American Service Center on N Glebe Road as a mixed-use development comprising retail and residences, including an updated Harris Teeter.  The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board requesting that they defer a request to advertise public hearings on modifications of bonus density and height provisions. While the first review of the proposal indicates that it includes many positive changes, particularly those related to housing affordability, we believe that the best result will come from taking some extra time to study the potential impact of the amendments. As a result, the Chamber has requested a month’s deferral in consideration.  The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board expressing concern that Arlington County government is not offering a faster turn-around time for permits filed via the new Permit Arlington online system, despite an increase in technology fees with the system’s launch. The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board supporting the expansion of the boundaries of the Crystal City Business Improvement District (BID) to include areas of Pentagon City and the Arlington portion of Potomac Yard. 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 County Board is poised to take the next step in the process for deploying small wireless cells in Arlington. Small cell facilities support wireless coverage and demand for mobile data in dense areas, and are essential in preparing Arlington for the next generation of technology. In October, the Chamber sent a letter to the County Board that called for County staff to create a process for small cell deployment. This letter builds on that note, encouraging the Board to advertise of a public hearing on small cell deployment process in July. At that July hearing, the County Board will be able to remove the current restrictions on the installation and maintenance of small cell facilities on streetlight poles. ​ The Chamber wrote a letter to Virginia Secretary of Transportation Shannon Valentine supporting the County Board’s application to the Commonwealth Transportation Board to rename US 1 as “Richmond Highway” within the boundaries of Arlington. We believe now is a good time to make this change as we anticipate considerable development in the area surrounding US 1 over the next decade, and asked that the change take effect on October 1 to give all affected businesses, particularly smaller businesses, the opportunity to prepare for the change.​ Building on the success of the Chamber’s February letter to keep open Special GLUP Study applications, the Chamber sent another letter to the County Board calling for continued engagement on developing a new Special GLUP Study process. The Chamber asked the County Board to direct continued work between County staff and business stakeholders on developing the new process and for a guarantee that the new process will be adopted only with the County Board’s approval. We hope with continued engagement to arrive at a process that ensures that all Special GLUP Study applications are guaranteed a full review in a timely manner to deliver the best development outcomes for Arlington.​ The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board encouraging the Board to make some changes in the proposed update to the Bicycle Element of the Master Transportation Plan, which it is due to adopt next week. This letter follows on the Chamber’s February letter to the Department of Environmental Services, which prompted welcome changes in the plan text. Notwithstanding the changes from the original draft, the proposed plan could lead to a one-size-fits-all approach to bike parking in smaller commercial and apartment buildings, when more flexibility would allow for creative and site-specific approaches to providing bicycle storage.​ 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 the County Board encouraging their approval of the proposed performance agreement for the Amazon headquarters. Approving the performance agreement is a powerful statement that Arlington is open for business. Welcoming Amazon to Arlington will create opportunities for residents and businesses. The community as a whole will benefit from the jobs, economic activity, and innovation that Amazon will bring to Arlington. The performance incentives are reasonable and well-designed. Overall, the proposed performance agreement is a good deal for Arlington, and we look forward to working together as a community to seize the opportunities that welcoming Amazon affords to all of Arlington. In the lead up to the County Board’s vote on approving the Amazon headquarters performance agreement on Saturday, March 16, the Chamber prepared sample messages for Arlington residents and businesses to use to express their support for welcoming Amazon to Arlington. There are templates for businesses and residents. For those who live or work near where Amazon’s headquarters will be located – in Crystal City, Pentagon City, Potomac Yard, or nearby neighborhoods – there are templates that contain information neighborhood-specific benefits for businesses and residents. Letter writers are encouraged to customize their messages, as personal notes go a long way. In a letter to the County Board, the Chamber followed up on its January letter about amendments to the County’s Special GLUP Study process. The Chamber urged the Board not to impose a moratorium on new Special GLUP Study applications during the process review, and reiterated concerns with proposed changes to the process. Arlington’s Department of Environmental Services is preparing an update to the Bicycle Element of Arlington’s Master Transportation Plan. The Chamber sent a letter expressing its support for many aspects of the draft update, particularly the goals and policies related to safety. In the letter, the Chamber also encouraged the Department of Environmental Services to make amendments to ensure that proposed streetscape changes be considered holistically, including their impacts on retail and other community uses. The Chamber also encouraged flexibility in the implementation of policies and expressed concern with proposals that use subjective language or include bike parking mandates to small businesses and apartment buildings.​ Following the inclusion of a deduction for Global Intangible Low Tax Income (GILTI) and a 20% deduction on disallowed interest in the tax conformity bills, the Chamber joined with other businesses and organizations in encouraging the Governor to sign these two bills, HB 2529 and SB 1372, into law. The Chamber joined a coalition of businesses and trade associations to recommend that the General Assembly preserve the tax deductibility, at the state level, of Global Intangible Low Taxed Income (GILTI) and Net Interest Deduction. Although the new federal tax law has changed the treatment of these items, adding these deductions to the Commonwealth’s tax code would maintain a consistent policy in Virginia regarding overseas income and Net Interest Deduction. The Arlington Chamber joined with business organizations from coast to coast in a letter to President Trump and members of Congress calling for an end to the five-week long partial shutdown of the Federal government. The letter noted that the shutdown is causing significant economic harm to families and businesses, and called on leaders to find a solution to the impasse. In a letter to Long Range Planning Committee Chair Nancy Iacomini, the Chamber encouraged the committee to reject County staff’s proposed revisions to the Special GLUP Study Process.  Special GLUP Studies are necessary for development projects that require an amendment to the County’s General Land Use Plan (GLUP). The proposal, which has been made with insufficient input from the business community, will likely have the unintended consequence of hindering economic development in Arlington. Consequently, the Chamber encourages the County to continue the current Special GLUP Study process, and to add resources to conduct them in a timely manner.​ The Chamber has joined in a letter with 13 other chambers of commerce from across Virginia to call upon the General Assembly to support the Commonwealth’s proposal for Amazon’s new headquarters during its upcoming 2019 legislative session. The coalition’s letter says, “Virginia benefits greatly from the Commonwealth’s commitment to providing an economic backbone for all businesses through investment in statewide assets, including education, workforce development, and transportation infrastructure.” 
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