Arlington Advocacy on Retail and Signage 

Examples of the Chamber’s advocacy in Arlington on issues related to retail and signage include:
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.
Arlington Chamber Supports Request to Advertise Amendments for Permanent Outdoor Dining June 12, 2023
The Arlington Chamber supports Requests to Advertise public hearings to consider permanent amendments to the Zoning Ordinance concerning outdoor dining and seating spaces. The Chamber has advocated over the past three years for the retention of Temporary Outdoor Seating Areas (TOSAs) and the implementation of regulations to solidify their status as permanent additions to Arlington’s streetscape. We hope that the County Board passes this Request to Advertise, and ultimately adopts the proposed amendments at the July 15 Board meeting. We strongly urge the County to employ the instruments and policies needed to ensure a smooth transition for restaurants, as well as ensure preparation for the number of establishments seeking permits after the July Board meeting, so that the process can be seamless.The Arlington Chamber requested that the County remove Arlington Restaurant Initiative (ARI) accreditation as a mandatory requirement for the restaurants within the Clarendon Live Entertainment Group (CLEG). Until last year, ARI accreditation was an optional program open to all restaurants, and several Chamber members who had joined the program have expressed positive results. However, the Chamber is concerned with the program being a mandate for all, and is asking the County restore its previous status as an optional initiative. The Chamber is concerned that based on input from a member restaurant that the standards in ARI can confuse employers, and may not be necessarily beneficial to every single affected restaurant. The Chamber looks forward to continuing to work with the County to create a solution.  The Chamber supports an Item on the December 17 County Board Agenda which requests to advertise a public hearing to consider an amendment to an Ordinance that will extend the sunset date of the Continuity of Government ordinance by up to six months. This would most directly affect restaurants, as this would extend the period that the Temporary Outdoor Seating Area (TOSA) rules will be in effect. The Chamber strongly supports this amendment since it will ensure regulatory consistency for restaurants as the permanent rule changes are finalized. The Chamber also expresses concern with the delays around the completion of the permanent rule changes and urges the County to commit to a quick completion of the rule changes while also permitting dining in as much of the TOSA spaces as feasibly possible. The Chamber sent a letter to the County Board strongly supporting the incorporation of flexible Temporary Outdoor Seating Area (TOSA) rules into Arlington’s permanent code concerning restaurants. Outdoor dining creates more vibrant streetscapes and more dining experience options, while providing Arlington restaurants with essential revenue sources. We ask that the new permanent outdoor dining rules, currently being developed through the Future of Outdoor Dining (FOOD) Study, incorporate much of the flexibility of TOSA regulations that were successful in saving restaurants during and after the pandemic. The Chamber encouraged Arlington County not to implement a five-cent tax on plastic bags at this time. The General Assembly gave localities the power to impose this tax with a goal of motivating consumers to use reusable carriers. But, many grocers suspended the use of patron-provided totes earlier in the pandemic, and there is the risk that the tax will not serve its purpose if stores reinstitute such rules to protect their front-line workers. There is also considerable risk that the tax’s impacts will be felt inequitably across the community, including burdening small, independent, neighborhood-serving retailers most. ​Temporary Outdoor Seating Areas (TOSAs) have been among Arlington County’s most successful responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Chamber supports Arlington County’s efforts to make these expanded outdoor dining areas permanent. To make this expansion a success, the Chamber is encouraging Arlington County work with restaurants on their seating, rather than adapting one-size-fits-all regulations, and to establish streamlined processes for restaurants to secure permanent outdoor seating. Moreover, the Chamber encourages Arlington County to complete this work before the end of 2021 to prevent any costly interruption in outdoor service for restaurants still struggling to recovery from the pandemic.  The Arlington Chamber of Commerce encourages the County Board to adopt the proposed ordinance to authorize non-commercial banners in the Ballston Business Improvement District (BID). This signage will support the Ballston BID’s placemaking work and build on its Ballston “full” campaign.  The Chamber encouraged the County Board to accept the proposed ordinance to allow non-commercial banners in the National Landing Business Improvement District (BID). This would allow the National Landing BID to identify and build community across its three neighborhoods, Crystal City, Pentagon City, and Potomac Yard. The Chamber also believes this will approval will enhance neighborhoods in Arlington.  The Chamber wrote a letter to the County Board encouraging them further permit retail uses of TOSAs in public spaces. In addition to this, winterization of these spaces is essential for restaurants to maintain the ability to serve diners in a socially distant manner. The Chamber believes that allowing property owners and community groups to craft community TOSAs for their areas is also a welcome addition.  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 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 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. 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.  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. 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 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. 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 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 recommending that the Board defer final action on Retail Action Plan to allow for revisions.