July 2016 County Board Meeting Agenda Highlights

Published on July 11, 2016

(CORRECTION: This release initially incorrectly listed the Community Development Authority Item (No. 56) on the Wednesday, July 20 Agenda. It is on the Tuesday, July 19 Agenda. The Founder's Square item,(No. 54)  originally listed on the Tuesday, July 19 Agenda, is on the Saturday, July 16 agenda.)

Arlington's July Regular County Board Meeting will be held Saturday, July 16, 2016. The Recessed Meetings will be held Tuesday, July 18 and Wednesday, July 20.

Can't make it? ATV, the County's cable television station, provides gavel-to-gavel live coverage of County Board Meetings on Comcast 25 and Verizon 40. ATV also livestreams the meetings on the County website. See procedures for speaking at a Board Meeting on the website. Among the items the Board will consider:

Sat., July 16 Regular Meeting — View the agenda and read the staff reports on the website. Scroll down to find the item numbers listed below. (Note: some staff reports are not posted for several days after the agenda is available on the County website, but are always available before the Board Meeting.)

(Note: this meeting starts at 8:30 am with public comment.)  Following public comment, the Board will consider the Consent Calendar items. Any items pulled from the Consent Calendar, either by members of the public or County Board members, will be heard at the Tuesday, June 21 Recessed County Board Meeting. 

• Transit Development Plan:

The Board will consider adopting a 10-year plan for improving bus service across the County. The plan includes the County's blueprint for a new Premium Transit Network connecting Columbia Pike, Pentagon City and Crystal City. Item No. 55.

• Proposed Pentagon City development:

The Board will consider a site plan for phase six of the Metropolitan Park development in Pentagon City. The site is part of the 116-acre area in Pentagon City for which the Board approved a Phased Development Site Plan in 1976. The area has been developed with a high-density mix of office, multi-family residential and retail uses. Developer Vornado now plans to construct an apartment building with 577 units and nearly 10,000 sq. ft. of ground floor retail space at 1400 Eads St. The proposed project includes three open space areas, including completion of the Metropolitan Park Central Park, a public courtyard open space, and enhanced streetscape along S. Eads Street. Item No. 53.

• Proposed new option for Ballston development:

The Board will consider amending a site plan to allow the Shooshan Co. the option of developing a previously approved but unbuilt office building at 4040 Wilson Blvd. as a residential-retail building. The proposed development is part of the 5.35-acre Founder's Square project. Four of the planned five buildings on the site have already been built. Item No. 54.

• Proposed County, APS agreement to site a temporary fire station on the Wilson School site:

The Board will consider approving an agreement with Arlington Public Schools that would allow the County to site a temporary fire station on the Wilson School site, on Wilson Blvd. in Rosslyn. The agreement, if approved, would facilitate redevelopment envisioned in the Western Rosslyn Area Plan. View FAQs on the Wilson School site plan. Item No. 52.

• Proposed support for the arts:

Fulfilling its ongoing commitment to support the arts in Arlington, the Board will consider awarding grants of money, facilities or technical services to a total of 29 arts organizations and two individual artists. The grants were recommended by the County Arts Commission. Item No.35. The Board also will consider funding the purchase of an Arts Truck to provide innovative cultural programming in the County's major commercial corridors. Item No. 34.

• Proposed parks improvements:

The Board will consider approving two contracts to improve County parks. One is for $1.03 million (including $103,499.96 contingency) to provide High View Park, at 1945 N. Dinwiddie St., with a new restroom and storage facilities; a new picnic shelter; new entrance and plaza on N. Dinwiddie St.; site furnishings; permeable paving; bleachers and steps to the basketball courts; regraded and irrigated sodded field; new Dark Sky lighting and more trees and plantings. Item No. 32.

The other contract, for $504,751.74 (including $40,055.68 contingency) is for renovating an athletic field in Bluemont Park, and building a new trail connector linking the park to Ashlawn Elementary School. Item No. 33.

Tues., July 19 Recessed County Board Meeting — View the agenda and read the staff reports for this meeting. Scroll down to find the items listed below.

At the 3 p.m. session: The County Board Chair, members of the Board and the County Manager will report on local and regional items of interest.

• Manager to propose charge, membership structure for new working group on real estate tax relief:

The County Manager will put forward the charge and outline the membership structure for a new working group that will study real estate tax relief for seniors and persons with disabilities. The group will study the issue for approximately eight months and report back to the Manager with its findings.

No earlier than 6:30 p.m., the Board will consider any items pulled from Saturday's Consent Calendar. In addition, no earlier than 6:45 p.m.:

• Proposed 10-year Capital Improvement Program/2016 Bond Referenda:

The Board will adopt a Capital Improvement Program that will fund the County's major infrastructure projects from FY 2017-FY 2026. The Board's adoption of the CIP is the culmination of a months-long process of review and input from County departments, advisory commissions and the public. (As part of this discussion, the Board will consider the siting of Fire Station No. 8. Read the Task Force Final Report.) In a separate action, the Board will approve the 2016 Bond Referenda that will be put before voters on November 8. Items No. 57 and 58. 

• Proposed Community Development Authority:

The Board will consider creating a Community Development Authority (CDA) for the purpose of issuing bonds to help transform the aging Ballston Common Mall into Ballston Quarter, a dynamic shopping, dining and residential development in the heart of one of Arlington's key urban villages. CDAs, commonly used by Virginia localities to fund public infrastructure investments and create incremental tax revenue growth, are a development tool authorized by state statute. Item No. 56.

Wed., July 20 Recessed County Board Meeting — View the agenda. (Note: This meeting will start at 6 p.m.)

• Proposed Form Based Code residential development at 1201 South Rhodes Street, off Columbia Pike:

The Board will consider a proposed in-fill development by WashREIT Wellington LLC.  South of Columbia Pike and east of South Scott Street. The development would include 401 multi-family dwelling units, and would be developed under the Form Based Code. The 711 market-rate apartments in three-mid-rise buildings now on the property would be retained, and the developer would add a new six-story building with 401 units, structured parking, a public mini-park and new public streets. Of the existing units, 105 will be converted to Committted Affordable Units — contractually obligated to remain affordable for decades. Item No. 61.