July County Board Meeting Agenda Highlights
Published on July 11, 2020
The Arlington County Board will hold its July Regular Meeting on Saturday, July 18, 2020, a Recessed Meeting on Tuesday, July 21, and a Carryover Meeting on Wednesday, July 22. All three meetings will be virtual.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the County Board is holding virtual meetings, as allowed under Virginia law. Board members, staff, applicants, and the public all will participate remotely. Members of the public who wish to speak at public comment at the start of the Saturday, July 18, Regular Meeting, or who wish to speak on an agenda item, should visit the County Board website for information on how to register online to comment virtually.
Watch it Live
County Board meetings are live-streamed on the County website, and broadcast live on Arlington TV, the County's cable channel, with live captioning, on Comcast 25 & 1085 (HD), and Verizon FiOS 39 & 40. The meetings also are live-streamed on ATV's YouTube channel. Videos of Board meetings are archived on the County website (with captions and staff reports) and on YouTube.
Saturday, July 18 — Regular County Board Meeting
The meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. with public comment. View the agenda and read the staff reports. (Note: Some reports are posted closer to the meeting date.) Highlights include:
Rent and mortgage relief funding — The Board will consider accepting $450,000 in state funding to help Arlington residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic pay their rent or mortgage. The funding would be retroactive to March 1, 2020 through the end of 2020. The funding, available immediately, would offer support to Arlington households in need as the General District Courts lift eviction moratoriums. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 38 on the Consent Agenda.
WETA-TV expansion — The Board will hold a public hearing and consider the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunication Associations, Inc. (WETA) plan to add a four-story, 17,150-sq. ft. addition to its Shirlington headquarters, at 3939 Campbell Avenue. If approved, the project would consolidate all WETA operations into one building. The addition would be built in a private courtyard between the existing building and WETA's above-grade parking garage. The project includes a new television studio and offices and the installation of a large media screen at the building's ground level. If the plan is approved, WETA will demolish its existing studio along 27th Street S and convey the site to the County, for the expansion of Jennie Dean Park. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 55 under Regular Hearing Items on the agenda.
Shirlington Special GLUP — The Board will hold a public hearing and consider adopting the Shirlington Special General Land Use Plan Study Plus and Concept Plan. The Board also will consider advertising public hearings in September to consider GLUP amendments that, if adopted, would change the GLUP study area's land use designation from low office-apartment-hotel to medium office-apartment hotel. The study area is bounded by Arlington Mill Drive, South Randolph Street, Interstate 395, and the Arlington County Trades Center. The special study was conducted at the request of Federal Realty Investment Trust (FRIT) and WETA. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 54 under Regular Hearing Items on the agenda.
Agreement for a new Crystal City Metrorail Station East Entrance -- The Board will consider approving an interim agreement with a JBG Smith subsidiary, CESC Square, LLC, for construction of a new east entrance for the busy Crystal City Metro Station and will consider approving $3.73 million for preliminary engineering for the project. Under the agreement the County would pay CESC Square $3.73 million, including a contingency, to bring engineering for the project to 30 percent completion. The Board held a public hearing on the interim agreement at its June 13, 2020, meeting. The County's approved Fiscal Year 2018-2028 Capital Improvement Plan includes $90.765 million for the project. Funding sources include $82.5 million in federal and state transportation grants and $5 million from the Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The County has committed to completing the project in Fiscal Year 2025. To read the staff reports, scroll to Items No. 31 and 32 on the Consent Agenda.
Pentagon City Metrorail Station Second Elevator contract award — The Board will consider approving the award of an $817,280 professional management services contract to Procon Consulting LLP for the Pentagon City Metro Station Second Elevator project at 1252 S. Hayes St. The new elevator, to be built on the west side of the passageway that runs under South Hayes Street, will eliminate the need to cross six lanes of traffic, two parking lanes and a bike lane to reach the elevator on the east side of South Hayes Street. It will improve ADA access and access for passengers with strollers and luggage. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 33 on the agenda.
Adding "gender identity" to County Code — The Board will consider amending the County Code pertaining to Human Rights to add "gender identity" as a protected basis, and to update the definition of "sexual orientation," consistent with recent changes to the Virginia Code. The Virginia General Assembly's amendment of Virginia Code during its 2020 Session to include "gender identity" and "sexual orientation" as bases protected from discrimination made it possible for the County to expressly include these protections n its Human Rights Ordinance. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 28 on the Consent Agenda.
Arts grants — The Board will consider approving $215,810 in grants to County arts organizations and artists, as recommended by the County's Commission for the Arts. The commission has recommended 23 grants, two to individual artists, and 21 for general operating expenses of arts organizations. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 36 on the Consent Agenda.
Tuesday, July 21 — Recessed County Board Meeting
The meeting will begin at 3 p.m. with reports from the Board Members and the County Manager. It will be held virtually. To view the agenda and read the staff reports, visit the County website.
No earlier than 6:30 p.m. the Board will hold a public hearing on any item pulled from the Saturday Consent Agenda.
Approving the FY 21 CIP — The Board will consider adopting the Manager's Proposed one-year Fiscal Year 2021 Capital Improvement Plan, a $277.5 million plan to fund County infrastructure and facilities through Fiscal Year 2021. The Proposed CIP reflects the financial uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic. It focuses on continuing or completing projects already underway and includes just $66 million in proposed new funding. The largest new investment is a proposed $14.6 million for stormwater management, which the Manager has characterized as the foundation for a planned $189 million investment in the County's stormwater management infrastructure over the next decade. The proposed CIP also includes funding for a Body-Worn Camera program, to be stood up in January 2021, for the Arlington County Police Department, County Sheriffs and County Fire Marshals. The public hearing on the CIP is closed, and the Board will be taking no further testimony. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 61 under Regular Hearing Items.
Funding Neighborhood Complete Streets projects — The Board will hold a public hearing and consider approving $1.074 million in funding for two Complete Streets projects — one that would complete a block of missing sidewalk on 13th Street South in Douglas Park and one that would make intersection and transit stop improvements along 7th Road South in Arlington Mill. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 60 under Regular Hearing Items.
Neighborhood Form Based Code amendments -- The Board will hold a public hearing and consider allowing an AHIF cash contribution in limited instances when the proposed development includes commercial uses. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 59 under Regular Hearing Items.
Wednesday, July 22, -- Carryover Board Meeting
The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. with the following public hearings. It will be held virtually. To view the agenda and read the staff reports, visit the County website.
Body-worn cameras — The Board will hold a public hearing and consider approving nearly $500,000 to cover first-year staffing cost for a body-worn camera program for the Arlington County Police Department, to begin in January 2021. Full-year funding for the program is estimated to cost approximately $1.6 million. If approved, the body-worn camera program would equip 250 police officers, 30 sheriff deputies, and 20 fire marshals with body-worn cameras. The staffing funding is in addition to proposed funding for the program included in the Proposed FY 2021 CIP. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 62 under Regular Hearing Items.
RTA Firearms Ordinance — The Board will hold a public hearing and consider approving public hearings in September on a proposed ordinance allowed under recent General Assembly action, that would ban firearms in County public buildings. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 63 under Regular Hearing Items.
Image Gallery