February County Board Meeting Agenda Highlights
Published on February 13, 2021
The Arlington County Board will consider and act on dozens of items at its Regular Board Meeting on Saturday, February 20, 2021 and its February Recessed Meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2021.
To protect public health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting will be held virtually.
Commenting on agenda Items
Send your comments on agenda items to the County Board at CountyBoard@arlingtonva.us. All comments received by the Board are made part of the public record and are before the Board members as they consider items.
If you wish to comment during Public Comment at the start of the Regular Hearing, or on a Regular Public Hearing Item, register in advance on the County Board website, where you can also find more details on public participation in virtual Board Meetings, or call the Board Office at 703-228-3130 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Friday. Online Registration for the February Board Meeting is now open.
Watch it Live
County Board meetings are live-streamed on the County website, and on YouTube, and broadcast live on Arlington TV, the County's cable channel, with live captioning, on Comcast 25 & 1085 (HD), and Verizon FiOS 39 & 40. Videos of Board meetings are archived on the County website (with captions and staff reports) and on YouTube.
Saturday, Feb. 20 — Regular County Board Meeting
View the agenda and staff reports, and learn more about the community engagement process for each item. (Note: Some staff reports will be posted closer to the meeting date).
Manager's Proposed FY 2022 Budget — The County Manager will formally present his Proposed Fiscal Year 2022 Budget to the Board, and recommendations for proposed tax and fee rates, including the proposed Calendar Year 2021 property tax rate. The Board will consider and vote on advertising public hearings on the proposed taxes and fees.
The Manager's presentation will kick-off an intensive public review process by the Board that will include work sessions with the Manager, departments, Constitutional Officers, and Arlington Public Schools, and public hearings on the tax rate and the budget before the Board adopts the FY 2022 Budget in April. To read the staff report scroll to Item No. 33 on the agenda.
Residential Permit Parking Program — The Board will hold a public hearing and consider adopting a revised Residential Permit Parking Program, following a three-year public review process. The proposed changes include:
- fair and equitable management of parking demand and achieving a balance between maximizing on-street parking use with protecting residents from unreasonable burdens in gaining access to their property;
- expanding the number of households eligible to petition for restrictions and join the program;
- two options for setting the maximum number of annual permits that households in RPP zones can receive;
- more options for short-term visitors and service providers;
- limited number of permits for elementary, middle, and high school employees, and employees who work at group homes;
- increased permit and pass fees to end general tax support for the program, while offering a discount for low-income households;
- removing the "out of area test for the petition process, while raising the thresholds for parking occupancy and the share of households supporting the petition;
- grandfathering only current RPP restriction locations and hours.
To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 30 on the agenda.
CARES Act funding — The Board will consider accepting $382,489 in FY 2021 CARES Act additional funds for Housing and Urban Development Housing Choice Voucher activities, including funding the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment and cleaning and medical supplies; providing supportive services to families and incentives for owners, and more supportive services for Housing Choice Vouchers staff. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 23 on the agenda.
Lorcom Lane water main project — The Board will consider approving a $3.081 million contract, including contingency, to add a 24-inch water main in the right-of-way of North Taylor Street, Vacation Lane, North Vermont, and North Vernon streets between Lorcom Lane and 25th Street North. The new main will back-up the existing 30-inch main installed in 1957. An existing six-inch water main along North Vernon Street between 25th Street North and North Vermont Street will be replaced with an 8-inch water main.
This is the second phase of the Gravity One Supply project identified in the County's Water System Master Plan. It will serve as a backup to the existing 30-inch main that feeds the Lee storage tanks and pump station. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 19 on the agenda.
Pentagon City Metro Station second elevator — The Board will consider approving a $6.465 million contract, including contingency — to build a second elevator for the Pentagon City Metro Station. The station's ridership is one of the highest in Northern Virginia and a transfer point for regional and local transit.
The project will build a new elevator on the north side of the underground passageway under S. Hayes Street that connects the station mezzanine to both sides of S. Hayes Street. The second elevator would 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 S. Hayes Street. If the Board approves the contract, construction is expected to begin in spring 2021 and to be completed in spring 2022. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 17 on the agenda.
Mount Salvation Baptist Church Cemetery — The Board will consider adopting an ordinance designating Mount Salvation Baptist Cemetery, at 1961 N. Culpeper Street, as a Local Historic District. The cemetery, maintained by the church since 1892, is one of two church-affiliated historic African American cemeteries in the Hall's Hill/High View Park neighborhood. The proposed designation has been recommended by the County's Historic Affairs and Landmark Review Board, following a multi-year research and review process. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No.14 on the agenda.
Widening Washington Boulevard — The Board will consider awarding a $3.057 million contract, including contingency, to Sagres Construction Corporation, following a competitive bidding process, to improve pedestrian safety and accessibility along Washington Boulevard and 13th Street North. Washington Boulevard will be widened by creating a four-lane road between Clarendon Circle and North Kirkwood Road by removing the reversible lane traffic signal and eliminating the "pork chop" at the intersection.
13th Street North will be realigned by providing a conventional "T" intersection. Other improvements will include utility undergrounding, sidewalks, ADA ramps and other streetscape elements. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No.16 on the agenda.
ART Operations and Maintenance Facility — The Board will hold a public hearing and consider approving the award of a $2.74 million contract, including contingency, following a competitive bidding process, to Turner Construction Company, to build a new Arlington Transit (ART) Operations and Maintenance facility.
The new facility, at 2631 and 2635 Shirlington Road, will include the permanent operations, administration, parking, and maintenance facilities needed to support ART's current and future needs. The facility will earn at least a LEED Silver certification for green building from the U.S. Green Building Council. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 32 on the agenda.
Tues. Feb. 23 — Recessed County Board Meeting
The virtual Recessed Meeting will begin at 3 p.m. with reports from the Board Members and the County Manager.
View the agenda and staff reports and learn more about the community engagement process for each item. (Note: some reports are posted closer to the meeting date).
The meeting will be live-streamed on the County website, and on YouTube, and broadcast live on Arlington TV, the County's cable channel, with live captioning, on Comcast 25 & 1085 (HD), and Verizon FiOS 39 & 40. Videos of Board meetings are archived on the County website (with captions and staff reports) and on YouTube.
No earlier than 6:30 p.m. the Board will hold a public hearing and consider items pulled from the Saturday Consent Agenda. Regular public hearings will be held after carryover Consent Agenda items are considered.
Febrey-Lothrop estate — The Board will hold a public hearing on a Request to Advertise public hearings before the Planning Commission and the County Board on the Historical Affairs and Landmark Review Board's recommendation that the Febrey-Lothrop Estate be designated a Local Historic District. The estate is located at 6407 Wilson Boulevard. To read the staff report, scroll to Item No. 34 on the agenda.