County Board Wrap-up Media Release for June 2023 Meeting
Published on June 16, 2023
The Arlington County Board took several actions at its Saturday and Tuesday Board meetings. These actions included approval of the following items.
Saturday, June 10, 2023 – Regular County Board Meeting
Crystal Towers 3 – Item 39
The Board approved a site plan amendment to Site Plan #13, allowing the applicant to construct two new buildings within the Crystal Towers block located at 1600 S. Eads Street. One of these new buildings will be an 11-story residential building, adding up to 209 residential units, with ground-floor retail space, and the other will be a single-story retail building. Approximately 28,076 sq. ft of retail gross floor area will be between these new buildings.
This site plan also advances several key County goals and objectives, providing the following community benefits:
- $500,000 to nearby off-site transportation improvements;
- $425,000 to off-site public space improvements in the area; and
- $1,421,380 to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund.
Arlington Career Center – Item 40
The Board approved plans to redevelop the Arlington Career Center (ACC) with an expanded design capacity of 1,619 students by a vote of 4-1, with Chair Dorsey and Board members Garvey, Cristol, and de Ferranti in the majority. The ACC program will relocate from 9th Street South to a new 5-story building along the campus on its South Walter Reed Drive Frontage. Additional amenities include:
- A new 4-tier 345-space above-grade parking structure (which requires a partial demolition of the existing campus);
- A synthetic turf recreational field; and
- Streetscape improvements around the perimeter of the site.
VHC Behavior Health Services – Item 41
The Board approved an amendment to the Virginia Hospital Center site plan (SP #177) related to a Behavioral Health Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) within Arlington County.
Instead of the one, previously approved (Condition #66), Behavioral Health IOP, VHC Heath has agreed to provide two behavioral health intensive outpatient programs, one focused on adolescents and another targeted toward adults. To provide time to implement these new programs, the Board approved linking timing to a later certificate of occupancy - from the first certificate of occupancy for the new Outpatient Pavilion, which was scheduled to be issued by July 2023, to a later certificate of occupancy anticipated to be issued in the first quarter of 2025.
VHC Health will also meet with the Community Services Board in December 2023 and return to the County Board in June 2024 to review its progress.
County Board Maximum Annual Salary Cap – Item 42
The Board also increased the four-year salary cap for County Board Members and the County Board Chair to $119,833 for members and $125,460 for the Board Chair. This increase would not be an immediate escalation of the current salary caps for Board members ($89,851 for members, $95,734 for the chair), but would occur over annual 3 percent increases until December 2027. This does not have an immediate fiscal impact, as the Board is only resetting its salary caps previously approved in 2019 and Board member salaries themselves are set during the annual Budget process.
Requests to Advertise
The Board also approved two Requests to Advertise public hearings on proposed amendments to the County Code and Arlington County Zoning Ordinance. Requests to advertise are not final votes, and residents will have an opportunity to comment on these amendments at later dates.
Updates to Telecommunications regulations and corrections to the Columbia Pike Form-Based Code - Item 36
This item will be heard publicly by the Planning Commission on July 3 and the County Board on July 15.
If approved, this would amend the Zoning Ordinance to update existing telecommunication and wireless facilities regulations that do not conform with State code and would correct technical errors related to fence encroachments on corner lots and in the Town Center Regulating Plan of the Columbia Pike Form-Based Code District.
Amending County Code to Authorize Employee Bonuses - Item 37
This item will be heard publicly by the County Board on July 15.
If approved, this would amend Chapter 6 of the Arlington Code to authorize bonuses to facilitate recruitment and retention of County employees.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023 – Recessed County Board Meeting
Interim Parking Use of County Property for the Arlington Career Center - Item 14
The County Board amended the General Land Use Plan and rezoned County Property at 3108 Columbia Pike to authorize the creation and temporary use of a publicly-owned parking area at this location. The existing three-story building on this property is vacant, deemed unfit for current operations, and will be deconstructed to prepare for future use. In the interim, the County will use this property as a parking lot to support the short-term parking needs of the Arlington Public School's Career Center Redevelopment during construction and reduce parking impacts on the surrounding neighborhoods.
Requests to Advertise
The Board also approved two Requests to Advertise public hearings on proposed amendments to the County Code and Arlington County Zoning Ordinance. Requests to advertise are not final votes, and residents will have an opportunity to comment on these amendments at later dates.
FOOD Study ACZO Amendments – Item 43
This item will be heard publicly by the Planning Commission on July 3 and by the County Board on July 15.
If approved, this item would incorporate several outcomes from the Future of Outdoor Dining Study into Arlington County Zoning Amendments, including:
- Administrative approval for outdoor cafés located on public rights-of-way; and
- Use permit approval for restaurants to have outdoor cafés located on required private parking spaces.
The FOOD Study began in 2022, with the primary goal of examining which aspects of the more flexible Temporary Outdoor Seating Area (TOSA) Program administered by the County during the COVID-19 emergency should be incorporated into Arlington's established regulations for "permanent" outdoor cafés.
Encroachment into Public Spaces - Item 44
The Board will consider authorizing July Public Hearings on a proposed ordinance to enact and codify a new Chapter 70 (Encroachment into Public Spaces) in County Code.
This new code would allow owners or occupants to use abutting public spaces, under certain circumstances and approved conditions, by administrative approval to use such portions for outdoor cafes and other structures.
Registering to Speak at future Public Hearings
Registration to speak on an item with a scheduled public hearing opens approximately a week before the meeting, and members of the public can either register online or call in at 703-228-3130. Those wanting to participate in these hearings can do so in person, virtually, or by phone and will receive instructions on these options once they have completed their registration.
Members of the public are also strongly encouraged to subscribe to the County Board's News and Updates service to be alerted when meeting agendas are posted. Board meeting and agenda information can be accessed on the County Board's webpage.