Residential Parking Working Group

On Oct. 20, 2018, the County Board adopted further guidance for staff on the implementation of the adopted Residential Parking Guidelines.

The Residential Parking Working Group will recommend policy for parking at Site Plan and Unified Commercial/Mixed Use Development use permit projects in Arlington’s Rosslyn-Ballston and Richmond Highway (Route 1) Metro corridors.

Project Description

The County Manager has appointed a Working Group to review parking policy for new apartments and condominiums proposed for Arlington’s Metro Corridors.

Automobile parking is one component of Arlington’s multimodal transportation system and Smart Growth vision for the future.

Parking is also an important aspect of new development in Arlington County. Space is limited in Arlington’s urban neighborhoods, especially in the Rosslyn-Ballston and Richmond Highway (Route 1) corridors. When approving new development in these areas, the County must ensure that parking demand is accommodated without creating expensive and excessive off-street parking.

As in other communities around the United States, Arlington County’s Site Plan and Unified Commercial/Mixed Use Development use permit review processes allow the County Board to consider the specific conditions of a project and approve the construction of new apartment and condominium buildings (also known as multi-family buildings) that supply less off-street parking than called for in the County’s Zoning Ordinance.

The County Board (based on a recommendation from an earlier parking Working Group) directed the County Manager to initiate a study of parking requirements in residential site plan developments and create recommendations for how County Development Review staff should consider proposals for parking in multi-family residential site plan developments.

The goal of this project will be to deliver a recommended methodology and implementation plan to guide County Development Review staff in evaluating and approving the amount of off-street parking constructed for multifamily residential site plan developments within the Rosslyn-Ballston and Richmond Highway (Route 1) Metro Corridors.

Staff from the County’s Department of Environmental Services and Community Planning, Housing, and Development will lead the process with support from a consultant and a Working Group appointed by the County Manager.

Project Dates

The Working Group

The Working Group will include residents, representatives from Arlington’s various official commissions, developers, and business leaders to provide feedback to staff. Having a Working Group will allow staff to involve and work directly with the public throughout this phase to ensure that public concerns and aspirations are consistently understood, considered, and reflected in the recommended methodology and implementation plan mentioned above.

Working Group Charge: To work with staff to create a clear and consistent methodology to evaluate site-specific, off-street parking ratios for multi-family, residential buildings proposed under the special exception (Site Plan or Use Permit) review process in the Rosslyn – Ballston and Richmond Highway (Route 1) corridors. In its work with staff, the working group will explore alternative methodologies, evaluate the ramifications of those methodologies, and other transportation strategies that interrelate with off-street parking requirements.

Staff and the working group may make recommendations to the County Board on further study of changes to the Arlington Zoning Ordinance, but this project will not recommend specific changes to the Ordinance.

Working Group Members

Documents

All project documents related to the Residential Parking Working Group will be posted to this site.

View presentations, agendas, meeting notes, and more.