ZOA-2019-01: Child Care Initiative (Phase 1)
Adopted March 16, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective July 1, 2019
Staff conducted a zoning study focused on reducing and eliminating land use barriers to opening, expanding and operating child care programs in Arlington. The study was associated with the Arlington Child Care Initiative (CCI) – an effort begun in 2017 to develop an inclusive, integrated child care system that effectively serves all Arlington County families and prioritizes the needs of the County’s most vulnerable populations. This initiative spans multiple County departments and community partners, whose work aims to increase and enhance the accessibility, availability and quality of child care in Arlington through the implementation of the Child Care Initiative Action Plan.
This amendment was adopted concurrently with amendments to County Code Chapters 52 and 59, which contain provisions governing the licensing and regulation of family day care homes, child care centers, and similar uses.
ZOA-2019-02: Special GLUP Study Fee Refund
Adopted April 23, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
This amendment added the fees collected for Special General Land Use Plan (GLUP) Studies and Special GLUP Study Plus projects as those eligible for reimbursement should an accepted application for a full Special GLUP Study or Special GLUP Study Plus be withdrawn prior to the commencement of staff’s review.
ZOA-2019-03: Parking Modifications in the R-C District
Adopted April 23, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
This amendment removed a provision in the R-C: Multiple-family Dwelling and Commercial District which limited the County Board’s ability to approve parking reduction requests concurrent with a site plan approval for a development project within a R-C district. The limitation in §7.3.5.E. which prevented the approval of a residential parking amount below 1 space per dwelling unit was eliminated with this amendment.
ZOA-2019-04: Height for Large Media Screens
Adopted April 23, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
This amendment increased the maximum sign height for large media screens, when located in urban regional shopping centers, from 40 ft. to 55 ft. The amendment included formatting and editorial changes to bring further clarity to the zoning regulations for large media screens.
ZOA-2019-05: Parking Modifications for Social Service Institutions
Adopted April 23, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
This amendment enables the County Board, through the special exception use permit process, to modify the number of required parking spaces for social service institutions which can demonstrate that their parking demand would be lower than the minimum number of parking spaces required by ordinance.
ZOA-2019-06: Relocatable Classrooms
Adopted June 15, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
To support Arlington Public School’s management of rising school enrollment, staff conducted a study to create an administrative review and approval process for relocatable classrooms. Administrative reviews replaced the need to amend school use permit amendments simply to change a school’s number of relocatable classrooms.
The study resulted in Zoning Ordinance amendments that categorize school relocatables as short-term uses to be reviewed and approved administratively, subject to general standards for all temporary uses as well as placement standards to prevent conflicts with middle school and high school athletic fields, mature trees and applicable setbacks. Relocatable classrooms can be approved for a three-year term with an option for one three-year renewal.
ZOA-2019-07: Detached Accessory Dwellings
Adopted May 18, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective July 1, 2019
This amendment permitted the construction and establishment of new detached accessory dwellings, provided additional flexibility for property owners to convert their existing accessory buildings into detached accessory dwellings, and clarified existing standards for nonconforming one- and two-family dwellings located in residential zoning districts.
This amendment expanded upon a previous amendment adopted in Nov. 2017 that permitted accessory dwellings within existing detached accessory buildings.
ZOA-2019-08: Child Care Center Parking
Adopted July 16, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
This amendment modified the parking ratio for child care centers from 1 space per 8 children to 1 space per 10 children.
ZOA-2019-09: Elder Care Uses (Initial Phase)
Adopted Sept. 21, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
This amendment increased the number of zoning districts where assisted living facilities and nursing homes may be permitted by site plan approval. The amendment incorporated standards for height, lot size and floor area ratio (FAR) for these uses in the RA8-18 district.
ZOA-2019-10: Bonus Density
Adopted Nov. 16, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
Staff conducted a zoning study to update and clarify standards which allow maximum height and density requirements to be surpassed when development applicants elect to comply with incentive zoning provisions. The incentive provisions, for example, include commitments to provide affordable housing, community facilities, energy efficient building materials/systems and transportation infrastructure. The resulting changes to the Zoning Ordinance reorganized and restructured the bonus provisions in §15.5.9 to permit bonus height and density as specified in approved area plans, sector plans, Phased Development Site Plans, or similar County Board-approved planning policies.
This amendment was adopted concurrently with GP-349-19-1, which amended the General Land Use Plan to reference height and density bonuses which are granted on a case-by-case basis as part of the special exception site plan approval process.
ZOA-2019-11: Elder Care Uses
Adopted Dec. 17, 2019 (view amended text)
Effective immediately
This amendment permits the establishment of assisted living facilities, independent living facilities, nursing homes and continuing care retirement communities in an additional 14 zoning districts. The amendment created new definitions for undefined terms in the Zoning Ordinance, updated the parking requirements for elder care uses, added site plan criteria and findings for use during the site plan review process, and updated the terminology used in Article 12’s household living and group living residential use categories.