Arlington County Unveils Bold Zoning Overhaul
Goals Include Revitalizing Commercial Hubs, Tackling Office Vacancies
Arlington County, Virginia, has authorized and approved several amendments to the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO) in an effort to address office vacancies and revitalize key commercial corridors. The proposed amendments stem from the second phase of Arlington's Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative (CMRI 2.0), which was initiated in 2023 and explored ways to mitigate regulatory barriers hindering market-driven solutions for enhancing commercial vitality in Arlington. CMRI 2.0 is focused on five key strategic areas: 1) office conversion, 2) repositioning, 3) redevelopment, 4) tenant support and 5) placemaking.
Adaptive Reuse
At its April 20, 2024, meeting, the Arlington County Board approved a request to authorize (RTA) amendments to the ACZO aiming to refine the criteria and procedures to allow for a more streamlined and economically viable approach for the adaptive reuse of obsolete commercial buildings. This RTA permits the consideration potential changes to the ACZO including, but not limited to:
- process changes to create a more streamlined, faster and predictable process, which could include classifying adaptive reuse as a minor site plan amendment instead of a major site plan amendment, allowing administrative approvals for some or all of the adaptive reuse project and creation of a new process within the ACZO
- methods for achieving additional density, such as use of excess parking, given the change in use, for applications that require additional gross floor area
- standards or policies around the county's community benefits contributions for adaptive reuse
The Arlington County Board authorized the advertisement of public hearings by the Planning Commission no earlier than Sept. 4, 2024, and the County Board no earlier than Sept. 14, 2024, to consider adopting this amendment.
Self-Service Storage and Live/Work
On May 10, 2024, the Arlington County Board approved an RTA amendment to the ACZO to consider expanding and/or amending the use category of self-service storage and introduce live/work units as an allowable use in commercial, office and mixed-use buildings.
The RTA recognizes that these adaptations also address community necessities that have emerged from shifts in work and living patterns post-pandemic. The rise of remote work, reduction of office spaces and surge in rental costs have led to an increased demand for extra storage and readily available office spaces.
The Arlington County Board authorized the advertisement of public hearings by the Planning Commission no earlier than Sept. 4, 2024, and the County Board no earlier than Sept. 14, 2024, to consider adopting this amendment.
Shared and Off-Site Parking
On May 21, 2024, the Arlington County Board adopted an amendment to the ACZO that created a new use called Neighborhood Commercial Centers. This use encompasses both small and medium-size shopping complexes with a maximum gross floor area limit of 200,000 square feet. With respect to parking for Neighborhood Commercial Centers, Section 14.3.7 of the ACZO now stipulates a uniform off-street parking ratio of one parking space per 600 square feet of gross floor area for these centers. This replaces the previous method of calculating parking needs based on each tenant's specific land use. Additionally, the County Board now has the authority to adjust the parking requirements for these centers, subject to the issuance of a use permit.
The Arlington County Board also amended the ACZO with regard to off-site parking provisions. The permissible distance for off-site parking from a given lot has been extended from 600 feet to one-quarter of a mile. However, the lots must be under a common ownership. New standards have been implemented to ensure that off-site parking is not utilized for setting up outdoor cafés within existing parking areas. The amendments now allow the County Board to grant use permits for off-site parking in commercial/mixed-use, industrial and public zoning districts even when the off-site lot is not under common ownership or is beyond the one-quarter of a mile limit, as long as agreement is recorded to guarantee the ongoing availability of these parking spaces.