A NATIONAL MODEL OF SMART GROWTH 

ARLINGTON COUNTY’S EXPERIENCE WITH TRANSIT RELATED DEVELOPMENT

Introduction

-OVERVIEW OF EFFORTS TO CONNECT LAND USE & TRANSIT

-HOW WE PLANNED AND SOME OF THE TOOLS WE USED

-IDENTIFY SOME OF THE SUCCESSES AND LESSONS LEARNED


SETTING THE STAGE

-ARLINGTON IS A 26 SQ. MILE, URBAN COUNTY WHICH WAS A PART OF THE ORIGINAL DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA


SETTING THE STAGE

- 1960 - 7.5 MILLION SQ. FT. OFFICE
- DECLINING RETAIL CORRIDORS
- EMERGING MARKET FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICE SPACE
- STRONG SINGLE FAMILY
- LARGE NUMBER OF GARDEN APARTMENTS
- 97,505 JOBS
- 71,230 HOUSING UNITS


SETTING THE STAGE
- BEGINNING OF THE PLANNING FOR A REGIONAL TRANSIT SYSTEM
- ARLINGTON LOBBIED STRONGLY FOR UNDERGROUND ROUTE  VS WITHIN THE MEDIAN OF I-66
- EMBARKED ON AN AMBITIOUS COMMUNITY PLANNING EFFORT

SETTING THE STAGE
- 25 + YEAR EFFORT TO ORIENT SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT TO TRANSIT AND USE IT FOR REVITALIZATION
- THE COUNTY DECIDED IT WANTED TO ENCOURAGE GROWTH
- ENCOURAGE TRANSIT RIDERSHIP


HOW WE DID IT
- SERIES OF PLANNING EFFORTS TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTY
- MAJOR POLICY GOALS RESULTED 
- 50/50 TAX BASE MIX OF RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL
- MIXED-USE DEVELOPMENT WITH A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF RESIDENTIAL
- PRESERVE EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY AND GARDEN APARTMENTS
- FOCUS REDEVELOPMENT WITHIN 1/4 MILE OF METRO STATION ENTRANCES

HOW WE DID IT
- AFTER ADOPTING A CORRIDOR-WIDE GLUP, THE COUNTY FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING SECTOR PLANS
- FOCUSED ON AREA 1/4 MILE FROM THE METRO STATION 
- THE SECTOR PLANS IDENTIFY
	- DESIRED PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
	- LOCATION FOR RETAIL
	- URBAN DESIGN STANDARDS
	- PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS
	- OPEN SPACE, STREETS CAPE STANDARDS
	- TRANSITIONS TO ADJACENT NEIGHBORHOODS


KEY TO SUCCESS
- WHEN THE PLANNING STARTED FOR METRO
– 95% OF COUNTY PLANNED LOW DENSITY RESIDENTIAL, GARDEN APARTMENT OR RETAIL.  LITTLE UNPLANNED DEVELOPMENT CAN OCCUR
- 5 % OF COUNTY (2 RAIL CORRIDORS) WERE RE-PLANNED TO ENCOURAGE MIXED-USE, HIGH DENSITY DEVELOPMENT



HOW WE DID IT
- GLUP FOR METRO CORRIDORS INDICATED THE COUNTY’S WILLINGNESS TO REZONE FOR HIGHER DENSITY BUT LAND REMAINED ZONED FOR FAIRLY LOW DENSITY
- IN RESPONSE TO DEVELOPMENT PROPOSALS, COUNTY BOARD WOULD REZONE FOR HIGHER DENSITY USE
n- A SPECIAL EXCEPTION, SITE PLAN IS USED TO APPROVE THE DEVELOPMENT
- THE SITE PLAN ALLOWS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER DENSITY & HEIGHT THAN UNDERLYING ZONING	 (1.5 - 3.8, 55 ft - 153 ft)
- SITE PLAN IS APPROVED ONLY IF:
- IT COMPLIES WITH THE STANDARDS OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE,
- IT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MIX REQUIRED BY THE GLUP
- IT PROVIDES THE FEATURES CALLED FOR IN THE SECTOR PLAN FOR THE AREA - INCLUDING PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS
- PROPERTY OWNER ALWAYS MAINTAINS UNDERLYING BY-RIGHT ZONING

AERIAL PHOTO - 1960s 
ROSSLYN photo - 1960s
COURT HOUSE photo - 1970s
PARKINGTON (BALLSTON) - 1970s
VIRGINIA SQUARE photo - 1970s
CLARENDON photo - 1980s
CLARENDON photo - 1980s
AERIAL - ROSSLYN TODAY

ROSSLYN 10.0 - FAR REDEVELOPMENT
AERIAL - COURTHOUSE TODAY photo
GOVERNMENT CENTER COURTHOUSE (photo)
RESIDENTIAL photo

COURTHOUSE MIXED-USE & TRANSITION
CLARENDON TODAY photo
CLARENDON MARKET COMMON photo
FDIC- VIRGINIA SQUARE photo
VIRGINIA SQUARE photo
RESIDENTIAL with RETAIL photo
BALLSTON COMMON (Parkington photo)
BALLSTON photo
BALLSTON TOWNHOUSE TRANSITION photo
AERIAL OF BALLSTON photo


LESSONS LEARNED
- DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT, DESIGN SUPPORTIVE PUBLIC POLICIES, TOOLS AND ORDINANCES AND BE PATIENT
- BUILD COMMUNITY CONSENSUS
- MARKET NEEDS TO BE STRONG - OR AT LEAST EXIST
- DEVELOP PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO CONTINUE CONSENSUS BUILDING AND ASSIST IN THE IMPLEMENTATION
- HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS, PLAN WELL AND BE PATIENT
- INTEGRITY OF PLAN
- BE CONSISTENT


METRO RIDERSHIP
(Average daily entries and exits) 
1991
- ROSSLYN       13,637
- COURT HOUSE         5,561
- CLARENDON         2,964
- BALLSTON         9,482

2000
- ROSSLYN       30,115
- COURT HOUSE       14,676
- CLARENDON         5,663
- BALLSTON        21,892


PEDESTRIAN ACCESS
64% WALK TO STATION


R-B CORRIDOR DEVELOPMENT
1970
- OFFICE      4,168,033
- RESIDENTIAL      6,036 UNITS  
- %RESIDENTIAL TO OFFICE     36%                

2001
- OFFICE     19,793,263
- RESIDENTIAL      21,813 UNITS
- %RESIDENTIAL TO OFFICE     43%


METRO CORRIDOR EMPLOYMENT
REFINING THE VISION CHALLENGES
- PARKING
	- POLICY OF DISCOURAGING CARS	
	- RETAILERS DESIRE FOR CONVENIENT AND ABUNDANT PARKING
	- CONCERNS ABOUT OVERFLOW PARKING IN SF RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS
- RESPONSES
	- TRANSIT SUBSIDIES
	- JOINT USE
	- ON STREET PARKING
	- ON STREET BIKE LANES



REFINING THE VISION CHALLENGES
- RETAIL
	- HAVE NOT YET ACHIEVED THE VITAL STREETS DESIRED

- URBAN DESIGN/QUALITY ARCHITECTURE
	- WANT CLASS “A” BUILDINGS
	- RESIDENTIAL DESIGN CHALLENGES


REFINING THE VISION CHALLENGES
- AFFORDABLE HOUSING
-	 11,700 NEW MARKET RATE UNITS
	- FEW AFFORDABLE
	- NEW TOOLS
		- SPECIAL AFORDABLE HOUSING PROTECTION DISTRICT 25 % BONUSDENSITY
		- INCLUSIONARY STANDARDS


REFINING THE VISION CHALLENGES
- PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS
	- BALANCING
		- THROUGH TRAFFIC VS PEDESTRIAN AMENITIES
		- NARROWING STREETS
		- WIDENING SIDEWALKS
		- CROSSWALKS
		- WALK ARLINGTON

REFINING THE VISION CHALLENGES
- HISTORIC PRESERVATION
- BLOCK CONSOLIDATION OR NOT
- MAINTAIN CHARACTER OF CERTAIN AREAS
- CAPACITY OF CURRENT TRANSIT SYSTEM


POST 9-11 SECURITY 
- URBAN DESIGN
	- STREET LEVEL RETAIL
	- SETBACKS
	- HARDENING WALLS
	- ON-STREET PARKING 
	- BOLLARDS


ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA