County Board Wrap-Up Media Release for October 2023 Meeting
Published on October 20, 2023
New Agenda Management Platform – Agenda Online
Arlington County is currently transitioning its County Board agendas, live and archived videos, and minutes to the new “Agenda Online” platform. The Planning and Transportation Commissions, as well as the Board of Zoning Appeals, will also be moving to this new platform.
Until data has been fully migrated to the Agenda Online site, meetings before October 14 will remain on their current landing pages. Any County Board, Planning Commission, Transportation Commission, or Board of Zoning Appeals meetings held after October 14 will be accessible via the following new webpages.
County Board: https://meetings.arlingtonva.us/CountyBoard
Planning Commission: https://meetings.arlingtonva.us/planning
Transportation Commission: https://meetings.arlingtonva.us/Transportation
Board of Zoning Appeals: https://meetings.arlingtonva.us/BZA
If you experience any issues assessing agendas, recordings, minutes or other materials on Agenda Online, please contact the County Board Office at countyboard@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-3130.
Saturday, October 14, 2023 – Regular County Board Meeting
The Arlington County Board considered and acted on many items at its Saturday Board meeting. These include the following:
Amendment to Chapter 48 (Floodplain Management) - Item 14
The Board approved an ordinance to amend Chapter 48 of the Arlington County Code related to Floodplain management. The changes include adopting new Flood Insurance Maps and more clearly outlining the responsibilities of the Floodplain administrator in the county code. These updates were required for Arlington to continue participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, which makes flood insurance available to eligible property owners in the County.
FY24 Grant Agreements with DRPT – Item 17
The Board also approved several grant agreements totaling $18 million, not including matching funds from the County, with the Department of Rail and Public Transportation. This funding assistance will be appropriate toward approved projects in the County's Transit Capital program and operating expenses for Arlington Transit. Specific grant funding allocations are:
- $66K for internships with County transportation;
- $429K for transit infrastructure, such as bus stops amenities and shelters;
- $3.2 million for the purchasing of 4 large heavy-duty battery electric buses;
- $6.5 million for FY24 funding for ART operations; and
- $7.7 million for the replacement of 15 large heavy-duty transit buses.
Sunrise Senior Living (716 South Glebe Road) – Item 21
The Board also approved an application to rezone the property at 716 South Glebe Road and an associated new site plan that would allow for the redevelopment of an existing church building, vacant single-family residence and surface parking into a new 24-hour four-story assisted living facility operated by Sunrise Senior Living. The facility will include:
- Development of 99 assisted living and memory care units;
- Provision of the base affordable housing contribution (applicant’s choice of $225,895 or one affordable dwelling unit on or off-site.)
- Construction of streetscape improvements along South Glebe Road between 7th Street South and 8th Street South; and
- Commitment to LEED Silver Certification.
Request to Advertise
The Board approved three Requests to Advertise for public hearings related to updates to elements of the Arlington County Comprehensive Plan and to Plan Langston Boulevard. Requests to advertise are not final votes, and residents will have an opportunity to comment on these items at later dates.
RTA on Historic and Cultural Resources Plan – 20
Public hearings on this item will be held by the Planning Commission on October 30, 2023, and by the County Board on November 11, 2023.
If approved at the November 11 meeting, the Historic and Cultural Resources Plan (HCRP), an element of Arlington County’s Comprehensive Plan, would be updated. The HRCP is the primary policy document guiding Arlington’s historic preservation goals and actions and has not been updated since its original adoption in 2006. After a multi-year planning process, this item recommends establishing 5 main focus areas in the plan—Community Engagement, Incentives, Partnerships, Regulations, and Technology, Information, and Tools—to provide a renewed framework that will advance the mission and effectiveness of the County’s Historic Preservation Program.
RTA on Plan Langston Boulevard – Item 22
With two revisions to the draft, the Board approved public hearings on Plan Langston Boulevard, which will be held by the Planning Commission at its November meeting (October 30 or November 1, 2023), and by the County Board on November 11, 2023.
At its November 11 meeting, the Board will consider adoption of the following elements associated with the Langston Boulevard Planning Study:
- The Langston Boulevard Area Plan;
- General Land Use Plan (GLUP) Map and Booklet Amendments;
- Master Transportation Plan (MTP) Map Amendments; and
- Arlington County Zoning Ordinance Amendments, Section (§) 6.1, §7.12, and §12.3.
The two revisions made to the plan at the October 14 meeting were:
- To remove a policy recommendation and associated text that called for consideration of potential consolidation of community center uses when future planning processes are undertaken to determine the long-term use and design of the corridor’s public land; and
- To change the timing for considering the priority and timing of the review of the East Falls Church and Cherrydale adopted plans from “as to be determined through the establishment of the Planning Division’s Annual Work Plans” to “short term.”
The Langston Boulevard Planning and County Public Engagement process began in response to a community grass-roots effort led by the Langston Boulevard Alliance advocating for guided long-term public and private investment in the Langston Boulevard corridor through a comprehensive plan and vision as an alternative to by-right development.
The Langston Boulevard corridor is Arlington’s northernmost commercial corridor in Arlington that connects east to west between Rosslyn and East Falls Church. The plan recommends a land use framework and guiding principles intended to shape the form of new development and other benefits, including diverse housing supply, environmental resiliency, economic sustainability, and safe and equitable access for all users on Langston Boulevard.
RTA on Draft Forestry and Natural Resources Plan – Item 23
Public hearings on this item will be held by the Planning Commission on December 4, 2023, and by the County Board on December 16, 2023.
At its December 16 meeting, the Board will consider adoption of the Forestry and Natural Resources Plan (FNRP), an element of the Comprehensive Plan. Adoption of the FNRP would update and replace the Urban Forest Master Plan (2004) and the Natural Resources Management Plan (2010) as a unified plan that lays out recommendations and actions on how to achieve the sustainability of public and private trees, conservation of natural assets, implementation of biophilia in Arlington.
After a three-year community engagement process, the FNRP is intended to be a comprehensive, long-term planning tool and outlines over 80 policy recommendations organized into four interconnected Strategic Directions: Conservation; Climate Mitigation, Adaption, and Resilience; Biodiversity and Operations.
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 wanting to speak on a Consent Agenda item must notify the County Board Office before 9 AM at Regular Meetings to request the item be pulled from the agenda. Agendas will note which consent agenda items are subject to public hearing requirements and which require Board member consent to be removed.
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.
Visit 2023 County Board Meeting and Procedures on the County website to Learn More.