Barcroft Apartments Affordable Housing Financing Plan – Item 43
The Board approved The Barcroft Apartments Affordable Housing Financing Plan. The Plan outlines several elements, including:  

• Refinancing the $150 million County Acquisition Fund loan to separate County loans by phase as units associated with each phase are renovated and redeveloped;  

• Committing Arlington County and Jair Lynch Real Estate Partners to rent stabilization for current residents and to the provision of at least 134 units up to 30% Area Median Income (AMI) across the property;  

• Approving the Financing Commitment Letter for the First Renovation Phase of Barcroft Apartments, which includes 93 units and will provide affordable housing averaging up to 60% AMI, including 9 Permanent Supportive Housing units, and conversion of 18 two-bedroom homes to 14 three-bedroom homes and 4 four-bedroom homes; and  Ratifying an earlier submitted HUD Pathways to Removing Obstacles to Housing (PRO Housing) competitive grant application to receive up to $10 million to rehabilitate 101 apartment homes, construct a resident community and amenity center, and improve two primary streets. It is anticipated HUD will make its selection and award notifications in 2024.  

The County will explore land-use tools for the site as part of upcoming public engagement in 2024. 

Read the press release for more information. 

Establishing Stormwater Utility, Repealing Sanitary District Tax, Providing Stormwater Fee Relief – Item 44
The Board adopted an ordinance to establish a Stormwater Utility, adopted a resolution regarding Stormwater fee relief, and set the Stormwater Utility Equivalent Residential Unit annual rate. The Board's action also repeals the current Sanitary District Tax, effective December 31, 2023.  

The County's Stormwater Management Fund is currently supported by the Sanitary District Tax, which generates funding based on property assessments. The tax is currently set at $0.017 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of all taxable real estate. This ordinance proposes replacing the Sanitary District Tax formula with a $258 per Equivalent Residential Unit (ERU) Rate. An ERU in Arlington County is calculated to be 2,400 square feet of impervious area. The rationale for using the amount of impervious area on each property, rather than all taxable real estate, is that it directly correlates with stormwater runoff that contributes to the County's stormwater system. Basing the rate structure on the amount of impervious area provides a nexus between the fee charged to each property and the amount of services provided by the County. 

ACZO Amendments re Green Building Standards - Item 37
This item will be heard by the Planning Commission and County Board in February 2024, and would introduce Green Building Standards into the Columbia Pike Commercial Form-Based Code and update the current minimum Green Building Standards in the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Form-Based Code. Both sets of changes would effectively contribute toward the goals in the County's Community Energy Plan and Green Building Incentive Policy.  

ACZO Amendments re Elder Care - Item 38
This item will be heard by the Planning Commission and County Board in February 2024, and would update the Columbia Pike Commercial and Neighborhoods Form-Based Codes to establish elder care parking requirements, elder care bicycle parking requirements, and to update the affordability requirements for elder care development projects utilizing the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Form Based Code.  

GLUP Amendment re Special Affordable Housing Protection District - Item 39
This item will be heard by the Planning Commission and County Board at a future public hearing concurrent with an associated site plan amendment and rezoning applications related to Site Plan #233 – the "Best Western Site".  

This proposal is a GLUP amendment that expands the Special Affordable Housing Protection District on this site and would add the Williamsburg Apartments site to SP#233, propose an eight-story multi-family residential building of a maximum of 446 units, eliminate current hotel use of the site, and rezone the Red Lion hotel property from RA-H to RA4.8, consistent with the GLUP designation for this site. The applicant proposes constructing 42 bedrooms within 24 committed affordable units to ensure the replacement of the lost market-rate affordable units that would occur in redevelopment. 

Tuesday, December 19, 2023 – Recessed County Board Meeting

Barcroft Apartments Preservation and Renovations - Item 9
The Board approved a use permit to preserve and renovate the Barcroft Apartment buildings #32-34 located within Section 4 of the overall apartment complex. This use permit will provide property improvements consistent with the Columbia Pike Neighborhoods Special Revitalization District Form Based Code Conservation Area Standards.  

ACZO Amendment re DPR Public Spaces - Item 12 
The Board adopted an ordinance allowing the County Board the Authority to modify certain zoning standards for structures and amenities that the Department of Parks and Recreation operates in public spaces. This increased zoning flexibility can be particularly useful for DPR public space designs and layouts that are less than two acres in size, contain environmentally sensitive areas, and/or integrate stormwater facilities to meet state requirements.  

Ranked Choice Voting - Item 16  
The Board adopted an uncodified ordinance to establish Ranked Choice Voting in all County Board primary elections, beginning with the June 2024 County Board primary.  

Ranked Choice Voting (RCV) is an election method that allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference. Under Virginia state law, in years where only one seat is open, like the upcoming June 2024 County Board primary election, a candidate must receive more than 50% of votes to be declared the winner.  

In elections with two open seats, candidates must secure more than 33% of votes to win in an election determined by RCV. If no candidate receives more than 33 percent of voters' first-ranked choices, the race is decided by one or several additional tabulation rounds using voters' ranked preferences. The candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, and voters who ranked that candidate as their first choice will have their votes count toward their 2nd choice. This process continues until two candidates emerge with more than 33 percent of the vote. This differs from previous elections, where the top two vote-getters win or advance to the general election in the case of a primary election. 

Read more on Ranked Choice Voting.  

Fiscal Year 2025 Budget Guidance – Item 49 
The Board directed the County Manager to prepare a balanced FY 2025 budget that reflects county priorities while also acknowledging the economic pressures taxpayers and homeowners are experiencing. The Board also acknowledges the challenges of the currently estimated $25-40 million revenue gap and requests options for Board consideration, including possible service reductions and revenue increases. 

The Board also directed the Manager to:  

• Fund Arlington's contribution for WMATA operations in the base budget at legislatively allowed maximums while utilizing transit reserve balances to maintain expanded service in the Transit Strategic Plan;  

• Continue prudent one-time funding with the intent of phasing out this use by FY 2026;  

• Fully fund the collective bargaining agreements currently in place, and to present compensation proposals consistent with the County’s Total Compensation Philosophy for those employees not covered by a bargaining unit; 

• Include funding or present funding options for affordable housing priorities such as eviction prevention, housing grants, and maintaining ongoing levels of AHIF funding;  

• Provide funding or program options to address increased food costs for residents in need;

• Provide funding to APS consistent with the Principle of Revenue Sharing.  

The Board further directed the Manager to provide programmatic updates on the following priorities as part of the proposed FY 2025 Budget:  

• Equity Resolution implementation amid the staff reorganization;

• Plans that prioritize resiliency of operations and programs should we face adverse effects from climate change or other unexpected, significant events;  

• Public Safety service model and operational protocols should vacancies remain elevated;

• Staffing and other resources necessary to implement the Barcroft Master Financing and Development Plan 

The County Manager will present his proposed FY2025 budget to the Board in February 2024. The County Board will host a series of work sessions with departments and advisory groups in March and April 2024. The public hearing on the FY2025 proposed budget will be on April 2 and the public hearing for the proposed tax rates on April 4.

Let us know how you think the County should prioritize its FY 2025 spending.  

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.