The Arlington County Board considered and acted on many items at its Saturday and Tuesday Board meetings. These include the following: 

Saturday, September 14, 2024 – Regular County Board Meeting  

Resolution to re-establish the Community Criminal Justice Board – Item 16
The Arlington County Board approved item 16, which is a resolution to re-establish the Community Criminal Justice Board, and provides updates regarding its membership composition, administration, records custody and transparency, and its strategic planning. The County’s previous resolution establishing the CCJB was adopted in 2001, but since then, state regulations and best practices related to the function and form of CCJBs have evolved substantially. 

Community Criminal Justice Boards exist in various forms across the country as bodies of key criminal justice, government, and community stakeholders that convene regularly to identify systemic challenges and work collaboratively to improve the local criminal justice system. In Virginia, Community Criminal Justice Boards are especially focused on pretrial services and community-based probation services. Arlington also shares pre-trial and community-based services with the City of Falls Church. Falls Church representation is included in the CCJB’s membership, and their city council must also adopt this resolution. 

National Science Teachers Association Site Plan Amendment, Vacations, and Encroachments – Item 47A-C
The Arlington County Board also approved several items associated with Site Plan #382 at 1840 Wilson Boulevard known as the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) site. The approved amendment (Item 47A) to this site plan allows the redevelopment of the NSTA office building, the Il Radicchio restaurant, and Rhodeside Grill with a new seven-story mixed used building with up to 187 residential units and 11,948 sq ft of ground floor retail. Parking for the building will be supported by the existing underground parking garage. To facilitate the construction of this new building, the vacation of several portions of easements (Item 47B) and encroachment on certain County public easements (Item 47C) for public street, sidewalk and utilities purposes were also approved.  

The building will be two stories higher than the current NSTA office building with 68 dwelling units and 1,467 sq ft of retail GFA above the base amount allowed in the C-O-2.5 district. To achieve this additional density, and to remain consistent with the Rosslyn to Courthouse Urban Design Study and other County plans and policies, the applicant committed to provide:   

• 10 on-site committed affordable (CAFs) dwelling units consisting of 19 bedrooms total including four (4) 1-bedrooms, three (3) 2-bedrooms, and three (3) 3-bedroom units;  

• $35,860 contribution for off-site transportation improvements in the Rosslyn to Courthouse area; and 

• LEED Gold level certification (0.35 FAR) and compliance with the Green Building Incentive Policy, advancing sustainability goals of the Community Energy Plan. 

The applicant also agreed to provide features, improvements, and amenities to mitigate the impacts of the proposed redevelopment, which include:  

• New pavement, sidewalk, curb and gutter on street frontages; 

• Streetscape and landscape improvements on-site consistent with current County standards; 

• Base affordable housing contribution;  

• Public art contribution;  

• Utility undergrounding fund contribution;  

• Transportation demand management program; and 

• Installation of an in-building wireless first responders’ network. 

RTA on Chapter 26 re the County’s Retirement System (ACERS) – Item 48
The County Board will also approved advertising a public hearing on amendments to Chapter 46 of the County Code relating to Arlington County’s Employees’ Supplemental Retirement System—II). These amendments are intended to provide a total compensation package that is attractive to the next generation of workers while ensuring a comprehensive retirement benefit package and maintaining the health of the County’s pension plan.  Specific amendments include:  

• Provide a different pension benefit formula and employee contribution for non-collectively bargained General employees hired after January 11, 2025, replacing the current 1.7% multiplier with 1.0% in the benefit formula and the current required employee contribution of creditable compensation of 4% with 2.5%;  

•  Close an option created in 2012 that allows newly hired employees in the Management Accountability Program to opt out of the ACERS pension plan in exchange for a higher County contribution to a stand-alone defined contribution plan; and  

• Correct language submitted in May 2023 during contract negotiations with the Arlington Professional Firefighters and Paramedics Association, IAFF Local 2800. The May 2023 amendment regarding the definition of “personal injury” and under what circumstances and from whom the Retirement Board would hear appeals was not the final agreed-upon language. This item would correct that. 

Changes to Streamline Pulled Consent Agenda Testimony at Recessed Meetings
The Board also voted to make changes to its 2024 Rules and Procedures to improve the public testimony experience of speakers. Previously, public testimony regarding pulled Consent Agenda items were heard all at once at the Board’s recessed meeting, prior to any item being called for Board Discussion. Further, speakers were provided only 3 minutes to make their remarks, regardless of how many items they wished to speak on. Once all speakers were heard, the Board then considered and voted on each item separately.  

This is a different procedure compared to public hearings for Regular Agenda items, which allows speakers to speak for 2 or 3 minutes, and 5 minutes for organization representatives (such as civic association presidents). Public speakers on Regular Agenda items also testify when the item they signed up for is called and considered, rather than in one block of testimony regardless of item number like with Consent Agenda testimony.  

In response to feedback from residents that the difference in the Consent Agenda and Regular Agenda procedures can be complicated to understand, the Board voted to make the Consent Agenda public hearing procedures identical to the Regular Agenda public hearing procedures, streamlining the process for an improved public testimony experience.  

For more information on rules and registering to provide public testimony, please visit our “speaking at a Monthly County Board meeting” webpage.  

Tuesday, September 17, 2024 – Recessed County Board Meeting 

Amendment to the Pentagon City Phased Development Site Plan (Parcel 1C and 12th St. Landing) – Item 1
The Board also adopted an amendment to the Pentagon City Phased Development (PDSP) Site Plan to facilitate the redevelopment of the former MCI/TSA buildings located in the southern half of the PDSP’s Parcel 1C. This amendment allows allocation of additional density and height to the subject site (located on the southern half of the block between Army Navy Drive, 12th Street South, South Fern Street, and South Hayes Street), for the property to be divided into three (3) land bays, and for the adoption of new Design Guidelines to guide future final site plans for the subject site. The developer expects to submit future final site plans for the proposed land bays that will undergo public review leading to County Board approval. 

The applicant proposes to provide certain improvements and on-site amenities, as called for in the Pentagon City Sector Plan, including but not limited to the following, which will be further detailed in the subsequent site plan applications: 

• Public open spaces including a 0.5 acre public plaza at the southwest corner of the site, implementation of the Green Ribbon pathway through the site, and a plaza on South Fern Street across from a similar plaza planned for the PenPlace site;  

• A new segment of 11th Street South between South Fern Street and South Hayes Street;  

• A protected bicycle lane on South Fern Street, and to cooperate with the County on obtaining the necessary right-of-way, if needed, for the 12th Street Transitway project;   

• On-site committed affordable housing units as part of any residential uses; and 

• Sustainable site and building design elements. 

Amendment to the Pentagon City Phased Development Site Plan (Parcel 3 and Millennium at National Landing) – Item 8
The Board adopted another amendment to the Pentagon City Phased Development (PDSP) Site Plan to reallocate residential dwelling units to hotel units in Parcel 3, and a site plan amendment to convert up to 30 residential units to hotel units within the Millennium at National Landing apartment building (MetPark 2). The amendments to the Pentagon City Phased Development Site Plan (PDSP) and the Final Site Plan for MetPark Phase 2 are consistent with the C-O-2.5 zoning district regulations of the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance. The Board also made a modification to condition 2 of the site plan, prohibiting the use of these units as hotel units past September 17, 2029, unless further extended by the County Board.  

When adopted in 1976, the Pentagon City PDSP allocated 2,000 hotel rooms across the site. Over time the County Board has approved multiple amendments to the PDSP, and only 366 hotel rooms (allocated to the Ritz-Carlton) remain at the time of this meeting. This approved conversion will allow up to 30 additional hotel units to the Pentagon City neighborhood. As part of the County’s Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative, this allows flexibility in the use of these units in response to near-term hotel market demand and supply conditions.  

MOAs regarding Kenmore synthetic turf conversions – Items 19 & 20 
The Board also approved two memorandums of agreement (MOA) between the County and with the Arlington Sports Foundation (Item 19) and Arlington Soccer Association (Item 20), respectively, regarding collaboration on synthetic turf conversation and combination field #1 and rectangle field #2 at Kenmore Middle School. The Arlington Sports Foundation and Arlington Soccer Association have committed to fundraising $2 million ($1 million each) to contribute toward the $10.41 million total project budget (the remaining $8.41 was allocated in the County’s adopted FY25-34 Capital Improvement Plan, with a 70% County and 30% APS cost share).  

This project involves converting two natural grass athletic fields to synthetic turf allowing for more play during more hours and through more weather conditions. Project goals include:  

• Updating field space to accommodate combination fields and standardize field sizing; 

• Providing improved sports amenities;  

• Improving access along 2nd Street S; 

• Replacing lighting with upgraded LED technology; and 

• Adding seating, walkways, circulation, ADA accessibility, and stormwater management. 

The terms of both agreements will be in effect for 16 years, which is effectively two life cycles of the synthetic turf. 

County Board Advisory Groups and Commissions Recruitment
The Board also welcomed the community back from the August summer break, and to consider applying to one of the many Advisory Groups and Commissions. The County Board has dozens of standing advisory groups that provide input to the Board on various issues, from youth and aging, to parks, housing and transportation. The Board relies on the hard work of hundreds of civic-minded volunteer commissioners for advice on projects, policies, and other issues impacting Arlington.  

Residents interested in learning more about commissions and how to apply can visit the County Board’s Commissions and Advisory Groups webpage. While the webpage does list all commission vacancies, the Board did highlight a few commissions with many open seats. These include the:  

• Fiscal Affairs Advisory Commission;   

• Human Rights Commission; and 

• Joint Facilities Advisory Commission.   

Residents interested in serving on a commission are also welcome to attend a meeting, and the calendar of events can be referenced here.  

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 may do so by notifying the County Board Office before 9 AM at Regular Meetings to request the item be pulled from the agenda. Members of the public may then register to speak on pulled agenda items at the upcoming Tuesday Recessed meeting. 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.