April 2025 Arlington County Board Wrap-up

Wednesday, April 9, 2025 – Recessed County Board Meeting  

Item 21 - Hotel Pentagon, 2480 South Glebe Road
The County Board approved, by a 4-0-1 vote (with Chair Takis Karantonis abstaining), several applications related to the Hotel Pentagon site at 2480 South Glebe Road that would facilitate the construction of up to 531 residential units. The Board originally heard this item at its Saturday, April 5, Regular meeting and deferred this item to its Wednesday, April 9, Recessed meeting for further consideration and a vote.  

With the Board’s approval, these applications:  

• Amend the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) to change the land use designation for approximately 1.44 acres from “Service Industry” to “Medium” Residential; 
  
  
• Amend the Master Transportation Plan (MTP) Map to add new segments of South Garfield Street, 25th Court South, and a new street named South Fillmore Court in the vicinity of the site; and,  
  
  
• Amend the Site Plan (SP #111) to allow construction of up to 531 residential units, with modifications for additional density, lot area per unit, lot coverage, reduced residential parking ratios, required loading spaces, density exclusions, and other necessary development modifications. 

The above actions will advance several key County goals and objectives, such as:  

• Affordable housing: Providing nine on-site Committed Affordable Units (CAF) at 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) and the base affordable housing contribution (choice of $2,004,471 or approximately 10 on-site units, 15 off-site nearby units, or 20 off-site units), advancing the goals and objectives of the Affordable Housing Master Plan.  

• Transportation improvements: Providing street, streetscape, and transit infrastructure improvements on South Glebe Road and 24th Road South; constructing a new street and street segments; and, dedicating a public street easement in the future to allow for an inter-parcel connection to the property to the west, consistent with the goals of the 4MRV Area Plan and the Master Transportation Plan.  

• Public space improvements: Providing an approximately 10,311 sf public use and access easement; installing and maintaining landscaping and pedestrian improvements within the privately-owned public space, consistent with the recommendations of the 4MRV Area Plan and the Public Spaces Master Plan.  

• Sustainable design: Achieving LEED Gold certification and compliance with the Green Building Incentive Program (GBIP) (0.25 FAR level), supporting the sustainability goals of the Community Energy Plan. 

Item 23 - FY 2026 Budget Adoption  
The County Board adopted the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and set the Calendar Year 2025 real estate property tax rate and other tax rates and fees. All items related to the Budget were approved, except for the solid waste fees, which were deferred for adoption at the June 14, 2025, County Board meeting.  

The public budget process began in December 2024, with the Board's Budget Direction to the County Manager, and included a series of public work sessions, virtual and pop-up public engagement, and public hearings on the Proposed Budget and the advertised Tax Rates and fees.    

The adopted $1.69 billion budget, a 2.3 percent increase over FY 2025, focuses on foundational services for the community, including housing, human services, environmental sustainability, public safety, workforce investments, and public schools. The Board concurred with the Manager’s recommendations to keep the real estate property tax rate at $1.033 per $100 of assessed value and to increase the meals tax rate from 4% to 5%. The Board directed the Manager to add $11 million to the County’s Economic Stabilization Reserve. 

Guidance to the County Manager 
In adopting the budget, the County Board also provided supplemental budget guidance to the County Manager that outlines the thought and intention behind additional funding to critical areas of the FY 2026 budget. These include:    

• $1M increase in one-time funding for homeless services contracts that are currently in the Request for Proposal negotiations process. This additional funding, beyond the $2.5M in the proposed budget, will help to close on these contracts.   

• $300K for local childcare subsidies, for a pilot-type program to bridge wait times for families who are eligible for state subsidies but are on the waitlist, especially Arlington’s low-income families who are awaiting support. 

• $308K in ongoing funding to restore two positions proposed for elimination, ISD Construction Plan Review ($170K) and Code Enforcement ($138K).  

• $227K in one-time funding to the Sheriff’s Office to be used for bonuses to 83 employees who are in roles that are inmate-facing.  

• $192K to the Public Defender’s Office to support a Re-Entry Coordinator Fellowship ($107K one-time funding) and to increase its non-attorney salary supplement ($85K ongoing funding).  

• $184K to the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office to provide a temporary communication staff ($100K one-time funding) and to convert the Commonwealth Attorney III position into a Commonwealth Attorney Deputy ($84K ongoing funding).   

• $150K in one-time funding for Food Security Mini-Grants, allowing for a third round of grant funding available to local nonprofits to implement select aspects of the County’s Food Security Strategic Plan.  

• $109K in funding to defer by one year the proposed Developmental Services fee increases for childcare facilities ($6K ongoing funding), live entertainment & food delivery services ($14K ongoing funding), and Adaptive Reuse ($88K one-time funding).  

• $100K in one-time funding to Arlington Libraries for digital collections.   

• $87K to restore one-time funding for the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust.   

• $60K in one-time funding to the County Board Office to support Ranked-Choice Voting Education efforts. 

Read more about the adopted FY 2026 Budget. 

Read more about the Board’s Supplemental FY 2026 Budget Guidance.