County Board Chairman Explains Delay in Zoning Revamp

August 1, 2001

Dear Citizen:

On behalf of the County Board, I appreciate this opportunity to address concerns expressed by the community relating to discussions on lot coverage. We know this discussion has generated debate in the community and want to assure you that the concerns are being heard. At this time, there is no specific proposal before the County Board.

The issue of maximum lot coverage grew out of concerns expressed by many people in the community about some in-fill development projects that are significantly out of scale and character with a neighborhood. Many expressed anxiety about the impacts of these and future egregious in-fill projects on their neighborhoods. At the same time, we want to encourage development and redevelopment in our residential communities in order to sustain our housing stock over the long term.

In order to seek a reasonable balance, the County undertook a multi-year review of in-fill development. Four areas were identified for exploration: (1) measurement of maximum height; (2) measurement of average lot width; (3) maximum lot coverage; and (4) pipe-stem lots (where a house is built behind another house, with only a driveway connection to the street in front). The work has been done through an open, participatory process led by the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee (ZORC) of the Planning Commission. Over the past years, the County Board has made modest changes to the Zoning Ordinance regarding areas (1) and (2), while work is in progress on (3) and (4).

The process we have followed is that alternative ideas have been generated in the discussions between ZORC members - which includes citizens and developers - and staff. These alternatives are then presented to the County Board in one or more work sessions held with ZORC. Following the work sessions, the staff develop specific zoning ordinance amendments which have then come to the County Board as a recommendation from the County Manager.

On maximum lot coverage, the County Board had a work session with ZORC in June. Based on discussion at the work session and subsequent review, the County Manager determined that staff currently has inadequate data on which to base a specific zoning ordinance amendment. He concluded that without additional research it would not be possible for the County Board to have full knowledge of the consequences of any recommendations that he may make. The County Manager, therefore, decided to defer recommendations until later this year after additional staff analysis. Any recommendations that the Manager makes in the future would include public hearings before the Planning Commission and the County Board before any action. It is the expectation of the County Board that the Manager provide for the maximum dissemination of his future recommendations with adequate time for all interested parties to express their perspectives.

The County Manager has also received general policy guidance from the Board to develop a recommendation that addresses the most egregious in-fill possibilities. I assure you that the Board is not interested in recommendations that would eliminate or unreasonably limit continuing investment in Arlington’s residential areas through new development or the expansion and renovation of existing homes.

In order to facilitate public discussion, a Community Forum website will be created in the near future. I hope you will visit the site if you have further thoughts to share. Also included at that website will be information which, hopefully, will clarify any misperceptions there may be about the goal of this review. You may also feel free to forward your comments directly to the staff liaison, Sakura Namioka, at the Department of Community Planning, Housing and Development, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 608, Arlington, Virginia 22201, or snamio@co.arlington.va.us.

Thank you for this opportunity to share information on a matter of obvious importance to you and the community at-large.

Sincerely,

Jay Fisette
Chairman

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