Arlington, Virginia: Columbia Pike West End Project Update

Washington Gas pre-construction work

Washington Gas’s contractor, Northern Pipeline (NPL), has delayed finalizing the completion of the in-street gas main relocation until March. NPL is currently finishing the connections of the new Columbia Pike gas main to the side street mains. This work is expected to be complete in the next two weeks, with pressure testing of the system to follow.

NPL will begin changing over gas service to the affected properties once the gas main pressure testing is complete. Property owners will be notified, in advance, prior to these service changeovers.

Contractor preparing to start utility undergrounding

Fort Myer Construction, the County’s contractor for utility undergrounding and street improvements between the Four Mile Run Bridge and South Jefferson Street, received its Notice to Proceed on Feb. 20. Crews are currently setting up work zone areas and staging equipment and materials for this project.

Signage will be in place to alert drivers of the ongoing construction, which may include lane detours, lane closures, turn restrictions, etc. Please stay alert when traveling through the work zones to ensure the safety of construction workers, pedestrians, cyclists and drivers.

Fort Myer will begin construction on the undergrounding phase first, moving in a west (South Jefferson Street) to east (Four Mile Run Bridge) direction. Updates will be ongoing through this email update and on the project page.  Or, Click this RIA Blog Post Title above or this RIA Blog Post Source below to see the Columbia Pike Utility Undergrounding & Streetscape Improvements Project Page for the County Line to Four Mile Run.

Arlington County Board Votes for No Tax Rate Increase

• Acts after Manager proposes staff, service cuts to close $20 million FY 2019 gap

• Chair Katie Cristol: “The Board, and the community, must spending the next two months evaluating and prioritizing”

The Arlington County Board today voted to advertise no increase in the tax rate for Calendar Year 2018. The Board’s action came after the County Manager proposed a Fiscal Year 2019 Budget that requires cuts in services and staffing to close an estimated $20.5 million revenue-expenditure gap within the existing tax rate.

“The demands on our budget are growing, and with continuing challenges in our office vacancy rate, our revenues are not keeping pace,” Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol said. “The Board, with the community, will spend the next two months evaluating and prioritizing how to deliver quality services within our existing tax rate.”

As cost pressures from Metro and new schools grow, Cristol warned, the Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021 budgets will require additional fiscal discipline.

“Tough choices lie ahead for our community,” she said. “But by taking these steps now to rebalance in County government spending, we aim to ensure Arlington’s fiscal sustainability in the years ahead.”

The Board voted 3 to 2 to advertise a real estate tax rate of $1.006, (including stormwater tax,) per $100 of assessed value, the same as the Calendar Year 2017 tax rate. Cristol and Board Members John Vihstadt and Erik Gutshall voted yes and Vice Chair Christian Dorsey and Board Member Libby Garvey voted no, saying they preferred to advertise a tax rate of $1.011 per $100 of assessed value.

“Arlington is at risk, with legislation pending in Richmond, of losing nearly $2 million in revenue that will affect both the County government and Schools budgets,” Dorsey said. “Revenue reductions of that magnitude will require eliminating essential programs and services, or raising the tax rate. Advertising a slightly higher tax rate would have allowed the Board to engage with our community on the best way to meet this potential fiscal challenge.”

By law, the County can adopt a real estate tax rate equal to or lower than what is advertised, but cannot adopt a higher rate. The Board also voted to advertise higher rates for some fees. For a complete list of advertised fee rates, see the staff report for item No. 24 on the agenda for the Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018 Regular County Board Meeting.

In his presentation to the County Board during a work session on Thursday, Feb. 22, Schwartz pointed out that even without a tax rate increase, the average Arlington homeowner will see an increase in taxes and fees of $297 a year, a 3.5 percent increase overtaxes and fees in FY 2018. The increase is due largely to the 3.8 percent increase in residential property assessments in Calendar Year 2018.

Manager’s Proposed FY 2019 Budget

The Board’s action came after County Manager Mark Schwartz formally presented his Proposed FY 2019 Budget to the Board. His proposed budget, with $1.27 billion in General Fund spending, hewed to the budget guidance the Board provided in November, which called for a balanced budget within the existing tax rate.

Schwartz’s presentation to the Board marks the start of weeks of intensive review of the proposed budget by the Board, as it combs through the budgets for each department in a series of work sessions, and hears from the community. The Board will hold a public budget hearing at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3 and will hold a public tax rate hearing at 7 p.m. on Thursday, April 5. The Board will adopt the Budget on Saturday, April 21.

Sign up in advance to testify at the public budget hearing/ the public tax rate hearing.

All the budget work sessions will be live-streamed on the County website.

To learn more about the Proposed FY 2019 Budget, and view the Manager’s presentation to the County Board, visit the County website

View this release in our newsroom

Arlington Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. Slightly smaller than 26 square miles, it is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, and one of only a handful with the prized Aaa/AAA/AAA bond rating. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods and quality schools, and has received numerous awards for Smart Growth and transit-oriented development. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world — including the Pentagon — Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.

Arlington County, Virginia Board Approves New Ballston Condominium - Townhouse Development

• 72-units approved for south block at 1031 N. Vermont Street, 4400 11th Street N.

• 12 townhouses approved for adjacent north block

• Four on-site committed affordable units

The Arlington County Board today approved a plan by developer NVR, Inc. to build a condominium building and townhouses, with underground parking, on parts of two North Ballston blocks.

“The redevelopment of this site will provide much-needed ownership housing in the heart of Ballston, including affordable units, within walking distance of Metro,” Arlington County Board Chair Katie Cristol said. “We heard from some in the neighborhood who have had strong differences of opinion about the development’s appropriateness, but the Board, in partnership with staff and the Planning and Transportation Commissions, believes that it is consistent with the long-held goals of the Ballston Sector Plan.”

Replacing church, former rectory

The new development will replace a church building and former rectory on the south block of the site, bounded by 11th Street North, North Vermont Street and North Utah Street, with a seven-story, 58-unit condominium and a row of 14 adjoining townhouses. An underground parking garage, with 100 spaces, will connect the condominium to the townhouses.

The condominium building will have a step back at the northern façade, to create a taper down to 11th Street North, and the building will be sculpted to address the transitions to neighboring properties.

A surface parking lot and tot lot on the site’s north block, bounded by 11th Street North and North Vermont Street, will be replaced with 12 townhouses.

Special planning study

County staff undertook a special planning study to evaluate the requested General Land Use Plan (GLUP) amendment for the site, the only site along 11th Street North in North Ballston to still be zoned “R-5,” One-Family and Restricted Two-Family Dwelling District. It is one of the last three sites to not yet redevelop in this area. The study, reviewed with the Long Range Planning Committee, concluded that the proposed amendment could be appropriate for a portion of the site under certain circumstances. The special GLUP study was completed in June 2017, learn more.

The Board voted 4 to 1, with Board Member John Vihstadt voting no, to adopt a General Land Use Plan Amendment, approve rezoning, and approve a site plan for the development. Vihstadt’s substitute motion to indefinitely defer the item failed on a 4-1 vote. For more information, visit the project webpage on the County website. To read the staff report, visit the County website. Scroll to Item No. 22 on the agenda for the Saturday, February 24, 2018 Regular County Board Meeting.

Affordable housing, other community benefits

The developer will provide four on-site units that will be contractually committed to remaining affordable in perpetuity, for the life of the project, under the County Zoning Ordinance’s affordable housing requirements. All four units will have two bedrooms; one will be fully accessible. The sale price for these units will be affordable to households at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income, and will be established in consultation with County staff.

The developer proposes achieving LEED Silver certification, under the County’s program to encourage green building practices. The developer also will install an in-building wireless First Responders Network and provide improvements to the streetscape and landscape, including landscaping improvements to a small area within the North Utah Street right of way, to mitigate the need for green space in the vicinity, and will maintain the landscaping in perpetuity.

Previous study and public engagement

The Site Plan Review Committee reviewed the site plan application at four meetings, conducted a walking tour of the site, and hosted a community open house. The plan was also reviewed by the Housing Commission, Transportation Commission and Planning Commission.

View this release in our newsroom

Arlington Va., is a world-class residential, business and tourist location that was originally part of the “10 miles square” parcel of land surveyed in 1791 to be the Nation's Capital. Slightly smaller than 26 square miles, it is the geographically smallest self-governing county in the United States, and one of only a handful with the prized Aaa/AAA/AAA bond rating. Arlington maintains a rich variety of stable neighborhoods and quality schools, and has received numerous awards for Smart Growth and transit-oriented development. Home to some of the most influential organizations in the world — including the Pentagon — Arlington stands out as one of America's preeminent places to live, visit and do business.