A developer is seeking to build fewer parking spots at a Clarendon apartment building, despite objections from two civic associations.
A requested site plan amendment for the Joyce Motors project would remove a portion of a planned parking garage, reducing the number of residential parking spots from 155 to 119. Developer Orr Partners also seeks to build 10 fewer residential units — 231 as opposed to 241 — but increase the project’s gross floor area by 1,629 square feet.
“The Joyce Motors applicant is pursuing final design of the project to prepare it for construction,” a county report says. “However, current market conditions related to construction costs (material and labor), as well as current interest rates, have forced the applicant to explore cost savings.”
The report argues that these changes would remain in line with the county’s off-street parking guidelines for the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor, especially given the project’s location at 1020 N. Irving Street — less than 600 feet from the Clarendon Metro station.
Pointing to parking permit requirements in nearby residential neighborhoods and an “abundance of commercial parking resources that can accommodate overflow parking,” county staff are recommending that the Arlington County Board approve the changes at a meeting this evening (Monday).
“Staff believes that the building revisions can be accommodated in a manner consistent with the initial approval of the Joyce Motors site plan without impacting the building’s height, mass, or form,” the report says. “Further, the revisions are consistent with the goals and recommendations of adopted plans and policies for the site including the Clarendon Sector Plan and the Residential Parking Guidelines.”
A staff presentation notes “no anticipated undue adverse impacts on [the] community.”
However, letters from the Lyon Park Citizens Association and Ashton Heights Civic Association argue that a reduction in parking spots would worsen existing parking issues.
The latter said “a material number” of residents from apartment buildings near the Orange Line park in restricted parking zones within Ashton Heights at night, and unrestricted zones during the day.
“This is a significant concern and complaint for our neighborhood, as well as other neighborhoods adjacent to high-density zones,” the Ashton Heights Civic Association wrote. “The situation will only be exacerbated if the applicant is allowed to reduce the parking in the Joyce Motors site, causing future residents and visitors to seek street parking in our neighborhood.”
The organization argued that reducing parking requirements in high-density areas will do little to disincentivize residents from purchasing cars.
“In our experience… this idealistic goal is not what happens in reality, whether it be due to personal preference or the practical necessity that many places of employment, schooling, children’s events/activities, or recreation can only be reasonably and conveniently accessed by private vehicles,” the association said.
The Lyon Park Citizens Association, meanwhile, asserted that a reduction in parking is likely “to result in even higher levels of illegal parking/stopping and spillover into our neighborhoods which are also facing the prospect of more on-street parking from Enhanced Housing Options.”
“LPCA cannot support the reduction in parking areas being sought by the applicant (Orr),” the organization said. “The county may consider financing this parking itself and providing reduced-rate municipal services, to accommodate the high levels of density it continues to insert in our area. LPCA could support such a solution.”
In exchange for the increase in density, Orr Partners proposes to contribute $86,337 to the county’s Affordable Housing Investment Fund. The developer also proposes cost-saving changes to the building’s design, such as removing balconies from the interior courtyard in addition to undertaking unit reductions and reconfigurations.
