Though Arlington has been taking steps to streamline its permitting process, evidence of continued inefficiencies and delays can be seen at organizations around the county.
Just last month, two business owners — one aiming to open a new restaurant and nightclub in Clarendon and another opening a retro sports bar in Shirlington — told ARLnow that a lack of county permits was hindering their progress.
In Green Valley, an organizer seeking to start a new farmers market pushed back her plans by an entire year, in part due to permitting delays. The issues have even extended to one of the county’s own agencies: the fire department and its new fire station on Langston Blvd.
Arlington has a long history of permitting troubles, with even more problems sometimes arising from attempts to fix them.
The county says it has made additional progress in recent months, expanding hours at the Permit Arlington Center and beefing up its responsiveness to applicants’ feedback. Another major step forward is expected to come from revisions to the county’s 68-page signage ordinance.
Kate Bates, president and CEO of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce, applauded these efforts but said the county still has a ways to go.
“A permitting process that is clear and efficient is crucial for saving businesses both time and money, especially for small businesses looking to establish themselves in Arlington,” she told ARLnow. “While these improvements are significant, there is still work to be done to enhance collaboration across departments during the permitting process.”
Recent changes
Permitting challenges and delays are a longstanding feature of Arlington — one that, over the years, has attracted critics ranging from residents impatient for a Columbia Pike bar to a former state lawmaker attempting to open a donut shop.
The county began testing its online permitting system, Permit Arlington, in 2019. Though the new system is meant to streamline application processes, which previously took place in person, speed bumps in the transition were a source of consternation for many applicants last year.
“They have completely destroyed the system. They are slowing progress. The new system still doesn’t work nearly two years later,” a local custom home builder said last winter. “Builders’ and developers’ holding costs are staggering.”
Delays in transitioning documents to the expanded Permit Arlington system in February 2023 also contributed to the county extending a construction contract for Fire Station 8 on Langston Blvd, county spokesperson Ryan Hudson told ARLnow.
Since then, however, Hudson said the county has implemented several changes to improve applicants’ experiences at the Permit Arlington Center.
The county has established cross-departmental meetings to discuss operations and possible improvements. It has also launched an online chat feature connecting customers to staff, created a post-transaction feedback form and begun providing direct contact information for the staff member reviewing a permit application.
The physical Permit Arlington Center at the Bozman Government Center also expanded its hours in July.
Previously only open from 10-2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the center at 2100 Clarendon Blvd now accepts in-person customers from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Thursday. A third customer service specialist will also begin working at the center starting this month, Hudson said.
“Permitting staff are actively tracking and reviewing customer data and feedback (including the feedback form mentioned above) that may lead to changes,” he wrote. “We are working to make improvements to the Permit Arlington online portal to prevent issues that may lead to delays.”
In Bates’ view, these are all moves in the right direction.
“The Arlington Chamber commends the county’s recent initiatives to address concerns with the permitting process,” she said. “The expansion of in-person hours at the Permit Arlington office last month and the enhanced focus on cross-departmental communication by county staff are encouraging steps that will benefit our business community as well as our residents.”
Ongoing issues
One persistent permitting challenge, which the county plans to address in coming months, is a lengthy ordinance governing signage.
Evidence of how difficult it is for businesses to post signs in Arlington could be seen earlier this year at the new Cornerstone restaurant and bar on Columbia Pike. The spot opened in April in the same building where, several years before, locals had clamored over permitting delays at BrickHaus beer garden.
When Cornerstone welcomed its first customers, there was no obvious advertising to indicate that it was open. Instead, an empty box hung on an outside wall where a sign was supposed to go.
Getting county approval to advertise the business took longer than getting a liquor license, one of the restaurant’s owners told ARLnow at the time.
A similar issue seemed to vex the new Carbonara restaurant in Virginia Square when it opened in March. In place of an official sign outside its entrance, the business put up a printed banner reading “Carbonara Classic Italian.”
It’s a continuation of a long-running theme in Arlington. In years past, the question of signage has led to strife between economic development and business interests and some residents and officials. There have been proposals to ban all rooftop signs and to unban certain rooftop signs, a yearslong controversy over sidewalk signs for retail businesses, and an extended legal battle over a dog mural.
The Arlington County Zoning Ordinance sets extensive parameters for publicly viewable signs of all kinds — controlling their size, location and lighting, the structures that they can attach to and the way they are attached. It dictates how long signs advertising a grand opening can stay up (30 days), how high a sign advertising a new building can be (15 feet), and how quickly a yard sale sign must come down after the event is over (24 hours).
In the view of the Chamber of Commerce, the ordinance is due for an overhaul.
“A more streamlined process is crucial for attracting business tenants and generating commercial tax revenue that funds vital services in Arlington,” Bates said. “Given the historically high commercial vacancy rate, the timing is right for updates.”
County staff are in the process of researching potential changes to the ordinance as part of a larger effort to reduce office vacancies through the Commercial Market Resiliency Initiative 2.0. Possibilities include altering requirements for sign size, number and placement, as well as creating an updated definition of “monument signs.”
Though the Arlington County Board was originally expected to consider changes this month, that likely won’t actually happen until next year, Hudson said.
If the changes go through, Arlington’s business community will be ready.
“The Chamber remains committed to working alongside the County to support further efforts that ensure permits are delivered effectively to business applicants,” Bates said.
This reporting was supported by the ARLnow Press Club. Join to support in-depth local journalism — and get an exclusive early morning email with a preview of that day’s Morning Notes post and planned news coverage.
