Designs for a Rosslyn park, a controversial towing decision and a possible change in Arlington County Fair operations are all going before the Arlington County Board this week.
These items are all on the agenda as the Board holds its last meetings of the year on Saturday (Dec. 14) and the subsequent Tuesday (Dec. 17).
Consideration of Gateway Park Plan Slated: Board members on Dec. 14 are slated to approve a master plan and design guidelines for the 3.7-acre Gateway Park in Rosslyn.
Action will cap a multi-year planning process. The redevelopment plan is budgeted at about $31 million.
The package under consideration calls for a dog park with separate areas for large and small canines; woodland play areas for children ages 2 to 5 and 5 to 12; a pavilion area; lawn area for special events; “garden rooms” for meetings, performances, fitness and other activities; restrooms; and a new pedestrian bridge over N. Fort Myer Drive.
Some of the funding comes from an agreement with CoStar Group, which agreed to pay $13.95 million to obtain exclusive access to a rooftop observation area that previously had been open to the public.
Towing Updates Slated for Final Vote: Companies that tow from private property are expected to get most of what they seek at the Dec. 14 County Board meeting, but may have to wait three months before proposed increases to maximum allowed towing fees take effect.
Staff recommends that Board members increase the maximum base towing fee from $135 to $150 and add a state-mandated, temporary fuel surcharge of $20.
But in a new wrinkle, the staff recommendation is to delay implementing the increases, and other changes, until March 1. That would allow for hiring and training of a towing coordinator to handle a new permitting process for towing providers that also is expected to be approved on Dec. 14.
The staff recommendation retains previous opposition to a “second signature” requirement, which would mandate that an owner or employee of a business authorize each tow in real time during regular business hours.
The Arlington Chamber of Commerce, Apartment and Office Building Association of Metropolitan Washington and the county’s own Trespass Towing Advisory Board concur with the staff opposition to implementing a second-signature requirement.
Neither county staff nor Board members have shown much interest in a proposal from the Trespass Towing Advisory Board to make it more economically feasible for towing companies to boot, rather than tow, vehicles. That recommendation is not included in the package up for consideration.
Action on the package of towing updates was deferred from the Board’s November meeting to address the permitting process and a number of other issues.
County Fair’s Management Responsibilities Moving to Parks Department: Also up for discussion is a proposal to shift operation of the annual Arlington County Fair from the independent Fair Board to the county government’s Department of Parks and Recreation.
County officials say attendance at the fair, which has more than tripled to 160,000 annually over the past decade, requires more full-time oversight.
The non-profit Fair Board, which has overseen the annual festivities since the fair’s establishment in the 1970s, will retain an “advisory role” and will manage specific programs and recruitment of volunteers.
A new proposed memorandum of agreement does not include an estimated extra cost, if any, to taxpayers. Since the next fair is slated to take place in August 2025, appropriate funding will be included in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget to be developed in the spring, county staff say.
The proposed changes have been in the works since the conclusion of the 2024 fair. The matter has been placed on the Board’s consent agenda, and unless pulled off by a board member or the public will be adopted without discussion.
Expanded Credits for Stormwater Measures on Agenda: Board members are being asked to approve a number of tweaks that will give property owners additional ways to earn credits against stormwater fees. New opportunities for credits will be available to those who have permeable patios and walkways, and to those who redirect rainwater to underground holding areas.
Westover Farmers Market Reauthorized: Board members are slated to approve a three-year continuation of the use permit for operation of the Westover Farmers Market that operates at Cardinal Elementary School on N. McKinley Drive year-round on Sundays from 8 a.m.-1 p.m.
Legislative Package Set for Final Adoption: Board members are slated to adopt their 2025 legislative package, laying out the government’s desires for the 46-day General Assembly session that starts Jan. 8.
Board members held a public hearing on the package in November, attracting just one speaker. Board members on Dec. 3 held a work session with members of Arlington’s legislative delegation.
New Board Member to Be Sworn In: A ceremonial swearing-in ceremony for new Board member JD Spain, Sr., will be held on Dec. 14 at 4 p.m. A reception will follow.
The event is open to the public.
The term of Spain, a Democrat who emerged victorious from the four-way general election, will begin Jan. 1. He succeeds Libby Garvey, who has served on the County Board for 12 years and did not seek re-election.
Reception to Honor Garvey: A reception honoring departing Board Chair Libby Garvey will be held on Dec. 17 at 4 p.m. at part of the Board’s recessed meeting.
Those who wish to attend should contact the County Board office.
