The effort to redevelop an unusually sized parcel on W. Broad Street in Falls Church has hit headwinds.
Both city staff and the Falls Church Planning Commission have raised concerns about incomplete information in a plan to raze a dental office at 815 W. Broad, replacing it with a facility that would serve similar uses but would be more than five times larger.
Falls Church officials are awaiting developments in Richmond to determine whether the city’s Planning Commission will get back powers that the General Assembly stripped last year.
However, legislation to restore the old arrangement could face an uphill battle.
Competing visions for the future of development in Arlington are facing off as the county gets closer to rewriting a core planning document.
As a feedback form on planned changes to the Comprehensive Plan is set to close on Sunday, slow-growth advocates are vying with a broad coalition of pro-housing groups to shape some of the county’s foundational goals.
Some projects are behind schedule in the Falls Church capital-improvement program (CIP), but they aren’t facing any major funding challenges.
Of the 37 active projects in the CIP, which range from roadway improvements to sports-field upgrades, 20 are listed as “on target,” six are “at risk” and 11 are “behind target,” according to a quarterly summary.
A massive proposed expansion to Pentagon City’s RiverHouse development concluded a key phase of the county’s public feedback process with generally solid reviews.
“It’s hard to argue with new housing and park space on underutilized parking lots,” said Kateri Garcia, who represents the Arlington Ridge Civic Association on the site-plan review committee (SPRC) that recently concluded five meetings on the development plan.
The Arlington County Civic Federation wants county leaders to be more transparent when negotiating with developers on community benefits.
In a comprehensive resolution on planning and zoning issues, delegates overwhelmingly voted last week to ask for a “clear, written, transparent process” for determining what benefits the county seeks when developers pursue rezoning and land-use changes.
Changes to Arlington County’s affordable housing regulations might bring some improvements, but they’re unlikely to solve larger affordability issues, people studying the topic say.
“Tempering expectations is really important,” said Bryan Coleman, who chairs a working group set up by Arlington’s Housing Commission to study potential changes in the county’s Affordable Housing Ordinance.
In a cost-saving move, Falls Church leaders on Monday (May 12) voted to reconfigure how the city oversees its economic-development, planning, zoning and permitting operations.
In adopting the fiscal 2026 budget, City Council members eliminated the position of Community Planning and Economic Development Services director.
A major redevelopment project next to Gateway Park is receiving largely positive feedback from local leaders, despite some concerns about pedestrian safety and vehicle access.
The One Rosslyn project received its first vetting at a Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) meeting last week. Developer Penzance proposes to raze existing office buildings at 1901 and 1911 Fort Myer Drive and replace them with a three-building complex with over 800 units.
Several Arlington County programs may be canceled or significantly reduced as officials face a restricted budget this year.
The budget calls for rolling back an eviction prevention program, cutting positions in the county’s planning department and canceling a preschool program and a traveling art truck.
Substantial increases to planning, zoning and inspection fees may be coming to Arlington.
County Manager Mark Schwartz says the proposed fee increases will ensure that developers, not taxpayers, bear the full cost of staff time involved in commercial and residential development projects. However, critics argue that the change could hinder attempts to build Arlington’s reputation as a business-friendly environment.
More corporate hotel rooms and up to 1.8 million square feet of development are on track to come to Pentagon City following votes last weekend.
An approved amendment to the Pentagon City Phased Development Site Plan would allow for the redevelopment of two aging office buildings just east of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. The change does not come with specific plans for new development, but tentative proposals call for up to 1,675 new dwelling units and 70,000 square feet of retail space.
