News

A proposal to add hundreds more homes to Pentagon City’s RiverHouse site is heading to the County Board this week with the Planning Commission’s blessing.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously last week to recommend approving JBG Smith’s plan to add more than 740 townhouses, stacked flats and multifamily units to the 36-acre parcel located along Army Navy Drive and S. Joyce Street.


News

The Missing Middle lawsuit has finally arrived on the desk of the Virginia Supreme Court.

Plaintiffs in the suit against Arlington County’s contentious zoning change submitted a petition for appeal to the commonwealth’s highest court yesterday (Monday). They’re trying to reverse a recent Virginia Court of Appeals ruling that would create big obstacles for their case, if upheld.


News

County Board candidates are split in their thoughts about a planned update to Arlington’s Comprehensive Plan.

While some fear it could be used as a back-door effort to build denser housing, incumbent Democrat Takis Karantonis argues that concerns are overblown, or at least premature.


News

Candidates for Falls Church City Council seem to agree it’s time to pause and take stock of a recent spurt of new construction before moving forward on bigger projects.

The city’s skyline has changed dramatically over the past decade with the arrival of several new mixed-use projects. Contenders participating in a Sept. 25 forum said growth has brought both positives and negatives.


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The Falls Church Planning Commission will soon change from being a final decision-maker to an advisor for some new development projects in the city.

The shift in responsibility comes in response to new state laws, which took effect July 1 and aim to speed up the creation of new housing across the commonwealth. Under the new rules, many localities must move from planning commission approval of projects to staff approval of development plans.


News

A recent conversation with an expert on parking policy delved into the complexities of attempting to improve transportation infrastructure in Arlington.

Efforts now underway in Arlington are helping to break a century-old national focus on the automobile as primary, and sometimes lone, transportation option, said Henry Grabar, author of “Paved Paradise: How Parking Explains the World.”


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VHC Health has filed requests for land-use changes to support a new behavioral-health facility in Glencarlyn.

The submission, made Aug. 29, formally kicks off what could be a lengthy review process for a county-owned parcel at 601 S. Carlin Springs Road. The hospital organization is seeking to lease some of the 11.5 acres for the new structure.


News

County staff are gearing up to start public outreach on potentially tighter regulations for impermeable surfaces in Arlington’s low-density residential neighborhoods.

Arlington County currently regulates lot coverage in these neighborhoods, but incremental changes to properties — such as adding patios and walkways — can cover more and more of a parcel with surfaces that don’t absorb water. This can increase the risk of flooding and more intense heat in surrounding areas.


News

The Virginia Court of Appeals has withdrawn a recent decision reinstating Arlington’s “Missing Middle” ordinance, once again striking it from the books as judges reconsider arguments.

In a ruling that adds yet another layer of complexity to the legal fight over the controversial zoning change, the appeals court agreed on Tuesday to reassess a judgment that the court handed down just last month.


News

Last week’s ruling that put Missing Middle zoning changes back on the books in Arlington presents a major setback for plaintiffs, experts say.

The determination in the Virginia Court of Appeals, which found last year’s circuit court ruling invalid for procedural reasons, could substantially set back the timeline for the case and require even more resources to support a privately funded lawsuit.


News

Arlington’s Missing Middle zoning ordinance is back on the books, at least for the time being, following a ruling in the Virginia Court of Appeals.

In the latest development in the dramatic legal battle over the county’s Expanded Housing Options (EHO), three appeals court judges issued a ruling yesterday (Tuesday) that reverses a circuit court decision declaring the zoning change void.


News

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.


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