Development

Arlingtonians need to understand and address consequences of uncontrolled growth and density.  Before approving more density or changing zoning, the County should:  

 

• Adopt a flooding and land use plan utilizing an accepted floodplain management tool, based on understanding of root flooding causes, their relationship to development, our watershed’s carrying capacity in the face of climate change and what we must do to prevent flooding.

 

• Adopt available community planning tools (such as the TischlerBise fiscal impact tool) to assess both costs and benefits of different development scenarios, including assessing fiscal impacts on our capital and operating budgets and infrastructure impacts (such as to storm water management).

 

• Create a ten-year projected county operating budget for different population and revenue scenarios. 

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In a study completed in September 2020, Dr. Jon Huntley of Arlington Analytics has found the net cost to taxpayers of the 400-unit Merion Pike West project -- if built as proposed at S. Greenbrier St. -- to be approximately $20 million through 2031.  The builder is seeking a Special Exception Form-Based Code Use Permit due to the project size.

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RESOURCES

• ASF Sample Reply to Arlington County Affordable Housing Master Plan Review, March 2021

• Arlington Flying Blind in Planning for Critical Infrastructure, ARLNow, Peter Rousselot, January 27, 2021 (re better fiscal planning for growth)

• ASF Request - No Added Bonus Density for Green Building Incentive, Arlington County Board Agenda Item #34, December 12, 2020

• ASF Request to Arl. Co. Board - Adopt Fiscal Planning Tool for All Development, Board Meeting, December 12, 2020

• Site-Specific Study of the Towns of 24th Development (Green Valley), Jon Huntley, Arlington Analytics and Mary Glass, November 2020

• Site-Specific Study of Merion Pike West Development (Arlington Mill), Jon Huntley, Arlington Analytics, September 2020

• The Economic and Fiscal Impacts of Locating Amazon's HQ2 in Arlington County, VA, Stephen Fuller and Jeannette Chapman, George Mason Schar School of Government, November 8, 2018 (see esp. p. 11)

• FY19 County Manager's Message:  Multi-Year Forecast, Future Budget Pressures (see budget projections for FY2018-FY2024), Feb 18, 2018, Arlington County (this is the most recent multi-year budget forecast for the county)

• Arlington County Zoning Code

• Arlington County Private Development Approved Projects
• See also Missing Middle Page of ASF Website

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