Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Good evening and welcome to the Monday, March 2nd, 2026 meeting of the Arlington County Planning Commission. I am Commissioner Nia Bagley, chair. Tonight we will hear and discuss the following items: Arlington View neighborhood plan and amendments to the zoning ordinance article 13 signs and article 18 definitions. A few pointers before we get started. For participants, presenters and speakers joining the meeting through Microsoft Teams, please keep your phones and other electronic devices muted until you are called upon by the clerk. Please turn off the sound to any devices around you to minimize interference and keep your cameras off until the clerk announces your name to speak. When called upon, you must amute unmute yourself by clicking on the microphone icon that is in the meeting command bar at the top of the screen. Neither the moderator nor the clerk have the ability to unmute your mic. Once you have spoken, please mute your mics and turn your cameras off. If you are dialing in by phone to join the meeting, press star six to unmute. Public speakers will be called upon by the clerk at an assigned time. Pre-registration with email confirmation is required to speak at tonight's hearing. We are not able to accommodate additional speakers. All speakers, virtual and hybrid, will receive two minutes to comment as an individual. Only representatives of a county board appointed advisory group or committee and or a commission will receive three minutes to comment. A timer will be displayed on the screen if speaking virtually and speakers in person will follow the timer stationed on the podium. Audio of tonight's meeting is available via phone. If commissioners, presenters, or speakers lose internet connectivity, please reconnect by phone. However, if you are dialing in by phone and unable to see the screen, we will provide an

audible 30- secondond warning to wrap up your comments. You will be muted when your time has expired. The meeting chat is active for presenters or commissioners who need technical assistance only. Please do not use the meeting chat for discussion, public comment, questions about agenda items, or requests for further information. All public comments must be shared verbally for the record during the assigned public testimony period. Tonight's meeting will be available for review through the YouTube platform. A link has been provided on the planning commission website 24 hours 24 to 40 24 to 48 hours after the adjournment of the meeting. Although the meetings will no longer be a live broadcast, the meetings will be available for review with closed captioning on Comcast Exfinity channels 25 and 1073 and Verizon Fios channels 39 and 40 24 to 48 hours after the adjournment of the meeting. Lastly, this is a public forum. Tonight's meeting will be recorded and posted to the county website via a link to YouTube as stated. All information associated with tonight's meeting, whether written or spoken, is subject to the Virginia Freedom of Information Act requirements. Before calling tonight's first agenda item, I want to go on record now as stating that I am unable to guarantee by what time our monthly commission hearings will conclude. As committed volunteers, it's admirable to see everyone here in person, knowing how many responsibilities all of us have in our busy lives. Please remember, if you cannot be here, need to arrive late, or leave early, just let Madame Clerk know in advance. It's understood. While we are always sensitive to the need for quorum, we now have more commissioners than we've had in the past. As chair, it's incumbent upon me to strive to run efficient hearings. There are however often times when some issues are not

resolved in the meetings and process leading up to now. We see that in ongoing written or emailed correspondence from stakeholders as well as in what we hear during public comment. I believe our community expects and respects us when we give needed time to their concerns. I believe we owe them that. Our goal in hearings like tonight's is to arrive at some consensus so we can advise the county board accordingly as well as to let them know why when we're unable to. We often make additional motions to signal to the board that they may need to consider taking some action to help better address such issues in the future. While it isn't possible for all of us to attend every commission related meeting, it's also incumbent on all of us to stay apprised. While we are in commission hearings, we need to strive for collaborative participation. I ask project chairs and co-chairs to share your summer reports a few days in advance of when those will be heard by us here. Even if you have attended SPRC's, LRPC, Zokos, etc., which is extremely commendable. Please read the reports in advance and feel free to reach out to the chair or co-chair if you have questions. Lastly, we congratulate our newer commissioners on how quickly you are making positive contributions here. We value and are frankly better for your voices, your questions, your thoughts, your perspectives, and your comments. Thank you. We will table any questions and our further discussion on this until we reach commission business later in tonight's agenda. With that, Madame Clerk, can you please call our first item? Thank you, Madam Chair. Our first item for the evening is the Arlington View neighborhood plan.

We have uh I'm sorry, we have Ny uh Martinez, our planning staff uh from neighborhood services to present this item this evening. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Na Martinez, planner with Arlington Neighborhoods Program. Um, a member of the Arlington View neighborhood is here to present their updated neighborhood plan, which was approved by the Arlington Neighborhoods Advisory Committee in January of this year. With us this evening, we have Carter Eckles, who is the editor of the Arlington Neighborhoods Plan Update. Um, with that, I will pull up the presentation and turn it over to Miss E, Mrs. Eckles to present.

Thank you. It's lovely to be here. while she's pulling it up. Um Ron Green, who was our president and um Ivon who got us going on this and Ivon Dangerfield um were who was of incredible help are both listening in online. Um so here we go. Welcome to Arlington View. Um, we love our sign because it is a reminder of the advocacy about of Arlington View residents that resulted in Arlington's first neighborhood plan. Um, this is our first revision since that plan in 1965. There's lots of reasons for that. Next, Arlington View is a small, wonderful, historically black community that is um in South Arlington off of Columbia Pike. We're about halfway between Bob and Edith's and the Air Force Memorial. Next, and in this closeup, you can see the yellow line to the left is um is our border with the Columbia Heights um civic association. It was a wall long long time ago. Um, but it now it that was protecting the people from our west to our west from our African-American neighborhood. To orient you about the rest of it, we are s you can get in and out of Columbia I mean of Arlington View from Columbia Pike. Otherwise, we are bordered by Washington Boulevard 395, the Arlington Navy Country Club and those apartments in Columbia Pike. Also, the furthest back you can the Courtland Columbia Pike um is a new building that was called the Trove. It was opened in 2020. It's not in our neighborhood, but the 401 units there have a huge impact on us. Our green space down at the bottom is the field which belongs to

both the public schools and the parks department. Um the lower long branch wershed comes through the edge of Arlington View to the to the top of the picture. It's under those trees. Um and that is VOTE and um Arlington shared land. And finally, we have three multif family developments in Arlington View. Carrington Village, Carver Place, and AHC has a collection of low-income part depart apartments, excuse me, um down by Hoffman Boston Elementary School. Next, we developed our plan by starting with a lot of activities to figure make sure we were confident about what the real issues were because we wanted to maximize participation on the survey. We sent a written invitation to all the households in the neighborhood. um with email reminders and an outdoor sign. And we have about 450 homes in our neighborhood. And we were excited to get 92 completed forms back um with at least one from almost every street in our little neighborhood. Next, we are half of group one of census. We are group one of census block 10330. Um the most important thing to the the rest are apartments in Columbia Heights. The most important thing to know about us is that we have very rapidly changing demographics. Um this year for the first time, Hoffman Boston is no longer a title one school. Next. So this chart of what we most like about Arlington View will probably give you a hint about why we are anxious about change. Um, we really like our diversity, our sense of community, our relative affordability, and all of those are rapidly changing. Next,

these are our major topics of hope and concern, and the rest of this presentation is going to be a slide on each of these. Next, so preserving our history is incredibly important to us. Arlington View has an important role in the history of Arlington County and we're either eager to preserve it. The first owners of what was known as Johnson Hill sold the property to formerly enslaved people. On that map from 1900, you can see a large portion was sold to Harry Gray. Mr. Gray brought the h bought the h built the house which is below that map and is now in the historic register. The top right is Hoffman Boston, which was built in 1915 for black children grades 1 to nine. Senior High was added in the 1940s, and Hoffman Boston was the only high school for black students in Arlington until the schools were integrated. In the bottom right, you can see the George Washington Carver homes, which were garden apartments built for public housing in 1940s uh for former Freedman's Village residents displaced by the Pentagon. Please note the grass. Next, so our next concern is growth in infrastructure. And the the top left building there is the 40 is what replaced the 73 um apartment town houses that replaced the 44 George Washington Carver homes. Um to the right the is is the terraces at Arlington View is the first of the four AHC buildings that are in the back to be renovated. Two of the others you can see just in the in the right um they are much smaller. We love new neighbors. It's a it's a gift to have new neighbors, but um the great the growth is happening. it. We have major traffic congestion and parking challenges um and

noise depending on where you live. Um we also walk a lot and our sidewalks are old, narrow, and broken and in need of better accessibility ramps. Next, traffic. We're sure you hear a lot about traffic. Um, since the terrible gridlock in Arlington View after 911, we've been advocating for a means of emergency vehicle egress from the back of the neighborhood. If you got a chance to read the plan, you know that the county had an emergency vehicle access in its 2014 capital improvement plan, but it now appears that it's just going to be a bike path. Um, we also have many problematic intersections. The great news is one of the most problematic Columbia Pike and Ral Street is getting a stoplight that we've wanted for a long time, but the intersection of 12th and Ralph is pretty much of an accident waiting to happen. 12th Street along Ralph used to be a little dead end, but it got opened up when the Trove, now Courtland, was opened in 2020. Um, people regularly run through this four-way stop. School buses let children on and off here and the apartments to our west use it as their entrance and exit. Next, our parks uh our best green space which I noted earlier is that the school and the community center. It's not available during school hours which has led us to try to seek improvements to this park um from an ARNAC equity funding ar this is Arlington View Park and you can see that about half of it is sloped down. So we have a plan to see if we can get a retaining wall built so we can maybe double the space so there'd be some space to have for people or children to play in during the school day that are younger. We're also seeking tree canopies on the ramp from um Columbia Pike up to I395. Next,

and finally, our issue of concern about public services. Um pretty much all of our most important ones have jurisdiction problems. The lower long branch wershed is blocked. So, we have stagnant water, which leads to mosquitoes um for a good portion of the neighbor. And um Arlington says it's a VOTE problem. Hoffman Boston field needs lots of different kinds of work, but as I noted before, that is shared um responsibility between APS and parks. So it's not clear how to move forward with those. Um this neighborhood plan was a big group project, but there was consensus on most of the issues and um and great participation in our neighborhood. We are looking forward to doing an update in the next few years and not waiting quite so many years for our next one. Thank you. Are there any other presentations?

No other presentations, no speakers. And we I don't think we have any commissions or anything on this. Correct. Okay. If since that's the case, we now open that for discussion uh on the commission. Are there any questions or any comments that anyone would like to make?

Okay. I can't see it. Okay. Uh I want to thank um that neighborhood for their presentation and for updating their plan, their very the very first one in the county. Um, having been head of a civic association, I know how much it takes to get that many people in a neighborhood to respond. Um, that's a tribute to you and to the neighborhood itself that they are interested, they want to want to be heard. Um, getting this update was a huge amount of work. I can see and I am more than happy to vote in favor of it when that time comes. So, I want to want to thank you for all the work you did and for bringing that forward to us.

Thank you so much, Commissioner Berkkey. Yeah, I I love Arlington View. Uh especially being a fellow Pike resident myself, um my I I have a question for you actually, which is um among all the issues um what do you think is like the biggest priority? like if you were all able to get some funding um next year um from the the neighborhoods plan, what do you think would be at the top of that list? Is it sidewalks? Is it some of the tree planting? Like what what are you all thinking?

Well, we have requests in for both the park from the equity funding that the county has given and for um sidewalks on Queen Street. Um and so those are those are active requests that we have in. We also have the request for trees um in an innovative the neighborhood program is sort of keeping track of some other innovative ideas that aren't the traditional ones and the trees would be are are also a real passion for the neighborhood. Um, I don't know that it is a the mosquitoes is also a huge problem and the stale water. I'm not sure that that is that that probably is more of a jurisdictional plan based on our conversations with the county so far.

Sure. I again I want to applaud the effort having done this myself, appreciating how much work this is. Um, but also like your neighborhood really punches above its weight class significantly in my view. you're bounded in. There's so much there's so many different types of housing, so many different types of people, you've got a school, you've got a community space, you've got a lot of historic sites. Um, and you're all squeezed in there by VOTE, and you just survived, I hope, of the latest round of of Pike Construction, and I'm I'm sure people are thrilled that that has sort of uh wrapped up. So, uh, really really impressed. So, congratulations to you, and I'm very happy to support this. I'm realizing that I am I I'm going to be in trouble with the neighborhood if I don't say something about um 12th Street. Um what I didn't that the little one-way street that's opened up, the the intersection that's a problem. We were led to believe when that street got opened up that it was going to be one way. So I I got organized by your saying what would you do with money? I think it the but that is crucial to see if we can get the that piece of 12th Street and and we've had some conversations with the county about it, but we would really like that to be ideally one way leaving um Arlington View. Um it was the what our understanding was when they opened it that we would be able to have dialogue and have a check-in about it. So that is a that is another crucial thing. And then the emergency egress, um, which at least one county board member has said they thought that that solved the problem. It doesn't really, it created more problems. Um, it it did. It wasn't the one that we hoped we would get through the back of the um through the neighborhood, but but please put 12th Street on our wish list high up.

Sure. I appreciate the context. Thank you. Thank you. Any other uh Commissioner Garcia? Yeah, thank you. Um so definitely associate myself with Commissioner Lantel and Commissioner Berky. It is really remarkable um to accomplish this. Uh and then I did have a question um perhaps maybe for the the rest of the commission. And I noticed there are some staff comments on the plan uh maybe some modifications. Is that something then the community can go back and look and see if they want to adjust or are those shared with them? I guess or maybe staff would know that. Mr. Fifer, can you help us with that one? I can answer that. Oh, never. I forgot.

Yeah. For neighborhoods plan. Yeah. Part of the process is to share all staff comments um with the neighborhood um and then the neighborhood is is given the opportunity to make any modifications um to the plan [clears throat] as they see fit. So um yes, all the comments were shared with Mrs. Eckles and then there were some um updates that were made to the plan accordingly. I think we took most of most if not all of the plans of this um of the suggestions of the staff. We thought they were excellent.

Yeah. Got it. Excellent. Thank you so much. Yeah, certainly with regard to kind of tree planting and and requests for trees, um I I am curious um kind of as we as we move forward to kind of endorse this this plan, is there something that we can say with regard to kind of that that seam between the county and VOTE? It seems like that is often a challenge when there's a county property and then you have VOTE property and really like how how can V do be compelled to for example uh address some of that those flooding issues that that lead to pooling water and

Miss Martinez. I'm going to defer to you. That one I that one I may need some help with. I don't know. Laura, are you on Yep. Laura Simpson.

Hi. I'm sorry. Hi. Uh Laura Simpson, the supervisor for Arlington Neighborhoods program. Um we don't have uh that type of ability with VOTE. Um, but what we do when we have a project request through Arlington Neighborhoods program is we do put that forth with our engineers and ask questions and do some investigation into it proactively, which um, may or may not always we we may or may not always have an opportunity to do as a county with just, you know, the the majority of concerns that get raised. with FOT. Um, so I guess in a nutshell, we, you know, we put focused energy on it and we try to advance it as much as we can, but we don't have any um real ability to compel VOTE to do anything.

Thank you, Commissioner Berky. I was just going to say from a commission perspective. I mean I think our role here is really to accept this. Um I think I I and I agree with what Miss Simpson was saying. I I think for the neighborhood this does prov uh provide a platform uh communicating with the county board when it goes to the county board in a week and a half uh to further communicate some of these concerns. I know the community is already engaged on 12 street and other issues over the last I think 18 months or or two years. Um it it is important to note uh I think everybody here understands this but I'm going to repeat it that you know neighborhood plans are not county policy. Um not that they're less than but they're not county policy. It's an expression of the neighborhood's views and a synthesis and so forth. And it's really important obviously when looking at things and obviously it's created mostly in service of the neighborhoods program but it's not county policy right so it's I look at as a platform it's an opportunity of expression right it's where conversation can begin

yeah and just to oh sorry just to kind of quick go back yeah I think my line of questioning isn't um to invalidate or kind of lessen the value of this it's more kind of thinking from the perspective of the planning commission is there something we can do can help advocate for some of these things that are the neighborhood might start by wanting. Yeah. Commissioner Steiner.

Yes. So that that got me thinking uh Commissioner Garcia and I guess this is more of a comment for staff than anything else. Is there any kind of way because I had this when I was working across the river in their transportation department where we had to work with the National Park Service. And so what we would do is we would go into theseus to split up sort of like agreements for how particular land was going to be managed. If it was owned by the feds, we could still do work for XYZ activities in a certain scope of a contract. So, I don't know if that's been explored already or not, but if it has not, um, I would en encourage staff to look into opportunities to find ways to get Arlington County to work in VOTE right away because I know that that's something that has has that we used to do uh with DC government. So, I know that's that's something that can be done. So, I'm just curious uh what avenues exist for for the county. Just to be clear about the issue with the um with the blocked water. It is the the pipe that goes under 395. Our best guess is that that got blocked when they were building the Freriedman's Village Bridge. It it's not this is not a flooding issue. This is a the water can't move and so it just sits there.

Got it. That's good context. Thank you. And I do want to just um point out to Commissioner Garcia that, you know, we can make motions and things that can further flag the county board when they get this for their review. So those are also ways to help possibly push if that's what you're, you know, trying to imply that we do. Okay. Any other comments, questions, anything? Okay. Um Commissioner Lantel, I believe you have a motion. Yes, I do. Um, thank you, Madam Chair. Um, I move that the planning commission recommend to the county that the county board adopt the attached resolution to accept the Arlington View neighborhood plan update subject to staff comments specified in the plan.

You have a second. Second. Okay. Commissioner Berky seconded. All right. We're going Are there any Would you like to speak to your motion, Commissioner Lo? No, I don't. Okay. And hearing no other questions or comments, uh, let's go for a vote. And we're going to do this alphabetically. Uh, Commissioner Amado, I. Commissioner Berky, I. Commissioner Garcia, I. Commissioner Lantel, I. Commissioner Peterson, I. Uh, Commissioner Steinberg, are you abstain? Okay. Thank you. Um, sorry about that. Commissioner Striner. Hi, Commissioner Torres. Hi.

Uh, Commissioner Baggley, that's me. That's a I. So, I have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight eyes and one abstension. Correct, Mr. Feifer.

Perfect. There you go. We're we're we're in like Flynn here. Okay. Um, thank you so much to uh, Miss Eckles and also um, Miss Simpson and Miss Martinez for joining us this evening and uh, for all the work uh, as a former civic association president too. I I understand just corelling people enough to it's pretty amazing. Every time my form the civicization of which I still belong, we tried to do things. There were never enough volunteers and just the sheer numbers, it just never got off the ground. So, congratulations on that. And so, Madame Clerk, can you call our next item?

Thank you. Our next item is ZOA-2026-2 amendments to the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance Article 13 for signs and article 18 definitions to amend regulations for signs. And we have Jill Hunger and Deborah Albert to present this item for us this evening. Great. Good evening, Madam Chair, members of the planning commission. Again, as Miss Johnson mentioned, my name is Jill Hunger, and I'm joined here this evening with Debbie Albert to present to you strategic amendments to sign regulations phase two. So,

is your microphone on? It is. Is that better?

Just pull it down. So these proposed amendments represent the second phase of strategic updates to sign regulations under the commercial market resiliency initiative CMRI which seeks to modernize Arlington's regulatory framework to respond to economic shifts and support Arlington's placemaking. On December 13, 2025, the county board authorized advertisement of public hearings no earlier than February 2026. The RTA had a broad scope. However, staff highlighted certain elements specifically under consideration. Signs within Arlington's RA a districts, sidewalk signs, off- premise advertising, automatic changeable copy standards, and consideration of amendments for temporary signs placed by private parties in the public right of way. Staff continue to refine the proposal and before you this evening are the following proposed changes. those that are CMRI related, including greater flexibility of signs within the RA districts, expanded time frame for temporary banner placement, the allowance for signs and or sign types that may include automatic changeable copy and off-remise advertising in specified locations, the amended size and timing standards for certain automatic changeable copy signs, technical edits for consistency, organization, and readability. There are other amendments under consideration including the removal of an allowance for temporary signs by private parties in the public right of way. And although considered in the RTA, the following is not included for change of amending the number and placement of sidewalk signs providing greater flexibility for signs allowed in the RA districts. The provisions for the signs in the RA in 2012. At that time, buildings in RA districts were either garden style developments or apartment buildings on large lots. The proposed amendments before you this evening to section 136

provide additional allowance for wall and canopy signs that are compatible with the urban form now realized with some of our newer developments in RA districts. Regulations already allowed within the RA districts that include freestanding signs are not proposed to change. Thus, maintaining the allowance for the types of signs that are compatible with the garden style and other existing developments in RA districts. The method for calculating the number of freestanding signs to include the greater of either one per driveway or vehicular entrance plus one per postal street address per street frontage will allow and is intended to aid in identifying units within the larger complexes with multiple entrances on multiple streets. Additionally in this section are proposed to be updated to allow commercial messages. This change recognizes that building names are commercial messages and functionally this does not change what is allowed in RA districts as signs in this district remain limited to signs for entities that are located on the property. The second phase of the strategic amendments to our sign rig ordinance is primarily focused on signs within the public realm and how such signs can facilitate commercial market and broader economic resiliency. More explicitly, these amendments introduce off- premise advertising. Because Arlington's current sign regulations prohibit off- premise advertising, adopting such an amendment would represent a significant policy shift. The concept was recently highlighted during the November 2025 FY27 budget planning presentation. Updating Arlington sign regulations to permit off- premise advertising in specifies specified locations could support exploration of new revenue opportunities. It could also enable real-time public information displays such as public safety alerts, emergency notifications, transportation resources

and wayfinding to local businesses, destinations, and community services while contributing to broader placemaking efforts. The proposal also includes provisions for enhanced digital displays in Arlington's parks and public schools. With these changes, digital signs such as scoreboards could display team sponsors, enhance the game day experience, and align local facilities with those in nearby high schools. Section 13106D is proposed to be amended to provide additional allowances for signs for athletic fields and schools and parks and to allow up to two signs that accommodate commercial messaging, including off-remise advertising and changeable copy elements. We'd also want to amend section 13102 to allow for the placement of temporary banners for the duration of an event rather than limiting the time to a total of 16 days, which was 14 days prior to and 2 days after the event. This will allow for greater flexibility and awareness of longer events or exhibitions that may occur in our schools, parks, museums, or other public properties. The zoning ordinance currently provides for signed systems in the public rightway that are authorized by the county board and placed or caused to be placed by the county manager within areas where sector area or revitalization plans have been adopted or on Arlington school board joint Arlington school board Arlington County properties. This provision has been used to date to allow the county's businesses, business improvement districts to place banners within areas supported by bids. The proposed amendment before you this evening would expand the sign types that could be authorized and would introduce changeable copy and illumination to these signs. In addition to accommodating interactive kiosks, freestanding signs in areas frequented by pedestrians, it could also

accommodate sponsorship opportunities through advertising at Arlington's capital bike share docking stations located within these same areas. In suggesting this significant policy shift of making allowances for commercial messaging, including off-remise advertising, the proposed amendment retains the construct requiring county board authorization to the county manager for the placement of sign systems within the public right of way. Further, in its authorization, the county board would have to make several findings, including that the signs would not adversely affect traffic safety and would not result in clutter that would adversely affect the appearance or character of the surrounding neighborhood. That the signs are pedestrianoriented, that the signs would not obstruct pedestrian movement or would not obstruct views for motorists. that the placement of signs maintains a clear walkway zone and that permission is provided from underlying property owners and easement holders. In its authorization of such sign systems, the county board would adopt an ordinance that establishes standards that may include the following, including specific sign size, location, and physical characteristics of the signs. the placement, the maintenance and removal and replacement of the signs, the illumination and changeable copy standards that may deviate from the standards in section 1313 where these elements are regulated, the length of time for which the signs may be displayed, and the allowance and standards for automatic changeable copy. This action before you this evening develops the framework to accommodate such sign systems, but it doesn't include the provisions for the procurement contractual elements or implementation. In looking at automat automatic changeable copy signs, we'd like to propose an increase in size to account for the increased use of LED or other

technology signs, but it would still allow the weekend signs. Is that is that accurate? Okay. And then um but it wouldn't allow um kind of Tenley's suggestion that you would have areas like a a library or a public park that could have 31 or 70.

Is that correct? You're correct. You're you're reading that correct. So it would be no signs then in the in the public facilities either for 31 or seven days. Correct. Oh, sorry. Can you not hear me? Okay. So, I was just again re uh restating. So, it would not have then the 30 31 and 7day signs would also then not be allowed at at a library or Okay, tell me. I see your your

Yeah, I'm a bit confused. Um because alternative D, the way I read it, it still is only in the public right away except we would limit it to particular location or particular zoning districts. So it really doesn't it would be 31 days, 7 days, weekends, but it would only be in certain particular zoning districts which would have to be designated. We're not do and we're not doing that in this. that would be a further step to decide what zoning districts then would where they would be limited. Is that correct? Yeah, certainly that's not something that we looked at. We were just looking at sort of various variations of what's allowed now in terms of the alternatives that we were considering.

Okay. So, it is still just right of way in in alternative D. Correct. Yeah. And so, some of the examples Oh, I guess we did say certain zoning districts, but we were

but right within those rightway, right? or certain street type right away. Correct. Okay, good. That clarifies what we're looking at here, which is why again I go back to I think alternative A is probably the cleanest one to do because it it eliminates the vast majority of signs and limits it just to the it's you know it's it's a time and place. We're not getting into place, we're just getting into time and it's a very very short window and it's only practical for certain particular uses. Um, thank you, Commissioner Strider.

Yeah. So, I'm going to I'm going to point in response to Commissioner Peterson's probing of where we are on that. I want to point to two arguments that have already been made. Uh the first being the enforcement question. If we try and limit it to specific districts or specific schools or spec specific this that and the other, it just creates a a weird enforcement problem because candidates, whoever, businesses are going to say, "Oh, well, I'm didn't read the zoning code and I didn't know that it was allowed in Rosland but not in Crystal City, for example." Um and it just I think it creates that sort of confusion um within the parties that we'd be trying to regulate here. And to your point, option A is for example, but uh is cleaner in the sense that it just worries about the time and the sign type rather than specific location. Um and then the other piece I want to add is is Commissioner Torres had brought up that these signs are still going to appear. um enforcement is yeah four people and so they're still going to show up but it's going to be a much smaller quantities and they're going to be on things like the utility poles that Dominion owns and we have no really authorization over anyway. Um so these these things will still appear, the word will still get out. we just won't have to have county resources be spent on cleaning these things up and deciding where they should and should not be and and and all that sort of thing. So, it makes it a little it makes it just nice and neat and and kind of washes our hands of a lot of the burdens that we're having to do now in terms of managing the waste of all of these signs.

Commissioner Peterson. Um yeah. So to respond, I don't think that um we should make policy assuming that people are going to ignore the policy and because we can't enforce it. Um and I for my D I'm not saying that we should have alternative D because I don't think it should be in the public right of way. Um I think it should be at county owned spaces in a designated spot. So if we just said no medians except I'm okay with the weekend. So, I'm like kind of looking at alternatives A plus a variation of D. So, you can do the weekends and you can do community centers, libraries, parks. Not so I don't know what specified zoning is that like public building zoning. Um, so not looking at median strips, not looking at certain road types, just at community centers, libraries, public parks in a specific area. Um, I don't think that's that hard to enforce um because we would know that all of the median signs are not allowed um unless it's a weekend and then it's a um a real real estate sign or something to that effect. I want to say a few things. My turn. [laughter] Um, as always, I am extremely grateful to staff for anything that you can do to broaden the ability for a business owner or a business manager in the county to um make their brand more visible. And I have related in the past my own experience as a business manager in Arlington of the inability to relocate our business in the commercial corridor because of the sign issue when the brand really heavily relied on visibility for groundf flooror retail and in buildings where I know we could have probably helped activate additional uh tenants

for those buildings. So anything that we can do to continue to push this I'm all in favor of. Having said that, um I think it's kind of unfortunate that real estate openhouse signs are kind of lumped into the same category as the annoying uh political signs that we all see. And a couple of observations, um real estate professionals are extremely well aware of sign ordinances, not just here in Arlington County, but in all the area jurisdictions in which they work. and many of them work in more and multiple jurisdictions. Um, they pride themselves on being professional, following the ordinance. The last thing they want to do is be dinged or find out from a seller that they're representing that, "Oh my goodness, we got dinged." That is not the way they want to represent their trade. Um my concern here is that probably potential sellers of homes were not consulted on this um elimination of rightaway of signs for open houses. Traditionally, when you meet with a real estate agent and you you um select one that you want to bring in the most amount of buyers in the least amount of time to get you the best price of your house. You don't want to hear later that, oh, and by the way, the county now has a regulation that is going to limit your marketing ability. Traditionally, it has been extremely popular, especially in our inward sub suburbs, that open houses are a thing. Um, people look for the signs regardless of how many phones or how many devices or tracking, they do look for those signs, and it is something that is part of an agent marketing plan for years that sellers have become accustomed to. So, it's concerning to me that the county um hasn't perhaps consulted um sellers and would they be happy with

taking this marketing option away from them? Thank you. And next we have [laughter] Oh, I'm sorry. Go ahead. Just a brief response to that. We did have a survey that was sent out to the general public in Arlington. So I would assume that includes some people who are sellers of houses. Um so that was the the you know our best attempt to engage the general public on this issue. Um that survey focused on the right ofway signs as well as on the sidewalk signs. Thank you.

I did have a quick question. So, uh, back to the Okay, so 31day signs, if they're eliminated and 7-day signs are limited, I'm thinking eliminated, does that mean anything less than 7 days would be allowed? And so, for example, leading up to an election, what would stop people from putting just all the signs out in the six days before the election? Would we not be in a similar situation? Well, the zoning ordinance wouldn't allow if if the provisions for the 31day signs and the 7-day signs were removed. The only signs that would be allowed in the public right away per the ordinance would be on um from sundown to sun down on

so a one day weekend it's just a one day sign or two days just it's the weekends and holidays is what the ordinance allows right now and that's commercial and non-commercial. Um I also do want to clarify that those commercial signs are only for um commercial activities that are lawfully occurring in our districts. There are very few commercial activities that are lawful in our districts. Okay. So it is a limited number of commercial signs. So a weekday open house would not be allowed to have a sign. That's correct. For a realtor that's okay. It would not be allowed.

Right. And that's not currently allowed. Um, and I will say that that was a conversation that was had in 2012. Um, there was an interest from the the real estate community on having signs for I guess Tuesday open houses are are common. Um, that was something that they had raised at the time. Um, but it was not something that made it into the ordinance. Thank you. Any other comments, questions? No. Uh, Commissioner Shriner, I guess we are ready for some motions. Yes. Now, I think the first one's going to be pretty painless. I'm more concerned about the second one. Um, my first motion is I move that the plan Sorry, sorry, we have one more question.

Yeah, I'm sorry. It was a technical question. We had a public speaker who seemed to have a lot of expertise about signs and he recommended um edits to our sign ordinance as it pertains to like the sporting events. So, I just want to make sure that is taken into consideration and updated if needed. Sorry. Thank you. Did were you looking for response? That's already addressed. The um the provisions for signs for athletic fields um say that they're allowed to have automatic changeable copy notwithstanding the provisions of 1313, which basically means they're not subject to the limitations in 1313. Um and we'll we'll respond to him directly as well. Commissioner Strainer, take it away.

All right. I move that the planning commission recommend that the county board amend, reenact, and recodify article 13 signs sections 13.4, 13.6, 13.7, 13.8, 13.10, 10, 13.11.1, 13.12, and 13.13 of the Arlington County zoning ordinance as set forth in attachment five of the staff report to increase uh types, size, and number of signs allowed in RA districts. To revise signs allowed within public districts and publicly owned property, to revise automatic changeable copy sign standards. to provide allowance for signs and/or sign types in specified locations for commercial activities for products or services not on the lot on which the PL the sign is placed and to make editorial changes for clarity and for other reasons required by public necessity, convenience, general welfare and good zoning practice.

I'll second. That was seconded by Commissioner Lantel. Um Commissioner Strer, would you like to speak to your motion? No. Okay. Any other com comments? No. All right. Alphabetically, we're going to go Commissioner Amado. I. Okay. Commissioner Berkkey. I. Commissioner Garcia. I. Commissioner Lantel. Hi. Commissioner Peterson. Hi. Commissioner Steinberger. I. Commissioner Striner. I. Commissioner to Torres. I

Commissioner Baggley, that's me. I So we have one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine eyes. Correct, Mr. Feifer. We always have to sync here, Commissioner Steiner. All right. Um, I will make it and then I guess you'll amend it. Okay. All right. I move that the planning commission recommend that the county board Sorry, me start over. I move that the planning commission recommend that the county board amend, reenact, and recodify article 13 signs section 13.11.2 and 13.11.3 of the Arlington County zoning ordinance as set forth in attachment five of the staff report to remove the allowance for public signs placed by private parties in the public rightway and for other reasons required by public necessity, convenience, general welfare, and good zoning practice. I move to amend or do we have to second it first?

Uh do we have to second that first and then we do the amendment?

Um I believe that it should be the motion should be seconded and then before you vote on it we can amend that motion and then vote on the whole thing. Thank you. Commissioners Torres. Um, seconded. Okay.

Um, I would commissioner like to make an amending motion. Um, I move that the uh aforementioned motion of Commissioner Strider be amended to add the words at the end for the 7-day and 31day periods, which would effectively mean that we preserve alternative A, which allows the weekend commercial uses.

Um, would someone like to second that? Uh, Commissioner Torres. Okay. Thank you. [snorts] Oh, I'm sorry. Was it Commissioner Torres? She beat you to it. All right. Um, Commissioner Lantel, would you like to speak to your motion? Um, pretty much for the reasons that I said in the earlier my earlier number of rants on this, I suppose. Um, I feel this is the more conservative way to go. Okay. Um, any other uh, Commissioner Striner? So to confirm, just for the record, this is the the changes that we're making here take out the 31 and 7day signs and then leave the weekends as they are today. Correct. That's the intent of this.

Okay. Okay. Commissioner Peterson. So procedurally, will we vote on this amendment? And then if I wanted to propose the amendment to allow signs in countyowned properties that to be determined in a future point, but the intent being libraries and community centers, that would be a second amendment that we would separately vote for. Okay. Yes, Commissioner Burket.

Yeah, I uh I really appreciate this conversation. I I think this is a lot more um uh difficult for uh really good reasons than maybe some would anticipate. Um so I really respect the the conversation with my colleagues. Um and and I appreciate the thoughts about um you know we we do have a lot of folks in our community um our realtors and other stakeholders who do a good job of uh abiding by the the current rules. Um I guess my concern remains enforcement enforcement enforcement. this only works if if the rules are followed and and we have, you know, some folks who do a really good job at following them and and some folks who don't and we've identified uh that this is a serious issue. So I don't I find it very difficult to support this and I will be voting no because if it's an issue all the time then I find it hard to sort of pick and choose when it's not an issue. Um and then moreover it comes back to the enforcement. This is a commitment of very limited staff resources, possibly a greater commitment than we currently have to enforcing these rules which are going to be by nature more complicated than they currently are. So it's it's it's a choice, right? It's it's a very understandable motion and I I respect those who support it because we do have folks who are abiding by the rules now. I just think sometimes in policy you have to make one choice to the other. We can't necessarily use the scalpel and I think we have overwhelming evidence about how um how much harm these signs sort of do in our medians, right? Um and so to me this is sort of an all or nothing unfortunately and I think that's why I would be voting no. Thank you.

I I just want to add um from a real estate perspective we are highly limited on salailable inventory out there. you are not seeing a plethora of openhouse signs on Sunday in most cases because we just don't have the inventory. And sometimes when properties are available for sale, it now is an exclusive listing. Sometimes it doesn't even get to an open house. Um, which again then the rest of the public, you know, doesn't maybe get a chance to see it. So, I just want to remind everybody that we're not talking about the plethora of signs that we would see uh as you would see with political candidates. We just don't have that kind of inventory and I don't think we're going to be getting it anytime soon. Commissioner Torres,

possible to add to the amendment where political signs are just excluded from this because Okay, never mind. No, we can't do that. It's it we can't do it by viewpoint or topic. It can only be place and time. That makes sense. Okay. Having said that, oh, I'm sorry. Sorry, Commissioner Steinberger. I couldn't see your mic. Okay.

I I'm really torn on this because I I think there's a benefit to excluding sort of the weekend signs and I think I I can see the utility of that. I don't want to end up in a situation where you have people because I I agree there's a a physical risk there is a danger element to running around the weekends putting signs up and back and up and back and and so forth and I am a little concerned that there are some folks on campaigns or what have you who will just do that and you'll end up with more interactions of people you know running into medians just you know to get these signs out for the weekend if that's what the rules allow. I I would like to think that people won't do that because it's kind of idiotic, but I can't guarantee that won't happen and I'm fairly convinced that there will be some pop segment of the population that will do that because they can. So, they just will. Um, I think I'm inclined to support Commissioner Lental's mental amendment to this to allow for the weekend signs on like the hopes that people are smarter than I'm giving them credit for being.

Go, but I'm like kind of nervous about that. That's where my head's at. I I just needed to say that. Thank you. Thank you. All right. Seeing nothing, no other comments or lights on, we will go alphabetically. This is on the amended motion. Just the amendment, not the full motion. Not the full motion. This is the amended motion first. Yeah. Because I'm trying to understand how this is going to So we vote on Commissioner Intel's then that will be disposed of. Then we go to my amended motion. Then that gets disposed of and we go back to commissioner the original motion as amended as we vote. You got [laughter]

So So okay. So we're good, right? All right. We So if we would I to both. We're not denying I Okay. You you know what I'm saying, right? I I'm going to vote no here as I said. Uh but that does not preclude me from voting yes it should it pass on the main motion. We're simply voting on Commissioner Lelmi's amendment to Commissioner Strider's main motion. Yes. So, you did get me. Thank you. Okay. [laughter] Very good. We're all good here. Okay. Commissioner Amado. Nay. Was it nay? Did I hear that? Okay, great. Commissioner Berkkey. Nay. Commissioner Garcia.

Yay. Uh, Commissioner Lantel. I. Commissioner Peterson. I Commissioner Steinberger. I Commissioner Striner. Nay. Okay. Commissioner Torres.

Okay. I [clears throat] Okay. [laughter] And I am also an I. So that passes. 1 2 3 4 five six to three nays. Correct. Um Oh gosh, we're we're 100% here. I love it. Okay. Um now, Commissioner Peterson, I believe you have an amended a mo a motion for amendment. Yeah. So, this is going to be a variation of alternative D, which is just to say that um we would limit 31day temporary signs to designated county-owned locations, including libraries, community centers, and parks, but not right of way.

Not the right of way. Do we have a second? Could that? Yeah, please limit third. So, this is not the right of way. So, it's limit 31-day temporary signs to designated county-owned locations, including libraries, community centers, and parks. But you would also be able allowed to do the seven. No, wait. The signs on the weekends. So, Commissioner Tell me and then also this one. So, do we have a second? Second.

Okay. Commissioner Amado seconded. Uh, Commissioner Peterson, would you like to speak to your motion? Um, I just think that it's uh helpful to give um to let people know that elections are happening. This indicates that elections are coming up. Um, it gives people access to all of the candidates that may be running. Um, and so I think this would be a a nice compromise to make sure right ofway is pro is safer, make sure we are providing fewer signs, um, but also letting people know that an election is coming up and they should be excited about it. Okay. All right. Having said that, so seeing no other questions, let's go to the vote. Uh, Commissioner Amado,

hi. Okay. Commissioner Berkkey, nay. Commissioner Garcia. Hi. Commissioner Lantel. Hi. Commissioner Steinberger. I'm sorry. Commissioner Peterson. I. Commissioner Steinberger. Nay. Commissioner Striner. Nay. Commissioner Torres. Nay.

And I'm a nay as well. So we have one, two, three, four yeses and one, two, three, four, five nays. So that does not pass. Correct. Um, oh my goodness, I can't stand it. All righty. Are there any other amendments before we go back to the main um motion as it has been amended uh per commissioner Lantel's motion which passed. Okay, great. So, um let's vote now on the original motion

as amended. as amended and we will go alphabetically. Commissioner Amado, let's do it. I Commissioner Berkkey I. Commissioner Garcia. I. Commissioner Lantel. I. Commissioner Peterson. Nay. Commissioner Steinberger. I. Commissioner Striner. I. Commissioner Torres.

I. And I'm also an I. So that looks like 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 to 1 to zero. Correct, Mr. May. Jeez, we're so good. Um, do we have additional motions? That was it.

Okay. Um, well, first let us again thank staff. This is a herculean task. Um, you're never going to be able to please everybody. Um and even regardless of what has passed in the board, still a lot of challenges as we all know ahead. But again, as a particularly as a a business manager in the county, I truly do appreciate the steps that we are taking moving forward. Um I think that is um inviting, you know, more help with the CMRI. Um and I want to thank everybody up here for their patience and going through this. So, having said that, um, Madame Clerk, I think we are ready for commission business, correct?

Yes, I'm sorry. Oh, done. Okay, we're done. I was looking on here. Okay. All right. Okay. All right. So, commission business, let me get my agenda up here. First, um, we have, uh, approval of the February 9th, um, hearing meeting, uh, minutes. Uh, so I'm asking your unanimous consent for that. Yay. Okay, great. Um, Mr. Feifer, do we have any planning division current matters that you need to tell us about? No current matters. Thank you.

Righty. Hold on. I've got all my notes here. I'm getting better at this. Oh, goodness. Okay. Um, Commissioner Peterson, LRPC. Thank you. Um so as you all know our January and February meetings were cancelled. We do have one and a half meetings in March. We are going to have a joint Zoko LRPC meeting um where we will be talking um about some ZOK items and then as well as the CPHD planning division work plan. So, I highly encourage you all to go uh attend that meeting so that we can see um what work the planning division will be working on for the upcoming year and we will have the opportunity to make recommendations if we think um something that's not on the list is um uh should be added. Um so that's March 11th. Um we also will be having a meeting um for a 1401 Langston Boulevard special GUP study. That's the Keybridge Marriott site. So that will be um the following week. Um and we have one roster to approve. So um madame chair, I seek your unanimous consent to approve the roster for 1401 Langston Boulevard special club. And I think we have unanimous consent. Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay, SPRC, I of course forgot to send out my little guide, but we don't have we will be having more projects coming up, but um not too many changes to that list at the moment. Um, we do have two rosters. So, one is 1401 Wilson Boulevard. I want to thank Commissioner Berky and Commissioner Johnson, who could not be here this evening, for chairing that. And so, I seek your unanimous consent on this roster. Great. We also have an amended roster for 14 or I'm sorry, 4420 Fairfax Drive, which is being chaired. Thank you. By Commissioner Striner. So, I will ask your unanimous consent for that amended roster. Great. Uh, we do have on March 12th, SPRC number two for um the 4420 Fairfax Drive, otherwise known as Aspire at Fairmont. And also the online engagement period for Air and Space Force Association will start on the 13th of this month. And I want to thank again Commissioner Steinberger and Commissioner Torres for um uh cheering those for us. I also want to thank uh Commissioner Huare, who could not be here tonight um for representing us at the county board in uh February. And although it was Licky Gardens, um it was uh I think she was here from 10:00 in the morning till almost 4:00 in the afternoon and it carried over to Tuesday evening. So, um, big kudos. So, again, Commissioner Striner knows how that feels. Um, our next, uh, commission hearings are, uh, April 6th and April 8th, and we will tenatively be hearing Waverly Ridge as well as the Walgreens site plans. Um, I will get those re the

Walgreens was delayed a lot. I would not have been concurrently cheering anything like that. Um but uh I will get those reports to you at least a week in advance as I do expect there will be public commenters and a lot of discussion on both of those. Um and I want to thank um in advance commissioners and Berky who will represent us at the March um uh county board meetings. So uh does anyone else have any other comments or questions? I again want to thank staff. Um oh I'm sorry. Yes. Um so this is for the master transportation plan update.

Thank you. There are a couple things I forgot.

So we have we have a meeting on the 11th which is the same night as the joint Zoko LRPC. If you want to skip that wonderful show and go to the transportation plan in lie of my normal participation, just let me know and I can sub you in for this one and uh to rep so you all can represent the commission. And thank you everyone for uh who submitted uh information on the homework assignment that I had uh that was really good strategies and things like that really. We're bringing this plan to uh to life in ways that it hasn't been before. It's a little more high level before, but now we're getting a little more into the nitty-gritty and we're giving ways that the county can make these big picture goals more concrete. So, that's all I wanted to say on that.

Awesome. Um, I neglected um so yes, we've heard the Zoko report also. Uh, Commissioner Berky, do you have anything for FBC or AWG? No report this month. Okay. And uh I know I guess Commissioner Steinberger we are co-chairing or something like that PFRC but I don't think there's anything going on that. Okay, great. Any other questions, comments? Um again, thank you everybody. Our Go ahead.

Oh, wonderful. Okay. Is that what Okay. Is that what it is? Okay. I know I had that down. Oh, the Okay. the online so the online engagement and walking tour is on the third that okay wonderful okay um so thank you again everybody our our previous public commenters um those folks who've um tuned in so uh I will officially adjourn this meeting and we'll see you in April thank