ARLINGTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA County Board Agenda Item Meeting of June 12, 2004 DATE: June 4, 2004 SUBJECTS: GP-295-04-1 GENERAL LAND USE PLAN AMENDMENT from Low Office-Apartment-Hotel and Low-Medium Residential to Low Office- Apartment-Hotel; premises known as 333, 355 Jefferson Davis Hwy (RPC #34-023-001, -002) SP #307 SITE PLAN AMENDMENT: MR Boundary Channel L.L.C., approximately 463,000 square feet; premises known as 333, 355 Jefferson Davis Hwy (PRC #34-023-001, -002). Applicant: MR Boundary Channel, L.L.C. (Contract Owner) 1155 Connecticut Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 22036 Monument Realty: Kirk Salpini Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States (Title Owner) 1735 Market Street, #4200 Philadelphia, PA 19103 By: Martin Walsh Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, Emrich & Terpak 2200 Clarendon Boulevard, 13 th Floor Arlington, VA 22201-3359 C.M. RECOMMENDATION: Deny General Land Use Plan Amendment and site plan amendment requests. County Manager: County Attorney: Staff: Thomas H. Miller. DCPHD David L. Robinson, DPW Leon Vignes, DCPHD
ISSUES: Is the proposed all office high-security facility, with above ground parking, a better site plan than the 1994 approved plan for office/hotel/retail? Is the proposed all office high-security facility compatible with planned surrounding public/recreation uses? SUMMARY: The proposed General Land Use Plan amendment, from a mixture of Low Office-Apartment-Hotel and Medium Residential to all Low Office-Apartment-Hotel, would accommodate an all office site plan that would replace the approved office/retail/hotel site plan. The design of the project is conducive to a high security facility that has many characteristics of a gated, suburban office park. Previously agreed to shared parking arrangements and public site accessibility are requested to be either eliminated or vastly changed. The proposed plan is also not consistent with the goals set forth in the North Tract Area Plan Study. The proposed plan is not an improvement over the approved site plan and would not promote and protect County planning policies or the public health, safety and welfare. It is recommended that the General Land Use Plan amendment and site plan amendment requests be denied. BACKGROUND: In September 1991, the County Board denied both a site plan and a General Land Use Plan Amendment request for the former Twin Bridges Marriott hotel site located at Boundary Drive and I-395 in the northern tip of Crystal City. The owners of the site, Equitable Life Assurance Society of the United States, filed suit in late 1991 challenging the denial of the General Land Use Plan amendment and the site plan requests. The General Land Use Plan amendment and site plan were approved in 1994 as part of a litigation settlement. The approved site plan includes two 7-story office buildings containing 345,432 square feet of commercial/office gross floor area and a 10-story hotel containing 198 rooms. A total of 830 parking spaces, including tandem spaces, would be provided in 2½ levels of below-grade parking. The site has been vacant since the Marriott Twin Bridges hotel was demolished in 1990. The site plan approval was extended to October 2, 2002 in August 1999. The County Board approved another extension of the site plan in February 2003 to February 2006 subject to revised site plan conditions, which included, among others, providing shared parking for the uses of the North Tract and landscaping/streetscape requirements. In the nearly ten years since the County Board originally approved this site plan, there have not been any serious efforts to construct the site plan. During that same period, the County Board approved the Phased Development Site Plan (PDSP) for the Potomac Yard site and subsequent final site plans. A Master Plan for the North Tract Park and Recreational Facilities and Surrounding Area, the North Tract Area Plan, and new Note 20 on the General Land Use Plan, proposing that any future development in the North Tract area be generally consistent with the vision and goals listed in the Master and Area plans, were recently approved by the County Board. In addition, there have been major urban design changes in the Crystal City area as well as approved changes to the SP #307 Monument View - 2 -
vehicular circulation system on Crystal Drive. These major policy changes have been taken into consideration during the review of the proposed General Land Use Plan amendment and site plan. The following provides additional information about the site and location: Site: The 7.1 acre site is bounded by the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad (RF&P) and the Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary on the east, by the Shirley Highway (I- 395) interchange to Boundary Drive and its access to the George Washington Memorial Parkway on the west and north, and by Old Jefferson Davis Highway on the south. To the South & West: The subject area is bordered on the south and west by industrial and warehouse uses associated with construction activities and automobile uses. This area is designated Service Industry on the General Land Use Plan and is zoned M-1, M-2 and C-M. Most of this area is now owned by Arlington County and is part of the North Tract. Land that the County owns for the North Tract park and recreation facilities is planned for Public Open Space north of 6 th Street and for Low Office-Apartment-Hotel uses south of 6 th Street. Except for a small area along the railroad tracks south of 6 th Street, which is zoned C-O-1.5, most of the County-owned land is zoned industrial, either C-M, M-1 or M-2. When the County develops its park and recreation facilities, it may choose to rezone the property to one of the County s public park/institutional zones, such as S-3A or S-D. To the North & East: West of Old Jefferson Davis Highway is a two-story public storage warehouse. Beyond Shirley Highway is the Pentagon power plant, which is zoned S-3A Special District. Except for the power plant, this area is designed as Service Industry on the General Land Use Plan and is zoned C-M. The Shirley Highway access ramp to the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Boundary Channel Drive, located to the north of the site, is designated Public on the General Land Use Plan. To the east, across the railroad tracks, is Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary, a natural lagoon dedicated in 1934 as a bird sanctuary and administered by the National Park Service. The sanctuary contains nearly 60 acres of marsh and water; a small public park with access from the George Washington Memorial Parkway provides grounds for picnics, fishing or bird watching. The lagoon is designated as "Public" on the General Land Use Plan and is zoned "S-3A." As a designated tidal wetland on the U.S. National Wetlands Inventory, it meets the Chesapeake Bay SP #307 Monument View - 3 -
SP #307 Monument View - 4 - Preservation Act criteria for a Resource Protection Area. Zoning: C-O-1.5 Commercial Office Building, Hotel and Apartment Districts Land Use: The applicant is seeking a General Land Use Plan amendment from a striped pattern of 2/3 Low Office-Apartment-Hotel (1.5 F.A.R. office density allowed, up to 72 units/acre apartment density and up to 110 units/acre hotel) and 1/3 Medium Residential (32-72 units per acre) to an all Low Office-Apartment-Hotel that would accommodate the proposed site plan for two office buildings and a parking structure. On April 24, 2004, the County Board established the North Tract Special Planning District. The purpose of this district is to ensure that the vision, goals and policies in the North Tract Area Plan Study, accepted February 21, 2004 by the County Board, as outlined below, are achieved. The vision and goals for the North Tract area will be achieved incrementally through a series of coordinated public and private initiatives. Recommendations in the North Tract Area Plan Study shall be considered as a guide to be interpreted in more detail through the implementation process and to allow flexibility for development to balance market needs along with County development and open space goals. The vision and goals for this district are: Vision: The North Tract area will be transformed into a distinctive showplace of environmentally sound redevelopment, with a central expanse of attractive public green spaces and high-quality indoor and outdoor recreation facilities that are accessible to all Arlingtonians, conveniently linked with nearby urban corridors and the Potomac riverscape, and coupled with complementary private redevelopment. Goals: 1) To redevelop this longtime industrial area into a green urban oasis that will be a model of effective environmental reclamation and community-oriented reuse. 2) To establish and maintain a great urban park with appealing spaces, facilities, and natural and manmade features in an integrated design that offers opportunities for sport, recreation and relaxation for people of diverse ages, interests and skills. 3) To provide convenient multi-modal access to and within the area, with emphasis on efficient mass transit and safe passageways for pedestrians and bicyclists. 4) To recognize the site s location and exploit its potential as a gateway between Arlington and the nation s capital, as a greenway near the historic Potomac
shore, and as a gathering place for the community. 5) To forge creative partnerships with private entities, non-profit organizations, and other public agencies to complement direct county investments in the park and help to achieve, in cost-effective ways, the planned community facilities and the compatible, high-quality redevelopment of adjacent privately-owned sites. Neighborhood: The closest residential neighborhood is Aurora Highlands. The closest residential property is at the Crystal Gateway North complex. Proposed Development: The following table sets forth the allowable by-right densities and a statistical summary comparing the approved site plan to the proposed amendment. SITE AREA 308,698 S.F. (7.086 acres) Density Approved Proposed Site Plan Total Office G.F.A. 345,432 s.f. 450,218 s.f. Pump Buildings n/a 4,860 s.f. Guard House n/a 120 s.f. Retail G.F.A. 2,200 s.f. n/a Hotel G.F.A. 167,545 s.f. 1 n/a/ 198 Rooms Total G.F.A. 512,977 s.f. 455.198 s.f. "C-O-1.5" Permitted G.F.A. (site plan) 463,047 s.f. Total Office F.A.R. 1.49 F.A.R. 1.46 F.A.R. Other F.A.R..02 F.A.R. Total F.A.R. 1.66 F.A.R. 1.48 F.A.R. By-Right C-O-1.5 (.6 F.A.R. permitted) 185,218 s.f. "C-O-1.5" Permitted F.A.R. 1.5 F.A.R. 1.5 F.A.R. Building Height Approved Proposed Average Site Elevation 21 feet 19.72 feet Main Roof Elevation Office Bldg. 1-108 feet 113 feet Office Bldg. 2.-105 feet Hotel - 135.84 feet Main Roof Height Office Bldg. 1-87 feet 93.28 feet Office Bldg. 2.- 84 feet Hotel Bldg.- 114.84 feet Penthouse Roof Elevation Office Bldg. 1&2-126 ft n/a 1 Hotel density is calculated on a unit per acre basis (110 units/per acre). Hotel meeting rooms and ancillary spaces related to the hotel may be permitted and may exceed the permitted densities of the C-O-1.5 District by site plan approval. Hotel GFA does not include 17,172 s.f. on ground level for meeting rooms, ballrooms, retail, kitchen, and restaurant; 16,080 s.f. on the P-1 level for pool, health club, and staff locker rooms and 4,500 s.f. on the P-3 level for storage. Included these uses, Hotel GFA is 205,347 s.f. or 27% of the combined GFA for the site. SP #307 Monument View - 5 -
Hotel Bldg.- 154.34 feet Penthouse Roof Height Office Bldg. -18 feet n/a Hotel Bldg -.18.5 feet Approved Proposed Number of stories Office Bldgs 8 stories 8 stories Hotel Bldg. 10 stories "C-O-1.5" Permitted Height 8 stories Office 8 Stories 10 stories Hotel Parking Approved Proposed Standard 432 spaces 733 spaces Compact 276 spaces 111 spaces HC 18 spaces 18 spaces Tandem Parking 116 spaces n/a Total Parking Spaces 842 spaces 862 spaces Office Parking Ratio 1sp/491 s.f. (includes 1 space/528 s.f. Tandem Spaces) Hotel Parking Ratio.7 space/unit n/a Compact Ratio 32.8% 13% "C-O-1.5" Required Office Parking 2 1,104 spaces 1,479 spaces C-O-1.5 Required Hotel Parking 1 space per unit n.a. "C-O-1.5" Required Parking Ratio 1 space per 313 s.f. 1 space per 313 s.f. Coverage 148,035 s.f. (47.8% of site area) 219,439 s.f. (71% of site area) LEED Score n/a 23 Density and Uses: The applicant, the contract purchaser of the site, is proposing an office complex of approximately 455,000 square feet and a separate parking structure containing 862 spaces. Two eight-story office buildings are separated by an atrium lobby. The north wing would contain 228,331 square feet of office gross floor area. The south wing would contain 209,493 square feet of office gross floor area and the project s loading dock. The lobby atrium expands the entire eight floors and contains the office building s main elevators. All mechanical equipment, pump rooms, cooling towers transformers is located away from the buildings in separate structures. The total gross floor area of these structures is 4,860 square feet. A guardhouse, containing 120 square feet of gross floor area, is located at the driveway from Old Jefferson Davis Highway to the site. A General Land Use Plan Amendment from a mixture of Medium Residential to all Low Office-Apartment-Hotel is requested to accommodate the all office project. 2 Required parking in C-O-1.5 outside of the metro corridor is 1 space per 250 s.f. for the 1 st floor, 1 space per 300 s.f. for floors 2-5, and 1 space per 400 s.f. for floors 6 and above. The total ratio averages to one space per 313 square feet of office. SP #307 Monument View - 6 -
Site and Design: The site is very isolated and surrounded by I-395, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, and county land. The site is also impacted by adjacent railroad tracks and airport uses. The site is a gateway location into Arlington, Virginia from the District of Columbia. According to the applicant, the site s proximity to the Pentagon and major transportation routes make it ideal for a single high-security tenant. All access to the site would be required to go through a guardhouse where vehicles and inhabitants will be security-checked. No pedestrian access to the building is provided except through the guardhouse. All parking is contained in a three-level detached parking structure (one-level below grade) that measures 765 feet long and 130 feet wide. The height of the garage is 10 feet above the average site elevation. The garage includes landscaping and a trellis on the upper level. Elevator and stair access is provided immediately adjacent to the garage to every level of the office buildings. The east and west wings of office buildings and the lobby atrium measure 672 feet long and 120-160 feet in width. Each wing would have a separate elevator bank/core, stairs, and mechanical rooms. The atrium would include elevators linking the two office wings. Security Issues: The devastating effects of the terrorist bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995 prompted new design standards for construction of government buildings, particularly those that house high security agencies, in order to make such buildings less vulnerable to explosives. A structural engineering process known as progressive collapse avoidance would be applied to prevent the kind of pancaking that occurred after the World Trade Center was attacked. Window frames are designed to accommodate the thickest blast-resistant glass. The placement of the building on the site meets setback requirements for security buildings including a minimum 33 feet clear zone around the perimeter of the building. The entrance to the building is set back 82 feet from the property lines and 169 feet from Old Jeff Davis Hwy and 105 feet from Boundary Channel Drive. The building will be made of pre-cast concrete to withstand the pressures of an explosion. The perimeter of the site would include bollards, fencing, berming, and landscaping. The applicant has also agreed to either landscape or contribute funds for the landscaping of the 1.6-acre parcel immediately adjacent to the site s south property line and owned by Arlington County. The garage will be a separate structure so that if a bomb goes off it will not be felt elsewhere in the office buildings. The atrium lobby is built to be expandable in the case of a blast, to confine casualties to that area. Standards have been established for leased space in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area by federal tenants. The federal government leases 47.6 million square feet of space in the region. The guidelines divide leases into four categories, depending on the number of employees in the building and the nature of the work being performed. The strictest standards pertaining to setbacks, blast-resistant windows, and access control for entrances and parking lots would be applied to buildings with more than 450 employees. Classified as level four buildings, they are SP #307 Monument View - 7 -
larger than 150,000 s.f. in size and would likely house law enforcement and intelligence agencies deemed to be a high risk of attack. Based upon the recognized standard of 350 square feet per employee for federal leases, the proposed building is projected to have space for approximately 1,300 employees. The new federal security standards tend to lead to site design and buildings that are more appropriate for suburban office park settings than for urban buildings. In this case, no retail or street parking is proposed for the project. Parking is provided in a separate, above ground structure. The building s north facade will have doors with a sidewalk from the guardhouse. However, the building s main entrance is on the south facade from the upper level of the parking structure. There is no penthouse or mechanical room on the building s roof. A good example of a building that addresses security requirements and still fits within an urban setting is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms building under construction at the corner of Florida and New York Avenues in Northeast Washington, D.C. A curved, linear, three-story high structure encloses a majority of the site, providing retail space and other uses, away from the main building, defining the street edge and a large interior garden. A report released late last year by Arlington Economic Development titled, The Federal Presence in the Urban Village noted that leased office space accounts for one-third of the private sector office space market in the County. The largest concentration of federally leased space is in Crystal City next to the Pentagon. Most of the federally leased space in this submarket is occupied by a variety of defense related agencies. The report states: New federal guidelines make it increasingly difficult to meet stiffening security standards in Metro locations, which are where all of the federal leased space is located. Much of Arlington s built environment cannot meet setback requirements. Ground floor retail requirements represent significant risk from a federal security viewpoint, and shared parking under buildings is still another security factor. Further, hardening existing buildings can be prohibitively expensive, especially in leased space. The full extent to which new building security standards will be applied is till unknown, but Arlington is at risk of losing a significant portion of its federally leased office base; a risk which is mitigated only in part by the desire of federal agencies to locate in proximity to Metro. LEED Scorecard: With this proposal, the applicant indicated 23 LEED points on the scorecard. The applicant is using a LEED Certified Professional on this project. Transporation: The Master Transportation Plan - Part 1 classifies Old Jefferson Davis Highway as a minor arterial street. Other arterial streets nearby include Interstate 395 and the George Washington Memorial Parkway (which are classified as controlled access facilities) and Boundary Drive (which is classified as a neighborhood principal street. Adjacent to the site, Old Jefferson Davis Highway operates as a two-lane, two-way street. Arterial access to Old Jefferson Davis Highway and the site is available from several controlled access facilities with convenient connections to the I-395/Boundary Drive interchange, including I-395, the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Route 110 and Washington Boulevard. SP #307 Monument View - 8 -
24-Hour Traffic Counts Peak Hour Trips A.M. P.M. Change Approved Site Plan (hotel, office, retail) 588 610 Proposed Site Plan (office) 540 511 (48) (99) Source: Arlington County Department of Public Works Trip Generation: A Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA) was prepared for the applicant by a transportation consultant to assess the impacts of the development on the adjacent street system. The previous development proposal consisting of 345,432 square feet of office gross floor area and a 198-unit hotel was estimated to generate 588 AM and 610 PM peak hour vehicle trips. The proposed development is estimated to generate approximately 540 AM and 511 PM peak hour vehicle trips. This results in a net decrease of approximately 48 AM and 99 PM peak hour vehicle trips, relative to the current approved site plan. Public Transit: The subject site is located approximately one mile from the Crystal City, Pentagon City and Pentagon Metrorail Stations which are served by the Blue and Yellow Metrorail Lines. The site is not convenient to any Metrobus routes. The closest service is available at either the Pentagon or the Crystal City Metrorail Stations. The Crystal City Trolley, which operates in a loop around the Crystal City area, provides a local transportation service for area employees and visitors, linking the Crystal City Metrorail Station with office buildings, shops and residential developments. The trolley, which roughly follows Crystal Drive and South Clark Street, presently does not nor is it planned to be extended north of 12th Street South in the immediate future. In addition to commuter bus service from Prince William and Stafford Counties, the Virginia Commuter Rail System provides a Crystal City Station stop, providing additional transportation alternatives to the area from the Virginia I-95 and I-66 corridors. The commuter rail station is located near 18th Street South, approximately one mile south of the subject site. Enhanced transit service to the North Tract Recreational area is planned in the future with the development of the recreational master plan. Service is proposed to be provided by either ART or Metrobus route extensions from Crystal City along Old Jefferson Davis Highway through the area with multiple on-site stops, high quality shelters and other amenities. Bike Transportation: The Mount Vernon Trail is located nearby to the north of the subject site along the north side of the George Washington Memorial Parkway. However, access to the trail from this site is extremely difficult and requires several at-grade crossings with the Parkway and ramps to and from other controlled access facilities. An unofficial bike trail exists along Old Jefferson Davis Highway and Boundary Drive, providing a connection from Crystal City to the Mount Vernon Trail. The Arlington Bicycle Transportation Plan recommends two trail connections to improve access to the Potomac River shoreline and the Mount Vernon Trail as follows: 1) a trail connection is proposed to the north, connecting the Washington Boulevard SP #307 Monument View - 9 -
Trail with the Mount Vernon Trail in the vicinity of the Boundary Channel basin; and 2) a proposed grade separated crossing of the George Washington Memorial Parkway adjacent to the subject site using the existing railroad bridge. Trail connections to the railroad bridge crossing over the Parkway are proposed from the proposed Boundary Drive and Old Jefferson Davis Highway Trails. The proposed trail extensions and bridge crossing of the Parkway are located off-site and are under the control of the National Park Service and the Railroad Company. As previously described, both on-street bike lanes, off-street bike lanes, and shared use trails are proposed through the North Tract Recreational area and would be constructed in conjunction with the site development. Pedestrian Access: Pedestrian access from the subject site to other development is very limited. No sidewalks currently exist between the site and Crystal City to the south or to the Pentagon to the west. The site, which is bounded by controlled access facilities and railroad tracks on three sides, is temporarily isolated from other development. The North Tract Recreational Master Plan envisions a system of well-designed sidewalks, bicycle lanes, shared trails, and bicycle-only trails through the North Tract area linking the recreational complex with parking facilities, fields, and other off-site facilities, such as bike route and trail connections. Adjacent to the site frontage, a 10-foot-wide shared use trail is proposed to be constructed in conjunction with the reconstruction of the double roundabout intersection improvements at Old Jefferson Davis Highway and Boundary Drive. The trail would be separated from the roadway by a five-footwide planting strip providing a buffer between pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles. Several improvements are proposed to improve the pedestrian friendliness of the project. Staff recommends that a sidewalk be constructed linking the shared use trail proposed along the Old Jefferson Davis Highway frontage of the site and the pedestrian entrance to the site and the security screening area. A driveway entrance with a continuous sidewalk should provide access to the site across the driveway, which eliminates the need for curb ramps and calms traffic entering and exiting the site. The trail would connect with existing and the proposed trail/sidewalk improvements along Boundary Drive to the north and to the system of planned trails through the North Tract Recreational area to the south. Utilities: Adequate water and sanitary sewer system capacity is available to serve the proposed development. However, local frontage improvements would be required to provide service to the development. The exact location and design of the utility systems would be determined at the time of final engineering plan review. The developer will be required to comply with the new Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance and the Plan of Development requirements, including a Resource Protection Area Delineation (site is not located in an RPA), a Landscape Conservation Plan, a Stormwater Management Plan, and an Erosion and Sediment Control Plan. An existing 36-inch pipe that empties into Roaches Run Waterfowl Sanctuary under permit approval from the National park Service currently provides Stormwater outfall. The applicant and the National Park Service are reviewing the existing permit to determine if it is consistent with the planned development. An alternative outfall is available if the existing permit cannot be used. The developer of this project will be required to underground all existing aerial utilities within or SP #307 Monument View - 10 -
along the periphery of this site and contribute to the Underground Utility Fund. This underground work shall not result in the installation of any additional utility poles either on or off-site. DISCUSSION Adopted Plans and Policies: The General Land Use Plan and the approved site plan (SP #307) guide development on this site. The County Board also recently approved the North Tract Special Planning District Note 20 on the General Land Use Plan. SP #307 Monument View - 11 - General Land Use Plan: Several specific criteria for this site are contained in the North Tract Area Plan Study. The recommendations are in a three-tiered approach. These are listed in a hierarchical order, the first one being possible public acquisition for use as additional park space. The second recommendation is for collaborative redevelopment. This would involve development more amenable to the North Tract Recreation Area, which could include health, rehabilitation or possibly retail and office uses. The third preference presents the minimum criteria that would be expected of a development involving a site plan in order to be harmonious with the planned recreation facilities. The Basic Guidelines require: Shared parking for a minimum number of spaces as agreed to in the current site plan, At least a 30 foot-wide access, fully open to the public, along the east property line connecting the North Tract to the George Washington Parkway trail with earth berms and landscaping along the western edge to shield the full height of any parking structure plus an additional 10 feet above. A project design permitting sufficient fill to obtain an elevation allowing public access from the shared parking eastwards across the railroad tracks (to the east of County land) at a slope of no greater than 1 foot per 20 feet, for a north south distance of at least 75 feet. Unsecured public access, at all times, to at least 20 percent of the surface area of the site, which should be fully landscaped, including views and vistas. Road improvements consistent with the North Tract Recreation Master Plan. Since the site plan has been determined not to meet the expectations set forth for the site, a change in the General Land Use Plan s striped pattern to accommodate the proposed all office development is not warranted. If a plan for the site is developed that is more amenable to the criteria set forth in the North Tract Area Land Use Study the site could at that time be considered for a possible land use change. Issues: Numerous issues were raised through the review process of the proposed General Land Use Plan amendment and site plan. The underlying questions are whether the proposed all office high security site plan is a better plan than the existing office and hotel site plan, and if the proposed site plan is compatible and consistent with the public recreation uses and adopted plans for property adjacent to the site.
High Security Building: The applicant has designed the proposed site plan for a high security tenant. Previously agreed to shared parking arrangements and public site accessibility are requested to be either eliminated or vastly changed as part of the new proposed site plan. The approved site plan made 236 parking spaces on the first level of the parking garage available to the public on nights and weekends for users of the recreational activities operating on the North Tract. In lieu of this, with a secure tenant, the applicant proposes either building the 100-car surface parking lot shown on the approved North Tract Area Plan or contributing the cost of the parking lot to the county. In addition, the applicant would encourage the tenant of the project to authorize the shared use of the top level of the parking garage on up to three weekend days or legal holidays per year upon appropriate notice from the county. The applicant is also proposing contributing $50,000 to the County to obtain shared parking in other nearby developments. The applicant would agree to provide the 236 shared parking spaces if the building does not contain a secure tenant. The applicant has indicated that the project s design, parking structure, etc., would not change with a non-secure tenant. However, the project s design could be significantly modified if the building s occupant does not require security. Parking could be placed underground. Pedestrian and non-vehicular access to the site could be provided. Full public access to and from the 1.6-acre, county-owned parcel located adjacent to the site should be provided. The applicant s proposed plan allows neither this previously agreed access nor provides an appropriate commensurate alternative. While a number of concerns were raised regarding the compatibility with adjacent open space and recreation uses, these concerns can be addressed and are appropriately handled with the existing office and hotel site plan. Parking is placed underground, is shared, and the site permits public access. Staff is willing to work with the applicant on a site plan for a secure office development with an appropriate substitution for previously agreed to shared public parking and access, compatibility with the North Tract Area Plan, and surrounding uses. Architecture: The setting of the site is very isolated and there is little urban design context for which to relate. Nonetheless, this is a very visible, prominent, gateway site for the County that deserves significant, high quality, excellent architecture and site design. The challenge has been to do this with current security requirements sought by the applicant, compatibility with goals with the North Tract Area Plan, and height restrictions imposed by the airport. The proposed site plan falls short of this goal. The scale and massing of the proposed office building and separate parking garage present a number of issues and are partially the result of the limitations imposed on the site given its proximity to Washington Reagan National Airport. The office buildings would be over 650 feet long. The parking structure is 765 feet long. The two structures will be very visible from the surrounding properties, from those leaving Arlington traveling to Washington, D.C., and from Washington, D.C. The linear scale of the buildings also is more imposing on vistas from Arlington to the Monumental Core from the North Tract and points south and west. The subject site is located within Washington s Monumental Core as expressed in the Legacy Plan, a long- SP #307 Monument View - 12 -
range framework for planning by the National Capital Planning Commission. In addition, the amount of hard-scape coverage, with the office building s flat surfaced roof and the surface parking lot, is far greater than the approved site plan. While the applicant has agreed to provide some landscaping, paving treatment, and trellis improvements on the garage s top surface, the expansive surface still dominates the site. Finally, the proposed site plan is not consistent with the goals set forth for this site in the North Tract Area Plan Study. The proposal does not provide shared parking and public access because of the type of tenant the applicant is trying to attract to the site. The proposed site plan is not an improvement over the approved site plan. The quality of the proposed project s site design and architecture is not equal to or better than the approved site plan. In addition, the plan does not provide a relative level of public benefits to the approved site plan in terms of site design, access, and shared parking. Finally, the proposal is not consistent with current planning for the North Tract area. Modification of Use Regulations: None. Community Process: The Site Plan Review Committee met four times (April 22, March 30, February 26 and February 3, 2004) on the proposed General Land Use Plan amendment and site plan. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION The Planning Commission considered these items at their recessed meeting on June 3, 2004. The Commission voted 10-1 to recommend that the County Board deny the General Land Use Plan amendment and site plan amendments. The Commission cited, among other things, the uncertainty of changes to the secure facility once the space is leased. The bulk and massing of the proposed office building, compatibility with North Tract Area Plan Study, and lack of agreements on alternatives for previously agreed to share parking arrangements and site access. CONCLUSION: The proposed site plan does not result in a better site plan than the approved plan, and the site plan would not promote and protect County planning policies or the public health, safety, and welfare. Therefore, it is recommended that the General Land Use Plan Amendment and site plan amendment requests be denied. SP #307 Monument View - 13 -
PREVIOUS COUNTY BOARD ACTIONS: May 18, 1955 August 12, 1961 February 9, 1974 October 3, 1978 May 5, 1982 September 10, 1983 September 8, 1984 September 9, 1988 March 10, 1990 May 19, 1990 July 10, 1990 September 8, 1990 November 17, 1990 April 6, 1991 Approved rezoning Z-1189-55-1 from CM to C-3. Subject area designated General Business with an M overlay on the General Land Use Plan. Approved General Land use Plan Amendment from General Commercial to High Medium Residential. Approved rezoning from C-3 to RA4.8. Approved rezoning from RA-4.8 to C-O-1.5. Approved site plan for the renovation of the existing Exxon service station subject to a review in one year. Continued site plan for Exxon service station with a review in three years. Continued site plan for the Exxon service station subject to all previous conditions and with no further review. Deferred site plan (SP #282) and General Land Use Plan Amendment request (G-215-90-1) from High Medium Residential to Low Office Apartment Hotel to the May 19, 1990 County Board meeting. requests to the July 7, 1990 County Board meeting. requests to the September 8, 1990 County Board meeting. requests to the November 17, 1990 County Board meeting. requests to the April 6, 1991 County Board meeting. SP #307 Monument View - 14 -
requests to the May 11, 1991 County Board meeting. May 11, 1991 July 14, 1991 September 14, 1991 September 10, 1994 October 1, 1994 August 14, 1999 requests to the July 14, 1991 County Board meeting. requests to the September 14, 1991 County Board meeting. Denied site plan and General Land Use Plan Amendment requests. requests to the October 1, 1994 County Board meeting. Approved General Land Use Plan Amendment and Site Plan approval requests subject to conditions. Extended the term of site plan approval for three additional years from October 1, 1999 to October 2, 2002. September 14, 2002 Extended the term of site plan approval from October 2, 2002 to October 21, 2002. October 19, 2002 Extended the term of site plan approval from October 21, 2002 to January 31, 2003. January 17, 2003 Extended the term of site plan approval from January 31, 2003 to February 28, 2003. February 8, 2003 Extended the term of the site plan approval to February 28, 2006, subject to the previous conditions; amended Conditions #1, 7, 8b(1), 8h, 11, 22, 52, 53 and 56; and new Conditions #58, 59 and 60. SP #307 Monument View - 15 -