Tuesday, January 26, 1999

BVSCA MEMBERSHIP MEETING 7:30 P.M.

Meeting at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia, 22203-1860, Ellipse Conference Center (Room CC1), Free Parking for Membership Meeting, Garage Entry Up to 8:00 P.M. (See Details Below)

1. Public Comment. Recent developments affecting BVSCA Neighborhood. See details below concerning Board Meeting on Saturday, January 23, 1999, Agenda Items 6, 11, and 14. (7:30 to 7:45 p.m.).

2. Information Briefing by Virginia's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At our Executive Committee meeting on July 28, 1998, BVSCA President Ragland was requested by the Committee to contact DEQ to request a meeting on the status of actions taken since 1994 to remedy reported contamination of the soil and groundwater near the vicinity of the former Exxon station at 3444 North Washington Boulevard. This environmental issue was previously reported in BVSCA Newsletters dated April 1994, July 1994, and October 1994. (For details, please visit http://www.bvsca.org/ jul94.html, http://www.bvsca.org/april94.html, and http://www.bvsca. org/oct94.html.) Representatives from DEQ and Exxon will present the highlights of actions taken at this site and their future plans before this issue is closed. If you have any questions or comments about the actions taken or planned at this site, we invite you to bring them to our Membership Meeting. This item is scheduled for presentation from 7:45 to 8:05 p.m., followed by questions and answers from 8:05 to 8:30 p.m. DEQ welcomes BVSCA members and residents to review their case file on this matter, Case File #PC84-0059, at the DEQ Northern Virginia Regional Office. The Regional Office is open to the public on Wednesdays each week from 8:15 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and is located at 13901 Crown Court, Woodbridge, VA. (7:45 to 8:30 p.m.).

3. Proposed Vermont Court Townhouses Project. The Association will hear a revised site plan proposal for an eight (8)-unit townhouse development by representatives of the applicant, Potomac Custom Builders, L.C. The applicant has submitted a revised site design, in response to concerns expressed by area residents. The revised site design proposes a total of 22 parking spaces, four more spaces than the original design. Proposed site coverage in the revised design has increased from 60 percent to 63.4 percent. This proposed townhouse development is located on the east side of North Vermont Street, approximately 70 feet north of the 11th Street intersection. The site, which is zoned "15-30T," includes two (2) existing single family dwellings, each with a backyard garage. The proposed density for this 16,875 square-foot site is 20.67 units per acre. This proposed revised project is scheduled to be heard by the Planning Commission at its next meeting on Monday, January 25, 1999, and by the Board at its meeting of February 6, 1999. (8:30 to 9:00 p.m.). Meeting Adjournment (no later than 9:05 p.m.).

BVSCA Executive Committee Meeting (9:10 to 9:30 p.m.).

1998-'99 Membership Meeting Schedule. Monthly Membership Meetings of the Ballston-Virginia Square Civic Association are scheduled at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA), 4301 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, Virginia, Ellipse Conference Center (Room CC1 except as noted) for the following Tuesday evenings: 02/23, 03/30, 04/27, and 05/25/99. For your information, NRECA provides free garage access for one hour at NRECA's underground parking garage for participants attending the BVSCA Membership Meeting (30 minutes prior, to 30 minutes following, the starting time of our meeting). The garage's automatic exit device allows exit-only traffic after the garage is closed. BVSCA participants should be prepared to state they are attending the BVSCA Membership Meeting in order to receive free parking. Members should be advised that the garage will be accessible only up to 8:00 p.m., 30 minutes following the 7:30 p.m. starting time of our Membership Meeting, and that once the garage closes vehicles will still be able to exit the garage. Access to the Conference Room will be provided at 7:00 p.m.; the room must be completely vacated no later than 9:30 p.m.

Upcoming County Board Meeting: Saturday, January 23, 1999

Room 307, #1 Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22201

Item 6. Consent Items B. Site Plan Amendments 2. SP #212 Site Plan Amendment: Request to expand the existing management and sales office on the first floor; on premises known as 4301 North Fairfax Drive. County Manager Recommendation: Defer to the County Board meeting of February 6, 1999. BVSCA Position: The applicant has yet to comply with existing obligations under the site plan to provide a "Community Meeting Room" for the Windsor Plaza Condominium, BVSCA, Ballston Partnership, and the rest of our community. Until that obligation is satisfied, the Association will continue to oppose any proposed site plan amendments or new permits at this site.

Item 11. [Proposed Revised Library Courts Project] Rezoning and Site Plan Amendment on premises known as 1020, 1034 and 1040 North Quincy Street and 4012 11th Street North (Library Court). A. Z-2440-97-3 Rezoning: (Carry-Over and Amended): Request for a change in land classification. The property currently is zoned "RA7-16," Apartment Dwelling Districts, and "R-5," One-Family, Restricted two-family Dwelling Districts; on premises known as a portion of 1020 North Quincy Street. Planning Commission Recommendation: Rezone 1034 North Quincy Street from "R-5" to "R-A7-16." County Manager Recommendation: Approve the first proposed rezoning option as recommended in the staff report. B. SP #32 Site Plan Amendment (Carry-Over and Amended): Request for a special exception to permit construction of an 84 unit, 6 story residential building and associated parking; on premises known as 1020, 1034, 1040 North Quincy Street and 4012 North 11th Street. Planning Commission Recommendation: Defer the Site Plan Amendment indefinitely. County Manager Recommendation: Approve the site plan amendment, subject to the conditions in the staff report.

Briefly, the applicant submitted revised plans to staff that were dated November 20, 1998. These plans were revised again on January 5, 1999. The County Board deferred the proposed rezoning and previous proposed site plan proposals at its October 4, 1997, December 13, 1997, April 4, 1998, July 11, 1998, and October 17, 1998, County Board meetings, in order to give the applicant additional time to revise their proposed plans. The applicant is requesting to incorporate an additional 10,772 square foot parcel into the 35 year old Quincy Street apartments site plan development. A rezoning of the entire 4.97 acre site is proposed to accommodate a new six-story apartment building that would be placed at the northeast corner of 11th Street North and North Quincy Street.

In his Memorandum to the County Board of Arlington, Virginia, dated January 13, 1999, the County Manager states that the proposed site plan, after several revisions, is consistent with the design guidelines and recommendations of the Ballston Sector Plan. The proposed plan supports neighborhood preservation by providing an appropriate transition to the lower density neighborhoods located north of 11th Street, and its scale is consistent with that of previous site plans approved by the County Board on the south side of 11th Street. The proposal does not address several deficiencies of the existing 1020 Quincy Street site plan, including incompatibility of building design, retention of substantial surface parking, and differing ownership structures. However, the applicant has agreed to provide significant improvements, including dedicating land to the County for right-of-way purposes, widening the eastern part of 11th Street North adjacent to the proposed building, constructing streetscape on the site's three frontages, including the last segment of an 11th Street connection to the Central Library, screening of the surface parking, and preserving the green space across Quincy Street from the Central Library. The proposed amendment would provide coverage of 56.3%, which would require a modification of use... The proposed site plan amendment to be heard by the Board occupies the corner of the site where the three single-family houses are located. One of these houses sits on the parcel proposed to be added to the site. The site area occupied by the proposed six-story building is 33,800 square feet. After street dedication, this area would be reduced to approximately 29,600 square feet. The proposed building is considerably lower in height than 1020 Quincy Street, providing a taper on the site from the older building toward the northeast. The new building would contain 84 units and 2 levels of underground parking containing 117 spaces, 22 of which would be spaces allocated to 1020 North Quincy Street, or the equivalent reduction of 22 surface parking spaces from the 1020 building.

The proposed building would be located 50 feet from the 1020 building. The building would be set back approximately 14.5 feet from the back of the sidewalk on 11th Street North and 25 feet from the back of the sidewalk on North Quincy Street. The building would rise four stories (approximately 46 feet to the roof) facing both streets, and step back 16 feet on the 11th Street elevation and 12.5 feet from the Quincy Street elevation at the 5th floor. The height of the six-story portion of the building would be approximately 64.5 feet. The building would have entrances on the south elevation from the existing service drive to the 1020 building, as well as on 11th Street, with an emergency exit on North Quincy Street. The building would be precast concrete and brick, with metal railings and roofing. The brick color is proposed to match that on the Quincy Station building on the south end of the block. The balcony railings would be bronze, while the metal roofing would be a terra cotta color. Staff recommends that the Board approve the rezoning proposal of approximately 0.88 acres of "R-C" along the southern boundary of the site and approve the proposal to rezone the "R-5" lot to "RA7-16," in order to make that parcel consistent with surrounding properties and with its General Land Use Plan designation.

Further, staff recommends that the proposed site plan amendment be approved subject to 63 conditions. For example, Condition #14 prescribes that Sidewalks along all street frontages of this development shall be paved with brick or an interlocking concrete paver and shall be placed on a properly engineered base approved as such by the Department of Public Works... The sidewalks shall contain street trees in 4 foot x 6 foot tree grates. Street trees shall not be placed within the vision obstruction area. All public walkways shall be constructed to County Standards....Condition #36. The developer agrees to ensure that all parking spaces shall comply with the requirements of Section 33 of the Zoning Ordinance. Unless otherwise approved by the County Board, the number of compact spaces may not exceed 40 percent of total number of spaces provided....Condition #63. The developer agrees to provide ten (10) affordable housing units in the new building for a period of 15 years. The 10 affordable units shall be affordable only to eligible families earning below 50% and 60% of median income....

BVSCA Position: The Association has had three prior Membership Meetings on this proposed project on October 1, 1997, February 24, 1998, and September 29, 1998. In addition, the Executive Committee of our Association has had seven Executive Committee meetings on this proposed project, among other action items. The Association does not support the revised proposed site plan amendment, because it does not provide an appropriate transition to the low density neighborhoods located north of 11th Street, and it does not present an integrated site plan with the existing/future 1020 Quincy Street. Also, the proposed site plan amendment is not in character with surrounding densities and uses. The Association urges all interested residents to attend the Board Meeting on Saturday, January 23, 1999, Agenda Item #11, and to express your views on this critically important project.

Item 14. Site Plan Amendments and Vacation of Easement for premises known as 3801 and 3803 North Fairfax Drive. This site plan amendment request includes a special exception to permit a single office building of approximately 159,285 square foot office space and 4,400 square foot retail space. At the BVSCA Membership Meeting on Oct. 27, 1998, members expressed concern about the proposed new building not providing more retail space. Members suggested that the first floor of the building be all retail space to help ensure more critical mass and successful retail at this location, especially given the loss of retail space at VA Square when the FDIC training center and hotel was built. Also, they suggested that the proposed site plan amendment to the existing five story building include -- a retail square foot condition on the first floor along Fairfax Drive. (Currently, no retail is provided at 3803 N. Fairfax Drive, which is the site of the former Galley's Prescription Center.) Both the Planning Commission and the County Manager recommended approval of the site plan amendments as recommended in the staff report.