Lee Highway Visioning Study
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LEE HIGHWAY VISIONING STUDY 05.11.16 CREDITS Special thanks to members of the Lee Highway Alliance (LHA), the Community Advisory Group (CAG) and the Lee Highway Presidents’ Breakfast (LHPB). Waverly Hills Civic Association John M Langston Citizens Association Tara Leeway Civic Association Sandi Chesrown, Co-founder Willie Jackson Baker Bill Braswell Ginger Brown, Co-founder Alexandra Bocian Kim Person Louis Wassel, Co-founder Michelle Winters Leeway Overlee Civic Association Cherrydale Citizens Association Kim Klingler Waycroft Woodlawn Civic Association Maureen Ross Scott Matties Sharon Dorsey Tom Korns Lala Matties Jim Pebley Jim Todd Tracie Morris Lyon Village Citizens Association Donaldson Run Civic Association Jim Lantelme Rosslyn Civic Association Anne Wilson John Armstrong Jennifer Zelen Bill Richardson Jennifer Beals-Gittner Deirdre Dessingue Maywood Civic Association Rita Hummel Antony Maderal Yorktown Civic Association Joan Lawrence Calloway Church Andrew Schneider Amanda Davis Saundra Green Mike Cantwell North Highlands Citizens Association Economic Development Advisor East Falls Church Civic Association Ponnappa Paleyanda Sally Duran Liz McGonigle Anita Machhar Franz Gimmler Dawn Dekker Urban Design Advisor Anne Collins Karen Kumm Morris, RLA, FALSA Old Dominion Civic Association Glebewood Civic Association Mike Conyngham Planning Advisor Laura Johnson Chris Forinash Lisa Nisenson, Greater Places Laurel Wessman Richard Lolich Stratford School Rock Spring Civic Association Susan Cunningham Charlie Flickner Carl Cunningham Mark Luncher Special thanks also to the Langston Brown Community Center, where the charrette and most meetings to date have taken place. The Lee Highway Alliance (LHA) would like to express special appreciation to the County Board, the Planning Commission, the Economic Development Commission, the Civic Federation and Arlington County Staff who have supported this effort since its 2012 formation. Libby Garvey, Arlington County Board Kris Krider, DCPHD, Supervisor, Urban Richard Hartman, DES, Transportation (Chair) Design & Research Planning Jay Fisette, Arlington County Board - (Vice Claude Williamson, DCPHD, Supervisor, Victor Hoskins, Director, AED Chair) Comprehensive Planning Jane Kim, DES, Development Services Katie Cristol, Arlington County Board Justin Falango, DCPHD, Project Coordinator, Irena Lazic, DPR, Planning & Development Christian Dorsey, Arlington County Board Urban Design & Research Cynthia Liccese‐Torres, DCPHD, Historic John Vihstadt, Arlington County Board Kellie Brown, DCPHD, Comprehensive Preservation Program Coordinator Mary Hynes, Arlington County Board Planning Jessica Margarit, DCPHD, Communications (former) Leon Vignes, DCPHD, Comprehensive Chikwe Njoku, DCPHD, Chief, Walter Tejada, Arlington County Board Planning Neighborhood Services Division (former) Margaret Rhodes, DCPHD, Comprehensive Rebeccah Ballo, DCPHD, Historic Planning Mark Schwartz, County Manager Preservation Michelle Stafford, DCPHD, Neighborhood Gabriela Acurio, Deputy County Manager Jason Beske, DCPHD, Urban Design & Services Research Steve Cover, Director, DCPHD Richard Tucker, DCPHD, Comprehensive David Cristeal, DCPHD, Director, Housing DCPHD, Planning Director, Planning Bob Duffy, Division Planning Division Ritch Viola, DES, Transportation Supervisor Andrew D’huyvetter, DCPHD, Urban Design & Research Brett Wallace, DCPHD, Urban Design & Research Joel Franklin, DCPHD, Housing Steven Yaffe, DES, Transit Planning Jill Griffin, AED, Real Estate & Development The Lee Highway Alliance (LHA) would also like to thank the many landowners, business owners, land use attorneys, non-profits and commissions members that offered their time and subject matter expertise to this effort. Kate Bates, President, Arlington Chamber of Peter Fallon, Arlington County Planning Mark Silverwood, Silverwood Companies Commerce Commission (former) Michael Zacharia, CBRE/Lee Heights Shopping Betsy Frantz, President, Leadership Arlington Janet Kopenhaver, Chair, Arts Commission Center Martha Moore, Civic Federation Marjorie Green, VOICE Mary Rouleau, Alliance for Housing Solutions Ralph Johnson, Properties Owner Brian Scull, The Shooshan Company Nina Janopaul, Arlington Partnership for Peter Hage, Arlington Parks & Recreation Kedrick Whitmore, Venable, LLP Affordable Housing Commission Dr. Matthew Shank, President, Marymount Michael Foster, MFTA Architecture Pamela Gillen, AIA, ECOARC University Walter Webdale, AHC, Inc. Jon Kinney, Bean, Kinney & Korman, P.C. Cathy Wolfe, AIA, Director Campus Planning, Holly Sadeghian, Glebe Lee Shopping Center Matt Ginivan, The JBG Companies George Mason University Alan Berman, Garden City Shopping Center Eric Dobson, NAIOP & Preservation Nick Stone, PH.D, Director, Virginia Tech, Adrian Stanton, Virginia Hospital Center National Capital Region Arlington Roni Robins, VP, A. J. Dwoskin, Lee Harrison Inta Malis, Arlington County Planning Jeannette Chapman, Center for Regional Shopping Center Analysis, George Mason University Commission (former) Bob Bushkoff, Dittmar Cherrydale Business Alliance (numerous Nancy Iacomini, Arlington County Planning Tad Lunger, McGuire Woods LLP Commission businesses) Michelle Horwitz Cornwell, VP, BMC Property Barnes Lawson, The Law Firm of William B. Brian Harner, AIA , Arlington County Lawson, P.C. Planning Commission (former) Group/Lyon Village Shopping Center Prepared for: Arlington County and the Lee Highway Alliance Consultant Team: Dover, Kohl & Partners | consultant team lead, community outreach & town planning Hall Planning & Engineering | Complete Streets transportation planning AECOM | landscape architecture, urban design & open space planning Ferrell Madden | urban design Partners for Economic Solutions | economics & implementation CONTENTS LHA Response ........................................................ 2 Background ............................................................ 6 Purpose of this Study LHA Guiding Principles Charrette Process ................................................... 10 Vision for Lee Highway ........................................... 26 Key Ingredients: Neighborhood Character, Building Design, & Historic Preservation Street Design & Transportation Improvements Community Open Spaces & Gathering Places Mix Of Housing Choices, Local Businesses & Economic Vitality Illustrating the Vision............................................... 42 Recommendations................................................... 60 Appendix ................................................................ A.1 Summary of Feedback from Pre-Charrette Interviews Notes from Hands-on Session Table Presentations Scans of Charrette Feedback Forms Comments on Draft Report “Quotes in green “Quotes in blue are are comments on the comments from draft report” charrette participants” LHA RESPONSE The Lee Highway Alliance (LHA) is pleased to transmit businesses, landowners and non-profits – as a coordinated to you the Lee Highway Visioning Study, a giant step grassroots movement in strategic partnership with the forward in realizing a new, joint community vision for County. a more economically vibrant, walkable, attractive Lee Highway corridor—one that benefits neighborhoods and Supported by County Staff, the LHPB met 24 times businesses. on Saturday mornings, usually at the Langston Brown Community Center. Through this series of walking tours and educational forums the community learned about The Grassroots Citizen-led Effort Laid and discussed planning and zoning, transportation, public the Groundwork for This Study art, historic resources, open space and streetscaping, In the spring of 2012, citizens from the Waverly Hills Civic sustainability, retail development, and housing, all of which Association who were developing their Neighborhood were presented by local experts. LHPB also developed Conservation Plan saw signs that Lee Highway (US29) was and implemented a survey of local businesses to better ripe for re-planning. The region was growing—projected understand their needs. to increase by more than 36% in the next 25 years. The In the fall of 2014, the LHPB transitioned into a broader economy was picking up—Arlington had the lowest group of stakeholders, which became the Lee Highway unemployment in Virginia. Major development projects Alliance (LHA). The educational phase transitioned into a were already under construction, including the Bergman’s community outreach phase to identify the primary issues site at Lee Highway and North Veitch Street and Parkland important to the re-visioning of the corridor. The LHA— Gardens at 20th Road North and North Glebe Road. who was supported by the County’s Community Planning Unfortunately, Lee Highway was the only corridor in Housing and Development (CPHD) Planning Division Arlington County without a focused planning effort who provided a comprehensive baseline analysis of and the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) had not been existing conditions along Lee Highway including extensive comprehensively updated for 57 years. The community was mapping—hosted five major community meetings. stuck with land use policy written in 1955. Characterized by The result of those large community meetings was mid to late 20th C. low-rise commercial development and the formation of a Community Advisory Group (CAG), surface parking lots, the auto-oriented public realm and comprised of leaders of the active 15 civic associations, who general development pattern reflected traditional highway drafted a document identifying the community’s shared corridors