WHEREAS In response to Arlington's housing crisis the County Board has convened a Roundtable to discuss developer contributions to affordable housing in base site plan density (without bonus density),

WHEREAS the Roundtable is progressing towards a resolution based on an affordable housing definition of affordability to a household income of 60% of area median income (AMI),

WHEREAS the Federation is represented on the Roundtable,

WHEREAS the Federation should make known its views and offer guidance on these important matters,

BE IT THEREFORE RESOLVED, that the views of the Federation on the important matters before the Roundtable and the County Board include the following:

1) Arlington County offers great value to developers through the site plan process. The existence of site plans is entirely voluntary on the County's part. Therefore, site plans should provide appropriate public benefits.

2) If affordable housing contributions are to be calculated based on the density given in the site plan process beyond "by right" density, the assumed "by-right" density must be reasonable and fair to the community and no greater than the actual floor area ratio (FAR) achievable by right on a site.

3) Deciding whether to accept affordable units or a cash contribution from developers for additional density should be the decision of the County and not the decision of the developer.

4) Where existing affordable housing units are being torn down and destroyed by a new proposed site plan development, the minimum amount of affordable housing to be built on the site should equal, at least100% replacement of the existing housing with comparable units.

5) Any policy developed should include performance measures to permit evaluation of the policy over time.

Housing Committee
November 1, 2005

For further info please contact Kathryn Scruggs, Housing Committee Chair - kathryn+

This page was last revised on: October 26, 2005.