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DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY PLANNING, HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT

Planning Division

#1 Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard, Suite 700 Arlington, VA 22201 TEL 703.228.3525 FAX 703.228.3543 www.arlingtonva.us

TO:

Zoning Committee of the Planning Commission Members

FROM:

Matt Pfeiffer

DATE:

1/19/2016

SUBJECT:

Vehicle Rental

Introduction Arlington is home to several car rental agencies that serve the local population and visitors from beyond the region. These businesses are mainly located within the County’s mixed-use corridors, and many are clustered in proximity to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). Car rental serves as an important component of the County’s transportation system in that it fills the gap between intercity travel (airplane and intercity rail travel), and end destinations. It also provides those who forego car ownership with an option for short or medium-term use of a vehicle. Car rental businesses (“vehicle sales, rental or leasing facilities”) are allowed in many, but not all, of the County’s commercial/mixed-use (C) districts. This issue was brought to staff’s attention through a recent site plan application (SP #440, 750 N. Glebe/Mazda Block), in which the applicant proposed to rezone a property to the RA4.8 district and to incorporate an existing Enterprise Rent-a-Car business within the project. Car rental is not a permitted use within the RA4.8 district. Staff is exploring a potential Zoning Ordinance amendment that would add “vehicle sales, rental or leasing facilities” as an allowed use within several mixed-use districts where it is not currently allowed, with use standards for those districts that are consistent with an urban model whereby vehicles are stored within parking garages and sales/rental offices occupy ground-floor retail space within a mixed-use building.

http://www.arlingtonva.us/

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Background Car rental is classified in the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance (ACZO) as “vehicle sales, rental or leasing facilities,” and includes use standards consistent with a suburban-model assuming large surface parking lots and including requirements for minimum lot size, lighting, landscaping, and screening of trash receptacles. The Zoning Ordinance permits “vehicle sales, rental or leasing facilities,” subject to use permit approval, within the C-1, C-2, C-3, and C-O-A districts, and by use permit associated with a site plan in the C-O-1.0, C-O-1.5, C-O-2.5, C-O, C-O Rosslyn, and C-O Crystal City districts (the use is also allowed in Industrial (M) districts, either by-right, or subject to use permit approval, depending on lot size). The use is not allowed in the RA4.8, R-C, RA-H, RA-H-3.2, C-1-R, MU-VS, C-1-O and C-TH districts. Existing use standards assume the suburban model of car dealership and rental lots, but do not preclude a development form typical to an urban model. Staff has identified the existing car rental facilities in Arlington (excluding those at DCA):

Car Rental Agency Neighborhood Zoning District Model Enterprise 1745 N. Pierce Street

Rosslyn C-O Urban

Hertz Key Bridge Marriott Rosslyn C-O-2.5 Accessory

Avis/Budget 3206 10th Street N.

Clarendon C-3 Suburban

Advance Car Rental 850 N. Randolph Street

Ballston C-O-2.5 Urban

Enterprise American Service Center

Ballston C-M Suburban

Enterprise 750 N. Glebe Road

Ballston C-2 Suburban

Enterprise 2778 S. Arlington Mill Drive

Shirlington C-O-1.5 Urban

Hertz 1700 Jeff Davis Highway

Crystal City RA-H-3.2* Accessory

Enterprise 2020 Jeff Davis Highway

Crystal City RA-H-3.2* Accessory

Dollar/Advance/Thrifty 2600 Jeff Davis Highway

Crystal City CM Suburban

Hertz Courtyard Marriott Crystal City

Crystal City C-O Accessory

* Vehicle Rental is not currently permitted in RA-H-3.2. Research indicates that car rental desks were considered as accessory uses to the principle hotel use. Staff has categorized car rental facilities in Arlington into three general models: 1) Suburban – Cars stored on surface parking lots with rental offices located within on-site

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trailers or structures, either with or without vehicle maintenance on site;

Figure 1: Suburban Model Example: Enterprise 750 N. Glebe Rd.

2) Urban – Ground floor rental offices within mixed-use buildings with cars stored either within structured or underground parking garages with no on-site maintenance and with either dedicated parking spaces or shared parking spaces; and

Figure 2: Urban Model Example: Advance 850 N. Randolph St.

3) Accessory – Accessory counters or offices within hotels, with cars stored either within garages or on surface parking lots.

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Figure 3: Accessory Model Example: Key Bridge Marriott

Staff spoke with representatives from two different car rental agencies within the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor about their business models. Both of these rental agencies represented the “Urban” model, however one of the agencies has offices within the County representing all three models identified above. Both representatives expressed that their goal is to have between 90-95% utilization rates, meaning that this percentage of vehicles would be on the road at any given time. Therefore, relative to the number of cars in a fleet, only a small number of on-site parking spaces are needed. Neither agency provides shuttle service from DCA or other locations; customers arrive on foot or from some other means. Preliminary Concept Staff is considering adding “vehicle sales, rental, or leasing facilities” as an allowed use subject to use permit associated with a site plan, within the following districts where it is currently not allowed: RA4.8, R-C, RA-H-3.2, MU-VS, and C-R; it would be allowed subject to a use permit only in C-TH as that district does not allow site plans. Staff reviewed all of the commercial/mixed-use districts where the use is not currently allowed, however, concluded that RA-H, C-1-R, and C-1-O are not compatible with the use. RA-H corresponds to a primarily residential General Land Use Plan designation and retail is not permitted. C-1-R and C-1-O are determined to be too low-intensity in nature and/or providing for only limited retail. The purpose of this amendment is to allow “vehicle sales, rental, or leasing facilities” in additional mixed-use districts within the County and for the use to conform to the urban model (see Background). Car rental is an important link in the transportation system, providing short-term use of a vehicle for those who choose to forego car ownership, and providing local transportation for visitors arriving by air or intercity rail. Also, the increasing use of rental agencies providing carsharing vehicles provides for more efficient use of the transportation system, specifically cited in the Master Transportation Plan (MTP) Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Element as a strategy to help implement TDM. Staff believes that this approach is consistent with the County’s Smart Growth policies.

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The zoning districts within which staff is considering allowing “vehicle sales, rental, or leasing facilities” are similar to the zoning districts within which the use is currently permitted, and are compatible with the high-intensity land use designations within the two planning corridors. In addition, staff determines that “vehicle sales, rental, or leasing” is a compatible use within the additional districts themselves, and will not result in adverse impacts to existing or allowed uses in those districts. Staff is proposing allowing the use in the additional districts subject to a use permit; therefore any site specific issues and considerations can be dealt with during the use permit review. Staff is considering the following: • “Vehicle sales, rental, or leasing facilities” within the additional districts are restricted to

rental facilities only, e.g. car dealerships would not be permitted given the impacts associated with deliveries of large volumes of cars. Staff is considering that delivery of multiple vehicles on large trucks would be explicitly not permitted.

• A Zoning parking plan would have to be approved by the County Manager or his designee

prior to the issuance of the certificate of occupancy (existing requirement), that specifies: o Location within the garage where rental vehicles are stored, if applicable o Location of any wash or vacuum stations o Location of trash facilities

Staff is not proposing making dedicated spaces available for rental vehicles a requirement. Washing/vacuuming stations within a garage would be dealt with as a component of the use permit review. There is a parking requirement for customer and employee parking for the use (2 spaces per 1200 square feet), which staff does not proposed changing.

• All vehicle service and maintenance, including oil changes, must occur off-site.

These standards would not be applicable to the commercial/mixed-use districts within which the use is currently allowed (C-1, C-O-1.0, C-O-1.5, C-O-2.5, C-O, C-O-A, C-O Rosslyn, C-O Crystal City, C-2, and C-3). Existing car rental agencies located within these districts could become nonconforming and/or have existing development rights impacted. While the intent is not to perpetuate the suburban model of a car rental agency, the existing standards do not preclude development conforming to the urban model.

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Timeline

Car Rental ZOA January/February 2016

ZOCO meeting Focus group discussion with Civic Association representatives Focus group discussion with car rental business community

February, 2016 ZOCO meeting (if needed) March/April 2016 Request to Advertise considered by County Board

April/May 2016 Planning Commission final consideration

County Board action

1

Proposed amendments are shown with strikethrough to denote text to be deleted and underline to denote text to be added.

Where new sections or paragraphs are added that change the numbering of existing sections or paragraphs, all references throughout the Ordinance will be updated accordingly

1

Article 7. Commercial/ Mixed Use (C) Districts 2

§7.1. Commercial/Mixed Use (C) Districts Use Tables 3

4

*** 5

6

Commercial/mixed use (C) districts principal use table 7 8

*** 9

COMMERCIAL/MIXED USE (C) DISTRICTS PRINCIPAL USE TABLE

Specific Use Types RA4.

8

R-C

RA-H

RA

-H-3

.2

C-1-

R C-

1

MU

-VS

C-

1-O

C-

O-1

.0

C-O

-1.5

C-

O-2

.5

C-O

C-

O-A

C-

O R

OSS

LYN

C-

O C

RYST

AL

CIT

Y C-

2 C-

TH

C-3

C-R

Use Standards

KEY: C = requires use permit and site plan approval; P = allowed by-right; U = requires use permit approval; S = requires site plan approval; Blank cell = not permitted Retail, Service and Commercial Use Categories (See §12.2.5)

***

Vehicle Sales and Service (See )

Car wash U U Vehicle body shop U U §12.5.27 Vehicle sales, rental, or leasing facilities C C C U C C C C C U C C U

P U UP C §12.5.28.C29

Vehicle service establishment U C C C C U C C U U U §12.5.28 All other vehicle sales and service uses

10

*** 11

12

2

Article 12. Use Standards 13

§12.1. Applicability 14

Uses allowed in this zoning ordinance shall be subject to the following special, use-specific provisions, 15 except as permitted by site plan approval or otherwise specified in the respective districts or in the 16 provisions of this article. 17

§12.2. Use Categories 18

*** 19

Retail, service and commercial use categories 20 21

*** 22 23

I. Vehicle sales and service 24

1. Characteristics 25 Direct sales of and service to passenger vehicles, light and medium trucks and 26 other consumer motor vehicles such as motorcycles, boats and recreational 27 vehicles. 28

2. Examples 29 Examples of vehicles sales and service include fuel stations; body shops, auto paint 30 shops, upholstery shops; auto detailing, auto repair, battery sales and installation, 31 quick lubrication facilities, tire sales and mounting, car washes; vehicle sales, 32 rental, or leasing facilities, including passenger vehicles, motorcycles, light and 33 medium trucks, boats and other recreational vehicles. 34

3. Accessory uses 35 Accessory uses include associated offices; parking; sales of parts; towing vehicle 36 fueling; and vehicle storage. 37

4. Uses not included 38 Refueling facilities for fleet vehicles that belong to a specific use (see Accessory 39 Use); retail sales of farm equipment and machinery and earth moving and heavy 40 construction equipment (see Heavy Industrial); vehicle parts sales as a principal use 41 (see Retail); vehicle storage lots and towing services as a principal use (see Light 42 Industrial Service). 43

44

§12.5. COMMERCIAL/MIXED USE STANDARDS 45

Vehicle sales, rental and leasing facilities 46 Vehicle sales, rental and leasing facilities shall comply with the following standards as well as 47 any use permit conditions or requirements: 48

3

A. In C and M districts, as permitted in §7.1.2 and §8.1.2, except RA4.8, R-C, RA-H-3.2, MU-49 VS, C-TH, and C-R, the following standards shall apply: 50

1. Minimum site area 51

(a) In C-1 and C-O-A districts, minimum site area shall be 20,000 square feet. 52

(b) In C-2, C-3 and all M districts, such uses may be permitted subject to use permit 53 approval as provided in §15.4 on sites with a minimum of 10,000 square feet, 54 but less than 20,000 square feet; and by-right on sites with a minimum of 55 20,000 square feet, 56

2. In the CP-FBC district, indoor and/or outdoor display area(s) shall not exceed 300 57 linear feet along Main Street or Avenue frontage. Vehicle sales, rental or leasing 58 facilities are specifically prohibited on Neighborhood and Local Sites. 59

3. Delivery of automobiles shall be limited to the hours between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 60 p.m., Monday through Saturday only. A plan shall be agreed upon with the police 61 department for time and place of the delivery of automobiles and this plan shall be 62 submitted to the zoning administrator. 63

4. All incidental repair services shall occur within the service bay facility. No vehicle 64 parts and repair tools shall be stored or displayed outside the repair facility. 65

5. Any lubrication or washing not conducted wholly within a building shall be 66 permitted only if a masonry wall, seven feet in height, is erected and maintained 67 between such uses and any adjoining R district. 68

6. Vehicles placed in the custody of the persons conducting the motor vehicle use 69 shall be kept on the premises of the motor vehicle use in compliance with the 70 parking plan approved by the zoning administrator consistent with the zoning 71 ordinance and shall not be tested or parked on streets that are designated as local 72 principal or local minor streets in the Arlington County Master Transportation Plan. 73

7. Lighting on the property shall be directed and shielded so as not to affect 74 adversely, through the dissemination of light rays, any R or RA district that is 75 abutting or across a street, alley, sidewalk or other public right-of-way from the 76 use. 77

8. The property shall be developed as required in §14.2, Landscaping, and §14.3, 78 Automobile Parking, Standing and Loading Space. A screening wall or solid wood 79 fence with a minimum height of four feet shall be provided where a parking area 80 for the storage or display of vehicles, including customer parking, abuts any street, 81 sidewalk, alley or other public right-of-way, or separating the site from R or RA 82 district. 83

9. Parking areas shall be arranged and used so that vehicles which are parked, 84 displayed and stored on the property do not overhang or protrude outside the 85

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prescribed limits of the parking area into the required setback or onto the public 86 right-of-way. 87

10. All trash receptacles located outside the building shall be screened from public 88 view by a brick wall or solid wood fence on three sides which is a minimum of six 89 feet in height. 90

11. Use of a public address system or loudspeaker shall comply with the standards and 91 regulations in Chapter 15, Noise Control Ordinance, or the Arlington County Code, 92 except that use of such system shall not be permitted after 9:00 p.m., daily. 93

B. In the RA4.8, R-C, RA-H-3.2, MU-VS, C-TH, and C-R districts, the following standards shall 94 apply: 95

1. Use is restricted to vehicle rental facilities only. Vehicle sales and leasing facilities 96 and vehicle dealerships are not allowed. 97

2. Rental vehicles shall be parked wholly within a structured parking garage. 98 Operations of rental vehicles, including but not limited to vehicle returns, shall not 99 have an adverse impact on garage circulation. 100

3. Deliveries containing multiple vehicles from a truck are not permitted. 101

4. All vehicle maintenance and repair shall occur off-site, except washing and 102 vacuuming as provided in §12.29.B.5 below. 103

5. Any washing and vacuuming conducted on-site shall not have an adverse impact on 104 other uses contained within the structured parking garage. 105

6. All vehicle rental facility uses shall comply with the provisions of §12.5.29.A.6 106 above. 107

C. Submission requirements applicable to all zoning districts: 108

1. New vehicle sales, rental or leasing facilities, or existing vehicle sales, rental or 109 leasing facilities that are required to obtain a certificate of occupancy shall submit 110 the following to the zoning administrator: 111

(a) Parking lot layout plan, showing parking spaces, buildings, and landscaped area, 112 drawn to scale, and certified by a surveyor or engineer; 113

(b) Lot calculation table showing the total site area, and the size and location of 114 each area occupied by vehicle display space, customer parking, employee 115 parking, office, and landscaping and buffer, and any proposed vehicle washing 116 and vacuuming station. 117

118 119

120

121

122

123

¯Map created 1/4/16 for reference purposes only

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General Land Use Plan designations typically associated with zoning districts where car rental is being considered

Sectors

High-Medium ResidentialHigh ResidentialGeneral CommercialMedium Office-Apartment-HotelHigh Office-Apartment-Hotel

High-Medium Residential Mixed-UseMedium Density Mixed-Use


1:16,000

LegendZoning Districtswhere car leasing is being considered

C-THMU-VSRA-H-3.2RA4.8RC

General Land Use Plan Sector


1:16,000

LegendZoning Districtswhere car leasing is being considered

General Land Use Plan Sector

C-THMU-VSRA-H-3.2RA4.8RCC-R

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