Plan Lee Highway: Project Updates

Getting Ready for Community Workshop: Economic Vitality Existing Conditions

As we get ready for the community workshop on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020, we’ll be taking a closer look at topic areas in  the Existing Conditions Analysis, a report that provides the team’s initial observations and analysis of how various conditions affect the Lee Highway study area. The analysis is based on the County’s preliminary aspirational goals for the 9 key planning elements of the Lee Highway process.

This week, we’re looking at highlights from the analysis of the Economic Vitality element:

• The Lee Highway economy is diverse, with a wide range of neighborhood-serving business types that relate to the street and community in different ways.
• Roughly ¼ of ground floor businesses are some kind of dining or food and beverage experience.
• Lee Highway has low vacancy and low turnover, thanks to high traffic that exposes businesses to thousands of customers daily; a mix of local-serving businesses and services; and moderate rents.
• In general, the Lee Highway market has (compared to Arlington County as a whole): a higher household median income and home value; a higher share of owner-occupied housing; and a larger household size.
• Lee Highway has a competitive advantage for neighborhood-serving businesses, however, there is significant competition for regional businesses from established destinations. Any regionally focused business will have to offer unique experiences and differentiating goods/services.

Learn more with this complete overview of the report, and this Nov. 2 presentation to the Community Forum.

See these findings in action and help develop next steps for the Plan Lee Highway process at the community workshop.

Getting Ready for Community Workshop: Historic and Cultural Resources Existing Conditions

As we get ready for the community workshop on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020, we’ll be taking a closer look at topic areas in  the Existing Conditions Analysis, a report that provides the team’s initial observations and analysis of how various conditions affect the Lee Highway study area. The analysis is based on the County’s preliminary aspirational goals for the 9 key planning elements of the Lee Highway process.

This week, we’re looking at highlights from the analysis of the Historic and Cultural Resources element:

• There are 12 historic resources (four individual properties and eight historic districts) listed in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) and Virginia Landmarks Register (VLR) that are wholly or partially in the study Among these are the Cherrydale Volunteer Fire Department, Highland Park-Overlee Knolls Historic District, Stratford Junior High School and Waverly Hills Historic District.
• There are 7 County local historic districts (6 individual properties and 1 district) that are wholly or partially in the study area. Among these are Calloway Church, Dawson-Bailey House and Eastman-Fenwick House.
• A Cultural Resources Survey is currently underway. A total of 120 resources will be surveyed. It will research significant non-traditional resources such as places, people, events and stories in addition to buildings.
• The resources in the Lee Highway survey area that will be prioritized for research, surveying and documentation, have been selected from the sources and/or priorities listed below:
  • Historic Resource Inventory (HRI)
  • Legacy Businesses
  • African-American Resources
  • Civil War Forts
  • Parks, Recreation, Public Spaces, and Community Facilities
  • Properties with frontage on Lee Highway
  • Modern Architecture
• The survey will be analyzed by staff to provide future recommendations that are consistent with the policies of the Historic Preservation Master Plan and Historic Resources Index, regarding appropriate levels of preservation.

Learn more with this complete overview of the report, and this Nov. 2 presentation to the Community Forum.

See these findings in action and help develop next steps for the Plan Lee Highway process at the community workshop.

Getting Ready for Community Workshop: Public Schools, Facilities and Spaces Existing Conditions

As we get ready for the community workshop on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020, we’ll be taking a closer look at topic areas in  the Existing Conditions Analysis, a report that provides the team’s initial observations and analysis of how various conditions affect the Lee Highway study area. The analysis is based on the County’s preliminary aspirational goals for the 9 key planning elements of the Lee Highway process.

This week, we’re looking at highlights from the analysis of the Public Schools, Facilities and Spaces element:

• Public schools are close to or exceeding capacity and will continue to experience increases in enrollment as growth occurs both in and outside the Study Area.
• Public facilities are interspersed along the corridor providing for cultural, recreational and public safety. They are in various conditions and there is no flex space currently available for other County operational needs to support County residents, such as storage and equipment of materials.
• Public spaces are also dispersed throughout the corridor and complemented by other publicly accessible (privately-owned) open spaces that form a network of places, of limited connectivity, where people can meet for organized activities and casual use.
• Public schools, facilities and spaces are interconnected, however, there are physical barriers hindering access to some public schools, facilities and spaces including challenging street crossings, steep grade transitions, lack of sidewalks and bike lanes, poor wayfinding, and dead-end streets. Lee Highway is the most significant barrier separating neighborhoods from nearby public schools, facilities and spaces. This planning process will identify opportunities for connectivity improvements within existing ROW, through acquisition of new ROW and/or a public space access easement.
• This planning process will test impact on student enrollment (and other public facility needs) for new residential development arising from the land use scenarios developed for Lee Highway. It will further evaluate the County’s existing inventory of educational, recreational and cultural assets (land and buildings) to explore opportunities for acquisition, expansion, renovation, redevelopment, consolidation, and co-location of uses.

Learn more with this complete overview of the report, and this Nov. 2 presentation to the Community Forum.

See these findings in action and help develop next steps for the Plan Lee Highway process at the community workshop.

Getting Ready for Community Workshop: Urban Design and Building Form Existing Conditions

As we get ready for the community workshop on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020, we’ll be taking a closer look at topic areas in  the Existing Conditions Analysis, a report that provides the team’s initial observations and analysis of how various conditions affect the Lee Highway study area. The analysis is based on the County’s preliminary aspirational goals for the 9 key planning elements of the Lee Highway process.

This week, we’re looking at highlights from the analysis of the Urban Design and Building Form element:

• The commercial corridor is generally characterized by minimal tree cover, large surface parking lots, narrow sidewalks and wide right-of-way.
• Residential streets are generally pleasant, lushly landscaped and include street trees and adequate sidewalks where needed, although some neighborhoods lack pedestrian connectivity.
• While Cherrydale and East Falls Church buildings have more ground floor uses and windows that activate the street with parking behind or under buildings, most commercial buildings along Lee Highway and other commercial corridors have fewer windows, less inviting doorways, big blank walls and parking in the front. Service and loading areas along the rear of commercial buildings are often adjacent to single family.
• There are many types of residential development in the planning area that range in size (1/4 acre to over 7 acres) and height (2 to 9+ stories). Residential building typologies between two-family and multi-family (i.e. tri-plex, four-plex, six-plex etc.) do not exist in the study area. Transition challenges exist where 9+ story buildings adjoin single family homes. Roughly half of the parcels along Lee Highway are less than 90 feet deep, which complicates redevelopment and makes achieving transitions in height more challenging.
• This planning process will identify areas that will be impacted by change, necessary improvements to the streets, and appropriate development and building form that enhance the overall character of the neighborhoods and address transitions sensitively. It will also identify opportunities for additional height and density to realize desired community improvements – public spaces, affordability, and increased commercial and transit options.

Learn more with this complete overview of the report, and this Nov. 2 presentation to the Community Forum.

See these findings in action and help develop next steps for the Plan Lee Highway process at the community workshop.

Getting Ready for Community Workshop: Transportation and Connectivity Existing Conditions

As we get ready for the community workshop on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020, we’ll be taking a closer look at topic areas in  the Existing Conditions Analysis, a report that provides the team’s initial observations and analysis of how various conditions affect the Lee Highway study area. The analysis is based on the County’s preliminary aspirational goals for the 9 key planning elements of the Lee Highway process.

This week, we’re looking at highlights from the analysis of the Transportation and Connectivity element:

• The character and function of Lee Highway changes dramatically along the corridor.
• Generally, conditions aren’t desirable for biking along or across Lee Highway. Additionally, the eastern part of the study area lacks alternate parallel routes for biking. Parts of the corridor have limited right-of-way and shallow lots, making it difficult to accommodate bicycle facilities.
• Lee Highway does not adequately accommodate multiple modes of mobility (i.e. pedestrian, bicycle and transit) and is auto-centric. This planning process will identify the roadway standards that need additional flexibility and strategies to achieve a multimodal corridor.
• All of the planning study area is within a 10-minute walk from a park. Generally, the population along the corridor is within a 2-minute walk from a transit stop, whereas, the population along the edges of the study area are within a 10-minute walk (although the walk may not be particularly pleasant).
• This planning process will identify ways to improve overall pedestrian and bicycle connectivity (including safer routes to schools), parking, and access to transit and public spaces throughout the study area.

Learn more with this complete overview of the report, and this Nov. 2 presentation to the Community Forum.

See these findings in action and help develop next steps for the Plan Lee Highway process at the community workshop.

Getting Ready for Community Workshop: Land Use Existing Conditions

As we get ready for the community workshop on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020, we’ll be taking a closer look at topic areas in  the Existing Conditions Analysis, a report that provides the team’s initial observations and analysis of how various conditions affect the Lee Highway study area. The analysis is based on the County’s preliminary aspirational goals for the 9 key planning elements of the Lee Highway process.

This week, we’re looking at highlights from the analysis of the Land Use element:

• The Core Study Area is primarily characterized by low-rise commercial land uses with pockets of multi-family residential communities.
• Because these land uses aren’t integrated with each other, the area is missing the kind of mixed-use development that supports a walkable, “main street” environment.
• The current land use vision and zoning framework for the corridor limits opportunities for change, that could serve to meet the preliminary aspirational goals including walkability.
• With community input, the planning process will identify areas of change, the types of change appropriate for those areas, and where transitions in use will be most sensitive. It will test market potential for different types of development and uses, appropriate levels and location of uses including retail, parking, and amenities.
• This planning process will identify land use and zoning changes that will be needed, but those changes would be considered through a separate implementation process after the Lee Highway plan is adopted.
• Zoning tools developed for the Housing Conservation District in coordination with the Plan Lee Highway process will inform opportunities for preservation and change on Lee Highway.

Learn more with this complete overview of the report, and this Nov. 2 presentation to the Community Forum.

See these findings in action and help develop next steps for the Plan Lee Highway process at the community workshop.

The Lay of the Land: Breaking Down the PLH Existing Conditions Analysis

After months of study and data compilation, the Plan Lee Highway team released the Existing Conditions Analysis, a report that provides the team’s initial observations and analysis of how various conditions affect the Lee Highway study area.

The report itself, available in its entirety here, serves several purposes. What existing conditions help the community achieve its goals? What stands in its way? As the process moves forward, the analysis provides both a framework for future decision-making and a baseline snapshot that can be used later to measure progress. Here are some of the key findings:

• Conditions and community priorities may differ along the corridor, which may lead to location dependent strategies and recommendations.
• Redevelopment is a critical component of meeting community goals, but it can impact the way current businesses operate.
• Public infrastructure improvements (like stormwater facilities and streetscapes) may require enhanced coordination between the private and public sectors as well as public investment.
• Economic feasibility will shape what types and levels of redevelopment can occur.

Learn more with this complete overview of the report, and this Nov. 2 presentation to the Community Forum.

And want to see these findings in action and help develop next steps for the Plan Lee Highway process? Save the date for a community workshop on Jan. 31-Feb. 1, 2020. Details coming soon!

Now Posted: Existing Conditions Analysis and Online Survey

Plan Lee Highway has a new Existing Conditions Analysis (ECA) now available online, the first in a series of reports supporting this multi-phase PLH process. The report documents physical characteristics, demographics, regulatory framework, history and conditions of the corridor and will help guide further community conversations and goals.

The ECA is meant to call out opportunities and constraints for achieving the process’s preliminary aspirational goals, as well as provide a framework for to help the community refine those goals, the areas of change along the corridor, the types of change appropriate for those areas, and ultimately the comprehensive vision for the corridor.  

Read the report here. 

Take – and Share! – This Online Survey on PLH Priorities and Challenges

While the ECA provides a wealth of information on the study area, help us learn even more about your top priorities and concerns for Lee Highway. Take this online survey by Nov. 30.

• Help us spread the word! Forward this notice – and the survey link – to your community contacts:  neighbors, fellow group or organization members, parents at your neighborhood school, your favorite local businesses and more. We want to hear from as many people as possible!

October 2019 Newsletter

• View the October 2019 Newsletter

This newsletter provides an update on the Existing Conditions Analysis Report due at the end of this month. The newsletter also includes a message from the Chair and Vice Chair of the Working Group and information about upcoming community engagement activities this fall and winter, including a Community Forum meeting on Nov. 2.

August 2019 Newsletter

• View the August 2019 Newsletter

This newsletter provides an update on the development of the Existing Conditions Analysis Report, meetings with the Working Group, and other activities that have occurred over the summer. The newsletter also includes a message from the Chair and Vice Chair of the Working Group and information about upcoming community engagement activities this fall.

June 2019 Newsletter

• View the June 2019 Newsletter

April 2019 Newsletter

• View the April 2019 Newsletter

Help spread the word: share content from the newsletter with your community groups and connections. Post on Next Door, copy updates to civic association and condo newsletters, post to local PTA, preschool and church listservs and more. Don’t forget to include “Visit arlingtonva.us/leehighway for study information.”

County Manager Mark Schwartz welcomed the crowd and emphasized the importance of working together throughout this effort. Participants heard an overview of the process, goals, timeline and community engagement framework.

MORE: View the presentation

During the self-guided portion of the event, attendees moved through stations that reviewed principles from 2016 Visioning Study and preliminary goals for the Plan Lee Highway process. They recorded their ideas on poster boards in response to questions such as, what part of the vision principle do you like most? What part would you change and why? Which of the following goals are most important to you? Dozens of great ideas were recorded at each station with topics ranging from land use and public spaces, to housing, transportation, and economic vitality.

MORE: 

• • View the station display boards
  • Kick-Off Meetings Summary Report
  • Summary Report Appendix

Next, staff will be collaborating with the Working Group to outline the next six months of tasks, meetings and community engagement opportunities. An updated schedule will be posted to the Process, Scope and Timeline page.

January 17, 2019

November 1, 2018

September 25, 2018

September 25, 2018

County Manager announces scope and charge

Archived updates

Project updates from 2013-2016 are summarized on the Lee Highway Visioning Study page. (coming soon)