SITE PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA TIME: 7:00 – … · 2.2 Overview of site plan proposal...

S I T E P L A N R E V I E W C O M M I T T E E M E E T I N G A G E N D A

DATE: Monday, April 1, 2019 TIME: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. PLACE: Ellen Bozman Government Center/Courthouse Plaza

2100 Clarendon Boulevard Lobby Rooms C&D (Cherry and Dogwood) Arlington, VA 22201

SPRC STAFF COORDINATOR: Nicole Boling

Item 1.

Rosslyn Holiday Inn/1900 N. Fort Myer Drive (SP #79) (RPC#s 16-015-100; 16-022-003; -004) Planning Commission and County Board meetings to be determined. Matthew Pfeiffer (CPHD Staff)

7:00pm–9:00 p.m.

The Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) is comprised of Planning Commission members, representatives from other relevant commissions and several appointed citizens. The SPRC reviews all site plans and major site plan amendments requests, which are submitted to the County Board and the Planning Commission for consideration. The major responsibilities of the SPRC are the following:

1.

Review site plan or major site plan amendment requests in detail.

2.

Advise the Planning Commission by recommending the appropriate action in regard to a specific plan and any conditions, which it might determine to be necessary or appropriate.

3. Provide a forum by which interested citizens, civic associations and neighborhood conservation

committees can review and comment on a particular plan, or the effects that the proposed project might have on the neighborhood.

In order to save copying costs, staff has selectively chosen the reduced drawings to be included in this package. The complete full size drawings are available for review in the Arlington County Zoning Office, 10th Floor, Courthouse Plaza, 2100 Clarendon Boulevard and also in the Central Library’s Virginia Room, 1015 N. Quincy St., (703) 228-5990. For more information on the Arlington County Planning Commission, go to their web site http://commissions.arlingtonva.us/planning-commission/ For more information on the Site Plan public review process, go to the Arlington County Planning Division’s web site on Development Proposals/Site Plans http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/CPHD/Planning/applications/site_plans/CPHDPlanningApplicationsSite_plansMain.aspx To view the current Site Plan Review Committee schedule, go to the web site http://commissions.arlingtonva.us/planning-commission/sprc/

http://commissions.arlingtonva.us/planning-commission/

http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/CPHD/Planning/applications/site_plans/CPHDPlanningApplicationsSite_plansMain.aspx

http://www.arlingtonva.us/Departments/CPHD/Planning/applications/site_plans/CPHDPlanningApplicationsSite_plansMain.aspx

http://commissions.arlingtonva.us/planning-commission/sprc/

Rosslyn Holiday Inn (SP #79)

I T E M 1 Rosslyn Holiday Inn (SP #79)

(RPC#s 16-015-100; 16-022-003; -004)

Meeting #1 – April 1, 2019

1 Welcome and Introductions – 7:00 pm – 7:05 pm

2 Informational Presentations – 7:05 – 7:50 pm 2.1 Site Plan Background and Context (Staff) – 7:05 pm – 7:15 pm

2.1.1 History and Background

2.1.2 Urban Design Context and Existing Conditions 2.2 Overview of site plan proposal (Applicant) – 7:15 – 7:30 pm

2.2.1 Proposed development program 2.2.2 Agenda Presentation – site design

2.3 Analysis of Site Plan Proposal (staff) – 7:30 – 7:40 pm.

2.3.1 Adopted Plans, Policy, and Zoning

2.3.2 Preliminary Issues

2.4 Clarifying Questions on Presentations – 7:40 pm – 7:50 pm

3 Site design and characteristics – 7:50 pm – 8:20 pm 3.1 Allocation of uses on site and relationship to land uses in the vicinity

3.2 Relationship and orientation of building(s) to public/open space, adjacent streets

and street edges (build-to lines), other existing or proposed buildings, community

facilities (Lee Highway frontage and “edge” issues)

3.3 Site circulation: building entrances, pedestrian/ bike/vehicle access through site,

impact on adjacent sites of loading and parking, delivery issues (Pedestrian cut

through, porte-cochere)

3.4 Streetscape design and improvements

3.5 View vistas through site, and view-sheds (tower separation)

3.6 Visibility of site or buildings from significant neighboring perspectives

3.7 Miscellaneous:

3.7.1 Natural/ environmental constraints and opportunities (topography, solar

angles, wind, existing and planned vegetation, hydrology, climate, and noise)


3.7.2 Solar orientation of building masses on site and shadows cast off site

3.7.3 Accessibility, universal design elements

4 Rosslyn BID Urban Design Committee Presentation – 8:20pm – 8:25pm

5 Meeting Wrap Up – 8:25 pm – 8:50 pm

5.1 Site design final impressions 5.2 Requests for additional information & clarification

6 Public Comment – 8:50 pm – 9:00 pm

Meeting #2 – May 13, 2019

7 Architecture of Building (and in context of site, including architectural characteristics

of surrounding buildings) 3.1 Design

3.1.1 Building, massing, height, sculpting tapering, setbacks, step-backs 3.1.2 Building components: podium, mid-building, roofline, penthouse 3.1.3 Façade treatments, materials, fenestration, special treatments 3.1.4 Exterior lighting and other special features, including location of special features

in context of urban design analysis 3.1.5 Street level activation: entrances/exits 3.1.6 Accessibility: Universal Design 3.1.7 Historic Preservation

3.2 Service issues 3.2.1 Utility equipment

3.2.1.1 Electrical distribution system, communication distribution system, water distribution system

3.2.1.2 Venting location and type 3.2.1.3 Location and visibility of loading and trash service

3.3 Uses (Residential, Office, Hotel, Retail, Mixed use) 3.3.1 Retail spaces: location, size, ceiling heights, storefront

designs, transparency, tenant types 3.3.2 Residential: unit size; flexibility of interior unit configuration 3.3.3 Mixed-Use

Meeting #3 – June 17, 2019

4 Transportation 4.1 Infrastructure

4.1.1 Mass transit facilities and access 4.1.2 Street systems (w existing and proposed cross sections) 4.1.3 Vehicular and pedestrian routes


4.1.4 Bicycle routes and parking 4.1.5 Accessibility

4.2 Traffic demand management plan 4.3 Automobile parking (shared, tandem, valet)

4.3.1 Proposed versus required (tenant, visitor, compact, accessible, electric charging, carpool, tandem)

4.3.2 Access (curb cuts, driveway, drive aisle widths) 4.4 Delivery issues

4.4.1 Drop offs 4.4.2 Loading docks

4.5 Signage (parking, wayfinding, etc.)

5 Open space 5.1 Orientation and use of open spaces, location of such spaces on site or in vicinity 5.2 Relationship to scenic vistas, natural features, and /or adjacent

public spaces (and specifically to existing and/or needed parks, plazas, dog parks, children’s play areas)

5.3 Public safety – lighting, benches, visibility, marked crosswalks 5.4 Landscape plan (including tree preservation, new trees) 5.5 Public Easements

6 Environmental Sustainability

6.1 LEED/Earthcraft/ Green Home Choice Score/EBOM 6.2 Energy conservation 6.3 Site contamination and abatement 6.4 Reuse of construction materials 6.5 Reuse of buildings 6.6 Stormwater management 6.7 Tree canopy

7 Public impacts

7.1 Mitigations 7.2 Amenities 7.3 Site Improvements

7.3.1 Public art 7.3.2 Affordable housing 7.3.3 Underground utilities 7.3.4 Other (e.g., polling places)

8 Construction issues

8.1 Phasing 8.2 Vehicle staging, parking, routing


8.3 Community liaison Site Location: The subject site is identified as 1900 Fort Myer Drive. The site is bounded

by N. Nash Street on the west, N. Fort Myer Drive on the east, the Turnberry Tower condominium building on the south, and Lee Highway to the north. The site is adjacent to Turnberry Tower on the south, the Rosslyn Gateway site on the east, the Georgetown Vista condominiums and the Dakota condominiums on the west, and Gateway Park to the north.

Applicant Information:

Applicant Rosslyn Syndicate, LC , c/o Dittmar Company 8321 Old Courthouse Rd., #300 Vienna, Virginia 22182 Robert M. Bushkoff (703) 356-5941 [email protected]

Attorney Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh 2200 Clarendon Blvd., #1300 Arlington, Virginia 22201 Nan E. Walsh (703) 585-3197 [email protected]

Architect MTFA Design + Preservation 316 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Suite 401 Washington, DC 20003 Michael Foster (202) 996-3160 [email protected]

Engineer Walter L. Philips 207 Park Ave. Falls Church, Virginia 22046 Karen White (703) 532-6163 [email protected] Landscape Architect Studio 39 6416 Groverdale Dr. #100-A Alexandria, Virginia 22310 Joe Plumpe (703) 970-2890 [email protected]

Traffic Engineer Wells + Associates 1420 Spring Hill Rd. #610 McLean, Virginia 22102 Mike Workosky (703) 9176620 [email protected]

LEED Consultant Sustainable Building Partners 2701 Prosperity Ave. #105 Fairfax, Virginia 22031 Jennifer Wolf (703) 970-2890 [email protected]

BACKGROUND: The subject site is a 78,918 (1.81 ac.) in size and includes the existing Rosslyn Holiday Inn, a vacated 20th Street N., and the 5,712 sf County-owned “Parcel Q.” The Rosslyn Holiday Inn site plan (SP #79) was approved by the County Board on October 23, 1969 and includes 300 hotel guestrooms, 5,600 sf of hotel meeting space, and a 450-seat restaurant. The site currently contains 411 parking spaces. 20th Street N. is 13,056 sf and currently contains 14 parking spaces within the right of way. Parcel Q is a vestige of the Interstate 66 right of way, and was conveyed from the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to the County in 1984 for no compensation. However, VDOT currently holds a restrictive covenant over Parcel Q requiring that it only be used for open space.

mailto:[email protected]









The applicant, the Dittmar Company, is requesting a rezoning to C-O-Rosslyn, a major site plan amendment for a hotel and residential project including a conference center and approximately 13,000 sf of retail. The following provides additional information about the site and location:

Site: The site is located at 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive (RPC#s 16-022-003; -004, 16-015-100), bounded by N. Nash Street on the west, N. Fort Myer Drive on the east, and Lee Highway to the north. The site is currently developed with a 12-story hotel and parking facilities, and bounded by the following uses:

To the north: Lee Highway and Gateway Park To the east: Fort Myer Drive and the Rosslyn Gateway site (SP #419), zoned C-O Rosslyn. To the west: N. Nash Street, the Georgetown Vista Condominiums, and the Dakota

Condominiums, zoned RA6-15 To the south:

Turnberry Tower (SP #19), zoned C-O-Rosslyn

Zoning: The subject site is zoned C-O, Mixed Use District, and S-3A, Special District. General Land Use Plan Designation: The site is designated “High” Residential on the General Land Use Plan (GLUP) map, and is within the boundaries of the Rosslyn Coordinated Redevelopment District (RCRD).

Neighborhood: The site is located within the North Rosslyn Civic Association (NRCA) and is adjacent to the Turnberry Tower Condominium, the Georgetown Vista Condominium, and the Dakota Condominium.


Site Location

Source: AC Staffmap 2017 Aerial Imagery Existing Conditions: The site is developed with the Rosslyn Holiday Inn. 20th Street N. runs through the northern portion of the site (and is requested to be vacated). Parcel Q is undeveloped. Holiday Inn Site from Southeast

Source: Pictometry 2019

N

Rosslyn Holiday Inn 1900 N. Fort Myer Drive


Holiday Inn Site from West:

Source: Pictometry 2019 Holiday Inn Site from North:

Source: Pictometry 2019 Proposed Rezoning: The applicant is proposing to rezone the site from C-O, Mixed Use District and S-3A, Special District, to C-O-Rosslyn, Mixed Use Rosslyn District. The site is located within the boundaries of the RCRD on the GLUP, and is thus eligible for rezoning to the C-O-Rosslyn district. In addition, the site is designated “High” Residential on the GLUP, and C-O-Rosslyn is listed as implementing this land use category on the GLUP map. Proposed Development: The following is a statistical summary of the site plan proposal:

SP #79, Rosslyn Holiday Inn

TOTAL SITE PLAN SITE AREA 78,918 sf VACATED 20TH STREET N. 13,056 sf PARCEL Q 5,712 sf Density Total GFA 759,478 sf Total Density 9.62 FAR


SP #79, Rosslyn Holiday Inn

C-O-Rosslyn Residential Density 4.8 FAR C-O-Rosslyn Hotel Density 4.8 FAR C-O-Rosslyn Office, Retail, Service Commercial Density 3.8 FAR C-O-Rosslyn Max. Permitted Density1 10.0 FAR Residential Units 490 du Residential GFA 451,254 sf Hotel Guestrooms 339 rooms Hotel GFA 293,222 sf Retail GFA 14,732 sf Building Height Average Site Elevation 90.85 ft. HOTEL TOWER Number of Stories 38 Main Roof Height 357 ft. Penthouse Roof Height 379 ft. C-O-Rosslyn Max. Permitted Height2 180 ft. RESIDENTIAL TOWER Number of Stories 25 stories Main Roof Height 258 ft. Penthouse Roof Height 280 ft. Parking Residential Parking Ratio .9 sp/unit Residential Parking Spaces 441 spaces C-O-Rosslyn Required Residential Ratio 1 sp/unit C-O-Rosslyn Required Residential Spaces 490 spaces Hotel Parking Ratio 1.15 sp/room Hotel Parking Spaces 389 spaces C-O-Rosslyn Required Hotel Ratio .7 sp/room C-O-Rosslyn Required Hotel Spaces 238 spaces Retail Parking Ratio 1 sp/530 sf of GFA Retail Parking Spaces 28 spaces C-O-Rosslyn Required Retail Ratio 1 sp/1,000 sf of GFA C-O-Rosslyn Required Spaces 14 spaces Total Parking Spaces 858 spaces C-O-Rosslyn Total Required Spaces 742 spaces LEED LEED Score Gold

1 ACZO Sec. 7.15.4 establishes that the County Board map approve up to 10.0 FAR where it finds that a development project is consistent with the Rosslyn Sector Plan and offers certain features and amenities as identified in the sector plan. The County Board may approved densities above 10.0 FAR in limited circumstances when extraordinary infrastructure, as identified in the sector plan, is provided. 2 ACZO Sec. 7.15.4 allows for additional height above the max described where it finds that a development project is consistent with the Rosslyn Sector Plan and offers certain features and amenities as identified in the sector plan.


Density and Uses: The applicant is proposing a mixed-use project containing 490 residential units, 339 hotel rooms and a 44,140 sf conference center (including ancillary kitchen and storage spaces), and 14,737 sf of retail. The applicant is requesting a total site plan density of 9.62 FAR. This density is generated from the properties owned by the developer; the applicant is requesting to vacate 20th Street N. and acquire Parcel Q from the County and would incorporate these areas into the site plan site area for density purposes. Site and Design: The subject site occupies the northern half of the block bounded by Lee Highway on the north, N. Fort Myer Drive on the east, 19th Street N. to the south, and N. Nash Street to the west. The subject site plan shares the block with the Turnberry Tower development. The applicant is proposing developing the entirety of the site with a mixed-use building that abuts the property line on the southern end of the site, and generally meets the back of sidewalk on the site’s three street frontages. The applicant is providing a public pedestrian thoroughfare through the block. The building base is 10 stories in height and consists of the hotel and residential lobbies, four stories of above-grade parking, and two stories of the hotel conference center. The building contains two towers; the hotel tower rises 38 stories, and the residential tower 25 stories. The site contains an additional three levels of below-grade parking. Civil Plan:


Rendering of North Elevation

Axonometric Rendering:


Lee Highway/Fort Myer Drive Ground Level Rendering

Transportation: The site is bounded by Lee Highway on the north, Fort Myer Drive on the east, and Nash Street on the west. On the south, the site is bounded by the Turnberry Tower; the block terminates at Key Boulevard. Lee Highway (US 29) is classified on Arlington County’s Master Transportation Plan (MTP) map as a Type B street (Primarily Urban, Mixed Use), with a posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour (mph) in the vicinity of the site, and featuring frequent transit service. Lee Highway is a major east-west connection through northern Arlington County, extending through Falls Church into Fairfax County.

N. Fort Myer Drive is also a Type B (Primarily Urban, Mixed Use) street on Arlington County’s MTP map, with a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour (mph) in the vicinity of the site, and identified as a bicycle route. N. Fort Myer Drive currently serves one-way southbound traffic through Rosslyn. Fort Myer Drive provides a connection to the George Washington Memorial Parkway and Francis Scott Key Bridge to the north, and Arlington Boulevard (US Route 50) to the south.

Nash Street is an Urban Center Local street (medium to high density) with a speed limit of 25 mph, according to Arlington County’s MTP map. Nash Street provides a north-south connection between Lee Highway to the north and Key Boulevard to the south.

A portion of Key Boulevard in the vicinity of the project site is classified as a Type B (Primarily Urban, Mixed Use) street on Arlington County’s MTP map, and another portion is an Urban Center Local street (medium to high density) with a posted speed limit of 25 mph. Key


Boulevard provides a local east-west connection through the neighborhood of Rosslyn between North Quinn Street and North Nash Street.

Transit Service Metrorail: The closest Metrorail station is located approximately .25 miles from the site. The Rosslyn station provides access to the orange, blue, and silver lines. The orange line runs between New Carrollton, MD and Vienna, VA; the Blue Line between Franconia-Springfield, VA and Largo Town Center, MD; and the silver line between Largo Town Center, MD and Wiehle Road in Reston, VA. A future expansion of the silver line (anticipated in 2020) will extend service to Washington Dulles International Airport and into Loudoun County. Riders can use the three lines serving Rosslyn to transfer to the red, green, and yellow lines in downtown Washington.

The Metrorail system operates seven (7) days a week: from 5:00 am to 11:30 pm on weekdays, 8:00 am to 1:00 am on Saturdays, and 8:00 am to 11:00 pm on Sundays. The train headways at Rosslyn range from 3 minutes during peak periods to 6-24 minutes during off-peak periods and on weekends.

Bus Service: The project site and nearby area is served by numerous bus routes operated by Arlington Transit (ART) and MetroBus, including:

ART Routes 43, 45, 55, 61.

MetroBus routes 3Y, 4A, 4B, 5A, 38B

These buses pick up and drop off passengers on North Moore Street between 19th Street North and Wilson Boulevard.

One block north, along North Moore Street at 19th Street North is the terminus of the DC Circulator, which travels from Rosslyn to Dupont Circle, via Georgetown, operating on 10-minute headways, on Mondays through Thursdays from 6am to midnight, Fridays from 6am to 3am, Saturdays from 7am to 3am, and Sundays from 7am to midnight. Georgetown University shuttles also operate from this corner, for students and staff.

Regional transit operators serving Loudon County and Prince William and Spotsylvania Counties also operate commuter bus service in and out of Rosslyn during morning and evening weekday peak periods.

Bicycle Facilities

According to the 2017 Arlington County Bike Map, N. Fort Myer Street is identified as an on-street bike route. A network of on-street and off-street trails, including the Custis and Mount Vernon Trails, exist around the site, providing connections throughout Arlington County.

A policy identified in the Rosslyn sector pan (policy T9) is to “expand and enhance the system of bike facilities in and around Rosslyn, including the addition of protected bike lanes/cycle tracks, new connections to surrounding federal parkland and regional destinations, and exploration of a centralized bicycle parking facility.” Fort Myer Drive is currently being designed as a protected southbound bike lane.


Capital Bikeshare is an automated bicycle rental or bicycle sharing program that provides over 3,400 bicycles at 440 stations across Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Membership, which is required to use Capital Bikeshare, includes several options for joining. The first 30 minutes of use are free; users then are charged a usage fee for each additional 30-minute period. Bicycles can be returned to any station with an available dock. Within a ½ mile radius of the site there are five (5) Capital Bikeshare stations, with the closet one located approximately two (2) blocks east of the site at the intersection of N. Lynn Street and 19th Street North. There are a total of 31 docks available at this location.

In addition to bikeshare, electric-assist scooter sharing services have become readily available throughout the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. Users must have an account with the scooter service provider and can then board a scooter wherever available. When the user is done with their trip, the scooter is left for the next rider.

While Rosslyn sees significant bicycle activity, bicycling on Rosslyn’s streets remains a challenge dues to fast-moving traffic volumes, a fragmented network, challenging intersections, and vehicles blocking bicycle lanes.

Additional information regarding bicycle facilities will be provided prior to subsequent site plan review committee meetings.

Pedestrian Facilities

Rosslyn has a street network that has left a legacy of some superblocks, internal roadways, one-way streets, and slip lanes, all of which have favored vehicular traffic moving quickly through Rosslyn, and have not fostered a healthy pedestrian environment. A system of skybridges is slowly being dismantled, bringing more pedestrians back down to street level. This project would eliminate one skybridge crossing Fort Myer Drive, as well as a slip lane at Lee Highway and Fort Myer Drive.

Past and recent development in Rosslyn has given a significant amount of space in the public right-of-way to vehicular access, circulation, and loading, at the expense of pedestrian passage and enjoyment, sapping Rosslyn’s streets of desired vitality. Transportation Goal #3 of the Rosslyn sector plan is to “Transform the pedestrian and bicycle network into a safer, more attractive and more accessible place to walk and bike.”

Additional information regarding pedestrian facilities will be provided prior to subsequent site plan review committee meetings.

Parking

Additional information regarding parking will be provided prior to subsequent site plan review committee meetings.

Loading

Additional information regarding loading will be provided prior to subsequent site plan review committee meetings.

Underground Utilities


Additional information regarding loading will be provided prior to subsequent site plan review committee meetings.

DISCUSSION: Adopted Plans and Policies: The following policy and code documents, and ongoing planning studies provide guidance to the subject site. While all the following plans play a role, the Rosslyn Sector Plan, adopted by the Board in 2015, plays a prominent role in guidance for redevelopment in Rosslyn.

• General Land Use Plan • Zoning Ordinance • Rosslyn Sector Plan • Core of Rosslyn Study

General Land Use Plan: The site is identified on the GLUP as “High” Residential (up to 4.8 FAR residential, and up to 3.8 FAR hotel). This GLUP category is implemented by the RAH-3.2 and C-O-Rosslyn zoning districts. The site is also within the boundaries of the Rosslyn Coordinated Redevelopment District, which is subject to GLUP Note 15. This is a key requirement of eligibility for rezoning to C-O-Rosslyn. While the C-O-Rosslyn district allows for residential, hotel, and office development, because the site is zoned “High” Residential the GLUP recommends only residential and hotel development for the subject site.

Zoning Ordinance: The site is currently zoned C-O and S-3A. The applicant requests rezoning to C-O-Rosslyn consistent with GLUP Note 15. The C-O-Rosslyn, Mixed Use Rosslyn District, is the


primary tool for implementing the Rosslyn Sector Plan. The purpose of the district is to allow mixed use development within the RCRD that:

• Supports a diverse mix of uses • Creates a high quality public realm with an emphasis on walkability • Implements a peaks and valleys approach to building heights • Transforms Rosslyn’s transportation network, including creating complete streets • Achieves superior architecture and best urban design practice.

C-O-Rosslyn allows for up to 10.0 FAR and height consistent with the Rosslyn Sector Plan recommendation for the site in exchange for a development project “consistent with the Rosslyn Sector Plan, and offers certain features, design elements, services, or amenities identified in the Rosslyn Sector Plan, and meets [site plan standards] and other special exception criteria of the Zoning Ordinance.” Rosslyn Sector Plan: As mentioned above, the Rosslyn Sector Plan is the main policy document for Rosslyn and provides site-specific guidance for its redevelopment. The sector plan contains chapters on existing conditions, a master plan section containing subsections on land use, transportation, open space, and urban design. Finally, the plan contains recommendations on implementation. Rosslyn Master Plan: Map 3.1:


Land Use Guidance:

• Policy U1: Continue Rosslyn’s transformation into a place where development is strongly oriented around transit, high density, and a more balanced mix of uses.

• Policy U3: Increase significantly the amount of housing in the RCRD and develop strategies to increase affordable housing and the diversity of the residential community in Rosslyn.

Map 3.2 – Ground Floor Retail Use

Transportation Guidance:

• Recommendation D: Nash Street Fort Myer Drive corridor south of Lee Highway. Create a pedestrian and/or service vehicle corridor through the redevelopment of the Holiday Inn site. If it yields improved walking conditions and connectivity, the pedestrian corridor may take a different route than the service corridor, which may not provide a full through-bloc k connection due to topographic conditions. Provisions of these new connections suggest the abandonment of the existing 20th Street N. right of way on that block and the incorporation into the site plan redevelopment.


Map 3.7 – Street Classification and Typologies

Map 3.11 – Bike Facilities


Fort Myer Drive Street Cross Section:

Urban Design, Building Height, and Form:

• Policy B1: Develop a new building heights policy and regulatory framework for Central Rosslyn that incorporates varied building heights across the district.

• Policy B1.b: Manage building heights to maximize all view corridors from the Observation Deck with special attention to protect and enhance high-priority view corridors.

• Policy B2: Make Rosslyn’s architecture more distinctive and better oriented to people by encouraging more varied facades and massing across a range of scales throughout the RCRD, and adding distinction to building tops and the overall skyline of Rosslyn.


Map 3.14: Build-To Lines:

Map 3.15: Service and Parking Access Location:


Map 3.16: Building Heights:

Core of Rosslyn Study: The Core of Rosslyn Study is a public process currently being undertaken by the Department of Environmental Services, in consultation with the Rosslyn Business Improvements District to implement the transportation recommendations that came out of the Rosslyn Sector Plan. The process began in 2017 and is focused on short and long term improvements in the Core of Rosslyn that will implement the goals of the sector plan. Specifically, the major long term goals of the study are to examine the implications of two-waying North Fort Myer Drive and North Lynn Street. For the subject site, the study has identified implementing a 10-foot southbound cycle track along the west side of North Fort Myer Drive. This cycle track would adjoin the project frontage for it’s length along North Fort Myer Drive. As part of the study, staff has prepared renderings of the various projects; the cycle track rendering on the project frontage is shown below:


Core of Rosslyn Study Recommended Cycle Track:

Modification of Zoning Standards: The applicant requests the following modifications to Zoning Ordinance Standards:

1. Additional Height and Density: The applicant is requesting 9.62 FAR, which is above the base of 3.8 FAR commercial/retail and 4.8 FAR residential/hotel. This density is consistent with the C-O-Rosslyn District requirements provided the developer provides “features and amenities” as identified in the Rosslyn Sector Plan.

2. Density Exclusions: The applicant is requesting exclusions from density calculations for below-grade storage and utility rooms, rooftop mechanical space, and vertical shafts that vent to the roof.

3. Placement Standards: The applicant is requesting to modify setback and coverage standards. 4. Residential Use Standards: The applicant is requesting to modify residential use standards to

allow for the short-term (less than 30-days) lease of residential units. 5. Parking: The applicant is requesting .9 spaces per unit for the residential units, which is less

than the required 1 space per unit. Site Plan Amenities: To be determined through the site plan review process. Preliminary Policy Issues: Staff has identified the following preliminary policy issues: Overall Design Vision: The subject site plan project represents a major step in implementation of the Rosslyn Sector Plan, which is the primary guiding document for this section of Rosslyn


and represents the community’s vision for buildout of the neighborhood. The sector plan documents the areas in which there are opportunities to improve Rosslyn, and the primary motivation of staff is to ensure that new development plans embrace the opportunity to rectify some of the less desirable development patterns from the 1960’s. In particular, the Rosslyn Sector Plan speaks to urban design and the nature of building design:

As an area that developed into an urban high-rise district in the 1960’s, Rosslyn’s auto-oriented built form and pedestrian realm provides significant opportunities for improvement from an urban design perspective. Recent redevelopment has resulted in an incomplete transition from a placed designed around cars to one designed for people. Streets and paths for the significant pedestrian presence largely remain indifferent to pedestrians’ needs for safe, pleasant places to walk; blank walls and parking entrances predominate, while welcoming shops and cafes are rare. Street trees and vegetation offer shade, scale, and beauty in certain areas, but many streets still have little or no landscape oriented to the pedestrian.

On a conceptual level, many of the following comments concern embracing the opportunity that this project affords the County to reorient Rosslyn away from auto-oriented development towards a more balanced environment that takes advantage of Rosslyn’s accessible location. Lee Highway Frontage The applicant’s proposal represents a major opportunity to realign the street wall on the northern boundary of Lee Highway opposite Rosslyn’s largest open space. There are several site constraints that should be mentioned: the existence of an electrical line that runs down this side of Lee Highway adjacent to Parcel Q, and the applicant’s proposed relocation of a 36” sanitary pipe that would run underneath the parcel. Finally, there is a roughly 14-foot grade differential between the corner of N. Nash Street and Fort Myer Drive. As a result of all of these constraints (including VDOT restrictions on Parcel Q), the applicant proposes a small plaza area between the Lee Highway streetscape and the face of the building to be used for private outdoor dining. The Rosslyn Sector Plan provides recommendations for building frontages and land use, as well as guidance on Gateway Park and other small open spaces. The Illustrative Concept Plan (Map 3.1) on Page 69 of the sector plan shows the plan’s intent for the street wall along the north side of Rosslyn opposite Gateway Park. Buildings frame the street and provide enclosure for the pedestrians on the Lee Highway streetscape, as well as users of Gateway Park.


Map 3.14 and Conceptual Rendering of Lee Hwy Frontage on Project Site

Across from the project on Lee Highway is Gateway Park. The sector plan describes the park as “inwardly focused, fragmented, and disconnected from its surrounding context.” The plan recommends “better integrating the park into Rosslyn’s urban fabric…” (P. 132). The plan also contains guidance on what is termed Small On-Site Public Spaces. These spaces are described as “less than one-quarter acre in size, and examples include parklets and min-plazas.” The plan describes that these spaces have achieved mixed results in attracting users and activity. “New and open spaces should generally be located at grade and should maximize opportunities for views into/out of the space” (P.150). The plan goes on to state that, “a proposed on-site public space, not envisioned in the proposed public open space network, may detract from the overall urban design vision for Rosslyn. In such cases, it may be preferable for a redevelopment project to contribute to the enhancement or creation of one of the key elements of the Rosslyn parks network …” (P. 151). Fort Myer Drive Frontage and Façade The applicant is proposing that the Fort Myer Drive frontage serve as the primary location for the vehicular and pedestrian entrances to the hotel, including the hotel’s porte-cochere. Staff’s main concerns with the proposal on this topic are the extent to which the vehicular access to the hotel is prioritized over the pedestrian access to the hotel in the circulation and architectural design of the project on this frontage. The Rosslyn Sector Plan provides several recommendations for building frontages and urban design, in addition to the location of parking and loading access for the subject block. The


intent of the sector plan is to “minimize disruption of primary address streets and pedestrian routes by vehicular access to building servicing and parking. The plan further recommends service or parking access points be located in such a way that supports a walkable environment. Possible potential changes to the design and function of the vehicular drop off and pedestrian entrances on this frontage could include:

• Further activation of the porte-cochere through design or functional changes • Landscaping and architectural treatments • Design changes to the dimensions of the porte-cochere

Fort Myer Drive Curbside Lay-By The applicant is proposing an approximately 10-foot curbside lay-by on the Fort Myer Drive frontage intended to park tour buses associated with the hotel. The streetscape in this section in between the curb cuts for the porte-cochere contains a 15-foot streetscape dimension from the face of curb, including a 10-foot clear sidewalk and three feet for planters used to separate the porte-cochere from the streetscape. The Rosslyn Sector Plan contains guidance for street sections on this frontage, including streetscape dimensions, as well as planned pedestrian and bike facilities on Fort Myer Drive. The sector plan classifies Fort Myer Drive as an Urban Mixed-Use street. This street type can front a range of uses with “frequent transit, generous pedestrian facilities, and bicycle accommodations …” (P.96). Part of the goal of two-waying Fort Myer Drive is to increase traffic calming and improved pedestrian safety. Another recommendation made by the plan is to “Implement cycle tracks/protected bike lanes along the priority bicycle routes of N. Nash Street, Wilson Boulevard, Fort Myer Drive [emphasis mine] and N. Lynn Street.” Indeed, Map 3.11 (P. 117) recommends the creation of southbound cycle track/protected bike lanes on Fort Myer Drive. The proposed bus lay-by would directly conflict with the cycle track and would result in safety impacts to cyclists going southbound on Fort Myer Drive.

Pedestrian Crossing The applicant is proposing a pedestrian walkway through the subject site located generally between the hotel lobby and the retail space in the northern quarter of the building. The proposed pathway is approximately 9-17 feet in width and maintains the N. Nash Street elevation for a majority of its length terminating in a series of steps down to Fort Myer Drive (including a jump elevator for ADA access). On the N. Nash Street side, the entrance to the pedestrian walkway through the building is located between the residential garage access and a retail service corridor. On the Fort Myer Drive side, the walkway is located between the hotel lobby entrance and the retail space. The walkway goes through the building but is intended to be open-air (meaning one doesn’t need to open a door to access).


Several maps within the sector plan reference the pedestrian crossing through the subject site. Recommendation D under the Access and Circulation section of the Transportation chapter specifically speaks to this crossing (P.94). Map 3.7 (P. 97) classifies the crossing as a Pedestrian Street/Way, the same classification used for the 18th Street Corridor and Freedom Park. The sector plan’s recommended location is roughly halfway between the Lee Highway frontage and the stairway that connects N. Nash Street to the Rosslyn Terrace neighborhood. The applicant’s proposal is not clearly demarcated on the N. Nash Street side of the project. The pathway should be more than one story in height and enough width to adequately present as a viable and usable path. In addition to the design of the proposed passageway, the location is problematic. In the current configuration, the passageway is so close to Lee Highway as to negate its utility entirely. Pedestrians would choose to walk around the block instead of traversing a passageway that many may not know exists. If the purpose of the passageway is to allow greater permeability of the long block, the location of the passageway makes greater sense in the southern portion of the site. While the sector plan map shows a specific location for the passageway, the text speaks to flexibility with respect to its exact location (particularly whether it is co-located with a service alley/corridor). Note: it is acknowledged that the southern portion of the site contains a roughly 30-foot elevation difference between the N. Nash Street frontage and the Fort Myer Drive frontage. Creative design solutions could be utilized to bridge this difference. Above-grade Parking The applicant is proposing three levels of parking below grade and four levels of parking above grade (plus a partial above-grade parking area on the ground floor adjacent to the hotel lobby) for a total of 858 parking spaces. The applicant has expressed that this amount of parking is required to support the building’s program at 1 space per unit residential, 1 space per unit hotel, and a 30,000-sf conference center. The applicant has provided staff with detailed information to support the proposed parking program, including the parking needed to support the conference center. Staff is in the process of analyzing that information. The zoning ordinance requires the following parking for uses within C-O-Rosslyn:

• Residential: 1 space per unit = 490 spaces • Retail: 1 space per 1,000 sf of retail GFA = 13,465/1,000 = 14 spaces • Hotel: .7 spaces per guestroom = 339x.7 = 238 spaces • Total = 742 spaces

The sector plan speaks to parking both in recommendations to use parking resources efficiently, to discourage above-grade parking generally, and to guide the design of above-grade parking when it is provided. The sector plan first mentions parking in the Transportation chapter, where the following statement is made:


Significant amounts of on-site parking in existing buildings has created an expectation for future projects that is mis-aligned with Rosslyn’s multi-modal transportation opportunities.

The sector plan recommends to “require no more parking than is needed to support proposed uses and intensity for a site. This can be supported by encouraging more efficient use of existing parking and greater utilization of walking, transit, and bicycling alternatives instead” (P.119). In addition to the amount of parking, the sector plan recommends to “discourage above-grade parking, but where permitted apply standards for wrapping such above-grade parking with building space accommodating active uses” (P.119). Also contained in the recommendations on parking are to “encourage use of high-capacity vehicle storage technologies” (P.119). In the Urban Design Chapter, the plan recommends to “minimize above-grade parking, therefore reducing overall building volume …” (P. 164). The applicant is proposing significantly more parking than is required by the zoning ordinance, four levels of which are located above-grade. Building Base The proposed 10-story building base contains the hotel and residential lobbies, retail space, four levels of above grade parking, and the conference center. The four levels of above grade parking, described in the comment above, drive the massing of the building base. The previous comment discusses the sector plan’s guidance with respect to above-grade parking. The sector plan also contains guidance on building base design and massing. The sector plan recommends that “building facades along street edges should be approximately three to six stories to create a comfortable walking environment” (P. 156). The applicant’s proposal results in building bulk along the Fort Myer Drive and Lee Highway facades with no relief for the pedestrian/public realm. The cornice line at eight stories along the N. Nash Street façade is much more human-scaled and appropriately addresses the building bulk. Tower Separation The applicant proposes two towers (hotel and residential) of 38 and 25 stories, respectively. The towers are massed to conform with the sector plan requirement for priority view corridors, and thus the tower footprints are trapezoidal in nature.


Tower Separation Exhibit from Sector Plan (P. 178).

The sector plan addresses tower separation in its section on Tower Orientation, Dimensions, Spacing, and Use. Within projects with multiple towers, the sector plan recommends that:

There should generally be around 60 feet or more horizontal separation between towers. Where site constraints warrant instances of tower separation less than this goal, towers should aspire to be separated by at least 45 feet for a perpendicular distance no greater than the separation. [P.178]

This section also notes that regardless of tower separation and spacing the applicant should design and program the towers to avoid “potential conflicts that may arise from confined views, noises, privacy or other conditions between the towers” (P. 178). The applicant is proposing a narrow point between the two towers of 41 feet, 6 inches. Community Concerns: To be determined through the site plan review process.


SPRC Neighborhood Members:

Sylvia Kendra North Rosslyn Civic Association [email protected]

Stuart Stein Radnor/Fort Myer Heights Civic Association

[email protected]

Laurie Martin Turnberry Tower Condominium Board [email protected]

Bill Maron

Terri Prell

TBD

Georgetown Vista Condominium Board

Dakota Condominium Board

Key & Nash Condominium Board

[email protected]

[email protected]

Interested Parties: TBD

Planning Commissioner Chairing This Item: Elizabeth Morton

Planning Commission

[email protected]

Staff Members: Matthew W. Pfeiffer CPHD—Planning [email protected]

Dennis Sellin DES—Development Services [email protected]









SITE PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE MEETING AGENDA TIME: 7:00 – … · 2.2 Overview of site plan proposal...

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