Arlington County C-O-1.5 Mixed Use District Off-Street Parking Standards

In the Arlington County C-O-1.5 Mixed Use district, off-street parking requirements for residential and commercial projects are governed by the standards set forth in Article 14, although these may be modified by the County Board during the mandatory site plan approval process. Residential multi-family dwellings generally require 1.125 spaces for the first 200 units and 1 space thereafter, while commercial office and retail requirements are calculated based on gross floor area and the specific floor level of the building. Significant parking exemptions or reductions may apply if the project is located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance.

General Off-Street Parking Requirements

In Arlington County, any land use established in the C-O-1.5: Mixed Use district must provide sufficient off-street standing and parking space for motor vehicles [Section 14.3.1]. While the C-O-1.5 district regulations specify that parking should follow the general requirements of Article 14, the County Board has the authority to modify these requirements as part of an approved site plan [Section 7.11.5.A].

The following table outlines the standard minimum parking ratios for the most common uses within the C-O-1.5: Mixed Use district:

Use Type	Minimum Parking Requirement	Additional Requirements / Details
Residential (Multi-Family)	1 & 1/8 spaces for each of the first 200 units; 1 space for each additional unit	Must be constructed and maintained per §14.3.3 [Section 14.3.7].
Commercial Retail & Service	1 space per 250 sq. ft. of GFA on the first floor; 1 space per 300 sq. ft. of GFA elsewhere	Standard for retail and service commercial uses [Section 14.3.7].
Office Buildings	1 space per 250 sq. ft. of GFA on the first floor; 1 space per 300 sq. ft. of GFA for basement through 5th floors; 1 space per 400 sq. ft. of GFA for floors above the 5th	Ratios decrease for office space located on higher floors [Section 14.3.7].
Restaurants	1 space per each 6 seats	In addition to any parking provided for service to patrons in automobiles [Section 14.3.7].

Reductions and Exemptions for Mixed-Use Projects

Arlington County provides several mechanisms to reduce the parking burden for projects in high-density or transit-adjacent areas like the C-O-1.5 district.

Metro Station Area Exemptions

If a project in the C-O-1.5 district is located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance, certain commercial uses are exempted from parking requirements [Section 14.3.6]:

Retail and Service-Commercial: No parking is required for the first 5,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area per main building.
Restaurants: No parking is required for restaurants operating only between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. For those operating in the evening, no parking is required for the first 200 seats.
Grocery Stores: If the grocery store is not the principal use on the site, no parking is required for the first 15,000 sq. ft. [Section 14.3.6.A].

Proximity Reductions

For commercial and office uses, the total parking requirement may be reduced by 10 percent if the project provides a direct, sheltered connection to a Metrorail Transit Station that is no more than 500 feet in length [Section 14.3.7.C].

Technical Parking Standards

All parking areas within the Arlington County C-O-1.5 district must comply with specific design and administrative standards:

Compact Cars: Up to 15 percent of the required parking spaces may be designated for compact cars. In office projects with more than 100 spaces, this 15 percent is mandatory, and the spaces must be clearly marked [Section 14.3.3.F].
Maneuvering: All parking areas must provide sufficient maneuvering space so that vehicles can enter and exit the site without moving other vehicles [Section 14.3.3.D].
Off-Site Parking: The Zoning Administrator may authorize required accessory parking to be located off-site, provided the spaces are under the same ownership and located within 1/4 mile of the project entrance [Section 14.3.3.B].
Paving: All ground surfaces for parking areas must be paved with a durable, dust-free, hard material, such as bituminous hot mix or Portland cement concrete [Section 14.3.4.A].

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