Off-Street Parking Requirements for the C-O-1.0 Mixed Use District

In the C-O-1.0 Mixed Use District of Arlington County, off-street parking requirements are primarily determined by the specific use of the project, with multiple-family residential units requiring approximately 1.125 spaces for the first 200 units and commercial office space requiring between one space per 250 to 400 square feet depending on the floor level. These standards may be modified by the County Board through an approved site plan, and significant exemptions exist for retail components located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance [§7.10.5.A, §14.3.6.A].

General Parking Standards

For all projects within the C-O-1.0 Mixed Use District, Arlington County requires that off-street parking be provided on the same parcel as the principal use, unless the Zoning Administrator or County Board authorizes off-site parking within 1/4 mile of the site via a use permit [§14.3.3.A, §14.3.3.B].

Residential Parking Requirements

Residential projects in the C-O-1.0: Mixed Use District, typically consisting of multiple-family dwellings (apartments), must adhere to the following ratios:

Residential Use Type	Required Minimum Parking Spaces
Multiple-family (First 200 units)	1 & 1/8 spaces per dwelling unit
Multiple-family (Units over 200)	1 space per each additional dwelling unit
Accessory Dwellings	Standards as specified in §12.9.2 and §14.3.7

Commercial, Office, and Hotel Requirements

Parking for non-residential components of a C-O-1.0 Mixed Use District project is calculated based on gross floor area (GFA) or the number of units:

Non-Residential Use Type	Required Minimum Parking Spaces
Office (Other office buildings)
First Floor	1 space per 250 sq. ft. of GFA
Basement, 2nd Floor through 5th Floor	1 space per 300 sq. ft. of GFA
Floors above the 5th Floor	1 space per 400 sq. ft. of GFA
Retail and Service Commercial
First Floor	1 space per 250 sq. ft. of GFA
All other floors	1 space per 300 sq. ft. of GFA
Hotel or Motel	1 space per guest room or dwelling unit

Metro Station Area Exemptions

Arlington County provides parking relief to encourage pedestrian activity near transit. In the C-O-1.0 Mixed Use District, if a major portion of the use is located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance, the following exemptions apply [§14.3.6.A]:

Retail and Service-Commercial: The first 5,000 square feet of floor area per main building is exempt from parking requirements.
Excluded Uses: This exemption does not apply to specific uses such as medical offices, clinics, hospitals, animal hospitals, vehicle sales, or trade/commercial schools, which must provide full parking as required in §14.3.7 [§14.3.6.A.2].
Restaurants:
- No parking is required for restaurants operating only between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
- For restaurants operating between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., no parking is required for the first 200 seats [§14.3.6.A.1].

Design and Setback Regulations

Parking areas in the C-O-1.0 Mixed Use District must comply with specific site development standards to protect the character of the neighborhood:

Setback Encroachment: No parking, curbs, or walls are permitted to encroach on the exterior 10 feet of any required setback area. This area must be landscaped and properly maintained [§14.3.3.E].
Compact Car Spaces: Up to 15 percent of the required parking spaces may be designated for compact cars. In parking areas containing more than 100 spaces, this 15 percent allowance must be clearly marked "for compact cars only" [§14.3.3.F].
Screening: Surface parking areas must be screened from public rights-of-way and abutting R or RA districts by a landscaped strip at least five feet wide [§14.2.4.E].

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