Off-Street Parking Standards for the C-3: General Commercial District in Arlington County
In the C-3: General Commercial district of Arlington County, residential parking for multi-family projects generally requires 1.125 spaces per unit for the first 200 units, while commercial retail and office requirements vary by floor level, typically starting at one space per 250 square feet of gross floor area. Significant exemptions and reductions apply to Arlington County properties located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station or within the Clarendon Revitalization District, where ratios for non-residential uses may be reduced to one space per 580 square feet.
General Parking Ratios for the C-3 District
For most development projects in the C-3: General Commercial district, Arlington County mandates specific parking ratios based on the use type and, for commercial buildings, the floor on which the use is located [Section 14.3.7.A].
| Use Type | Minimum Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| Residential (Multi-family) | 1 & 1/8 spaces for each of the first 200 units; 1 space for each unit thereafter |
| Hotel or Motel | 1 per dwelling unit or guest room |
| Office Buildings | 1 per 250 sq. ft. (1st Floor); 1 per 300 sq. ft. (2nd–5th Floors); 1 per 400 sq. ft. (above 5th Floor) |
| General Retail/Service Commercial | 1 per 250 sq. ft. (1st Floor); 1 per 300 sq. ft. (elsewhere in building) |
| Restaurants | 1 per 6 seats |
| One-Family Detached | 1 per dwelling unit (2 if fronting on a cul-de-sac) |
Metro Station Area Exemptions
Arlington County encourages pedestrian-oriented development near transit. If the major portion of a use in the C-3: General Commercial district is located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance, the following exemptions from off-street parking requirements apply [Section 14.3.6.A]:
Commercial and Retail Exemptions
- Retail and Service-Commercial: No parking is required for the first 5,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area per main building. However, certain specific uses (such as medical offices, vehicle sales, or schools) are excluded from this exemption and must provide full parking [Section 14.3.6.A.2].
- Grocery Stores: If the grocery store is not the principal use on the site, no parking is required for the first 15,000 square feet [Section 14.3.6.A.3].
Restaurant Exemptions
- Daytime Operations: No parking is required for restaurants operating only between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. [Section 14.3.6.A.1(a)].
- Small Evening Restaurants: For restaurants operating between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. with fewer than 200 seats, no parking is required. If the seat count exceeds 200, parking is only required for the number of seats in excess of 200 [Section 14.3.6.A.1(b-c)].
Clarendon Revitalization District Standards
The C-3: General Commercial district frequently overlaps with the Clarendon Revitalization District. For properties in this area designated as "Medium Density Mixed Use," the Arlington County Board applies a different set of parking requirements by site plan [Section 9.2.2.D.8]:
| Use Category in Clarendon | Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| Residential Units | 1 space per dwelling unit |
| Non-Residential GFA | 1 space per 580 sq. ft. of gross floor area |
| Hotel Guest Rooms | 0.7 space per guest room |
In the Clarendon Revitalization District, the County Board may further reduce parking requirements if the project involves the preservation of contributing historic structures [Section 9.2.2.D.8(b)].
Technical Requirements and Limitations
- Maneuvering: Street rights-of-way in Arlington County may not be used for maneuvering or direct ingress/egress to off-street parking spaces for commercial or multi-family uses [Section 14.3.3.H.1].
- Setbacks: In the C-3: General Commercial district, no parking or required curbing/walls may encroach on the exterior 10 feet of a required setback area, which must be landscaped [Section 14.3.3.E].
- Compact Spaces: Up to 15 percent of required parking spaces may be designated for compact cars. In office projects with more than 100 spaces, these must be clearly marked "compact cars only" [Section 14.3.3.F].
- Bicycle/Pedestrian Connection: For office and commercial uses, the County Board may reduce the parking requirement by 10 percent if the project provides a direct, sheltered connection (not exceeding 500 feet) to a Metro Transit Station [Section 14.3.6.C].
Sections Cited
- Section 7.19 C-3, General Commercial District
- Section 9.2.2 C-3 District (Clarendon Revitalization District)
- Section 14.3 Parking and Loading
- Section 14.3.3 General Requirements (Parking)
- Section 14.3.6 Parking in Metro station areas
- Section 14.3.7 Required parking and standing space