Off-Street Parking Standards for the C-TH Commercial Townhouse District in Arlington County
Developments in the Arlington County C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district are required to provide 1.5 off-street parking spaces for every dwelling unit and one space per 580 square feet of commercial or office gross floor area. Hotel projects must provide one space per unit, and up to 15 percent of the total parking allotment in any project may be designated for compact cars.
Required Off-Street Parking Ratios
Arlington County mandates specific off-street parking minimums for all new construction, redevelopment, or expansions within the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district. While general county-wide standards from Article 14 apply by default, Section 7.18.5 provides the specific governing ratios for this district.
| Use Type | Minimum Parking Requirement |
|---|---|
| Residential (Dwelling Units) | 1.5 spaces per dwelling unit |
| Commercial or Office Space | 1 space per 580 sq. ft. of gross floor area |
| Hotels | 1 space per hotel unit |
| Self-Service Storage | 1 space per 8,000 sq. ft. of gross floor area, plus 1 space per employee |
Design and Location Requirements
Arlington County enforces strict design standards for parking facilities within the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district to maintain the aesthetic character of the neighborhood and protect adjacent residential zones.
Screening and Buffering
Surface parking areas in the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district must be screened from public view (including public plazas and sidewalks) and from any abutting residentially zoned properties.
- General Screening: A four-foot high brick wall and associated landscaping are required [§7.18.6.C].
- Residential Adjacency: If a parking area in the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district abuts an "R" district that is also designated as "low" residential (one through 10 units per acre) on the General Land Use Plan, the required screening wall must be a minimum of six feet in height [§7.18.6.C].
Structured Parking
When parking is provided within a building structure (at or above grade), Arlington County requires a facade treatment for the parking levels that is consistent with the materials and design of the primary building facade [§7.18.6.C].
Compact Car Allowance
Arlington County permits developers in the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district to designate a portion of their required parking for compact vehicles. Specifically, up to 15 percent of the total parking spaces provided may be compact car spaces [§7.18.5.B.4].
Specific Use Standards for Parking
Certain uses allowed within the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district have additional specialized requirements regarding their parking and loading configurations.
Self-Service Storage Facilities
For self-service storage uses permitted in the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district, the parking spaces must be located in an area near the storage entrance to facilitate the drop-off and pick-up of stored goods. Furthermore, these projects must provide a minimum of two covered and enclosed loading spaces for the first 100,000 square feet of gross floor area, and one additional space for every additional 50,000 square feet [§12.5.25.B.4, §12.5.25.B.5].
Loading Space Dimensions
General Arlington County standards for loading spaces, which apply to the C-TH: Commercial Townhouse district, require that each space be no less than 12 feet wide and 25 feet long, with a minimum vertical clearance of 14 feet [§14.3.3.C.4].
Sections Cited
- §7.18.5 Site development standards (C-TH District)
- §7.18.6 Streetscape (C-TH District)
- §12.5.25 Self-service storage
- §14.3.3 General requirements (Parking and Loading)
- §14.3.7 Required parking and standing space