Off-Street Parking Standards for the RA4.8 Multiple-family Dwelling District

In the RA4.8 district of Arlington County, residential parking requirements typically default to one space per dwelling unit when approved via a site plan, which must be located within the structure or below grade. Standard commercial uses within an RA4.8 project generally require one off-street parking space for every 250 square feet of ground-floor area, though significant exemptions apply for projects located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance. All off-street parking facilities in the RA4.8 district must adhere to specific Arlington County design standards regarding dimensions and landscaping.

Residential Parking Requirements

In the RA4.8 district, residential parking is governed by both general county-wide standards and district-specific modifications available through the site plan approval process. While the general code requires a slightly higher ratio for the initial units of a multi-family project, RA4.8 developments frequently utilize the site plan exception to standardize the requirement at one space per unit.

Use Type	Standard Parking Requirement	Site Plan Approved Requirement
Multiple-family Dwellings	1.125 spaces per unit for the first 200 units; 1 space per unit for each unit over 200.	1.0 off-street space per dwelling unit.
Guest Rooms/Sleeping Units	1 space per dwelling unit or guest room.	Not specified as reduced.

Commercial and Office Parking Requirements

Commercial uses are permitted at the street level of RA4.8 district developments, provided they do not exceed a Floor Area Ratio (FAR) of 0.5. These uses must provide off-street parking according to the ratios defined for all Arlington County commercial districts.

Use Type	Location	Requirement
Retail and Service Commercial	First Floor	1 space per 250 sq. ft.
Retail and Service Commercial	Other Floors	1 space per 300 sq. ft.
General Office Buildings	First Floor	1 space per 250 sq. ft.
General Office Buildings	2nd through 5th Floors	1 space per 300 sq. ft.
General Office Buildings	Above 5th Floor	1 space per 400 sq. ft.

Proximity to Metrorail Station Entrances

Arlington County provides specific parking exemptions for commercial uses in the RA4.8 district when the major portion of the use is located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail station entrance.

Retail and Service Commercial: The first 5,000 square feet of floor area per main building is exempted from parking requirements.
Restaurants (Daytime): No parking is required for restaurants operating only between 6:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.
Restaurants (Evening): For restaurants operating between 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., parking is only required for the number of seats exceeding 200.

Design and Placement Standards

The RA4.8 district imposes strict rules on where parking may be situated to preserve the urban character of Arlington County neighborhoods.

Placement and Setbacks

For any project in the RA4.8 district, required parking must be located below grade or within the structure housing the primary use. Furthermore, no parking area or required curb may encroach on the exterior 10 feet of a setback area, and such areas must be landscaped and maintained.

Dimensional Standards

Parking spaces and aisles must meet the minimum width and depth requirements established by the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance.

Standard	Full Size Automobile	Compact Car
Stall Width	8.5 feet	8.0 feet
Stall Depth (90° Angle)	18.0 feet	15.0 feet
Aisle Width (Two-way)	23.0 feet	21.0 feet
Vertical Clearance	7.0 feet	7.0 feet

Up to 15 percent of the total parking spaces provided may be designated for compact cars. These spaces must be grouped together and clearly marked as "compact cars only."

Sections Cited

§7.2 RA4.8, Multiple-Family Dwelling District
§7.2.3 Density and dimensional standards
§7.2.5 Site development standards
§14.3 Parking and Loading
§14.3.3 General requirements (Parking)
§14.3.6 Parking in Metro station areas
§14.3.7 Required parking and standing space