Permitted Zoning Districts for Banks and Financial Services in the City of Arlington

In the City of Arlington, standard banks and financial institutions are permitted by-right in all non-residential and mixed-use zoning districts, including Limited Office (LO), Community Commercial (CC), and Regional Mixed-Use (RMU). Alternative financial institutions, such as payday loan or motor vehicle title loan businesses, require a Specific Use Permit (SUP) in these same districts and are subject to strict separation requirements, including being located at least 1,000 feet from other similar institutions and 200 feet from residential areas. Additionally, alternative financial institutions are expressly prohibited within the City of Arlington’s Downtown Neighborhood Overlay (DNO) and Entertainment District Overlay (EDO).

Permitted Zoning Districts

The City of Arlington Unified Development Code classifies financial services into two primary categories: "Bank or Financial Institution" and "Alternative Financial Institution." Both use types are allowed in the same set of base zoning districts, though the approval process differs.

Standard Banks and Financial Institutions

Standard banks and financial institutions are Permitted By-Right (P*) in the following City of Arlington districts, subject to supplemental use standards [Table 3.1-2]:

Office Districts: Limited Office (LO), Office Commercial (OC)
Commercial Districts: Neighborhood Commercial (NC), Community Commercial (CC), General Commercial (GC), Highway Commercial (HC)
Mixed-Use Districts: Downtown Business (DB), Neighborhood Mixed-Use (NMU), Regional Mixed-Use (RMU)
Industrial and Special Districts: Business Park (BP), Flex Hybrid (FH), Light Industrial (LI), Industrial Manufacturing (IM)

Alternative Financial Institutions

Alternative financial institutions require a Specific Use Permit (S*) in all the districts listed above [Table 3.1-2]. These institutions include payday advance/loan businesses and motor vehicle title loan businesses [Section 12.3.3.D.2].

Supplemental Use Standards

All financial service providers in the City of Arlington must adhere to specific supplemental standards regarding their location and operations.

Drive-Through Facilities

Any financial institution in the City of Arlington utilizing a drive-in or drive-through facility must comply with the following vehicle stacking requirements [Section 5.4.6]:

Activity	Minimum Stacking Spaces (Per Lane)	Measured From
Bank, Financial Institution, or ATM	3	Teller or Window

Requirements for Alternative Financial Institutions

The City of Arlington imposes additional restrictive setbacks for alternative financial institutions to prevent a concentration of these uses and protect residential character [Section 3.2.3.C.2]:

Separation from Peers: Must be at least 1,000 feet from any other alternative financial institution.
Residential Buffer: Must be at least 200 feet from a lot zoned or used for residential purposes.
Highway Setback: Must be at least 500 feet from Interstate 20, Interstate 30, US Highway 287, and State Highway 360.
Overlay Prohibitions: These uses are strictly prohibited in the Entertainment District Overlay (EDO) and the Downtown Neighborhood Overlay (DNO).

Development and Parking Standards

The City of Arlington requires specific parking and site design elements for financial service developments.

Off-Street Parking Requirements

Both standard and alternative financial institutions must provide off-street parking based on the following ratios [Table 5.4-1]:

Use Type	Parking Requirement
Bank or Financial Institution	2.5 per 1,000 square feet of Gross Floor Area (GFA)
Alternative Financial Institution	2.5 per 1,000 square feet of Gross Floor Area (GFA)

Bicycle Parking Requirements

The City of Arlington requires bicycle parking for financial institutions as follows [Table 5.4-4]:

District/Area Type	Number of Bicycle Spaces Required
DB, DNO, EDO, or mixed-use in non-residential districts	5% of required automobile spaces (minimum 2)
All other zoning districts	5% of required automobile spaces (minimum 2)

Sections Cited

Section 3.1.5, Table of Allowed Uses – Non-Residential and Mixed-Use Districts
Section 3.2.3.C, Supplemental Use Standards: Financial Services
Section 5.4.3, Off-Street Parking Standards (Table 5.4-1)
Section 5.4.6, Drive-Through Vehicle Stacking and Noise Reduction Standards
Section 5.4.11, Bicycle Parking (Table 5.4-4)
Section 12.3.3.D, Definitions: Financial Services