Page 307 - CityofArlingtonFY26AdoptedBudget

Champion Great Neighborhoods

Goal 1: Foster Healthy and Attractive Neighborhoods
Objective 1: Gain Compliance of Property Maintenance, Health, and Animal Codes
Project Performance Measure(s) Department(s)
CGN Comprehensive Plan Update Project Completion Planning & Development Services
1.1.4
Summary:
Estimated Actual
Milestone
The Comprehensive Plan, sometimes also referred to as a Completion Completion
comp plan, master plan or a general plan, is the City Council contract Oct. 2024 Nov. 12,
foundational document of long-term planning and zoning approval 2024
in Arlington. The existing Comprehensive Plan (99 Square Steering Committee Oct. 2024 Nov. 21,
Miles) was adopted in 2015 but started years before. Best Meetings begin 2024
planning practices tell us any comprehensive plan over five Scoping Meetings with Nov. 2024 Nov. 19,
years old should be reviewed and revised at least to Consultant; 2024
update the demographic information, which could affect Internal Stakeholder Jan. 2025 Dec. 6, 2024
projections of population, employment, land use, and meetings commence
traffic. Significant changes in zoning and land use External Public Jan. 2025- Feb. 2025
influence other land uses, transportation networks, and Education and Mar. 2026
public facilities and should be incorporated into the Engagement (ongoing
comprehensive plan. process)
Begin development of Aug. 2025
The most important function of a Comprehensive Plan is to draft plan
serve as the resource manual to assist in the evaluation of P&Z Review and May 2026
land use-related requests and the provision of design Comment
recommendations for various types of development. It City Council Review and Summer
establishes standards against which all land use decisions Comment 2026
in the City should be evaluated. Communities that Finalize Comp Plan Aug. 2026
consistently make land use decisions based on their Adoption of Comp Plan Oct. 2026
comprehensive plan reduce their exposure to legal action,
increase their opportunity to save money and improve the Update:
quality and compatibility of new development. A well- Phase 1 public engagement concluded in April and the
crafted comprehensive plan: team began summarizing the themes learned from the
community. In May, the team coordinated with MIG on
• Allows a community to be proactive regarding initial updates, developed the first draft of Arlington Place
development trends, issues, and changes that Type examples, and prepared a “Gearing up for June 26”
arise over time. series for the CPSC members. By June, the Place Type
• Allows the community to identify factors examples were refined and shared with the Steering
influencing and shaping the community and Committee, and Phase 1 Engagement findings were
consider how competing interests can be presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission and City
balanced and harmonious. Council. In mid-June, the team met with MIG again to
• Provides guidance for orderly growth, finalize materials for the Growing a Better Arlington board
development, and the physical appearance of the game. In late June, the team provided updates to the City
community. Manager’s Office, including briefings on the board game
• Provides an opportunity to think wholistically, progress and community engagement results, and
especially regarding growth, utilities, community incorporated board game testing with city staff. At the
services and transportation. June CPSC meeting, the Committee provided comments on
• Serves as a guide to orient decisions over time the draft Place Types and played the Growing a Better
and encourages consistency in decision making Arlington board game. The team continued to work on
• Provides guidance for future decision-making. scheduling community game nights to begin in July as well
as meeting with Library Services to make games accessible
at all libraries.

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