The Arlington County Board on Dec. 13 unanimously approved a rezoning and a set of final site plans that clear the way for the River House neighborhood redevelopment in Pentagon City.

The approved phase development site plan (PDSP) and associated ordinances clear immediate approvals for Land Bay S, Building C1, Building N1 and updates for the existing River House buildings. The plan will bring roughly 743 new units in the near term and allows a full PDSP buildout of as many as 4,466 new units over time, with roughly 10 percent of net new units above the base density committed on-site as affordable housing under the sector-plan commitments.

County staff and the applicant said the plan advances the Pentagon City sector planby replacing large surface parking lots with streets, protected bike lanes, public space and a continuous green ribbonof biophilic pathways that connect Virginia Highlands Park and other public areas. The applicant and staff also said the project will preserve three existing apartment buildings on site and deliver public benefits that include utility undergrounding, public-art contributions, and participation in the countys green-building incentive program.

The hearing focused heavily on design details and trade-offs. Adjacent condominium owners, especially from Pentagon Ridge and Ridge House, pressed the board about one connection option: extending the primary green-ribbon route onto the 15th Street South spur. Residents described steep grades, limited sight lines and the loss of critical on-street parking that serves small condo buildings, calling the spur unsafe for heavy pedestrian and cyclist use as proposed.

County staff, the applicant and advisory bodies presented alternatives after months of review. The Planning Commission recommended revising the green-ribbon alignment and requested alternatives; the Forestry and Natural Resources Commission urged phase-by-phase tree-canopy and vegetative coverage to match sector-plan targets.

After extended questioning that covered parking ratios (projected sitewide daytime ratios below historic site values), utility impacts, view corridors, HVAC/noise concerns and construction mitigation, the board approved a hybrid approach that preserves the most-used on-street parking adjacent to Pentagon Ridge while accelerating and improving an accessible connection along Kent Street to South Lynn Street. The board codified the hybrid design as part of the final plan modifications.

Board Chair Tax Carantonis, Vice Chair Matti Ferrante and other members emphasized the projects role in creating transit-adjacent housing near Pentagon City Metro and the sector-plan goal of substantial new public open space. Several board members and staff also acknowledged residentsconcerns over views, construction impacts and rooftop mechanical equipment; staff said additional design-level reviews and binding site-plan conditions will address noise mitigation, construction hours and monitoring.

What happens next: The adopted ordinances authorize the land-use changes and vacations needed for immediate construction of the approved phases. Future PDSP phases shown in the long-range plan still require separate final site-plan applications, review (SPRC/LRPC) and public hearings before the board. Staff and the applicant said they anticipate phased buildout over multiple years and that additional public infrastructure and park expansion will be tied to later phases and funding decisions. The board recorded all River House motions and approvals as unanimous.

The board also directed continued outreach and monitoring: staff will track construction impacts, run post-occupancy transportation and parking studies, and require formal agreements to preserve access to structured parking during interim phases. The County Clerk posted materials and the revised hybrid-design exhibits with the adopted motions.