Arlington board approves Langston Boulevard redevelopment, orders safety audit and corridor study

Arlington County Board members on April 18 approved a multipart plan to redevelop 3130 Langston Boulevard — the former Walgreens site — including a general land-use plan amendment, rezoning to a mixed‑use district and a site plan that will allow a new mid‑rise building with up to 300 residential units and ground-floor retail. The vote on the main package (29a) passed 5–0, and the board unanimously approved related easement vacations (29b).

The county's planning staff said the project, proposed by Rooney Properties, would demolish the existing commercial building and construct what staff characterized as a 13‑story project that reads as 12 stories from Langston Boulevard, with roughly 300 units, about 7,200 square feet of street-level retail and 361 parking spaces. Staff emphasized stormwater measures and flood mitigation: the building slab was raised to elevation 180 feet and an overland relief corridor and a new culvert system are part of the design. The Chesapeake Bay Preservation Ordinance Review Committee granted an exception for resource-protection encroachment subject to conditions, including a 0.49‑pound‑per‑year phosphorus‑load reduction and additional plantings.

Staff said the developer would provide 19 on‑site committed affordable units and a cash contribution to the Affordable Housing Investment Fund (AHIF). In the staff presentation the community-benefits package was summarized as a $1,770,000 cash contribution to AHIF; in the applicant presentation Rooney representatives later cited a somewhat larger AHIF contribution figure (the applicant stated “a little over $2,600,000”). The board did not attempt to reconcile the two figures in the meeting record and directed staff to ensure final financial terms in contract documents.

Transportation safety was the central concern raised by speakers and board members. Multiple civic associations and neighborhood representatives said the Langston Boulevard corridor — particularly the Kirkwood/Langston/Spout Run interchange area — is a high‑injury location. Residents urged the board to accelerate corridor redesign work and prioritize near‑term safety measures before the project is built.

County staff from the Department of Environmental Services (DES) and Vision Zero teams answered that a high‑injury‑network safety audit for the segment adjacent to the site is scheduled for summer and that the Area 5 corridor study is slated to begin in early 2027 and is expected to take 18–24 months. Staff said the audit and other short‑term analyses are designed to identify "low‑hanging fruit" improvements — such as signing/marking changes, signal timing adjustments, rectangular rapid‑flashing beacons, curb extensions and other quick-build measures — that can be implemented before the full corridor redesign and that larger changes will require VDOT concurrence because portions of Langston Boulevard are part of the state and national highway systems.

The Planning Commission, Transportation Commission and Housing Commission all recommended approval with conditions; the Planning Commission also urged the board to direct the county manager to move up planning work for the Langston Boulevard Area 5 study. Commissioners and staff noted that the project alone cannot fully resolve corridor safety and said county and VDOT coordination will be necessary.

Supporters including the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and the Langston Boulevard Alliance said the project advances the area plan by providing housing, retail and stormwater improvements and creating a privately managed public plaza. Opponents and many neighbors called for stronger guarantees on streetscape programming, planting palettes, and an accelerated timeline for safety investments.

Vice Chair Maureen Coffey moved to approve the land‑use amendment, rezoning and site plan and the motion passed unanimously; the board then approved the easement vacations and authorized the Real Estate Bureau chief to execute deeds subject to county‑attorney review. The board framed approval on the condition that staff continue to coordinate near‑term safety measures, complete the planned audit this summer, and integrate findings into the Area 5 study and implementation discussions with VDOT.

Next steps include finalizing site‑plan conditions and legal documents, completing required civil and landscape plans for permitting, and follow‑up transportation work and VDOT coordination. Staff said the Area 5 corridor study will begin early in calendar 2027 and that a shorter safety audit this summer will identify immediate improvements that could be implemented sooner.