Evening star., 1941-10-27
Arlington Law
Solves Street
Parking Menace
Ordinance Requiring
Off-Rood Spaces Is
Declared Effective

Building regulations in Arlington
County, which require off street
parking facilities for all types of
residential construction - including
hotels-similar to provisions now
being studied by the District Com
missionerS. are found to be "99 per
cent effective" after three years
experience, County Zoning Admin
ist3ator Donald r. Locke said yes
terday.
Since 1888 a county ordinance has
required that space for one car be
provided off" the street for each
private family or apartment living
unit However it was only last
year that experience showed need
for strengthening the original law
The District Commissioners have
set November as the date on
which ban on loading or unload
ing on 80 major arteries will be
effective during morning and after
noon rush hours. The nearby Vir-
glnla officials have not found it
necessary to 60 quite this far. al
though parking is prohibited during
rush-hour periods in business areas.
The Commissioners, as the District
Zoning Commission. also are study
ing a proposed off-Street parking
requirement which would become
effective over two-year period
here.
Added Extra Width.
After the first off-street regula-
ton was incorporated in the Airing
ton zoning ordinance, developers
found it possible to add a little
extra width TO dedicated streets
through their subdivisions to permit
parking at the edge of the dedicated
right Of way. Thus in several de-
velopments. including large apart
ment projects such as Arlington
Village and portions of Buckingham
community. the streets were widen
ed into bays" on each side. While
cars. parking in these bays. were
off the street" the county found
that the intention of the ordinance
was not being met.
Last year the ordinance was
amended so as to require parking
behind curb and property lines.
Thereafter vehicles were required
to stand either in driveWays. ga
RACES or in parking areas parallel
to the streets, but in areas separated
from the main thoroughfare by is
lands similar to the development Of
K street NV, in Washington.
In the spring of this year it was
discovered that hotels had been
omitted from the language of the
off-street parking requirement. 80
the ordinance was again amended
to provide for one parking space
for each three units in hotel. !
This broader restriction on hotels, |
Mr.. Locke explained, was passed on |
the theory that many hotel guests !
use taxicabs instead of private cars. .
Driveway for Each House.
In single family dwelling areas,
also. the county code requires that |
a driveway leading from the street
must be provided for each house,
even though there is no garage.
I'VE have found that when such
driveWays are there, usually leading
right up to the front or side porch. /
SO per cent OF the home owners would
rather park there than on the
street" Mr.. Locke said.
Although there are few older [.
sections of the county that were
built up before the off-street re-
quirement was effective, all apart |
ments and houses in recent years |
have met this requirement, Mr.. !
Locke said. AS for hotels, there are |
none in the county as yet, but about |
s20,0O0000 worth of this type of |
construction is about to begin as
soon as priorities can be arranged |
by the developers. All hotels that |
are built in Arlington viii have |
adequate off-street parking facih- !
ties, the zOning administrator said. /
There is no county law that pro- /
hibits motorists from parking on |
the streets in front of their homes /
However, experience has shown that .
most motorists in the residential |
areas prefer to park off the street /
at nights when facilities are avail /
able
The safety feature of clear streets
for moving traffic is universally rec ,
oenized, The county has had no
traffic fatalities for 237 dayS