Arlington Planning Commission approves Parks and Recreation amendment to Comprehensive Plan (Appendix G)

The Arlington Planning Commission voted to adopt an amendment to the city’s Comprehensive Plan Appendix G — the Parks and Recreation Master Plan — after a brief staff presentation and no public testimony.

Amy Rusco, the city’s Community and Economic Development Director, told commissioners the impact-fee assumptions use a 20-year planning horizon rather than a six-year capital-improvement program. "The fee ... was based off the 20 year," Rusco said, adding staff retained the consultant’s documented existing level of service but is proposing to use the proposed level of service (PLOS), a lower standard, because "there are not 39.5 acres ... that the city could actually buy" over 20 years.

The change trims the list of projects in the parks plan to reflect what staff says is realistic given Arlington’s available land and funding. Rusco said the amendment leaves the consultant’s existing level-of-service data in place for reference while adopting the lower PLOS for the city’s planning and impact-fee calculations.

A commissioner moved to approve the Parks and Recreation plan amendment with the Appendix G change; the motion was seconded and adopted by voice vote. The chair closed the public hearing and recorded the amendment as approved.

Why it matters: The planning-horizon and level-of-service decisions determine how the city calculates park impact fees charged to new development and which projects the city may fund or prioritize. Using a 20-year basis typically yields larger cumulative needs than a short CIP window, while adopting a lower PLOS reduces the per-capita demand and the scope of projects the city anticipates funding.

The commission did not receive in-person public testimony on this item; staff noted a letter from Russell Joe of Master Builders was submitted late and will be addressed in related materials. The commission’s approval moves the amendment forward for administrative posting and subsequent steps under Arlington’s adoption procedures.