Arlington County Board Chairman Jay Fisette says he’s hopeful the board will take some sort of action to satisfy Trader Joe’s parking prerequisites for coming to Clarendon.
Residents at a Lyon Village Civic Association meeting last night were told that Trader Joe’s will only move to the area if Arlington County amends the Clarendon Center site plan to allow reserved parking spots in the building’s parking garage. The retailer is reportedly worried that there may not be enough parking for customers if all the garage’s spots are unrestricted, as the current site plan calls for.
Fisette says he can “fully appreciate the reason for their request.” He says county staff will study existing Trader Joe’s stores to determine parking requirements, and will also study the number of available parking spaces in the area near the Clarendon Center project.
“We’ll hopefully find a balance here… I’m hoping we find a way to get the ‘yes,’ whether it’s with the exact number of reserve spaces or some modification,” Fisette said. “They are a really desirable retailer… hopefully we can work something out.”
“We have goals of attracting grocery stores,” Fisette noted. “They’re an incredible amenity and asset for a neighborhood… Arlington residents have been chomping at the bit for a Trader Joe’s for ten years, so I’m excited about the possibility.”
Please go to our original Trader Joe’s post to discuss this story.