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<br />opment patterns throughout a city or
<br />region. In practice, current applications are
<br />limited to specified geographic areas due
<br />to the newness of the concept, the inten-
<br />sive effort needed to develop a form-based
<br />code, and political environments that are
<br />slow to accept change. California communi-
<br />ties have been among the first to adopt the
<br />concept, primarily as an implementation
<br />mechanism for the specific plan, a provi-
<br />sion in the state code authorizing legisla-
<br />tively adopted development plans for geo-
<br />graphic subareas of a community. Two
<br />notable examples include the Pleasant Hill
<br />BART ~tation Form Based Code in Contra
<br />Costa"County, California, and the Regulating
<br />Plan for the Central Hercules Plan in
<br />Hercules, California.
<br />Elsewhere in the country, a number of
<br />communities are developing or adopting
<br />form-based codes (e.g., Iowa City, Iowa,
<br />Woodford County, Kentucky, and Chicago).
<br />One recent example is Arlington County,
<br />Virginia, which has implemented a form-
<br />based code to revitalize Columbia Pike, an
<br />older commercial corridor.
<br />
<br />Special conditions:
<br />within 100 feet of Main Street
<br />required building line; Wakefield
<br />to Four-Mile Run, maximum
<br />~ four stories
<br />-g Maximum
<br />~ six stories-"'"
<br /><(
<br />
<br />.
<br />
<br />
<br />~ Minimum""""
<br />>- three stories
<br />i
<br />'"
<br />~
<br />8
<br />~
<br />~
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<br />The Columbia Pike Initiative is a long-
<br />range economic development vision to create
<br />a vibrant commercial corridor and urban center
<br />along a 3.5-mile section of Columbia Pike. The
<br />Pike had experienced little development activ-
<br />ity in the past 40 years, despite its location in
<br />the high-growth Capital Area. The Columbia
<br />Pike Master Plan was adopted in 2002 after
<br />numerous public charrettes. The subsequent
<br />Columbia Pike Special Revitalization District
<br />Form-Based Code was prepared by Geoffrey
<br />Ferrell Associates (as subconsultants to Dover,
<br />Kohl & Partners) and adopted in February
<br />2003. This code was designed to implement
<br />the vision of the Columbia Pike "Initiative,
<br />including creation of a pedestrian-oriented,
<br />mixed-use district with a variety of retail, resi-
<br />dential, and office uses.
<br />The new code contains three main com-
<br />ponents: the regulating plan, building enve-
<br />lope standards, and architectural and
<br />streetscape standards. Analogous to a zoning
<br />map but much more detailed in its prescrip-
<br />tion of physical form, the regulating plan iden-
<br />tifies the building envelope standards to be
<br />applied to specific properties, which are
<br />coded by their street frontage (Main Street,
<br />Avenue, Local, and Neighborhood). The build-
<br />ing envelope standards establish basic param-
<br />
<br />About the Authors
<br />
<br />David Rouse, AICP, is a Senior Associate with
<br />Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC (WRT). Nancy
<br />Zobl, AICP, is a planner with WRT.
<br />
<br />eters for building form, including height, set-
<br />backs, and fenestration. They also set broad
<br />parameters for mixed uses allowed on the first
<br />and upper floors, except that the neighbor-
<br />hood frontage sites are primarily restricted to
<br />residential uses with some allowances for
<br />home offices.
<br />The form-based code is applied as an
<br />overlay option to the existing zoning districts.
<br />" Developers are provided a variety of incen-
<br />tives to select this option, including an expe-
<br />dited permitting process for developments of
<br />40,000 square feet or less (larger develop-
<br />ments are subject to special exception
<br />review), financial incentives such as modified
<br />tax increment financing and rehabilitation tax
<br />credits, and relaxed parking requirements.
<br />According.to Richard Tucker, county plan-
<br />ner for the Columbia Pike Initiative, the develop-
<br />ment community has expressed considerable
<br />interest in the form-based code since its adop-
<br />tion. Developers, architects, and members of
<br />the Home Builders Association have praised the
<br />clarity of the code and the streamlined review
<br />process. Several pending mixed-use develop-
<br />ment proposals are the direct result ofthe form-
<br />based code. Citizens also support the new
<br />code, having been directly involved in shaping it
<br />through several design charrettes.
<br />Despite the appar-
<br />ent initial successes,
<br />Tucker notes some chal-
<br />lenges related to the
<br />newness of the code.
<br />Issues tend to arise as
<br />proposals are submit-
<br />ted by developers who
<br />have problems with the
<br />standards of the code,
<br />
<br />
<br />Street walls required on
<br />alley and common lot lines;
<br />seven feet maximum height
<br />
<br />The Columbia Pike Revitalization Initiative: Illustrates the vision for change along the 3.s-mile corridor under the
<br />Columbia Pike Revitalization District Form-Based Code.
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