Arlington County is considering a study into whether it should pass a countywide ordinance limiting building height to prevent structures from interfering with aircraft coming in and out of Reagan National Airport.
According to Arlington Planning Commission member and former pilot Jim Pebley, Virginia code mandates localities have rules in place to ensure buildings do not pose a risk to airplanes. Arlington does not have a countywide rule, but as part of the approval process for buildings, requires a letter from the Federal Aviation Administration saying the proposed structure meets federal safety standards.
Last week, the FAA told the county a 390-foot-tall building planned for Rosslyn violated height requirements and posed a risk. The agency issued the warning despite signing off on a taller building just 400 feet away.
FAA spokesman Jim Peters said the agency cannot keep the project from moving forward. He said the agency could ask the owner of the building to install lights or a radar to let planes know it is there.
“It’s a preliminary finding,” he said. “We’ve requested some additional information; it’s not a final determination.”
Pebley said inconsistency in FAA rulings is one of the primary reasons he is advocating a study into whether a countywide standard is needed.
The FAA recently lowered its minimumallowable approach altitude from 1,000 feet to 900 feet, which could change the way the agency interprets building height standards, he said.
Having one countywide standard would eliminate uncertainty during the site plan review process, Pebley added. He said the FAA letter should not prevent work on the building from going forward.
