New affordable housing proposed for Reed Avenue

The next decade will bring extraordinary transformation to Lynhaven, Arlandria and surrounding communities. With so much development planned to happen in Potomac Yard, it’s no surprise that parcels around us will be developed and redeveloped. One of the first examples of that is planned for the northwest corner of East Reed Avenue and JD Highway, what was once a gas station, now a vacant lot owned by the City of Alexandria.

The building is envisioned to be a multi-family housing project developed by Arlington Housing Corporation (AHC), a non-profit organization that builds, maintains and manages affordable housing. AHC has been in business for 35 years and has developed and manages 3500 units in Arlington and Fairfax. This is their first project in Alexandria.

The building, occupying the vacant lot on the corner (3600 JD Highway) as well as 120 Reed and the duplex at 118 Reed, is envisioned to have 59 apartment units entirely reserved as affordable housing.  For this project, affordable housing means that residents will have to show income for a family of four below 60% of the area median income, or about $56,000 per year. The building will be comprised of one-bedroom units (500-700 square feet) and two-bedroom units (980-1165 square feet). If the building were to open today, the rent for the one-bedroom would be $1,194 per month, and for a two-bedroom, $1,432. 

The project is proposed to be five stories along the JD Highway frontage and four stories along Reed Avenue.  This is of a similar scale to the Preston condominium across Reed. Underground parking will provide 47 spaces for the building’s residents. 

There are a number of planning, zoning and transportation complexities associated with the AHC development, including a required change in the Reed Avenue zoning, and a potential right-turn lane from southbound Route One onto Reed Avenue. 

At the Lynhaven Citizens Association meeting on November 7^th (7:00 p.m. at Cora Kelly Rec Center), the community will hear a presentation on the building from AHC as well as on the associated issues from the City’s perspective. AHC is on a very short timeline because they will need to apply for federal low-income housing credit in March, 2012. This will be our most important presentation and opportunity to offer feedback during the process. If you are not able to attend and would like to comment, you can contact Gwen Wright with the City of Alexandria directly at gwen.wright@alexandriava.govor 703-746-3811.

Submitted by Joe Bondi

Del Ray Meet-and-Greet

The 10th Annual Del Ray Citizens Association Meet-n-Greet will be held the evening of Monday, March 14th, in the cafeteria of the George Washington Middle School. 

At the Meet-n-Greet, new (and old) neighbors can get acquainted with City agencies and programs, with neighborhood organizations and services and with each other. Everyone will have a chance to find new ways to get more involved in the community, Art on the Avenue and others. 

Confirmed guests include:

Alexandria Fire
Sheriff's Office
Real Estate Assessments
• Alexandria Local-Motion
VA Department of Health
Del Ray Business Association
Del Ray Artisans

Take note: The Meet-n-Greet isn’t just for “newbies” any more. Find out what’s new and on the horizon in the neighborhood in the Developers' Corner, which has become a regular part of the Meet-n-Greet experience. With the help of City’s Department of Planning & Zoning we expect to have designs and/or models for a number of the development projects in our area including:

• Potomac Yard
• The Calvert project
• Waterfront  Small Area Plan
• Projects afoot for Arlandria

Please make a point to join your neighbors at DRCA's 10th Annual Meet-n-Greet:

Date: Monday, March 14, 2011
Special Time: 7:00 – 9 p.m.
Special Place: George Washington Middle School Cafeteria, 1005 Mt Vernon Avenue

Plenty of parking behind school

Bring a neighbor, bring your questions, bring your community spirit and please join us!

Childcare and light refreshments will be provided!

Lynhaven’s Neighborhood Pizza and Sub Shop is About to Go Prime Time

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Marino’s Pizza and Subs, the carryout Italian food restaurant located on Jefferson Davis Highway at what would be Wesmond Drive, has applied for a special use permit to expand their footprint into a new, two-story sit-down restaurant attached and adjacent to the current location. Two members of the City’s urban planning staff, Jim Roberts and Katye Parker attended the January meeting of the Lynhaven Citizens Association to describe the project and hear feedback from the neighborhood.

Jim and Katye explained that the new restaurant is proposed to have 72 seats which requires a minimum of 18 parking spaces. Marino’s, with some modifications of their current parking lot will provide 13 parking spaces, one of which the city requires for deliveries. The owners have entered into an agreement with Inturias Auto across Wesmond for six additional parking spaces to be used in the evening. The carryout combined with the restaurant will have a total of six employees and continue the same hours of the current establishment: open until 1:00 a.m. on weeknights and 2:00 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights. Toward the end of the conversation, the engineer on the project introduced himself and clarified that the new sit-down restaurant will operate like a buffet rather than with table service and menus.

This elicited strong feelings from a packed Association meeting. The three main concerns were:

• Trash: There are already concerns about trash in the neighborhood generated by patrons of Marino’s. Many were concerned that with an expanded restaurant, trash would become worse.
• Hours of operation: Although the current carryout operation is open late at night, there were concerns among many present that the new format of the sit-down restaurant should not be allowed to operate until 1:00 and 2:00 a.m.
• Parking: The largest concern was about parking. Many were concerned that the city-mandated 18 spaces did not seem like enough to support both the carryout and sit-down restaurant. The agreement with the neighboring auto repair shop is a good effort to minimize the parking impact on Lynhaven streets, but many were worried about the sustainability and permanence of that agreement. Finally, there was concern that the restaurant hasn’t considered that their six employees will need to park somewhere and the most likely place will be in our neighborhood.

Not all the comments were negative. Some suggested that the new sit-down format will lead to less trash in the neighborhood because people will be more likely to dispose of their trash there then to take it with them. And following the meeting, some wrote to express support of Marino’s as a small business looking to expand in tough economic times.

As a result of the conversation, Marino’s agreed to postpone their Development SUP application one month to allow for some time to further talk to the neighborhood (here is the March 1 Planning Docket showing this item). They and the city staff will attend the February meeting of the Lynhaven Citizens Association, scheduled for Monday, February 7th at 7:00 p.m. at Cora Kelly Rec Center. Comments can be sent to Joe Bondi, LCA President at joebondi@gwu.edu, or to the city urban planners on the project, Jim Roberts (James.Roberts@alexandriava.gov) and Katye Parker (Katye.Parker@alexandriava.gov).

Write-up by Lynhaven Citizens Association President Joe Bondi

Poorly Stated, And Called Out For It

This past week, AlexandriaNews.org published an article about a longstanding, successful French Restaurant,Chez Andrée, located at the edge of the Lynhaven neighborhood in Arlandria. Were it not for one line in the article, it would be a good read on one of Alexandria's most tenured restaurants. That one off-hand comment, however, managed to throw our neighborhood under the bus.

The opening paragraph likely left a bad taste in the mouths of most Arlandria residents and it soured the rest of the piece:

The corner of Commonwealth Avenue and East Glebe Road is not the place one would expect to find a French restaurant. That’s where, in spite of a neighborhood that has never quite transitioned, Chez Andrée has stood for 46 years, serving dedicated customers and working to attract new business.

Such off-hand comments sting especially sharply where people have dedicated countless hours working to improve their neighborhoods and the sense of community within them. Fortunately, while a few of us traded incredulous quips over e-mail amongst ourselves, Lynhaven Civic Association president Joe Bondi shot back a letter to the editor and defended the Lynhaven neighborhood.  It's very worth reading the whole response here, but let me provide you a little preview:

Let me tell you about transitions in Lynhaven, the neighborhood on the north end of Alexandria that is the proud home of Chez Andree. There was a time our neighborhood was the place to come for drugs and prostitution. That day is all but over. Working with the city and the police, the neighbors of Lynhaven came out of their homes and made a statement that crime wasn’t welcome here. They made this neighborhood the kind of place I sought out to live seven years ago.

The story he tells could be repeated for any of the neighborhoods of Arlandria. Dedicated residents and Community Oriented Policing have driven crime numbers to near historic lows. While problem pockets still exist, to issue summary judgement on the neighborhood based on... well, we're really not sure where the "Low Blow" (as Joe called it in his rebuttal) came from.

AlexandriaNews.org periodically covers goings-on in Arlandria, so I would think they would be more attuned to the history and progress made toward making these neighborhoods a great place to call home. Over the 46 years Chez Andrée has called Lynhaven home, there have been many transitional periods, so I join Joe in wondering, "exactly what kind of transition was Ms. Branch expecting?"

4MR Market Continues this Sunday

The grand opening of the Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisan’s Market was like every other Farmer’s and Artisans market in that fresh produce ruled the day, and specialty foods created instant fans. But for so many, it was the culmination of months of collaboration and reason for celebration.

“I’m really impressed with the turnout,” said Councilman Rob Krupicka, on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony, and was the driving force behind the recent legislation to make healthy food more accessible in Alexandria. "This is a great example of what happens when the community comes together and works on a joint project. This market is the result of vision and volunteers. Nothing else. Its a sure sign of a strong community when it can pull together to create something like this. The new market will make the community stronger and will give all of us greater access to local food and some great arts and crafts."

Vendors were still signing up as the ribbon was being cut. Eyvy Alvarado, market manager from nearby Marcella’s Bakery, filled out the forms, set up her stand, and within two hours, sold out of her first batch of baked goods. As did her neighbor Elise Scott of Pearl Fine Teas, who had the good fortune of being the only vendor with iced cold tea on a day when temperatures quickly soared above 90 degrees.

Cory Schultz would stop at nothing for fresh radishes. The Army Reserve officer rode her bike from Arlington after reading about the market online. “It’s really easy to get to on the trails,” Schultz said, sampling one of the coveted radishes. “I will definitely incorporate a stop here into my Sunday morning rides.”

Nearby neighbors from Arlandria, Crystal City, Shirlington, Del Ray and Beverley Hills walked, jogged and drove to check out the market, often lingering to enjoy (or, in the case of the area tots, dance to) the music by Curtis Blues.

"Mt. Vernon Avenue’s proximity to everywhere, at the entrance to Four Mile Run Park makes this a perfect location for a farmers market,” said Del Ray Resident and former Councilman Justin Wilson as his son and daughter danced and played backup maracas to Curtis Blues.

Architects Anonymous, the designers of the proposed green rehab and re-purposing of the former paint store at the park expansion, were highlighted at the community table where they displayed their design plans for the site and solicited feedback from passersby for the proposed colors of the future community building.

Across the way, Zelda Wallace of Zelda’s Nova Soul celebrated her own success. Just last year, the former broadcaster with Cox network lost her job of 20 years. With encouragement from her mom, friends and family, she decided to first test out her love of cooking at the Del Ray Market on Saturday, and at the Four Mile Run Market on Sunday. “I always wanted to open a restaurant, but that’s a pretty risky initiative,” Wallace said. “Still, I've always been told people would pay for my salads.” Three hours after the market opened, Zelda’s shrimp salad sold out. Twenty minutes later, so did her cucumber salad. She spent the remaining time taking orders. Many of the vendors did not anticipate such a terrific turnout.

The list of vendors joining up in the next couple of weeks include Vera's Bakery, Krishon Chocolates, St Elmo's Coffee Pub, the Dairy Godmother, and Bread and Chocolate.  The Dairy Godmother will embrace the Latino culture of the neighborhood with plans to sell paletas (Latin American frozen fruit treats) in coming weeks. With the hot weather here to stay, they are sure to be a huge hit.

The Four Mile Run Farmers and Artisans Market is open Sundays from 8am until 1pm and runs from April through October at Four Mile Run Park, 4109 Mt Vernon Avenue.

Where Did THAT Garden Come From?

New garden goes in at the yet-to-be-named park

Why, your friendly neighborhood volunteers installed it, of course.

Last Saturday, a team of over a dozen volunteers from Arlandria and surrounding neighborhoods came together and got started on a host of projects. This was the 2nd annual Arlandria Spring Clean-Up and Gardening Day!

The number one initiative was to install a large garden at the open space property at the corner of West Reed and Commonwealth Avenues, acquired by the City just last year. The garden came together using plants gleaned from backyard gardens, generously donated by local residents. In total, our generous neighbors contributed 13 shrubs, dozens of perennials, a sapling, and ornamental grasses... and there's at least one ornamental tree and a bunch of liriope yet to plant! So, for this coincidentally Earth Day weekend event, volunteers used donated plants, composted leaves from last Fall's leaf pick-up, and mulch from shredded Christmas trees. And all of it was hauled to the site in borrowed trucks. Sod removed from the site was used by some neighbors in their own backyards.

Volunteers were slowed but not deterred by ground that could double as concrete. While everyone went home in need of some Icy-Hot for their aching backs, they left with a sense of accomplishment. See the following progression of photos that take the park from weed patch to garden:

From an overgrown patch of grass...

Step 1: Gather the troops and begin removing the sod (the sod cutter is the red machine in the picture)

Step 2: Cut under the sod and roll it up

Step 3: Haul it away to clear the site

Step 4: Try like heck to make a hole in the rock-hard ground

Step 5: Mix in municipal composted leaves to bring some nutrients to the soil

Step 6: Plant donated shrubs in donated top-soil

Step 7: Repeat... repeat... repeat...

Step 8: Add a host of perennials

And you wind up with a 700 sqft patch of garden to be proud of.

Look for more enhancements to come.

Another task from Saturday was cleaning up the vacant lots on Mount Vernon Avenue that are slated to expand the 55-acre Four Mile Run park. The properties had been ignored by parks staff and were badly in need of a once over. While the majority of the team focused on the Reed Avenue garden, a second group weeded and re-mulched the garden at the entrance of 4MR, trimmed some out of control street trees, and cleaned up junk on the site.

Lastly, back at the Reed Avenue site, the haggard screening trees that used to block the power substation were thinned out for aesthetics and to prevent them from blocking a clear view for the police. Trees that were strangling each other now have some room to grow and thrive.

Once again, Campbell and Ferrara Garden Center in Annandale donated mulch to the cause. Home Depot also contributed enough to get about 20 bags of top-soil that will hopefully keep the new plants growing strong. Many thanks to the management of both establishments!

Many thanks to our generous neighbors, as well! Your donated plants made it all possible. Please continue to let us know if you have plants you're dividing or otherwise getting rid of. We'll continue to enhance our existing gardens and create new green spaces with whatever we get!

Lastly, thanks to the volunteers for all the backbreaking work. Future clean-ups to prep the site for a market will follow, so stay tuned. But this was a big step towards improving Arlandria open space.

March Lynhaven Community Newsletter Available

One of Arlandria's neighborhood groups,  Lynhaven Civic Association, just released their monthly newsletter for March.  They provide a rundown of what's happening in their neighborhood and at Cora Kelly and provide some general info (they highlight free tax preparation assistance for low-income residents, for example).