The Arlandrian News Round-up: Getting Along With the Neighbors

Bridging the Run
Alexandria and Arlington joined forces yesterday to discuss a full docket (7MB PDF) of key issues affecting both sides of the border.  Key items for Arlandria include the Four Mile Run (4MR) restoration and  transportation and development Route 1 corridor (more on that here). We had an Arlandrian editor on the scene and will have follow up in an upcoming post (Alexandria Times has the pre-meeting basics, Washington Post has more back story, AlexandriaNews.org has some coverage).

BRAC in Business?

A Future Crystal City? (From ArlNow.com)

The re-envisioning of Crystal City received a unanimous stamp of approval from the Arlington County Board. The plan calls for additional density, transportation infrastructure, and turning Crystal City into a full time city and not just a urban office park by day, ghost town by night. With Defense Department jobs being moved to Ft. Belvoir and elsewhere as part of BRAC, Arlington is taking the opportunity to try and re-build Crystal City for the future. (Washington Post)

Streetcars, New Metro Entrance Among Big Changes Coming to Crystal City
Here's a quick list of transportation improvements involved in the Crystal City 2050 plan and a video walking you through some of the high level stuff. (ArlNow)

Greening NoVA
The Northern Virginia Conservation Trust held its annual fundraiser this week.  The Trust aims to link the green space across N.Va.  Right in our backyard, Four Mile Run Park is a key portion of Alexandria's "Green Crescent", an area of open space that runs from 4MR Park along the Potomac to Jones Point Park.  Alexandria partners with the Trust and aims to have 100 acres preserved by 2013. (Washington Post)

Transit Improvements
If approved, all aspects of the Blue and Orange lines will receive a $272 Million overhaul that will last 6 years.  The overhaul covers 23 stations and 27 miles of track in operation since 1977. (Dr. Gridlock, Washington Post)  Somehow, Braddock Rd station is not in queue for repairs despite conditions that sent Mayor Euille to the hospital after a bad fall. (Alexandria Times)

Arlandria's Treasure
How much do you know about The Birchmere: America’s Legendary Music Hall? It harbored such new talent as Lyle Lovett, the Seldom Scene, Vince Gill, and many more. "New?" you might ask... they were at the time.  Read about Arlandria's own cradle for new talent, and legacy of proprietor of 44 years, Gary Oelze. What's his biggest frustration? Well, you may want to lobby City Council to find a way to get rid of Alexandria's entertainment tax, which could yet drive the cherished institution away from our fair neighborhood. (Alexandria Gazette-Packet)

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.

Alexandria Adopts Budget, Including "Restoration of two Community-Oriented Police positions"

Many thanks to all those that wrote the City and spoke before City Council to fight for continued funding of all COP positions.  There is no word on which neighborhood will lose one COP officer, but the good news is 2 of 3 potentially affected neighborhoods will maintain their full compliment of community oriented police.

Full City Press Release is below:

Alexandria City Council Adopts Fiscal Year 2011 Budget

For Immediate Release: May 3, 2010

News Highlights

• Property tax rate increased 7.5 cents; rate set at 97.8 cents per $100 of assessed value
• Alexandria City Public Schools transfer increased $3.3 million, a 2.0% increase
• Transit subsidy for WMATA increased by $1.6 million, a 26% increase from last year’s General Fund amount
• General Fund Operating Budget is $531.6 million, an increase of 0.3% from Fiscal Year 2010
• Public safety, transit cuts restored

More Information

• www.alexandriava.gov/budget    

Seeking to maintain core City services, education, and Metro funding despite challenging economic conditions, the Alexandria City Council voted 5-2 to adopt a $531.6 million General Fund Operating Budget for the fiscal year (FY) beginning July 1, 2010. The calendar year 2010 real estate tax rate of 90.3 cents was increased by 7.5 cents to 97.8 cents per $100 of assessed value. This rate includes 0.5 cents dedicated to stormwater management projects instead of a separate stormwater utility fee. The average homeowner’s taxes will increase by $125, or 2.9%. The City’s real property tax rate remains one of the lowest in Northern Virginia.

“We asked our residents to weigh in on the challenges our City faces, and they didn’t let us down,” said Mayor William D. Euille. “They let us know on the Web, during public hearings, via e-mail and telephone, and on the street. We listened to them, and the budget we approved tonight reflects their input, including their concerns about public safety and transportation. This budget process affirmed that City government and residents can come together in tough times to make a difference, and that we must continue to work together to overcome the challenges ahead.”

Items approved by City Council include:

• Addition of two new, peak-time medic units and five medical staff in the Alexandria Fire Department
• Restoration of two Community-Oriented Police positions
• Reinstatement of $100,000 to the Alexandria Transit Company (DASH) to retain service on the AT4 route

City employees will also receive a merit step increase in FY 2011, at a cost of $3.4 million. The Council added an additional step at the end of the pay scale, so that all employees would be eligible to receive a merit increase next year. The merit increase, the first since FY 2009, will help offset increases to health insurance premiums and help retain a highly skilled workforce. There have been no market-rate adjustments for employees since 2008.

The largest increase in the FY 2011 budget is dedicated to the Alexandria City Public Schools. The transfer of funds to the Schools will increase $3.3 million, a 2.0% increase over the FY 2010 budget.

New fees and service cost increases include:

• Allocation of  0.5 cents of the property tax increase to pay for stormwater sewer infrastructure, providing $2.3 million for FY 2011 projects
• A parking meter rate increase to $1.75 per hour, which generates $1.15 million
• A $5 increase for residents who receive City trash and recycling collection services (fees will be used to purchase larger recycling bins to increase recycling rates and improve convenience and service)

The taxpayers’ cost to fund the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) continues to increase annually. The FY 2011 budget includes a potential $1.6 million increase to the transit agency, which is 26% more than in FY 2010.

“Our City continues to face challenging times, and will continue to do so for the next few years,” said City Manager James K. Hartmann. “This year’s budget process and the budget that was approved tonight show the delicate balance between cutting costs, maintaining the City’s basic operational needs, and compensating the excellent workforce that makes it possible.”

For more information, contact Tony Castrilli, Director of Communications, Office of Communications, at 703.888.7166 or tony.castrilli@alexandriava.gov

Potomac Yard Metro: "We Can See the Finish Line"

At last Thursday's Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group (PYPAG) meeting, Alexandria's Deputy Director of Planning and Zoning Jeff Farner joked that this will "probably" be the last one, which drew a few tentative chuckles from the group. The planning of Potomac Yard seems to have gone on for years if not decades. The goal for the product of over a year of effort, the North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan (Draft PDF), is set to go before the Alexandria Planning Commission and City Council for approval in April. But, truth be told, until the Metro station funding is resolved, there is probably no point in sending it forward.

Deputy City Manager Mark Jinks danced around the funding questions as everyone present tried to read between the lines. The good news is that what was an original gap was $75 million has been worked it down to $32 million by capitalizing the debt; rolling early debt service payments into the loan. Based on discussion later in the meeting, the City expects the rest of the gap to be closed by developers.

Planning Commissioner Eric Wagner ended an awkward question session by saying that it is not the time or place to discuss negotiating points, but that they can "see the finish line," something they could not have said just a month or two ago. As it stands, the $32 million funding gap is still a problem, but they expect to resolve it before a plan goes to City Council.

Item 2 on the agenda was a so-called "flex-zone" centered around the area reserved for the sought-after Metro station. Fellow blogger "Froggie" wrote up a good summary of this discussion in a recent post:

This is a planned area immediately around the northern Metro station entrance (Blocks 14 thru 21, except for Block 17) that is intended to be a pedestrian-intensive zone. The plan includes a roughly 0.75 acre park centrally located within the "Zone", surrounded on all sides by streets, with adjacent buildings facing the park. Much of the immediate area is intended for Office use with street-level retail.

There was a request from one Group member for a clarification and a more precise definition of just what constitutes "mixed-use". This turned into a discussion on what should be apprpriate land use next to the Metro station, which produced a couple of interesting (yet somewhat contradictory) statements (below are paraphrased and not verbatim):

- "Residents living next to Metro use it more than office workers next to Metro". Meanwhile...

- "Residents are willing to walk farther to Metro than office workers."

The general concensus (sic) appeared to be that Office use was more appropriate closest to Metro.

I think the real item at issue is trying to maximize the value and quantity of the office space in the development without losing the vibrancy of quality mixed-use development. One citizen complained that they don't see how the proposed plan presented for the Yard decreases Alexandria's burden on the residential tax base (a much desired tenet of Alexandria's long range plans since 60% of its tax revenue is derived from residential property with only 40% commercial). Ultimately, the plan should bring in a tremendous amount tax revenue.

PYPAG members were divided about whether or not to include a reservation for a school in the plan. Dept Planning Director Farner proposed that a school not be ruled-out, which would require shifting some proposed uses and building heights to accommodate the possibility of a school. Planning Commisioner Wagner and others thought that it made little sense to include a school on a prime residential block adjacent to the Circle Park and Four Mile Run. Mr. Wagner proposed postponing the decision about the location of a school in order to try to identify the best overall location as opposed to adjusting the plan to include the possibility for a school on-site. This item will be revisited by City staff.

The transportation element of the plan brought about some of the most heated discussion of the evening. Planning Commissioner Wagner made note of a line in the draft "Implementation" chapter of the plan that he'd only just noticed:

"... 16 million dollars in construction costs are anticipated for the dedicated transitway, with an additional $5 million anticipated for other transportation improvements, including a future east-west connection to Commonwealth Ave...".

This last portion drew the ire of Mr. Wagner. He said he'd never heard any discussion of the east-west connection to Commonwealth Avenue and he thought it amounted to a "deal-breaker". City Transportation Planner Sandra Marks stated the likely location would be somewhere on or near the Jack Taylor Toyota site (see orange line on map below). Mr. Wagner and another Del Ray resident were very concerned that this item would dramatically increase the effect on the surrounding neighborhoods...mainly Del Ray.

View Potomac Yard Transportation Discussion in a larger map

Ms. Marks defended the need for the extra east-west connection by stating that both E. Glebe Road and E. Reed Avenue are (or will be) at service level F, the lowest level of road performance. (I wasn't 100% sure whether or not they were talking current service level or expected service level in a build or no build scenario)

Lastly, City Planners went around the table and had each person voice his or her overall opinion of the plan, whether or not they support it, and any specific issues. All but three of the attendees supported the plan, and the three were among the most important members of the group: Planning Commissioner Eric Wagner, Potomac Yard Development, LLC (owner/developer of Landbays D, E, H, I, J, K, and L), and MRP Realty (owner/developer of landbay G).

Mr. Wagner's lone issue was the east-west connector to Commonwealth Avenue. He supports the plan without the extra connector, but said that one street is a deal-breaker for him. He seems to think that all the work that was put into "protecting the neighborhoods" would be undone by this one additional street that is likely to just break up the logjams of E. Glebe Road and E. Reed Avenue. I'm skeptical that it would make any difference at all on Commonwealth south of intersection with East/West Glebe.

Both owners of the properties south of the planning area (from just south of the existing Target location all the way down to Old Town) were not supportive of the plan as-is. They are both upset about an expected $10 per sqft proffer demanded by the City as well as the fact that they feel they are not being treated equally to Landbay F (the current retail center) in terms of the amount of public benefit expected of them. They also complained that they are being required to underground more parking than Landbay F, among other unnamed inequities. Planning Director Farrol Hamer said the City will be sure to treat the developers equally in comparable zoning uses and asked if the developers would support the plan without the $10 per sqft proffer.

I was surprised at the public display and have a feeling they are headed back to the negotiating table. The representative of Potomac Yard Development, LLC essentially said they feel McCaffery Interests (Landbay F owner) should cut a check for the Metro funding gap since the upzoning in the proposed plan gives him an instant property value increase of about $240 million. Potomac Yard Development, LLC has already spent about $100 million in infrastructure improvements, including a new fire-station with 64 affordable housing units, and the new Monroe Avenue Bridge, among other projects.

Mr. Wagner wrapped up by saying he thinks the Metro funding gap might be more than $32 million because of how slow build-out usually occurs. He thinks they might be too optimistic with the build-out schedule based on experience. Still, they're hopeful to finalize a financing plan by the City Council meeting on April 17th.

This was not the positive message we've been hoping for, but despite the posturing between the city and various development interests, City staff insists that they're closing in on that coveted goal of a new Metro station.

Cross-Posted at Greater Greater Washington

Rumor Mill: Potomac Yard Metro Funding Gap Nearly Closed

YET ANOTHER UPDATE: We just got this e-mail about a Thursday meeting:

The final meeting of the Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group (PYPAG) is scheduled for this Thursday, February 4th, at 7:00 p.m. in Room 1101 (Sister Cities) at City Hall. Tentative agenda items include a discussion of staff and developer resolutions to PYPAG issues, community comments, and final comments from PYPAG members.

Will this include information about the Metro funding gap? Let's hope so. If you have an opinion to voice on it, this is the place to do so.

---

ORIGINAL UPDATE: The City Council/Planning Commission "Work Session" scheduled for Tuesday, February 9th at 5:30 pm was tentatively rescheduled for February 23rd at 5:30pm in the City Hall Council Work Room (pending City Council ratification of new date).

---

For those who remember, the in-fill Metro station faced a $32 Million funding gap that would have forced the city to either pony up or give up... or get someone else to pony up. With the current budget difficulties and fears about paralyzing the City's borrowing capabilities by maxing out its credit sources, that $32 Million was a deal breaker.

It would seem that, less than a week before the Potomac Yard Plan was supposed to go before the Planning Commission, the developer is willing to come to the rescue. As you can see from next month's Planning Commission docket, the Potomac Yard Plan is not going to be discussed, after all. Probably to give everyone more time to close the gap. Who knows what horse-trading might be going on behind the scenes to make this Metro station happen, but short of selling a proverbial kidney, I say go for it. In fact, there's a joint City Council/Planning Commission "Work Session" scheduled for Tuesday, February 9th 23rd at 5:30 pm. The rumor around town is that there might be a proposal that has closed the gap.

Keep your ears to the ground and post anything you have heard, read, or just want to speculate on in the comments!

Metro Map Image Credit: GGW

The Arlandrian Weekly News Round-Up

City Council Approves Arlandria Implementation Advisory Group
At Tuesday's regular meeting, City Council adopted the resolution to create a group to help remove disincentives to redevelopment, provide input on efforts to expand Four Mile Run Park, and advise on local priorities for improving Mt. Vernon Ave streetscape, among other things (Action Docket #28). To get everyone's streetscape improvement juices flowing, here's a good article from last summer that discusses the importance of street design (Planetizen).

Decision on Co-op Deferred Until April
City Council is still deliberating on whether or not to forgive a $232K loan provided to help establish the Arlandria Chirilagua Housing Cooperative (ACHC). At Tuesday's legislative meeting, the decision was deferred until April, giving the newly elected Co-Op board a chance to work on some of the problems. Rob Krupicka noted, "We have all been made aware of facility issues and these need to be addressed."  Of course, patching up problems once when up against a wall does not a successful housing cooperative make... does it? (Alexandria News, halfway down page under "Co-Op Loan Forgiveness Decision Deferred")

Alexandria Among Nation's Worst in Traffic
D.C. area drivers have more need than most to pick a car that's comfortable to sit in, as they'll need to contend with traffic rivaling the country's worst in jurisdictions across the region. Alexandria, Va., was 9th (Wash Examiner)

Will Alexandria Waterfront Plans Get Stuck in Park?
Alexandria officials are closing in on the final details of an ambitious plan to reinvent the historic city's long-neglected waterfront. But their efforts face hazards from residents worried about turning their beloved city into a tacky tourist trap, a swanky boat club at the heart of the development, and decades-old federal litigation over ownership of the Potomac's banks. (Wash Examiner)

Arlington Lifts Advisory for Four Mile Run
Stream conditions are back to normal. Advisory lifted for Four Mile Run stream access at Shirlington Canine Community Area. The County recommends taking normal stream precautions. (Click to read release)

Donley, Hughes, Euille Declare 300 Hours Is Too Much Staff Time For Arlandria

Active copy of the Implementation Schedule – Last Update 2006?!

On Oct 13th, City Council discussed (and deferred action on) the creation of an Arlandria Action Plan Advisory Group (AAPAG).

As proposed, the AAPAG would be charged with, among other things, helping decide how to spend the $500K of Capital Improvement Planning funds that are allocated for Arlandria Streetscape revitalization (more on $500K in CIP here). It would also keep the City on task with actually implementing the vision of the 2003 Arlandria Plan. The AAPAG would be comprised of representatives from Arlandria and the North End neighborhoods: businesses, service organizations, civic associations, etc. The City's Department of Planning and Zoning (P&Z) estimates the need for about 300 hours of their staff time to help facilitate the meetings. Here is the full resolution as it appeared on the docket: (small PDF).

We had already provided Deputy Director of P&Z Karl Moritz with feedback about the draft AAPAG resolution. The only important suggestion we made was to clarify the charge of the new group. We suggested that the group should focus on "removing disincentives to economic development," but that did not make it into the copy that went forward to Council. Because of this, we requested that the vote on the resolution be deferred. This 6-minute video (below) shows discussion of deferral. But in addition, Vice Mayor Kerry Donley questions the purpose of the group and he, Councilwoman Alicia Hughes, and Mayor Bill Euille doubt whether we should spend 300 hours of staff time on Arlandria. (Video is also available here.)


Vice Mayor Donley is worried that Arlandria area stakeholders might ask for money if given an official voice. But, as Councilman Krupicka rightly stated, the entire reason the group is being formed is to jump-start the long stalled plan, and, in the current fiscal climate, to figure out how to do more with less.

Community organizing, volunteerism, and policy changes could go a long way towards making the community better for current residents and businesses and more appealing for redevelopment. There is energy in the community towards improving things, even if it means chasing down donations from garden centers, mentoring an area youth, or just fighting to clear a perceived zoning hurdle. These actions all make a difference and are virtually free to the City, and are things neighbors have demonstrated the willingness and ability to do.

Then there's the little issue of spending the $500K in CIP in a way that maximizes its impact. And quite frankly, who cares if we do request funding for a project that Council may not have known about? Isn't it the job of Council to determine priorities? If we get out the pitchforks and march down to City Hall, they can still say, "No, these other projects are more important." They should not preclude us from asking and fighting for every scrap we can get.

The North End neighborhoods in the Arlandria area have been largely ignored by the City for years, and now the mere idea of spending 300 hours of staff time causes Vice Mayor Donley, Councilwoman Hughes, and Mayor Euille to balk about needing the staff resources elsewhere. Assuming that P&Z employs roughly 45 people (at about 2,000 hours per person per year), that means 300 hours equates to 0.33% of available P&Z staff time. Implementation of the Arlandria Plan was listed as one of the top priorities for P&Z staff time this fiscal year by last City Council (#5 on the list). Do some new members of Council want to retroactively change any other established decisions? Or have they just not retained information about the City's forgotten neighborhoods on the North End? When Donley and Hughes talk of other priorities, they seemingly haven't read the list of P&Z priorities for this year.

I've asked people to e-mail the Mayor and City Council before about issues that affect neighborhoods near us. This time, though, an e-mail to the Mayor and City Council will affect our ability to have a say. P&Z isn't suggesting 300 hours towards this project because they have so much time to throw around. Those 300 hours are needed to let staff help the AAPAG understand the costs of various projects, administer the group, and research and answer questions about City ordinances, policies and available incentives. City Council must enthusiastically retain the commitment to 300 hours of staff time for AAPAG... if for no other reason than just to show they understand Alexandria is bigger than Old Town and Del Ray. There is a tremendous opportunity to revitalize a community. Please ask for the support of the whole Council.

Potomac Yard Meeting Tonight - Best Metro Alternative Must NOT Be Thrown Out

There is a Potomac Yard Metro Planning Advisory Group meeting tonight that is open to the public. This would be a great opportunity for anyone that wants to speak out on the elimination of alternative D2 from consideration to do so! Here is the info: 6-9PM, Room 1101, Sister Cities Conference Room, City Hall, 301 King St. For more information, contact Valerie Peterson at 703.746.3853.

Below, we discuss why alternative D2 should not be thrown out. You can also read our previous post on the subject as a primer.

The recent elimination of alternative D2 by the PY Metro Feasibility Workgroup was short-sighted. Several readers of our previous post on this subject wrote letters to the Mayor and City Council supporting points the post made.

I had an opportunity to read several responses back and they seem to all seem to be the same response from Vice Mayor Kerry Donley. Here is Donley's response, which I believe does not provide a clear reason for the elimination of option D2 (similar to the picture above and to the right).

Thank you for your recent note about the Metrorail station at Potomac Yard. I believe that a Metrorail station at Potomac Yards is essential to the proper development of this site together with our goal of getting more people, residents and commuters alike, to use mass transportation.

The committee examined many aspects of the candidate-build alternatives and we have opted to concentrate our efforts on the "A" alternative and the two "B" alternatives. There are three primary objectives which we used to arrive at these decisions. First, the capital costs associated with the possible station need to be realistic particularly since the station is planned to be financed through developer contributions and public bonds and then repaid through a special taxing district. Some of the other alternatives carried substantial up-front construction costs which made them too expensive to consider.

Second, some of the alternatives carried significant construction difficulties such as track realignment or long-term construction schedules which made them less realistic. Finally, the options moving forward accommodate more commercial development as opposed to residential development making them move viable as commuter alternatives, with residential areas being served via circulator bus systems.

The City still faces significant financial considerations for the surviving alternatives, particularly financing the construction costs and overcoming construction issues relating to the National Park Service and existing railroad right-of-way. We will be getting more information about these issues as well as more information from Metro regarding ridership information and the timeline for their procurement and construction processes.

Again, thanks for writing.

Kerry J. Donley
Vice Mayor

I do agree with some of Vice Mayor Donley's points in his response to many that e-mailed their concerns about the elimination of alternatives C & D. For example, a Metro station at Potomac Yards is essential to citywide goals. The station is especially important to achieve an urban, walkable, and transit centric Potomac Yards. However, as stated at the Mayor's Institute on City Design, proximity to the Metro station has a significant impact on land and property values, and therefore profit for any developer. The Workgroup's own analysis shows a shorter payback horizon and a higher developer proffer with a station located at the center of Landbay F.

The below-ground alternative seems prohibitively expensive and was dropped back in May, but the estimate for the aerial station in alternative D2 might be within reach for a developer. The extra $60-80 million might be made up with the vast improvement on 1/4 mile walkshed. Many of the arguments for this improved walkshed have been made over and over again by those on the Workgroup as well as the panel from the Mayor's Institute, including Christopher Leinberger. Note from the following images how far alternative B3 falls from the nearest development.

Another key point to consider is the impact on traffic. The Vice Mayor points out, "the options moving forward accommodate more commercial development as opposed to residential development making them move viable as commuter alternatives, with residential areas being served via circulator bus systems." How does making the station further away from both residential and commercial properties help this goal.

Alternative D2 is much closer to the greatest density commercial and residential property of Landbay F. If the Metro station is within close walking distance of the greatest density portion of the PY redevelopment, as well as within walking distance of Arlington's PY redevelopment, a greater proportion of travelers to and from this location will utilize transit instead of automobiles. Has Alexandria even talked to developers on the other side of Four Mile Run that would stand to benefit greatly from alternative D2?

As for Vice Mayor Donley's assertion that some of the alternatives were docked because they will be especially disruptive to existing operations, the Workgroup chart (shown atop our last blog on this topic) actually shows options A and B2 as being the most disruptive to current Metrorail operations. All other options were listed as having equivalent impacts. If the City is concerned about the cost and time of studying too many alternatives, throw out alternatives A and B2. B3 and D2 seem to provide far and away the most bang for the buck with the lowest disruption to service.

The City should utilize its hard earned AAA debt rating and be willing back alternative D2, which truly achieves the type of urban, transit-centric community staff and City Council rightly promote. Municipalities across the nation study the forward thinking planning by Arlington when creating the Rosslyn-Balston corridor (30+% of Arlington's tax base on about 10% of its land, all due to good planning). Alexandria has an opportunity to do something that adheres to urban planning best practices, or something that misses the mark. Option D2 needs to at least remain in contention or people will look back in 30 years and say the City provided an infrastructure amenity, but only reaped a fraction of the potential benefits.

What's Happening at Glebe Park

Activity abounds at the Glebe Park project. The buildings slated for replacement were leveled in anticipation of Friday's groundbreaking. There were a couple articles on the site last week, as well -- one before and one after last Friday's groundbreaking ceremony.

First, DCMud put out an article discussing the Glebe Park Project early in the week (link to article). They announced the groundbreaking that occurred Friday and gave an overview of the project. Eight buildings in total were leveled, with 2 others gutted for a complete overhaul. In all, the end result will be 102 new and renovated units. Most will be 2 and 3 bedroom, ranging from about 1000 sqft to 2000 sqft. The 10 biggest units will be sold at market rate, with 8 others sold as work-force (moderate income) housing. The remaining 84 are slated to be low-income public housing run by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Agency (aka ARHA).

Following the groundbreaking, AlexandriaNews.org posted the only summary of the event that I could find (link to article). There are some inaccuracies (misquoted two officials as saying the development was "mixed-use" instead of "mixed-income") and omissions (Rob Krupicka was left out of the summary, even though he was mentioned by speakers as instrumental to getting the project done), but it summarized the event and briefly talked to the history of the project.

A little more history

This project (now dubbed "Alexandria Crossing" according to signs that have been erected along West Glebe Road) has been far from controversial. Some 40+ units of below market-rate housing were moved from one concentrated below market-rate housing area (Parker Gray) to another (Arlandria). An expressed ARHA goal is to deconcentrate low-income housing, and this project did little towards that goal. Arlandria is home to numerous non-profit organizations -- several immediately adjacent to Glebe Park -- that provide low-income residents with housing and assist with career services (see chart here, but make sure to read the footnote). The mix of incomes, races, and cultures in the neighborhoods of the North End provide much of the eclectic energy of the area, but over-concentration of public and other below market-rate housing often leads to increased crime and decreased quality of life for all residents. Indeed, in the 1990s, Alexandria City Council adopted Fair Share housing goals that promised to promote HUD's mandate to affirmatively further fair housing by placing new affordable housing units in neighborhoods that aren't already poor or primarily minority. While the City's Community Service Board still follows that mandate with respect to assisted living and group homes, ARHA has not been as cooperative. Glebe Park will be a (much needed) significant upgrade to the substandard housing that got the wrecking ball, and it provides much needed affordable housing, but it is far from the ideal scenario.

ARHA is in a rush to get back to management of 1150 public housing units, the number that under City Council Resolution 830, ARHA and the City agreed to preserve since the 1970s. Preferably, ARHA and the City would have worked with developers to incorporate more below market-rate housing into new and ongoing projects throughout the city. More often than not, developers have the option to pay out of the obligation and often do. There should be a covenant to the below market-rate sidestep that only allows such exceptions in areas that have a high concentration already . The folks that worked on the Arlandria Plan back from 1998 to 2003 knew this and hoped to set the standard. Their vision led to re-zoning of the Arlandria CDDs (Coordinated Development Districts) that required 10% of any new development be slated for affordable housing. Their hope was that no neighborhood would turn its back on its affordable housing obligations and as neighborhood planning processes proceeded, such provisions would become commonplace throughout Alexandria. Instead, ARHA and other non-profit providers sought City financing to increase the number of affordable and public housing units in Arlandria, while successive neighborhood plans stayed silent about affordable housing provisions elsewhere. Even just a few months ago, the Landmark Gateway project was approved under the new approved Landmark/Van Dorn plan with hardly any affordable housing incorporated into it.

Discussions about affordable housing throughout Alexandria have to be more substantive that just a few photo ops (which is how the Alexandria Gazette Packet covered last week's groundbreaking -- see above), but I'll save a discussion of managing public and below market-rate housing more holistically (that is, something much better than Resolution 830) for another day. Let's just say the goal should be to improve the quality of life for residents of those properties and their neighbors, not to preserve ARHA's political power for its own sake.

June 30 - Attend an Expert Panel on Potomac Yard Shopping Center Redevelopment

The Mayor's Institute on City Design (MICD) will present expert panel findings on the design challenges of and recommendations for redevelopment of Potomac Yard's Landbay F. Landbay F is shown on the diagram at right and is where the Potomac Yards shopping center is currently located.

The MICD describes itself as:

A program sponsored jointly by the National Endowment for the Arts, the United Nations Conference of Mayors and the American Architectural Foundation. The MICD Alumni Technical Assistance program provides mayors, their staffs, and local stakeholders the opportunity to engage a panel of experts in an analysis of a proposed development, design challenge, or current urban development issue.

It goes on to say that experts will present their findings from 5-6 PM at the City Council Workroom at City Hall on June 30th. Here's the link to the full PDF flyer describing the event. It includes biographies of panel members and some more details. You must RSVP to attend.

RSVP to Claire Gronat
Phone: (703)746-3856
E-mail: claire.gron@alexandriava.gov.

City Council Defers Glebe Park Bridge Loan Decision

I listened to the audio of this portion of last night's City Council meeting and was going to do a quick write-up, but AlexandriaNews.org beat me to it. Here is their summary of what happened in discussion about Docket Item 22 ("Consideration of a City Bridge Loan to Enable the Redevelopment of Glebe Park to Proceed").

Essentially, Council deferred a decision until this Saturday's hearing (May 16) because no ARHA representation showed up. In fairness to ARHA (I'm practicing the golden rule, here), they were told it would likely be 8:30pm before Council got to docket item 22, then Council flew through the docket.

If all proceeds, Glebe Park in the Arlandria area will begin pre-demolition activities as early as next month, according to EYA representative Brian Jackson (EYA is the developer for ARHA on this project).

Begin Planning Four Mile Run Park Expansion Now

I recently spoke to Alexandria's Open Space coordinator, Laura Durham. We discussed Four Mile Run Park Expansion: she said the site of a former dry cleaner should be environmentally certified this month (this site is the hold up on park expansion). I was told that then, and only then, could planning for Four Mile Run Park expansion begin (old post on the subject). I accepted that as just the way things work.

And then Kevin Beekman referred me to a docket item from a City Council meeting last February. I think this area is actually getting snubbed (again). It seems park planning and environmental studies and remediation could be a parallel process, as with Del Ray's pocket park (1 and 7 East Del Ray Ave). The pocket park was acquired in January 2008, and is already in advanced planning stages (November 2008 presentation on pocket park). The planning for Del Ray's pocket park included "any future environmental studies" as a component of the process. The following two excerpts from 05 Feb 08 City Council meeting docket item 6 seem to indicate there are environmental issues with that site as well:

As late as 1987, the property was developed with a furniture stripping business. The buildings on site were demolished, and the owner (at that time) was permitted by the Virginia Department of Health to bury paint remover and other residue from the business on-site as part of the demolition process. The current property owner has provided an environmental assessment of the site’s soil with the contract documents. The City will comply with any environmental regulations involved in the development of this site as apark. (pg 4)

Future Use of the Property:
After the City purchases the property, Staff will initiate the park planning and design process. The public will be invited to participate in this design process, with review from the Park and Recreation Commission. Any required future environmental studies and work will be a component of this plan. (pg 5)

I think the citizens in the North End (Arlandria, Hume Springs, Lynhaven, Sunnyside, etc.), after 2 years, are getting tired of staring at demolished, weed covered lots that are a blight on the neighborhood. The least we could do is post a graphic of what could be (use something from the Four Mile Run Restoration Project) and begin the planning process. We know and understand that city staff is very busy, but they have to realize that the translation for people in the neighborhoods on the North End is "we're so busy with projects in the rest of Alexandria that we have no time for your area."

Contact the Mayor and City Council and insist they push staff to begin Four Mile Park expansion planning now. Brainstorming, requests for citizen input, and discussion would go a long way towards getting the project more shovel ready when all the environmental concerns are rectified.

Councilman Krupicka Hosts NCAA Watch Party at My Bakery & Cafe

From Rob Krupicka's official site:

Monday, April 6th: Krupicka NCAA Finals Party: Who will win? Who will beat President Obama's brackets? Watch the NCAA Basketball finals with Rob and friends. Join us from 8 PM until the game ends at the newly renovated My Bakery and Cafe at 3839 Mt Vernon Ave in Arlandria for fun and great basketball. RSVP, contact Tina Games-Evans at 703-402-2226 or tinagames@aol.com.

Should be a good time and a great chance to meet fellow-Arlandrians (and other Alexandrians that aren't afraid to go out in Arlandria at night!). But seriously, Councilman Krupicka has been friendly to the needs of Arlandria and backs up his intentions by hosting this event in the center of the neighborhood. Come one, come all!

Meeting with City Council Candidate Frank Fannon

Members of Lennox Place at Sunnyside and Hume Springs Citizens Associations met with Republican candidate for Alexandria City Council Frank Fannon last night. We met and discussed Arlandria community concerns for over an hour, ensuring he left aware of some of the key issues.

We began by discussing the Alexandria Aces, Alexandria's new collegiate summer league baseball team that plays in Four Mile Run Park (on the baseball diamond shown in our banner, actually). Mr. Fannon and Patrick Malone were both instrumental in bringing baseball to Alexandria.

We then got into the key topics:

• Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) shortcomings. Residents listed a littany of complaints about ARHA and their horrid mismanagement of Glebe Park (dangerous mold problems (see on youtube), code violations, etc). Community members also discussed the problems with selection of ARHA property residents. Despite the long waiting list for affordable and low-income housing, disruptive individuals are often selected and allowed to negatively impact those trying to turn their lives around. Mr. Fannon acknowledged that he had heard complaints about ARHA wherever he went in Alexandria.
• In order to improve the area drastically and soon, city council needs to remove hurdles for redevelopment of the Safeway/Datatel site. Additionally, to spur future improvements, the city needs to form additional CDDs on nearby property (specifically along W. Glebe Rd and on Mt. Vernon between W. Glebe and Commonwealth Ave). Mr. Fannon was somewhat skeptical of what could be done with the current economy, but residents brought it to his attention that other projects in the area are moving forward. The Safeway/Datatel site is not, largely due to the overly restrictive way that it was written. Mr. Fannon did point to the fact that he wants to clear the hurdles for businesses to establish in Alexandria. Alexandria can be a difficult place to establish a business due to strict regulations.
• Other issues raised were support for local police and code enforcement efforts and reducing the ratio of below market-value to market-value housing in Arlandria. Residents pointed out that Alexandria has the highest ratio of below-market to market-rate housing in the city, yet the Safeway/Datatel site requires a 10% set-aside for affordable/low-income housing, which would further skew this figure.