News Archives - NorthEast Citizens' Association of Alexandria, VA - NorthEast Citizens' Association of Alexandria, VA

The following are former news items or articles that provide background or historical context to issues affecting members of NECA.

City Sign Shop Site Scheduled for A Different Development (June 2002)
[By Sylvia Sibrover, Newsletter Editor]
Mark Jinks, Assistant City Manager, spoke at our June 19 meeting about the status of the city shop site (also called the sign shop) located at Bernard Street, Slaters Lane, and Powhatan Street. The City of Alexandria owns more than half of the parcel. The eastern portion of this plot of land on Portner Road is privately owned and is now under contract to a developer who plans a residential development of townhouses.

Until recently the entire area (the private portion and the City's portion) had been approved for a commercial/office development that was to have small neighborhood serving stores on the first floor and offices on the second level.

For many reasons this did not come to fruition and Charlie Fairchild, who had planned the commercial enterprise, chose to allow the option to buy to lapse. The City has determined that a commercial venture (which they would prefer) is not possible at this time. Therefore, they are seeking requests for proposals of developing the parcel. The Land Use Committee will track this process to make every effort to keep any development compatible with our neighborhood.

[By Poul Hertel]
History: One-Way Pair Loop
On October 16, 1999, the NorthEast Citizens' Association including over 20 residents from Old Town Greens asked City Council to reconsider the implementation of the one-way pair loop on Slaters Lane. City Council agreed to take a second look before turning the service road in front of Old Town Greens into a major arterial and eliminating the parking. The proposed one-way pair loop would divert all westbound traffic on Slaters Lane to the service road while turning Slaters Lane into a one-way street heading east toward the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

The one-way pair concept originated as a solution for moving traffic in and out of Potomac Greens as part of the original Potomac Greens development proposal that was to include a Metro station and expected traffic to exceed 3,000 cars (Table 1). So much traffic could not possibly traverse Slaters Lane without causing gridlock. The one-way pair loop would have mitigated that problem by separating the traffic into continuous patterns.

Figure 1 shows the original plan along with the expected traffic generated in Old Town Greens by the original 2.5 million-square-foot development consisting of office and retail space. This is traffic during the AM and PM peak hour of adjacent street traffic during a one hour period.

By contrast, the actual scale of the development is totally different. Old Town Greens was approved for 273 residential units and Potomac Greens, which is going to be built to the north, was approved for 250 units. The actual development would generate less than 300 vehicular trips per hour, or one-tenth the cars of the original proposal (Table 2).

The one-way pair loop was a solution to a problem that no longer exists and might be detrimental to future solutions in our neighborhood. For these reasons, City Council decided to reconsider the decision and re-study the effected area to ensure that unnecessary, drastic, and obtrusive changes did not go forward needlessly. After a lengthy review, which included a comprehensive traffic study, City Council decided not to make the service road a major arterial.

Present: Modified "T"
The elimination of the one-way pair loop was and is desirable, but it still leaves open some problems of accessibility to Old Town Greens and the planned Potomac Greens development. To solve this problem the NorthEast in conjunction with City staff and the Braddock Metro team has worked out a pedestrian access plan to Braddock Metro Station. Although primarily a pedestrian plan, it does incorporate the modified T. This plan would extend Potomac Greens Drive through the center island to the traffic signal at Slaters Lane and Portner Road. This configuration will permit the consolidation of open space for the neighborhood. The important point is it provides better access to Old Town Greens for its residents. During the morning commute, traffic on Slaters Lane backs up, which makes leaving home very time consuming for the residents. Figure 2 shows the pedestrian access plan to the Braddock Metro Station. The darker shade along the railroad represents a future sidewalk intended to facilitate the Metro use for pedestrians. The plan is the conceptual stage, but the developer of the Potomac Greens has indicated they are looking at the plan.

So far, two major issues surfaced:

    • The ability to exit from Old Town Greens during the morning rush hour. To solve
       that problem, a suggestion is to have two lanes exiting onto Slaters so that
       eastbound traffic will not impede the westbound traffic during the morning
       commute.

    • The concern about traffic going into Bernard Street and Michigan Avenue in order
       to circumvent Slaters Lane or Powhatan Street. Since Bernard Street and Michigan
       Avenue are extremely narrow, the ability to carry increased traffic is questionable.

The Transportation Committee of the NorthEast Citizens' Association will also be taking a closer look at the traffic plans and keep both the City and the developers aware of the concerns of the residents.

Election Information (September 2002)
[By Sylvia Sibrover, Newsletter Editor]
The beginning of the year for the NorthEast Citizens' Association is in September. As such, we are holding our elections for the Officers and Board of Directors at our first meeting of the year on September 18, 2002. The association year will run from September 2002 through August 2003. Dues are collected starting in September.

In order to vote at the election, you must be a member and in order to be a member you must live in the area and have paid your dues. All residents, renters and homeowners alike, are eligible for membership.

To become a member send your dues to the treasurer or pay at the election meeting. It is suggested that dues by mail be sent prior to September 12 to allow time for delivery. Ballots for the election will only be given to those whose dues were received before the election or those who pay when they sign in. Sign-in will be between 7:00 PM and 7:45 PM. Tables will be set up at the entrance of the meeting room to collect dues and pass out ballots. If you're paying by cash it would be appreciated if you would bring exact change.

No proxy votes will count. Members must be in attendance to cast a vote. Nominations from the floor will not be accepted. An article on the election process was in the June 2002 newsletter.

There will be a short question and answer period prior to the vote for President. Questions from the members be placed in a box and drawn alternately by each candidate. Both candidates will be asked to answer the question drawn. Index cards will be provided for any member who wished to submit a question.
[Vol. 2, No. 1 newsletter, p.1]
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Process for Election of Officers of the NorthEast Citizens' Association (June 2002)
The meeting on June 19, 2002, was the last one for this association year. With only a few months off for the summer, the next association year will begin in September 2002 with the election of Officers and Board of Directors.

At the June Board meeting the election process was discussed. The bylaws were consulted and a discussion ensued. The determination by the Board (and concurred to by the parliamentarian) was:

    • The bylaws require that a Nominating Committee of three members
       be formed to bring forward candidates for election to the membership.
    • Only individuals on the nomination list will be considered.
    • All nominations must be received by the nominations committee by
       August 1, 2002, in order to be considered.
    • Any nominations put forward after August 1, 2002, will not be eligible

Qualifications
That's simple. You must be a resident of NorthEast and a member of the Association in good standing.

Procedure for Nomination
Any member interested in running for one of the offices or as a member of the Board needs to contact the Nominating Committee. Send an email to nominations@neca-alex.com providing your name and address. If you prefer send a letter to:

If you wish to nominate someone other than yourself, please make certain the individual is a member and able to server before bringing his or her name forward. All nominations must be received no later than August 1, 2002, to be on the ballot. Letters must be received (not simply postmarked) by August 1st and email must be date stamped no later than 6:00 PM EDT August 1st.

Shots Fired - Incident at First Street and Colonial Avenue
At approximately 9:00 p.m. on Monday, April 15, shots were fired near the intersection of First Street and Colonial Avenue. The driver of a car going south on Colonial approaching the intersection at First Street told police that shots were fired in his direction by an unknown black male whom the driver had seen walking south on Colonial toward First holding a pistol at his side. As the driver turned the corner, the assailant chased after the car and started shooting. This caused the driver to duck for cover and crash his car into a car parked on First Street, totaling both cars. Both the driver and assailant fled on foot. A police canvass of the area found no injuries or additional damage.

At least three shots were fired; shell casings were recovered. There were witnesses to the shooting and a suspect was named and questioned. Prosecution has been hindered by a lack of corroborating evidence and witnesses unwilling to testify. Uniformed and plainclothes police continue to give attention to the area where this incident occurred.
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Braddock Metro Plaza Proposal (February 2002)
[By Poul Hertel]
As part of a push to redevelop the Braddock Metro area, a developer is proposing to build a 207,000 square foot office building along the Braddock Metro Plaza on the old school site. The site presently houses the PBS building, the plaza, the townhouses on Madison Street and a tree-lined undeveloped open space tract. The 12-story building is proposed for the undeveloped area. It will loom large with a height of 135 feet and an FAR expected to exceed 4.1. The development will close an otherwise open plaza walkway to the metro station, require the relocation of the fountain, and leave a mere 35 feet of space in the plaza between the buildings. Conceptually, this is supposed to create an atmosphere more conducive to a community center. To this end the developer is offering the community at large use of a "community room" with capacity to seat 50 people. The plaza level will have a retail component of 9988 square feet. The building will provide 136 parking spaces on five levels, three of these above grade.

The existing zoning, CRMU-H, allows a maximum height of 77 feet and an FAR of 1.25 that can be increased by .25 if retail is provided or 2.5 FAR if the development consists of 50 percent commercial and 50 percent residential. To overcome these regulations, the developer is arguing that all the development in the school site should be one aggregated pool. In so doing, the developer maintains that the FAR is technically below 2.5. In other words, the developer is urging the City to compensate him for his earlier decision to build lower density townhouses on Madison Street by allowing the unused FAR to be recaptured in the remaining portion of the property. This would require the higher height limits to be achievable.

City Staff estimates that the developer is allowed to build a 60,000 square foot building. Therefore, the proposed development represents an increase of 345 percent in density. Since the height is limited to 77 feet, a variance is needed along with an increase in the allowable FAR.

[By Sylvia Sibrover, Newsletter Editor]
Last month the Planning Commission considered a developer's appeal of a denial for a waiver for an encroachment into a Resource Protection Area (RPA). The waiver was for a proposed residential development off Eisenhower Avenue. Richard Baier, Director of Transportation and Environment Services (T&ES) asked planning to uphold his denial.

The proposed residential development was planned between rail tracks and industrial buildings. The construction would encroach upon an RPA that should buffer development from natural water sources. The encroachment was up to 100% in many parts of the proposed development.

The Planning Commission upheld the T&ES denial by unanimous vote. The developer had considered carrying its appeal to City Council to reverse the Planning Commission. Instead, it will revise its plans and bring it back for consideration.

NECA will keep track of this project and let the membership know of any further developments. Although the project is not in our backyard, it will impact how our City develops and could effect RPAs everywhere.
[Vol. 1, No. 4 newsletter, p. 2]
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Madison Homes - The Old Town Crescent Development (March 2002)
[By Mariella Posey, Co-Chair, Land Use Committee]
On a Saturday morning early in 2000 the Land Use Committee (LUC) met at the Dixie Pig with a developer and his attorney to look at a proposed residential development planned for the vacant lot and parking lot located at Slaters Lane, Portner Road and Bernard Street.

The development consisted of 10 brick town homes with detached garages and patios facing Bernard Street and 15 stacked town homes on the Slaters side of the development. The stacked units were to be in three groups of five: one group facing Portner Road and the remaining facing each other on the east side of the property. They would not have detached garages but would be similar to the Hearthstone Mews, another project of the developer.

During this initial meeting it was suggested that a condo with single level units be substituted for the 15 town homes. The rationale for this suggestion was a single level condo unit might appeal to older people who would like to stay in the area but were moving out of it because they were finding it difficult to negotiate the stairs in their current homes. The developer thought it was an interesting idea but did not think it was financially viable.

At our next meeting the condo was on the table. The design was for a four story stone building with a set back on the alley side, overlooking the 10 town homes on Bernard Street. One of the members of the Land Use Committee suggested the condo be turned around with the set back facing Slaters to break-up the face of the building and to give the residents a view of the Washington Monument and other Washington, D.C. landmarks. The developer agreed to this change.

Over a period of 4 months, the Land Use Committee held several meetings, including some with the developer to discuss our concerns about, and requests for, this development. One of the meetings was a drive to McLean, Virginia, by three members of the LUC and the developer to look at one of his projects using Hardy Plank in places where others used vinyl siding.

After several LUC meetings, a presentation to the full association, and a meeting with the Board of Directors, the approved development is now in its final stages and getting ready for occupancy.

Some of the enhancements negotiated by the Land Use Committee that are part of this parcel are:

    • Parking that exceeds city standards, which includes on-site parking for the
       development residents (underground for the condo) plus an additional 20%
       on-site visitor parking, none of which would be visible from the street;
    • No curb cuts since all access to the condo and the townhouses are provided
       from the alley through the center of the site;
    • The majority of open space at ground level;
    • Stone detailing around the doors and in other areas on the front of the
       townhouses facing Bernard Street to break up the monotony of an all brick
       facade;
    • Hardy Plank instead of vinyl siding;
    • Sidewalks on Portner Road and Bernard Street that are 6 feet wide made up of
       5 feet of brick and a 6 inch band on each side instead of concrete sidewalks with
       brick siding (City staff recommended a concrete sidewalk with a brick band); and
    • A twelve-foot brick sidewalk on Slaters Lane with a landscape strip between the
       sidewalk and street.

This is one of the nicest developments to be constructed in the City in recent years and we are proud that it is in our neighborhood.

[Vol. 1, No. 4 newsletter, p. 3]
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Mason Hall Finally Fixes the Parking Problem (March 2002)
[By Poul Hertel]
Mason Hall, an apartment building visible from the George Washington Memorial Parkway, has finally begun the work to increase the number of parking spaces in order to alleviate the lack of parking. Some of the parking will be closed temporarily during the construction phase, although Mason Hall is staggering the construction to minimize the inconvenience. Once finished, the parking problems will be vastly improved.

The problem arose because Mason Hall has insufficient parking by today's standards. The apartment dwellers partially solved the problem by parking diagonally in front of the building on the access road. Unfortunately, Mason Hall also paved over the back lot facing Bernard Street, which is legal, and placed parking on the area, which is illegal. This fact was discovered during deliberations with a neighbor concerning the property lines. The City of Alexandria sent Code Enforcement to close the illegal parking lot.

The lot had a limited number of spaces, so in itself the loss was not precipitous. While on the site, Code Enforcement saw the illegal diagonal parking in front of the building and summarily stopped it. A significant number of parking spots, albeit illegal, were lost and the management reacted by cutting a hole in the fence to Bernard Street. Residents of Mason Hall were encouraged to park in the adjacent neighborhoods, which could not bear the extra cars because they also have insufficient parking to begin with.

The NorthEast Citizens' Association proposed a solution that would close the gate as the neighbors had petitioned for, and the City would vacate land in front of the building so that Mason Hall could legally restore the diagonal parking. Mason Hall had agreed to this condition. The immediate neighbor did not agree and got City Council to place a further condition on the vacation of the land. Mason Hall also had to restore the back lot to its original condition. This precipitated a successful lawsuit against the City of Alexandria. Conditions are allowed if they are specifically designed to provide a public good. The Judge ruled that the back-lot restoration only benefited the immediate neighbor and therefore was not valid. In the meantime, residents around Bernard Street and Mason Hall were paying the price of delay.

Mason Hall, armed with the lawsuit, had all the advantage and upped the ante for closing the gate. They requested more parking along Slaters Lane and wanted to remove open space. In a negotiated settlement with NorthEast and the City, Mason Hall agreed to the following:

    • The City vacates the land in favor of Mason Hall, which would permit the diagonal
       parking,
    • Mason Hall removes the gate after the construction of the parking in front is
       finished,
    • The immediate neighbors get an 8-foot landscape buffer to Mason Hall,
    • Mason Hall gets more parking along Slaters Lane, and
    • Mason Hall agrees to place a fence along Slaters Lane to mitigate the
       appearance.

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Tax Referendum (November 2002)
The Tax Referendum was voted on and defeated at the election held on November 5, 2002. Mayor Kerry J. Donley and Mr. Stewart Schwartz expressed their differing views on the referendum.
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SUP – What Does It Mean? (December 2001)
[By Sylvia Sibrover, Newsletter Editor]
The SUP (Special Use Permit) process is the method by which the City of Alexandria controls development and use of property. This is necessary to keep development orderly and reasonable in size and scope. An SUP is only necessary if a developer wishes to go beyond the limits allowed by current zoning law. It is also required for all restaurants within City limits or any property where the site is used in a way contrary to zoning.

     “The city council may approve an application for a special use permit ... if the
     proposed location is appropriate for the use and if the proposed use or structure
     will be designated and operated so as to avoid, minimize or mitigate any
     potentially adverse effects on the neighborhood as a whole or other properties
     in the vicinity.” [Alexandria Zoning Ordinance]

The Dixie Pig is a property that has a SUP, both because it is a restaurant and is a nonconforming use.

In 1951 the Dixie Pig restaurant stood on land that was rezoned residential. As a result a restaurant was no longer allowed. Since the owner had a substantial investment in the restaurant, the City granted the nonconforming use for a period of 40 years at which time the property would revert to residential. The SUP expired in 1991. Because of the community support for a restaurant, the nonconforming use has continued.

The current owner, having recently acquired the property, wishes to open an Italian restaurant. An SUP has been granted. Unfortunately, they are encountering difficulties so have delayed the completion of renovations and restaurant opening.

The Dixie Pig Restaurant: An Alexandria Cultural Landmark (January 2002)
[By Bonnie Rideout]
Alexandria is a city rich in history and is dotted with many historic landmarks. The Dixie Pig Restaurant is part of this long heritage. Although not associated with any of the more recognizable figures in Virginia history, the Dixie Pig nevertheless embodies an undeniable continuity with the cultural past of the local community.

The first historical reference to the property dates to 1870 when the area was known as the Jefferson District of Arlington. In October, Scott School, a segregated institution for blacks, was established. The school’s first principal was Mary A. Nevett. Scott was one of a series of late-nineteenth-century segregated schools organized in Alexandria by Alfred H. Parry. Parry’s mother-in-law, incidentally, had been a servant at George Washington’s estate, Mount Vernon.

Despite strong local opposition to Parry’s places of learning for the disadvantaged, which operated in churches, private homes, barracks, and warehouses, Scott School served the community’s black population for many years until its students were eventually dispersed to nearby Parker Gray High School, and the Snowden and Hollowell schools. Alexandria resident [and local historian], Harry Burke, born in the late 1920’s, recalls [a story of] the students of Scott and one of their teachers, Mrs. Prichett. “Most of the kids in the school,” recalls Mr. Burke, “lived on the other side of the railroad tracks where their fathers worked, while others lived near the power plant.”

The next documented structure to appear on the site was a grocery store erected in 1918. It is uncertain whether or not Scott School was torn down at that time or if the store was simply erected on the old foundation of the school. Shortly after the store building went up, this section of Powhatan Street (called Washington Road at the time) became part of the City of Alexandria. Canton and Sarah Johnson ran the store after inheriting it from Kent and Rosa Johnson in 1938. Confirmation of the link between the Johnson’s store and Scott School can be found in the 1939 deed to the adjoining property that still referred to the grocery store property as the “old school lot.”

By the 1950’s [sometime in 1940’s], the grocery store was converted into a diner, beginning the history of the present-day Dixie Pig establishment. The Dixie Pig has long been a fixture in the local community life of the Powhatan Street area. The interior and decor of the building is original [vintage] 1950’s.

Beyond the architecture of the building, the unique neon sign is an important artistic and historical artifact. It is one of the oldest neon signs in the [Metropolitan] Washington, D.C. area. Professionals have reflected on the cultural relevance of the landmark. Even artists have taken note of the structure. An art exhibition at the Old Summer School in Washington, D.C. features the work of another Dixie Pig restaurant sign in its display. Also, the picture of the Dixie Pig Restaurant is on display at the Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria. [Our thanks to Ms. Rideout for allowing us to print this article.]

[Vol. 1, No. 2 newsletter, p. 1]
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Traffic Management Plan (January 2002)
[By Sylvia Sibrover, Newsletter Editor]
Phase I (1996)
Those who are new to the neighborhood will not know there was a previous configuration of Powhatan Street. It was a four-lane collector on which traffic moved at great speed and was pedestrian unfriendly. NECA was concerned about this unsafe situation and formed the Traffic Committee. The group worked for almost a year to devise a street design to slow down traffic. The final proposal was distributed to every household and posted on the NECA web page. Three association meetings were held to discuss the proposal. The meetings (like all NECA membership meetings) were open to anyone who wished to attend. The last meeting was a presentation by Tom O’Kane, former Director of Transportation and Environmental Services, of the final drawing by the City. Because of the number of attendees, the meeting was in the fire truck bay of the old fire station. The vote was taken. The result was an almost unanimous approval with only one person dissenting. What we have is the result.

The following is from the “NECA Neighborhood Traffic Management Plan” as printed in The Northeasterner, July 25, 1996 (Poul Hertel).

The objectives of the traffic management plan is to:

As you will see by looking at the street, all strategies were not incorporated by the City in the final plan.

The final step in the process was the nine actions that needed to be taken. The first step was the physical changes for Powhatan Street. This required the converting of a four-lane roadway into a two-lane street. Since the original lanes were smaller than what is now considered standard traffic lanes, two standard lanes were provided. The balance of the “original” road was given to parking and widening the small median between the street and the utility road on the east side of Powhatan Street. The ends of the parking at both Bashford Lane and Second Street were provided with a bubble out to not only narrow the visual effect of Powhatan Street but also to protect the cars parked there.

At the north end of Powhatan Street (between Bashford Lane and Slaters Lane) is a townhouse community (Powhatan Gateway) on the west side of the street and small businesses on the east. The solution there was to divide the two travel lanes with a median of brick and trees. The important part of this area was to eliminate the “hot” turn by Powhatan Gateway for traffic turning off Slaters and onto Powhatan. This hot turn encouraged speeding.

The traffic management plan for the south end of Powhatan (Washington Street to Second Street) is considered Phase II and is currently in the hands of engineers finalizing the design.

As well as working on the physical design of the street the committee considered traffic movement. Two options discussed but not implemented were prohibiting left turns at two intersections. One was the left turn for cars driving south and turning on to Bashford and the other was no left turns for cars coming off Slaters onto Powhatan. These two options were considered because of the waiting traffic backup on Bashford right out of Nethergate or residents turning left out of the Fagelson’s development. This situation was recently improved with an adjustment in the timing of the traffic light at Bashford and the George Washington Memorial Parkway.

A third traffic movement was eliminated by the removal of the hot turn mentioned above. It required turning vehicles to continue to the intersection with the stoplight. Having a near normal curb design, it required traffic to slow down before making the turn. The existing configuration was created to allow a safe turning radius for the fire trucks and buses.

A traffic flow problem which is still unresolved is on West Abingdon Drive. Unfortunately, a lot of cars use it to simply bypass the traffic on the GW Parkway. Traffic enters West Abingdon Drive at the exit before Slaters and travels to Second Street to merge to Washington Street.

This is just a brief summation of the work done by the Traffic Committee. Much work still needs to be done. There are other concerns. With the development of Potomac Yard, traffic in our area will continue to increase. Currently the majority of the land is still undeveloped. But the plan calls for a dense development of townhouses, office space, a hotel, and other businesses. With the increased density will come increased traffic and some of the traffic will look at Powhatan Street as a means of getting to where they are going. To prevent our neighborhood from again becoming a speedway for cut through traffic, the Traffic Committee needs to continue it work. We need continual vigilance of Potomac Yard, the continued development of land north of Slaters, and the Monroe Avenue Bridge just to name a few.

Many times in the past we have worked with City Staff to restore Chetworth Park to good condition that meet the needs of the diverse groups that use this area. But, as before, overuse has turned it from a gem to an eye sore. Before the last renewal a committee was formed by NorthEast Citizens’ Association to look for solutions to this park. Since one reason for the problem is over use, the committee looked for other opportunities for open space, including some place for a real dog run. This produced a request to the city to make the fenced area around city’s under used traffic building #151 on Bernard Street and Slaters Lane available as a dog run. They decided not to open this additional area as a dog run, but sold it instead. While the city did a great job upgrading and making Chetworth beautiful, the continued over use wore it out again.

Today our Park committee is again looking to improve Chetworth Park. They are considering an automated watering system, ground covering for bare areas, replacement benches and tables, refurbish play equipment, adding a double gate, publishing a guide for park users, making below ground feces storage and more. But there is concern that without more open space and a better facility for dogs, a enduring solution is not possible. We are, again, looking for additional open space and a better dog run. Our search has found:

NECA requests that the City explore the possibility using this land for the above purpose. We would also like to work with the staff of Department of Parks and Recreation to see this project completed.
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Potomac Yard Background (May 2000)
City Council approved the "Metro station high density, but without a Metro" zoning plan for the Alexandria part of Potomac Yard. This high level of density requires at least a two lane access to US 1 on its southern side. Also, the Arlington zoning approval for the mega high rise development on the Arlington part of Potomac Yard requires a significant increase in capacity of US 1 south.

To gain this, the developer needs to remove or get by the protective four lane choke point provided by the Monroe Avenue Bridge. [Note: the low density plan - the no metro, and modest density plan - we argued for, did not require access or bridge change]. A spine road connection on the existing bridge or a new bridge can do this. Both these offer negative impacts to NorthEast.

A spine road to bridge - Most drafts eliminate the existing hot right-hand turn for north US 1 bound traffic. This reduces access for anyone, including us, to join the flow north and will produce significant backups onto Slaters Lane and Powhatan Street.

A new bridge - Most drafts eliminate a direct connection to Monroe Avenue forcing west bound traffic north on US 1 to take a right into Potomac Yard and then wandering back to Monroe Avenue. It also costs us tax payers a few ($20?) million dollars. A plus for this is less back up into our neighborhood.

While neither of these are things we want to embrace, and there are many cost and traffic flow issues that the whole city should be concerned about, from our neighborhood's perspective we need to worry about two things:

    • How do we (and the rest of the city) retain access to US 1 (both north and
       south) and the west part of the city. This needs to address both car and
       pedestrian access.

    • How do we mitigate impact of a widened US 1 on our neighbors who boarder
       US 1.
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Mason Hall Parking (January 2001)
For more than two years parking on Bernard Street, Michigan Avenue, and Devon Place has been a serious problem - one we have been working on, but so far been unable to solve. It is time to solve it. This is a complex multifaceted issue. An abbreviated summary is:

The problem originated when Mason Hall lost some of its parking in front of the building when the City realized this parking failed to meet zoning requirements. To make up for lost parking, Mason Hall tore a hole in the fence facing Bernard Street and encouraged their residents to park on the streets in an area previously blocked by the fence. This area known as "Fagelson's Addition" consists of small town homes with limited street parking. This caused significant parking difficulties and safety concerns in this already constrained area. In an effort to resolve this situation, NECA encouraged the City of Alexandria to do two things:

    • Sell to Mason Hall for $0, (vacation of property) a small strip of City land

in front of Mason Hall. This would restore lost parking.

• Have Mason Hall restore the fence facing Bernard Street.

The City Council went along with the plan, but problems prevented its application. In the deliberations more issues were added. One involved Mason Hall having paved an area in the back of their building and using it as a parking lot without having filed a site plan. The restoration of this land was added as a condition to the vacation ordinance. Mason Hall did not want to do this so they sued the City and won, bringing the process to a halt.

Many residents have gone down to City Hall to argue for relief. The process has restarted but now City staff believes they are in a much weaker position. In negotiations with the City, Mason Hall has stipulated more conditions for closing the gate to Bernard Street. Some of these conditions involve approving additional parking areas (and destroying more open space) without the usual public hearings, something we would not normally support. NECA will be formulating its position on this issue. It is, therefore, imperative that all concerned come to this meeting. Ordinance with Site Plan (PDF)

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Old Colony (February 2001)
The proposed concept plan to redevelop the southern half of the Old Colony complex with a 60-unit condo is being redesigned, again. There are two main features to this tweaking.

• City staff insists on replacing the pool with more townhouses.

• The building design does not meet Washington Street Standards.

These standards require architectural design elements to be consistent with historically significant buildings on Washington Street. Having fought hard for the new Washington Street Standards, we encourage the developers to bring the design into conformity. This should not be difficult. Conformity is important because this project will set precedence for future developments on the George Washington Memorial Parkway. This is a low-density development, but future projects on Washington Street will include higher density office spaces. Maintaining the historic integrity of the George Washington Memorial Parkway should not be sacrificed.

Mach 22, 2006
Weapon Offense:
900 block of North Alfred Street at 9:35 pm
Police responded to the area for reports of gunfire. Officers searching the area confirmed shots had been fired by found no victim or suspect.

March 20, 2006
Burglary:
1600 block of Hunting Creek Drive at 11:00 pm - 03/21 12:01 am
Someone attempted to enter the residence by forcing open the front door. Investigation revealed that the dead bolt lock was damaged. No entry was gained and there are no suspects.

March 20, 2006
Weapon Offense:
900 block of First Street at 8:36 pm
Police responded to the area for reports of gunfire. Officers searching the area confirmed shots had been fired bu found no victim or suspect.

March 17 ,2006
Felonious Assault:
900 block of First Street at 3:08 am
The victim, a 19-year-old mail City resident, was shot multiple times. The victim was in a rear alley when he was shot, and a friend drove him to Inova Alexandria Hospital. The victim was later transferred by helicopter to Inova Fairfax Hospital where he underwent surgery and remains isn stable condition. Officers and dectives secured the scene and conducted a canvas of the are in attempts to locate witnesses. A motive has not yet been determined, and the case still remains under investigation.

December 30, 2005
Felonious Assault:
800 block of North Washington Street
The victim, a 41-year-old Alexandria man was assaulted by a group of young men. The suspects, approximately five individuals, approached the victim and began to punch and kick him. After the assault the group fled on foot. Police investigated and were able to identify at least one of the men responsible. The suspect, a 17-year-old Alexandria man was taken into custody and charged with felonious assault. This case remains under investigation.

December 27, 2005
Homicide:
Police responded to reports of shots fired and found the victim, 22-year-old Lawrence C. Sims of Washington, D.C. He had been shot and was transported to Inova Alexandria Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later. There is no suspect description and a motive for the murder has not yet been determined.
800 block of Montgomery Street at 10:10 pm

December 9, 2005
Grand Larceny Auto: 1998 Nissa Quest van, silver
stolen from 900 block of Montgomery Street at 10:09 pm

December 8, 2005
Felonious Assault: 41-year-old Fairfax County man was driving his car and pulled up to a small group of subjects. For a reason that has not been determined, one of the subjects shot him. Injury is not believed to be life-threatening. Suspect is described as a black male in his late teens about 5' 7" with a thin build.
900 block of Montgomery Street

December 6 ,2005
Grand Larceny Auto: 1997 Mercury Sable, 4 door, silver
stolen from 1100 block of Colonial Avenue between 4:45 am and 4:45 am

December 3, 2005
Grand Larceny Auto: 1998 Nissa Quest van, silver
stolen from 900 block of Montgomery Street between 6:00 pm and 6:05 pm