The Alexandria Department of Planning & Zoning will host a community meeting Sept. 22 to discuss potential updates to the city’s zoning ordinance affecting residential properties, commercial operations, and historic preservation.
The 7 p.m. meeting at City Hall, 301 King St., will take place in Sister Cities Conference Room 1101 on the first floor.
City staff are conducting a targeted review of specific zoning ordinance sections through fall 2025 and winter/spring 2026. The project stems from feedback received from residents, applicants and city decision-makers, as well as staff experience applying current regulations.
“Our approach combines technical staff experience and analysis of current regulations with opportunities for community comment,” according to the city’s project webpage. Staff will examine how current rules work in practice, identify areas needing clarity or updates, and gather community input before making recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council.
The review covers three main areas: residential uses, historic preservation regulations, and commercial uses.
The Sept. 22 community meeting will include a presentation of current regulations and how they work in practice, plus a discussion of reasons for proposed zoning ordinance changes identified through staff experience.
Other upcoming engagement opportunities include:
— A Board of Architectural Review hearing on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers on the second floor. The hearing will conclude with an information session about proposed historic preservation text amendments.
— A Planning Commission work session on Oct. 9 at 6 p.m. covering residential and commercial zoning ordinance updates.
Public hearings are anticipated for November 2025 and early 2026 for residential uses, November 2025 for historic preservation, and December 2025 for commercial uses, though dates are subject to change.
Residents can contact project staff with questions: Sam Shelby at 703-746-3865 for residential uses; Brendan Harris at 703-746-4164 or Bill Conkey at 703-746-3854 for historic preservation; and Ann Horowitz at 703-746-3821 for commercial uses.
More information is available on the project webpage at alexandriava.gov.
