Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Planning Commission could exorcise sign requirements for new Arlandria ghost kitchen

Published April 25, 2023 at 1:50PM

Proposed sign for Arlandria ghost kitchen (image via City of Alexandria)

A new zoning request for an Arlandria ghost kitchen provided an update on an approved use that’s been haunting the northern edge of the city since 2021.

Applicant 1033 W Glebe Road ALX is requesting a permit to allow a sign to be built along W Glebe Road that will direct visitors to the kitchen tucked behind the back of a strip mall at 1033 W Glebe Road.

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Alexandria still buying gas-powered buses for DASH despite goals to go electric

By Vernon Miles

Published April 24, 2023 at 3:50PM

A DASH bus in Old Town Alexandria (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Electrification may be the future for Alexandria’s DASH bus network, but officials say diesel buses are still the present.

In a meeting with Alexandria’s Transportation Commission, DASH General Manager Josh Baker said maintaining good repair comes ahead of all other goals and cited Metro as a warning of what happens when transportation systems work the other way around.

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Police respond to another shots fired and armed robbery over the weekend

By Vernon Miles

Published April 24, 2023 at 11:00AM

Alexandria Police at night (staff photo by James Cullum)

After a week of multiple high-profile shots fired calls, the Alexandria Police Department responded to yet another one on Sunday in the 5500 block of Trent Court.

Police responded to the call early Sunday morning but said no injuries were reported in connection to the incident.

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Another shots fired incident reported near Braddock Road Metro station

By Vernon Miles

Published April 21, 2023 at 8:25PM

Shots fired near the intersection of Madison Street and N Fayette Street (image via Alexandria Police Department/Twitter)

Just a few days after a shooting near the Braddock Road Metro station, police are responding to another shots fired incident in almost the exact same location.

Police said there were reports of shots fired at the intersection of Madison and N Fayette Street. No injuries were reported.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published April 21, 2023 at 3:30PM

Suspect arrested after shooting near Braddock Road Metro station (staff photo by James Cullum)

It was a busy week for the Alexandria Police Department.

After a weekend that had multiple shots fired calls, there were two shootings just a few hours apart at the Braddock Road Metro Station and the Bradlee Shopping Center. There were no injuries in either incident, but early that morning a 7-Eleven clerk was shot in the leg during a robbery.

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Dog daycare in Old Town hopes to expand to offer overnight dog care

By Vernon Miles

Published April 21, 2023 at 10:45AM

Dog at The Board Hound (image via The Board Hound/Facebook)

The Board Hound at 133 South Peyton Street in Old Town is hoping to live up to its name as a place to board dogs.

The facility offers training services and training services for canines, but according to an application, it’s hoping to expand to offer overnight dog care.

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Public hearing scheduled to address mental illness and substance use issues in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published April 20, 2023 at 3:45PM

An Alexandria Drug Take Back Day event sponsored by the Alexandria Police Department and Sheriff's Office (image via DCHS/Facebook)

The Alexandria Community Services Board (CSB) is hosting a public meeting next month to receive feedback on how to help Alexandrians with mental illness, substance use dependency and more.

The meeting comes as the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) aims to get funding for programs related to helping with Alexandrians with mental illness, developmental and intellectual disabilities or a substance use dependency.

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Washington’s Birthday parade bleachers to become new athletic accessory for Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published April 20, 2023 at 1:30PM

Martha and George Washington (Brian Hilton) at the George Washington Birthday Parade in Old Town, Feb. 20, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

A set of bleachers built for the 2023 George Washington Birthday Parade earlier this year could end up at an Alexandria athletic field.

At a City Council meeting scheduled for Tuesday, April 25, the city is scheduled to accept the donation of the bleachers from the George Washington Masonic National Memorial Association.

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Zoning permit discussion reveals Alexandria restaurant’s struggle with nude neighbor

By Vernon Miles

Published April 19, 2023 at 10:45AM | Updated April 19, 2023 at 12:15PM

The lobster roll at 1799 Prime Steak & Seafood in at 110 S. Pitt Street in Old Town (courtesy photo)

1799 Prime Steak and Seafood might be famous for its eponymous steaks, but it was a wayward sausage that stole the discussion at the City Council meeting this weekend.

The restaurant at 110 S. Pitt Street was seeking a permit to significantly expand its outdoor dining in a courtyard behind the building, from 40 patrons to 104.

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Four ACPS schools placed in ‘secure the building mode’ today

By Vernon Miles

Published April 18, 2023 at 1:45PM | Updated April 20, 2023 at 9:35AM

Alexandria Police lights (staff photo by James Cullum)

(Updated 2 p.m.) Four Alexandria schools went into “secure the building” mode earlier today after nearby police activity.

Alicia Hart, chief of facilities and operations for Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), said Ferdinand T. Day Elementary School (1701 N. Beauregard Street), William Ramsay Elementary School (5700 Sanger Avenue), John Adams Elementary School (5651 Rayburn Avenue) and the Early Childhood Center (5651 Rayburn Avenue) were in “secure the building” status today from 12:15-12:35 p.m.

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Alexandria City Council asks: How long should new developments pay for their local impact?

By Vernon Miles

Published April 18, 2023 at 11:45AM

A DASH bus at Southern Towers (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

City Council says developers should be financially on the hook for the traffic impacts of their projects — but they disagree over how long payments should last.

Alexandria currently relies on developers to pay for the impact their projects have on local roads and transportation networks. When it comes to follow-through, however, the city has no meaningful mechanisms to hold accountable developers who don’t make good on the promises they made during the application process.