Vernon Miles | ALXnow

City Council approves new broadband franchises but new uncertainties raised

Published March 15, 2022 at 10:00AM | Updated March 15, 2022 at 11:29AM

Empty municipal fiber cables to be laid in the ground (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

At the cusp of what should have been a crowning moment for Alexandria’s City Council — the long-awaited approval of broadband franchises to compete with Comcast — the city and the chosen internet providers appear to be having some network connectivity issues.

Last month, two companies were chosen to provide internet service piggybacking off the city’s new municipal broadband network. At a City Council meeting on Saturday, companies Ting and Lumos Telephone were given right-of-way franchises; seemingly one of the last major legislative hurdles.

News

Alexandria sees 10-year downward trend in car crashes

By Vernon Miles

Published March 14, 2022 at 11:00AM

Nestled away in a budget presentation for the Transportation Commission, a report on ten years of crash data shows that crashes in Alexandria are overall on the decline.

The report includes data collected from 2011 to 2020, with a note that the COVID-19 pandemic likely impacted crash data from the final year of the study. But even pre-2020, the total number of car crashes in Alexandria had been fairly consistently declining year after year.

News

Alexandria gets federal funding for body cameras, storm sewer repairs and more

By Vernon Miles

Published March 14, 2022 at 9:45AM

Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) speaks at The Spire affordable housing complex in the West End, August 13, 2021. (staff photo by James Cullum)

In addition to ARPA funding, Alexandria is getting some love from the federal coffers for several longtime local priorities.

Rep. Don Beyer (D-8th) announced last week that $5.4 million had been secured for ten infrastructure projects around Northern Virginia, all of which were in Beyer’s community project funding requests added to the omnibus spending bill.

News

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published March 11, 2022 at 3:45PM

It’s been a busy week in Alexandria, with some controversies at the school, city, and even state levels.

At ACPS, a new report detailed the arrests and safety incidents that have occurred in this school year, and then last night some School Board leaders butted heads over a lack of transparency in the creation of a new advisory board to review school safety issues.

News

Alexandria celebration of fast or unique cars returning this spring

By Vernon Miles

Published March 11, 2022 at 10:45AM

Old Town Festival of Speed and Style, photo via Festival of Speed and Sound/Facebook

An annual celebration of fast, unique and/or bizarre cars is coming back to Alexandria this spring for its third year.

The Old Town Festival of Speed & Style, presented by Burke and Herbert Bank, is scheduled to come back on May 22.

News

Old Town North office building getting restaurant conversion

By Vernon Miles

Published March 10, 2022 at 3:45PM

Madison Place office building in Old Town North, image via Google Maps

An office building in Old Town North could be getting a refit to open up a restaurant and retail space on the ground floor.

A Special Use Permit application filed by Asana Partners for 500 Montgomery Street indicates that the owners of the Madison Place office building are looking to make changes to the ground floor to bring in restaurant and retail space.

News

Old Town North’s tiny The Perfect Pita could be getting an upgrade

By Vernon Miles

Published March 10, 2022 at 2:30PM | Updated March 11, 2022 at 3:11PM

Perfect Pita in Old Town North, image via Google Maps

(Updated 3/11) If you’ve been around Old Town North, you know the Perfect Pita in question.

It sits at 951 N. Fairfax Street street, but it’s perhaps better known as the franchise location situated in a tiny standalone space. At an Urban Design Advisory Committee meeting yesterday (Wednesday), the committee endorsed plans for The Perfect Pita to expand the building and upscale its operations.

News

Nonprofit looks to triple affordable housing units at Arlandria apartment complex

By Vernon Miles

Published March 10, 2022 at 10:45AM

Elbert Avenue Apartments (via Google Maps)

Alexandria non-profit Community Lodging has announced plans to significantly expand affordable housing in Arlandria-Chirilagua with the redevelopment of a 1940s apartment complex.

Elbert Avenue Apartments, a set of three three-story buildings constructed in the 1940s, currently has 28 units affordable for renters making 60% of the Area Median Income (AMI) — the standard applied for evaluating affordable housing. But these buildings are in rough shape after what Community Lodging called years of “Band-Aid fixes”.

Opinion

Poll: What do you think of the new Waterfront Park art project?

By Vernon Miles

Published March 10, 2022 at 9:45AM

I Love You park design, via City of Alexandria

A new art project coming to Waterfront Park later this month is bringing a splash of pink to Old Town.

The project by Miami artists Roberto Behar and Rosario Marquardt was proposed last year and the city announced it will be officially unveiled on Friday, March 25.

News

Alexandria City Council plays it safe with new maximum real estate tax rate

By Vernon Miles

Published March 9, 2022 at 3:45PM

Alexandria City Hall lit up (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s City Council set the maximum real estate tax rate at a half-cent higher than the current rate, with officials saying that 2022’s hardships make any higher burden on residents untenable.

The City Council voted unanimously for the real estate tax rate to be set at no higher than $1.115 per $100 of assessed value, a slight increase from the current $1.11. While the eventual real estate tax rate could be lower than $1.115, it won’t be higher. Additionally, the city won’t increase the tax rate on personal property or business-tangible property.

News

Alexandria leaders plan around upcoming Yellow Line shutdown

By Vernon Miles

Published March 9, 2022 at 2:30PM

Construction work at Potomac Yard Metro station, photo via City of Alexandria

The WMATA monkey’s paw curls once more, and the planned opening of the Potomac Yard Metro station will coincide with a pair of shutdowns along the Yellow Line.

The first — and long-expected — shutdown will last from Sept. 10 to Oct. 22 as WMATA ties the new Potomac Yard Metro station in with the rest of the system. The shutdown will close all rail service south of Washington National Airport.