Vernon Miles | ALXnow

Police review board moves forward, but questions about confidentiality remain

Published March 22, 2021 at 10:30AM

The city is gradually ironing out the details for what could become a police review board that reshapes some of the community engagement with local law enforcement.

The proposed Community Policing Review Board will be a “civilian body may receive, investigate and issue findings on complaints from civilians regarding conduct of law-enforcement officers and civilian employees of a law enforcement agency serving under local authority,” according to the city website.

News

Al’s Steak House to endure under new management

By Vernon Miles

Published March 19, 2021 at 2:30PM

After month’s of uncertainty following the previous owner’s death, a new special use permit (SUP) filed with the City of Alexandria indicates the restaurant will survive under new ownership.

The Del Ray cheesesteak business has been in operation for 65 years. Longtime fan of the restaurant Jim Breeding took over the restaurant when the original owner died in 2015, but Breeding died last August as a result of complications from diabetes.

News

City lays out roadmap for stimulus plan

By Vernon Miles

Published March 19, 2021 at 10:50AM

Alexandria City Hall sign (staff Photo by Jay Westcott)

Like a lot of Americans, Alexandria is working on figuring out how to put its upcoming stimulus checks to good use.

The City of Alexandria is preparing to receive around $59.4 million from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the city is currently working through how and where to put that money to use.

News

Waterfront Commission tries to avert ‘Disneyland-like’ development in Old Town

By Vernon Miles

Published March 18, 2021 at 3:30PM | Updated March 18, 2021 at 3:51PM

It’s the Kobayashi Maru of developing in Old Town: how do you simultaneously create a building that fits in seamlessly with the historic nature of Old Town without being seen as imitating it?

The issue was recently brought up at a Waterfront Commission meeting on Tuesday in a discussion about the proposed redevelopment of an existing parking garage at 101 Duke Street into townhomes.

Opinion

Poll: Do you agree with the City Council’s rejection of the Braddock West project?

By Vernon Miles

Published March 18, 2021 at 9:45AM

After mostly smooth sailing, the City Council’s 4-3 denial of the Braddock West project came as a bit of a surprise.

The plan was to replace a series of townhomes just east of the Braddock Road Metro station with a towering new mixed-use development, containing 174 residential units and ground floor retail and restaurant uses.

News

Local vaccination efforts accelerated with new vaccine supply, city preps for phase 1c

By Vernon Miles

Published March 17, 2021 at 1:15PM

The City of Alexandria has released more information on upcoming vaccination stages as the state begins to move forwards the phase 1c.

According to the City of Alexandria, Virginia could start to move toward Phase 1c in the next few weeks as vaccine supply starts to increase. The move towards 1c is complicated by the fact that there are still a several thousand Alexandrians in Phase 1b who haven’t been vaccinated, including teachers who are now expected to return to school and restaurant workers the city recently moved into Phase 1b.

News

City passes ordinance limiting large trucks from parking in business zones

By Vernon Miles

Published March 17, 2021 at 9:30AM | Updated March 17, 2021 at 10:16AM

(Updated 10:10 a.m.) If you’ve ever been frustrated by huge trucks taking up parking in business areas, a new city ordinance (item 19) should put you at ease.

A new city ordinance limits the ability of large trucks to park in Alexandria’s commercial business areas to a two-hour window unless they’re loading and unloading.

News

Students return to in-person classes, but ‘normal’ is still far off

By Vernon Miles

Published March 16, 2021 at 3:30PM | Updated March 17, 2021 at 8:33AM

Students have returned to T.C. Williams High School, but the empty halls and spaced-out classrooms are a grim reminder that the “return to normal” is still a goal on the horizon.

T.C. Williams, a school which typically packs in 3,200 students, now sits just under 500 students. Principal Peter Balas said 475 students came to school this week.

News

Residential neighborhood with 139 townhomes approved for Victory Center site

By Vernon Miles

Published March 16, 2021 at 1:00PM

Proposed townhouse near the Victory Center (image via City of Alexandria)

A new residential neighborhood could soon be replacing the long empty parking lot just east of the Victory Center on Eisenhower avenue.

The plan is to bring 139 new townhomes to 4901 Eisenhower Avenue on a 6.9 acre parcel that is currently a parking lot.

News

New assistant city manager appointed to lead public-private partnerships

By Vernon Miles

Published March 15, 2021 at 4:30PM

Alexandria is expanding its push into public-private partnerships with the appointment of a new Assistant City Manager to help manage and facilitate them.

The city has sought to implement public-private partnerships over the last few years to lower costs for projects and make better use of limited space in the city. One notable example has been a housing development and fire station in Potomac Yard.

News

City Council takes rare step and strips local business of special use permit

By Vernon Miles

Published March 15, 2021 at 2:30PM

A year of family drama behind the scenes of a car dealership ballooned to such a point that the City Council took the incredibly uncommon step this weekend of stripping the business of its Special Use Permit.

M&B Auto Sales (26 S. Dove Street) has been in hot water with multiple neighbors over the last year, with 37 calls for service over the last year for everything from fighting and drug use to “mob activity.” The most recurring issue noted by staff was parking violations, with the business parking vehicles in the public right of way.