Anyone living or working in Alexandria and making less than a six-figure salary could qualify for an affordable unit in a new Old Town development, provided they’re first-time homebuyers.
New luxury condo development Aidan Old Town is opening at 701 N. Henry Street in Old Town with a limited selection of homes set aside as affordable to first-time, income-eligible homebuyers.
The 94-unit development includes five 1-bedroom units priced at $175,000 and two 2-bedroom units priced at $225,000.
The City of Alexandria said in a release that anticipated high demand means the homebuyer will be selected via lottery.
“Due to anticipated high demand, eligible homebuyers will be selected through a lottery,” the release said. “Information about the affordable units, application requirements and lottery process, and available downpayment assistance, will be posted at Homebuyer Resources starting on March 15.”
The City’s website said the homes are available to those who live or work in Alexandria and have a gross annual income below 100% of Area Median Income (AMI). For a one-person household, that’s less than $106,500. For a two-person household, it’s $121,700.
The new development is in the heart of Old Town and features a fitness center, a cocktail bar, offices with an Old Town theme, and a dog wash station.
Virginia also offers a first-time homebuyer training, which the City of Alexandria encourages applicants to register for. According to the release:
Interested purchasers are encouraged to register for a Virginia Housing first-time homebuyer training. The scheduled English and Spanish trainings are free, however registration is required. The next available training in the city will be held on Saturday, March 16 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Mount Vernon Recreation Center, 2701 Commonwealth Avenue, Alexandria, VA 22305. Additional trainings can be accessed on Virginia Housing’s website.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
☀️ Today’s weather: Sunny, with a high near 55. Breezy, with a northwest wind 18 to 24 mph, with gusts as high as 44 mph. Mostly clear tonight with a low around 41.
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A barricade incident on Saturday near Lincolnia ended without incident.
Around noon on March 9, the Alexandria Police Department (APD) conducted an investigation “involving a barricaded subject” on the 400 block of N. Armistead Street.
The 400 block of N. Armistead Street and the 5800 block of Quantrell Avenue were temporarily closed.
The roads reopened around an hour later, though, when the subject was taken into custody without incident, APD said.
UPDATE* The subject was taken into custody without incident and all roads have been reopened.
APD officers are on scene in the 400 block of N. Armistead Street, conducting an investigation involving a barricaded subject. pic.twitter.com/aFwL1sb389
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) March 9, 2024
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The following are the most-read ALXnow articles for March 8, 2024.
The Alexandria Police Department urged drivers to slow down after saying a driver was issued a ticket earlier this week for going 112 miles per hour in a 55 mph speed zone.
Police said an Alexandria Police Department officer was on his way to work on Wednesday when he issued a citation for the driver going over twice the legal limit at Van Dorn Street and I-495.
The charge was listed as reckless driving for speeds in excess of 85 miles per hour.
Doing 112 in a 55 mph speed limit? Are you serious? True story. Yesterday on his way to work, an APD officer issued this citation to someone at 495 and Van Dorn going TWO times the speed limit. Slow down. There is no need to put your life or someone else's in danger. pic.twitter.com/is5eMLQDcc
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) March 7, 2024
Food trucks have been a hit at Port City Brewing Company (3950 Wheeler Avenue) gatherings, and now the company is hoping to expand on that with a new restaurant operating from an onsite trailer.
The brewery regularly hosts tastings, tours and other events with a rotating cast of food trucks supplying accompanying meals. Port City filed a special use permit (Permit #2024-00014) to operate a temporary trailer at the site, operated by a restaurant, that would serve tacos from 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week.
“Given the popularity of the food trucks and increased demand, Port City plans to partner with a restaurant operator to open a restaurant at the brewery serving tacos from an onsite trailer,” the permit said.
The permit said the trailer would be approximately 160 square feet and include a kitchen.
“The addition of the trailer will be an additional amenity for the patrons of the brewery and Port City looks forward to attracting even more visitors than they already host, with the addition of a quality restaurant partner in the near future,” the permit said.
The permit is scheduled for review at a Planning Commission meeting on Tuesday, May 7.
Photo via Port City/Facebook
The City of Alexandria has been awarded $14.3 million by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) for three affordable housing projects across the city.
The projects cover a range of incomes based on the area median income (AMI), which is $105,500 for a one person household. The projects range from 40% of AMI — $42,200 for one person — up to 80% of AMI — $84,400 for one person.
The funding will go to help build:
- Community Housing Partners’ Witter Place ($3.4 million), a 94-unit affordable housing development at 2712 Duke Street
- Housing Alexandria’s Sansé and Naja project ($8.1 million), a 474-unit affordable housing development at the intersection of Mount Vernon Avenue and West Glebe Road
- Housing Alexandria’s Seminary Road project ($2.9 million), a 36-unit homeownership development at 4575 Seminary Road
A two-story, single-unit accessory dwelling unit (ADU) on a Del Ray alley is heading to the City Council with a mixed reception from the community and the Planning Commission.
The project is located on a vacant lot at 404 East Alexandria Avenue, surrounded by single-unit, semi-detached, townhouse and multi-unit residential properties.
ADUs are smaller, independent residential dwelling units located on the same lot as single-family housing. In Alexandria, they can be used as short-term rentals, though not if the main house is also being rented out. Alexandria’s ADU policy has been revised over the years to scale back the requirements, hoping to avoid the lackluster ADU implementation in Arlington.
According to the city’s website, ADUs are prohibited for use as a short-term rental and the homeowner is required to maintain primary residence of the subject property at the time of ADU construction. ADUs are prohibited from being used for short-term rental for more than 120 days per year.
One of the main concerns raised through the bureaucratic process has been the use of the ADU as a rental despite the fact that the owner said they don’t live in the main building and intend to rent the site for long-term tenants. The Del Ray Citizens Association (DRCA) said they were surprised to learn there’s no method of determining primary residence.
According to the letter:
Requiring owner occupancy of either the primary dwelling or the ADU was of paramount importance when the DRCA originally supported the ADU ordinance. This was in order to control the use of the ADU and to discourage both units on a property being used for short-term rentals (VRBO and AirBnBs). Staff revealed that there was no formalized method for determining primary residence and that there was a Staff-level interpretation made on how to handle a proposal for both a new house and new ADU built on a vacant lot. It seems the primary residence requirement is effectively being ignored by this interpretation policy. This was quite a surprise to members of the DRCA and is something that needs clarification to both staff and the community.
According to the staff report, Planning and Zoning inspectors enforce regulations but “there are some enforcement challenges, particularly with the limitations imposed on accessory dwelling units.”
Applicant Eric Teran said that his plan is not to do short term rental for the ADU.
“Ideally our plan would be to rent it long-term,” Teran said. “That’s our plan. May things change? Possibly. But we’re not planning to do short-term rental.”
Several neighbors spoke in opposition to the proposed ADU at an earlier Planning Commission meeting. The Del Ray Civic Association recommended denial of the project.
According to a staff presentation, community concerns about the ADU included:
- Stormwater management and flooding
- Tree preservation
- Emergency an construction vehicle access
- Alley vision clearance and vehicular access for safety
- Use as a short-term rental and ADU primary residence requirement
- Street parking and a lack of street frontage
The Planning Commission recommended approval but in a divided 4-3 vote.
The staff report recommends approval.
Staff supports the applicants’ proposal. As required by Zoning Ordinance section 12-401(C), the proposed development would not impact light nor air supply to adjacent properties, diminish nor impair property values, and would be compatible with existing neighborhood character in terms of height, bulk, and design.
The proposal is scheduled for review at the City Council meeting on Tuesday, March 12.
Good Thusday morning, Alexandria!
🌧️ Today’s weather: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Partly cloudy tonight with a low around 43. Partly sunny tomorrow with a high near 60.
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Senate Finance and Appropriations Chairwoman L. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) told the Washington Post that the Potomac Yard arena won’t be in the budget compromise that negotiators will release on Thursday.
The Potomac Yard arena development plans involve the creation of a Virginia Stadium Authority to finance the construction of the $2 billion Potomac Yard arena and entertainment district. Creation of that authority, though, is contingent on it being included in the state budget.
While there could still be a reversal before the General Assembly adjourns on Saturday, the Washington Post said the only other options would be to make a budget amendment or a stand-alone bill on the arena. While other legislators said they weren’t prepared to call the arena deal dead, it’s looking bleak for the project.
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- Alexandria Director of Elections apologizes for Israeli flag behind voting machine (2,204 views)
- Notes: Monumental posts, then deletes, false claims about Potomac Yard arena project (1,956 views)
- Potomac Yard arena boils down to four issues, says Alexandria mayoral candidate Alyia Gaskins (1,078 views)
A new outdoor seating area at Union Sandwich Company (101 N. Union Street) could both alleviate overcrowding in the store and give visitors a new place to sit and enjoy Old Town.
The sandwich shop owner filed a special use permit with the City of Alexandria to add three tables with four seats each and some planters and rope to delineate the area.
“The entrance and order station are in close proximity to each other which creates a bottleneck when the store is busy,” the application said. “We think that by providing outside seating, we will relieve that bottleneck by allowing people to sit outside.”
The application also added: “It is also very nice to sit outside in Old Town.”
Photo via Andrew Wolfe/Facebook
(Updated 2:30 p.m.) In most years, an Israeli flag at the Beth El Hebrew Congregation precinct might not draw attention on an election day, but with the catastrophic civilian death toll in Gaza, it raised some eyebrows on Super Tuesday.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) put out a release yesterday (Tuesday) calling for an investigation of a report that an Israeli flag was hung near voting machines inside a polling station at a synagogue.
“According to a complaint filed with CAIR, a local voter in Alexandria went to her polling place and noticed the flag above the voting machine,” CAIR said in the release. “There were no other Israeli flags present inside the room, leading the complainant to conclude that the flag had been deliberately placed over the voting machine to make a political statement.”
In a statement to ALXnow, Director of Elections & General Registrar Angela Maniglia-Turner said the layout of the polling place was not meant to send a political or religious message and apologized for making voters feel uncomfortable:
During the afternoon of today’s primary election, the City of Alexandria’s Office of Voter Registration & Elections was made aware of an Israeli flag located behind a voting machine at the Beth El Hebrew Congregation precinct. The layout of the polling place was not meant in any way to send a political or religious message. To the extent that any voter was made to feel uncomfortable by the location of the voting equipment, we sincerely apologize.
The Beth El Hebrew Congregation has partnered with our office since 1964. During this time, we have cooperated with many diverse faith-based organizations to provide locations for Alexandria residents to cast their ballot and participate in the electoral process, while respecting the religious and cultural beliefs of our hosts.
Moving forward we will continue to work with all our partners to ensure a welcoming atmosphere in all 32 of the City of Alexandria’s election precincts.
The question over the Israeli flag at the polling place comes at a time when many city public comment sessions are filled with — alongside opponents to the Potomac Yard arena — locals encouraging the city to support a ceasefire resolution.
The comments of a woman went viral after speaking at a City Council hearing earlier this month.
“The United States is abetting a genocide,” the person said. “I should not have to say anything past this. There is no greater threat to this world, there is no greater crime. I know this inherently as a Jewish member of this city. I am no longer able to say this eloquently or diplomatically.”
In November, students at Alexandria City High School staged a walk out in protest against the Israel-Hamas war. A ceasefire resolution.
A ceasefire resolution was raised at the Human Rights Commission (HRC) but was tabled pending a meeting with the City Attorney. Members of the HRC told ALXnow that the City Attorney declined to meet with the Commission.
Protests have been held in Arlington but Arlington County Board members turned down a request to issue a resolution calling for a cease-fire.
Marino’s Pizza and Subs at 3100 Richmond Highway* could soon become a Middle Eastern restaurant with a carry-out focus.
Owner Talat Omar filed a special use permit with the City of Alexandria to turn the now-closed pizza place into Omar’s Pitas & Platters.
“We are transitioning to a carry-out Middle Eastern restaurant with revised cuisine/kitchen equipment and different hours,” Omar said in the application. “We will be serving pitas and rice platters with a variety of toppings.”
The permit said the new business will operate from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m.-1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.
*That might be Lynhaven rather than Potomac Yard, but that’s not as alliterative.
Image via Google Maps