Alexandria is pursuing a Federal grant to help hire more police officers for patrol and investigations units left understaffed by higher-priority investigations.
At a meeting tomorrow, the City Council is scheduled to vote on a grant application to the FY 2023 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program. The vote is largely ceremonial: retroactively approving a submission filed in August for up to $43,152 and allowing Alexandria’s City Manager to file all necessary documents.
Alexandria and Arlington have been building bridges and celebrating outside the Arlandria Pizza Hut.
Leaders from both the Arlington County Board and the Alexandria City Council are scheduled to meet tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Arlandria Pizza Hut (1049 W Glebe Road) to celebrate the West Glebe Road Bridge ribbon cutting.
Good Monday morning, Alexandria!
🌦️ Today’s weather: Expect isolated showers and patchy fog in the morning, followed by a slight chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms. The day will be partly sunny, with a high near 85 and northwest wind at 3 to 6 mph. Precipitation chances stand at 20%. Monday night will also see a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9pm, with partly cloudy skies and a low of around 68 along with light north wind.
Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin put politics aside today and ate lunch at Pork Barrel BBQ in Del Ray.
Youngkin, who was accompanied by his entourage of bodyguards and staff, ordered iced tea and a pulled pork sandwich with macaroni and cheese.
Alexandria kicked off the start of its legislative session with a bang: the debut of the Zoning for Housing/Housing for All proposals.
The program aims to reshape major parts of Alexandria’s zoning policies to boost affordability and accessibility in local housing. Some of the proposals grabbed headlines, such as the elimination of single-family-only zoning, but others were dubious of the proposed changes.
A little over a week after the City of Alexandria debuted its new Zoning for Housing/Housing for All plans, the city is inviting the public to the first community feedback session.
City staff presented the draft recommendations earlier this week at a City Council-Planning Commission work session. The big headline recommendation was ending single-family-only zoning, though beyond that city leaders were skeptical about the plan’s ability to make a substantial impact on affordable housing supply.
As the new Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4653 Taney Avenue) wraps up some of the final improvements, the city is putting together a new advisory council to shape what’s next for the rec center.
Recreation Parks and Cultural Activities (RPCA) is hosting a meeting early next month to determine interest in a new Council to shape the future of the Patrick Henry Rec Center.
Residents and neighbors of the Ladrey Senior High-Rise in Old Town North will get a chance later this month to chime in its proposed redevelopment.
The Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (ARHA) wants to demolish the existing 11-story, 170-unit affordable public housing apartment building at 300 Wythe Street and the former ARHA headquarters at 600 N. Fairfax Street and replace them with an L-shaped 270-unit, six-story affordable building at Fairfax and Wythe Streets. It is also proposed to be further reduced to five stories at Fairfax and Pendleton Streets and have an underground parking garage with 120 spaces.
The test results are in. For the most part, Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) students did better on Standards of Learning (SOL) testing this year compared to the previous school year.
It’s a small but positive sign of progress at a time when the school division sorely needs some good news.
Good Friday morning, Alexandria!
⛅️ Today’s weather: Expect a mostly sunny day with a high near 92°F and a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm. Fog may be present before 9am, with calm winds becoming south 5-8 mph in the afternoon. On Friday night, the chance of precipitation increases to 60%, with showers and thunderstorms likely between 9pm and 3am. The night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 71°F and southeast winds of 5-7 mph. New rainfall amounts range between a tenth and a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
For the last year, Alexandria Police Department Capt. Monica Lisle has been embroiled in a promotion controversy.
Lisle, who is a white, gay woman, says that the hiring process for the open assistant police chief position was faulty from the start. After going through the city’s administrative procedures to contest her disqualification from promotion, a grievance panel determined that she’d been harmed in the hiring process and ordered her promotion.
