News | ALXnow - Part 635

New improvements coming to the King Street pedestrian zone

Published May 2, 2022 at 3:45PM

Some changes could be coming to the King Street pedestrian zone to make the block’s change a little more permanent.

The Board of Architectural Review is scheduled to review a certificate of appropriateness for new bollards at either end of 100 block of King Street at the Board’s Thursday (May 5) meeting. The use of bollards was already approved in January, but the type approved in January was not rated for withstanding vehicle crashes, so a new type needs to be approved for locations like the 100 block where they’re designed to block vehicles.

Alexandria ranks third in national dog-friendly city ranking

By Vernon Miles

Published May 2, 2022 at 2:30PM | Updated May 3, 2022 at 10:29AM

A recent ranking by Zillow of fastest-emerging dog-friendly cities — cities where pet-friendly home rentals are on the rise — Alexandria ranked third nationwide.

The ranking looks both at where dog-owners are registered on the dog boarding and walking site Rover and where there are the most page views of pet-friendly single-family home rental listings on real estate marketplace site Zillow.

Public tour of Alexandria’s abandoned power plant planned for next week

By Vernon Miles

Published May 2, 2022 at 1:30PM | Updated May 4, 2022 at 11:35AM

Tour gathers outside the GenOn power plant in Old Town North (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

(Updated 5/4) In case you missed your chance for a tour of Alexandria’s abandoned power plant the first time around, the Urban Design Advisory Committee (UDAC) is hosting a tour around the perimeter of the site next week.

The UDAC is scheduled to meet on Wednesday, May 11 to tour the perimeter of the Potomac River Generating Station (PRGS) at 1300 N. Royal Street around 8:30 a.m. The tour will be followed by a UDAC meeting at City Hall at 10 a.m. Both the tour and the meeting are open to the public.

Alexandria starts May with rising numbers of Covid cases, two more deaths

By James Cullum

Published May 2, 2022 at 10:50AM | Updated May 9, 2022 at 10:05AM

Alexandria has started the month of May with a high number of new cases.

As of May 2 (Monday), reported cases of Covid climbed to 31,687, an increase of 407 cases since this time last week.

Automated parking garage in Old Town headed back to City Review

By Vernon Miles

Published May 2, 2022 at 9:50AM

Parking garage for 116 South Henry Street, image via City of Alexandria

Two years after plans to convert 116 South Henry Street into an automated parking garage first went to city review, the garage is going to the Board of Architectural Review again on Thursday (May 5) with some changes in mind.

The plan remains to build a 50-foot garage just off King Street, but the entrance is going through something of a redesign after the earlier designs were considered too “monolithic” at earlier hearings.

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published May 2, 2022 at 5:00AM

Catholic diocese sues Alexandria over affordable housing development — “Three months later, that plan is facing a legal challenge by one of its neighbors, which also happens to serve many of the residents who might benefit from the two-building complex: the local Catholic church.” [Washington Post]

It’s Monday — Partly cloudy throughout the day. High of 76 and low of 61. Sunrise at 6:10 am and sunset at 8:03 pm. [Weather.gov]

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published April 29, 2022 at 3:45PM

Construction in Potomac Yard, staff photo by Jay Westcott

This was a rough week to be on the roads in Alexandria, with at least two road rage incidents escalating into a pepper spray attack and someone brandishing a firearm.

ACT for Alexandria met its goal by raising $2.5 million for 172 Alexandria charities and nonprofits in its 12th annual Spring2ACTion fundraiser on Wednesday. The fundraiser is the largest single day of giving in Alexandria, and donors can give on the Spring2ACTion website until May 1.

Superintendent scolds majority of School Board over School Law Enforcement Advisory Group proposal

By James Cullum

Published April 29, 2022 at 2:35PM

Alexandria Police at Alexandria City High School’s Minnie Howard Campus. (staff photo by James Cullum)

“Extremely problematic,” “inappropriate,” and “disrespectful” was how Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. said School Board members handled edits of his plan to create a School Law Enforcement Advisory Group.

In a March 9 email, Hutchings scolded a majority of School Board Members — Michelle Rief, Ashley Simpson-Baird, Adbel Elnoubi, Kelly Carmichael Booz and Chris Harris — for editing his SLEP proposal. He said that such “behind the scenes” operations raised transparency issues by violating the Virginia Freedom Of Information Act.

DNA links Alexandria felon to gun stolen nearly eight months ago

By James Cullum

Published April 29, 2022 at 10:45AM

An Alexandria police cruiser (staff photo by James Cullum)

DNA evidence has linked a stolen handgun left in a car to a 32-year-old Alexandria felon, who now faces upward of two years in prison.

The .45 caliber Para Ordnance 1911 pistol was reported stolen from a car in Centreville on August 28, 2021, according to a search warrant affidavit. The same gun was recovered September 2, 2021, by Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority Police in an abandoned car that was reported stolen from Arlington.

Father-daughter team launch Alexandria’s first field hockey club

By Vernon Miles

Published April 29, 2022 at 10:00AM

Field hockey training, image courtesy AVA Magic

Philomena Fitzgerald grew up frustrated that she had to travel outside of the city to play field hockey, so when her younger sister faced the same problem Fitzgerald took matters into her own hands and launched Alexandria’s first field hockey program.

Fitzgerald launched AVA Magic, Alexandria’s only field hockey club, with her father Alex Purugganan. The program started with training clinics this spring that have tapped into a small but growing local community of field hockey enthusiasts.

Morning Notes

By ALXnow.com

Published April 29, 2022 at 5:00AM | Updated April 29, 2022 at 9:23AM

Private school approved in Old Town North — “A new private elementary school will be coming to North Washington Street in Old Town after City Council approved a special use permit for the project during Saturday’s public hearing.” [Alexandria Times]

It’s Friday — Clear throughout the day. High of 62 and low of 40. Sunrise at 6:14 am and sunset at 8:00 pm. [Weather.gov]