News | ALXnow - Part 705

Local roads pretreated as snow starts to fall in Alexandria

Published January 16, 2022 at 2:35PM

Trucks prepared for pretreatment efforts, photo via Alexandria T&ES/Twitter

Nearly a fortnight after a snowstorm shut down Alexandria, the city’s emergency services finished pretreating local roads just before the snow started to fall.

“In advance of the storm, T&ES completed pretreatment of roads and snow response operations were deployed at 7:00 a.m.,” Alexandria Transportation and Environmental Services said on Twitter. “Snow response operates for 24 hours through the duration of winter weather events and staff will continue to monitor the weather conditions as the event ensues.”

Alexandria school system says masks still required, despite new executive order

By Vernon Miles

Published January 16, 2022 at 12:50PM

School Board Chair Meagan Alderton and Superintendent Gregory Hutchings, Jr. on August 24, 2021. (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

In a release to parents and staff put out today (Sunday), Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) said everyone in Alexandria schools will still be required to wear a mask despite an order issued by Gov. Glenn Youngkin to the contrary.

The state executive order came as a result of a back and forth between Virginia Democrats and Republicans over requiring masks in schools. Both Arlington and Fairfax County have issued similar messages to parents and staff.

ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published January 14, 2022 at 3:30PM

It’s been a busy week in Alexandria with City Council coming back into session for the first time in 2022.

With a majority of the Council being new, there are fresh names and perspectives stories about city decision-making. Highlights from this week’s City Council meeting included a first look at plans for the city to — kind of — invest in a luxury hotel and bids to develop broadband internet access citywide.

How this Del Ray Farmer’s Market vendor adapted to the pandemic, exceeded 2019 sales

By James Cullum

Published January 14, 2022 at 2:50PM | Updated January 14, 2022 at 3:39PM

On New Year’s morning, Luke Shlagel of Shlagel Farms was among a handful of vendors at the weekly Del Ray Farmer’s Market. Some customers asked why he wasn’t hanging out with his family and taking the day off, and he had a simple answer.

“If I hadn’t come on New Year’s Day, that would have been 20 days since the last market,” Shlagel said. “Christmas was on a Saturday, New Year’s Day was on a Saturday, and if I waited for the following Saturday, the eighth, that’s too long for the community to be without us.”

Four internet companies vie for chance to take on Comcast in Alexandria

By Vernon Miles

Published January 14, 2022 at 1:15PM

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

Alexandria is moving forward with its long-awaited broadband network — and potentially breaking Comcast’s internet monopoly — with a shortlist of potential broadband internet providers.

At a City Council meeting on Tuesday, the City Council approve the receipt of four broadband franchise proposals.

Rebuilding Together DC-Alexandria awarded $1.6 million federal grant to reduce health hazards

By James Cullum

Published January 14, 2022 at 10:45AM

Via Rebuilding Together DC-Alexandria/Facebook

Rebuilding Together DC Alexandria has been chosen to receive a $1.6 million grant to reduce housing related hazards to 120 homes in the city.

RTA is one of three nonprofits in Virginia to get the multi-year funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s $104.7 million package. There were 60 similar organizations that were awarded revitalization funds.

Alexandria staff and developer butt heads over architectural design of Carlyle neighborhood

By Vernon Miles

Published January 14, 2022 at 9:55AM

Proposed development at 765 John Carlyle Street and 1900 Eisenhower Avenue, image via Perkins Eastman

A towering project that will bookend Eisenhower Avenue is going through some design changes as it heads through the city’s approval process, but the changes are facing objections from City staff.

The changes are scheduled for review at the Carlyle Design Review Board on Thursday, Jan. 20. Developer Carlyle Plaza LLC has proposed several architectural changes for the project, two connected towers at 765 John Carlyle Street and 1900 Eisenhower Avenue, but staff said virtually all of these changes are a downgrade from what was approved in November.

Morning Notes

By Vernon Miles

Published January 14, 2022 at 5:00AM

City responds to surge in COVID-19, testing shortages — “COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise and tests remain difficult to come by, as Alexandria, much like the rest of the country, grapples with the spread of the Omicron variant.” [Alexandria Times]

Umbrella Dry Drinks to provide a sophisticated alcohol alternative in Alexandria — “Umbrella Dry Drinks is opening a pop-up in February with plans to open a permanent non-alcoholic bar and shop by the end of the year.” [Alexandria Living Magazine]

New Capital Bikeshare station installed at Bradlee Shopping Center

By Vernon Miles

Published January 13, 2022 at 3:45PM

Capital Bikeshare station at King Street and W Braddock Road, photo via Capital Bikeshare

Capital Bikeshare has been rolling out several new bikeshare stations including a new station near the Bradlee Shopping Center in the heart of Alexandria.

The new station is at the intersection of King Street and W Braddock Road, just a few blocks from the station at Alexandria City High School and one at Radford Street and Osage Street.

Man apprehended after hammer attack in West End convenience store

By James Cullum

Published January 13, 2022 at 2:30PM

A man is undergoing mental health treatment after being apprehended for allegedly assaulting two people inside a CVS with a hammer in the West End.

The incident occurred at around 10:45 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at The Shops at Mark Center (1458 N. Beauregard Street).

City Council expresses cautious optimism about proposed hotel development

By Vernon Miles

Published January 13, 2022 at 1:40PM | Updated January 21, 2022 at 10:49AM

Heron, a proposed hotel development at 699 Prince Street, image via Monarch Urban

Alexandria’s City Council was overall supportive of an arrangement presented earlier this week to invest — sort of — in a new Old Town hotel.

A proposal backed by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership would have the city help fill gap-funding for a hotel project at 699 Prince Street that fell through when the pandemic hit. Interior demolition was already underway when the pandemic made it impossible to secure financing on a new hospitality project, said AEDP President and CEO Stephanie Landrum in a presentation to the City Council on Tuesday.