High winds are expected in Alexandria today, as the National Weather Service has issued a gale warning for the city and surrounding area.
That means it’s going to be a gusty day with sustained winds ranging from 39-54 miles per hour.
News
Beyer Calls for Accountability in Wake of Capitol Siege — “The idea that we would just move on and not hold those responsible for this accountable is immoral.” [Twitter]
Stonebridge Sells Piece Of Oakville Triangle Site To Townhouse Builder — “Stonebridge is under contract to sell a 3.5-acre piece of the site to Winchester Homes to build an 84-unit townhouse project, Stonebridge principal Doug Firstenberg tells Bisnow.” [Bisnow]
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(Updated 1/28) The Victory Center on Eisenhower has long stood over a vast, mostly empty parking lot at 4901 Eisenhower Avenue, but a proposal headed to city review in March could replace the eastern portion of that lot with 139 new townhouse condominiums.
The condominium project by Winchester Homes will pack the townhome units, some of them back-to-back, into a section of the Victory Center lot. The developer purchased the property last April and the property was subdivided by the city last year. Retail is anticipated for the southwestern portion of the lot.
Alexandria is one step closer to seeing its stormwater utility fee double for residents, as City Council on Tuesday night accepted a report from city staff outlining its multi-million dollar plan to upgrade the city’s storm sewer capacity.
City Council approved receipt of the staff proposal 6-1, and it will be voted on in a public hearing on Feb. 20. Also approved was the formation of a nine-member Ad Hoc Stormwater Utility and Flood Mitigation Advisory Group. The plan includes doubling the $140 annual fee for residents to generate $15 million per year on $284 million worth of immediate and longterm projects, some of which aren’t slated to be completed for a decade.
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While sports are under consideration at ACPS, the Alexandria Soccer Association is gearing up for a youth soccer tournament this March.
“Alexandria Soccer returned to play in fall 2020 and is operating under guidance from the City of Alexandria and the local health department,” the organization said on its website. “While we are thrilled to offer our tournament series at this time we will continue to operate with the safety of participants as our number one priority.”
Alexandria is on schedule to see the Potomac Yard Metro station open in spring 2022, despite letters sent to the city from the contractor that work has been impacted by COVID-19.
“The contractor does continue to submit letters stating that there have been some impacts due to COVID-19,” Daphne Kott, the city’s Design Division Chief, reported to City Council on Tuesday night. “They have not made any formal requests for any time extensions, but again these are letters with potential delays and we’re just trying to be transparent that these are occurring.”
After weeks of climbing to peaks not seen since the height of the pandemic last spring, Alexandria’s initial and continued unemployment claims have gone down.
The Virginia Employment Commission reports that here were 632 initial (first time) claims in Alexandria for the week ending Jan. 16, a 24% drop over the previous week’s total of 836 claims. In December, the number of initial claims reached its lowest point since the pandemic began, but rose sharply after the holidays. For the week ending Dec. 26, for instance, there were 131 initial claims.
Last year was a particularly rough time to be a travel agency, but one local company is trying to reinvent themselves.
Classical Movements, a wing of travel management and tour company Blue Heart Travel at 711 Princess Street, is a local tourism agency that specializes in travel focused on international classical music venues from South Africa to Prague. But with the pandemic effectively killing their industry over the last year, Classical Movements has filed an application to adjust the Old Town business into a live music venue.
Beyer Rails Against Congressional Republicans — “I’m really sick of whining about ‘canceling’ from rich and powerful Republicans who tried to cancel our democracy.” [Twitter]
Deadline Extended for Landlords to Apply for Relief Program — The deadline for landlords to apply for the Rent and Mortgage Relief Program, to cover overdue rent or mortgage payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has been extended to March 1. Applications that have not yet been submitted can now include requests to cover rent payments through February 2021. Previously submitted applications are also eligible to include rent due in February through a contract amendment process.” [City of Alexandria]
Alexandria’s Department of Transportation and Environmental Services has installed new signs along Commonwealth Avenue, Ashby Street and Glebe Road warning that the road ahead could be flooded.
Nearly half of the Americans killed in floods die in their vehicles. Cars stuck in flooded waters can also result in significant damage to the vehicle, as many locals discovered in 2019’s severe floods.
With an estimated 25,000 Alexandria residents on the waitlist for the COVID-19 vaccine, Northern Virginia’s Congressional delegation want the Biden administration to include a community vaccination site for the region in its plan to defeat the virus.
Virginia Democrats Don Beyer (D-8th), Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-11th) and Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-10th) wrote the acting director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Tuesday, and asked that Northern Virginia be included in the administration’s plan to install 100 federally run mass vaccination sites throughout the country.