City Council | ALXnow

Alexandria City Council approves new special use permit guidelines, despite concerns

Published September 25, 2023 at 11:00AM

Scenes from Black Panther: Wakanda Forever at the AMC Hoffman Center 22 on Thursday, Nov. 10 (staff photo by James Cullum)

An update to the city’s special events policy intended to make the process simpler wound up creating some confusion at the City Council this weekend.

At a meeting on Saturday, Diane Ruggiero, deputy director of the Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities, talked the City Council through some of the changes. Among the changes to the special events policy are allowing large events (500+ people) on consecutive weekends and a requirement to file a notice of intent with the City Special Events Committee at least 180 days prior to the event.

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Old Town hair salon appealing after-the-fact exterior paint job to City Council

By James Cullum

Published September 19, 2023 at 3:30PM

Glynn Jones Salon at 720 King Street (via City of Alexandria)

Alexandria planning staff are recommending that City Council reverse a ruling by the Board of Architectural Review and allow a hair salon to keep an after-the-fact paint job on its exterior.

In May, the city was notified that the Glynn Jones Salon at 720 King Street painted a large portion of its exterior the color gray. On July 6, the Board of Architectural Review unanimously voted to deny the salon a certificate of appropriateness for the work.

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Alexandria celebrates centenarians at City Hall

By James Cullum

Published September 13, 2023 at 1:30PM

Mayor Justin Wilson presents a certificate to an Alexandria centannarian, Sept. 12, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria’s Eve Capps says she’s more surprised than anyone that she’s lived this long. The 100-year-old was born in Sacramento, California, in 1923, and with an acute memory fondly recalls her childhood during the Great Depression.

“My father worked for the railroad, and we went from living in a big house to a shack,” Capps told ALXnow. “But I was just a little girl and I thought it was fun.”

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Alexandria and Arlington cut ribbon on new and improved West Glebe Road Bridge

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2023 at 3:55PM

Arlington and Alexandria officials cut the ribbon at the West Glebe Road Bridge, Sept. 12, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Alexandria and Arlington officials celebrated the ribbon cutting for the renovated West Glebe Road bridge today.

The nearly 70-year-old bridge suffered severe deterioration over the years and fully closed last summer, and partially reopened in March.

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Alexandria Fire Department wants a taller ‘burn building’ for training in Old Town

By James Cullum

Published September 11, 2023 at 3:30PM

Fire Department recruits training on Feb. 14, 2020 (Staff photo by James Cullum)

The Alexandria Fire Department wants to replace a 42-year-old burn building used for training in Old Town.

AFD’s proposal to demolish the three-story, 4,600-square-foot building with a new four-story, 6,400-square-foot building goes before the Planning Commission on Tuesday, Oct. 3 and City Council on October 14.

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Old Town art gallery hosted live events since 2021, now wants city permission

By James Cullum

Published September 11, 2023 at 1:30PM

Galactic Panther Art Gallery at 1303 King Street (via City of Alexandria)

Galactic Panther Art Gallery has hosted live music and paid events since opening in 2021, and now its owners are asking the city for approval to host them.

Galactic Panther’s 1,900-square-foot art gallery has hosted comedy, improv, sound baths, yoga, open mic nights and live music for more than a year, and their proposal to continue with the events goes to the Planning Commission on October 3 and City Council on October 14.

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Alexandria City Council to consider permanently allowing big events on consecutive weekends

By James Cullum

Published September 7, 2023 at 10:45AM | Updated September 8, 2023 at 3:04PM

Handing out flags at the St. Patrick's Day Parade in Old Town, March 3, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

After a busy spring and summer, the Alexandria City Council will consider permanently changing its special event policy to allow for large events with 500+ people on consecutive weekends.

City Council approved a waiver earlier this summer, as well as last year, allowing for large events on consecutive weekends. They will consider the permanent change in a meeting on Tuesday (Sept. 12).

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JUST IN: Alexandria zoning overhaul gets lukewarm reception from city leaders at public debut

By Vernon Miles

Published September 5, 2023 at 10:05PM

City Council and Planning Commission members reviewing Zoning for Housing/Housing for All proposal (staff photo by Vernon Miles)

The Zoning for Housing/Housing for All project turned out to be less of a revolution in Alexandria’s zoning and — for better or worse — more of a gradual evolution.

After extensive build-up and public discussion, Director of Planning Karl Moritz debuted zoning changes to a mixed response from city leaders.

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Alexandria residents rally against controversial Zoning for Housing plan

By James Cullum

Published August 29, 2023 at 10:45AM

Roy Byrd, chair of the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria, speaks at a rally at City Hall on Aug. 28, 2023 (staff photo by James Cullum)

Dozens of protestors rallied against Alexandria’s zoning for housing plan in front of City Hall on Monday.

The rally was spearheaded by The Coalition for a Livable Alexandria, a group founded this year by residents to talk about complex issues. If approved, the zoning plan overhaul would reshape a number of zoning ordinances, including a bonus height amendment that incentivizes developers to add affordable housing to projects in exchange for two additional stories of construction in areas where height limits are 45 feet or more.

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ALXnow’s top stories this week in Alexandria

By James Cullum

Published July 28, 2023 at 3:30PM

The scene of a shooting on the 800 block of W. Glebe Road (staff photo by James Cullum)

It’s been a scorching week in Alexandria, punctuated by two major crime events.

Someone was shot multiple times in an alley several blocks east of the Braddock Metro station last Saturday, followed on Monday afternoon by the city’s fifth homicide this year — the fatal shooting of a 29-year-old man on W. Glebe Road in Arlandria.

News

Final site plans for massive Samuel Madden Project deferred over vinyl windows

By James Cullum

Published July 28, 2023 at 1:51PM

A rendering of the Samuel Madden Project's North Building (via City of Alexandria)

The developer for the massive Samuel Madden redevelopment in Old Town deferred submission of a final site plan this week, after the Board of Architectural Review warned failure over design guidelines.

For one thing, the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority project needs to be designed without vinyl windows, unlike the current design.