Alexandria is asking for public feedback on its recreation programs.
A program interest survey is open to the public until Saturday, Nov. 1. It asks respondents about their recreational interests, their usage of city recreation centers and parks, and what offerings could be expanded or improved by the Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities.
The Alexandria City Council will host a town hall meeting on Nov. 5 (Wednesday) at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street) in Old Town.
“Members of the Alexandria City Council will be present to speak about the issues impacting you and your family. You can also get the latest news on upcoming projects and initiatives in Alexandria,” the city said in a release.
The Alexandria City Council will open its budget season with an annual retreat in the West End on Saturday, Nov. 1.
The meeting will be held in-person in the first-floor community conference room of the Del Pepper Community Resource Center (4850 Mark Center Drive) from 9 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Council will receive a revenue forecast, expenditure overview and a preliminary budget gap from city staff, as well as a presentation from Alexandria City Public Schools and other city departments.
Alexandria is hosting an open house next month to discuss proposed improvements to a park in the northeast area of Old Town.
Plans to redevelop the 1.5-acre Powhatan Park (1010 Douglas Street) have been in the works for more than a decade. At 11 a.m. on Nov. 1 (Saturday), the city will host the event at the park to discuss three redevelopment options of “medium” importance — creating an ADA-compliant plaza with an entrance at the end of Douglas Street, repaving pathways ,and installing a shade structure and game tables.
Alexandria will host a community meeting next month on the development of the city’s Flood Resilience Plan.
The city will host the meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 10 (Monday), at Patrick Henry Recreation Center (4653 Taney Avenue), and online via Zoom. In the meeting, the city will discuss findings from a recent survey on flooding impacts throughout Alexandria, draft flood model results, and a community vulnerability analysis.
There’s a free family-friendly Halloween-themed bike ride in Del Ray on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Riders will be able to see all of the spectacularly spooky decorations throughout the neighborhood. The six-to-seven-mile ride goes from 6:30 to 8 p.m. and is hosted by the Alexandria Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. More details are below.
Alexandria will provide an update later this month on stormwater solutions for the historic, and flood-prone, Douglass Memorial Cemetery (1421 Wilkes Street).
The city says that the cemetery, named after abolitionist Frederick Douglass, faces flooding and drainage problems, and that grave markers have been damaged. After two years of developing a plan to mitigate flooding and repair grave markers, the city will present an update on the project on Oct. 29 (Wednesday) from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Lloyd House (220 N. Washington Street).
Starting this month, Alexandria will begin eradicating invasive plants in the Wilkes Street Tunnel and at several city parks.
Residents and visitors can expect some temporary fencing around affected areas, as the city will be making herbicide treatments and other “control” methods. Some of the invasive species that will be eradicated include Japanese honeysuckle, tree of heaven, English ivy, mimosa trees, and Oriental bittersweet.
Welcome to Friday, Alexandria. Here’s a look at the top stories of the week.
ALXnow’s top story this week is on the man who was struck by a train at the Potomac Yard Metro station on September 22 and later died at George Washington University Hospital. Metro Transit Police stated at the time that the man had trespassed onto the tracks, and an investigation revealed that he was being chased by two alleged fare evaders: a 17-year-old female and an 18-year-old female, according to a recently released search warrant affidavit.
A Playa Bowls franchise just submitted paperwork with the city to open at 1229 King Street in Old Town.
The quick-service restaurant will sell “fruit bowls, oatmeal bowls, smoothies, and juices for takeout and pickup,” according to the special use permit (SUP) filed with the city. The chain was founded in New Jersey in 2014, and there are now more than 300 Playa Bowls locations nationwide, with the nearest one in Arlington, located at 2055 15th Street.
A proposal to build three four-story townhouses on a vacant lot in Old Town is scheduled to be reviewed by the city’s Board of Architectural Review later this month.
Land use attorney Ken Wire is requesting a concept review from the BAR to develop the townhomes at 806 N. Columbus Street, located near the intersection with Madison Street and two blocks east of N. Patrick Street (Route 1). The proposal is scheduled to head to the BAR on Thursday, October 16.
