Feeling safe lately in Alexandria?
On Tuesday, the Alexandria City Council approved the creation of the ResilientALX Charter to make all aspects of the city safer, from emergency planning to disaster response and beyond.
city government
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]
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.
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.”
The Alexandria City Council has chosen a hybrid approach as its preferred option for a Community Police Review Board. It’s a contentious move that, if approved next March, will allow independent civilian oversight over multiple aspects of the police department.
In a 4-3 vote last week, Council chose option “C” out of the four alternatives presented by staff. Each of the options will now be presented to the community in a two-month-long public feedback process that will ultimately lead to a council decision in March. The dissenting votes were cast by Mayor Justin Wilson, Councilwoman Amy Jackson and Councilwoman Del Pepper.
Alexandria Sheriff Joins Outraged Chorus, City Council Defers Plan to Double Stormwater Utility Fees
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Alexandria Sheriff Dana Lawhorne joined his neighbors in criticizing City Council’s plan to double the stormwater utility fee, and asked at last night’s meeting that the matter be deferred to give the community more time.
Lawhorne, who lives in Del Ray, said that his home flooded multiple times last year and is frustrated with what he called a lack of progress to solve the problem. A number of heavy rainstorms in 2020 resulted in dangerous flooding situations, revealing a besieged stormwater management system that left many homes damaged throughout the city. There were more than 500 requests for service through the City’s 311 system due to extreme rain events this year, according to a city memo.
Alexandria City Councilman Mo Seifeldein wants the underutilized 60-year-old Northern Virginia Juvenile Detention Center to shut down.
Staff from the City of Alexandria, Arlington County and Falls Church will make recommendations over the next several months on how to proceed with the building at 200 S. Whiting Street in the West End, which houses youth with serious offenses and behavioral issues from the three jurisdictions.
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With the pandemic forcing more daily activities like work and school to go virtual, Mayor Justin Wilson said the city is doubling down on efforts to provide broadband options for Alexandria residents.
Expanding internet options beyond Comcast has been a several-year project for the city that’s hit a few bumps in the road.
After receiving approval from the state, Mayor Justin Wilson announced on Twitter than Alexandria is moving into the next phase of vaccine distribution.
The new wave of distribution, listed as 1B, opens up the vaccine to several new essential professions. Healthcare workers were able to recieve the vaccine under phase 1A.
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(Updated 4:10 p.m.) As part of a continued effort to provide widespread COVID-19 testing, the City of Alexandria and Alexandria Health Department are launching a partnership with private testing company Curative to provide free COVID testing kiosks.
The city said the new kiosks will replace community testing the city has been engaging in since last July.
The City of Alexandria announced today that it has reached an agreement with Inova Health System and the Landmark Mall property owners to create a new hospital campus and mixed-use development at Landmark Mall.
The new campus would relocate the existing hospital on Seminary Hill and expand to over 2,000 healthcare workers. Construction could begin as soon as 2023 with the first parts of the campus coming online in 2025.