A new flooding assessment and map have identified watersheds in the West End as some of Alexandria’s most vulnerable flood zones.
Areas considered most at-risk of flooding include the Potomac waterfront, Four Mile Run and Hooffs Run — as well as new additions like Holmes Run, Cameron Run and Backlick Run, according to a map shared by Flood Resilience Plan (FRP) project leaders at a meeting Monday night.
Alexandria will eliminate requirements for third-party green building certifications under a new policy aimed at reducing development costs while maintaining environmental standards.
The City Council is expected to consider the updated Green Building Policy later this year after review by the Planning Commission and Environmental Policy Commission. The changes would take effect Jan. 1, replacing the current 2019 policy.
After three years of construction, Alexandria will officially unveil the Hooffs Run Interceptor and reopen African American Heritage Park next month.
The large project to reduce flooding from millions of gallons of sewage and transport it for processing by AlexRenew also meant a fully restored Hooffs Run. The interceptor went into service at the end of 2024.
Against a backdrop of political and economic uncertainty, Alexandria’s City Council unanimously adopted its $956.5 million operating budget.
City Manager Jim Parajon said it was challenging crafting a budget that keeps city services without increasing real estate or property taxes. The city’s budget grew 3.2% over the current fiscal year, with its largest line item being a fully-funded Alexandria City Public Schools, as well as significant stormwater management funding for the city’s $2.1 billion FY 2026 – 2035 Capital Improvement Program.
The City of Alexandria wants Betsey and H.J. Rosenbaum to know that there will still be a botanical garden built in their honor at Point Lumley Park, despite not being included in site concept plans.
The Rosenbaum family has lived near the waterfront for decades, and several years ago, the couple bequeathed $2.5 million to the city to build the garden at the park. They were surprised, however, when they saw new concept designs published by ALXnow that didn’t include a botanical garden. The plans are headed to the city’s Board of Architectural Review on May 7.
A sweeping plan to redevelop two popular parks on the Alexandria waterfront is heading into the city review process.
Waterfront Park (1 Prince Street) and Point Lumley Park (1 Duke Street) in Old Town flood frequently. The city wants to close both parks from the fall of 2026 until the fall of 2028 to rebuild segments of the sea wall and install a pumping station to recirculate floodwaters back to the Potomac River.
Alexandria’s Office of Climate Action is only two-and-a-half years old, and now the City Council is considering eliminating half of its budget to partially fund a one-time, $1 million reallocation to Alexandria City Public Schools.
Multiple speakers both decried and supported the proposed move to eliminate $300,000 from the department’s budget during Tuesday night’s public hearing on proposed additions and deletions from the city budget.
A special use permit to allow for the operation of a new garden center in Del Ray is heading to City Council this Saturday (March 15).
Jay Portlance, owner of Del Ray Hardware (2003 Mount Vernon Avenue), wants to soon open the Del Ray Farmhouse Market and Garden right across the street at 1913 Mount Vernon Avenue.
In a bid to reduce noise and air pollution, the Alexandria City Council will consider a total ban of gas-powered leaf blowers in its meeting next Tuesday (Jan. 28).
City staff will present a number of options for Council to consider on the noisy machines, including a total ban, an ordinance change, and a multi-year phase-out period similar to the enforced bans in D.C. and Montgomery County. There is a $500 penalty for a violation in both localities.
Governor Glenn Youngkin’s recently failed attempt to withdraw Virginia from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) is “reckless,” says Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson.
Wilson, in his December newsletter, said that Youngkin’s efforts are bad for the environment and remove a “vital funding source” for localities in fighting flooding and severe weather.
City staff have no official explanation for a fish kill in Holmes Run late this summer, but the suspicion points to improper winterizing at a nearby community pool.
City stormwater principal planner Gavin Pellitteri told the Alexandria Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) — full disclosure, this reporter is on the LEPC — there was an estimated 75-120 fish deaths in Holmes Run.
