It’s about to get a little more expensive to live in Alexandria.
On Saturday, City Manager Jim Parajon will present City Council with proposals to increase:
On ambulances, Council will consider raising the cost of basic life support from $600 to $750, which is about as much as neighboring Fairfax and Arlington Counties charge. As for additional levels of treatment, advanced life support (ALS) treatment would increase from $780 to $1,000, and the most advanced treatment requiring life-saving and other measures could rise from $900 to $1,200.
In the meantime, City Council is also considering a real estate tax increase to fund a significant budget request from the Alexandria School Board.
The Manager also wants to raise fees for late personal property tax payments. He’s proposing to increase the late payment penalty from a flat rate of 10% to “a rate of 10% if paid within 30 days 20 after the due date, and 25% if paid more than 30 days after the due date,” according to the proposal.
The city’s personal property tax rate is $5.33 per $100 of the assessed value of vehicles, and $3.55 for vehicles retrofitted to accommodate disabled drivers.
Parajon also wants to increase the stormwater utility fee from $308.7 to $324.10. The increase will help the city pay for infrastructure improvements, Mayor Justin Wilson wrote in April newsletter.
Property owners in Alexandria may notice that the Stormwater Utility Fee is likely going up again in the 2024 budget.
The City Manager’s proposed budget increases the utility rate from $308.7 to $324.10. Mayor Justin Wilson said in a newsletter that the new annual fee structure is broken down for local residential property owners as:
- $90.75 for condos
- $136.12 for townhomes
- $324.10 for small single-family homes
- $541.25 for large single-family homes
Wilson said the stormwater utility fee is paid by all property owners in the city, including non-taxable properties, with fees calculated by the square footage of buildings, parking lots and more.
The Stormwater Utility Fee has gradually increased over the years as the city works through infrastructure projects to combat frequent flooding.
“The increases of the fee over the past four years have allowed the City to quadruple the planned investment in stormwater mitigation since 2020 and support an accelerated 10-year program of infrastructure investment,” Wilson wrote.
Wilson said the increase in funding will allow the City to tackle eleven top-priority storm sewer capacity projects over the next ten years:
- Commonwealth & Glebe: $34 million
- Ashby & Glebe: $16 million
- Hooffs Run Culvert Bypass: $60 million
- Edison & Dale: $13 million
- Dewitt Avenue: $15 million
- East Mason Avenue: $1 million
- Notabene & Old Dominion: $4 million
- Mount Vernon, E. Glendale, E. Luray & E. Alexandria: $10 million
- E. Monroe & Wayne: $3 million
- Russell & W. Rosemont: $6 million
- Russell & W. Rosemont (south): $8 million
New manhole inserts aren’t normally notable or a cause for celebration, but they are in several Alexandria neighborhoods where they could help prevent flooding.
The City of Alexandria announced today that it will be installing 870 stainless steel manhole covers in the Four Mile Run, Commonwealth and Taylor Run sewer sheds.
“These inserts will help prevent stormwater runoff from entering sanitary sewer manholes during wet weather,” the city said in a release.
The release said the inserts sit on top of the manhole, directly underneath the cover, and have holes that slowly drain accumulated stormwater into the sewer after the storm ends.
“Manhole inserts are one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce inflow into the sanitary sewer system,” the release said. “Inflow into sanitary sewers can overwhelm the capacity of the sewer system, which can lead to sewer backups in basements.”
The installations started in February and will continue through the end of June.
The Commonwealth, Ashby, and Glebe Flood Mitigation Project — one of the largest flood mitigation projects in the city other than the huge RiverRenew project — is set to hit a planning milestone sometime this spring.
In a February Flood Action newsletter, city staff said the project is set to hit the “60% of the project design” milestone sometime this spring.
According to the newsletter:
Designs provided at the 60 percent benchmark will include additional project details, such as utility relocation design, structural details for culvert and storm sewer system, easements or right-of-way acquisitions to support project construction, and a more detailed review of constructability and construction methodology.
The project is an amalgamation of two large-capacity projects providing flood relief for the northern end of Del Ray and Lynhaven.
“The proposed design includes new parallel relief sewers along Commonwealth Avenue and East Glebe Road, which will increase the capacity of the storm sewer system,” the city’s website said. “Additionally, a new outfall will be installed to discharge flows to Four Mile Run. Finally, green infrastructure practices will be implemented to provide a water quality benefit to the watershed.”
The project is estimated to cost $50 million.
Construction is expected to start in Summer 2026 and be completed by Summer 2029.
Update at 1:45 p.m. — Alexandria City Public Schools has canceled all afternoon and evening activities. According to ACPS:
Due to the inclement weather forecast for our region, all afternoon and evening activities scheduled at Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) facilities are canceled at this time.
This cancellation applies to all programming provided by community organizations or the City of Alexandria in ACPS facilities or on school grounds, as well as any ACPS athletic, band or other extracurricular activities or community events. Families may want to check with their community service provider to get an update on their changes in operations due to the expected inclement weather. Schools will send information to families regarding any make-up days or new event dates.
This cancellation does not include any polling locations (located in or connected to schools) related to the special-called School Board elections that are occurring today.
The release noted that ACPS will also be monitoring weather and power outages throughout the night to determine whether schools will open tomorrow.
Earlier: If they haven’t already, anyone living or working within a few blocks of the waterfront might want to get the sandbags ready because the National Weather Service said flooding is inbound.
The National Weather Service put out a Coastal Flood Warning for Alexandria in effect from 4-10 p.m. with the area experiencing hazardous weather conditions.
“For the Coastal Flood Advisory, up to one half foot of inundation above ground level expected in low-lying areas due to tidal flooding,” the warning said. “For the Coastal Flood Warning, one to two feet of inundation above ground level expected in low-lying areas due to tidal flooding.”
Sandbags are being distributed for Alexandria residents and businesses at 133 S. Quaker Lane. Proof of address is required to receive sandbags and there’s a limit of five per address.
A Flood Watch is in effect through Wednesday morning for Alexandria and other nearby localities. The National Weather Service warning says 1.5-3 inches of rain is expected, with amounts of up to 4 or 5 inches possible.
“Excessive runoff may result in flooding of creeks and streams as well as urban areas and other low-lying and flood-prone locations,” the National Weather Service warned.
A High Wind Warning is also in effect until 1 a.m. on Wednesday morning, with winds of 25-40 mph expected and gusts up to 60 mph. The National Weather Service warned that damaging winds could cause power outages and knock over trees.
“Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines,” the National Weather Service warned. “Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”
Douglass Memorial Cemetery (1421 Wilkes Street) has long suffered flooding and neglect, but the City of Alexandria said plans to address issues at the cemetery will be presented at a meeting next week.
City employee Michael Johnson has been ringing alarm bells about the state of the cemetery for years. The cemetery has been a burial site for Black Alexandrians since 1827. Around 2,000 people were buried in the cemetery before burials stopped in 1974.
A city report said only 10% of the graves in the cemetery are well-defined, thanks in part to grave markers going missing and a lack of intact vaults and caskets.
The city sought funding earlier this year to support an oral history project related to the project.
The city said plans for the cemetery will be presented at the Nannie J. Lee Memorial Recreation Center (1108 Jefferson Street) from 6-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5.
According to a release:
Douglass Cemetery, located at 1421 Wilkes Street, has several preservation issues, including flooding and drainage problems.
The City of Alexandria staff from the Office of Historic Alexandria, Department of Project Implementation, Transportation and Environmental Services, and Recreation, Parks & Cultural Activities are working to address these preservation issues. The Social Responsibility Group and the Friends of Douglass Cemetery have dedicated their efforts to raise awareness of the significance of the historic African American cemetery and resolve the preservation issues. The City has developed plans to implement solutions that are respectful and appropriate to the sensitive nature of the site. City Staff will present an update on the plans to address the causes of flooding and the anticipated timeline for the work.
Alexandrians who have been trying to flood-proof their homes should find it a little easier to get city funding.
Alexandria’s Flood Mitigation Grant Program received an update in October that makes it easier for property owners to access and boosts the amount of funding homeowners can receive. One of the big changes is that residents no longer have to show past flooding, meaning they can make precautionary improvements to homes that haven’t been hit with flooding before.
According to a release:
Effective October 24, 2023, the City of Alexandria updated the Flood Mitigation Grant Program to open eligibility to all property owners by removing the requirement to show past flooding. The Grant program was also updated to increase the maximum amount of the 50/50 matching funding for eligible flood mitigation measures on association common areas up to $25,000.
This is a BIG DEAL. These changes now allow this program to be available to all residents, not just those with previous flooding. Thank you, Council and @AlexandriaVAGov! #DrainALX https://t.co/HYEgRqUAff
— DrainALX (@DrainALX) November 27, 2023
That $25,000 is a dramatic increase compared to the previous $5,000 matching grant for improvements to common areas.
According to the release:
The Virginia General Assembly modified Virginia Code to explicitly state that grant funding can be used by associations for flood mitigation projects, effective July 1, 2023. This increase in matching grant funding for association common areas is reasonable given that the cost of flood mitigation measures is typically much higher for common areas. Individual condominium owners may still apply for up to $5,000 of matching grant funding for their units.
(Updated at 4 p.m. on Oct. 18) For at least five weeks, Loren DePina and her family will be forced live in a one-bedroom apartment until flooding damage in her three-bedroom Southern Towers apartment is fixed.
DePina’s and 13 other apartments at Southern Towers’ Sherwood building (5001 Seminary Road) were significantly damaged early Sunday morning by a water leak that worked its way from the eighth floor of the 15-story building all the way to the first floor. Video of the damage showed residents wading through inches of water in apartments and hallways and flooded elevators.
“I’m not paying rent for November,” DePina said. “That’s not happening. Five weeks is putting us right before Thanksgiving.”
On Monday, DePina got keys to a one-bedroom apartment where her family of four will have to live for an estimated five weeks. She said that building management were not responsive for a full day after flooding started.
CIM Group emailed residents Monday morning at 8 a.m. that the flooding was caused by air conditioning pipes that date back to when the building was constructed in the 1960s, and that residents will be relocated.
“To address this issue, we allocate substantial financial resources, amounting to tens of thousands of dollars on a weekly basis, toward the ongoing repair and maintenance of these risers,” CIM Group recently wrote in a letter to City Council. “This often involves the necessity to access and open walls within resident units for repair purposes and can take as long as four weeks.”
CIM Group bought Southern Towers in 2020, and residents have protested living conditions and evictions for years, especially throughout the pandemic. This year alone, Southern Towers was also visited by the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency and CIM Group was asked to resolve its eviction fight by Virginia Senators Tim Kaine and Mark Warner.
African Communities Together sent an email to CIM Group asking for the following:
- Immediately relocate tenants to habitable units on the property. At a minimum, tenants must be moved into units that are comparable. If tenants are moved into bigger or renovated units (when they previously were in smaller or unrenovated units), tenants should not be charged higher rent or higher utility bills.
- Residents who had to move into a hotel, Air BnB, or other lodging to escape the flooding should be fully reimbursed by CIM.
- Rent for the month of November should be waived for all affected tenants to accommodate the financial impact of the flooding.
- Water and electricity bills should be totally comped in next month’s utility bill for all tenants to accommodate the instability in charges brought on by the flooding.
- Management must be transparent with the tenants at all stages of this process. Tenants must be given consistent and clear notice about: what caused the problem; what CIM is doing to fix it; how long repairs will take; and any other relevant updates. “Consistent and clear” notice shall also include translated messages for tenants in need.
Last month, Vice Mayor Amy Jackson and Council Members Alyia Gaskins, Canek Aguirre, Sarah Bagley, Kirk McPike and John Taylor Chapman toured the property. Gaskins wrote CIM Group that she toured the buildings with her two young children, and that one of them had a coughing fit due to mold.
“What we observed is unacceptable,” Gaskins wrote. “We also observed holes in walls and a major flood in the elevator. As a councilmember and mother, I do not want anyone living in conditions that compromise their health, safety and stability.”
Bethany Chang is a principal at CIM Group, and said in a statement that the incident was “incredibly inconvenient.”
“As any homeowner or renter knows, sometimes maintenance issues happen like pipes bursting, and it is always incredibly inconvenient and unpleasant when it happens,” Chang said. “Our team at Southern Towers is working diligently to ensure that all impacted residents are provided with timely repairs and, if needed, temporary housing. When this leak occurred, our team was in touch with the residents that day and began mitigation and repairs immediately. They have not ceased working since, and they will continue to work until the job is complete.”
Gaskins said residents have contacted her about subpar resolution to maintenance requests, inconsistent heating and cooling systems and high utility rates.
CIM Group wrote a lengthy response to Gaskins and said that they bought a derelict property and are the victim of disinformation from advocacy groups.
The full response from CIM Group to Gaskins is below.
(Updated at 5:40 p.m.) The National Weather Service said the storm is no longer capable of creating a tornado, though flash flood warnings remain in effect.
The storm which prompted the warning has weakened below severe limits, and no longer appears capable of producing a tornado. Therefore, the warning has been cancelled. However gusty winds and heavy rain are still possible with this thunderstorm.
The National Weather Service issued tornado, severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings for Alexandria earlier today.
Flooding has been reported at 1033 W. Glebe Road in Arlandria, according to scanner traffic.
More from Glebe/Commonwealth. Reports are at least two cars lost. Turn around people! #DrainALX @fox5dc @MatthewCappucci @7NewsDC @MetMattRitter @MarkPenaWX pic.twitter.com/JDvhX2yGnJ
— DrainALX (@DrainALX) August 14, 2023
Cars stuck on GW Pkwy in Alexandria @patpend @WashingtonianWx @capitalweather pic.twitter.com/TLa35zI991
— D. A. Douglas (@derekpage7) August 14, 2023
@DrainALX Braddock Metro Alexandria, VA pic.twitter.com/16oj6721p5
— John Craig (@JohnCra10309170) August 14, 2023
The Hume river has formed and despite rain rates dropping, spot improvement inlets aren’t catching excess water. #DrainALX @AlexandriaVATES @fox5weather @MatthewCappucci @7NewsDC @capitalweather @WashingtonianWx @MarkPenaWX @MetMattRitter pic.twitter.com/8GoFc6dw0j
— DrainALX (@DrainALX) August 14, 2023
While the storm has calmed down, please still use extreme caution as you travel. There is still debris, down trees, traffic lights temporarily out, and rising water levels that can be hazardous.
The City of Alexandria is working to fix all known issues. https://t.co/GAgsWQJq3g
— Alexandria Police (@AlexandriaVAPD) August 14, 2023
The warnings have been issued for Alexandria and its surrounding localities.
An alert said a thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was spotted over Franconia and moving northeast. Those in the area are advised to seek shelter.
This comes after another warning for tornadoes and floods was issued last week.
The full warning is below:
* TORNADO WARNING FOR…
SOUTH CENTRAL ARLINGTON COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
EAST CENTRAL FAIRFAX COUNTY IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA…
* UNTIL 445 PM EDT.
* AT 418 PM EDT, A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A TORNADO
WAS LOCATED OVER FRANCONIA, OR OVER SPRINGFIELD, MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 25 MPH.
HAZARD…TORNADO.
SOURCE…RADAR INDICATED ROTATION.
IMPACT…FOR THOSE IN THE DIRECT PATH OF A TORNADO TOUCHDOWN,
FLYING DEBRIS WILL BE DANGEROUS TO THOSE CAUGHT WITHOUT
SHELTER. DAMAGE TO ROOFS, SIDING, AND WINDOWS MAY OCCUR.
MOBILE HOMES MAY BE DAMAGED OR DESTROYED. TREE DAMAGE IS
LIKELY.
A new report on the city’s Floodplain Management Plan offers a look at what’s ahead for flood mitigation projects around the city.
Two items in the report highlight progress on flood mitigation along the waterfront. Two parts of the mitigation plan are re-grading sections of lower King Street and nearby streets to improve drainage and minimize flooding and the construction of an elevated walkway along the waterfront.
“The city is currently in procurement of a Progressive Design-Build contract and is scheduled to have a contract in place in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2024,” the report said. “The city intends to make improvements to the waterfront area and protect to elevation 6.0’ (NAVD88) between Duke Street and Queen Street including lower King Street, Union Street and The Strand.”
The report says the 10-year budget for the project is $48.2 million, with a total of $108.6 million appropriated for the project.
For the elevated walkway, the report says the current schedule is to have a contract in place in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2024.
The report also said excavation of sediment from the channel bed of Cameron Run is scheduled for Fiscal Year 2024.
The report said four additional projects are currently under contract and in the design stage:
- Mount Vernon Avenue cul de sac storm sewer improvements ($1.4 million) — flood mitigation for townhomes on Mount Vernon Avenue, including alley grading, drainage improvements and more. Construction is scheduled to start in February 2024 and be completed by November.
- Hume Avenue storm sewer bypass project ($2.5 million) — flood mitigation for homes on Hume Avenue. A storm pipe will be installed to bypass the existing storm pipe. Construction is scheduled to start in June 2024 and be completed by March 2025.
- Hooffs Run Timber Branch Bypass project ($60 million) — construction of a new storm sewer pipe system to transport stormwater from Timber Branch away from Hooff’s Run Culvert. Construction is scheduled to start in September 2026 and be completed by June 2028.
- E. Glebe, Commonwealth, Ashby storm sewer capacity project ($50 million) — a conveyance capacity, storage, and green infrastructure upgrade for the often-flooded intersection. Construction is scheduled to start in April 2026 and be completed by January 2028.
