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Plaintiffs against Alexandria’s Zoning for Housing initiative raise $28K needed for appeal

Published February 27, 2026 at 3:00PM

The Alexandria courthouse in Old Town (staff photo by James Cullum)

The plaintiffs in Alexandria’s Zoning for Housing/Housing for All lawsuit say they have raised the $28,000 required to pay for attorneys in their appeal against the Circuit Court’s November dismissal.

The plaintiff group, the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria, announced this morning (Friday) that it raised the funds for a fee agreement to move forward with attorneys at Dunn, Craig and Francuzenko. Last month, members of the group asked for donations in their continuing effort to reverse the city’s 2023 zoning overhaul, setting a Feb. 27 deadline.

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Zoning for Housing plaintiffs attempting to raise $28K to appeal November dismissal

By James Cullum

Published January 27, 2026 at 9:30AM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Old Town, Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

After their case was dismissed in Circuit Court in November, the plaintiffs in Alexandria’s Zoning for Housing/Housing for All lawsuit are now seeking donations to fund an appeal.

Members of the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria, a group of Old Town residents, are asking supporters to help raise $28,000 for attorneys at Dunn, Craig and Francuzenko, according to an email announcement last night (Monday).

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NEW: Alexandria joins coalition challenging ICE deployment in Minnesota

By Katie Taranto

Published January 23, 2026 at 5:00PM | Updated January 23, 2026 at 5:50PM

People protest against Federal immigration agents on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Angelina Katsanis)

Alexandria is one of more than 80 local governments and leaders to join a coalition challenging the Trump administration’s recent surge of federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

The coalition, co-led by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, has filed an amicus brief arguing that Trump’s deployment of more than 3,000 armed ICE agents to Minnesota — called “Operation Metro Surge” — is unconstitutional. Along with Alexandria, signatories include the governments of major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and Seattle, alongside legal nonprofit Public Rights Project.

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Systems Planning and Analysis expansion into Alexandria leads this week’s top stories

By James Cullum

Published September 12, 2025 at 3:47PM

Officials cut a ribbon at Systems Planning & Analysis announcement on Sept. 11, 2025 (staff photo by Ryan Belmore)

Here’s a rundown of our top stories.

Our top story this week is on the Thursday, Sept. 11, announcement that Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) will expand its Alexandria headquarters and create 1,200 new jobs over the next five years as part of a $46.9 million investment across Northern Virginia. The defense contractor bought, and will renovate, a 239,000-square-foot office building at 2001 N. Beauregard Street. Attendees at the announcement included Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins and Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Jeff McKay.

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Maryland man sues Alexandria police officer, former chief over K-9 attack

By James Cullum

Published August 8, 2025 at 3:00PM | Updated August 9, 2025 at 1:22AM

The Albert V. Bryan United States Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by James Cullum)

A Maryland man who says an Alexandria K-9 officer injured him during his 2023 arrest has filed a civil lawsuit in federal court against that officer’s handler and former Alexandria Police Chief Don Hayes.

William Kyle III claims to be the victim of excessive force by police after he was pulled over on July 15, 2023, near a northbound entrance to Interstate 495. Kyle alleges the actions of Alexandria Police Department officer Matthew Wilson and K-9 officer Ares resulted in what he describes as a “severe and permanent” injury to his right shoulder. It was inflicted after Kyle was handcuffed and in police custody, according to the civil complaint filed with the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.

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Jefferson-Houston parent files legal complaint against School Board over closure vote

By Vernon Miles

Published February 5, 2025 at 12:15PM

Jefferson-Houston PreK-8 IB School at 1501 Cameron Street (via Jefferson-Houston/Facebook)

Michael O’Brien, a parent who currently has two children attending Jefferson-Houston, initiated a legal challenge to the Alexandria School Board’s decision to convert the K-8 school into a middle school.

The School Board voted to convert Jefferson-Houston into a middle school in December. In the same meeting, the Board voted to turn Patrick Henry, also an K-8 school, into an elementary school.

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JUST IN: Judge rules plaintiffs have standing for trial to reverse Alexandria’s Zoning for Housing overhaul

By James Cullum

Published August 26, 2024 at 1:30PM | Updated August 28, 2024 at 9:02AM

The Franklin P. Backus Courthouse in Alexandria (staff photo by Jay Westcott)

Alexandria residents fighting the city’s massive Zoning for Housing/Housing for All overhaul won a battle in court today, as Judge David S. Schell ruled their case has standing and can go to trial.

The plaintiffs, all Old Town residents, have been fighting to reverse the zoning changes since they were approved by City Council in Dec. 2023. While initial efforts were dismissed in court, their amended filing specified how their individual properties would be harmed as a result.

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City Council upholds certificate of appropriateness for controversial Old Town development

By James Cullum

Published July 3, 2024 at 3:30PM | Updated July 5, 2024 at 10:26AM

A rendering for 301 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

The Alexandria City Council upheld the certificate of appropriateness for a contentious development in Old Town after an appeal was filed by residents claiming that it will be an eyesore that destroys the historic nature of the area.

Council voted 6-1 upholding the certificate of appropriateness approved by the Board of Architectural Review in May, with small conditions.

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Alexandria estimated to receive $124,334 from opioid settlement with Kroger

By Vernon Miles

Published June 21, 2024 at 10:15AM

30mg Oxycodone (image via DEA)

The City of Alexandria is estimated to receive $124,334 over the next 11 years from grocery store chain Kroger as part of an opioid-related settlement.

Kroger will pay approximately $10.5 million to the Commonwealth of Virginia over the next 11 years as part of a $1.4 billion settlement in a lawsuit that alleged the supermarket’s pharmacies helped fuel the opioid epidemic.

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City Council and residents battle over Old Town development in court and tense meetings

By Vernon Miles

Published February 26, 2024 at 3:55PM

A rendering for 301 N. Fairfax Street in Old Town (via City of Alexandria)

The City of Alexandria is fighting with residents over a new development in court, but the battle spilled over into a public comment section that ended with a rebuke from the dais.

A lawsuit filed with the Circuit Court of Alexandria calls for a special use permit approved by the City Council in January to be invalidated, alleging the decision is in direct contradiction to the city zoning ordinance.

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Alexandria locations swept up in regional property management lawsuit over artificially inflated rent

By Vernon Miles

Published November 3, 2023 at 9:50AM

The Blake apartments (via The Blake/Facebook)

A lawsuit filed by D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb over alleged artificial rent inflation will hit some of the region’s biggest landlords, including companies with properties in Alexandria, DCist first reported.

Schwalb’s lawsuit alleges the landlords of acting as a rent-setting cartel that use Texas-based property management software company RealPage to artificially drive up rent prices around the region.