Set-Asides for Affordable Housing, Open Space Eliminated Due to 'Miscommunication'

Mayor Bill Euille says there is a chance to fix an issue caused by a misunderstanding between city staff and council during the budget approval process.

Alexandria City Council eliminated the mechanism of set-aside funding for affordable housing and open space acquisition when it adopted its fiscal year 2014 budget last week in a move that is being chalked up to miscommunication between city staff and council. • See: Alexandria, Your Average Tax Bill Is Increasing $314 “If this was a misunderstanding or miscommunication, we still have a chance to go back and fix it,” Mayor Bill Euille said Friday. “We’ll have more conversations about this at Tuesday’s meeting.” The city takes a percentage of the real estate tax rate for both affordable housing and open space funds.  Throughout budget work sessions, some councilmembers expressed a desire to move away from dedicated funding mechanisms, …

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Drew Hansen

12:52 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

I was at the meeting last night and the issue of the set-asides was not discussed. I believe they will pick it back up at the June public hearing when the ordinance is scheduled to be codified.   more ›

Councilman Chapman Hosting Budget Coffee Talk

Event will be held Saturday at the Alexandria Pastry Shop.

Alexandria City Councilman John Chapman is hosting a coffee to discuss the city’s fiscal year 2014 budget and anything else citizens would like to talk about on Saturday, April 27, at the Alexandria Pastry Shop, located at 3690 King St. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to noon. Parking is available in the Bradlee Shopping Center parking lot. “This will be an informal session and I will be available to discuss our budget priorities and the future of our city,” Chapman wrote in an invitation to the event. “The fiscal constraints we face are serious and I welcome your thoughts and suggestions from the community on how we can best balance the budget against the many competing priorities.”  Chapman, an Alexandria native, previously served on…

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Councilman Chapman Hosts Easter Egg Hunt

Event included games, egg decorating and real rabbits.

Alexandria City Councilman John Chapman hosted an Easter egg hunt for kids Saturday morning at Angel Park on West Taylor Run Parkway.  Chapman, a first-time member of council and Alexandria native, lives across the street from Angel Park and has frequently discussed his affection for the 10-acre space at council meetings. The hunt included a search for candy-filled eggs, some of which also contained tickets to the Newseum, circus and other prizes. The event also included an egg toss, relay races and egg decorating. Rabbits from the Animal Welfare League of Alexandria also made an appearance. For the quickest updates, "like" Del Ray Patch on Facebook and follow @delraypatch on Twitter. Interested in getting Del Ray Patch directly into your …

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Red Equality Symbol Floods Social Media with Defense of Marriage Act Arguments Under Way

State Sen. Adam Ebbin, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner among those who have changed their profile pictures.

You probably have seen a red square with a pink equals sign on it in your Facebook, Twitter and other social media feeds lately—a symbol that stands for marriage equality. It stems from an effort by the Human Rights Campaign that coincides with oral arguments being heard by the U.S. Supreme Court this week regarding the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act. DOMA, as it is known, allows the federal government to discriminate against same-sex couples. The equality symbol signifies that marriage really is all about love, according to the Human Rights Campaign. "It's nice for people on Facebook to see their Facebook friends standing up, and seeing so many people doing that," said state Sen. Adam Ebbin, D-Alexandria. Ebbin, who is …

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Council OKs Waterfront Amendments

Council's Saturday action on two amendments enables further implementation of the city's Waterfront Small Area Plan designed to revive the riverside.

City Council voted 6-1 Saturday afternoon to allow new kinds of development along the Alexandria waterfront and allowing the city to curb litigation currently stalling the city’s plans to redevelop its riverside. Council also voted 6-1 on an amendment clarifying a part of the zoning code governing property owners’ protest petitions. Deputy Director of Planning and Zoning Karl Moritz explained Saturday that the text amendment “is needed to implement elements of the small area plan such as permitting hotels.” The newly adopted text amendment would allow hotels under certain circumstances, permit cultural institutions and offer rules governing size and height of new development.’ It also would allow structures 5,000 feet or larger that “…

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Join the Conversation: On Second Vote, Silberberg, Chapman Support Affordable Housing Project

First-time councilmembers granted revote after initially voting against Reed Avenue complex.

On Second Vote, Silberberg, Chapman Support Affordable Housing Project

First-time councilmembers granted revote after initially voting against Reed Avenue complex.

Alexandria City Council approved plans Saturday to construct a new affordable housing complex at the corner of E. Reed Avenue and Route 1 with a vote that was conducted twice, after the two dissenting council members asked to vote again so they could support it. The project submitted by nonprofit AHC calls for a three- to five-story building with 78 affordable housing units that will be marketed to residents with incomes up to 60 percent of the area’s median income for 60 years. The hang-up for Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg and Councilman John Chapman—two members of council serving for the first time who both campaigned for more affordable housing in the city—was on parking at the complex. As part of a financing package for the project, …

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Kathlynne

1:58 pm on Sunday, January 20, 2013

If we could get people to clean up after themselves and stop littering we wouldn’t have this problem added to the parking situation. Have NEVER lived anywhere where the streets have had to be cleaned on a weekly basis because people are so inconsiderate. It’s embarrassing. >>>   more ›

Alexandria Election Guide

The candidates, incumbents and issues that will be affecting Alexandria.

As we look ahead to November’s elections, Old Town Alexandria Patch, Del Ray Patch and West End Alexandria Patch are devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race in town. Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates. Voting Information For complete information on voting on election day, including information on the new Virginia voter ID laws, see the election section on the city's website. Not sure of your polling place? Fill out your voter information on the Virginia Election and Registration Information System website. Alexandria Mayor, City Council and School Board Alexandria Mayor Bill Euille, a Democrat, is seeking a fourth term in the …

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BRAC Decision is Focus of Candidate Forum in West End

The 12 candidates for Alexandria City Council shared a stage for first time Wednesday night at Francis Hammond Middle School.

The 12 candidates for Alexandria City Council shared a stage for the first time Wednesday night at Francis C. Hammond Middle School, tackling questions in a forum organized by members of several citizens associations from the city’s West End. Sitting in the shadow of the new location for the Washington Headquarters Service called BRAC-133, discussion of how it was decided in 2008 that the massive office complex would be built away from transit just off Interstate 395 became the biggest point of contention in a forum that aimed to help voters decide who will represent the city in 2013.  First-time candidate Bob Wood (R) drew the earliest and one of the larger applauses of the evening when he called BRAC-133 “the biggest planning failure” in…

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Haunches

5:45 pm on Saturday, September 15, 2012

It will be years before the impact is really known. Some tenants have fled Mark Center so we have a temporary reprieve, and the building is not at full occupancy yet. Right now, traffic is pretty bad at rush hour on Seminary. When it is at full occupancy , tenants return, and ramps are built, it will rival the worst congestion in the country.   more ›

Letter to the Editor: Chapman on Biking Infrastructure

City Council candidate John Chapman (D) says any development plan must ensure opportunities for Alexandria’s biking community.

To the editor: One point made clear in the recent city council primary is the need for smart development implementing plans supporting multimodal transportation including bikes, cars, public transit and walking.  In the next few weeks, Alexandrians will see eight new Capital Bikeshare stations open. These stations will bring Alexandria into a D.C. metro-wide program that has added 1,600 bikes parking-free and emission-free. This program will provide commuter and recreational vehicles and increase exercise and recreation for residents and tourists. Bikes are a great option for commuters, providing an emission-free trip to work, zero parking expense and a healthy workout. Any development plan must ensure opportunities for Alexandria’s biking…

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