Seminary Hill Association
Alexandria, Virginia
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I hope you had a Happy Halloween! It has been fun to drive around and see the various decorations people have put up in our various neighborhoods. I hope many of you supported the Pumpkin Sale at Immanuel Church, as the proceeds go to numerous local charities. And Immanuel has been very generous to Seminary Hill Association by allowing us to meet in their Parish Hall, so we all should support this major fundraising effort.
Not to be alarmist, but I want to be sure you saw the warnings issued by area police departments, including Alexandria, that there were threats of some sort of terrorist violence last weekend in public places like shopping malls. The police are taking these threats seriously and asking all of us to be cautious and report any suspicious activity you might see, even though the immediate timeline has passed.
Noise Ordinance Changes
I participated in a webinar last week regarding the proposed changes to the city’s Noise Ordinance. I hope many of you participated in the city survey regarding staff’s proposal. It was interesting to learn how residents answered the questions, though some of the questions made some answers unclear. City staff reiterated that Council will make the final decision on these changes, but assured us that our responses would be taken into account. 359 people responded to the survey, which staff said was a very good rate of response. If you are not interested in noise, just skip the next few paragraphs that discuss the proposal in more detail.
To summarize some of the take-aways from the responses, the top noise issues identified by residents were construction noise, power lawn equipment, train and metro horns, construction from neighbors doing projects, loud noise/music from neighbors, barking dogs, and loud car and motorcycles. On the question of whether a noise limit should be changed to be based upon the “predominant use” in the area, 66% answered yes, and 33% answered no. This means that if a restaurant is currently located in a residential area, their noise limit now is the residential decibel limit, not the commercial limit. Under the new proposal, this practice would end and if a business is a commercial activity, it would have the higher commercial noise limit no matter where it is located. This is seen as an equity issue to treat all commercial properties equally.
Another interesting question was whether the city should adopt a “plainly audible” standard for noise in the night time (after 11 p.m. as defined by the city). This would allow the police to come to a residence and if the noise is plainly audible to them, it would be considered a violation. 81% of respondents favored adopting this standard. This would allow the police to actually cite violators without the use of noise meters, which APD currently does not have. As the discussion of this question continued, it was clear that the police do not have the authority to cite noise violations without working noise meters that they do not have. Nonetheless, APD is listed in the presentation as the enforcer of noise violations after normal working hours, so it was not clear to anyone how any noise violations are handled after T%ES employees go home. In addition, we learned that the position of Noise Administrator in T&ES has been vacant for some time, so this also hampers any enforcement. As part of the discussion with Council about these revised noise standards, T&ES will be asking for increased funding to hire staff to respond to noise complaints.
Another question dealt with whether the city should stop attempting to enforce any decibel limit on power lawn equipment. 41% of respondents said Yes, while 60% said No. The city says all power lawn equipment exceeds the 75db limit at the property line, so enforcement is impossible. We learned that the city will be seeking legislative authority to regulate/ban the use of gas leaf blowers in the coming General Assembly session.
Finally, the most confusing question was whether the city should expand the noise limit that is in place in public spaces in the Central Business District (CBD) to the entire city. These limits in the CBD are currently 75db at 10 feet away from the property line until 11:00 p.m. and then 65db after 11:00 p.m. Currently, staff said that no noise limits apply to public spaces outside of the CBD, though some parks have rules and restrictions of their own, e.g. no amplified music can be played in some locations, and most parks close at dusk. 59% of respondents said Yes to expanding the area, while 40% said No.
There will be a work session with City Council on these proposed changes on November 9th. Then the revised ordinance will be introduced at Council’s legislative meeting on December 14th and voted upon by Council at the December 18th public hearing.
Duke Street Proposed Pilot for Congestion Relief at Telegraph Road
Seminary Hill Association and Clover College Park Civic Association have had discussions and briefings with Hillary Orr, Deputy Director of Transportation for T&ES. Staff is responding to many resident comments regarding the proposed Duke Street bus Transitway. Residents have made it clear that the ramp to Telegraph Road and 495 is their primary concern and frustration, and this daily gridlock must be addressed. As you might remember, Yon Lambert, Director of T&ES, had previously stated that the city had no plans to address this ramp because the city was investing in transit, not roadway increases. City staff also reports that VDOT has said that widening the ramp to Telegraph at this location is not feasible or safe, so they will not consider it for any funding.
We learned that the city has now applied for grant funding to study the possibility of creating a second ramp to Telegraph by creating a left turn option further east on Duke Street. This would allow drivers to turn left and enter the ramp on the eastbound side of Duke that is not jammed up each afternoon. This project would take several years to plan and build, so in the interim, T&ES is proposing 2 short-term pilot projects to help ease cut-through traffic in the neighborhoods surrounding this area of Duke Street. We have made it very clear that city pilots tend to be permanent changes and we are not in favor of doing that, as we have never seen a pilot that failed and wasn’t permanent. Ms. Orr is aware of this and has assured us that they are talking about short-term test periods that will end.
The first phase of this Pilot will be to increase the wait time for those motorists traveling toward Duke Street who cut through the neighborhood streets to exit at Cambridge Road during the hours of 4 p.m to 7 p.m. The lights along Duke Street will be given a longer green signal, and the light at Quaker and Duke will be timed to allow traffic to flow for a longer period onto Duke. Temporary signage will be put in place ahead of this pilot alerting drivers of the changes that will be coming. Drivers and driving apps will discover that cutting through neighborhood streets will result in a longer wait time and the new light timing will encourage them to stay on Quaker Lane where the green signal will be increased and the eastbound lights on Duke to Telegraph would be synchronized to move traffic more efficiently. This pilot will run between January-March 2022. It will end on March 31st. Staff and the community will then determine what we liked about the pilot and whether it should be considered on a more permanent basis.
The second phase of this pilot will be from March-June 2022. This will prohibit left turns from West Taylor Run onto the Telegraph ramp. Motorists on Taylor Run will still be able to turn left onto Duke Street, but barriers will prohibit them from accessing the ramp. The reason for this is that the red light at Taylor Run is a major factor contributing to the restriction of traffic flow onto Telegraph. In addition, residents of West Taylor Run endure daily back-ups on their street that restrict their ability to get in and out of their driveways. Again, this pilot will be for 3 months and we will meet with staff to discuss how to measure the success or failure of Phase 1 and Phase 2.
City staff has presented this to the Traffic and Parking Board who reportedly were pleased that staff was working closely with residents through the Civic Associations to reach some agreement on possible solutions to a problem that affects the quality of all our lives every afternoon. Staff will present the plan to the Transportation Commission in November.
Another change that is not part of this pilot, but will be proposed on a permanent basis, is to prohibit all left turns from Yale Drive onto Duke at all hours. Staff and residents believe that this is a very dangerous intersection when people attempt to make a left onto Duke. City Staff will bring this proposal to the Transportation Commission later this year.
Survey on the ways you move around the city
The city has posted a survey that will be open until November 20th asking residents how we choose to get around in the city. The link for this survey is: https://polco.us/alex2021. In this survey, you will be required to provide an email address and a zip code as the city is attempting to limit the responses to actual Alexandria residents. As with all city surveys, I urge you to participate so our voices can be heard on future decisions.
Federation of Civic Associations Questionnaire for Council Candidates
The Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations (AFCA) recently asked all Council candidates to respond to a questionnaire. The results of this questionnaire are posted on the AFCA website at: alexafca.org. If you haven’t voted early, I urge you to take a look at the answers provided by almost all of the local Council candidates.
AHDC Housing Project on Seminary Road
The affordable housing project proposed by the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC) has received its approval from the Department of Planning and Zoning for the Development Special Use Permit (DSUP) to move the project forward. It will be heard by the Planning Commission on Tuesday, December 7th and will then go to City Council. As I have mentioned in previous emails, AHDC has held 3 community meetings and met with nearby neighbors to work through issues of concern. We are pleased that we have been able to work with AHDC to create a project that meets their needs, but responds to community concerns, while retaining the residential zoning designation.
Seminary Hill Association Annual Meeting November 18th with Acting Police Chief Hayes
Finally, I want to remind everyone that Seminary Hill Association will have our Annual Meeting on Thursday, November 18th at 7:00 p.m. Our meeting will return to in-person at the Parish Hall of Immanuel Church on the Hill at 3606 Seminary Road (where the pumpkin patch currently is). We also intend to offer a virtual Zoom option and the link is below. We will enjoy a few minutes of meeting and greeting at 7:00, and then at 7:30, Acting Police Chief Don Hayes will speak to us and take questions. I know many of us have questions that we would like the Chief to answer, so I encourage you to put this date on your calendar. At this meeting, we will also elect new Officers and Area Representatives to our SHA Board. If you would like to serve, or to nominate someone to serve, please contact me as soon as possible, as our Nominating Committee is at work now to nominate a slate of officers. We also welcome donations to SHA through our website, www.seminaryhillassn.org, or in person at the Annual Meeting. All residents living in our boundaries are members of SHA and no dues are charged, but we do appreciate contributions to help us pay for our yearly expenses in order to communicate with you.
Topic: Seminary Hill Zoom Meeting
Time: Nov 18, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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A reminder that Daylight Savings Time will end this Sunday, November 7th. Thank you for your attention and interest in Seminary Hill Association. I hope to see many of you in person at our Annual Meeting, and I urge you to stay in touch with SHA and let us know any concerns or issues you would like us to address. Your board is always interested in knowing what our members would like SHA to address.
Carter Flemming, President, Seminary Hill Association
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I hope everyone is enjoying our beautiful fall weather now. I have a few things to bring to your attention today.
The City has now notified residents that Phase II of their revisions to the Noise Ordinance have been finalized and is seeking our input into the 10 proposed changes. I urge you to go to the city website for the video presentation of these changes. That link is: http://alexandria.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=29&coa_clip_id=5166&coa_view_id=29. After you watch the video, you will be directed to complete a feedback form for comments and suggestions. The deadline to submit this form is October 22nd. Finally, a virtual public meeting will be held on October 28th at 7:00 p.m. to discuss these changes. To register for this webinar please go to: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NisYV1PqSneDNYyY8F3BlQ. Most of these changes will affect all of us in some way, so it is very important that residents provide input into what you think.
For example, the first change being proposed is a change to the current practice of noise being regulated by the “predominant use” of surrounding properties. If a business or institution is located in an area that is predominately residential, then ths residential noise standard is used for that business. The City now feels that this is not equitable, because different businesses are treated differently depending upon where they are located. Under the proposed change, the permissible noise level for a business would be determined not by where it is located, but rather by its use. If a restaurant is located in a predominately residential area, it would no longer be restricted by the residential noise limits, which are less than the commercial limits, but would be allowed to go up to the commercial noise limits. The same would be true for schools and churches, so it is easy to see how this change could have quite an impact on our residential zones. It was also interesting to learn in the presentation that current “daytime” noise limits are between 7 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Daytime apparently goes well into what we would consider nighttime. Another change would increase this daytime commercial decibel limit from 60 db to 65 db.
Other changes being proposed remove the decibel limit for power lawn equipment because the city believes that is impossible to enforce, and virtually everyone is in violation of the current standard. In addition, the increased commercial noise levels now in force only in the Central Business District corridor (basically Old Town in the areas where restaurants predominate) would apply to the entire city under this proposal. I hope this gives you a sense of some of the changes and will encourage you to watch the presentation and then fill out the feedback form.
I attended a meeting on September 13th where the developer of the Karig Estates property, Mr. Ibrahim, spoke briefly to inform us that work will begin on the site in mid-October. He promised to walk the site before then with some neighbors and Temple Beth El representatives to ensure that certain trees are tagged for protection. As of this date, he has not scheduled this important walk through the property. There are still many questions about this development, but the City had issued his DSUP several years ago and he is apparently now prepared to start construction. We did not learn much about the homes, other than his assurance that they will fit into the neighborhood. He anticipates that the homes will sell for approximately $2.8 million each. He will build the first home at the far rear of the property and that will be the model home. He will then build the 3 other homes in sequence moving toward Seminary Road.
Alexandria Housing Development Corporation held its 3rd community meeting on September 23rd to discuss the affordable housing project on Seminary Road next to the Fire Station. AHDC has also met recently on site with adjacent neighbors to address their concerns. AHDC continues to be willing to make design changes in response to suggestions by residents. They are still awaiting final comments from city staff regarding their DSUP submission. We are happy to report that after negotiations with city staff and AHDC, the zoning will be RA, not the commercial zone that the city had felt was necessary to allow for the units being built for Sheltered Homes of Alexandria. This was an important decision and SHA was a key player in this decision. If all goes well, AHDC anticipates going before the Planning Commission and City Council in December of this year. Demolition of the existing homes will take place in the Summer of 2022 and construction would begin in Winter 2022. Questions were asked about water issues on, and from, the site. AHDC staff discussed the Best Management Practices that will be used to retain and treat storm water runoff on the site before it is released into the city system. For example, the surface parking lots will be permeable, and large planters will collect water from the downspouts to be held and treated.
I want to remind you that the virtual SHA monthly board meeting will by Thursday, October 14th at 7:00 p.m. The Zoom link is pasted below. We will have two speakers at this meeting. The first will be Annetta Catchings, Republican candidate for Mayor. After Ms. Catchings presentation, we will hear from Hillary Orr, Deputy Chief of Transportation for Transportation and Environmental Services. She will be bringing some proposals that the city is considering to help alleviate the traffic gridlock on Duke Street during the afternoon rush hour for the Telegraph Road ramp to 495. This will be an important conversation, so I encourage you to tune into our meeting.
Topic: Seminary Hill Zoom Meeting
Time: Oct 14, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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In November, we will have our Annual Meeting and it will be an in-person meeting at our traditional location at the Parish Hall of Immanuel Church on the Hill. We have changed the date of this meeting to Thursday, November 18th, due to the fact that our normal meeting date of the 11th falls on Veterans Day this year. We plan to provide a Zoom link for this meeting to accommodate those who cannot attend in person. We are happy to announce that Acting Chief of Police, Don Hayes, will be our guest speaker on the 18th. I am sure many of you will have questions for the Chief.
Nan Jennings will be heading up our SHA Nominating Committee to present the slate of officers and Area Representatives for 2021-2022 at the Annual Meeting. If you are interested in serving on the board, please reach out to me, and I will forward your information to the Nominating Committee. We are always looking for Seminary Hill residents who wish to get involved in SHA.
As always, thank you for your attention to matters that are important to Seminary Hill. Enjoy this fall season and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.
Carter Flemming, President, Seminary Hill Association
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As we reach the end of summer, I want to provide an update on a few things for your information. Your board has been working throughout the summer as issues have continued to be brought forward, and you will see some discussed below. In addition to the items highlighted in this email, SHA continues to engage city staff on the proposed AHDC housing project next to the Fire Station on Seminary Road. We do not have updated information to share at this time, but we continue to monitor and actively participate in discussions about this project. There is a community meeting on this project that will be held on Thursday, September 23rd. AHDC will provide details about this meeting shortly.
I know many of us have been wondering about the status of the project at Karig Estates, especially as the grounds have become increasingly overgrown and appear abandoned. I received a call from Gant Redmon, the attorney for the project, letting us know that there will be a public community meeting on Monday, September 13th at 7:30 p.m. at Temple Beth El on Seminary Road. This will be a pre-construction meeting that will inform us about the developer’s plans to begin mobilization and ground work starting on September 15th. The developer will have the final site plan at the meeting so we can see exactly what will be built. It is his intention to do the clearing of the land and prepare the pads for the 4 homes during the fall. The lots will then be marketed and houses will be constructed as the lots are sold.
Another informational meeting regarding a city ordinance to enact a 5-cent tax on plastic bags in grocery, convenience, and drug stores will be held on Wednesday, September 8th from 7:00-8:00 p.m. In 2020, the General Assembly gave cities and counties the authority to tax plastic bags at 5-cents per bag. The proceeds from the tax will go to environmental clean-up. Some plastic will still be allowed, e.g. clear plastic used at dry cleaners, produce bags, etc. If approved by Council, the tax would go into effect on January 1, 2022. You can register for the webinar at this link, https://www.alexandriava.gov/tes/solidwaste/info/default.aspx?id=123190.
Thanks to the leadership of our Vice President, Tom Fulton, and other board and community members, Seminary Hill Association recently sent a letter to City Council requesting that a new Ad Hoc Committee be established to assist and monitor the recognition and memorialization of the graves of the African Americans buried at Ft. Ward Park. A recent city-led tour of the gravesite area caused concern that the city has not given the appropriate attention and resources to this project that had been promised as a result of the original Ad Hoc Committee’s recommendations in 2011. Seminary Civic Association, representing the Woods Avenue community, joined with SHA in making this request to the city. Mayor Wilson has indicated that Councilman Chapman will be bringing this forward to Council in the fall, but we have not heard from Councilman Chapman about his proposal. I will provide more information on this as it becomes available.
I think many of us were caught off-guard when we learned of a pilot program enacted by the Department of Planning and Zoning regarding street renaming without any public input that we can discern. After learning of this, I researched how this happened. The city’s Naming Committee, which consists of 2 City Council members – Del Pepper and John Chapman, as well as a representative of the City Manager – Jack Browand of the Parks and Recreation Department, held a meeting with city staff in April of 2021 to discuss “simplifying the process for renaming of streets named for Confederate leaders.” According to a memo dated July 30, 2021 from Tony LaColla, Land Use Services Division Chief of Planning and Zoning, city staff followed recommendations from the 3 representatives of the Naming Committee and recommended a pilot program be created to rename 3 streets. Petitions for street renaming under this new pilot program were changed from the current requirement that 75% of property owners agree to the change, to only requiring agreement from 25% of property owners. On August 10th, the 3 members of the Naming Committee approved this pilot program and it is in place.
While SHA is not taking a position on the pros and cons of such name revisions, I think it is very important to understand that this pilot was created without any citizen involvement, as no members of the public serve on the Naming Committee. I can find no record of these suggested changes in procedure being discussed in a public forum, other than the Naming Committee meeting, which was not highlighted to civic associations, who represent residents throughout the city that can be affected by such changes. City Planning staff did not mention this matter at the monthly meeting of the Federation of Civic Associations. This is a very troubling example of the recent trend in the city to diminish the role and validity of resident and civic association input into decisions that staff makes.
By way of background, you may remember that in 2015 there was an Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Confederate Memorials and Street Names. In their report in 2016, they made several recommendations, including the re-naming of Jefferson Davis Highway. In their recommendation regarding other street names, they wrote that, “Rather than a wholesale renaming of streets in the City named after Confederate figures, individual requests for new names should be considered by City Council if brought under existing processes.” That existing process required that 75% of property owners on a street request a name change, and is still in effect today. This August, however, the 3-member Naming Committee chose to disregard the recommendations of the citizen Ad Hoc Advisory Group and reduced the requirement to allow a petition for name change be signed by only 25% of property owners with addresses along the roadway.
As you may have seen in press reports, efforts are already underway to change the name of Lee Street under this new pilot project. Those applicants requesting a change must hold and document at least one citizen led community meeting to inform impacted property owners and other residents of the proposed name change. Once the application package is complete, the applicants will present their petition, as well as the background and history of their proposed new street name, to the Planning and Zoning Department. Once approved by Planning and Zoning, it will be recommended to the Planning Commission, which will then make a recommendation to City Council for approval or denial.
Upon completion of the renaming of 3 streets under the pilot program, the Naming Committee will reevaluate the procedures or discontinue the program. In the list attached to the notice about the pilot program, there are 68 city streets throughout all areas of the city that could be considered for renaming. We all may have differing views on the wisdom of street renaming, but for SHA, the issue is the way this pilot was conceived and approved by 3 people with assistance from city staff without public scrutiny or input. Upon completion of the pilot, it will be evaluated and become city policy in the same way by the same tiny group of elected officials and city staff. Given that the policy has the potential to affect thousands of residents in every corner of the city, as residents on streets with name changes will have to change all important documents in their lives, including driver’s licenses, banking and direct deposit documents, passports, bills, etc., this would seem to be a case where residents should have a voice in determining such a drastic policy change.
I attended a meeting on August 31st sponsored by an organization called BisNow. The program was entitled “The Future of Alexandria.” Developers, bankers, and land use attorneys participated in discussions regarding development in Alexandria. The first panel was a case study on the Landmark development. Panelists were Stephen Jones, the CEO of Inova Hospital, and Cameron Pratt, of the Foulger Pratt company that is the major developer of Landmark. The next panel was “The Future of Alexandria: Analyzing the Neighborhood’s Residential Boom and Beyond.” This panel included Stephanie Landrum, CEO of the Alexandria Economic and Development Partnership, Bailey Edelson, Senior Vice President for Development of the JBG Smith Company, James Simmons, the CEO of Ashland Capital Partners (the firm building the Heritage project in Old Town), and Mark Rivers, Managing Director of Lowe Enterprises, a real estate investment and development firm. The panel was moderated by an attorney from the land use law firm of Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley and Walsh. Following that panel, Mayor Justin Wilson was interviewed by a representative of Stonebridge, a real estate development and investment firm.
Promotional materials for the event stated that, “As more residents leave dense urban centers, Alexandria’s residential scene has been booming. From major repositioning to the growing need for affordable housing, learn how you can make the best investment in one of NoVa’s hottest neighborhoods.” The conclusion from all the panelists was that city incentives, such as the $130 million in bonds the city issued for the Landmark deal, or the increased density for the Heritage development, or the incentives, including some exclusion from city taxes for VA Tech in Potomac Yard, are essential to making such deals happen. Mayor Wilson stated that a key to future development is that our zoning code must be flexible to adapt to the changes needed for projects to be approved and succeed.
Finally, SHA will resume our monthly board meetings on Thursday, September 9th at 7:00 p.m. The meeting will be virtual. The information to sign onto the meeting is below. We will have a speaker from the Department of Community and Human Services to talk about the Guaranteed Income Program that will use American Rescue Funds to pay 150 low-income Alexandria residents $500 a month for 2 years. There are no restrictions on the use of this money, and researchers will track how the money impacts the lives of those receiving it. The cost of the program is $3 million. $1.8 million will go to the recipients, and the remaining $1.2 million will go to staff, equipment, data collection and research, and incentives to participants and a control group. Based upon the results, the City could then decide to fund such a program from our city budget after the federal funds run out. In addition, City Council candidate Darryl Nirenberg will speak to us.
Topic: Seminary Hill Zoom Meeting
Time: Sep 9, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
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I wish all of you a Happy Labor Day. Please do not hesitate to contact me, or any SHA board member, if you have any questions or suggestions for topics you would like discussed at future SHA meetings. The board welcomes your input on all matters. I encourage you to continue checking our website, www.seminaryhillassn.org, where next week you will see the agenda for our meeting and can make a donation to the Association to cover the costs of our meetings and communications. SHA represents all the residents within our boundaries and contributions are voluntary, but always appreciated. Information on how to give is found on the website. And please encourage others to sign up on the website to receive our monthly emails.
Thank you very much for your interest and attention.
Carter Flemming, President, Seminary Hill Association
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Welcome to June with the buzzing cicadas and what looks like some summer weather for us. I have several items to bring to your attention today.
Last Wednesday afternoon I attended the funeral of long-time SHA board member, Richard Hobson. It would be hard to put into words all that Dick meant to Seminary Hill over decades. I don’t think there was any major decision our Association made without Dick’s legal advice and guidance. He was fiercely proud and protective of our neighborhood. He will be missed, but his contributions will live on in the foundation he created for us. SHA is so fortunate to have residents, like Dick, who are willing to give their time and their talents to our Association.
I want to give you an update on the Planning Commission’s meeting last Tuesday night regarding the Inova Hospital Master Plan Amendment and Re-Zoning application for their Seminary Road site. I apologize if this report is rather complicated, because it is indeed a complex proposal. The hospital will not move until their new facility is built at Landmark Mall, and that is estimated to be in 2028. As you may remember, SHA challenged the rationale for Inova’s original request for RA zoning, which would have permitted multi-family buildings. At SHA’s request, Inova agreed to change their application to RB zoning, which permits only single- family homes and townhomes.
At the meeting, Planning Commissioner Dave Brown raised questions about the simultaneous application for a Master Plan Amendment and a zoning change, as this is not the normal application procedure. A developer usually comes forward with a firm Developmental Special Use Permit (DSUP) that shows exactly what a developer wants to build. Since Inova will not be the developer, and will be selling the property to a developer who will then create a plan for how many homes will go on the site, there is no DSUP with a site plan, so we do not know what will be proposed in the years ahead. The estimates range from about 312 homes to 380 homes, depending upon the mix of single family and townhomes.
The Environmental Council of Alexandria submitted a letter to the Planning Commission asking that they require that the extensive forest in the rear of the property be protected. It is currently under a protective easement, but that easement will be removed when the hospital leaves. There was discussion of this at the Planning Commission meeting, but no requirement was placed to ensure this forest will not be developed. For those of you have never walked the entire property (and I was one of those people until a couple of months ago), it is an amazing stretch of undisturbed woodland that runs behind the hospital property down to the Foxchase community. Once again, we run into the issue that while Inova states that they would not intend to build on most of this forest, that decision will be made in a few years by whomever purchases the property, and they will not be bound by any of Inova’s intentions.
If granted now, the rezoning would not trigger the legal requirement for a DSUP from the developer. In response to concerns from Planning Commission members, Inova’s attorney, Cathy Puskar, offered a proffer to the proposed amendment to state that they would agree to requiring the developer to submit a DSUP that would indicate their preference for cluster zoning in order to preserve as much of the forest as possible, and allow the community more input into the process. Commissioner Brown stated, this moved the Inova proposal in his mind “from an F to a C.” A number of commissioners stated that they hoped the city would now find time to revise the 1992 Small Area Plan for Strawberry Hill/Seminary Hill, since it needs updating. Commissioner Brown continued to assert that if the city is not doing planning now before the re-zoning on such a large site that is not under time constraints because the property will not be sold and begin the planning process for at least 5 years, when would the city ever decide to do it? The comment was made that the only reason to rush into this process is that the applicant, Inova, wants to lock down the value of this property before going ahead with the Landmark planning process, and that should not be a driving force that sacrifices good planning on this site. In the end, the Planning Commission voted 5-1 to approve the Master Plan Amendment and the re-zoning application.
It is important to point out that while the RB zone will increase the density of this site, there are some in the city who do not support limiting the development to only townhomes and single-family homes. A couple of these voices spoke at the Planning Commission hearing stating that a different zone needs to be approved that would allow much more density with multifamily apartment buildings to provide needed affordable housing. At the Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee meeting last week, this issue was again raised with the statement that this zoning is not done, and conversations need to happen so housing advocates can understand what different zoning might be possible to allow for more density and housing types on the 33-acre site.
This application will be heard by City Council at their Saturday Public Hearing meeting on June 19th. SHA will continue to follow this and our board will be discussing this matter at our upcoming board meeting on June 10th. We welcome any thoughts you might wish to share about this matter.
The proposed AHDC affordable housing development on Seminary Road is moving forward. They have submitted their Concept 2 plan to the city and are awaiting comments on it. They have made modifications of the apartment building to lower a section of it by a floor to lessen the bulk of the structure to nearby neighbors. AHDC anticipates going before the Planning Commission and City Council in November or December of this year. If approved, demolition of the existing 2 homes and construction of the new homes would begin in the Spring of 2022. There are still questions about the zoning change they will request due to a prohibition against congregate housing in residential zones, though the current Sheltered Homes of Alexandria home on this site is operating under an exemption, as are other such homes located throughout the city. SHA will be closely monitoring this project as it moves forward in the coming months.
I attended a Zoom meeting last week with Episcopal High School regarding their project to build a Wellness Center and a dormitory in the center of their campus where the soccer field used to be and has been moved to the Braddock Road side of their campus. Their team went over the planned construction, which is scheduled to begin about the 3rd week of this month and will take until July of 2022 to be completed. They will use the campus entrance by the football stadium for construction vehicles. Signs will be posted on N. Early Street reminding truck drivers that no construction traffic can use N. Early Street for a haul route. Since the building site is basically flat, there is not much earth to be moved from the site so that will lessen the impact to neighbors. The construction will occur during normal permitted hours in the city (7 a.m. – 6 p.m.). Monday – Friday. The construction team does not anticipate working on Saturdays unless the project falls behind schedule due to weather.
A neighbor asked when the Episcopal campus might be open for the public to walk, as was the case before the pandemic. School officials said they expect the Braddock Road gate to open very shortly, but walkers will be directed to turn right and go toward the new track, rather than going to the center of the campus where the construction activities will be taking place.
Our final SHA board meeting before our summer recess will be Thursday, June 10th at 7:00 p.m. Hopefully, this will be our last totally virtual meeting, though we hope to offer this option when we meet in person in the fall. Our speaker will be Mark Schnaufer, who is the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Program Manager for the city’s Duke Street Transitway. The city has procured and signed the contract for their “Civic Engagement” team to handle the community outreach, which will begin this summer. The firm they have hired is Rhodeside Harwell. They will be launching a kick-off week on June 21st, which will include pop-up events along the corridor, an interactive webinar (both live and available on-line for later viewing), and focus group meetings. They are still planning the details of the kick-off week, but we should see more on their project webpage by June 11th. The rest of the year will include outreach to different organizations, including civic associations, to get input on what the future of the corridor should look like.
I contacted Mr. Schnaufer and explained to him that most civic associations do not meet in the summer, so it was not a good time to launch community outreach and SHA would like him to come present to us this month. He quickly agreed, and so we will hear from him on the 10th. The Zoom link to our meeting is at the end of this message.
Finally, in regard to the Duke Street Transitway, Transportation and Environmental Services Director, Yon Lambert, spoke to the Federation of Civic Associations last week. Questions were asked about the Duke Street BRT and the need to address the nightmare choke point at the ramp to Telegraph Road. Mr. Lambert stated that the City has “no plans to address road capacity at Telegraph Road”, and went on to say that cities have to make a fundamental choice between road capacity and transit, and “Alexandria has made the choice for transit”. I think this statement might come as quite a shock to many residents who were not aware that our city has no plans to invest in road capacity in the future according to our Transportation Director.
Here is the link to our board meeting on Thursday night the 10th. I hope many of you will join us for that meeting. As always, we welcome your input on any issues of concern to you.
Carter Flemming, President, Seminary Hill Association
Topic: Seminary Hill Zoom Meeting
Time: Jun 10, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84955098001?pwd=cFkxcW5VTHRwL0dNZTNEemh3cDduZz09
Meeting ID: 849 5509 8001
Passcode: 413183
One tap mobile
+16465588656,,84955098001#,,,,*413183# US (New York)
+13017158592,,84955098001#,,,,*413183# US (Washington DC)
- Details
I want to remind everyone that our SHA Monthly Board Meeting is Thursday, May 13th at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. The Zoom link for the meeting is:
Topic: Seminary Hill Zoom Meeting
Time: May 13, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83032863399?pwd=VENuL1pUQW83ck16cE5QaVVzMGp6UT09
Meeting ID: 830 3286 3399
Passcode: 944904
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,83032863399#,,,,*944904# US (Washington DC)
Please find below the Agenda for our meeting. I want to draw your attention to the Upcoming Meetings listed below that are of interest to SHA. AHDC will hold a virtual community meeting on May 25th regarding their proposed housing project next to the Fire Station on Seminary Road. You must register for this webinar, so if you are interested in this project, please sign up.
I look forward to seeing you on our Zoom meeting. We will have one more virtual meeting on June hope to resume in-person meetings in September, assuming guidance from the Commonwealth allows us to gather.
Thank you so much for your interest in the Seminary Hill Association.
Seminary Hill Association, Inc.
Monthly Board of Directors Meeting
Thursday, May 13, 2021, 7:00 p.m.
Virtual Meeting held electronically
Agenda
Police Report
Sheriff’s Report – Captain Oliver on leave
Program: “For Better Alexandria Government” presentation by Mr. Stafford Ward and Ms. Rachel Sheedy. This group developed the Alexandria Constituents’ Bill of Rights that all Council and Mayoral candidates have been asked to sign.
Program: Allison Silberberg Candidate for Mayor
Minutes from April 2021
Treasurer’s Report
Area Reports
Old Business
AHDC Affordable Housing Proposal on Seminary Road
Inova Hospital Site Rezoning
Taylor Run Stream Restoration
MacArthur School Rebuild
Alexandria Mobility Plan
The High School Project
Upper King Street Multimodal Project
Noise Ordinance
New Business
Co-Living Ordinance. https://www.alexandriava.gov/planning/info/default.aspx?id=120969
ParcView II Apartment Proposal
Upcoming Meetings
May 10, 2021: Virtual public meeting on priorities for use of American Rescue Act funding at 7:00 PM. For more information, go to:< https://apps.alexandriava.gov/Calendar/Detail.aspx?si=35150>.
May 13, 2021: Deadline for completing survey on priorities for use of American Rescue Act funding. To take the survey, go to:< https://survey.alexandriava.gov/s3/ARPA-Spending-Plan
May 25, 2021: AHDC virtual public meeting regarding their proposed housing development project on Seminary Road next to the fire station at 7:00 p.m. Registration is required. To register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/9316208516834/WN_8Ht56BnhT46BOKvcY6qAWg, and they can take pre-submitted questions at or questions from those who cannot attend atThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
June 1, 2021: Planning Commission meeting at 7:00 PM. On the docket is an amendment to the Seminary Hill/Strawberry Hill Small Area Plan relating to redevelopment of the land where Inova Alexandria is currently located. For more information, go to: http://apps.alexandriava.gov/Calendar/Detail.aspx?si=33564)
June 12, 2021: City Council public hearing at 9:30 AM. On the docket will be an amendment to the Seminary Hill/Strawberry Hill Small Area Plan relating to redevelopment of the land where Inova Alexandria is currently located. For more information, go to:<http://apps.alexandriava.gov/Calendar/Detail.aspx?si=32188>.
