Editor's Note: This is the second of a two-part series on the Mount Vernon Avenue Business Area Plan recently approved by the Alexandria Planning Commission and Alexandria City Council.
<bt>It was Aristotle's opinion, "The best political community is formed by citizens." That could well apply to the planning process that brought forth the Mount Vernon Avenue Business Area Plan.
After a 16 month collaborative effort by residents, business owners, civic associations, political leaders, and planning/zoning department staff a comprehensive blueprint for the future of what is locally known as "The Avenue" has emerged.
As noted by Alexandria City Councilman Paul Smedberg, during Council's review and approval of the document submitted to them on March 12, "This plan gives the Avenue a sense of place."
Initiated in 2003 with the formation of a 22 member Mt. Vernon Avenue Working Group, the mission was to develop a plan for the Avenue's "Main Street" retail area that would encourage infill development and economic life. This was to be accomplished while "preserving its traditional neighborhood character, protecting its unique historical identity, serving the needs of the surrounding community and mainting the Avenue as a competitive place for business."
As stated during Council's public hearing by Eileen Fogarty, director, Alexandria Department of Planning and Zoning, "What we are looking at here is a lot of changes." Those changes emphasize four primary objectives:
¥ Promote appropriate infill development
¥ Protect residential neighborhoods
¥ Enhance the pedestrian streetscape
¥ Encourage a mix of uses
CENTRAL TO the entire process was to make the Avenue a user friendly environment that was inviting during both day and night hours. In order to accomplish that the Working Group concentrated on four basic strategies:
1. A Land Use Strategy designed to "promote and reinforce a consistent, vibrant and pedestrian-oriented retail environment while protecting adjacent residential neighborhoods."
2. A Pedestrian and Multi-Modal Strategy "to support and enhance the extisting pedestrian-oriented nature of Mt. Vernon Avenue and its nearby residential neighborhhods" by including a multi-modal strategy encompassing transit, walking and bicycling, as well as parking and circulation improvements.
3. A Zoning Strategy designed to implement the plan's vision through development and application "of an overlay district... to encourage a mix of land uses and compatible infill construction" that would preserve the historic character of the area while "promoting enhanced economic activitiy."
4. A Parking Strategy to balance the needs and concerns of each element of the working partnership -- residents, businesses and civic association. That strategy was discussed in detail as Part I of this series.
BOTH THE pedestrian/multi-modal strategy and the zoning strategy are central to the ultimate success of the plan. The first to strengthen the "Main Street" concept and the second to not only encourage "small business" type infill development but also to discourage large commercial development.
"The bottom line is that this plan is going to be very effective in bringing small businesses here," said Gayle Reuter a member of the Work Group as well as a homeowner and business person in the area. She also serves on the Board of the Potomac West Business Association.
"The communications between all the factions has been great. When the final report came out some residents had some concerns but these were worked out by consensus," she said.
That was buttressed by Henry Falconer Jr., another Work Group member and representative of Warwick Village Civic Association. "The whole process went very smoothly. The consultants, planning staff and Work Group members all worked very well together. We are particularly excited about the Triangle site," he said.
Even though the Avenue is regarded as "one of the region's most unique neighborhoods, due in large part to its eclectic, small town character," current zoning regulations "do not provide the framework to ensure that the form and scale" of new infill development will be compatible with that character.
THAT IS WHERE zoning and land use strategies come into play. "With an emphasis on form, quality and the relationship of the buildings to each other and the street, a more flexible, design-oriented approach is recommended" by the plan. This "form-based development" provides an option for developers and property owners to development under regular Commercial Zone rules for properties exceeding 1,000 square feet in size.
Present zoning regulations for a CL zone "do not reflect the development patterns along Mt. Vernon Avenue... The Proposed building form design approach" does through "the use of design guidelines and the waiver of the current FAR (Floor Area ratio) limitation for new construction." It also preserves historic structures and discourages lot consolidation, central to building large structures.
A new "Mt. Vernon Avenue Urban Overlay zone, is proposed to supplement the traditional Commercial Low (CL) zone," according to the plan. It would apply to those properties along the Avenue from Commonwealth to Nelson avenues. The overlay zone's purpose is "to achieve a mixed use, pedestrian oriented environment...," the plan states.
Tied to this is the creation of two new Coordinated Development Districts (CDD's). One of these is known as the "Triangle Sites."
Composed of 11 parcels, it totals approximately two acres located on the east side of the Avenue between Commonwealth Avenue and Herbert Street. The creation of a CDD is "to encourage the redevelopment of the parcels in a manner consistent" with the plan.
A SECOND CDD is the approximately two acre site located at 415 and 425 Monroe Avenue where the Giant grocery store and CVS pharmacy are located. This was done to ensure a coordinated redevelopment plot "should market conditions render the current buildings or uses obsolete."
As used in this plan, the primary purposes for the overlay zone are to:
¥ Encourage ground floor retail uses
¥ Provide more flexibility for those uses, such as restaurants with outdoor dining
¥ Promote signage that creates an attractive streetscape
¥ Encourgae retention of contributing structures within the Town of Potomac Historic District
¥ Encourage compatible infill development
However, this all rests on the area being pedestrian friendly. And that is coupled to both the Pedestrian/Multi-Modal Strategy and the need for improved pedestrian lighting along the Avenue. The two are Page 4 -- Mt.V.Ave. Bus. Plan Part II
intertwined for the ultimate success of the plan.
"Pedestrian lighting has been a concern for a long time. The present lighting does more for the street than the sidewalks," said Elizabeth Beeton, urban planner, Planning and Zoning Department.
"We are working with T&ES (Transportation & Environmental Services) to develop better pedestrian lighting. Making it brighter and encouraging people to walk is a major aim of the plan," she said.
THAT GOAL was backed by Mary Ellis Fannon, a Work Group member and owner of Fannon Color Printing. "We've been on the Avenue since 1982 and I'm very happy we are considered a vibrant part of the City. But, I'm really concerned about the lighting. It's an urgent need," she said.
"They also need to complete the sidewalks and remove the telephone poles. This will encourage pedestrian traffic," Fannon said.
Highlighting a more pedestrian-friendly approach is the basis of the Pedestrian/Multi-Modal Strategy. It is designed to support and enhance "the existing pedestrain-oriented nature of the Avenue." It's major focus is to encourage "greater use of transit, walking, bicycling, and increased pedestrian safety."
This will be accomplished by such actions as enhancing existing transit stops with benches and shelters, providing bike racks combined with other streetscape amenities. Improving pedestrian connections to the Braddock Road Metro Station and extending DASH service to the Avenue should encourage use of transportation modes other than vehicular, according to the plan.
OTHER ELEMENTS of this combined lighting/transporation effort include: Restripping the Avenue between Commonwealth Avenue and Glebe Road to reduce vehicle lanes from four to two while adding two bike lanes and one parking lane or two vehicle lanes and two parking lanes; creating "Bulb-outs" and crosswalks at key interesections; and reducing the street's crossing distance.
All of this is designed to "strengthen the existing retail district and attract new complimentary businesses" built on the marketing strategy of the Potomac West Business Association. "From a marketability standpoint this plan will bring more attention to the Avenue. And this improved criteria will help market the Avenue," said Kevin Reilly, president, PWBA, and Work Group member.
"I feel very positive about the finished product. It will help us to maintain our momentum. I was very heartened by the way everyone came together," he said.
Marketing the Avenue is not limited to retail, it will and has included the arts by integrating retail efforts "into events and festivals, such as Art on the Avenue or First Thursday events...The arts are a fundamental component of the Avenue's retail marking strategy," the plan notes.
With all its various components and proposals, both from an urban land use persepctive and that of economic/revitalization, the Mt. Vernon Avenue Business Area Plan and the subject of its analysis was best summoned up by Fannon. "It's a wonderful place to work and be in. I know what it was, what it is, and what it can be," she said.