To the Editor:
I am writing to voice my support for the Beauregard Small Area Plan (BSAP), and its proposed affordable housing solution for Alexandria. I have been a resident of Alexandria for almost two and a half years. Like many others in the Washington, D.C. area, I understand the challenges many individuals and families face when it comes to housing. Housing costs are rising fast in the region, including Alexandria. The BSAP will contribute greatly to providing a real plan for affordable housing options for families in Alexandria and overall will be an economic and social boost for the city.
This plan is the essential first step in creating modern affordable housing in Alexandria. The city’s plan uses a $120 million private investment to largely fund affordable housing and dedicated apartments serving families with income up to 40-75 percent of Area Median Income.
The benefits for the community are numerous and diverse. A new Town Center, consisting of over 200,000 square feet of retail shops, will almost certainly be an economic boon to the city, and provide another alternative to shoppers in the region. Recreational benefits, including over 44 acres of new parks, a walkable street network with bike trails, and new athletic field lights adjacent to Ramsey Elementary School will bring people to the area for not only shopping, but a chance to experience the outdoors, and enjoy a pleasant, environmentally-friendly urban landscape.
Alexandria is a wonderful city, one with a rich history, a great present, and an exciting future. The BSAP will only add to that exciting future, and I believe all residents of the city will be better for it in the long run.
Adam Roberts
Alexandria