On the Record
How much of the city's business should be considered by elected officials? That's a question city leaders will be taking up in the coming year as they consider potential changes to requirements for businesses seeking special-use permits.
In a section headlined "process improvements," City Manager Rashad Young explained that city officials are examining whether some permits should be considered by Planning Commission members alone rather than requiring a review by the City Council.
"I don't think that improves the process at all," said Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg. "I would like to see more voices, not fewer, and I also think our votes should be on the record."
Planning Director Faroll Hamer said the plan under consideration would allow elected officials to request that their vote be on the record if they wish, although it would remove that requirement from the process for some applicants. City officials are planning what they call a "civic engagement strategy" this summer to gather input from small business owners and members of the community.
"I sure hope the vice mayor is not suggesting that we roll back the administrative SUP process," said Councilman Tim Lovain. "There is a threat that we have so much process that this will become a city that's unfriendly to business."
"I don't want it to be a burden on businesses," Silberberg responded. "But this could be a slippery slope."
Old Town Waiting Game
The north side of Old Town may have to wait until fiscal year 2016 for planning officials to get around to putting together a small-area plan for that part of the city, creating concerns that decisions about the future of the neighborhood will be made with little or no planning by the city.
For Old Town North, the stakes are high.
First, there's the shuttered coal-fired power plant. Nobody knows what will happen with that, and it sits on a valuable slice of waterfront property. Then there's the Giant grocery store, which city officials expect to be redeveloped. Then there are the public housing properties that the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority wants to redevelop. Another issue that's lingering in the distance is a final decision about where to locate the Potomac Yard Metro station, which could reshuffle the deck for the neighborhood.
"In my view, 2016 is too late," said Councilman Paul Smedberg.
City officials say long-range planning capacity is constrained by a number of factors, most notably the capacity of the staff and the budget for consultants. For now, that means that any rezoning in Old Town North will be considered through the normal process rather than a coordinated small-area plan.
"Without a plan and without some sort of concept of what we want to see there and the utter lack of communication we have with ARHA at times, it concerns me a great deal," said Smedberg.
Multiple Races
Last year's USA Track & Field National Road Racing Championship allowed city leaders to rub elbows with Olympians, bringing 1,100 athletes from around the world to Alexandria for a 12-kilometer race that raised $13,500 for the Alexandria Police Fallen Officers Memorial. Some residents were concerned because they did not know about the race, which closed selected streets on the morning of the race. But last year was also the first year of the event. Now that it's returning for a second year, city officials say they are hoping this year's race will operate more smoothly.
"This year I will be here for the race," said Mayor Bill Euille, who was in Turkey last year during the race. "Unfortunately I'm not prepared to run in the race."
"November is a long time away," observed Councilman Justin Wilson, an avid runner. "You have plenty of time to get ready."
"Well, there's another race going on," joked the mayor, who is running for Congress.