To the Editor,
On Nov. 15, Alexandria's City Council will consider a development
application for 100 S. Pickett Street where a bowling alley is currently
located. Steve Bannister, the developer, first presented the design
concept at the December 2012 Holmes Run Park Committee (HRPC) meeting.
While market forces have morphed the original plans from apartments to
townhomes, Mr. Bannister’s commitment to quality, energy efficiency, and
environmental considerations have remained the same. For example, there
are pedestrian connections with adjacent commercial and residential
neighbors and the site will have a “green” stormwater runoff design
that helps the city meet new Chesapeake Bay standards. What’s not to
like?
Mr. Bannister is an avid cyclist. The HRPC asked two years ago if he
would consider making a donation toward Capital Bikeshare ("CaBi")
expansion to the West End. The request was born from the long-standing
desire by residents to make the West End into a pedestrian and bicycle
friendly place to live — a vision included in city plans. Mr. Bannister
enthusiastically agreed and reiterated that commitment during an October
2014 HRPC meeting: yes, he would make a donation to CaBi with the desire
that a future CaBi station would be located near 100 S Pickett so future
home owners there would benefit from the program.
The HPRC and many other West End residents are committed to the Eco City
vision of multimodal options and to a walkable and bikeable community.
We anticipate more safe options being available as early as 2018, with
the West End Transitway. CaBi will be an important "first/last mile"
connection to Transitway bus stops. West End residents (and
businesses) eagerly welcome CaBi as an integral component of our
multi-modal options.
I sincerely hope City Council will find a way to protect dedicated
developer proffers, such as Mr. Bannister's donation toward Cabi's West
End expansion. In doing so, City Council will encourage developers and
citizens to continue to work together to meet shared goals. It takes a
lot of citizen work to examine, discuss, and contribute to strong
development plans. The HRPC looks forward to seeing the results of
those efforts honored by a city process that ensures those plans are
implemented.