Iron Ladies Keep Fighting
The Supreme Court of Virginia has agreed to hear the appeal in the Alexandria waterfront litigation. Two years ago, Old Town residents April Burke, Beth Gibney and Marie Kux filed a lawsuit against the city challenging the waterfront plan. In a decision announced Nov 6, the court said that it will hear arguments that challenge the dismissal of their case.
The three women, who’ve come to be known locally as the “Iron Ladies”, were challenging an Alexandria City Council zoning change that permitted the construction of hotels on the Alexandria waterfront and increased the building height limits.
“The city short-circuited protections for property owners,” said Bert Ely, co-chair of the Friends of Alexandria’s Waterfront civic activist group. “Hopefully it will get the city to reconsider their approach to these issues. We’re asking the Supreme Court to tell Alexandria to play by its own rules. With this appeal granted, everything is in a state of suspension.”
The suspension Ely referred to was the freeze on the construction plans of a hotel at Duke and South Union streets and the redevelopment at South and North Robinson Terminals.
“We’ll continue to see where it goes,” said City Attorney James Banks. “We’re continuing to litigate matters and we’ll get to the facts.”
South Jordan Street Flooding
In the wake of last week’s flooding at South Jordan Street, Ali Ahmed from the Wakefield-Tarleton Civic Association was left with some questions that he went to City Council to answer. When a main water line managed by Virginia American Water burst, it flooded the nearby sewer and caused extensive damage to 14 residences in the neighborhood.
“The leak was discovered around 4:30 a.m. [Virginia American Water] didn’t arrive to shut off until after 7 a.m. The first folks to respond were the Alexandria Fire Department,” said Ahmed, but the firefighters that arrived said that there was nothing they could do to stop the flooding. “Are fire department personnel trained to shut off the water? Are they not authorized? If they are trained but not authorized, can this be changed?”
While the council understood local residents’ frustrations, some reiterated that the job of stopping the flood was that of Virginia American Water, not the fire department.
“Our responsibility to make sure all of our utilities act responsibly and timely to all emergencies,” said Mayor William Euille in response, but he also said that the city did not want its staff to disrupt the operations of those utility companies.
This answer did not satisfy everyone on the City Council.
“Fire department is there and they can’t do anything?” Del Pepper asked. “People’s basements are filling with sewer water and they are left waiting and waiting.”
Police Investigate Death of Infant
The Alexandria Police Department is conducting a death investigation of a female infant.
Around 11 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 10,officers responded to the 300 block of Pendleton Street to assist the fire department and medics with an unresponsive infant. The baby was transported to the hospital. She later died on Saturday, Nov. 15. An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause and manner of death.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Sergeant Michael Kochis at 703-746-6285.
Juveniles Arrested for Burglaries
The Alexandria Police Department has arrested two juveniles in connection with several burglaries of local residencies.
Police arrested a 16-year-old male and 17-year-old male, both of Washington D.C., on Nov. 3, for the burglary of a residence in the 300 block of S. Lee Street. During the course of investigation, detectives learned that the suspects were responsible for at least four more residential burglaries in the city dating back through September.
The juveniles were each charged with larceny with the intent to distribute, possession of burglarious tools, and conspiracy to commit burglary. One juvenile was charged with four counts of burglary, and the other was charged with five counts of burglary. More charges may be pending as the investigation continues.
- Nov., 3: 300 block of S. Lee Street
- Nov. 3: 300 block of Queen Street
- Oct. 29: 400 block of Summers Drive
- Oct. 21: Unit block of W. Glebe Road
- Sept. 19: 300 block of E. Nelson Avenue
All houses in this series were entered through unlocked doors and windows. Anyone with information about these burglaries is asked to call Sergeant Vince Jones of the Criminal Investigations Section at 703-746-6808.