The Connection

The most recent bout of developer EYA and a group of Waterfront residents went in the developer’s favor, but it wasn’t a knockout, and the citizens showed they weren’t going down without a fight.

The fight centered over an appeal of an Old and Historic Alexandria District Board of Architectural Review (BAR) decision approving Buildings 1, 2, 3, and Townhouses. Collectively, these buildings are EYA’s planned replacement for the abandoned factory at 2 Duke St. called Robinson Terminal South. A petition filed by James “Hal” Hardaway with 53 signatures called the BAR decision “arbitrary and capricious,” saying that the exterior architectural features of the structures do not conform with the city’s standards.

The central premise of the appeal was the same that’s been at the center of most developer vs. citizen fights in Old Town: that the scale and character of the building is inappropriate for the historic neighborhood.

“This is not appropriate for Old Town and the Historic Waterfront,” said Townsend “Van” Van Fleet, comparing the construction to urban renewal efforts in the 1960s. “Historic properties were razed to create modern buildings of absolutely no consequence.”

Some in the city objected to that comparison.

“No historic structures were demolished for this docket item,” said John Von Senden, chair of the BAR for the Old and Historic District. “What you see before you reflects the give and take of a design dialogue that happens over those couple of years. People have quoted the waterfront plan and our BAR guidelines, but the waterfront master plan encourages modern design.”

Von Senden noted that the city’s guidelines noted specifically that direct copying of historic buildings is discouraged and that new designs shouldn’t be summarily dismissed. Al Cox, Alexandria’s Historic Preservation manager, noted that Alexandria’s historic waterfront featured several very large buildings that were industrial in character.

But the citizens weren’t alone in the fight. The original BAR decision had been narrowly approved in a 4-3 vote. Wayne Neale represented the BAR’s minority view on the decision.

“This is the most significant project to occur in a very long time,” said Neale. “This project will stand for 100 years or more. We should strive for not just squeaking by with a majority vote.”

Neale suggested that the City Council remand the project back to the BAR with recommendations to review the exterior designs to be more compatible with the local architecture and to make the waterfront view more in keeping with Alexandria’s past. Specifically, Neale requested more variety in roof lines and more brick than glass in the structure.

“Does it look like Old Town? Does it feel like Old Town? It really doesn’t. It’s not there yet,” said Neale. “With those two recommendations, I am confident that it will come back to you in better form.”

The citizens found support from Vice Mayor Allison Silberberg, whose successful campaign for mayor had partially been centered around ensuring that new construction fit the historic character of Alexandria’s neighborhoods. Silberberg’s critics, most notably incumbent Mayor William Euille, called her stance anti-development. Much of the tension from that election was still very present at Saturday’s meeting.

“We’re faced with a situation where our own BAR, on one of the votes, is [split] 4 to 3,” said Silberberg. “We all want to get this right, but there’s still a lot of concern .… This is a serious, pivotal moment.”

Silberberg originally proposed following Neale’s suggestion to remand the decision back to the BAR. However, the City Council was only allowed to either accept the BAR decision, overrule it, or approve it with modifications. Silberberg then motioned to modify the BAR’s decision to include elevation changes, but it received no second from the rest of the County Board. Instead, City Council Member Justin Wilson moved to uphold the BAR’s decision and approve the buildings. It was passed, with all but Silberberg voting in favor.