To the Editor:
Jonathan Krall presents an interesting dilemma in his call for progressives to step forward and vote for city candidates who are working for Alexandria’s success rather than stagnation (Gazette letters, Sept. 24-30, 2015). As I read it, his contention is that the Alexandria Democratic Committee has divided loyalties between the stodgy Old Town crowd that rejects any development out of hand and the voracious developers who will stop at nothing to maximize every square inch of buildable land. What suffers, as a result, is the best interest of real people who live in the city. Jonathan cites a lack of bike lanes in both the new Potomac Yard development and along the streets of historic Port City to make his point that City Hall panders to both groups.
I don’t disagree with his analysis, but I do take issue with his argument that supporters of Democratic mayoral candidate Allison Silberberg want her to take us to the “anti-everything” side of the spectrum. While she often has cast the lone dissenting vote on development projects, she is not against all development. She wants “smart development,” and that’s what many of us progressives want as well.
We want a city that requires developers to provide generous greenspace, parklands, schools and community facilities in their mega projects. We don’t want developers to meet their greenspace requirements primarily through grassy medians (although those are nice) and linear parks along land tracks that are too narrow to build actual buildings anyway (those are nice too, but it feels like they’re just throwing us a bone). What we really don’t want are ridiculous rules that count rooftop gardens as “greenspace.”
We want developers who have a sense of respect for the human scale by not placing towering, million-dollar townhouses only six feet away from overcrowded four-lane highways. If you look closely at the first building on the corner of the Potomac Yard development along Route 1 near the Monroe Ave. bridge, you can see where a car already has crashed into the façade. I predicated something like would happen there — they might as well have placed a big bullseye on the building. Other buildings nearby are accidents waiting to happen.
That’s not smart development, and it’s not the kind of development a Mayor Silberberg would approve.
It’s simply untrue when critics allege the vice mayor is against all development, just as it’s untrue to contend Mayor Euille has only the interests of developers at heart — even though he’s a contractor and much of his $195K primary campaign funding came from developers while Silberberg rejected any such contributions. Read what you like into those facts.
No person or candidate or any elected official is perfect. But I think the progressives of this city — who place a premium on open space, walkable neighborhoods, affordable housing, good schools, thriving small businesses and generous social services versus more million-dollar townhouses and oversized condominium developments — will find a champion in Allison Silberberg.
Neal Learner
Alexandria