To the Editor:
I am writing to voice my concerns for The Alexandria Democratic Committee. Even as Alexandria moves forward with important projects such as Potomac Yard Metro, the current Democratic administration weakens every project by pandering to both the developers and to the stodgy anti-everything Old Town Civic Association. By frustrating both progressives and the OTCA , the current administration may very well have lost the support of both.
With its growing economy and growing population, the D.C. area is undergoing fundamental change. Change is divisive and Alexandria sits on prime historic real estate near the center of the action. Based on their letters to the Gazette-Packet, the anti-everything crowd, Alexandria's version of the Tea Party, would have us stop building much of anything. This radical idea would cost us dearly. It would hurt our economy. It would turn limited affordable housing into pricey condos.
The sensible policy is to add high-density housing, add high-capacity transportation, and to make those changes work. City Hall is working on the first two but has failed to convince citizens, including me, that they will make those changes work.
I'll focus on transportation because that is what I know best, but there are other examples of inaction. Consider that Confederate statue, with its back turned to Washington. Like the Tea Party, it belongs in a museum.
While City Hall clings to a middle ground that doesn't exist, citizens are moving forward. Transit-oriented housing in Potomac Yard is selling at high prices because people want to live near D.C. and have reduced-stress commutes. Outside of D.C., Alexandria leads the region in car-free households, even ahead of Arlington.
Meanwhile, City Hall is systematically rebuilding without installing a single bike lane. Potomac Yard? Nothing. Oakville triangle? Not one. The West End Transitway? Nada. This is what happens when City Hall panders to developers, who want maximum space for condos, and to the OTCA, which doesn't want bicycles to slow down their cars. Is this our future? Bigger buildings, more cars, and minimal space for people? Yuk.
Supporters of Allison Silberberg, the Democratic mayoral candidate, clearly want her to lead us towards the anti-everything end of the spectrum even as she assures us that the new Metro Station will be built. The ADC, it seems, is bravely leading us from the mushy middle to another spot in the mushy middle.
Where are the progressives? Where is the candidate who prioritizes people instead of profit? Where is the voice of the Millennials? The ADC needs to locate those voices and start listening. In the meantime, progressives would do well to seek out and support only those few candidates who are working for success rather than stagnation.
Jonathan Krall
Alexandria