To the Editor:
Alexandria is not on the worldwide map of historical significant places by happenstance. Its unique place on the map was protected by past Alexandria leaders who recognized the long-term value of Alexandria’s history, its cobblestone streets, its 18th and 19th century buildings, its unique waterfront. But all this seems to have been forgotten by our current city government and its elected leaders. Following are some of the sad examples of what’s happening to the Old and Historic District that former Mayor Beatley worked so hard to enhance and promote.
Just this past week, the iconic Beachcomber building was completely demolished despite the fact that it was perfect for the “adaptive reuse” that many Alexandria residents support. Instead of a public place for all, we’ll have the Old and Dominion Boat Club once again having a commanding location on the waterfront for its elite members.
And then there’s the BikeShare program, again for an elite group of high-income users, that continues to inflict its ugly, commercial stations throughout Old Town without any serious consideration of where they’re being placed — both from an aesthetic perspective but also from a business consideration. Apparently, there was no notice except for a hard-to-read map on the city’s website that showed residents where stations were planned …. and apparently no notice was given to neighbors or the Old Town Civic Association whose mission includes historic protection.
Here again Arlington has done right by its residents who are at the table for BikeShare station location planning. And unlike Alexandria that sneaked a small section into Bicycle Master Plan, Arlington provided a very comprehensive, long-term plan for its BikeShare plan. In comparison, we are cited data that are not validated in any way and are in fact, suspect since in the same document the numbers differ a lot.
And finally, there is the waterfront …. the adopted Waterfront Plan was supposed to be a waterfront for all, with lots of open, public spaces. Instead we are getting a litany of upscale condos with a hard-surface waterfront path that will be less than welcoming to visitors and residents who do not reside in the condos. There will be little to remind us of the Colonial history that put Alexandria on the map.
The Old and Historic District is quickly becoming obsolete and sadly with little concern by many of the residents who now reside here. Sorry, Mayor Beatley, some of us still do care.
Linda Couture
Alexandria