All results / Stories / Michael Lee Pope
Recovering After Disaster
New approach allows disaster loans to become grants, avoiding glut of uncollected debt.
The Small Business Administration has issued more than $1 million in low-interest disaster loans in Alexandria since 1987, and most of those loans were never paid back in full, according to documents received through a public-records request. Now, with the economy in crisis, leaders at the federal officials are rolling out a new loan program that recipients won’t need to pay back in full if they keep their employees during the downturn. The move comes as businesses across Alexandria are trying to figure out how they are going to stay afloat now that Gov. Ralph Northam has ordered residents across Virginia to stay at home until June 10.
Developer Moves Forward with Plans to Redevelop Waterfront Property
Carr Hospitality seeks approval for concept even though zoning has yet to be approved.
One of the ghosts haunting the Alexandria waterfront is Samuel Cummings, international arms dealer who owned a warehouse now at the center of a controversial redevelopment proposal.
Hunting Towers Sold
New owners tell city leaders they will preserve affordable housing.
For years, people who live in the twin towers at the southern edge of Old Town have lived with a sense of dread.
Wireless Unplugged
City officials shut down free wireless service to avoid a fight with the FCC.
In the old days, investigators could wiretap telephone lines by placing an alligator clip on a copper wire.
Smoking Opinion
Attorney general’s legal opinion casts doubt over the city’s proposed smoking ban.
Smoking Opinion
Plug Pulled on Aquatics Center
Proposal put on hold for a year.
A proposal to build an aquatics center at Long Bridge Park has been put on hold after Arlington County officials determined that the cost of the project had spiraled out of control. “Last January, I said that we would conduct extensive due diligence to ensure that the project estimate was sound and within the available budget, and that’s exactly what we did,” said Donnellan. “I have concluded, in consultation with the County Board, that the gap between our construction budget and the lowest bid is simply too great to bridge at this point.”
Arlington Real-Estate Assessments Grow Six Percent
County leaders describe local economy as resilient and stable.
A decade ago, when the real-estate market was going gangbusters, the Arlington real-estate market regularly saw double-digit increases.
Wiggle Room on the Alexandria Tax Rate
Council members advertise half-a-penny increase in tax rate, allowing more flexibility.
Although Alexandria City Manager Rashad Young issued a proposed budget that keeps the current tax rate, members of the City Council voted this week to advertise a tax rate that's half a penny higher.
Horse Stable Could Be Closed to Protect Cemetery and Historic Plantation
Widening debate on Richmond Highway creates dilemma for Federal Highway Administration.
The hill where Woodlawn Baptist Church graveyard is located offers a commanding view of an area in the midst of drastic change.
Will the Next Attorney General Defend Constitutional Ban on Gay Marriage?
Republican says he will defend amendment; Democrat is not so sure.
Virginia's next attorney general will have to stand in a courtroom and make a decision about whether or not the commonwealth's constitutional ban on marriage should be defended. Republican candidate Sen. Mark Obenshain (R-26) has been clear about his support for the amendment and his intention to provide a vigorous defense of marriage. Democratic candidate Sen. Mark Herring (D-33), on the other hand, has yet to take a position on whether or not he will defend the amendment.
Alexandria Schools See Rising Poverty In the Classroom
City has the highest rates of students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch in region.
In the last decade, the percentage of Alexandria students who live in poverty has grown from 50 percent to 56 percent. That's the largest percentage of students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch in the region, according to a recent analysis by the Washington Area Boards of Education.
Alexandria's Debt Has More Than Doubled Over Last Decade
City officials are on the verge of violating their own debt ceiling.
In the last decade, the city's debt has more than doubled from $200 million to more than $500 million — a burden that is becoming increasingly difficult for the city to manage, especially considering plans for Alexandria to finance the construction of a new Metrorail station at Potomac Yard.
Redevelopment Spotlight Moves to Alexandria's West End
Developers stand to gain a fortune, but what about low-income residents?
Ever since city officials annexed the half of Alexandria west of Quaker Lane in 1952, the West End has had to fight for a place at the table.
A Capital Debate on Streetcars
Controversy over streetcar to dominate discussion of capital improvement plan.
Members of the Arlington County Board are preparing for weeks of heated debate about the streetcar proposal on Columbia Pike, a project that continues to increase in price and opposition. Although the project has enjoyed support from previous elected officials, the board's two newest members are raising new questions about where the money comes from and how it's spent.
Tax Burden Targets Low-Income Workers in Northern Virginia
Average tax burden for low-income workers is highest in Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax.
Families that are struggling to make ends meet in Northern Virginia are the target of local governments in Northern Virginia, which has the highest tax burden in the region for low-income workers. Wealthy people face the highest tax burden in Prince George's County and Montgomery County. But here in Virginia, poor people face the biggest tax burden in Arlington, according to a new study by the Office of Revenue Analysis in the District of Columbia. Alexandria ranked second, and Fairfax County ranked third.
Virginia Laws Help Local Governments Conceal 911 Calls from Public
Police agencies refuse to release audio from 911 calls, prompting questions about transparency.
When city officials in Alexandria released the audio of a 911 call in a high-profile murder case, many people interpreted the move as a step forward for transparency in a commonwealth known for opaque government.
Funding Plan Emerges for Streetcar Project
County Board forgoes federal funds to expedite Columbia Pike project.
When federal officials denied Arlington County's request for a Small Starts grant, advocates for the streetcar project went back to the drawing board. Now the three Arlington County Board members who support the $300 million project say they will forgo federal funds altogether, using state money set aside for transportation.
Beyer Rakes in Campaign Cash in Democratic Primary
Fundraising numbers reveal former lieutenant governor has significant edge.
Campaign finance documents released this week show Don Beyer well ahead of his competitors in the race for cash, giving the former lieutenant governor a significant edge over the nine other Democrats in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8).
Potomac Yard: Before and After
Transforming a suburban strip mall into an Innovation District.
The strip mall at Potomac Yard is a placeholder, a temporary solution to a thorny question about the relationship between density and traffic.
More Students, Fewer Dollars
Schools are bursting at the seams while trying to do more with less.
.Enrollment is up, and funding is down. That’s the conclusion of a new report from the Commonwealth Institute for Fiscal Analysis, which looked at funding and staffing trends at every school division in Virginia.