DENSITY & ZONING
Issues
2010-05-10 Letter to City re 21 N Quaker project[doc]
2010-04-08 Small Business Zoning Recommendations schedule[doc]
2010-04-07 Councilwoman Hughes memo changes to Planning Commission[pdf]
2010-04-05 Federation requrest for VA Paving SUP[doc]
2010-03-25 Small Business Zoning Recommendations[doc]
200?: Development of Duke Street property
2007-04 Infill Task Force Resolution[pdf]
Nan's Notes
2010-05-13 Plans for three new homes in Seminary Hill—two on 4448 West Braddock & Ivor Lane and one at 508 Quaker Lane—and a renovation of the McDonalds on Duke Street at Wheeler were presented at the SHA monthly meeting.
2010-05-13 Deputy Chief of Planning and Zoning Barbara Ross answered questions about the City staff's recommended changes to business zoning that would include more situations where P&Z could approve changes to a Special Use Permit (SUP), allow more non-industrial uses in the industrial zones, and not count child day-care centers as part of the FAR of a new building. SHA board members will meet to prepare a response to the proposed changes that go to the Planning Commission on June1 and to the City Council on June 12.
2010-05-13 President Nancy Jennings asked that P&Z develop a better process for the nuisance abatement hotline because there is no way to enforce City regulations on noise and odors in a timely fashion, especially on weekends.
2010-04-08 The SHA subcommittee on proposed development at 21 N. Quaker Lane (Quaker and Duke Streets next to the church) will meet again in two weeks.
2010-03-31 The North Potomac Yard Small Area Plan was presented to The Federation of Civic Associations by staff and requires a change in the City’s debt capacity to fund a new Metro station. If the City issues $275 million in debt in 2014, the landowner of Potomac Yard will build commercial and residential buildings where the shopping center currently sits. Staff estimates that within 10 years (of what?), the developer’s projects will begin to pay more in taxes than it costs the City to service the debt. Lots of questions remain unanswered—such as why will this project succeed when everything Arlington has build in this corridor has failed—but mainly what City projects will not be done because funds are tied up in this Metro station? A few come to Nan’s mind: $32 M for improved sewers, $56 M for a flood wall/water break to protect Old Town, $60 M for Landmark Mall, $100 M to rebuild the interchange at Seminary Road and I-395, a new elementary school and a new firehouse in the West End.
2010-03-31 Hoffman’s plans for Blocks 12 & 13 in the Eisenhower corridor were MUCH taller than envisioned by citizens who developed the plans. The City’s Planning &Zoning staff recommended a 120’ increase from the 250’ limit bringing the tallest building to 370’ or 32 stories and the other two tower at 22 and 28 stories. Staff claimed the City would get a "significant amount" of market-rate affordable housing units (50) for getting 145,000 sq ft more in the towers. The buildings are expected to pay $1.3 M in taxes. Nan wrote to the Planning Commission in opposition to this project and explained why Staff’s justification of height is flawed.
2010-03-31 The City’s Planning & Zoning staff asked for a change at VA Paving as an Admin SUP that citizens and a member of the Planning Commission considered an inappropriate use of the Admin SUP vehicle because this was NOT a "minor" change. As of April 17, the Planning Commission was continuing to discuss this issue with P&Z staff.
2010-03-25 P&Z Barbara Ross presented staff recommendations of changes to the Small Business Zoning process; for example, erosion of the definition of an industrial zone by retail and commercial uses, increasing the number of allowable seats in SUP restaurants from 60 to 100, new definitions of restaurants, and a continuance of the $500 fee for street trees and trash cans that only new SUPs pay (retail does not). Comments are due to staff by April 5 Barbara.Ross@alexandriava.gov. The recommendations go to the Planning Commission on May 3 and to City Council on May 15.
2010-03-04 Harry “Bud” Hart of Hart, Calley, Gibbs & Karp made a presentation about a commercial development planned for 21 N. Quaker Lane and Duke Street (by the Apostolic Church). It would be a two-story office building with parking next to it and underneath it. Residents expressed concerns about three aspects: 1) its entrance on Quaker Lane may be unsafe because of it s proximity to Duke Street traffic that zips up the hill, 2) cut through traffic would increase on neighborhood streets, such as Trinity, since the building’s traffic can only turn right when exiting, and 3) the modern architectural style would not blend well with the residential properties on Quaker Lane.
2010-01-14: Cathy Puskar of Walsh Colucci, presented a concept by Michael Eastwood of Home Properties to redevelop the Seminary Hill garden apartments on Kenmore Avenue. The proposal would replace the 3-story buildings with 4 or 5-story ones, increasing both the number of units and the number of parking spaces.
2010-01-14: Nathan Randall of the City’s Department of Planning and Zoning described the subdivision request at 400 Princeton Boulevard at the SHA Board Meeting. Pat Escher also of Planning and Zoning opined that this project would not result in a McMansion.
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