Politics & Government

Group Emerges as Staunch City Ally in Waterfront Debate

Waterfront4All members say they formed a group to dispel misinformation about the city's waterfront plan and clarify issues for residents and others.

As the City of Alexandria labors over how to best redevelop its waterfront and listens to many, often-conflicting voices in the debate, a new group has formed that stalwartly supports the city’s proposal.

“The Waterfront Plan elegantly balances the need for additional open space with carefully considered economic re-development,” reads the homepage of the Waterfront4All website.

Gina Baum, a realtor who lives two blocks from the waterfront in Old Town, is a founding member of the group.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“There are always people in Old Town especially who oppose things for whatever reason,” she said. “I think Waterfront4All did grow out of people being concerned that the city’s plan isn’t going to move forward.”

The mission of the group, she says, “is that we wanted to inform people about what’s in the plan…and give people the information they need to make an appropriate decision about it…There’s a lot of misinformation out there.”

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The group’s website lists what it sees as the biggest “urban myths” about the city’s plan for redevelopment.

Baum said one of the most egregious is the misconception that “we are giving our land away to developers. “

“The land is already owned by people who can put up restaurants, office buildings and other buildings” who may not have a financial incentive to build a museum or park, Baum explained. “The city is trying to develop a plan that will incorporate the whole waterfront and these those things into consideration…My biggest fear is that we’re going to end up with office buildings.”

“If they build offices or condos, that won’t bring much vibrancy to Old Town,” said Waterfront4All member Denny Auld in an interview at restaurant in Alexandria with members Lynn Hampton and Jody Manor. “Hotels draw people. People go to the end of King Street and then they don’t have anywhere to go….Let’s start spreading out the pedestrian traffic.”

Auld said he wanted to get involved with Waterfront4All partly due to his experience as a child growing up in Portland, Ore., and watching that area’s waterfront transform.

He also was a member of the city’s Budget and Fiscal Affairs Advisory Committee for six years. “That experience led me to respect the quality of the city’s staff, and it’s ability to look at projections and forecasting,” he said. “I feel like the city has done a good job with the waterfront plan. I needed to speak up as misinformation was being spread. This plan is not going to make Old Town look like National Harbor.”

Jody Manor, a group supporter and owner of on N. Alfred and King streets, grew up in Old Town.

“Its economic vibrancy is important to me,” he said. About two years ago he opened a restaurant in the food pavilion on the waterfront after not really going there in 15 years and realized the waterfront wasn't living up to its potential.

Manor said more activity on the waterfront would draw more visitors "and not just tourists."

Residents say "‘I don’t want more trucks or any hotels,' but more trucks are going to come regardless of this waterfront plan,” Manor said. “This is a great opportunity to control things -  like when deliveries are made.”

The city’s plan calls for rezoning certain areas, a move that would allow up to three hotels to be built by the waterfront.

“I realized the waterfront is an asset. People go there to walk their dogs and enjoy. I’ve traveled the world and I think the city’s waterfront plan can make the city unique and special” in a way that the waterfront isn’t right now, Manor said. “Tax revenue is lost because we don’t have a vibrant waterfront.”

Waterfront4All member Lynn Hampton, who is married to Auld, said she believes Alexandria is a great city but is on the “edge of becoming a world-class city” and could do that with the city’s waterfront plan.

Baum is also concerned that residents and others don’t realize the city’s plan offers 5.5 acres of additional parkland – a point she said was especially important to her as the mother of two young children.

A group strongly opposed to the city’s current plan, Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront, issued a press release in August calling Waterfront4All, an organization of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, which supports the city’s plan.

“This is not a mechanism for the chamber. I met Tina (Leone, president of the chamber) at a Waterfront Plan Work Group meeting and asked her to ‘like’ us on Facebook. They did send out something saying they supported us. She had no involvement in developing Waterfront4All. She has not contributed any money to our organization,” said Baum, who added that it is a “very grassroots organization” that is funded by its founders.

 

 

 

 

 


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