Waterfront Plan Heads Toward a Vote

Alexandria City Council formally accepted the report put together by the Waterfront Plan Work Group, and accepted its recommendations with very slight suggested modifications.

“The work group did not propose major, radical changes” to the city’s draft waterfront plan, said Council member Paul Smedberg, who also served as a non-voting member of the group.

Mayor Bill Euille said council has been “getting barraged” with emails and letters for and against the plan and that council would “take all those comments into consideration. No matter what the final decision is, 100 percent of people aren’t going to be satisfied” but appreciate that this process has been in the works for years.

Karl Moritz, deputy director of Planning and Zoning, said city staff endorses all work group recommendations.

Some of the discussion between the Planning Commission, City Council and the work group that was spurred by Councilman Alicia Hughes focused on the related to riverside redevelopment.

Additionally, council member Frank Fannon wanted to know the real economic difference between current zoning and new zoning, which would allow hotels in some areas to which Moritz replied there could be additional tax revenue of $1.1 million from any additional development.

Work group member Nate Macek said it was difficult for the group to determine that “because it’s all about this issue of what you’re available to accomplish with or without a lawsuit,” referring to Robinson Terminal North’s move to sue the city over development rights.

Bob Wood said work group members agreed that preferred use for development is a “mixed use” emphasizing museums and culture.

“That recommendation gives us a lot more flexibility than requiring hotels,” said Vice Mayor Kerry Donley.

Councilman Rob Krupicka said it’s important to consider implementation of the plan. “We’ve got plans in the city we’ve done and they haven’t gotten far in implementation,” he said, adding that he likes the idea of a nonprofit or foundation that would not necessarily implement the plan but help “give it that unique Alexandria feeling.”

He also suggested that any developer contributions toward executing the plan should be used for those particular neighborhoods that the plan involves and not for other parts of the city.

He also recommended that the Robinson Terminal North parcel go through a Board of Architecture Review process to ensure a quality product even though that particular site would not normally be subject to that screening.

City Council is expected to vote on the plan at its Jan. 21 public hearing.

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