Politics & Government
Waterfront Plan Opponents Say Conflict of Interest Looms Large
Lobbying on the waterfront plan hits fever pitch as Saturday vote nears.
Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan is calling for the vice mayor to recuse himself from a vote on the city’s plan to redevelop its riverside.
Additionally, it’s touting the efforts of a group of citizens residing in homes near the waterfront who are circulating petitions opposing the plan that could potentially delay a vote.
“The current city plan is tainted by cozy relationships with developers,” CAAWP cofounder Andrew Macdonald said in a late Thursday morning news conference.
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Macdonald on Thursday sent a letter to City Attorney James Banks formally requesting that Vice Mayor Kerry Donley recuse himself from a vote related to the Waterfront Small Area Plan. Donley’s employer is , which to Virtue Feed and Grain.
Virtue “stands to benefit financially from the redevelopment of the Alexandria waterfront, especially in light of its direct stake in the city’s lawsuit against the Old Dominion Boat Club,” says Macdonald in the letter. The city has a against the boat club over rights of way to an alley.
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Donley told Patch: “I don’t believe there’s a conflict of interest. I don’t handle those accounts. Plus, the waterfront plan is not site specific…. It’s a wide area... It’s a stretch to say there’s a conflict. There’s no change in use or zoning” for Virtue in relation to the waterfront plan.
He has recused himself from other Council votes in the past when he saw a conflict of interest.
Macdonald said he does not believe City Councilman Frank Fannon, who is widely expected to vote against the plan, has a conflict of interest although he is a member of the Old Dominion Boat Club.
“He doesn’t benefit financially,” he said.
City Attorney James Banks said he does not believe any City Council members have a conflict of interest when it comes to the waterfront plan.
The city follows state law outlining that a conflict is triggered when a member or a family member has an interest of $10,000 or more or at least a 3 percent equity interest in a business that comes before council.
Meanwhile, the city’s director of Planning and Zoning will need to review the petitions presented to the city to determine if they are valid. If they are deemed valid, there is a possibility the vote could be delayed or a supermajority vote would be required to pass the plan, meaning at least six members would have to vote in favor of it.
Banks said he doesn’t believe the petition is valid anyway due to his interpretation of city code, but said it’s up to the head of Planning and Zoning to choose what action to take.
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