Monday, May 14, 2012
Andrew Macdonald kicks off his campaign, promising good listening to citizens, fiscal responsibility and a close look at current and future development.
Andrew Macdonald launched his mayoral campaign last week, saying the city’s elected officials must do a better job of managing, monitoring and investigating the costs of growth and development. “I want to improve the way we plan for growth in this city, and the way we manage our finances,” he said at an afternoon event at Pat Troy’s Restaurant and Pub. “I want to see a government that will not sue its citizens and civic organizations but rather will engage in a more productive, open, civil discourse with its citizens.” Macdonald, who is running as an independent, said he a “strong supporter” of a City Council comprised of Republicans and Democrats “and hopefully at least one independent.” The native Alexandrian commented that he has seen …
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Pat Troy's Restaurant & Pub
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Monday, May 7, 2012
Co-chairman Andrew Macdonald will step away from the group as he runs for mayor. Fellow Chairman Boyd Walker earlier this year announced his intentions to resign as he runs for council.
Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan has announced new leadership and said its co-chairman, Andrew Macdonald, has stepped down from his position as he runs for the mayor’s seat, which will be decided in November. CAAWP co-founder Boyd Walker earlier this year announced he also would step aside to run for City Council. The group has elected vocal CAAWP supporters Bert Ely and Mark Mueller as co-chairmen. The group, which largely opposes the city’s plan to redevelop the waterfront, said in a statement: “In the coming months, CAAWP will be focused on raising funds to support a two-part challenge to the legality of the waterfront plan and rezoning that City Council adopted on Jan. 21.” City Council passed a plan to redevelop …
Friday, April 13, 2012
Speakers before Board of Zoning Appeals were largely critical of the city's process and said the system needs to be repaired.
Members of the Board of Zoning Appeals heard harsh remarks about the city’s conduct and the appeal process during Thursday night’s public hearing on a petition calling for the rejection of city rezoning of the waterfront area. Public speakers largely represented a group of activists who have staunchly opposed the city’s plan to redevelop the waterfront although a few voices supported the city’s actions. Co-founder of Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan Andrew Macdonald, who is also running for mayor, characterized the city as a “spoiled child who has done everything under the sun to thwart a fair and decent and honest process…There were a lot of meetings, but it doesn’t mean a good open dialogue and fair process.” CAAWP …
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Alexandrian and City Council candidate Boyd Walker highlights his local heroes for the last year.
- OPINION
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
To the Editor: On Oscar night I think there should be awards for the local heroes who have helped make Alexandria a better place in 2011. I love the movies, and I am often moved to tears by a good movie, as I am by a good story, and I hope that lasts year’s story ends well. But for the issues I have been passionate about, the credits have not rolled, and the local heroes who have helped me in my causes cannot claim victory yet. Here are my Five Nominations: 1. A victory in court that saved the historic American Legion/Carver Nursery School Building at 224 N. Fayette St. Demolition of the building was applied for by the current owner, and approved by the Parker Gray BAR and the City Council, but we won a decisive victory in court. The …
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Filing with the Board of Zoning Appeals prompts city to remove zoning language related to waterfront plan from Tuesday's City Council docket.
City Council will not vote on key zoning language related to the waterfront small area plan on Tuesday now that the Board of Zoning Appeals has received an appeal of a decision voiding a protest petition filed by riverside landowners. Council will vote on the waterfront small area plan on Tuesday, as scheduled. On Jan. 21, City Council voted 5-2 to approve the city’s plan to redevelop the waterfront and some zoning changes after a marathon 11-hour hearing taking public comment on the matter. A group of landowners displeased with the city's plan to allow new zoning rules permitting structures such as hotels along the waterfront sought to file a petition before council voted on Jan. 21. The petition would have required a supermajority, or 6-…
Thursday, February 9, 2012
A group of citizens partly funded by CAAWP is asking Alexandria Circuit Court to render the 5-2 vote in favor of the waterfront plan invalid.
A group of citizens on Tuesday announced that they plan to ask Alexandria Circuit Court to overturn City Council’s 5-2 vote in favor of the waterfront plan and to strike down the related zoning changes. The citizens are among approximately 200 property owners who signed a petition protesting a change in the zoning ordinance permitting hotels and higher density development along the waterfront. Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan is fundraising for the group of citizens, but for legal reasons is not part of the lawsuit. The parties filing the lawsuit, who live near the waterfront, are Elizabeth “Beth” Gibney, Marie Kux and April Burke. A group of citizens last month filed a petition signed by residents and others who live…
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Andrew Macdonald, a co-founder of Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan, says Saturday's public hearing shows that the plan does not enjoy citizen support.
- OPINION
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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Dear Editor: I want to thank the many Alexandria residents who spoke so eloquently on Saturday, Jan 21 against the City’s waterfront plan, and who believe that there are alternatives to the short-sighted development plan that the City Council passed on a vote of 5-2. I want to thank Alicia Hughes and Frank Fannon, the only members of council who put aside their personal views of the waterfront plan to listen to all the residents of Alexandria. Saturday’s public hearing showed once again that City’s plan does not have broad community support. The vote also showed that Democrats on City Council were never really interested in listening to citizens who disagreed with the City’s waterfront plan—that they were never really interested in forging…
Thursday, January 19, 2012
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. 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 Virginia Commerce Bank, which loaned $3.9…
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Community split over whether to include more study of the closure of the GenOn plant in city's current waterfront plan.
Suddenly last summer, the owners of GenOn announced that the power plant would close after 62 years, potentially freeing up acres of Alexandria’s waterfront as the city was in the throes of wrapping up plans for riverside redevelopment. For some in the community, the GenOn announcement is a waterfront game changer that should be studied and included in the city’s current plan to revitalize the waterfront, but for others it’s good news that will be addressed all in good time. The Old Town Civic Association's board is urging the city to take more time to evaluate the property that currently houses the GenOn power plant, according to its January newsletter. The “OTCA Board now strongly advocates that if the city truly believes in …
Monday, January 9, 2012
Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan send letter to council asking members to sign pledge not to accept contributions from waterfront developers.
The organized group of Alexandrians opposed to the city’s current plan to redevelop its riverside has sent a letter to City Council asking for more transparency about their financial ties to waterfront redevelopment. The letter from Citizens for an Alternative Alexandria Waterfront Plan also asks council members to sign a Waterfront Conflict of Interest Statement, including a pledge not to accept campaign contributions from waterfront developers and property owners. The pledge asks signatories to agree to such statements as: “Have you received any campaign or other contributions over the last three years from any businesses or individuals that stand to benefit financially from the redevelopment and rezoning of the waterfront?” and “Will …
JamesOnThePotomac
3:43 pm on Tuesday, October 16, 2012
I rather vote for MacDonald than a Mayor who is asking the City to pick up the tab for a Metro Station in Potomac Yards at the tune of over a half billion dollars. more ›