Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The commission agreed to amend the current city language so that schools and day care centers may operate in these specially zoned areas with approval of a special permit.
The Planning Commission last week amended current city regulations to allow schools and day care centers to operate in industrial zones. According to Planning and Zoning official Barbara Ross, there is a specific proposal from a local early childhood provider to purchase a building on Wheeler Avenue, which precipitated the discussion. Ross said during the public meeting that City Council took up the issue in December and directed staff to bring forward a text amendment regarding the industrial zone. In answer to a question from Commission Chairman John Komoroske, Ross said the former site of the GenOn power plant is not zoned industrial. It is zoned as a utility site, which includes such uses as electrical substation and switching …
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
ACPS staff confident school construction will go smoothly.
Alexandria City Council approved a $44-million proposal to rebuild Jefferson-Houston School on Saturday. Alexandria City Public Schools cited rising maintenance costs, student population growth and a need for modern learning facilities as reasons to rebuild the struggling school, which was designated a priority school by Virginia’s Department of Education in October and has failed to meet accreditation standards. “This is the school that has received the least amount of capital investment of all our facilities,” School Board Chairman Sheryl Gorsuch said. “It needs to be brought up to the 21st century.” The plan calls for replacing the current school with a 130,000-square-foot L-shaped building framing a new turf athletic field. The …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Planning Commission sends proposal for new school with improvements to the Durant Center to City Council.
Alexandria’s Planning Commission approved Tuesday a $44-million proposal to rebuild Jefferson-Houston School. The proposal will go before City Council on Dec. 15. The final plan calls for a 130,000-square-foot L-shaped building framing a new turf athletic field. The majority of the school will not exceed 48 feet in height, with the exceptions of a stair tower and an observatory located at the primary entrance of the school. Neither of these structures will exceed 60 feet. “The proposed height increases are minimal and are not found to create any negative impacts on the surrounding properties,” reads a city document describing the project. The field will be constructed at the site of the existing school along Cameron Street. The plan also …
Aimee Houghton
1:27 pm on Wednesday, December 19, 2012
I commend all who have been involved in this project. The planning process for the new building has been inclusive and transparent. The community, teachers, parents, and students have all had a chance to share their ideas, thoughts, concerns, and criticisms. Some may only see the past negatives of Jefferson-Houston and assume it will never change. What I have seen is a dedicated group of … more ›