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Leaders to virtually reconvene at legis-lative session on Sept. 8BY MISSY SCHROTT

Alexandria City Coun-cil will reconvene on Sept. 8 for what is sure to be an interesting autumn in city government, following an eventful summer colored by a public health crisis and a nationwide movement for racial and social equity.

Council traditionally

takes a recess from its bi-monthly legislative ses-sions and monthly public hearings in July and Au-gust. The councilors then reunite in September and get back to city business – considering land-use ap-plications, allocating city funding, drafting resolu-tions and more.

This fall, council’s work will inevitably continue to revolve around the corona-virus pandemic.

“Our top priority is go-

ing to continue to be the public health crisis we are dealing with,” Mayor Jus-tin Wilson said. “I think we are going to continue to fo-cus on how we address the public health crisis: the hu-man services impact of that [and] the economic impact of that going forward.”

One of the first major pandemic-related decisions council will consider this month is how to spend $13.9 million in federal Coronavi-rus Aid, Relief and Econom-

ic Security Act funding. The money is from the

second batch of CARES Act funding that the Com-monwealth of Virginia has allocated to Alexandria. Council decided in May to spend the first tranche of $13.9 million on the city’s COVID-19 response costs, Alexandria Health Depart-ment staffing, food secu-rity, rental assistance and small business grants.

Planning Commission approves compromise density amendmentBY CODY MELLO-KLEIN

The Planning Commission unanimously approved an amend-ment to the city’s Zoning Ordinance that would allow public schools to increase density during the com-mission’s Tuesday public hearing.

The compromise vote followed strenuous objections from several civic associations, and was a result of revisions proposed by Vice Chair Melissa McMahon and Commissioner David Brown.

The amendment approved by the commission allows public school developments to exceed the floor area ratio set by current zoning reg-ulations as long as the project goes through a special use permit pro-cess and does not exceed 0.75 FAR or 60 feet in height.

Vol. 16, No.36 Alexandria’s only independent hometown newspaper. SEPTEMBER 3, 2020

TimesAlexandria

City Council gears up for fall business

ACPS cuts down ‘Witness Tree’

Bigger schools?

JOSEPH CRAIG ENGLISH

JOHN CARLYLE SQUARE

(Formerly on King St.)Sat./Sun. 10am - 5pmSeptember 12-13

Duke St. near Whole Foods

COVID-19A look at cumulative COVID-19

data trends.0

KidsGetting into mountain biking

in NOVA.Page 14

INSIDE

PHOTO/MCARTHUR MEYERS

PHOTO/MISSY SCHROTTThe 150-year-old oak tree at T.C. Williams High School was cut down on Wednesday.

BY CODY MELLO-KLEIN

Alexandria City Pub-lic Schools cut down the 150-year-old oak tree, named the “Witness Tree” by activists, at T.C. Wil-liams High School on Wednesday.

Community members had banded together over the past month to protest ACPS’ plan to remove the tree to add a new conces-sion stand, bathrooms and recreational equipment storage for the Parker-Gray Memorial Stadium mod-ernization project.

When resident McAr-thur Meyers, who has

helped spearhead the cit-izen action to protect the tree, heard the sound of chainsaws Wednesday morning he knew the com-munity had lost more than just a tree.

“With this tree at T.C. Williams on public proper-ty, it was a responsibility to respect that community and respect the legacy and history of that tree in that community,” Meyers said. “So, they missed an oppor-tunity of healing.”

Residents were notified that ACPS would start mov-ing equipment onto the site

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WEEKLY BRIEFINGACPS announces child care solution for upcoming virtual school year

ALIVE! to host virtual walking event

Alexandria City Pub-lic Schools announced this morning that it will expand its Virtual PLUS+ program to include in-person super-vision during the school day for up to 350 students, ac-cording to a news release.

In partnership with the city’s Department of Rec-reation, Parks and Cultural Activities, ACPS will provide free, full-day supervision

on-site at either an ACPS school or RPCA facility with full internet access so that students can attend their virtual classes, according to the release.

The program will be lim-ited to “vulnerable” students, whom ACPS will identify us-ing a needs-based eligibility rubric.

“This is a service that is clearly needed for our most

vulnerable families and we are grateful to the City and our Virtual PLUS+ partners for their support of this program," Superintendent Dr. Gregory C. Hutchings, Ed.D., said in a statement. “The Virtual PLUS+ model relies on collaboration and partnerships to be success-ful and this is the perfect example of this.”

[email protected]

The Alexandria organi-zation ALIVE! is organiz-ing a virtual walkathon, StepALIVE!, for residents across the city starting on Sept. 11, according to ALIVE!’s website.

The organization, which aims to address hunger and homelessness in the city, will hold the 39th Ste-pALIVE! Walkathon from

Sept. 11 to 13. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s event will involve walkers taking part remotely in whatever location works best for them, whether it is around the neighborhood or a local park.

There is a $25 registra-tion fee for adults and a $10 fee for children ages 6 to 13 and seniors age 70 and over.

Those who register will re-ceive a t-shirt that they can pick up in the ALIVE! parking lot, 2723 King St., according to the organiza-tion’s website.

ALIVE! encourages walk-ers, whether they are in a group or by themselves, to wear a mask and practice so-cial [email protected]

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Chamber hosts 2020 Valor Awards The Chamber ALX hosted

the 2020 Valor Awards on Aug. 27 at the Hilton Old Town Al-exandria. The annual program is designed to honor public safety personnel from the Al-exandria Fire Department, Police Department, Sheriff's Office and Department of Emergency Communications for heroic acts of valor, accord-ing to the chamber. Through-out the program, guests were seated 6 feet apart to meet so-cial distancing guidelines.

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September 24Homes


Ahead of Labor Day next Monday, the city has an-nounced its adjusted sched-ule of services.

All local government of-fices will be closed during the holiday, including the

Alexandria Health Depart-ment and Historic Alexan-dria, according to a news release. The city’s libraries, recreation centers and arts centers, including the Tor-pedo Factory, will also be

closed on Labor Day.Trash and recycling will

not be collected on Monday and will instead by collected on Tuesday, Sept. 8, accord-ing to the release.

Some services will still be available: The Vola Law-son Animal Shelter will be open, by appointment only, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the holiday. The city’s outdoor pools will also be open on Monday, but residents must prearrange to visit through the city’s online ticketing and lottery systems.

DASH bus service will operate on a Sunday sched-ule for Labor Day, and the Alexandria Police Depart-ment will suspend parking enforcement at metered spaces, residential permit parking districts and other areas with posted parking limits.

[email protected]

The Alexandria Soccer Association introduced ASA School+, a nine-week educa-tional program for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, according to a news release.

ASA School+, which fol-lows the ASA’s new day camp program, Camp ALEX, that ran over the summer, aims to supplement students’ educa-tion while offering child care options for parents.

Through the program, ASA staff will facilitate stu-dents’ online schooling in a safe, outdoor environment, supplementing online classes with movement breaks, crafts and games throughout the day, according to the release.

The program is being of-fered as part of a broader city and schools effort to safely provide students with ad-ditional educational oppor-

tunities, as well as space to participate in their schools’ synchronous learning.

The program will run on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for first through fifth graders and from 8 a.m. to noon for kindergarteners, according to the ASA’s website. Students will be able to take part in the program at Brenman Park and Simpson Park, with additional sites yet to be announced.

Families can register for ASA School+ at https://bit.ly/32LeR7O.

[email protected]

It’s Not Too Late!TAKE 10 MINUTES TO COMPLETE

THE CENSUS#ALEXCOUNTS

#TAKE10FORCENSUS

9/26/2019

Save the Date!IS CENSUS DAY

For more information, visit alexandriava.gov/Census2020.

IT’S EASY!

IT’S SAFE!

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APRIL 1, 2020

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I R G I N I A

HOW THE U.S. CENSUS AFFECTS YOUR COMMUNITY

SERVICESFunds our roads, schools, SNAP, CHIP, WIC, school lunches, and other programs.

COMMUNITY FUNDINGThe Alexandria loses $1,200 per year for every person missed on the Census.

OUR CITY’S FUTUREInforms the City’s planning for transportation, housing, schools, and emergency response.

REPRESENTATIONDetermines how many legislators Virginia has in the US House of Representatives.

Every 10 years, the US Census counts every

resident in the United States. Participating

in the Census brings resources into your

community and guarantees you and your

household will have fair representation in

government.

Your personal information is confidential, even from other government agencies.

You can complete the Census online, by phone, or by mail.

The Census form only asks 10 questions about your household.

IT’S SAFE!Your personal information is confidential, even from other government agencies.

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IT’S FAST!The Census form only asks 10 questions about your household.

Every 10 years, the US Census counts every resident in the United States. Participating in the Census brings resources into your community and guarantees you and your household will have fair representation in government.

For more information, visitalexandriava.gov/Census2020

The 2020 Census can be completed by phone using this number:

844-330-2020


(Formerly on King St.)

Duke St. near Whole Foods

18th Annual

Sat./Sun. 10am - 5pm

September 12-13

JOSEPH CRAIG ENGLISH

Lorem IpsumPresented by:

WEEKLY BRIEFINGAlexandria Soccer Association launches program for school year

City announces Labor Day schedule of services

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PHOTO/ALEXANDRIA SOCCER ASSOCIATIONLike Camp ALEX, ASA School+ will be socially distant.


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“I think you’ll see a sim-ilar focus for those dollars for the second round but maybe some variation,” Wil-son said. “Some things have changed, some things have evolved and so we’ll be sort-ing through how to get those funds out into the commu-nity as quickly as possible. That’ll be job number one.”

Despite financial aid from the CARES Act, the pan-demic had a major impact on the city economy. COVID-19 struck in the midst of the fis-cal year 2021 budget cycle, forcing City Manager Mark Jinks and council to reassess spending priorities.

“We’re all in this holding pattern,” Councilor Amy Jackson said. “It’s like, OK, who’s up next? What project is up next? What project is a priority over something that we really want but we don’t need it right now? What do we need? We need money for the people who aren’t able to pay their rent and need shelter. We need money to go to ALIVE!”

COVID-19’s blow to the FY2021 budget and unknown impacts on the FY2022 bud-get will likely influence many of council’s decisions this fall.

Another nationwide happening likely to impact council’s decision-making is

the movement for social eq-uity and racial justice that emerged in the aftermath of George Floyd’s killing. Floyd, a Black man, was killed by a white police officer in Min-neapolis on May 25.

In response to the inci-dent and nationwide protests that followed, City Council voted on June 11 to establish a community police review board to oversee the Alex-andria Police Department. Jinks will present a proposal to establish the board at the legislative session on Sept. 8.

In addition to ironing out the details of the review board, several councilors said they want to reassess the city’s policies around po-licing this fall.

“I think we have an op-portunity as we go forward, to reduce the number of sit-uations where we’re sending police to scenes to deal with things that could more effec-tively dealt with by other city agencies,” Wilson said.

“After hours and on the weekends, we send police to deal with noise violations,” Wilson continued. “We send police to deal with a quality of life impact on restaurants and things like that, and … you don’t need an armed po-lice officer to deal with a lot of those disputes, so I think we’re going to have a conver-sation around the appropri-ate way to deploy police as well as what other city agen-cies we can get involved in the conversation.”

Aside from COVID-19 and social justice-related issues, council has a host of land-use, zoning and other topics on the radar this fall.

Several major DSUP ap-plications will come before council for approval this month, including plans for the new Douglas MacArthur Elementary School and the first academic buildings on the Virginia Tech Innova-tion Campus.

The community engage-ment and planning phases of

the MacArthur rebuild have been in the works for almost a year. If the plans are ap-proved, demolition of the ex-isting building will likely be-gin this month, Jackson said.

“MacArthur is one of our first major school projects in a long time, so I think that’s a big deal for the community,” Vice Mayor Elizabeth Ben-nett-Parker said.

As for Virginia Tech, ap-proval of the first new build-ings is also a major step. Architectural renderings of the buildings, filed with the city in April, feature a design centered on the principals of sustainability, health and wellness, green and social spaces, accessibility, connec-tivity, flexibility and inte-grated technology, according to Virginia Tech.

As the Innovation Cam-pus takes shape and Potomac Yard evolves and develops, Councilor Canek Aguirre said he wants to make sure that the new development doesn’t push out existing residents.

“The Arlandria small area plan, there is some continued movement on that, and I think that’s go-ing to be very important while we’re talking about the impact of Amazon and Virginia Tech and equity in the city, and how current

residents can still benefit from the incoming econom-ic development that’s going to occur,” Aguirre said.

In addition to specific DSUPs, SUPs and projects that council will consid-er, the group plans to make changes to some of the city’s larger policy and zoning regulations.

One specific zoning change council will consider is whether to increase Floor Area Ratio at school sites.

“There are a bunch of schools that don’t meet their current zoning today, [and] there’s a whole bunch of other schools that if you do any expansion whatsoever, they’re going to have to be rezoned,” Wilson said. “So what this is doing is, this is basically saying OK, every school we do work on is going to have to be bigger, so this provides a modest increase in floor area ratio for our school sites as we go forward.”

Jackson said she wants to hear from the community before she makes a decision about the FAR regulations.

Dockets for council’s Sept. 8 legislative meeting and Sept. 12 public hearing have not yet been released. For more information, go to alexandriava.gov/council.

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The approved amend-ment differs from what city staff recommended. Origi-nally scheduled to go before the commission during its April hearing, the proposed change would have allowed public schools to increase FAR up to 0.6 “by-right,” meaning without SUP ap-proval. Any increase above 0.6 FAR would have required SUP approval, but there would be no cap on FAR.

This compromise propos-al keeps the requirement for a SUP, which was a key point of opposition by residents and the city’s Civic Associations, for proposals that exceed the FAR restrictions of a site's zone. But it raises the cap on poten-tial buildings from 0.6 to 0.75, which will allow for buildings that are up to 25% larger.

The proposal came in re-sponse to Alexandria City Pub-lic Schools’ ongoing capacity and facilities challenges, while the compromise at least par-

tially accommodates residents who had expressed alarm at the lack of public input that would have been required for future school buildings.

ACPS schools are already over capacity in some cases, and enrollment is projected to reach more than 18,000 students by FY 2029. T.C. Williams alone is project-ed to reach 5,000 students within the next five years, according to staff.

Due to the cost associated with purchasing new proper-ty and the limited amount of available real estate that can accommodate new schools, ACPS is focusing its efforts on redeveloping properties it already owns and expanding current school buildings.

Since many school sites are located in residential neighborhoods, where zoning standards are based around single family homes, the po-tential density for school sites in those zones is limited. Un-der current regulations in the Zoning Ordinance, pub-

lic school sites in residential zones that limit FAR to 0.35 can increase their FAR to 0.6 through a special use permit.

City staff determined that by easing FAR restrictions, ACPS could expand school ca-pacity at its current properties without significantly impact-ing adjacent communities.

“We have so many other requirements that protect communities and other prop-erties from any negative im-pacts, that it’s covered,” Dirk Garetz, principal planner with the city, said. “We did feel that if you’re going to go above 0.6, that would seem reasonable that something above that would be subject to the SUP. That just affords a little additional scrutiny that you would not otherwise have with just the DSP.”

Many of Alexandria’s civ-ic associations opposed the amendment presented by staff.

Neighborhood organiza-tions like the North Ridge Citizens’ Association and Seminary Hill Association

argued that such a sweep-ing change to the city’s zon-ing regulations would im-pact low density residential neighborhoods located near city schools.

“If approved, we do believe that this amendment would [be] a glaring example of arbi-trary, capricious and unsup-ported administrative action by the city with detrimental impacts, particularly on low density residential neigh-borhoods that don’t have the infrastructure to support the massive new buildings that you’re contemplating,” Kay Stimson, a representative for the NRCA, said at Tuesday’s virtual hearing.

In a letter to the Planning Commission, the NRCA also expressed concern that the amendment would decrease open space and undermine the city’s environmental policies.

The NRCA was not alone: The Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations supported the organization’s concerns.

For AFCA co-chair Peter

Benovic, staff’s presentation of the amendment was indic-ative of a larger problem.

“We feel that this is one of many different issues that has a common thread to it regarding the public not hav-ing meaningful and timely input,” Benovic said.

“It’s yet another example of our city government’s lack of transparency, all of which further undermines the pub-lic trust,” Carter Flemming, president of the Seminary Hill Association, said.

The Douglas MacArthur Elementary School rebuild project remained the ele-phant in the room through-out the public discussion and the commission’s own delib-eration. The SUP for the proj-ect came in at 0.71 FAR, cre-ating a potential roadblock for a project that is on a tight timeline.

The need to move the MacArthur project forward played a significant role in the

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Alexandria compares favorably to NOVA neigh-bors in deaths per caseBY DENISE DUNBAR

The seven-day COVID-19 average positivity rate on the Virginia Department of Health website is the best indicator of how a city is trending with cases, while the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association site tracks trends in current hospitalizations. This is the best indicator of current COVID-19 severity.

Fortunately, there is positive news on both fronts: Alexandria’s sev-en-day COVID-19 positivity rate fell from 6.2% on Aug. 24 to 4.5% on Sept. 1, while Virginia’s current hospital-ization seven-day average dropped from 1,204 on Aug. 24 to 1,108 on Sept. 1.

How Alexandria stacks

up against other locali-ties cumulatively since the coronavirus swept into Virginia six months ago is more difficult to evaluate. The positivity rate is a use-ful tool for analyzing cur-rent COVID-19 levels, but it doesn’t account for case se-verity, and it’s also current, not cumulative.

In an effort to compare how localities have fared cumulatively, this article will examine COVID-19 case, hospitalization and death data relative to a lo-cality’s population. The article also examines local-ities’ hospitalization and death rates relative to their cumulative case totals, con-sidering factors like loca-tion, density and racial and age demographics to help explain trends.

Prince William County and the City of Alexandria

have the highest rates of cumulative COVID-19 cases per 100 residents in North-ern Virginia, with 2.8 and 2,

respectively. Paradoxically, these two localities also have the lowest death per case ra-tio in the region, with Prince

William at 1.63 deaths per 100 cases and Alexandria at

Analysis: A look at cumulative COVID-19 trendsCOVID-19 Outcomes

NOVA Case per res. Deaths per res. Hosp. per case Deaths per case

Alexandria 2% 0.04% 8.8% 1.8%

Arlington 1.5% 0.06% 13.1% 3.9%

Fairfax 1.6% 0.05% 11.2% 3.1%

Loudoun 1.5% 0.03% 6.4% 2%

Prince William 2.8% 0.05% 7.8% 1.6%

Various Case per res. Deaths per res. Hosp. per case Deaths per case

Danville 1.5% 0.04% 9.7% 2.6%

Norfolk 1.8% 0.02% 6.5% 1.2%

Richmond 1.7% 0.02% 9.6% 1.2%

Roanoke 1.2% 0.02% 3.7% 1.3%

Statewide 1.4% 0.03% 7.9% 2.1%

Locality Demographics

NOVA Population Density Median Age Black % Hispanic/Latino%

Alexandria 165,748 10,399 36.4 21.9% 16.8%

Arlington 237,521 8,918 34.4 9.7% 15.6%

Fairfax 1,150,800 2,926 38 10.6% 16.5%

Loudoun 406,850 747 36 8.1% 13.9%

Prince William 468,011 1,358 35.4 22.2% 24.5%

Various Population Density Median Age Black % Hispanic/Latino%

Danville 39,455 922 41.1 49.2% 4.1%

Norfolk 242,234 4,541 30.4 41.6% 7.9%

Richmond 232,055 3,741 33.5 47.8% 6.7%

Roanoke 99,648 2,343 38.4 41.6% 7.9%

Statewide 8,626,210 214 38.3 19.9% 9.8%

COVID-19 Outcomes


Alexandria 2% 0.04% 8.8% 1.8%

Arlington 1.5% 0.06% 13.1% 3.9%

Fairfax 1.6% 0.05% 11.2% 3.1%

Loudoun 1.5% 0.03% 6.4% 2%

Prince William 2.8% 0.05% 7.8% 1.6%


Danville 1.5% 0.04% 9.7% 2.6%

Norfolk 1.8% 0.02% 6.5% 1.2%

Richmond 1.7% 0.02% 9.6% 1.2%

Roanoke 1.2% 0.02% 3.7% 1.3%

Statewide 1.4% 0.03% 7.9% 2.1%



Alexandria 165,748 10,399 36.4 21.9% 16.8%

Arlington 237,521 8,918 34.4 9.7% 15.6%

Fairfax 1,150,800 2,926 38 10.6% 16.5%

Loudoun 406,850 747 36 8.1% 13.9%

Prince William 468,011 1,358 35.4 22.2% 24.5%


Danville 39,455 922 41.1 49.2% 4.1%

Norfolk 242,234 4,541 30.4 41.6% 7.9%

Richmond 232,055 3,741 33.5 47.8% 6.7%

Roanoke 99,648 2,343 38.4 41.6% 7.9%

Statewide 8,626,210 214 38.3 19.9% 9.8%

COVID-19 Outcomes

CHART/LYVI SIEGDATA/VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, WORLD POPULATION REVIEW

The data above involved calculations made using statistics from the VDH and World Population Re-view. CPR/Percentage of residents who have contracted COVID. DPR/Percentage of residents who have died from COVID-19. HPC/Percentage of COVID-19 cases that have been hospitalized. DPC/Percentage of COVID-19 cases that have died.

SEE COVID-19 TRENDS | 12

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1.84.The numbers for Fairfax

and Arlington counties are almost an inverse of Alex-andria and Prince William. Fairfax and Arlington have significantly fewer cas-es per 100 residents, with 1.61 and 1.5 respectively, but Fairfax’s death rate per case is almost double that of Alexandria and Prince William, while Arlington’s is more than double.

A locality’s percentage of minority residents likely ac-counts for some of its COVID performance. Alexandria and Prince William have the highest percentage of Black and Latino residents rela-tive to their overall popula-tion. Alexandria’s Black and Latino residents combine for 39% of the total population, while 47% of Prince William County’s residents are Black or Latino, according to U.S.

Census Bureau data.Many residents in these

communities appear to have continued working at front-line jobs that have put them at greater risk of contract-ing COVID-19, which could help explain Alexandria and Prince William’s higher case per resident rate.

While vastly over-repre-sented in cases, the combined Black and Latino residents of Alexandria and Prince William are more accurate-ly reflected when it comes to COVID-19 deaths. In Alexan-dria, 25 out of 61 COVID-19 deaths designated by race and ethnicity, or about 41%, have been Black or Latino res-idents. That is slightly above but similar to their 39% rep-resentation in Alexandria’s overall population.

In Prince William the gap is slightly larger: 116 out of 218 COVID-19 deaths iden-tified by race and ethnicity, about 53%, have been Black

or Latino residents, while these groups comprise 47% of the population.

This again contrasts with Arlington County, where Black and Latino residents have been disproportionate-

ly hard-hit by severe cases of COVID. While they make up only 26% of residents, Blacks and Latinos account for 58 out of 141, or 41%, COVID-19 deaths identified by race and ethnicity.

Lower median age may also help explain why some localities have fewer severe COVID-19 cases than oth-ers. Fairfax County, Alex-

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COVID-19 Outcomes


Alexandria 2% 0.04% 8.8% 1.8%

Arlington 1.5% 0.06% 13.1% 3.9%

Fairfax 1.6% 0.05% 11.2% 3.1%

Loudoun 1.5% 0.03% 6.4% 2%

Prince William 2.8% 0.05% 7.8% 1.6%


Danville 1.5% 0.04% 9.7% 2.6%

Norfolk 1.8% 0.02% 6.5% 1.2%

Richmond 1.7% 0.02% 9.6% 1.2%

Roanoke 1.2% 0.02% 3.7% 1.3%

Statewide 1.4% 0.03% 7.9% 2.1%



Alexandria 165,748 10,399 36.4 21.9% 16.8%

Arlington 237,521 8,918 34.4 9.7% 15.6%

Fairfax 1,150,800 2,926 38 10.6% 16.5%

Loudoun 406,850 747 36 8.1% 13.9%

Prince William 468,011 1,358 35.4 22.2% 24.5%


Danville 39,455 922 41.1 49.2% 4.1%

Norfolk 242,234 4,541 30.4 41.6% 7.9%

Richmond 232,055 3,741 33.5 47.8% 6.7%

Roanoke 99,648 2,343 38.4 41.6% 7.9%

Statewide 8,626,210 214 38.3 19.9% 9.8%

COVID-19 Outcomes


Alexandria 2% 0.04% 8.8% 1.8%

Arlington 1.5% 0.06% 13.1% 3.9%

Fairfax 1.6% 0.05% 11.2% 3.1%

Loudoun 1.5% 0.03% 6.4% 2%

Prince William 2.8% 0.05% 7.8% 1.6%


Danville 1.5% 0.04% 9.7% 2.6%

Norfolk 1.8% 0.02% 6.5% 1.2%

Richmond 1.7% 0.02% 9.6% 1.2%

Roanoke 1.2% 0.02% 3.7% 1.3%

Statewide 1.4% 0.03% 7.9% 2.1%



Alexandria 165,748 10,399 36.4 21.9% 16.8%

Arlington 237,521 8,918 34.4 9.7% 15.6%

Fairfax 1,150,800 2,926 38 10.6% 16.5%

Loudoun 406,850 747 36 8.1% 13.9%

Prince William 468,011 1,358 35.4 22.2% 24.5%


Danville 39,455 922 41.1 49.2% 4.1%

Norfolk 242,234 4,541 30.4 41.6% 7.9%

Richmond 232,055 3,741 33.5 47.8% 6.7%

Roanoke 99,648 2,343 38.4 41.6% 7.9%

Statewide 8,626,210 214 38.3 19.9% 9.8%


CHART/LYVI SIEGDATA/U.S. CENSUS ANNUAL ESTIMATES, WORLD POPULATION REVIEW, TOWN CHARTS, DATA USA

The data above involved calculations made using statistics from the VDH and World Population Review. Density/Number of residents per square mile. Black%/Percentage of residents who are black. H/L%/Per-centage of residents who are Hispanic or Latino

COVID-19 TRENDS FROM | 10

SEE COVID-19 TRENDS | 13


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andria and Prince William County follow that basic model: Fairfax has the old-est median age in the region, 38 years, while Alexandria and Prince William are, re-spectively, 1.6 and 2.6 years younger on average. Fairfax County’s case per resident rate is lower than Alexan-dria and Prince William’s, but Fairfax residents have endured much higher rates of hospitalization and death per case.

Zip code COVID-19 and U.S. Census Bureau data has indicated that Latino res-idents in particular seem to be younger, which likely helps explain the lower rates of hospitalization and death per case in Prince William and Alexandria.

Arlington County’s expe-rience with age as a predictor defies these trends. It has the lowest median age in North-ern Virginia, at 34.4 years, yet by far the highest death rate per cumulative case in the region. Arlington’s rate of deaths per 100 residents is 50% higher than Alex-andria’s, while Arlington’s death rate per COVID-19 case is more than double that of Alexandria: 3.9 people out of every 100 to contract COVID-19 have died in Ar-lington County, while Alex-andria’s death rate is 1.8%.

Loudoun County is the outlier in Northern Virginia, with the lowest rate of cases per 100 residents, 1.47; low-est rate of deaths per 100 res-idents, .03; and lowest hospi-talization rate per 100 cases, 6.42. Loudoun’s location fur-ther outside of D.C. than its regional counterparts and its significantly lower level of density – just 747 residents per square mile – could likely explain these numbers.

Location and density don’t explain the fact that Arlington has fared signifi-cantly worse than Alexan-dria with COVID-19 hospi-

talizations and deaths. Both localities lie inside the belt-way, and they have the high-est and second highest den-sities in Virginia. Alexandria is first with 10,399 residents per square mile, and Arling-ton has 8,918, according to TownCharts.com.

COVID-19 outbreaks may explain the discrepancy be-tween Alexandria and Ar-lington’s death rates. While both localities have had 19 overall COVID outbreaks, as defined by the VDH, 14 outbreaks in Arlington have been in long-term care facili-ties, compared to 11 in Alex-andria. In addition, Arling-ton’s overall outbreaks have included 565 cases, more than 200 higher than Alex-andria’s 324.

A look at four other cities around the state – Danville, Norfolk, Richmond and Ro-anoke – reveals some sim-ilar age-related COVID-19 trends. Norfolk, at 30.4 years, and Richmond, at 33.5 years, have by far the lowest median ages of the four cities. Norfolk and Richmond also have the highest rate of cases rela-tive to population and the lowest death rate per case of these cities.

Conversely, Danville has the oldest median popula-tion, at 41.1 years, and its COVID death rate per 100 residents is twice that of the other three, .04 compared to .02. Its death rate per 100 COVID cases of 2.64 is also more than double that in the other three cities, though it’s still considerably lower than those of Arlington and Fair-fax counties.

Racial demographics don’t seem to be the deter-mining factor in these cities, as all four have similar com-bined Black and Latino pop-ulations of between 50 and 54% of their total residents. All but Danville had a lower death rate per case than the statewide average.

[email protected]

COVID-19 TRENDS FROM | 12


BY EVAN CAMPBELL

If you are bored of staying inside watching TV or playing video games, put those aside, grab a bike and hit the trails, because there are lots of great mountain biking trails in Northern Virginia. Since most sports were canceled due to COVID-19, my dad in-troduced me to mountain bik-ing, and I have been doing it for the last three months.

Mountain biking is when you ride on special trails through forests, parks and mountains. Some trails have obstacles, such as roots, jumps and banks – a special dirt pile designed so you don’t have to slow down when turning.

In my opinion, the best part about mountain biking is that you can zigzag through-out trees and go really fast. It makes me feel like I’m rid-ing on my own rollercoaster. Another great thing about mountain biking is that you can take your family and friends. They will have a blast.

Mountain biking is a safe sport to do during quarantine because you don’t have to be close to people or have phys-ical contact with people. It’s also outdoors, so it’s safer than other indoor activities. Even if there are a lot of people on the trail and someone is coming in your direction, you can safely pull over so you can maintain your distance. Mountain bik-ing is a fun and safe sport to do during quarantine.

If you are looking for a hilly but simple trail, go to Mount Vernon District Park,

located behind Mount Vernon RECenter off Fort Hunt Road in Fairfax County. This place is great for hiking, jogging and, of course, mountain bik-ing. The best part about this trail is it has its own moun-tain biking track with jumps, banks and a small wooden berm – a raised wooden plat-form similar to a boardwalk. This is a small but fun trail.

If you are looking for some-thing more advanced than Mount Vernon District Park, Meadowood Trail is the place for you. Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area in Lorton is a large park that is mostly designed for mountain biking, but also offers hiking and horseback riding trails.

Meadowood has a begin-ner trail called the South Branch Loop Trail, a 4.7-mile trail that has some roots, bridge crossings and moder-ately steep hills. Meadowood also has two intermediate trails with challenging jumps, banks and wooden berms.

My favorite intermediate trail is the Boss Trail. This trail starts with a wooden berm with moguls and a gi-ant wooden bank. It has steep hills, rocks and a bridge-cross-ing. The Boss Trail is very ex-

citing but challenging. Mead-owood is a great place for riders of various levels.

There are many more trails that I haven’t been to in Northern Virginia. If you want to learn more about mountain biking, including where to find trails and the difficulty level, go to mtbproject.com.

For me, mountain biking is a fun way to do something

outside with my family. It even gave me the idea to start a bike cleaning business to make money over the summer.

COVID-19 changed a lot of things I was going to do this summer, including visit-ing my family in California, participating in sports camps and competing in my tennis league. All of these changes made me disappointed, but

then I discovered mountain biking, which gave me some-thing to do and an opportuni-ty to escape everything that is happening right now. If you’re looking for an escape, mountain biking is a thrilling option for anyone who likes to ride bikes.

The writer is a fifth grader at Grace Episcopal School.

Mountain biking in NOVA

EVAN CAMPBELL

COURTESY PHOTOEvan Campbell rides his mountain bike on Boss Trail at the Meadowood Special Recreation Management Area in Lorton.


If you want your child's art featured in the Alexandria Times, then email your photos to [email protected].

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at the beginning of Septem-ber. However, they were not informed when the tree would be cut down, according to Meyers.

The tree stood in the Woods neighborhood adja-cent to T.C. Williams, and, for residents, felling this tree is the latest in a long, controversial history of mistreatment.

In the 1960s, the city seized the land of the pre-dominantly black neighbor-hood through eminent do-main and built T.C. Williams on the site. The city paid displaced residents for their homes well below market val-ue and agreed to build them new homes on Woods Avenue.

Residents allege that the city and ACPS also entered into a verbal agreement with residents that stadium light-ing would never go up at the school. In October 2018, city council approved the stadi-um project, with the inclu-

sion of stadium lights, and several groups of neighbors filed lawsuits against both the city and schools.

When ACPS announced it would be cutting down the tree, residents banded togeth-er to protest the plan. They started a Change.org petition that had 2,871 signatures as of Wednesday. Some residents quickly started calling the tree a “witness tree,” a testament to the historical significance of the oak tree.

ACPS maintains that if there had been another op-tion for locating the conces-sion stand, the school divi-sion would have pursued it.

“We empathize with the members of the community who wanted to see the tree remain and want to assure the community that had there been a viable alterna-tive, it would have been pur-sued,” Helen Lloyd, executive director of the Office of Com-munications at ACPS, said in an emailed statement. “Our architects looked at all oth-

er options for siting the new facilities on the Parker-Gray field and there was simply no other option.”

ACPS will be planting 31 new trees on the site, “al-though we know that this in no way makes up for the loss of this mature tree,” Lloyd said.

Meyers said the public should have had more of a say in how the situation was handled. He felt ACPS did not adequately explore using the tree as part of the stadi-um’s design. For an institu-tion focused on educating the next generation of Al-exandrians, Meyers said he was disappointed to see the school division mishandle such an historical artifact.

“They have no respect for history. That’s the bottom line,” Meyers said. “… I’m go-ing to be a steward of the leg-acy and history and a care-taker for the next generation. But if you cut it down and cut it up, you have no respect for the generation to come.”

[email protected]

PHOTO/MCARTHUR MEYERSResidents had been protesting Alexandria City Public Schools' plan to cut down the tree for a month. They were not notified when the tree would be cut down.

WITNESS TREE FROM | 1


CROSSWORDDis-tortionClues include hybrid citrus fruits, "kicks" and more. | Page 21

HOMESKitchen designRecent changes to kitchen design during COVID-19. | Page 18

TimesLivinqPETS

The past few months have been a stressful time for all of us as we face overwhelming uncertainty and loss caused by the novel coronavirus. Many have turned to their pets to ease anxiety.

It makes sense. Along with the enjoyment they provide, pets offer a variety of health benefits, including decreased blood pressure, lower choles-terol and more, according to

the Centers for Disease Con-trol and Prevention. Pets also increase exercise, outdoor activity and opportunities for social connection.

When facing emotional loss and physical or emo-tional pain, pets can help provide the motivation we need to keep going. During the pandemic, they may be even more important. While interactions with other peo-

ple are limited right now, our pets can be with us with no restrictions. Their presence

Pets ease the pain of the

pandemicKIM

GILLIAM

BY KIM GILLIAM

SEE PETS | 20

FILE PHOTODuring the pandemic, pets allow people to continue exercising and provide opportunities for social connection.


HOMES

BY MARY G. PEPITONE

The kitchen is a home's hot spot. But a kitchen's de-sign trends aren't trendy when its composition and construction are dictated by how people really live, according to Jonas Car-nemark, whose eponymous design-build firm is based in Bethesda, Maryland.

“The self-isolation caused by the coronavirus pandemic has placed a magnifying lens on home design, especially in the kitchen,” Carnemark said. “The kitchen isn't just a place where people prepare and eat food. It's the heart and hub of a home, where everyone gathers before and after meals, too.”

Influential changes to kitchen design include plans for aging in place, homeown-ers' need to escape from a cha-otic world, a desire to live with less and more people working from home, according to a re-port by the National Kitchen and Bath Association.

“When designing kitch-ens, people want an open,

minimalistic space in which many can gather and yet have a space that feels cozy and calming,” Carnemark said. “The NKBA research highlights and objectifies trends we've been seeing in the kitchen, such as quality builds in terms of sustain-ability and functionality.”

Whether the cook is on the go, with little time for meal prep, or a more health-con-scious experimental epicure with the desire to prepare fresh foods, the kitchen is now accommodating many styles and skill levels.

Connected living“The kitchen is the natural

place in the home to gather, and as a result, people want to feel connected – both to each other and the world at large,” Carnemark said. “People want literal access to the outside world and nature from their kitchen or digitally, through electronic devices.”

The first step to more connected kitchen living is tearing down walls. A formal, separate dining room has

been tabled in favor of incor-porating many types of seat-ing as the kitchen area occu-pies more square footage.

Today's kitchen has a liv-ing area outfitted with sofa, stuffed chairs and a big-screen television that is wired for movie marathons, big game day gatherings and Zoom calls. In this space – which can include a bar area and fire-place – families can chill out and lounge around in a com-fortable atmosphere with easy access to the kitchen and food.

A kitchen that also en-courages outdoor living is the environment many home-owners desire. The installa-tion of sliding doors from the larger kitchen area to an out-door patio encourages gath-erings to spill outside.

Simplified livingWith an open floor-plan

kitchen design, everything is on display, so it's important to keep the space clutter-free. Carnemark relies on his Scan-dinavian sensibilities when

designing kitchens that have both form and function.

“Americans are desiring a minimalistic style design aes-thetic in their homes, whether you're borrowing inspiration from the German Bauhaus movement or the Japanese wabi-sabi philosophy,” he said. “The idea is to fill your house with experiences and people, not possessions.”

Invest in high-quali-ty building materials and craftsmanship, so less time is spent fixing or replacing broken items in the kitchen. Cabinets, countertops and backsplashes with clean lines are easier to wipe down. Cus-tomized storage for every-thing from servingware to spices means there's a place for everything, and every-thing is put back in place.

“A well-stocked and orga-nized pantry means the food you have doesn't go to waste,” Carnemark said. “And if ev-eryone knows where items are located in the kitchen, you're more likely to have more in-

volvement in mealtime prepa-ration and cleanup.”

Healthy livingIt's impossible to not

consider one's health during the age of coronavirus, but a move toward preparing plant-based dishes, using un-processed meats and whole grains predates the pandem-ic, Carnemark said.

“People are growing their own herbs, whether it's in pots on the counter or in garden beds right outside the kitch-en,” he said. “We are dialed into the earth by consciously using sustainable materials during the building process.”

Cool zones are hot in the kitchen as designers are figuring out a colder kitch-en flow. Refrigeration and freezer appliances can be built-in or freestanding, stowed under the counter in drawers or standing upright as wine columns.

“The refrigerated zones

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This renovated, brick row-house has a covered front porch and fenced-in front yard with a white picket fence.

This home has all the fea-tures of a 1920s home with updates and modern ameni-ties and touches. There are exposed brick walls in various rooms, 9-foot ceilings, mold-ings, refinished red oak wood floors throughout, a freshly painted interior and over-sized windows.

The formal living room has built in bookshelves, crown molding and lots of natural light, while the din-ing room is perfect for enter-taining with an exposed brick wall and a service bar with cabinets, quartz countertops

and a wine refrigerator.The recently renovated

kitchen has gray-blue, cus-tom, Thomasville cabinetry; a copper sink; quartz coun-tertops; exposed brick and top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances.

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tures and shiplap accent wall. A wide staircase leads to

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yard and has alley access. Enjoy barbecues and dining al fresco on the patio.

The home also includes dual-zone heat and air con-ditioning, replacement win-dows, updated bathrooms and a recently painted interior.

HOME OF THE WEEK

Renovated rowhouse in Old Town North

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AT A GLANCE

COURTESY PHOTOS

COURTESY PHOTO

HOMES anchor a kitchen's workflow,” Carnemark said. “Based on refrigeration, you can build multiple stations in the kitchen, from meal prep to drink and snack drawers.”

Living in placeUniversal design con-

cepts have universal appeal for homeowners and refer to a broad spectrum of modifi-cations that can inherently make a space more livable and accessible for both aging and differently abled individuals.

In the kitchen, universal design can be the embodi-ment of one-level living with wider doors, nonslip floor-ing and readily accessible switches and home controls, Carnemark said.

“Universal design concepts aren't just precepts to be ap-

plied to homes for aging pop-ulations; it's just good design,” he said. “Wider clearances around the kitchen island and multileveled countertop work spaces just make sense so more can pitch in and help.”

Overall, creating an en-

vironment in the kitchen and adjacent areas that is comfortable and accessible – while being technologi-cally wired for lighting and Wi-Fi, with clean and orga-nized cabinets using natural and durable finishes – makes

cooking time more charmed, and less a chore.

“Multigenerational liv-ing is a reality now in many homes, thanks to the pan-

demic,” Carnemark said. “These new living situations have their own synergism and opportunity to connect in the kitchen.”

PHOTO/THE NATIONAL KITCHEN AND BATH ASSOCIATIONThis award-winning kitchen design, created by Sandra Gjesdahl, encourages outdoor living with the installation of sliding doors.

PHOTO/ASHLEY GOSSETT/H2 BUILDERSToday's kitchen has a living area outfitted with sofa, stuffed chairs and a big-screen television. In this space, families can chill out and lounge around in a comfortable atmosphere with easy access to the kitchen and food.

KITCHEN FROM | 18


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PETSis a comfort in many ways. Physically, petting a furry animal releases calming and relaxing endorphins. Psycho-logically, pets can divert sad and uncomfortable thoughts, providing a much-needed, comforting distraction.

This helps explain why Americans have been adding pets to their households in re-cord numbers this year. While 54% of American households started the year with pets, that number is on the rise, ac-cording to research published in the recent Packaged Facts market research report. They project 4% growth in the pet ownership households base in 2020, bringing the total num-ber of pet-owning households in the U.S. to nearly 71 million.

There has been a similar growth in embracing lifelike robotic pets in elder care and long-term nursing homes. These companion animals have been linked to reductions in depression, agitation, lone-liness, nursing staff stress and medication use. These robot-

ic pets are designed to bring comfort, companionship and fun to elder loved ones. New York became the first state to test the robotic pets with isolated older adults, and re-sults showed that using pets to lower social isolation was highly successful, with 70% of pilot participants reporting a decrease in isolation after one year, per a news release from Ageless Innovation.

Here are five ways your pets can help you during the pandemic.

Talk to themPets are great listen-

ers. They often pick up on your emotions and provide non-judgemental emotional support. Sometimes, just say-ing things aloud can help you work through your troubles.

Comedic relief Pets are funny, often

without any effort at all, and laughter is an excellent way to relieve stress.

Take a walkPets are often hap-

py to accompany you on a walk, an excellent way to get much-needed exercise, breathe some fresh air and greet neighbors from afar.

Snuggle timeWhile we may not be able

to touch other humans out-side our homes right now, our pets are safe to cuddle.

Share the sweetnessWhile social media feeds

are filled with sobering news, a photo or video of your pet can create a connection with others and bring a smile to their faces.

If you’ve been struggling to look at the positives in this stressful time, you’re not alone. However, it’s im-portant to remember that if you’re a pet owner, having a pet is a privilege and a plea-sure. Be sure to find ways to enjoy your extra time with them.

The writer co-owns Frolick Dogs, an indoor dog gym

in Alexandria, with her husband, Kevin Gilliam.

PETS FROM | 17


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Weekly Words

DIS-TORTION by Debbie Ellerin, edited by David SteinbergACROSS1. Hybrid citrus fruits6. Parka parts11. Perform, as one's trade14. "Me too!"19. "Fine" or "floral" follower20. Pains' partner21. Tee-___22. Walked to and fro23. Toss some junk mail?26. Please, in Potsdam27. Make a selection28. Assistant professor's goal29. Didn't dine out31. Author/director Ephron32. Turning off phone notifications,

say?35. Important Tuscan family38. Huge amount39. Actor Matt40. Eden evictee41. Badger or hound ... or an old

horse44. Edge that's sometimes salted46. Frequent surfer50. Deem "please" and "thank you"

unimportant?55. Milan's La ___56. "You can't win ___ all"57. Flight for one58. The Constitution, for one

61. Firing place62. Meat market?64. T, on a test67. ___ tear (common sports

injury)68. Ipanema's city, informally69. "Do the Right Thing" pizzeria

owner72. Have a sale on woolly animals?76. Start of something?77. Pub brew78. "Yada, yada, yada" letters79. NYC neighborhood near East

Village80. Cheesy Italian dish, for short82. Designer's detail, briefly84. Hand-me-down86. Name that anagrams to Dane88. Teeny91. Azalea, for one93. Place poultry in the window?98. "Go us!"101. Eden evictee102. Bout ender, at times (Abbr.)103. Like fried food104. Cut-and-dry establishment?106. Suffix for north108. Ye Olde ___110. Talk about a sky-colored line?117. Apt exam in dental school?118. Group of eight119. Clipping implement

120. Band's booster123. Low brass instruments125. Leave an argument unre-

solved, and a theme hint128. Beethoven dedicatee129. Vietnamese holiday130. Dandelions, e.g.131. Bridal shower pile132. Like thick fog133. Excited reaction134. GPA booster135. Early stage

DOWN1. Fancy coif2. Part of a racket3. "He's making a ___ ..."4. Business magazine5. No radio silence?6. "I ___ noticed"7. Happen8. Catherine of "Schitt's Creek"9. Emulate Sherlock10. Government ID issuer11. It's snapped12. Story of Atlantis, for one13. Positive thinker's assertion14. Widespread P.D. alert15. North Pole resident16. Role player17. D.C. subway18. Model of perfection

24. Pine substances25. Actress Kazan30. Iditarod terminus32. Lowered, as the lights33. Ripped to pieces34. Forget-me-___ (certain

flowers)35. Longtime humor magazine36. Polish the language of37. Little sprinkle42. Passes that lead to baskets43. Engineered crop letters45. "The Marvelous ___ Maisel"47. Rumble in the Jungle setting48. Perry of fashion49. iPod Minis' replacements51. Chatted online52. Voice below soprano53. Like a shutout54. Iranian ruler until 197959. Swell treatment?60. Call for help63. In ___ of65. Half dos66. Lucy's friend on "I Love Lucy"69. Smart-alecky70. Aristotle's beginning?71. Not fully trusting73. Looped in on an email74. Pop, to some75. Some hybrids, per Toyota81. Highest peak in N.Z.

83. Plays hooky85. Yahtzee cube87. WaPo competitor89. Hop-jump connector90. Crowdsourced review site92. Suitor94. Slender95. Country where Quechua is

spoken96. Canadian louts97. Science Guy Bill99. "The Sun ___ Rises"100. Sweet Italian wine105. "Wicked Tuna" channel,

informally107. Lipton rival109. Gives it a whirl110. Lavished love (on)111. "Go me!"112. Polio fighter Albert113. Bed on board114. "Kicks"115. Kind of bear for kids116. '90s first lady Gorbacheva120. Sounds from a lab?121. Dole, with "out"122. Gnat or brat124. "Told you so!"126. Palindromic farm female127. Singapore sling alcohol

NELL BRILL (91), of Alexandria, Aug. 21, 2020

KAREN HILL (79), of Alexandria, Aug. 7, 2020

THERESE HOMAN (76), formerly of Alexandria, Aug. 25, 2020

KATHRYN JANSON (99), formerly of Alexandria, Aug. 9, 2020

REGINALD KEELS (52), formerly of Alexandria, Aug. 20, 2020

DONALD MERZ (68), of Alexandria, Aug. 20, 2020

JOHN PAYNE (69), formerly of Alexandria, Aug. 26, 2020

HERMAN E. TURNER (96), of Alexandria, Aug. 23, 2020

ROBERTA RAMSAY (75), of Alexandria, Aug. 25, 2020

DEATH NOTICES


To the editor: So the legislative aide to Alexandria

Vice Mayor Elizabeth Bennett-Parker was arrested for “assault on a police of-ficer” in the District of Columbia’s Ad-ams-Morgan neighborhood.

In commenting on Cassidy Ketchem’s arrest, Bennett-Parker referenced her assistant’s long history of anti-racist work and a desire, shared by both, to “live in a world where Black and brown people are not murdered at the hands of the police.” But why would Ketchem demonstrate these ideals by participat-ing in the burning and destruction of a neighborhood that is predominantly Black and brown?

In her statement, Bennett-Parker could at least have acknowledged that

destruction of what other people have worked to build, as well as assaults on law enforcement officers, are not good behaviors and only hurt the poorest and most vulnerable. Instead, she offered praise for her assistant’s actions and a broad condemnation of policing.

An assault on businesses and homes in Alexandria – and resulting conflict with the Alexandria police – would not have been so easily brushed aside. Sad-ly, Adams-Morgan might as well be on a different planet. Nonetheless, where these women stand and what they are willing to accept ought to be completely clear to Alexandria residents, business owners and police.

-Jack Lichtenstein,Alexandria

To the editor: I was disappointed to read the state-

ment of Vice Mayor Elizabeth Ben-nett-Parker in response to the recent arrest of her aide on allegations of as-saulting a D.C. police officer: in the Aug. 20 Alexandria Times story "Vice mayor's aide arrested during D.C. protests."

Bennett-Parker missed an easy op-portunity to condemn violence directed at police officers. Instead, she quickly changed the subject, praising her aide’s “anti-racist work” and expressing sup-port for structural reform of policing

and the criminal justice system. Fair enough, but what about assaulting po-lice officers? Bennett-Parker wouldn’t express a view on that.

Her refusal to do so should make all Alexandria residents wonder: Will Ben-nett-Parker condemn violence against police officers, even when it’s commit-ted in the name of causes she supports and by people who work for her? That's a simple question. Alexandria residents should demand a clear answer.

-C.J. Wenk,Alexandria

Our View Opinion

Your Views

“Where the press is free and every man is able to read, all is safe.” - Thomas JeffersonCity council returns from its summer break next week and will

immediately begin considering issues of great significance.At its Sept. 8 legislative meeting, council will examine the im-

portant and divisive topic of whether and how to create a commu-nity police oversight board. Proponents say a board is needed to preempt police violence like other communities around the coun-try have experienced, while opponents say a board is redundant because the Human Rights Commission already has oversight of complaints about police.

We aren’t satisfied with either an all new board or the status quo and think the need for ethical oversight goes beyond the police de-partment to include all facets of government.

Alexandria needs an independent ombudsman who would inves-tigate complaints about police behavior and would also be the city’s overall ethical watchdog. During the debate on ethics reform in 2016, Councilor John Chapman at one point proposed an ombudsman. It’s still a good idea.

Council also may consider a zoning amendment that was approved Tuesday night by the Planning Commission regarding allowable floor area ratios for public schools. See today’s Times page one story, “Big-ger Schools?” for more details.

We commend the commission for its compromise vote, which re-tains the requirement for a special use permit for buildings with FAR above the amount allowed in specific zones. That means the public will still have a say because each school proposal must seek a size waiver above a .35 FAR. But the proposal also allows building designs to be considered up to .75 rather than the previous cap of .60.

This compromise seems reasonable to us, given the city’s lack of land and the need for schools to become larger as a result. At the same time, it retains the public process and doesn’t simply allow these larger schools to be approved “by right.”

Another contentious issue that may come before council this fall is the Heritage development that the Alexandria Board of Architec-tural Review recently deferred. This development is simply too large for the city’s Old and Historic District and needs to go back to the – much smaller – drawing board.

There’s a limit to the amount of traffic and density this city can handle, and this development more than any single project that’s been proposed in recent years would do irreparable harm to the fabric of our city.

And then there’s the budget. How does the city make ends meet while suffering enormous revenue losses due to the pandemic? How does a city whose economy is largely based on tourism survive when the tourists don’t come?

We will be curious to see how City Manager Mark Jinks wields his magic pencil during this year’s budget process, as his skills as a bud-get crafter will be tested as never before by the coronavirus-caused budgetary hole.

The city’s flexibility in allowing restaurants and retail stores to set up shop on sidewalks and even into roadways has helped many local businesses stay afloat during the pandemic-caused shutdown and partial reopening, which has also kept revenues going into city coffers. Bill Reagan, executive director of the Small Business Devel-opment Center, explores some of the ways Alexandria has pivoted during the pandemic in his column on the facing page.

Council has many important decisions to make this fall. For ev-eryone’s sake, we hope there are no more major minefields we all have to navigate.

An important session

Vice mayor should have disavowed destruction

Bennett-Parker should condemn violence


The opinions expressed in letters and columns are those of the writers only and do not reflect the views, nor receive the

endorsement, of the Alexandria Times.

To the editor: My cap’s off to Mayor Justin Wil-

son for the thorough and informa-tive monthly reports he shares with the community. They create aware-ness and spur discussion on matters core to our city’s future – including policies related to development, density and housing.

In his “Council Connection for August 2020,” the mayor states “[i]n September of last year, the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Wash-ington Council of Governments (COG) unanimously adopted new regional housing creation targets. ... These tar-gets commit the city to the creation of additional units, with most of those units committed to be affordable for low to middle income households.”

Do not be fooled. Despite its offi-cial-sounding name, the Metropoli-tan Washington Council of Govern-ments is not a governmental entity. It has no legal authority. It is a private non-profit organization. It is funded in part by private contributors whose identities are not easily discernable. It has no standing to “commit” our city to more housing or to any other policy for that matter.

It is not clear why Wilson is chart-ing our city’s future, and taking sweeping and irreversible actions, based on the dictates of a private or-ganization run by people who do not live in our community and who like-ly care little about the impact their plans will have on our neighborhoods, our schools and our environment.

Presumably, this “commitment” helps explain our city government’s rush to create more density in the midst of a pandemic by proposing to:

1) Build apartments on top of el-ementary schools;

2) Eliminate or reduce single family housing zoning;

3) Authorize construction of structures on residential lots usable for Airbnb rentals; and,

4) Greenlight more development while our infrastructure struggles to keep up with the population we already have.

The regional targets advocated by the COG are a total of 320,000 new housing units in the region over the next ten years. At least 75% of the new housing should be in “Ac-tivity Centers or near high-capaci-ty transit” and at least 75% of new housing should be affordable to low-er- and middle-income households.

Yet no one knows whether the assumptions upon which the COG targets are based will be valid post-pandemic, when we could see more teleworking, less use of office and commercial real estate and net migration out of metropolitan areas.

The COG wants Alexandria to add 11,500 new units, or 3.6% of its tar-get for the region – even though our city comprises a miniscule 4/10 of 1% of the region’s land. To put it into context, if our region were the field at Nats Park, Alexandria would com-prise the footprint of an average stu-dio apartment. It is silly to think our compact city, with the little green space we have remaining, can make a difference in achieving regional housing goals.

Our neighbors have consider-ably more land available for meet-ing COG’s targets. Fairfax County, where nearly one in five of our re-gion’s residents live, has 77% of its land zoned for single family hous-ing. Arlington has 42%. Washing-ton, D.C. has 36%. Alexandria has only 29% of its land so zoned.

Neighboring jurisdictions, other than D.C., do not see themselves as similarly “committed” by the COG housing targets. They are following their own paths. For example, Fair-fax – which spans 406 square miles compared to Alexandria’s 15 square miles – has adopted plans far more modest than those proposed by the COG. We should do the same.

Housing is expensive in our city. Many of us have made sacrifices in other areas of our lives to reside here. It is not clear whether targets dictated by the COG are realistic, will

Outside group can’t dictate Alexandria housing goals

The Business Plan with Bill Reagan

Alexandria’s changing landscapeIt’s pretty amazing when you

think about it. Pandemic necessity has become the mother of re-inven-tion of Alexandria’s public landscape.

Nobody expected the pandem-ic’s ripple effects to linger so long. COVID-19 is still easily transmissi-ble and most analysts anticipate the public will continue to prefer forms of social distancing long after vaccines or treatments become available.

Outdoor options for dining, shopping or entertainment are healthier, and they’ve given a new look to our sidewalks and streets-capes. What’s remark-able is how quickly and seamlessly it all came together. City staff and elected officials took quick and decisive ac-tions to bypass public right-of-way restric-tions to enable outdoor choices. It’s enlivened our streets and helped businesses survive, and everyone loves the convenience, safety and aesthetics of alfresco activities.

With the help of lively outdoor spaces and loyal customers, restau-rateurs have achieved sales much closer to prior year performance than they thought possible just months ago. At first, they thought these efforts were short term, but now their hope is to continue out-door service indefinitely.

When phased reopening limited indoor capacity but offered outdoor options, innovative restaurateurs ap-plied for spaces in front of their estab-lishments. Some built decks and rail-ing, added plants, canopies and even lighting powered by solar panels. Other variations include parking lots and alleys that have been converted for outdoor service with ambiance.

The loyal outdoor customer fol-lowing over the spring and summer now has restaurateurs scrambling to find ways to keep it going as cooler weather approaches. They hope that designs and equipment

might enable outdoor options throughout the winter.

The Alexandria Economic Devel-opment Partnership and the Small Business Development Center are planning a virtual program to ac-quaint more business owners with options and strategies for their own outdoor possibilities. The hope is to inspire additional restaurateurs, retailers and even other venues.

The intent is that well-planned and well-ex-ecuted designs might spread this new and functional landscape to all sectors of Alexandria

The information to be shared will include how to apply for the pub-lic right-of-way space, design and construc-tion ideas, compliance with ADA requirements, sources of materials

and equipment and lessons learned. With more businesses undertaking these setups, it’s possible they could achieve economies of scale from co-ordinated group efforts. Panelists will include business owners who have built outdoor facilities and are glad to share their experiences.

It’s incredible to look back over the past six or seven months at the dire circumstances that have caused so much grief and loss, and yet have not only inspired creative survival tactics, but also solutions that en-liven our community. City officials and business leaders deserve ku-dos for their imaginative thinking and planning under pressure. The public also deserves praise for how readily they’ve adapted to new ways of thriving in the face of pandemic.

The city is special because we have talented and innovative citi-zenry, and we must continue work-ing hard and adaptively to keep it that way. We are all in this together.

The writer is executive director of the Alexandria Small Business Development Center.

BILL REAGAN

WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM MARCH 5, 2020 | 27

To the editor: Nathan Macek, volunteer chair

of the Alexandria Planning Com-mission, is also director of proj-ect development and finance and a senior vice president of WSP, a large engineering firm that has been working closely with the city and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority on the Po-tomac Yard Metro Station Alter-native B project.

As director of project develop-ment and finance for WSP, Macek “has conducted cash flow mod-eling and uncertainty analyses of capital and operating funding for more than three dozen trans-portation projects, applying in-novative financing approaches to address the budgetary challenges faced by public agencies,” accord-ing to the WSP website.

Macek publicly testified in favor of Alternative B at the Vir-ginia Department of Environ-mental Quality hearing at the

Durant Center on July 16, 2019, right alongside Paul Smedberg, WMATA board chair. Alexandria Mayor Justin Wilson, City Man-ager Mark Jinks, former Mayor Kerry Donley and others also spoke in favor of the project at the meeting.

Macek’s dual roles – as a senior vice president at the firm that has been assisting the city and Metro for the past 10 years “with ongo-ing financial analysis consult-ing” and other services to secure funding for the new station, and chair of the Alexandria Planning Commission – is a clear conflict of interest.

Why are conflicts of interest, such as this obvious case, tolerat-ed in Alexandria? No financial ad-vantage, either direct or indirect, should be allowed by people serv-ing on public trust boards.

-C. Dara, Hal Hardaway, Jimm Roberts,

Alexandria

Still awaiting ethics reform The Business Plan with Bill Reagan

No reason to panic, every reason to planWhile we’re still learning about

COVID-19, commonly called corona-virus, its potential impacts are dom-inating the media. When we see the effects overseas and outbreaks in the United States, we have good reason to become concerned about what will happen locally.

We’re being told that the best preventive measures for now are all the things you’re supposed to do to avoid the common flu – wash hands frequently, cover coughs and stay home as soon as you begin to feel bad. Staying away from crowds is proba-bly not a bad idea but is likely overkill until we know more about con-tagious cases nearer our region.

Businesses most dis-rupted are those dependent on China for production, and the ripple effects will increasingly affect our daily lives. “What do you mean there’s no Diet Coke?”

Obviously, if travel and gather-ings are risky, hospitality businesses will suffer and the tourism industry has begun planning accordingly.

At the White House press confer-ence last week, the head of the Cen-ters for Disease Control said it was a good time for businesses to dust off their pandemic preparedness plans, but let’s get real. Few small busi-nesses have emergency plans on the shelf. Yes, we should all have them but those are often among the smart practices we’re perpetually hoping to get to next year.

There are, however, some real-ly worthwhile things that business owners can start thinking about now that might help out if circumstances worsen locally – and, incidentally, these are smart preparations to un-dertake at any time, so you’re not wasting effort.

The listing below is pulled from a variety of experts and reputable sites. To echo the comment of one of those experts, Patricia Frame, a hu-man resources consultant frequently

engaged by Alexandria SBDC, “There is no reason to panic. There is every reason to plan.”

First, owners should consider their business’s essential functions, and evaluate how those might be impacted by significant employee absences. Now is the time to cross-train employees on one another’s responsibilities.

The next step is to evaluate lo-gistics required for employees to

work remotely, and those might require enhanced communications such as providing a phone and computer.

Owners need to re-view their HR policies for possible changes to encourage employees to stay home if they’re not feeling well; paying em-

ployees during extended sick leave for themselves or sick/quarantined family members; or dealing with having to close for a temporary period. Perhaps you should estab-lish special HR provisions just for COVID-19 circumstances.

Also important is identifying credible sources of information. You’re already hearing misinforma-tion about con artists taking advan-tage of the situation. Our local Health Department website is constantly updated with the most current and valid information and will also have links to other key sites. Go to: https://www.alexandriava.gov/Health and search “coronavirus.”

Alexandria SBDC staff has ad-vised businesses through similar circumstances in the past and will provide updates and suggestions as conditions develop. To review our tip sheet on how businesses can manage the coronavirus, see our website at alexandriasbdc.org.

Though much is still unknown, it makes sense for you to begin thinking and planning now.

The writer is executive director of the Alexandria Small Business

Development Center.

BILL REAGAN

was public engagement for the upcoming Arlandria and Del Ray small area plan updates. Outreach for this effort has included mul-tiple community meetings, open houses and pop-up events con-ducted in Spanish and English. Meetings included childcare, to facilitate attendance by parents with young children, and tested new communications channels to inform the public, such as text messaging and Spanish-language news articles.

The city conducted a survey of residents in both languages, revealing that the priorities of Spanish-speaking survey re-spondents differ in many re-spects from those of the English speakers. The Del Ray Citizens Association also conducted a survey of its members and re-ported the detailed comments offered by each survey respon-dent, augmenting the outreach conducted by city staff.

Too often, the voices heard at city hall are older, less racially di-

verse, more affluent, more likely to be homeowners and less likely to have young children than the typical resident. As the successful Arlandria and Del Ray engagement demonstrates, the city has several tools that can broaden our reach. This level of public engagement isn’t possible with every planning effort, but demonstrates that we do have a template for doing it well.

Moving forward, I hope that civic associations, business groups and other community organiza-tions will broaden their own reach to be as inclusive of the communi-ties they represent as possible and continue to weigh in on issues of concern. City staff should continue to engage these groups, while also seeking feedback from groups and individuals heard less often.

We must actively work to solic-it comments representative of our diverse community, and respect-fully consider the viewpoints of all to make certain we’re making the best decisions for our commu-nity as a whole.

-Nathan Macek, chairAlexandria Planning Commission

INPUT FROM | 26

SEE HOUSING | 25


To the editor: Thousands of proud T.C.

Williams High School grad-uates will soon become “or-phans” if the school board foolishly follows the “cancel culture” tantrum of Alexan-dria’s admirers of the Taliban.

School Board members need to explore the unfavor-able consequences and psycho-logical damage of a renaming. This will permanently erase the historic accomplishments, extraordinary achievement and preeminent reputation of an Alexandria institution – the T.C. Williams High School.

Replacing “Remember the Titans” will be “Whatever Happened to the Titans?”

Remember the over-achieving students and championship teams from Washington’s acclaimed and later renamed Central High School? Me neither.

The glories of the mighty Titans will fade into ignomi-ny with Central High School, George Washington and Park-er-Gray along with the remov-al of the hundreds of trophies, awards and memorabilia in the bulging trophy cases.

First, the T.C. Williams name has been widely asso-ciated in the area, state and nation for more than 50 years, as the prestigious high school whose students, groups and teams have achieved remark-able competitiveness in a wide range of important academic endeavors.

Secondly, the name is deeply respected by admis-sions officers throughout the country. This benefitted students’ admission to the University of Virginia and other highly competitive schools. More important-ly, many marginally quali-fied students benefitted by recognition of the rigorous curriculums which these stu-dents have experienced and successfully completed.

Thirdly, the school received national attention in the ac-

claimed Hollywood movie, “Remember the Titans,” which highlights the successful ra-cial integration of the school. It's an unforgettable, popular movie that continues to be regularly broadcast today.

Consequently, the alumni are nationally recognized, re-spected for their compassion for racial justice and have the T.C. Williams name affixed to numerous awards, achieve-ments and lists of distinction.

Contrarily, T.C. Williams the man, hired in the 1930’s, is mostly remembered in Ju-rassic Park and is truthfully, unknown in the D.C., Mary-land and Virginia area. In fact, many Virginians and many lawyers erroneously believe the school is named for the distinguished T.C. Williams for whom the law school at the University of Richmond is named.

Accordingly, it would be extremely foolish to expunge the esteemed national repu-tation and extraordinary ac-complishments attributed to “T.C. Williams High School” students, their science and de-bate teams, artists and enter-tainers, athletes and athletic teams and illustrious alumni earned over more than 50 re-cent years to erase the name of a largely forgotten educator.

Our school board needs to manifest the maturity, wis-dom and courage for which it was elected and explain all of the unfavorable results of a renaming to the well-meaning activists. Essentially by easing a contrived tantrum of a very small group which is literally resolving itself, a renaming creates a multitude of long-term tragic consequences for thousands of alumni through the erasure of the nationally esteemed and respected “T.C. Williams” High School name.

Remember their compas-sion for racial justice and “Remember the Titans!”

-Gerald B. File, Alexandria

To the editor: In “Our View: A rare chance for redistrict-

ing reform” in the Aug. 20 Alexandria Times, the editorial board states, in writing about good policy, politics and needed change, that “Virginia voters have a similar opportuni-ty this fall to enact important change in the Commonwealth: redistricting reform.” “Op-portunity” is right; but I’m going to take it one step further than the board’s fair-minded commentary and pronounce it a necessity.

As citizens and voters, we must come to terms with our own responsibility for our elected representatives. In the end, it really is us that holds them accountable. If these last four years have taught us anything, it’s that our democracy requires our involvement and an unflinching commitment to more than a modicum of truth and standards in practice. It’s up to us – the voters – to demand fair-ness and equanimity, even from those who

share our same party affiliation. The amendment on the ballot this fall is

a step toward laying the foundation for that fairness by removing the legislature’s exclu-sive hold on district map-drawing and al-lowing citizens to participate in the process. If citizens are serious about reducing polar-ization and excessive political hostility, then redistricting reform is a necessity.

Redistricting reform will help produce fairer maps and create more competitive dis-tricts, thereby reducing political extremes.

Frankly, after what we’ve all been through as citizens of these United States in recent years, citizens of this Commonwealth should shout a resounding “yes” for Amend-ment One as a signal that they’re willing to assume the reins of a more engaged elector-ate. We really are “of, for and by” the people.

-Pamela Berg,Alexandria

To the editor: City leaders should have realized that the

middle of a pandemic is not the time to de-bate a complex, perhaps precedent-setting, urban development project, such as the Her-itage proposal. To put it another way, how can you argue with a mask on your mouth?

Who wants to bother with every-day, city hall squabbling when, to overdramatize only slightly, death is in the wings? One result has been that those with most at stake, in-cluding the occupants of affordable housing and neighbors in nearby houses and apart-ments, have yet to be adequately informed.

This project should be put off until the people most affected – residents and neigh-bors – have the time and ability to pay atten-tion to it and when we can meet in person and review this matter together rather than on a computer screen.

As things stand, the developers are seek-ing a “permit to demolish” before other de-tails have been worked out. They are, of course, aware that once peoples’ homes are demolished, further talk will be futile.

The area in question may be considered by some to be lacking in historical importance. True, it has few plaqued brick houses, though the same goes for most houses in traditional-ly Black areas. But it includes the area known in the 19th Century as The Bottoms or The Dip, part of a story explained in more detail in “Courage Journey: A Guide to Alexandria's African American History.” Looked at more closely, it was indeed important in Alexan-dria's history and economy.

It includes everything from old horse sta-

bles, interesting if modest residences, small businesses still reflecting their Black her-itage and businesses and individuals com-peting for space, especially at the northern end adjacent to Washington Street. Much of this housing looks attractive, as my wife and I discovered only after walking became a healthy necessity thanks to COVID-19.

The Heritage site anchors an important part of this area. It straddles Wilkes Street which continues all the way to the waterfront. It greets traffic coming into Alexandria on Route 1. To build such massive structures would destroy one of the few remaining gateways to the city not already overbuilt, in a fashion totally in-compatible with the historic core of Old Town.

The area immediately to the west of Her-itage, abutting cemeteries, is filled with par-ticularly attractive housing with spacious surroundings and funky yards. It is an area that should be protected.

But here is the problem: If the Heritage proposal goes forward, it will greatly in-crease the pressure to “densify” other areas west of Washington Street which do not nec-essarily enjoy the kind of protection enjoyed elsewhere, particularly in what is known as Old Town. Nothing will be safe.

Moreover, do not believe that if the city approves the new Heritage it will consist of anything more than the same mass-pro-duced architecture that has already bloomed all over the greater Washington area. If you don't believe it, just look at the metal and glass development now on display on our own

Don't rename T.C. Districting reform is a necessity

Issues with Heritage proposal

SEE HERITAGE | 25


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This Week What issue are you most interested in City Council addressing at its first public hearing on Sept. 8?A) Council's allocation of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funding.B) The proposal to establish a community police review board.C) Approval of the Douglas MacArthur Elementary School rebuild plan.D) Approval of the first buildings for Virginia Tech's Innovation Campus.

This Week Do you favor changing Alexandria's zoning to allow "by right" approval of schools with up to twice the current floor area ratio?84% No, we don't build that many schools and each should be considered individually for its impact on surrounding communities 14% Yes, land is scarce and we will need to build up with greater density.2% I'm not sure.

On June 23, 1911, photog-rapher and social reformer Lewis Wickes Hine arrived at the Alexandria Glass Factory, located on the northwest cor-ner of Henry and Montgomery streets, as part of a nationwide project to document the hor-rendous issue of child labor in the United States. Under con-tract from the National Child Labor Committee, Hine trained as a sociologist at the Univer-sity of Chicago and Columbia and New York universities.

As an instructor of New York’s School of Ethical Cul-ture, he often took his classes to Ellis Island to record the faces of impoverished immi-grants arriving daily at Amer-ica’s “golden door.” Once in Alexandria, one of Hine’s first encounters was with Rob-ert Ellis “Rob” Kidd, a young lad about 12, who was em-ployed as a “carrying-in” boy. This dangerous occupation involved moving bottles of molded glass from a blowing room to extremely hot ov-ens where the glass became stronger through a process of

extreme heating followed by a slow cool-down.

A closer look at the pho-tograph reveals other obvi-ous hazards associated with glass manufacturing, includ-ing broken shards on the floor, poor ventilation and man-sized tools and imple-ments strewn throughout the workspace. In addition to the

obvious physical challenges, alternating work shifts that changed weekly from day to night must have had a huge impact on the young boys who worked in the factory.

Ultimately, Hine’s photo helped set the stage for new child labor laws in the United States but not in time for those working at Alexandria Glass.

In 1916, a fire broke out at the complex, raging uncontrolla-bly within minutes. The facto-ry was completely destroyed, causing more than $75,000 in damage and the jobs of more than 175 workers.

Out of the Attic is provided by the Office of

Historic Alexandria.

OUT OF THE ATTICChild labor laws were too late for Alexandria Glass employees

PHOTO/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. Alexandria Glass Company.

improve housing affordability or will have an equitable impact on our city’s residents. They could make quality of life worse for those who live here and make it tougher to maintain the diversity that helps define our com-munity.

If recent events have shown any-thing, Alexandria residents are de-termined and committed to come

together as one community to make our home as diverse and accessible as possible. Rather than imposing di-visive and arbitrary housing targets cooked up by outsiders, Alexandria’s elected leaders should strive to build a consensus on housing policies, which would be a better way to keep the unique sense of community that makes our city special.

-Darryl Nirenberg,Alexandria

HOUSING FROM | 23

waterfront despite all those years of negoti-ation; on the bones of Potomac Yard – it was more beautiful when it was full of trains, or, for that matter, on the new D.C. waterfront, which is slightly more attractive because large amounts of money were thrown at it.

Let’s slow down and think the matter through without the interference mortal threat.

-Robert Pringle,Alexandria

HERITAGE FROM | 24


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PUBLIC NOTICEAT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct a 40’ pole at 33 Pickett St, Alexandria, Alexandria City County, VA. Public comments regarding the potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to: Amanda Sabol – CBRE, 201 Tresser Boulevard, Suite 201, Stamford, CT 06901, [email protected] or (717) 601-1436.

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LEGAL NOTICE

Board of Architectural ReviewLEGAL NOTICE OF A

PUBLIC HEARING

The Board of Architectural Review (BAR) will hold an Electronic Public Hearing on WEDNESDAY, September 16, 2020 beginning at 7:00 p.m. to review the following item(s):

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic emergency, the September 16, 2020 meeting of the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) is being held electronically pur-suant to Virginia Code Section 2.2-3708.2(A)(3), the Continuity of Government ordinance adopt-ed by the City Council on June 20, 2020 or Sections 4-0.00(g) in HB29 and HB30 to undertake essential business. BAR board members and staff are partic-ipating from remote locations through Zoom Webinar. This meeting is being held electron-ically, unless a determination is made that it is safe enough for the meeting to be held in person in the City Council Chamber at 301 King Street, Alexandria, VA. Electronic access will be provided in either event. The meetings can be accessed by the public through: Zoom hyperlink (below), broadcasted live on the government channel 70, and streaming on the City’s website.

URL: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_s6mkMBHMSUil-9JiZ7JL43w

*The Board of Architectural Review Hearing will start at 7:00 p.m., while the Zoom Webinar will become available to join at 6:30 p.m. *

Zoom Audio Conference:Dial in: 301.715.8592Webinar ID: 948 6151 2208Password: 560241Public comments will be received at the meeting. The public may submit comments in advance to Lia Niebauer at [email protected] or make public comments through the

conference call on the day of the hearing.

For reasonable disability accom-modation, contact Jackie Cato at [email protected] or 703.746.3810, Virginia Relay 711.

For further information, call the Department of Planning & Zoning at 703.746.4666 or visit alexandriava.gov/dockets.

BAR #2020-00135 PGRequest for alterations at 419 North Patrick Street.Applicants: John Corbin & Ann Riley

BAR #2020-00277 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 819 South Lee Street.Applicants: John Charalam-bopoulos & Hourig Ishka-nian-Charalambopoulos

BAR #2020-00276 OHADRequest for addition and alter-ations at 819 South Lee Street.Applicants: John Charalam-bopoulos & Hourig Ishka-nian-Charalambopoulos

BAR #2020-00381 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 712 South Pitt Street.Applicants: Ryan R. Au & Megan E. Au

BAR #2020-00372 OHADRequest for addition and alter-ations at 712 South Pitt Street.Applicants: Ryan R. Au & Megan E. Au

BAR #2020-00386 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 912 Green Street.Applicants: Christina Schoeler & Paul Fischer

BAR #2020-00387 OHADRequest for partial demolition/ encapsulation at 912 Green Street.Applicants: Christina Schoeler & Paul Fischer

BAR #2020-00395 (100-Year Old Building)Request to install small cell facility on a utility pole on public property adjacent to 3737 Semi-nary Road.

Applicant: Cellco Partnership dba Verizon Wireless

BAR #2020-00404 OHADRequest for permit for demoli-tion/ encapsulation at 425 South Lee Street.Applicant: Joan Porche

BAR #2020-00411 OHADRequest for alterations at 425 South Lee Street.Applicant: Joan Porche

BAR #2020-00405 PGRequest for alterations at 1310 Queen Street.Applicants: Ildar Abdullin & Anna Kachalova

BAR #2020-00414 OHADRequest for alterations at 405 South Fairfax Street.Applicants: Jennie Korth & Dave Osterndorf

BAR #2020-00425 OHADRequest for demolition at 3601 Potomac Avenue (Pump Station associated with the redevelop-ment of North Potomac Yard).Applicant: CPYR Theater, LLC

Old and Historic Alexandria District (OHAD); Parker – Gray District (PG)

PUBLIC NOTICEAT&T Mobility, LLC is proposing to construct a 45’ pole at 6355 Walker Ln, Alexandria, Alexandria City County, VA. Public comments regarding the potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to: Maggie Klejbuk – CBRE, 201 Tresser Boulevard, Suite 201, Stamford, CT 06901, [email protected] or (914) 267-6637.

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Commission’s decision, even as several commissioners agreed that a zoning change like this requires more input from the community and analysis from staff.

Commissioner David Brown initially proposed changing the amendment to include a 0.75 FAR limit if the site in question shares a rear lot with a city park, much like Douglas MacAr-thur. Brown pitched his version of the amendment as a temporary fix to prog-ress the rebuild project, acknowledging that staff would need to come back to the commission and com-munity for a more compre-hensive discussion.

“We can have the kind of discussion and planning involvement that we need with regard to these other properties if we simply limit the text amendment in the way that I have suggested,” Brown said.

Recently appointed Vice Chair Melissa McMahon was more concerned with the re-moval of SUP approval from the process.

“Having a special use permit process that goes through a public review process and is ultimately decided by council is one that gives the communi-ty that full spectrum of engagement that leads to testimony as necessary be-fore city council and a deci-sion by elected officials on whether a project should go through based on its mer-its,” McMahon said.

McMahon proposed re-quiring SUP approval for any FAR increase, while also eliminating an FAR limit al-together and maintaining the 60-foot height limit.

Planning Commission Chair Nathan Macek sup-ported McMahon’s desire to return SUP approval to the amendment. Macek also urged residents to

consider what they are willing to compromise when it comes to solving the school division’s ca-pacity issues.

“We all have to find a way to support this in our neighborhoods, even in the neighborhoods that have lower zoning because these are buildings that are sup-porting the school children in those communities,” Macek said. “We all have to sacrifice and have school sizes that are adequate within our neighborhoods regardless of whether or not that’s a bigger building than what we have next to our existing homes.”

Several commissioners, including Brown, pushed back on the idea that FAR re-strictions should be removed from the process. Brown argued that removing FAR was a much more significant change than just revising the upper FAR limit.

He urged the commis-sion to consider his propos-al and take time to analyze and consider the ramifica-tions of such a sweeping change.

“We can approve MacAr-thur and then have the kind of process that would lead to whatever rejiggered stan-dard we want,” Brown said. “… These are very import-ant decisions that need to be thrashed out.”

Brown ultimately revised his proposal to increase the FAR limit from 0.6 to 0.75 in order to allow the Douglas MacArthur rebuild to move forward. Every other part of the current code language would remain intact, includ-ing the inclusion of SUP ap-proval and the 60-foot height limit.

Brown’s proposed chang-es were approved unani-mously, 6-0, with the caveat that staff would return to the commission for further con-versation as soon as January [email protected]

PLANNING FROM | 8


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