The City of Alexandria is presently soliciting public feedback on a variety of issues, including transit service, combined sewer tunnels, residential parking, landscaping guidelines, and a name for new park space. This is an important way to provide feedback as it helps the city make decisions that are informed by public opinion.
Alexandria Transit Vision Plan Bus Network Survey
Accoridng to a city press release, the City of Alexandria, DASH Bus and other regional transit partners are seeking community input to develop a new vision for the Alexandria transit network (reviewed in detail here). The Alexandria Transit Vision Plan will redraw the local bus network to better serve current and future transit demand, and to better reflect community priorities for transit service.
The online survey provides public input on transit needs, benefits and priorities, and will be important in developing transit service and network recommendations. According to the city it should take less than 10 minutes to complete and provides the opportunity to be entered in a drawings for a free bus pass or gift card.
RiverRenew Seeks Comments on Alexandria’s Tunnel System by October 25
According to a city press release, RiverRenew is asking Alexandrians to advocate for their preferred tunnel route and shaft locations to reduce local combined sewer overflows. The program, being implemented by Alexandria Renew Enterprises (the local wastewater authority) with support from the City of Alexandria, includes the construction of a deep tunnel system that will capture and transport sewage mixed with rainwater to Alexandria Renew’s plant for treatment.
Following a series of public listening sessions in September to present alternative routes for the proposed tunnel system, RiverRenew is collecting feedback to analyze potential impacts on the community and environment. Comments received will be incorporated into the program’s Environmental Assessment, a pathway to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act.
Comments from the community can be submitted online at riverrenew.com/comments. The public comment period is open through October 25, 2018. The boards presented at the September listening sessions, including the alternative tunnel routes, can also be viewed online at this link.
RiverRenew is the name for a major initiative in response to a 2017 Virginia law that will prevent millions of gallons of sewage mixed with rainwater from reaching Alexandria’s waterways. The approved plan includes the construction of a deep tunnel system, new sewer infrastructure and improvements to Alexandria Renew’s Water Resource Recovery Facility.
Comment on Updated City Landscape Guidelines by November 16
According to a city press release, the City of Alexandria is seeking input from residents and the business community on the draft 2018 Landscape Guidelines Update. The draft is currently posted on the 2018 Landscape Guidelines Update website and open for public review and comment through Friday, November 16, 2018.
The City of Alexandria’s 2018 Landscape Guidelines Update revises the city’s approved landscape standards to include current industry standards, best practices, and terminology. The update also aligns the standards with city policies and plans approved since 2007 when the Landscape Guidelines were last revised.
The Landscape Guidelines establish minimum standards for landscape plan development, installation, protection, and maintenance. The document is primarily intended for property owners, developers and applicants seeking approvals from the city.
Survey regarding Residential Pay by Phone Pilot Program open through November 2
According to a city press release, the City of Alexandria’s Department of Transportation & Environmental Services is seeking feedback on a Residential Pay by Phone Pilot Program. City residents and business owners are invited to share opinions on the pilot via a feedback form, which will remain open through November 2.
In 2016, Alexandria City Council approved a temporary pilot that tests a program to allow residents on eligible blocks to request residential pay by phone signage. This means that non-residents who normally park for free for a limited time in residential permit zones are still allowed to park under that time limit, but they pay hourly fees. Hourly fees do not apply for residents and guests who display valid permits in their cars.
City Council approved the pilot program until March 2019, when it will evaluate and decide if it should be continued, modified, or discontinued. The feedback form is one of the methods staff is using to collect data and comments in order to evaluate the program when the term of the pilot expires.
City staff will evaluate results of the feedback form in conjunction with parking occupancy and enforcement information from before and after the implementation of the pilot program to inform a recommendation regarding the future of the residential pay by phone program. Staff recommendations will then be brought to a public hearing before the Traffic and Parking Board (tentatively scheduled for December 17, 2018) and City Council (tentatively scheduled for February 2019).
Naming Suggestions for New Park at Foot of King Street through November 16
According to city press release, the City of Alexandria is soliciting suggestions for the name of the new park at the foot of King Street. The public is invited to participate in an online survey now through November 16, and a public hearing on November 15, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Charles Houston Recreation Center (901 Wythe St.).
The new park will serve as the keystone to the revitalization of the Potomac River waterfront in Alexandria. Construction is currently underway to join the original King Street Park site with the sites of the former Old Dominion Boat Club building and parking lot, to create an interim park that will open in fall 2018. The interim park will feature an open plaza, a waterfront promenade, shade structures, and a modular space that can be used as an ice-skating rink in winter or concert amphitheater in summer. Several years later, the interim park will close so that flood mitigation infrastructure can be constructed and additional amenities added before the permanent park reopens.
The online survey seeks suggestions for what to name the new park, and whether the new park should include the adjacent Waterfront Park or constitute a second, separate park. Results of the survey and public hearing will be used by the City Council Naming Committee to make a recommendation to City Council. Since the survey will not be statistically representative of the entire community, it will serve as a way to get ideas for the park name and should not be considered a vote or poll. The The staff proposal for the naming process was adopted by the Naming Committee on September 27.
The new park was envisioned in the Waterfront Small Area Plan as “Fitzgerald Square.” Although the Plan was adopted by City Council in 2012 after extensive public input, approval of the Plan did not constitute formal naming of any element in the Plan. All parks in Alexandria are subject to a formal naming process on the basis of focused public input.
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