9.29 Q&A

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How are the district names developed and decided? How will the district names be differentiated from small area plan names so we're not giving the same area multiple identies?

I think this is a really important distinction that we heard early on, I think is really important for the corridor. I think one of the great things about our city is we are distinct neighborhoods. And as you move through the city, you feel that through scale, or design, or treatment. And one of the things I think we heard, I heard, sort of early on, is I didn't want the whole corridor to just be monotonous and feel the same. Because that's not who we are as a city, that's not our DNA. And so, one of the things we tried to do was to say, hey, as you're moving up and down this corridor, let's make it feel different. That could be through art, that could be through architecture, that could be through landscaping. Again, having diversity in design up and down the corridor, which I think is part of our city.

Where do noise, light, air pollution factor into sustainability principles?

In terms of noise, we do have requirements for noise that's generated from facilities and hours for noise. In terms of light, you know, one of the things, I think this is something that, as buildings are, being retrofitted. I think buildings are becoming much, much better on light and light pollution and candidly energy. So, I hope that's going to continue, and that's part of our green building plan, by the way, as well, as we think about energy efficiency.

How are land use categories distinct from zoning categories?

I don't want to get too technical, by the way, for how we implement this plan. Zoning is the implementation tool to implement this thing. So, we said you want retail here, and residential here, and a park here. Zoning implements that. So, Carrie was talking about implementation tools. Think of zoning as the way to say, hey, we agreed on this vision, now we need to implement that. It's very helpful.

What is the plan for redevelopment of the Alexandria Commons part of the Market District, and how will that play into the linear park space?

So the Alexandria Commons is owned by a private entity. We reached out to all of the property owners in the plan area. We've talked to almost all of them. There are not imminent plans to redevelop, that property. The plan does not require redevelopment to occur. It simply, establishes a framework for when… in which that redevelopment could occur. Redevelopment of that site is what would trigger implementation of that linear park that's part of that development, and so, they would go together.

I'm glad to see Councilman John Chapman here, because he's the only person in Council who grew up here.

I did, yeah. (answer from John Chapman)

Why is the "Vista" area (Mason/ West End Condo) included in the plan map, and how is it going to be affected?

So there's two parts to that. Mason at Van Dorn, there's rental and there's condo. Mason at Van Dorn is a market-affordable area, which, we have identified as an important resource, for the plan area and for the city. Similar to Fox Chase, and the goal with that, kind of a big theme of the plan, is to encourage or maximize retention of market affordable housing, as well as increase housing supply and increase the supply of committed affordable unit. So that's a long-term vision for, for that site. There's not anything imminent, again, as I mentioned, that would require the property owner and the city to work together for that ticket.

So, Jeff, what's the bottom line in terms of changes?

We've had this question a lot, like how much change is gonna happen over time? And what I've said in the past, just given the market and given feasibility of implementing this plan, we're probably going to see one to two buildings a year up and down the corridor. Some years less, maybe some years more. And I think, as Carrie was pointing out, some of you want change faster, and some of you want change slower, but in our looking at, like, storage absorption in our city, that's probably what we're gonna see. I think the challenge as we think about addressing things like shade.

Where can a developer be involved? What's the role of the city? NOTE: NOT FROM A CARD

And I think the thing Carrie was talking about, which I want to point out, which is a very powerful statement, which I've been doing this long enough to see happen, is 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 changes start happening, and then you see a change in a neighborhood for a positive. And what feels like small changes incrementally can change over time to do something very powerful. And so, long-winded answer, but I think there's a lot of different things that are going to happen over time that hopefully are very powerful, and that's why we're doing this plan.

Will there be significant redesigns for the Telegraph Road and Deer Run Court flyovers? Could they be changed to at-grade to discourage thru-traffic? What kind of changes are planned?

I think one of the places we started in this process was, adopting the Duke Street Transitway process and design that went through, a process as well, and I know we've heard a lot of comments about that. But I think we also took as, sort of an approach of that went through a separate process, we're going to build on that. We're not revisiting that. That's an approved document that's going through a different process.

Can we separate bikes and pedestrians? NOTE: question 1/3 answered on the card, the person re-wrote the rest of the questions later

I think one of the things you'll see in the plan, and the short answer is yes, one of the things you'll see in the plan is with redevelopment, there will be new streets. And our goal is those new streets are more complete than they are today. So wider sidewalks, more street trees, on-street parking, safer, and also accommodating those.

is there a space, which tracks which suggestions from the public were accepted?

So, what I will say is that on our webpage, we have all of the raw data we've ever received, posted on our webpage, so the poll from the very beginning, feedback from the engagement hub, information we collected at pop-ups. all of that you can find on our webpage. It's associated with the meeting, or the phase in which it happened. But we also, some of you might remember from February, we did a community ideas evaluation process. And at that time, we, shared that 75% of those ideas. that we collected from folks were either a definite yes, or something that we needed to evaluate a little bit more. Now that we have made it through the framework plan, and also the recommendations, and now we have the draft plan, you can expect to have an updated version of that sheet that reflects what's in the plan. So that work, it's obviously complicated work to sort of analyze all 200 and something-something ideas, but, you can expect to have a public version of that within, I think, the next couple of weeks, while we just make sure that we're documenting how everything has shown up in the plan.

Trees are great! Support That! But they obviously take time to grow, and we can't reorient existing buildings. What short term shade solutions are planned for transit service areas? (bus stops). 30 line is roasting!

So, one of the things you'll notice in the plan with heat, a lot of those are surface parking lots. So, one of the things we've done in the past is to actually work with private property owners to install street trees. That doesn't require new buildings, that doesn't require new development, it does require a partnership. We have done that in the past. Maybe that's an option that we could do here. Again, short, mid, long-term opportunities.

What type of development relationships will occur to implement this plan, public-private? What % is public i.e. driven by Alexandria contracts, is there a public plan on implementation? When developing housing, how will Alexandria ensure affordable housing plans don't get renegotiated to disadvantage residents?

It will be a mix of all of the above. The city will be making investments in, the transit way, in, improvements to existing parks, or to, city-owned right-of-way. The city will be participating in working with, property owners of affordable housing, market affordable housing, use existing, regulatory tools to figure out ways to maximize retention of that affordable housing, to get new committed affordable units, and to, retain committed affordable units. Another way is that, private development will develop their own property, and so that would be, entirely private. We also have Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority has, a couple of properties in the plan area, and they would be entities as well.

It's a beautiful plan. How much will this total infrastructure cost, given the commercial sector is shrinking? Where will the funds come from?

Great question. So one of the things we are anticipating is that when private development goes in, and we've seen this elsewhere in the city, is that they have to mitigate their impact. And that means new parks, new streets, new bike connections, all the things that we're talking about. And a great example of that, if you're thinking of, like, hey, where have they done that in the city? Potomac Yard. So that park adjacent to the rail corridor, all constructed by the developer as part of their approval, and hopefully some of you have been to the new park, in North Potomac Yard, same thing. So that will happen over time. The other thing I would say, I was thinking about this coming into the meeting today, our small area plans are really important because it makes us more competitive when we apply to grants. So, as we're applying and being competitive with other folks, other jurisdictions, if we have a plan, we are more competitive in that process to get funded.

How will the better pedestrian connection across Telegraph Eisenhower happen? How soon might this be programmed?

So, one of the things that we are currently working with our transportation staff on is coming up with a design for that. And I think this is the first step in that process. And there's a lot of, technical things. We're going to have to build a bridge deck. There's VDOT right-of-way, there's city right-of-way, there's all sorts of things we're going to have to look at, but this is that first process, and I know our TES staff are also looking at this as well in the future.

How does this plan integrate with Duke Street in Motion, so that's the future Duke Street Transit Way, for right-of-way acquisition for future transportation projects?

So, when redevelopment occurs, Jeff was just talking about community benefits, that would be a potential community benefit, where the project, would, as part of their development, be giving that right away to the city for the transportation improvement.

Does this plan cover the dedicated bus lane down Duke Street?

So, essentially, this land use plan is, assuming the, implementation of the proposed street transit way that was approved by City Council.

You stated tonight there will be more local trips in the corridor with redevelopment, but how does that reduce the 80% of the trips that are not local? Realizing that that number will increase, too, due to regional growth.

This is, I think, really important, and we've talked about this quite a lot in our discussions. This happened in Potomac Yard, this isn't necessarily a theory, is if more local folks are using a road, that data that's rerouting people are going to reroute you somewhere else. And so, a street has a certain amount of capacity, and once it reaches that, it doesn't know if you're local or regional, and then it's going to reroute you to the main lines, which is where regional traffic, most of the regional traffic, should be on 495 and 395 and not necessarily cutting through our city. And so, our position is more local folks using that cut-through in those streets, and not the regional cut-through that's happening today. And we all see it. Our traffic study shows that.

Have traffic studies been done that can provide estimates based on current redevelopment concepts, or will they be conducted before any redevelopment plans are approved by City Council?

The traffic study is online, and it's on our website. So, one of the things we did as part of this approval was to do a transportation analysis to make sure it works. So one of the things that's incumbent upon us when we propose a scenario plan to take it to the Planning Commission and Council is to make sure the infrastructure works. We need to look at sewer, we need to look at schools, we need to look at traffic. So we've done that, that's online. And also, the other question, I think this is really important too, is when a project comes in, they also have to do a traffic study. And it has to be reviewed and approved, ultimately, by City Council, and the reason that's important is because you know more information. It's a grocery store, it's townhouses, it's mixed use, it's something else, and that's another opportunity to look at traffic.

Are local and regional transit agencies represented here tonight? It appears the land use plan and transit plans for the corridor are not being coordinated.

Throughout the process staff have worked with closely with both the City's Transportation & Environmental Services Department (who is managing the implementation of the Duke Street Transitway), and have engaged regularly with VDOT and Northern Virginia Transportation Authority. The Duke Street Land Use Plan was developed with the recommendations included in the Duke Street Transitway as context and many of the recommendations in the plan, from the Opportunity Areas to the new bike and pedestrian facilities, reflect this.

For the new streets that will be brought in by development, are they already planned, or will they be plotted out in the future?

And the answer is yes. The plan, the student street plan, establishes the general location and the principle of there needs to be a connection here, there needs to be a street here, but, the details of where exactly that, street will be, constructed will be part of the development review process and engineering that happens, further along in the process. When we have an actual proposal for that site.

How does the plan encourage transit-oriented housing and walkable retail?

So, if you've had a chance to look at the long plot in the back of the room, that shows the areas where, the plan anticipates, development occurring, and that is generally closer to, Duke Street, and generally closer to transit stops. That's where the height is concentrated, closer to Duke Street, and so that gives people more access to the future transit that's coming, and the Walkable Retail will be part of some of the mixed-use, development proposals that you see, in that plan.

Will there be a bike path or dedicated bus lane along Duke Street, specifically.

In terms of Duke Street, I would, it's a complicated answer. Parts of it, yes, parts of it, no. And same for the bike facility, where we have right-of-way, that would be the case. And I think one of the things we didn't have a chance to talk about, when redevelopment comes in. One of the benefits of a plan, we can say, hey, you need to set the building back to accommodate the pet and bike facilities that we're wanting along Duke Street. So we have existing right-of-way, and then we have future redevelopment when redevelopment happens.

How long before any major changes happen at West Taylor Run and Duke? Is any change really needed?

I don't know if that's transportation or land use related. But I think from a, land use perspective, probably not a lot. There might be some across the street. The Duke Street, transit plan does show improvements there, but in terms of a land use perspective, not a lot, and you'll see that in the document as well.

Will there be increased connection and integration with the Eisenhower border with pedestrian connections over the train tracks?

That's a great question. A lot of people brought up that question over the process. And, connectivity north-south has been brought up, in multiple planning processes. As you can imagine, very complicated, getting over railroad tracks. However, the plan does offer some opportunities for connection, at grade. For example, under, Telegraph and down south that way, as Jeff pointed out in one of his illustrations, trying to improve connectivity in any way we can. There's also the Liebach Bridge that helps connect to the Eisenhower Valley better as well.

Drove down Van Dorn, used a road to picket on picket, two car dealerships exist. Had to go to left lane because a truck supplying cars was in the right lane. The Duke Street plan makes Picket 2 lanes only? How will this work?

The short answer to this is this plan is not changing the configuration of Pickett Street. That was part of a separate transportation process where that street was reconfigured, and there was a process to do that, but this plan is not changing lanes on Pickett Street.

Will the city have a say in the design of buildings beyond height?

Yes. When development projects come in, for city review, in the plan, you'll see we have parameters for, development projects for new buildings, and, those parameters will help guide new development. It's… and it covers a variety of things from, what the ground floor of the building looks like, to make sure it's more engaging with, the pedestrian level, people at the ground level, to, building materials, etc.

How is urban infill, middle density, and mixed-use development being encouraged in the plan?

So, really, this plan is infill development. Everything that's happening is occurring on existing parcels, existing development, and in terms of mixed-use development, I think this is a really great question. Whoever brought this up, I want to point this out. So, one of the things you'll see in the plan is I think I heard meeting number one to our last meeting, we want neighborhood serving retail. So, one of the things we do in this plan is to show required retail on Fox Chase today, exists today, but also if it redevelops, to make sure we have retail there today, and also Alexandria Commons. So, multi-use development, but keeping neighborhood serving retail.

How will stormwater green infrastructure be implemented within the plan and new development?

Really great question. So, one of the things we did not talk about, almost I think there's a very limited number of existing commercial shopping centers that are proposed for redevelopment that meet existing stormwater. So, for those of you who are like, what the heck's stormwater? So there is a Chesapeake Bay requirement in our state, which is when stormwater hits the ground. It has to be detained, i.e. can't just run into a stream or the streets. It also has to be treated. So you have to remove the things that are in the water. Very complicated way to do that, but that's a requirement for new development. And so, one of the benefits of redeveloping these parking lots, the stormwater, most of the stormwater is hitting that parking lot and running into the street and into our inlets. So, that is certainly not best practices. There's also recommendations in the plan about stormwater tree wells and other things that we're doing with new development to help stormwater.

How likely will the plan change after it has started implementation? Is it expected, or is it set in stone?

I think that's what's expected. The plan is intentionally, sets out a very strong, vision and framework, but builds in flexibility. And so, the goal is that the plan will not have to be, amended, in the future. The goal is that development or investments or infrastructure will be able to meet the plan's intent, the community's vision for this corridor, without having to amend the plan. That having been said, you know, plans do occasionally get amended in the future, after they've been approved, but generally, the idea with the way we've approached this plan is to keep it flexible with some very, strong parameters for the long-term vision.

You mentioned the Leibach Bridge having connectivity to Eisenhower Avenue. Where is this connectivity?

So one of the things I mentioned for the Libac Bridge isn't connectivity to Eisenhower, but connectivity to the north and south of Duke Street. So today, it connects, or could connect, both sides, without necessarily having to cross Duke Street. And then, the other thing we've heard is, how do we connect the park and the library more easily, walking or biking? So that was sort of the idea of connecting. And Carrie mentioned this earlier, of a future connection to Eisenhower Avenue. That… we do not show location in the plan, and the reason for that is that it is a very technical review process that's going to happen if it's desired to do that. So we have done that in the past, of building things over rail corridors. It is a very technical process. Essentially, it's a bridge or a pet bridge over a rail corridor. It's a thing. And so, rather than showing this location, we're saying anywhere in this band is an opportunity, and if there's a desire to do that, we need to go through a pretty technical process to look at them.

Have you considered encouraging or incentivizing solar over parking lots? Covered shaded parking and energy, that kind of thing.

Yes, for sure. And you'll see a plan in our sustainability chapter we talk about ideas or options for both shade and, energy, and those are some of them. These are details that would get worked out in a development process, but yes, the plan talks about some specifics.

Are there any considerations for a Metro or BRE infill station between Van Dorn Station and the King Street Old Town?

Short answer, no. That is not something we're recommending as part of this plan. We have done that in Potomac Yard. That is a… that was probably a… decade-long $300 to $400 million proposition. And I think one of the challenges, in addition to cost and time, is, who is it serving, and where would it ultimately go? And I think… I think the direction really was to have transit on Duke Street and not necessarily New Metro Station. These are kind of more specifics that.

Can we please replace Bradford pears and cherry trees with native species?

All for it. We do talk about native planting in the plan, but again, that's a more detailed question that wouldn't necessarily be, regulated by a plan, although it supports that idea.

Recommending benches and picnic, tables in the parks to keep, people from hanging out at bus stops.

I think that's a great idea, and also a kind of a maybe a little more detailed than we talk about in the plan, although we do talk about making sure that all of our parks have amenities for people from all ages and abilities, and ensuring that people feel welcome in all of our city parks.

More bioswale and rain gardens to handle water

Absolutely. We talk about some of the different options for stormwater management in the plan, and that, again, would be something that would be addressed through specific development, projects, or a city, project or investment in infrastructure in a streetscape, for example.

Is there a way to keep this master plan intact? As we have seen at Potomac Yard South - the Master Plan and CDD requirements were dismissed by Council in order to allow developer to change TOD height and massing due to the developer's "economic" issues.

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How does traffic impact study conclude infrastructure will work with redevelopment when infrastructure is already overburdened at level F (gridlock) between 3:30pm (sometimes earlier) and after 6pm due to congestion and backups caused by Telegraph Road intersection?

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Given that congestion has been a major concern all along to many residents, what does this plan do to alleviate VEHICLE congestion that is the overwhelming use of the roadway?

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Duke Street is too narrow for bike lanes. The pictures presented look like utopia with very wide streets.

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