If They Had a Hammer
Last night the Growler ankled down to the sparsely attended community meeting about the redevelopment of the Carpenter's Shelter at 930 N. Henry Street and gleaned some details about the upcoming project.
The private shelter for the homeless plans to stay at its current location but anticipates selling its parking lot to Elm Street Development, which is also buying and redeveloping the adjacent Tony's Auto Garage. The parking lot sale will finance expansion of the former DMV building to improve facilities for homeless families (the majority of its clients) while providing additional space for computer labs and counseling services.
Shelter Director Fran Becker stated there would not be an increase in the number of residential beds at the shelter. There are currently 80 beds but for the past year the facility is not usually filled to capacity on most nights, according to Ms. Becker. She also noted changes in the demographics of the shelter's residential clients: there are now more families and fewer single men.
Elm Street's other local activities include Potomac Greens (a joint project with EYA) and the development of luxury mansions at the southeast corner of Seminary Road and Quaker Lane on the site of the old Second Presbyterian Church. A representative of the developer said the group hopes to submit the project to Planning Commission later this spring but has not yet determined if the residential focus will be market rate condos or rental apartments. Nor has a decision been made about whether Elm Street will seek the density bonus for affordable housing.
Looks like there will be further public meetings and presentations about the Carpenter's Shelter project, so stay tuned for more information.
Transportation Plan
Folks living on Patrick and Henry Street who are concerned about the BRT proposal may want to hike down to City Hall to attend the Planning Commission public work session on changes to the City's Master Transportation Plan.
Members of the Ad Hoc Transportation Committee, which has been charged with drafting changes to the plan, will also be present.
Although the public may attend, these work sessions are not hearings so Parker-Gray residents won't have an opportunity to speak or vent. But the meetings do represent a chance to find out what is going on and also an opportunity to network with politicians and planners.
The discussion of BRT/light rail issues can be found in in the transit chapter of the Committee's draft report.
717 Pendleton Street (Day Labor Agency Site)
The City will hold a community meeting on April 4 to discuss ACC Holdings' application to remove a proffer for the property located at 717 Pendleton Street, which will be heard by Planning Commission on May 1. This is located just outside the boundaries Parker-Gray District but may be of interest to readers on adjacent streets.
The community meeting will be held Wednesday, April 4, 2007, at Charles Houston Recreation Center at 901 Wythe Street. The City's point of contact is James Hunt of P&Z, who can be reached at (703) 838-3866, ext. 326.
ACC Holdings is the LLC formed by Chuck Carlton and Adam Schramm, owners of Ace Temporaries. Ace is the controversial day labor agency which operated on Pendleton Street from 1999 until 2006. Prior to that time, it was located at 1000 Queen Street. There is a long and tangled history associated with this business and its owners, including litigation, and it's by no means over yet.
The property at 717 Pendleton currently has a proffer on it which restricts its use to a business or professional office. Ace now wants that restriction removed, but the reasons for doing so unclear, according to neighbor Kelly Conner. Ms. Conner tells the Growler that the City informed her the restriction has been on the property since the 1970's, well before Mr. Carlton purchased the building in 1999 for $350,000. The property has been on the market since 2006, when Mr. Carlton was finally forced to cease operating his day labor agency there.
For further information and status updates, contact Kelly Conner at kfconner@verizon.net.
30 comments:
OMYGOD - Thanks for the heads up, Growler! From Page 3 of the draft Transit Report:
"The Ad Hoc Transportation Task Force, in collaboration with City officials, worked on the analysis ...result of this in-depth
analysis is the designation of three primary transit corridors: Route 1, Van Dorn/Shirlington,
and Duke Street."
If you live on or near Route 1 and value your home you need to read this.
http://alexandriava.gov/alexride/pdf/tmp_transit_draft.pdf
The Ad Hoc Transportation task force is interested in having BRT between the Pentagon and the Braddock Road Metro. Arlington County has a complete BRT route laid out on its portion of Potomac Yard. (Note all the construction on the Arlington side of the strip mall.) It is pressuring Alexandria to link up. Since almost all of the Alexandria portion of the Yard is yet to be built, it would be relatively easy to do that,creating extra lanes from Potomac Yard land. These lanes would be dedicated to the exclusive use of BRT buses. The task force never looked out or considered taking this BRT beyond the Braddock Metro station through already built up areas. That idea comes from the Director of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, Rich Baier. All complaints about it should be directed to him.
"The Ad Hoc Transportation task force is interested in having BRT between the Pentagon and the Braddock Road Metro."
In this instance, and to distinguish it from the additional services desired, let's call BRT what it truly is, a bus shuttle service. If bus shuttle service is approved, then it must run from Glebe Road to First Street and First Street along the rail to the Braddock Metro Station.
"The task force never looked out or considered taking this BRT beyond the Braddock Metro station through already built up areas. That idea comes from the Director of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, Rich Baier. All complaints about it should be directed to him."
While it is hard to believe that intelligent men can have the wool so completely pulled over their eyes, looking at the transit plan it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what is coming. BRT obviously has been in the planning stages for a very long time.
http://alexandriava.gov/alexride/pdf/tmp_transit_draft.pdf
Hmmmm, so our commenter is saying the idea for BRT on Route 1 south of the bridge came from T&ES staff, not the Ad Hoc Transportation Task Force? If true, that's pretty exculpatory.
So the next question is who put the language about the BRT into the September draft of the Braddock Road small area plan? It included diagrams showing BRT with or without parking. The small area plan is a Planning & Zoning document, not T&ES.
Breaking news from the City's press office. Wonder what this means ...
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
City of Alexandria Invites Public to Attend Forum To Discuss Local and Regional Transportation Initiatives on Thursday, April 19
Alexandria’s Mayor William D. Euille and City Council members are inviting the public to attend a forum to discuss local and regional transportation initiatives. The transportation forum will take place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, April 19, at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s (USPTO) auditorium, located at 600 Dulany St. During the event, transportation representatives from local, state, and regional agencies will share and educate the community on local and regional transportation efforts.
...
For more information on the City’s transportation forum, call Richard Baier, Director, or Tom Culpepper, Deputy Director, of the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services at 703-838-4966.
If interested in the Braddock Plan's reference to special tax districts, see page 3 of this memo for more details.
City of Alexandria, Virginia
MEMORANDUM
DATE: MARCH 15, 2007
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: JAMES K. HARTMANN, CITY MANAGER
SUBJECT: BUDGET MEMO #9__: DASH EXPANSION
________________________________________________________________________
This memorandum is in response to the following question from Council:
A critical piece of our pending transportation master plan will rely on a true urban mass transit system. We need a transit system that provides a high level of convenience so as to encourage maximum ridership. DASH has outlined a program to increase its service levels in order to create
a more convenient, usable service that meets the need of more residents of our city. Can staff identify the operating and capital costs associated with funding DASH's planned expansion and suggest transportation-related mechanisms to generate revenues to help offsetthese costs? Alexandria Transit Company's (ATC) FY 2008 Transit Development Program (TDP) identifies future projected service
expansion that will coincide with the opening of its new, larger maintenance facility in FY 2009. While it provides greater expanded service, it is at a cost that will be difficult for the City to fund if there is no General Assembly approved transportation funding package.
The DASH FY 2009 to FY 2014 service expansion plan, which includes new
service and bus fleet expansion is based on a number of recent studies, including a Comprehensive Operational Analysis of existing DASH performance and unmet service needs, completed in 2005. The proposed service expansion is designed to meet the following objectives:
* Increase frequencies on current routes to meet increasing demand;
* Increase service levels to reflect standards for Urban Transit
Service;
* Provide new service connections to the Cameron Station area;
* Improve service on King Street in Old Town;
* Provide new service to the Eisenhower East/PTO development area;
* Provide new service to the Potomac Yard development area; and
* Provide new cross-town services connecting new development areas to
the remainder of the City.
2
The total operating cost (with the expanded service) includes cost
increases over two years of $3.5 million, or 17.2 percent in FY 2009
and 14.0 percent in FY 2010. The net City transit operating subsidy is estimated to increase over the same two-year period by $2.8 million, or by 20.6 percent in FY 2009 and 14.2 percent in FY 2010. In addition, bus purchases totaling $13.2 million could be needed by FY 2010. The combined impact on the General Fund Operating Budget through FY 2010 would be $16.0 million($13.2 million in not-budgeted cash capital and
$2.8 million in operating subsidy increase). The six-year capital
investment for replacement and expansion buses is estimated at more than $30 million and would expand the DASH fleet from 62 buses to 128 buses,of which $11.5 million is included in the FY 2008 Proposed CIP. This plan can only move forward with significant additional funding from the General Assembly.
[The following tables illustrate the service expansion operating and
capital costs as presented by DASH in the TDP.
FY 2007 FY 2008 FY 2009 FY 2010 Total - see memo on website for table]
DASH Request for Expansion
3
The largest transportation-related funding mechanism to help offset
some of these costs is the potential for a State transportation-funding
package currently being considered by the General Assembly and the
Governor. The ultimate outcome of the proposed legislation is unknown
at this time. The Governor has promised to amend the package. If he sends amendments affecting Northern Virginia taxes and fees to the General Assembly and they are accepted, it is likely the City would be required to adopt new taxes and fees in order to obtain funding. In the event that this transportation funding bill is enacted, Alexandria could be
eligible for significant new State transportation revenues of possibly
$30 million or more annually. These funds would be available to help
pay for both transit operating and capital expansion needs, beginning in FY 2008. Even if additional funding is provided by the State, it may not fully cover the City's future transit subsidy costs as DASH, WMATA, VRE and DOT paratransit continue to grow and serve more riders. In order to
fully fund transit, other local funding mechanisms could be explored to provide additional funds for transit expansion such as special tax districts, increased fare revenue, increased parking fines and fees, and advertising at bus shelters.
Fare Revenue - It is anticipated that as new DASH routes are added and service levels are increased, significant ridership growth will occur. Increased ridership will generate additional revenue. The initiation of the regional SmarTrip program will provide, for the first time since the regional fare plan was implemented in FY 2000, reimbursement to DASH for trips taken with Metro fare cards and related media. The ATC Board of
Directors reviews its fare policy and fare scenarios as part of its
annual Transit Development Program and Budget adoption. Although there
is a desire by the Board to maintain a convenient, affordable fare structure, the need to adjust fares would have to be considered if there is any significant change in the current operating revenue to cost ratio.
Special tax districts - The City has the authority to create special
tax districts in order to fund additional services within those districts. As contemplated in the Potomac Yard Coordinated Development District (CDD), staff is developing a proposal for creating a special tax district to fund new transit in the Potomac Yard/Route 1/Braddock Road
transit corridor. It will be presented to City Council and to the affected property owners as an informational item before summer recess and brought back as an ordinance in the fall. If enacted, the special tax district would provide significant new funding for expanded transit in that area.
Parking Fines & Fees - The City increased most parking fines in
February. This was the first such increase since 1992. Staff will
continue to review the fines and recommend increases when necessary to remain consistent with neighboring jurisdictions and/or remain high enough to discourage illegal parking. The City also is planning to addmetered parking in Eisenhower East at the Council-approved rate of $1.00 per hour as compared to $0.50 and $0.75 in existing zones elsewhere in the city. Increasing the rate to $1.00 City-wide would generate additional revenue that could offset some of the increased cost of transit.
4
Bus Shelter Advertising - Advertising at bus shelters is a potential
source of additional revenue. The City of Annapolis, Maryland receives approximately $100,000 annually as its share of the profits generated through advertising on the shelters.
Identify Cost Savings - Along with the planning of service expansion,
ATC will continue to evaluate the performance of its current routes to identify less productive service that could be reduced or eliminated
with little or no impact and provide some additional cost savings. ATC and T&ES will continue to explore opportunities for providing cost savings in the City's overall transit subsidy through DASH replacement of local service now being provided by WMATA.
Local Income Tax - Northern Virginia jurisdictions are permitted to enact a local income tax of up to 1% to fund transportation. Such
legislation would require a referendum and would require a sunset provision after five years. No other jurisdiction has taken advantage of this authority because of its temporary nature and the effort required to enact. While this option is authorized under state legislation, it is not recommended for City Council consideration.
CC: Justin Wilson, Chairman, Board of Directors of the Alexandria
Transit Company; Sandy Modell, DASH General Manager
Well here we go....
"The Alexandria Planning Commission and Department of Planning & Zoning invite you to a community meeting to participate in a comprehensive review and discussion of the Draft Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan. The meeting will take place on Thursday, April 12, 2007 at 7:00pm at Jefferson Houston School. Following this meeting, the Plan will be considered at public hearings in May"
Its always funny that they NEVER put a picture of Bland or Adkins or Ramsey in any of the flyer pictures. Its always seems to be Colecroft or Braddock Place
The Route 1 Corridor does not end at Braddock Metro. It goes all the way south to Ft. Belvoir. Read:
From THE DRAFT TRANSPORTATION PLAN
http://alexandriava.gov/alexride/pdf/tmp_transit_draft.pdf at page 6.
"THE ROUTE 1 CORRIDOR"
"The Route 1 corridor is a primary link between the Pentagon to the north and Ft. Belvoir to the south. The focus of the Route 1 corridor is on accommodating through trips and providing connectivity between City neighborhoods (Potomac Yard, Old Town, Del, Ray, etc.). The Route 1 corridor also provides a critical route for Alexandrians who commute to DC on a daily basis. The Route 1 corridor will enter the northern City limit through Arlington – coordinating and integrating service with the City of Arlington to provide a seamless connection to the Pentagon and the North.
Traveling south on the Route 1 corridor will provide access to the Potomac Yard Development, Mount Vernon Avenue retail area, Old Town and the South Washington area of the City.
To the south, the Route 1 corridor will coordinate and integrate with service provided by Fairfax County to Fort Belvoir. In addition, a transit connection to Maryland, via the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, is possible."
I'm the person who says, absolutely firm that I am speaking truth, that the ad hoc transportation committe had no part in putting a BRT going through Alexandria beyond the Braddock Road Metro station into the Braddock Metro Small Area plan. The transportation committee is writing a transportation master plan which will have to be approved by the Planning Commission and City Council.
The draft Braddock Road Small Area Plan which will also need approval of the Planning Commission and City Council is a document prepared by city staff in the planning department and the transportation and environmental services (T&ES) department. Obviously any BRT in that plan was a contrbution from the T&ES people.
Does anyone know anything about the Casablanca Dollar store? I read on a previous post that there was suspicious activity there, and I can see what that poster meant. Is that store legit? Any info anyone has would be greatly appreciated.
Looks like we are picking up right where we left off last summer...
In the last 24 hours, we have had police have to come by Adkins to tell some kids to stop knocking out the streetlight lamps with rocks, seen a kid get beat up in the playground in Adkins ( walking right to the Metro) and overheard a large group of kids at Bland talking about how they are going to shoot someone over in Delray.
The more things change, the more they stay EXACTLY the same.
And yes Growler we did call...when we called about the threats (including "I'm gonna get my gat in the alley and blast that fool in Delray") they said "we have heard about simmering gang tensions"
WALKABLE AND LIVABLE....thats PG
Re: 717 Pendleton - if the City allows the current zoning restriction to be lifted, we could have another dollar store on our hands. Or maybe a check cashing store? Given our neighborhood, a business like that should do very well.
The council recently informed us (mind you they think we're all stupid), that crime has decreased in PG. I wonder if that has anything to do with the pattern of less crime perpetrated during the winter months. Ya think? Wait until the summer, when thugs are roaming and the calls to the police soar. At this point, Let there be a riot. If that's what it takes to rebuild Adkins and Bland, okeydoke.
"Re: 717 Pendleton - if the City allows the current zoning restriction to be lifted, we could have another dollar store on our hands. Or maybe a check cashing store? Given our neighborhood, a business like that should do very well.
"
My guess is that if the City tried to push one of those types of stores into that location, they would have a reverse riot on their hands....
Picket lines, threats, etc...would all come into play
"Wait until the summer, when thugs are roaming and the calls to the police soar"
Its already starting. the police presence up here is already up from the winter...you can see it in the street. And the simmering gang tensions with Delray arent helping....its basically been acknowledged by the ARHA community officers that something is going to happen at some point....
"Does anyone know anything about the Casablanca Dollar store? I read on a previous post that there was suspicious activity there, and I can see what that poster meant. Is that store legit? Any info anyone has would be greatly appreciated. "
If its anything like Esmeraldas, its probably not legit. That resturant has little to no business most nights and still its in business (and not being subjected to any sort of code enforcement)
Did you see someone was fixing up the old Canal Club too (1000 Madison)? Wonder what is going there....
Does anyone know what can be done if a store (like Casablanca or Esmereldas) is suspected of engaging in illegal activity?
Is there anything one can do?
"Does anyone know what can be done if a store (like Casablanca or Esmereldas) is suspected of engaging in illegal activity?
Is there anything one can do?"
Yes, you can call Code Enforcement.
The problem is, we have different rules in the Inner City. If a store or restaurant was operating like that in Old Town, they would be shut down within days.
But here in the Inner City, code enforcement essentially does nothing when you call them. So be prepared for inaction.
From my understanding, people always call about Esmeraldas, 7-11, the old day laborer agency, Merry's, and the Travelodge, and nothing ever changes. It usually takes police action before you hear a peep from Code enforcement. Oh, or when they want to prevent grocery stores from moving into the neighborhood; then they magically show up.
"My guess is that if the City tried to push one of those types of stores into that location, they would have a reverse riot on their hands...."
I would encourage everyone to come to the meeting Kelly Conner pulled together for the neighborhood. We have an opportunity before zoning is changed to stop this and if we all come together that can happen. If you can't make the meeting send an email to her expressing your opposition to a zoning change.
For those of you who did not get the flyer, the meeting is at 7pm.
Also, it may interest everyone to know that the current asking price of the property is $1.6 million. The listing agent describes Ace as "optimistsic" that they can have the restriction lifted in the next 90 days.
"Also, it may interest everyone to know that the current asking price of the property is $1.6 million. The listing agent describes Ace as "optimistsic" that they can have the restriction lifted in the next 90 days."
It really depends on what they put there. If they put a nice restaurant there or decided to tear the office down to put in a few homes, that would be one thing.
If they try to build a check cashing store or liquor store, then forget it.
"It really depends on what they put there. If they put a nice restaurant there or decided to tear the office down to put in a few homes, that would be one thing."
That's the whole point. You don't get to decide whether it's a cute little restaurant or Esmeralda's. Want another fried fish restaurant? Then keep at it. If the zoning restriction is lifted, a restaurant is a restaurant. A dollar store will be treated the same as a cute little antique shop. Please don't screw this up with naivete.
We've got enough shops and restaurants nearby. Let's not risk drawing another trouble magnet to the neighborhood. We've also got enough of THOSE nearby.
"That's the whole point. You don't get to decide whether it's a cute little restaurant or Esmeralda's. Want another fried fish restaurant? Then keep at it. If the zoning restriction is lifted, a restaurant is a restaurant."
Actually you do..or at least you do in Old Town. go ahead and try to open a liquor store on King St. Go ahead and open a Check Cashing Store in Delray.
The problem is that we literally have to idiot proof all are processes to prevent idiots (i.e. City bureaucrats) from doing whatever they want. If they had half a brain they would reject any check cashing store in that location. Instead they accept anything because they dont care...so long as they make some tax bucks off it.
What is Kelly's email address?
"Actually you do..or at least you do in Old Town. go ahead and try to open a liquor store on King St. Go ahead and open a Check Cashing Store in Delray."
No, actually, you don't. If the restriction is removed at 717 Pendleton St, retail operates there by right. You (and the neighborhood) get absolutely no say whatsoever in the type of retail. Dollar store is the same as any other type of business. If you don't believe me, just read the zoning code.
And, again you are wrong about check cashing and liquor store. Both are specifically regulated in the zoning code. That's why there aren't any on king street by right. Not because the city Council likes OT better. Please, just stick to the facts.
In any other gentrification or economic revitalization situation in most other cities, that Casablanca store and the old day laborer site would be redeveloped to reflect the changing demographics of Parker Gray and the needs and wants of its taxpaying residents.
In Bill Euille's Alexandria, what we go for is "improvement" and "upgrade" of the existing store, so you will get nice benches for the loiterers, cast iron trash receptacles so the thugs can throw their trash near it, and a shiny new pay phone to call the police on, while you are being harassed in front of the store.
That store was insane yesterday afternoon. There were at least 10 guys loitering out in front. It seems to have become the unofficial Bland City hall, replacing the 7-11 on Columbus that closed.
Last weekend I went into Esmeralda's to have lunch, 12 noon, in an attempt to "get to know my neighborhood." Not a soul in the place, no customers, no waiters, nobody at the bar, BUT lots of loud music playing and people in the "back room" ("Kitchen"?) cooking up an intense argument. My observation of the dining room is, it's filthy, and I would rather take lunch in a chicken coop or a whorehouse than ever try to darken the door there again. Looked like floors had never been swept since the place opened--the auto repair garage across the street (I've been there frequently) looks twice as clean as this "restaurant," and I'm not saying the garage is an acceptable place to eat, either.... Obviously Esmeralda's is not interested in food or paying their bills operating as a restaurant, but it says alot about their "clientele," and the kind of people the city is attracting to this neighborhood.....
kfconner@verizon.net
The most ironic part is Code enforcement is nowhere to be found when it comes to Esmeraldas (numerous neighbors have complained about all the issues surrounding the place and the curious lack of customers) but they magically showed up when Harris Teeter was trying to work with P&Z to get a grocery store built...
Same thing with Casablanca and the ARHA properties...Code Enforcement is nowhere to be found to enforce building code standards, noise ordinances, loitering rules, etc.....
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