On Thursday, June 26 neighbors can take their pick from two meetings of interest to the community.
The first is yet another City/ARHA charrette to consider urban design for the Braddock East area. (Didn't we do this before as part of the Braddock Road Plan?)
Sign-in and refreshments will begin at 6pm and the meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held at Ebenezer Baptist Church's Hargrave-Collins Education Building at 301 North Patrick Street. For more information visit www.alexandriava.gov/braddockeast.
The same night there will be a community meeting regarding the revised plans for the Payne Street Condos (site of the current Security Storage warehouse).
The project has a new developer and is now destined — at least for the immediate future — to be built as a rental apartment complex.
The Payne Street meeting will be held at the offices of architects Rust Orling at 1215 Cameron Street from 7-9 p.m. While the design remains essentially the same, there are changes in height, building footprint, retail (not featured in the 2007 plan), and parking. The project goes back to Planning Commission for amendment in September.
28 comments:
They can't build those Payne Street condos fast enough as far as I'm concerned.
The more people we move into this neighborhood, the more outraged citizens we'll have emailing our head-in-the clouds City Council members demanding that they FINALLY address this ridiculous concentration of public housing, run by an incompetent and simple ARHA board.
And, pretty soon, they'll have another whole development of angry homeowners/residents directly across from Bland at the old 7-11 site. They are not going to be able to ignore this elephant much longer.
"The project has a new developer and is now destined — at least for the immediate future — to be built as a rental apartment complex."
Please screw your frickin' head on and enjoy a light bulb moment. The expected audience is renters not owners. Renters aren't going to trek to city hall and complain. They'll give notice instead.
The parents at last night's visioning meeting mostly agreed that Jefferson Houston should be demolished and a new school built elsewhere. Like you one committee member still waits for his light bulb moment.
"The more people we move into this neighborhood, the more outraged citizens we'll have emailing our head-in-the clouds City Council members demanding that they FINALLY address this ridiculous concentration of public housing, run by an incompetent and simple ARHA board."
The Payne street development is going to be apartments now, not condos and townhomes as originally proposed, and renters generally move if there's a problem - not get involved in local civic affairs. Given the real estate market and the conversion of many projects (Monarch, Madison, Payne) from condo to rental apartments there's a strong likelihood we're going to get all this increased density yet no stronger voice with the city government because the renters who move in probably won't get engaged. How's that for food for thought?
If the Growler has a Braddock East Advisory Committee meeting tonight then please advise us tomorrow of the city's current intentions regarding off-siting. I am under the impression David Dixon continues to dictate Hamer's policies and he still favors the same blithering notions of social togetherness we heard him preach during the Braddock charrettes.
Is this editorial not written by the same former school member who participated in the 1999 school redistricting, who thinks Jefferson Houston just fine as configured then? Very telling this ...
(Saturday) June 14, 2008
By Rodger Digilio
alexandrianews.org
A number of amendments to the Potomac Yard Master Plan are making their way through the approval process in the arcane world of our city planners. It seems that Mid Atlantic Realty Partners, current owners of Potomac Yard, want to concentrate commercial office density in the town center. They would take approved square feet of office space from other areas of Potomac Yard to do this.
Planning Commission heard this in early June and it passed on a 4-2 vote with one member absent. The chairman, who voted against the amendments, castigated the staff for doing a superficial job of analyzing the impacts. He was joined in dissent by Commissioner Dunn.
Normally shifting density around in a large development would not cause us concern but there are some interesting issues here. The first is that density has not been put back into the land bays from which the shifted density has been taken. Why are these areas to be left lightly developed (one is next to Braddock Road Metro station)? What is the real gain from concentration. Will there be attempts later on to add additional density or to shift more around?
One of the major justifications stated is to make the town center more attractive for a new Metro stop. Density is attractive but who is going to fund this stop? Certainly not the developers. The city has no money nor does the state. Congress is trying to vote money to Metro for repairs and maintenance as the aging system is breaking down under the influx of massive numbers of new riders leaving cars at home in the era of $4 (soon to be $5) gas.
The city made a choice nearly a decade ago to forgo the density of the project that would have allowed the developers to fund the new metro station.
There is, however, an interesting aspect of this plan that involves the developer, Mid Atlantic Realty Partners in a joint venture of CENTEX and Pulte, two of the nation’s largest residential homebuilders. The past few years have not been kind to these firms as the real estate crisis has destroyed their markets. In 2005 CENTEX stock almost hit $80 per share. Today it is traded around $14. Pulte stock has dropped from $47 to around $11 per share in the same period.
This week the national bond rating agencies took aim at the homebuilders. CENTEX had its bond rating reduced to junk bond status by Fitch Ratings. Pulte was reduced to one step above junk bond status by the same agency.
There have been reports circulating for some time that the developer is seeking to sell all or part of Potomac Yard. This is what major residential developers have been trying to do to raise cash to survive. What better way to make part of Potomac Yard more saleable then to vastly increase the allowable density that can be built on it?
In the long run this may be fine for the city. We would like to know that for sure before the decision is made. We think the chairman and Commissioner Dunn had it right. There should be significantly more study done on this before it is approved. The city should be in the position of protecting its future and its citizens and not handing out benefits to developers to help them with their own financial issues.
"If the Growler has a Braddock East Advisory Committee meeting tonight then please advise us tomorrow of the city's current intentions regarding off-siting."
Maybe the Lofts' Selena Zells would also contribute content?
"Is this editorial not written by the same former school member who participated in the 1999 school redistricting, who thinks Jefferson Houston just fine as configured then?"
If you mean school board member then yeah isolate segregate and dump!
I was unable to make it to yesterday's PG BAR work session about Bland. Is there anyone out there who attended and can give us an update about what happened, if anything?
"I was unable to make it to yesterday's PG BAR work session about Bland."
Was it not televised for rebroadcast a second time? Tape it.
Regardless of what the Payne St site turns out to be, I am just glad that things are moving forward. In the current economic client, we could have instead had a site left as is until market conditions improved.
Having another project get underway soon -- whether it's this or the Madison -- is, if nothing else, a symbolic step that development will continue in this area. And the news of possible retail at this site is very encouraging news.
"Having another project get underway soon -- whether it's this or the Madison -- is, if nothing else, a symbolic step that development will continue in this area. And the news of possible retail at this site is very encouraging news."
The proposed Payne St Apartments, the Monarch Apartments and the other developments sing the same old song - and we're still waiting for that ol' Harris Teeter grocery they promised.
And clearly, the theory that more yuppies moving in will call police and help contain the problems of public housing is still being touted as well.
In the meantime, fact remains that city plods ahead with big new buildings to reduce the percentage of public housing in our neighborhood by adding lots and lots of units in those buildings for others to live in.
No - you disperse public housing FIRST, THEN we'll consider density.
"No - you disperse public housing FIRST, THEN we'll consider density."
Growler, wanna tell us what happened at last night's Braddock East Advisory Group meeting? We hear the meetings are conducted poorly, the discussion controlled and we need to BAG the process.
Anonymous wrote:
"They can't build those Payne Street condos fast enough as far as I'm concerned.
The more people we move into this neighborhood, the more outraged citizens we'll have emailing our head-in-the clouds City Council members demanding that they FINALLY address this ridiculous concentration of public housing, run by an incompetent and simple ARHA board."
While I would love to believe that having more people complain about public housing problems to the city would have an effect, the reality sets in quickly. This week on Royal St by Chatham Square, we had 75 people assault a guy in a car, a kid bashed in the head by some other kids and a broad daylight stabbing. Weeee, summertime in the Berg is fun! All we need now is some random automatic weapons fire and it will feel like I am living in the middle-east again!
A couple of homeowners showed up at our HOA meeting last night, (myself included) to voice concerns, but really, what more can our HOA do when we as taxpayers have no voice with the city when it comes to public housing? I think the only way we'd ever get ARHA to do anything, would be to show up at their building at 4:30pm on a Friday afternoon and prevent ARHA staff from leaving the building. We could just stand around, yell at each other, drink beers and throw trash around (sound familiar) Even with that, I still don't believe they would get the point.
Not sure what else to do, I'm not moving anytime soon because I love Old Town, but it would be nice to sleep at night in peace and quiet! Well, winter will be on its way soon.
"I'm not moving anytime soon because I love Old Town"
Old Town must be a magical place to keep you living in an area with quality of life issues like you so describe.
I bet you and your real estate agent aren't on each others X-Mas card list anymore.
FELONIOUS ASSAULT:
300 block of Tancil Court. 06/26 at 3:15 P.M. An unknown suspect assaulted the victim, a 19 year-old Alexandria man, causing injuries to his abdomen. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect is described as a black male, 05’09” and 160 lbs.
Now why would anyone say ARHA is an unsafe place to live?
Sounds perfectly safe to me. A great place to bring up children.
We have two options. Either fight to remove public housing and resist any new development or fight to remove public housing while encouraging smart new development projects. Either way we are likely going to end up with no public housing dispersal for 10 years, as officials have said time and time again. So in those 10 years, I'd rather have a growing neighborhood with new retail amenities and new residents (rental tenants or owners) walking the streets at night. I shudder to think about what life would be like in this neighborhood if all development stopped. Once a neighborhood loses hope, it all goes down hill.
"I shudder to think about what life would be like in this neighborhood if all development stopped."
Obviously you are a developer's shill. All development is not going to stop. The city's best revenue stream is new construction and that by itself will drive development.
"FELONIOUS ASSAULT:
300 block of Tancil Court. 06/26 at 3:15 P.M. An unknown suspect assaulted the victim, a 19 year-old Alexandria man, causing injuries to his abdomen. The victim was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The suspect is described as a black male, 05’09” and 160 lbs.
Now why would anyone say ARHA is an unsafe place to live?
Sounds perfectly safe to me. A great place to bring up children."
You must have missed the M-80 bottle assault on Wythe last week. Ironically, RIGHT AFTER the Braddock East meeting. The new pre-July 4th game seeems to be to load M-80's into glass bottles and then throw them. The last time I checked, thats called a Molotov cocktail.
I wonder what would happen if one of those hit Euielle's SUV.....
"then please advise us tomorrow of the city's current intentions regarding off-siting."
there is no change. They still want to do 2/3 onsite for every unit. The total number of units they want to stuff in, though, is truly astonishing. you are looking at 240 at Adkins alone, with the public housing residents on the outside in townhomes and a mega-dense building in the middle.
But off-siting hasnt changed...still same dreamland as before....now they are trying to use words like "supermarket" as if anyone is impressed anymore...
Tancil Court is not in our neighborhood, it is in Old Town. it is a small half-block street off N. Fairfax.
Isnt Tancil court in the famed Hopkins-Tancil projects?
"And clearly, the theory that more yuppies moving in will call police and help contain the problems of public housing is still being touted as well."
They weent understanding this concept at the Braddock East charade...its as if they magically believe that people will just pay 400k for market rate units in Parker Gray or pay the rent necessary to support such a proposition.
They dont seem to want to believe that the public housing units bring the market rate unit prices down, sometimes significantly.
"Either way we are likely going to end up with no public housing dispersal for 10 years, as officials have said time and time again. So in those 10 years, I'd rather have a growing neighborhood with new retail amenities and new residents (rental tenants or owners) walking the streets at night."
You keep making the asame mistaken assumption - THAT THEY WILL COME.
Where would you rather rent; DC, Arlington, or Parker Gray? These ninnies dont understand that you have to give people something to attract them to the neighborhood before they will come...if all they see are stabbings, mass police responses, and Madden Uptown, they are less likely to fork over Dixon's fantasyland number....
"they are less likely to fork over Dixon's fantasyland number...."
While I agree with most of what you said there is another issue worthy of exploration. The time has come for Planning Director Hamer to be called to account for her lavish spending on consultants. I went to several of the Braddock planning charrettes and I thought David Dixon remarkably ignorant regarding this neighborhood. He basically builds sardine cans on the assumption that all cities are similar to Boston. Boston is not burdened by its southern heritage and New Enlgand generally has less violent crime. I tuned out when he allowed an ex con to hold court. If the $1 million spent on Braddock planning consultants were invested otherwise maybe we would finally have walkable sidewalks, undergrounding or other similar amenity.
"The time has come for Planning Director Hamer to be called to account for her lavish spending on consultants."
Dixon is there to manage expectations....he probably deep down realizes he is full of it but the City pays him to manage people's expectations and put a stamp on their hardbrained scheme. Whats sad was watching his defensiveness when his numbers were challenged. I could see even City staff was skeptical.
"Tancil Court is not in our neighborhood, it is in Old Town. it is a small half-block street off N. Fairfax"
True, but it's the incidents there are illustrative of the City-wide ARHA problems. And, it goes to show you that just because you redevelop an ARHA property, it won't solve the underlying problems. Witness Chatham Square.
Besides, crime from that ARHA property (both Chatham Sq and Tancil Ct) DOES spill into our neighborhood. In fact, it did just last weekend, when some of the thugs from that neighborhood came to spread their good cheer in PG...
So keep talking about the problems in Chatham Sq. and TAncil Ct., even though there not in our neighborhood. Every good citizen in Alexandria hates ARHA and we should band together to force our City Council to do something about it.
Two words come to mind... teen curfew...
Yes, Old Town is a magical place. It has been my dream to be able to afford to live here ever since High School. So far, my own personal complaints have been minor compared to the benefits I reap. That said, I still can not understand the strong support for keeping any Public Housing in Old Town versus dispersing it around the entire City of Alexandria and beyond, to Loudon County, Mannassas, West Virginia, Ohio, Kansas, Afghanistan, Iraq, etc... (heh, heh, heh, slightly evil laugh ensues) As for my agent, she was very honest about everything, and I, unlike many of my neighbors, spent several weeks hanging around "the hood" at night, and on weekend nights to truly experience the mayhem before deciding to buy. (Ok, I am an engineer, so slightly crazy...) I foolishly believed that change happens when concerned and caring neighbors get involved with the city. So far, that has not happened.
Anonymous said...
"I'm not moving anytime soon because I love Old Town"
Old Town must be a magical place to keep you living in an area with quality of life issues like you so describe.
I bet you and your real estate agent aren't on each others X-Mas card list anymore.
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