Membership Meeting Minutes-January 10, 2019

Posted onAuthorDRCA Secretary

  1. Welcome, DRCA President Annie Ebbers
  2. Alexandria Police Report, Capt. Dennis Andreas
  3. Alexandria Sheriff’s Office Report, Sgt. Sean Casey
  4. Special Guest: Hizzoner Justin Wilson 
  5. Questions for Hizzoner 
  6. Announcements

  1. Welcome, President Annie Ebbers
    1. Introduce DRCA Board
    2. Chili Cook-off coming February 9.
      1. We need volunteers!
    3. New Member recognition
    4. Upcoming: DRCA Meet and Greet with Jefferson-Houston new principal
      1. Refreshments, childcare provided by DRCA
      2. Would you like to volunteer? Contact [email protected]
    5. We need a volunteer to take over the DRCA Adopt-a-Park committee:
      1. Helps with park improvements (e.g., Simpson Park)
  2. Alexandria Police Report, Capt. Dennis Andreas
    1. Hammond Incident:
      1. Background: 2 calls before Christmas holiday.  1 Monday (1/8). Yesterday (1/9) -bomb threat
      2. Under investigation. No further news can be shared. 
    2. Del Ray 8 Part 1 offenses
      1. Little Street (back door robbery)
      2. E Luray 2 bikes locked inside yards (from 2 properties)
        1. Perhaps connected, but not certain 
      3. Robbery: Street E Windsor and MVA (3 youths approached individual with iPhone in hand which as stolen)
    3. Traffic
      1. 11 crashes, no injuries
      2. Two  DUI with arrest
      3. 41 traffic stops. Focus on speed, running stop signs
  3. Alexandria’s Sheriff’s Office, Sgt. Sean Casey
    1. 11 new deputy  sheriffs (NoVa Criminal Justice Academy)
    2. “Operation Elf” (150 kids of those incarcerated needed holiday gifts)
      1. Tons of toys collected and bought with donations, Thanks you!
    3. Ramsey School Safety Patrol
    4. Sober Living Unit event
    5. Charles Barrett School: Gym shoe drive for 50 students
    6. Drug Take-Back on January  12
      1. Neighborhood Pharmacy, MVA, 10a-2p  (also at HQ)
      2. Take-back includes pet meds
    7. Community Academies
      1. Go to ALX city website to apply.
      2. 20 participants in fall Sheriff’s Academy
      3. January 15 application period opens.
  4. Hizzoner Justin Wilson
    1. Past President, Del Ray Citizens Association) 
    2. First act as Mayor: Investigate raw sewage in neighbor’s basement
    3. Amazon & VTU announcements
      1. How to break out of 1-2 % revenue growth situation ALX is in?
      2. Higher education part of Commonwealth incentive package
        1. “National Landing” chosen because of talent availability
        2. K-12 ed and VCU part of proposal’s appeal
      3. Housing 
      4. Transportation 
      5. Quality of life
    4. Revision on Oakville Plan
      1. Work with Governor on details of package
      2. $50M from Commonwealth (funding for Potomac Yard Metro south side entrance, but not full mezzanine.
      3. Don’t want to delay on Potomac Yard station after 25 years of waiting
      4. What else will that $$ buy ALX?
    5. Summer Yellow/Blue closure:
      1. Relax: WMATA has a mitigation plan (buses)
      2. ALX has its own plans: DASH, bikes, river transport
      3. Critical need to get
        1. ALX residents to jobs
        2. Employees to ALX businesses
        3. Customers to ALX businesses
    6. Budget process: City Manager February presentation
      1. Expected $27M gap
      2. Expected Service reductions proposed
      3. Budget drivers:
        1. Student population ACPC (every year adding a lot of students)
        2. Infrastructure needs : Sewer work, roads, sidewalks, fire stations.
    7. Mount Vernon Ave Improvements
      1. Three-phase process
        1. 2nd: Series of (safety) changes to bus stops (mostly consolidations) current out to bid(expected awards in spring )
        2. 3rd: Repaving (with complete streets in mind)
    8. Welcome new council (4 new members)
  5. Questions for Hizzoner from audience:
    1. Why all three stations at once?
      1. Platforms need to be rebuilt (Braddock sinking). spacing out work would make disruption longer and bus bridges would still be needed.
      2. Also hard to get bidders. Separate projects would make it harder.
    2. Congestion is already bad on Route 1. What are we going to do?
        1. MetroWay Transitway runs a parralel path for much of the impacted zone. 
        1. WMATA 11Y routes an option (if more buses added)
        2. Dash route already looking at restructuring
          1. Dash, as a Metro feeder, is useless during this Metro shutdown
    3. Can we count on FFX, Arlington cooperation?
      1. Yes.
    4. What’s the deal with Landmark?
      1. Mall is closed, former Macy’s is temporarily the Carpenter’s Shelter during shelter’s reconstruction
      2. Three owners had to agree first before progress could be made and now Macy is gone
      3. Sears properties separate from retail operations (REIT)
      4. “Needs replanning” with all the recent changes 
      5. INOVA ALX might have a footprint?
    5. Dockless scooters are a nuisance!
      1. ALX adopted a 9-month pilot.
      2. Scooter companies must apply for permits
      3. ALX must establish rules.
      4. Yesterday (1/9): First permit to Lime
    6. Why no public input HQ2?
      1. NDU. Moving ahead: More transparency.
      2. Establish website and shared decisions made
      3. Affordable housing impact
      4. ALX impacted more than ARL
      5. “City needs to seek citizen input!”
    7. Historic preservation (ToP): Tear- downs and alterations affect character of Del Ray
      1. Infill development planning required.
      2. Complaints about McMansion vs Homeowners with a house too small and want to remain in Del Ray
      3. Del Ray might need historic district
      4. Requires support from property owners who are wiling to cede rights 
      5. VA state law: by-right development according to zoning. Not much can be done without broad base support
      6. Text amendment to manage infill development citywide but Del Ray is smaller scale. (E.g, Mason and DeWitt 5500 sq ft sfh where once a duplex was).
      7. Political changes coming in RVA to help with preservation matters?
    8. Oakville Triangle time-frame?
      1. Expect movement in Spring
      2. VTU looking for what’s largely already in Oakville Triangle Plan 
      3. Little industrial zone property and losing it in Oakville Triangle
      4. “Can plumbers be considered makers?”
    9. Pedestrian lights on MVA?
      1. No funding source in orig MVA Small Area Plan
      2. Plan being revised. Hopefully funding as well?
    10. School funding for three schools capital budget?
      1. Real estate taxes raised and went into fund for capital improvement (mostly for schools)
      2. Lots of ideas for new schools (Minnie Howard as a 2-year HS, or second 4-yr HS)
      3. School board will have to work with City Council.
    11. Fire stations need assistance
      1. West End. Stations in wrong places, e.g., Cameron Mills and Monticello
    12. Bikes during Metro closures?
      1. CaBi corrals?
      2. BPac mentorship program for first time riders (to work)
    13. “Your Newsletter is great”
      1. Writing  newsletter helps Hizzoner understand issues better.
      2. Sign up for ALX enews!
  6. Announcements:
    1. Del Ray Artisans
      1. “Faces” show in gallery through January
      2. Thank You for shopping at DRA’s three weekends of holiday markets.
    2. Del Ray Business Association
      1. Thank You to DRCA Board  for judging for 2018’s Christmas trees. Announcement of winner pending.
      2. Next up: “Heart of Del Ray” nominations. Email Gayle Reuter a business that epitomizes the heart (and soul) of Del Ray. Past winners not eligible. 
      3. Finalists will be announced February 1, then voting until February 7.
      4. On February 8, winning business announced!
    3. Simone Bird,  Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Program
      1. Meeting January 15, Alfred Street Baptist Church at 7:30pm
  7. Adjourned: 8:32pm


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