Membership Meeting Minutes-November 13, 2019

Posted onAuthorDRCA Secretary

  • Welcome, Betsy Whalen, Vice-President
  • Alexandria Police Report, Capt. Dennis Andreas
  • Alexandria Sheriff’s Office Report, Lt. Sean Casey
  • DRCA Committee Reports
  • Presentation: Equal Justice Initiative, Audrey Davis, Alexanria Black History Museum
  • Announcements

  1. Welcome, Betsy Whalen, Vice-President
    1. President Bush is out of town for a conference.
  2. Alexandria Police Report, Capt. Dennis Andreas
    1. Crime: 24 part 1 offenses in Del Ray, up from 9
      1. All larcenies (property crime), 1 Pickpocket at business
      2. Larcenies from vehicles (almost all from unlocked)
        1. Don’t leave valuables inside if unlocked
      3. Shoplifting
        1. Neighborhood Pharmacies (part of regional series (here, MD, PA)
    2. Traffic: 90 traffic stops, up 24 additional from last year
      1. No DR targets for traffic enforcement
        1. King Street  and Rosemont no right turn on red
        2. Speeding on Gunston
      2. Fatal crash van Dorn (11/2)
    3. HS strategic plan for opioid epidemic: HS, Schools, sheriff, police, health
    4. Questions:
      1. Lisa: Monroe bike lane contention with vehicleS
      2. Carol: Concern about Procedure for reporting events. why directly to patrol unit
  3. Alexandria Sheriff’s Office Report, Lt. Sean Casey
    1. ASO Overview
    2. Community Engagement: ASO is partnering with APD to establish liaison at every elementary school
      1. Lunch with kids, talk to teachers
      2. See a cruiser by school, don’t be alarmed
  4. DRCA First Timers?
    1. Lidia (on Nelson, 2-months)
    2. Alisha (11 month, from Columbia Heights)
  5. DRCA Committee Reports
    1. Adopt-a-Park
      1. November last month for cleanups until spring
      2. Committee needs more volunteers
      3. Need new chair
    2. Land Use
      1. 226/228 Glebe (near by St Rita’s and Foodway)
        1. Currently two little houses
        2. Proposal for multifamily housing
        3. All 3-bedroom units
        4. Variant for zoning
          1. height (higher first floor for retail first floor)
          2. open space
          3. side, front yards
        5. Front of the property line, parking in rear (streetscape good)
        6. 2-3 tenant spaces (retail?)
        7. Greg Ruff, Wolf
      2. Kettle Park Update:  95% installed (trees next spring, planting, boulders in place)
  6. Presentation: Equal Justice Initiative, Audrey Davis, Alexandria Black History Museum
    1. Audrey Davis (ABHM Director since 2015,  25-year museum veteran)
    2. 100 documented of 4743 lynching 1882-1968 in VA.
      1. 11 in NoVa.
      2. 2 in OT ALX: 1897 Lee Cameron, 1899 Fairfax and King (McCoy & Thomas)
    3. EJI has a pillar for each community with documented lynching.
    4. Engaged communities can claim pillar
    5. (Markers have been distributed but no pillars yet)
    6. The 2 ALX victims are believed to be buried Penny Hill cemetery
    7. Some archaeological work to be done
    8. ALX Action plan with 7 committees, including: Public outreach, Education and programming, Marketing. Marker dedication & Soil collection, Research, Fundraising
    9. Pilgrimage to Alabama planned
    10. Create a community of reflection (no a one and done to get pillar)
    11. Timeline three-year
    12. Community outreach:
      1. 11/16 Lee Center 1-3
      2. MLK Day 1/15 Beth El Hebrew 7:30
    13. Marker planned for Market Square
  7. New Mount Vernon Avenue Area Plan, Kristine Hesse, Land Use Committee Co-Chair
    1. Update to 2005 MVA Bus Area Plan
    2. In part a response to Amazon, but also it’s time to review and formulate new plan
    3. Area covered? Further north, west? Combine with Arlandria plan?
    4. City survey can only be submitted once. Make it count!
    5.  12/12: Community Conversation with City Planners at MVCS Cafeteria
    6. Another in Arlandria 11/21 in Spanish
    7. DRCA is a lobbying group for neighborhood
    8. Things missing in original plan need to be included in new plan (e.g., how to fund?)
    9. Developers need to know what they can must do to determine viability of property development proposals
  8. Announcements
    1. Del Ray Citizens Association 
      1. 11/17: World Day of Remembrance at Glebe and MVA
      2. 12/11: Mini membership meeting then Pork Barrel BBQ for holiday mixer
    2. Del Ray Business Association
      1. 11/23 Blood Drive at farmers market. Make appointment in advance.(Raffle for Caps tickets). Seeking to break record (goal 32)
      2. Thank You for  Halloween Parade sponsorship
        1. Send suggestions Visit Del Ray website contact
      3. Turkey Trot (700 ahead) fundraiser for Alive! and DRBA
      4. Register ahead of time
      5. Holiday happenings:
        1. Volunteers for decorating street poles
        2. Bsuinesses decorating windows
        3. 12/8: Tree and nenorah lighting
        4. Volunteers needed for everything
          1. Check out volunteer portal on DRBA website
        5. 12/14: Candy Cane Bar Crawl
    3. Del Ray Artisans
      1. November exhibit in gallery: “$100 and Under”
      2. December: three weekends of Holiday Art and Craft Market (different artists each week).