CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, VA
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CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, VA
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CITY COUNCIL Mayor Justin Wilson Vice Mayor Elizabeth B. Bennett-Parker Councilman Canek Aguirre Councilman John T. Chapman Councilwoman Amy B. Jackson Councilwoman Redella S. “Del” Pepper Councilman Mohamed E. “Mo” Seifeldein
PLANNING COMMISSION David Brown Stephen Koenig Mindy Lyle Nathan Macek Jody Manor Melissa McMahon Vivian Ramirez
CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE Mark Jinks, City Manager Emily Baker, Deputy City Manager
PLANNING AND ZONING Karl Moritz, Director Jeffrey Farner, Deputy Director Thomas Canfield, City Architect Carrie Beach, Division Chief Robert Kerns, Division Chief Tony LaColla, Division Chief Mary Christesen, Zoning Manager Jose Carlos Ayala, Project Manager/Principal Planner Katherine Carraway, Urban Planner Maggie Curran, Urban Planner Richardson Jean-Baptiste, Urban Planner Ann Horowitz, Principal Planner Susan Hellman, Principal Planner Catherine Miliaras, Principal Planner Nathan Imm, Principal Planner Anna Franco, Urban Planner Carson Lucarelli, Urban Planner
OFFICE OF HOUSING Helen McIlvaine, Director Eric Keeler, Deputy Director Tamara Jovovic, Housing Program Manager
RECREATION, PARKS AND CULTURAL ACTIVITIES Jack Browand, Acting Deputy Director Judy Lo, Acting Principal Planner/Open Space Ana Vicinanzo, Urban Planner/Open Space
TRANSPORTATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES Yon Lambert, Director Hillary Orr, Deputy Director William Skrabak, Deputy Director Christopher Ziemann, Division Chief Jesse Maines, Division Chief Brian Rahal, Section Lead Erin Bevis-Carver, Acting Division Chief Ellen Eggerton, Sustainability Coordinator Megan Oleynik, PE, Long Range Planner Ryan Knight, Civil Engineer IV Melanie Mason, Watershed Mgmt. Planner
ALEXANDRIA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP Stephanie Landrum, President & CEO Christina Mindrup, Vice President, Real Estate Bill Reagan, Executive Director SBDC
ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS Erika Gulick, Director of Capital Programs, Planning & Design Sophie Huemer, Planner II
FORMER STAFF Radhika Mohan, Principal Planner Natalie Brown, Urban Planner Christine Mayeur, Complete Streets Program Manager
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| PAGES | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Culture + History | 8 |
| 2 | Housing for All | 10 |
| 3 | Healthy + Sustainable + Resilient | 18 |
| 4 | Gather + Play | 28 |
| 5 | Land Use + Urban Design | 38 |
| 6 | Safe Access + Mobility | 54 |
| 7 | Recommendations | 60 |
| 8 | Plan Implementation | 68 |
| 9 | Appendices | 74 |
| • Community Planning Process | ||
| • Demographics | ||
| • Arlandria-Chirilagua Cultural History | ||
| • Transportation Future Conditions and Opportunities |
| PAGES | |
|---|---|
| Table 1 – Open Space | 33 |
| Table 2 – Community Benefits + Funding Responsibility | 69 |
| Table 3 – Implementation Tasks + Phasing | 72 |
| PAGES | |
|---|---|
| Figure 1 – Neighborhood Investment Priorities | 20 |
| Figure 2 – Sustainable in New Development | 20 |
| Figure 3 – Floodplain Map | 21 |
| Figure 4 – Planned Stormwater Capacity Projects and Flood Service Request | 24 |
| Figure 5 – Open Space Network | 32 |
| Figure 6 – Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan Illustrative | 36 |
| Figure 7 – Land Use | 40 |
| Figure 8A – Base Height | 41 |
| Figure 8B – Building Heights | 42 |
| Figure 9 – Retail Focus Area and Neighborhood Core Buildings | 43 |
| Figure 10 – Sidewalk Zones and Entrepreneurial Area Location | 45 |
| Figure 11 – Minimum Height and Depth Requirements in Retail Focus Area | 45 |
| Figure 12 – Mount Vernon Avenue/Glebe Road Typical Section | 49 |
| Figure 13 – Typical Neighborhood Connector Section | 49 |
| Figure 14 – Typical Neighborhood Residential | 50 |
| Figure 15 – Shared/Flexible Street | 50 |
| Figure 16 – Illustrative Parking Screening Diagram | 51 |
| Figure 17 – Complete Streets Typologies | 56 |
| Figure 18 – Mobility Framework | 57 |
| Figure 19 – Safety Recommendations | 58 |
| Figure 20 – Existing Zoning with Floor Area Ratio (FAR) | 71 |
The tapestry of Arlandria-Chirilagua is made up of many colors, cultures, traditions, sights, sounds, and flavors that contribute to the essence of the place that residents cherish as home. Over many decades, the neighborhood has welcomed a diversity of residents that together create a unique whole. Today, the neighborhood faces new change challenged by complex housing and financial circumstances worsened by the global pandemic and local and regional market pressures with Amazon HQ2 in Arlington, the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station, and the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus.
The intent of the Plan is to celebrate the diversity of people and elements that make Arlandria-Chirilagua unique and expand opportunity for equity, housing and social connection.
Two fundamental elements underpin the Plan's intent: enabling residents to remain in their community and preparing for inevitable change to ensure the community and its unique culture can continue to thrive.
The "Housing for All" chapter is the foundation of the Plan with a focus on maintaining the cultural diversity of the neighborhood; the remaining Plan chapters support the urban environment that welcomes all, regardless of color, education, or socioeconomics, through open space and the built environment, entrepreneurship, environmental sustainability, safety, and walkability.
Community Vision for the Future:
A welcoming, culturally rich, and socioeconomically diverse community that has grown and flourished without leaving behind those who built the legacy of the neighborhood;
A thriving commercial core that provides residents with walkable access to fresh food, household goods and services, and entrepreneurship and employment opportunities;
Home to healthy and secure residents supported by services that they need to thrive within walking distance, such as medical and dental care, youth and job training programs, childcare, and public open space for play and gathering;
A sustainable and resilient environment with infrastructure to address the neighborhood’s flooding and stormwater challenges and new streetscape and development that increase tree canopy and reduce stormwater runoff.
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Arlandria-Chirilagua Retail Core Area of the neighborhood
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Acknowledging that the neighborhood will change, this Plan is intended to guide and shape change while building on the many strengths of the neighborhood. The intent of the Plan is to create a framework for the future to ensure that this unique community can remain and thrive as an important and valued part of the City with a strong focus on maintaining housing affordability, diversity and culture.
Culture + History: Celebrate the unique cultural history of the neighborhood by retaining some buildings in the commercial core and encouraging interpretation through signage, murals, public art, and design or functional elements in the streetscape and open space for a distinctive, diverse, and welcoming neighborhood.
Housing for All: Ensure that Arlandria-Chirilagua remain a diverse neighborhood home to its current and future generations of residents by deepening housing affordability and expanding housing opportunity.
Healthy + Sustainable + Resilient: Support access to neighborhood goods and services, address the carbon impacts of new development and plan for stormwater and flooding challenges in the neighborhood.
Gather + Play: Provide an expanded and enhanced open space network to include new open space, improved amenities, public art, and improved connections.
Land Use + Urban Design: Focus on residential uses to prioritize the provision of deeply affordable housing, strengthen the neighborhood commercial core, create opportunities for entrepreneurship, and enhance walkability.
Mobility + Safety: Improving safety and connectivity for people walking, wheeling, bicycling, and taking transit; and supporting and expanding diverse, accessible, and affordable options for transportation.
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Celebrate the unique cultural history of the neighborhood by retaining some buildings in the commercial core and encouraging interpretation through signage, murals, public art, and design or functional elements in the streetscape and open space for a distinctive, diverse, and welcoming neighborhood.
Arlandria-Chirilagua has a rich history, from early settlement by the Native American Tauxenant tribe, to the historic black ownership of homes in Sunnyside and site of a Negro League Baseball Sandlot in the early 20th century, to the 1980s when immigrants from El Salvador began arriving, to the multicultural neighborhood it is today. While many Alexandrians historically knew this area as Arlandria for its location between Arlington and Alexandria, Hispanic residents and visitors call it Chirilagua in memory of the province in El Salvador from which many residents fled in the 1980s in search of safety and a brighter future.
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A. Part of 1815 Territoire de Columbia, schematic published in Paris in 1820, extending L'Enfant and Ellicott's 1791 radial plan for Washington into Arlandria-Chirilagua and proposing a grand building at Adam's Mill (Courtesy of Library of Congress) - B. Part of 1608 Smith Map, depicting an Iroquoian speaking Susquehannock hunter, Tauxenent's northern neighbors, as interpreted by Europeans. - C. African American refugees of the Confederate States of America at the U.S. border, which was the border between Alexandria and Fairfax Counties, New Year's Day, 1863 by D.B. Woodbury (Courtesy of Library of Congress) - D. Presidential Greens, George Washington Bldg, Mt Vernon Ave, View West
As part of the background research conducted for the Plan, the City produced "A Cultural History of Arlandria-Chirilagua," including oral histories of current residents, to document this important history of the neighborhood as a resource for future generations and to inform Plan recommendations.
Recognizing Arlandria-Chirilagua's unique cultural history and the value it holds for residents, visitors, and the City as a whole, the Plan includes a series of recommendations that seek to express and incorporate the neighborhood's cultural history into its future fabric. These recommendations can be found in multiple sections of the Plan as the thread weaves its way across many topics, including Housing for All, Gather + Play, and Land Use + Urban Design. Overall, the Plan seeks to celebrate culture and history through the design of an inclusive multicultural neighborhood and preservation of the characteristics that make the neighborhood unique.
Housing for All is the foundational element of the Plan that seeks to preserve Arlandria-Chirilagua as home to current residents and build on the neighborhood's diversity.
As further discussed in Land Use + Urban Design, the Plan recommends retention of key buildings/and or facades in the commercial core of the neighborhood, including several of the smaller retail/commercial buildings on Mount Vernon Avenue (the "Avenue"), such as the iconic "Wafle Shop," as well as the Presidential Greens "George Washington" building located on the Avenue with its historic Presidential Inauguration columns and historic use as a motor motel. Retention of the identified "core commercial district" buildings will help retain the look, feel and scale of the neighborhood.
In addition, the Plan recommends integrating interpretation of the neighborhood's cultural history into parks/open spaces, buildings, and streetscape through murals or other public art, interpretative signage, paving, expression through building design, or any other interpretive elements that highlight the area's unique history and culture. In open space, historic interpretation and public art can take various forms and dimensions and can be functional, as play or recreational equipment, or purely aesthetic. For historic interpretation recommendations, see Arlandria-Chirilagua Cultural History Report (Appendix).
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Ensure that Arlandria-Chirilagua remain a diverse neighborhood, home to its current and future generations, of residents by deepening housing affordability and expanding housing opportunity.
With regional economic growth and opportunity come additional pressures on housing affordability. Ensuring that Arlandria-Chirilagua remains a neighborhood that retains and welcomes social, economic and cultural diversity depends on the Plan's ability to guide the expansion and retention of housing affordability. Through this Plan and other efforts, the City has committed to working to ensure that all Alexandrians benefit from economic growth, in particular those historically marginalized and in need of higher degrees of housing affordability. The Plan strives to enable present and future generations of residents to remain affordably in the neighborhood through a combination of tools and strategies.
Providing housing affordability and opportunity for people of all incomes, abilities, and stages of life is at the heart of the City’s Housing Master Plan and is a cornerstone of Alexandria’s commitment to diversity and racial and social equity as articulated in the City’s Strategic Plan and the ALL Alexandria Resolution. It is the foundation of household stability, well-being, and health. Children have better educational outcomes when they live in housing that is stable and healthy. Seniors and others on fixed-incomes have opportunities to remain and age safely in homes that are affordable, accessible, and secure.
Housing affordability is also critically important to the city’s economic vitality and competitiveness. Businesses look for a diverse and stable local workforce when deciding whether to locate, remain, or expand their operations in the city. Individuals who live in housing that is affordable tend to be longer-term employees because they do not move as frequently or face extended commutes with limited transportation options. Businesses, in turn, benefit by having a more reliable workforce and lower training costs due to reduced turnover.
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affordable home one that costs a household or family no more than 30% of its gross monthly income.
Housing Cost Burdened A household that spends more than 30% of its gross income on housing and housing related costs such as utilities, property taxes, and insurance.
$36,840 Annual median earnings for Construction Laborers
$31,540 Annual median earnings for Childcare workers
$31,390 Annual median earnings for Restaurant Cooks
$30,330 Annual median earnings for Housekeeping Cleaners
$28,520 Annual median earnings for Retail Salespersons
$27,060 Annual median earnings for Food Preparation and Serving Related Workers
Area Median Income (AMI): Income levels that are established annually by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for households of various sizes, where half of the households in the area earn more and half earn less. Housing affordability is typically tied to a percentage of the area median income. For example, in the City committed affordable rental units are defined as being affordable to households at or below 60% of AMI.
Like many communities across the region and country, the worsening shortage of affordable housing in Arlandria-Chirilagua has been fueled by rising rents and stagnating wages coupled with job growth in lower-wage sectors (such as retail, hospitality, and healthcare), along with limited federal housing funding to maintain existing housing stock and subsidies. This widening gap has magnified the housing-cost burden of many low- to moderate-income residents.
The Plan’s housing demand analysis was informed by:
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All data speak to the depth of housing demand in the community, specifically to the urgent need for housing affordable at 30-40 percent of the area median income (AMI) and for larger units with more bedrooms.
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The city’s market affordable inventory—historically its primary source of housing diversity—has shrunk by approximately 14,300 units, or 78%, between 2000 and 2020, and does not address Arlandria-Chirilagua community needs for deep affordability. During the same period, the average cost of housing (rent and utilities) for a two-bedroom unit in the city increased by 128% and the average residential assessment more than tripled while the region’s median income increased by only 52%.
95% Earn less than 40% AMI
33% Live in a one-bedroom with 3 or more residents
14% Live in a two-bedroom with 5 or more residents
Source: Tenants and Workers United 2019 Survey findings
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Today there are fewer than 250 committed affordable rental units in Arlandria-Chirilagua. Meanwhile, the majority of privately owned rental housing is affordable at 60-70 percent of AMI (factoring in the cost of utilities which, at some properties, are charged separately from rent) and consists of one-bedroom units. As a result, more than 850 households with incomes at or below $50,000 are estimated to be housing cost burdened. Many residents have also indicated they must share housing with related and non-related households in order to remain in the community, a phenomenon that is particularly acute in privately owned market-affordable housing.
1. Leveraging Public, Private and Non-profit Partnerships and Leveraging Federal, State, and Private Funding
The Plan recommends the continued use of public-private partnerships to maximize the use of private and public land and to leverage all available resources for the development of affordable and deeply affordable housing. As in other parts of Alexandria, the City will strive to partner with non-profit housing developers, such as the Alexandria Housing Development Corporation (AHDC), Wesley Housing, and Community Lodgings, to implement new housing projects in Arlandria-Chirilagua. Such projects may assume different forms, including new construction on vacant property, infill development on underutilized land, colocation with other uses, redevelopment and expansion of existing affordable housing, and renovation and preservation of existing market-affordable housing.
In addition, financing affordable housing is contingent upon a range of complex federal, state and private funding sources, many of which are competitive. These funding sources are instrumental in leveraging City gap investment to stretch each City dollar, maximizing its impact and further deepening levels of affordability. Examples include:
Federal:
State:
Other:
City:
2. Density and Building Height Incentives and Developer Contributions
The Plan recommends the use of density and height incentives as a key tool to expand affordability in the neighborhood. New development will provide ten percent of the residential floor area above existing zoning, exclusive of above ground parking and exclusive of bonus density pursuant to Section 7-700, (see Figure 20– BASE ZONING) as committed affordable housing for a minimum of 40 years. For rental housing, five percent of the increase will be affordable to households with incomes at 40% AMI (inclusive of utilities) and another five percent at 50% AMI (inclusive of utilities). This requirement represents a significant increase in the amount and affordability of units to be produced through the development process (the City's 2020 housing policy set an eight percent at 60% AMI target in emerging markets like Arlandria-Chirilagua) consistent with the Plan's prioritization of housing affordability. For for-sale housing, ten percent of the increase will be affordable to households consistent with City housing policy in effect at the
Need:
Supply:
Sources: 2015-2019 American Community Survey Estimates; Office of Housing, City of Alexandria
time development proposals are submitted. As discussed in the Land Use Chapter, the Plan will also grant additional height above that permitted under existing zoning in exchange for committed affordable housing.
Affordable housing contribution policies and procedures in effect at the time development proposals are submitted will continue to apply to development in the Plan area. To expand housing opportunities in the neighborhood, the City may convert the monetary housing contributions into on-site affordable units in residential developments by buying down market rents.
Further, new development may utilize Section 7-700 of the Zoning Ordinance in addition to the incentives provided as part of the Plan to receive bonus density and/or height in exchange for affordable housing. The Plan encourages affordable rental units generated through the application of Section 7-700 at 60% AMI, to be converted to deeper levels of affordability (e.g. 40-50% AMI), even though the conversion results in an overall lower number of units. Such trade-offs, which reflect the exponentially higher value of deeply affordable units, better suit current household income demographics.
Arlandria-Chirilagua residents have emphasized the importance of having equitable access to new affordable housing resources as they are constructed in the community. They have noted that the leasing process in such developments can be daunting and that eligibility criteria can preclude many from applying due to their rental history (including informal or undocumented subleasing) or the nature of their employment in the service, restaurant, childcare, day labor, construction and gig economies that may offer irregular monthly and/or cash incomes that make documenting eligibility for some types of affordable housing complicated.
To address these challenges, the Plan recommends coordination with HUD on a waiver that would allow preference to be given to existing residents seeking to rent in new affordable housing projects developed or preserved in the neighborhood. In addition, a Ready to Rent program is being established to educate and empower residents to successfully prepare for and navigate the application process when new affordable units are brought to the market.
Investing in existing market-affordable and committed-affordable housing complexes, where feasible, to address deferred capital maintenance and improve living conditions for residents while helping to maintain and/or deepen levels of affordability in the community is also an important Plan goal. The Plan recommends extending technical and financial assistance to willing public, private, and nonprofit housing owners, including the Arlandria Chirilagua Housing Cooperative, as well as to supporting partners contemplating
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purchasing available rental properties in the Plan area. In exchange for such assistance, different preservation opportunities may be evaluated. These include commitments to the City's Voluntary Rent Increase Policy; extensions of committed affordability; donations of buildings if/when redevelopment occurs; and/or the right of first refusal for the City to acquire assisted properties if/when they are sold.
During the planning process, many residents, including those who have lived in the community for decades, were candid in voicing fears about displacement and gentrification. With many sharing an immigrant experience, residents expressed anxiety over losing their community and the culture of their neighborhood if/when development occurs. The Plan recommends addressing these concerns through multiple avenues, including:
Should redevelopment of market-rate housing occur, the City will work with property owners and residents to minimize adverse impacts. All eligible residents (i.e., tenants in good standing) will receive support to adjust to their relocation (including coordination with City agencies and Alexandria City Public Schools to mitigate disruption to students). In addition, consistent with the City’s voluntary relocation assistance policy, property owners will be requested to provide relocation advisory services to displaced tenants, a minimum of 120 days written notice, and a moving expense assistance payment. Development applications that involve displacement must be accompanied by a formal relocation plan considered by Planning Commission and City Council as part of their review and actions on development applications.
The City will continue to seek legislative authorization to enhance and make mandatory tenant protections. Examples of enhancements include a requirement that a property owner or developer reimburse all displaced tenants for moving expenses and that permanently displaced low-income, elderly, or disabled tenants that are unable to return after redevelopment will be provided a temporary replacement housing payment.
Homeownership is an important stepping-stone to building wealth and stabilizing housing costs. Providing more equitable access to homeownership to those marginalized by systemic racism is also a high priority for the City. The Plan calls for enhancing access to homeownership training and counseling, in particular in Spanish, to prepare residents to be “Ready to Buy” when they are ready to transition to homeownership;
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The City will continue to seek legislative authorization to enhance and make mandatory tenant protections. Examples of enhancements include a requirement that a property owner or developer reimburse all displaced tenants for moving expenses and that permanently displaced low-income, elderly, or disabled tenants that are unable to return after redevelopment will be provided a temporary replacement housing payment.
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exploring new ways to create affordable homeownership, such as through community land trusts; and supporting existing low- and moderate-income homeowners to help them remain in their homes safely and affordably.
In collaboration with community partners, it is anticipated that the City will evaluate the need to undertake a census of households residing in the Arlandria-Chirilagua community approximately five to seven years following the adoption of the Plan, to determine if and how housing and affordability needs may have changed and potentially adjust potential City investment and production goals to meet those needs.
Homeownership tools include:
In collaboration with community partners, it is anticipated that the City will evaluate the need to undertake a census of households residing in the Arlandria-Chirilagua community approximately five to seven years following the adoption of the Plan, to determine if and how housing and affordability needs may have changed and potentially adjust future City investment, programs and/or services.
This limited equity cooperative was created in the early 1990s when the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Federal Reserve Bank and the City were financial participants in helping Tenants and Workers United establish a 286-unit cooperative governed and owned by low-income households who buy membership shares that represent their ownership interest, and pay monthly occupancy fees. The Co-op offers a deeply affordable housing resource, subject to a land use regulatory agreement that requires the units remain affordable until 2035.
As part of the initiatives recommended with the Plan, the Office of Housing will cooperate with board leadership to offer capacity building, training, and technical and financial assistance.
These investments will support capital improvements to keep the community safe and livable in the short term, as well as help the Cooperative explore its aspirations to potentially redevelop in the future in exchange for its continued successful governance and operation as a cooperative and its commitment to provide housing affordability.
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Physical, mental, and overall community health are goals that the City strives to achieve citywide. To integrate health, the Plan includes recommendations to enhance access to the following:
Where feasible, new development should be designed to help address the needs of the neighborhood by incorporating amenities and services that are responsive to community priorities. New development is defined as all new development and significant redevelopment using the recommendations of the plan. The Plan encourages the co-location of neighborhood-serving programs and potential future City flex space with future affordable housing as well as integration of community serving space within new development, including shared resource spaces, outdoor gathering places, and ensuring equal access for all residents to community amenities. The Plan also encourages retention or expansion of a full-service grocery store(s) with new development to ensure residents continue to have easy access to food and household goods within walking distance. In further support of local access to food and services, the Plan encourages the retention of the core neighborhood buildings that are home to community providing services.
As part of the objective to improve access to fresh food, the Plan also recommends expansion of community and shared resource garden options within the neighborhood.
Support access to neighborhood goods and services, address the carbon impacts of new development and plan for stormwater and flooding challenges in the neighborhood.
Community gardens serve multiple purposes in addition to fresh produce for the households that participate. In Arlandria-Chirilagua, the gardens can offer economic opportunities for members to sell their produce within the Plan proposed entrepreneurship/street vendor programs, in turn expanding access to fresh produce to other neighbors. Community gardens in the neighborhood also enhance the social connection network. Shared resource gardens expand on the idea of assigned garden plots by pooling labor, resources and harvest, and sharing the bounty with neighbors in need. The gardens can be located within City parks and/or other City-owned properties such as libraries and/or recreational centers and schools as well as within new development.
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In many respects, Arlandria-Chirilagua is a very sustainable community – it is highly walkable and well-served by transit, trails, amenities, and open space, including Four Mile Run, one of the largest parks in the City. However, existing conditions in the Plan area create the following sustainability challenges:
Sustainability measures for new development will:
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The Plan acknowledges the importance of addressing current and future flooding and stormwater issues in the short, mid and long-term as outlined below. The Plan also acknowledges the importance of building efficiency and green building standards to help with reducing carbon emissions and lowering utility bills for new housing, including affordable housing. However, as illustrated in Figure 1, the Plan's primary goal to achieve a significant and deep level of housing affordability is extremely costly. Requiring additional environmental sustainability measures would add costs that would reduce the amount of affordable housing recommended by the Plan. As shown in Figure 2, implementing Plan recommendations will significantly improve the stormwater, flooding, pervious area, tree canopy, urban heat island impacts, and building efficiency for the Plan area, conferring significant benefits for the neighborhood and the City.
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Regulated Floodplains
Approximately 50% of the Plan area is covered by FEMA's Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) Zone AE, which is an area of inundation from the 1%-chance-per-year flood from Four Mile Run as shown in Figure 3, Floodplain. All new and substantially improved buildings located within the AE zone boundary will be required to comply with the currently effective floodplain ordinance requirements. Basic requirements include, but are not limited to:
Further detail may be found in the City's floodplain ordinance, ARTICLE VI. - SPECIAL AND OVERLAY ZONES, Sec. 6-300 - Floodplain district. All buildings located within the SFHA may be required by lenders to obtain flood insurance for federally backed mortgages.
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Figure 3: Floodplain
| ■ ■ ■ | Plan boundary | Resource Protection Area (RPA) | |
| ■ | City of Alexandria boundary | 100-Year FEMA Regulated Flood Plain (Existing) | |
| ┌ ┐<br>└ ┘ | Area to be evaluated as part of a future planning process |
The City joined with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Arlington County to construct the Four Mile Run Levee project, a flood wall and levee completed in the early 1980s to protect the properties adjacent to Four Mile Run from floodwaters emanating from the stream during high flow events. The project has been successful in mitigating this riverine flooding to date. However, the project was not designed based on more recent climate change predictions.
More recently, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) and USACE have undertaken the Northern Virginia Coastal Risk Management Feasibility Study, an extension of the previous North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study that looked at risk vulnerability to populations, property, ecosystems, and infrastructure affected by Hurricane Sandy. The project focuses on reducing coastal flood risk to vulnerable populations, properties, infrastructure, and environmental and cultural resources considering future climate and sea level change scenarios to support resilient communities in Northern Virginia. The study will analyze the long-term projections at the regional level on how coastal flooding may impact the City and others by considering the flooding impacts of coastal storm surge and sea level rise from climate change in the future condition 30 – 50 years out based on modeling and safety factors; however, it will not focus on inland or urban flooding like the City experiences during intense flash flooding events that have over the past couple of years.
The preliminary alternatives coming out of this study need to be further refined and studied to determine whether these should be considered as potential long-term projects and potential solutions.
Managing stormwater in the Plan area is an integral part of the Plan recommendations, which focus on increasing stormwater infrastructure capacity, building flood resilience and improving water quality. New development provides an opportunity to improve system resilience and environmental sustainability by reducing the amount of stormwater runoff and improving stormwater runoff quality through the installation of stormwater best management practices (BMPs). Implementing current stormwater requirements will ensure that stormwater is detained and treated during storm events and then released gradually over time rather than quickly moving from higher areas to lower areas and eventually to adjoining streams, untreated. With new development, pollutants will be removed prior to water leaving the redeveloped site which will significantly improve water quality in adjoining streams and the Potomac River.
Projects within the Plan area will be required to implement green infrastructure to the maximum extent feasible to reduce pollutants and reduce runoff. In addition, Four Mile Run and its tributaries are protected by a Resource Protection Area (RPA), which includes a 100-foot vegetated buffer. New development also provides an opportunity to remove existing encroachments and the RPA and allow for improved water quality protection and sustainability.
The Plan area is located within the Four Mile Run watershed and a large portion of the area is located within the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) floodplain. Most of the area was developed prior to the 1990’s, which means that current water quality and water quantity requirements are not addressed on the properties. Pursuant to the City’s Floodplain Ordinance and the City’s Zoning Ordinance, new development will be required to bring the private stormwater infrastructure up to current standards, making it more resilient to mitigate flooding by upgrading the sewer system and providing detention and improving water quality through the implementation of stormwater facility best management practices (BMPs). In addition to developing in accordance with the ordinance, new development is encouraged to consider raising the first-floor elevation of buildings above the effective regulated Base Flood Elevation (BFE) higher than required to account for future climate conditions. All development projects within the floodplain will also implement site flood mitigation and protection measures and/or floodproofing for building openings at grade.
In response to urban flash flooding from intense storm events induced by climate change, the City Council in 2021 adopted an aggressive, multi-year strategy to fund needed investments for capacity and maintenance projects. The Flood Action Alexandria program accelerates funding for existing capital projects and will enable a number of important, new capital projects within two categories: Large Capacity Projects and Spot Projects as depicted in Figure 4, Flooding Service Requests and Stormwater Capital Projects.
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The City's 10-year capital improvement program includes four significant projects currently estimated at $66.5 million in the area around Arlandria-Chirilagua that will provide systemic capacity improvements to mitigate flooding:
In addition to these large capacity projects, the City also continues to investigate localized drainage and flooding issues where spot improvements may mitigate localized issues in the Plan area and be delivered in about 8 -20 months. Staff have currently identified the following likely spot projects and continue to investigate other potential locations:
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Figure 4: Planned Stormwater Capacity Projects and Flood Service Requests
| ■ ■ ■ | Plan boundary | Other Stormwater Capital Projects | |
| ■ | City of Alexandria boundary | Major Stormwater Capacity Projects | |
| ┌ ┐ └ ┘ | Area to be evaluated as part of a future planning process | Alex 311 Case heat map | |
| Existing open space | low | ||
| high |
Approximately 70% of the Plan area (not including Four Mile Run Park) is made up of impervious surfaces, mostly surface parking lots, streets/sidewalks, and buildings. Implementation of the Plan through new development will significantly reduce impervious areas by eliminating the large expanses of surface parking lots and implementing green infrastructure both of which will help address polluted stormwater runoff as well as the urban heat island effect. Rising temperatures are exacerbated by a high degree of paving and the related lack of tree canopy in the Plan area. In the commercial core for example, the tree canopy coverage is approximately 12%, well below the City's goal of 25% for urban neighborhoods.
In order to achieve the benefits of enhanced tree canopy for people walking in the neighborhood and a more sustainable and resilient environmental future, the Plan aims to increase tree canopy through a variety of means. The Plan recommends streetscaping and green infrastructure where feasible both adjacent to new development sites and in areas where wider sidewalks will allow for better growing conditions for street trees. In addition, the Plan's new streets, pedestrian and bike connections, and open spaces will provide space to expand the tree canopy and new development sites will comply with the Landscape Guidelines and Zoning Ordinance standards for the provision of tree canopy coverage. Where projects are unable to meet the requirement onsite, the Plan recommends dedicating equivalent funding to planting trees elsewhere in public open space in the neighborhood, with a particular focus on Four Mile Run Park.
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Urban Heat Island Map - Source: Northern Virginia Regional Commission
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To increase building efficiency, the Plan recommends that all new development comply with the City's Green Building Policy in effect at the time of a development application or the standard development conditions at the time of DSUP, whichever is more stringent. New development projects will consider measures to reduce embodied carbon and increase energy efficiency, including consideration for all electric new buildings.
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The Plan area falls within the Four Mile Run Sanitary Sewershed. Sanitary sewage is collected in smaller collector pipes owned by the City and this flow is conveyed to the Four Mile Run Pumping Station, owned and operated by Alexandria Renew Enterprises (AlexRenew). This pumping station then sends sewer flows into the AlexRenew Commonwealth Interceptor and to the AlexRenew wastewater treatment facility.
Based on the proposed development envisioned in this Plan, a total of approximately 300,000 gallons per day of sanitary sewage will be generated from planned development. The City developed a hydraulic model of the sanitary sewers serving the Plan area. The model showed that most of the sewers will have sufficient capacity to accommodate the added flows in the sewer system, but a small percentage of pipes will require upsizing. Since there are multiple projects that contribute to the sewer system capacity constraints, the City will be evaluating alternatives to ensure that an individual development project isn't responsible for all the burden to upsize sanitary sewers that serve multiple projects.
The City will be evaluating various alternatives to ensure equitability including, but not limited to, the following:
Provision for sewer tap fee credits to a project that constructs upsized sewer infrastructure that serves multiple development projects. The amount of the tap fee credit will be based on the project's proportionate share in relation to other planned projects that will connect into the upsized sewer system.
Cost sharing between the development projects through contributions to the City based on their proportionate share. Alternatively, a separate private agreement could be reached between the individual property owners regarding construction and cost sharing.
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Provide an expanded and enhanced open space network to include new open space, improved amenities, public art, and improved connections.
While the expansion of deeply affordable housing is crucial, areas for passive or active recreation and social activities are also essential in the neighborhood. The new public open spaces-parks will function as an extended part of the house – as "outdoor living rooms" within walking distance, where residents, workers and visitors can spend time for social and recreational use.
To accomplish a network of outdoor living rooms, the Plan proposes adding approximately four (4) additional acres of new ground level public open space-parks positioned for access from all neighborhood areas within a short walking distance. The proposed open space network depicted in Figure 5 creates a more complete and connected open space system, totaling more than 55.1 acres. The additional four acres of new ground level public open space augments the existing open space (the 50-acre Four Mile Run Park and 1.1 acres in other neighborhood parks) and supports existing City open space policies and plans.
Public open spaces in Figure 5 will be provided with new development and dedicated to the City or include a public access easement. The required minimum size and general typology of each park is specified in Table 1. It is essential that new parks are configured and designed to feel and function as inviting and truly public spaces for all users.
The open space network should include a mixture of active, passive, natural, educational, physical fitness, cultural, and social elements for people of all ages and abilities. Open spaces should include amenities of some kind that enhance usability such as seating options, grilling areas, exercise equipment, and play equipment. Further, the Plan recommends accessory structures that support recreational uses and programming to enhance park users’ experience. The community will be involved as part of the future design of the new parks.
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Active Spaces These spaces can include sports, exercise, or active play; can include recreational facilities such as playgrounds, playing fields, flexible fields, courts, multi-purpose areas, and dog parks; or can include areas for large events and intense activity/ programming.
Passive Spaces These spaces can be used for relaxation, such as sitting or strolling and can include trails, picnic areas, and open areas.
Social Spaces These spaces are designed and used for impromptu and organized gatherings and can include game elements, seating areas, community gardens, farmer's markets, and small event spaces.
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The existing community facility at 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue in Four Mile Run Park will remain, as recommended in the 2014 Four Mile Run Park Improvement Plan. To support the need for community/public facilities in Arlandria, future park planning will consider long-term replacement of the building.
Note: Depicted are the required publicly accessible open spaces. Shapes in this map are for illustrative purposes. The final shape and programming will be determined as part of the development review process, subject to compliance with the minimum size requirements described in Table 1.
| # | Location | Table 1: Open Space Typology | Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Park Vue/Elbert Triangle Park | Neighborhood Park | Tier 1 |
| 2 | Near the Four Mile Rd. & Notabene Dr. intersection | Neighborhood Park | Tier 1 |
| 3 | Mount Vernon Ave. & Russell Rd. intersection traffic island & Presidential Greens | Neighborhood Park | Tier 1 |
| 4 | Mount Vernon Village Center | Urban Plaza | Tier 2 |
| 5 | Birchmere site | Neighborhood Park | Tier 2 |
| 6 | Mount Vernon Ave. Shops parking lot | Urban Plaza | Tier 1 |
| 7 | Presidential Greens | Neighborhood Park | Tier 3 |
| 8 | AHDC West Glebe Rd. & Mount Vernon Ave. | Neighborhood Park | Tier 2 |
| 9 | Near Mount Vernon Ave. & West Reed Ave. intersection | Urban Plaza | Tier 1 |
| 10 | Near Mount Vernon Ave. & West Glebe Rd. | Urban Plaza | Tier 3 |
| 11 | Behind Food Star International Supermarket | Neighborhood Park | Tier 3 |
Notes:
Types of Parks The open space network will be comprised of the following open space typologies which provide general guidance while maintaining flexibility to integrate a variety of functions.
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Urban Plazas Will generally be hardscape plazas that encourage activity around retail, restaurants and other ground floor uses. These spaces will be suitable for programming events, locations for outdoor markets, may include seating, water features, small play structures or other recreation appropriate to the scale of the open space.
Neighborhood Parks Will be local-serving open spaces and may include seating, small play structures, areas for gathering, social interaction, relaxation, and may be a combination of natural and hardscape surfaces.
Active Open Spaces and Trails Will be fields, courts, exercise equipment, play structures, water features and seating, either in a park or trail type setting, including the green connection along Southern Street for people walking or biking between neighborhoods and beyond Eisenhower East.
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Natural and Conservation Areas Will provide areas for passive enjoyment of natural resources and urban habitat within or near Resource Protection Areas (RPAs).
Rooftop Open Space Will provide important additional outdoor amenities for residents and workers in an urban environment; the majority of these will be private, while others may provide public access.
Interim Parks May make temporary use of existing surface parking lots, the top level of parking structures, or other locations for recreational uses such as basketball, futsal courts, outdoor markets and other pop-up community-oriented events.
In addition to the open space network requirements specified in Figure 5 and Table 1, the Plan recommends that each new development provide a minimum of 20% at-grade or above-grade open space. Those sites already providing on-site publicly accessible open space as depicted in Figure 5, will be given a credit toward the 20% requirement.
The Plan establishes guidance for the following parks:
The linear open space/trail identified in Figure 5 as Open Space #11 is the site of a former rail line. It is intended that with future redevelopment of the shopping center on the south side of Glebe, this area will be provided as an approximately (+/-) 70,000-square foot (approximately 1.7 acres) public open space-park and designed as a linear park that provides connectivity between existing and proposed open spaces within the neighborhood, Alexandria, and beyond. Moreover, this linear park is intended to include elements such as benches, picnic areas, exercise equipment and incorporate the railroad history for this former rail corridor. The Plan also recommends coordinating with the adjoining Grace Episcopal Church to provide a continual open space – pedestrian bike connection from Russell Road to Landover Street.
Open Space #6 in Figure 5 is a (+/-) 4,000 square foot (approximately .1 acres) parking lot located at 3850 Mount Vernon Avenue. The area of the sidewalk closest to the parking lot is often used for gathering and socializing. The Plan recommends building on the organic use of this area by exploring future conversion of the parking lot or a portion thereof (on an interim, pilot, or permanent basis) to function as a communal gathering/urban plaza space within the commercial core, in partnership/coordination with the property owner.
The Plan recommends adding a children's play space to this existing City park in the western portion of the neighborhood, consistent with the approved Park Plan for a playground that fits within the park's size, and accessory amenities that support park use such as picnic tables, benches/removable seating and/or gazebos.
Like LeBosquet at Sunnyside, this City park also represents an opportunity to increase children's play space in the neighborhood. Improvements will be consistent with the approved Park Plan for a playground that fits within the park's size and accessory amenities that support park use such as picnic tables, benches/removable seating and/or gazebos. With nearby development, the Plan envisions increasing the size of this park to approximately 4,300 Ft (.1 acres) as described in Figure 5 and Table 1, park number #1.
At the heart of the commercial core, redevelopment of the Mount Vernon Village Center will include provision of a central plaza / gathering space that connects from Mount Vernon Avenue to Four Mile Run Park. The public open space will be designed to be welcoming and open to all neighborhood residents, visitors, and workers with elements such as seating and gathering areas and landscaping. As a Tier 2 size open space, it will be +/- .4 acres.
Redevelopment of the Birchmere site will include provision of a gathering space adjacent to and complementing Four Mile Run Park. The open space will be designed to be welcoming and open to all neighborhood residents, visitors, and workers with seating and gathering areas and landscaping. As a Tier 2 size open space, it will be +/- .4 acres.
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Linear Park Rendering (Looking west of the neighborhood)
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Figure 6: Four Mile Run Restoration Master Plan Illustrative
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At nearly 50 acres, Four Mile Run Park is one of the largest parks in the City, a major asset for the neighborhood boasting access to Four Mile Run and a variety of active, passive, and natural areas, as well as Four Mile Run Plaza (home to a weekly Farmers and Artisan Market) and the Conservatory Center, a community building for public use. As recommended in the 2014 Four Mile Run Park Improvement Plan, the Conservatory Center community building (former Duron building renovated by the City and currently home to Casa Chirilagua) will remain. Future park planning will consider long-term replacement of the building as needed, in support of the need for community/public facilities in the Plan area.
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Focus on residential uses to prioritize the provision of deeply affordable housing, strengthen the neighborhood commercial core, create opportunities for entrepreneurship, and enhance walkability.
The Plan's land use strategy focuses on residential uses in order to implement its primary objective: to provide and expand deeply affordable housing. Residential projects will be eligible for additional height and the associated floor area in exchange for affordable housing. The Plan encourages complementary land uses to support a vital, distinctive and walkable neighborhood, and a variety of neighborhood residential supportive uses, such as grocery stores, retail, pharmacies, medical offices, laundromats, churches, social services, daycare, schools, recreation centers, and meeting spaces. Existing institutional uses may remain and can expand as important civic elements in the community.
The Plan recommends active uses on the ground floor in the commercial core of the neighborhood. While land use will be predominantly residential in the Plan area, commercial uses are permitted above the ground floor in the commercial core and will be subject to affordable housing contribution policies and procedures in effect at the time development proposals are submitted. For the purposes of the Plan, commercial uses are defined as office, hotel, institutional, recreational, retail, educational and continuum of care uses.
The Plan’s building height incentive is intended to both expand deep housing affordability and to maintain the feel of this walkable neighborhood. Maximum building height is based on the addition of 25 feet above the maximum height allowed under existing “Base” zoning (Figure 20) Development projects may also utilize Section 7-700 of the Zoning Ordinance to secure additional height in exchange for affordable housing. Figure 8A and Figure 8B illustrate Base Height and Plan Recommended Building Height, respectively.
In cases in which developments request additional floor area and additional height, such developments will comply with that recommendation which yields the greater affordable housing contribution.
In order to maintain the urban character of different buildings’ bulk and heights on the Avenue, the Plan recommends that new development include a variety of building heights for each redevelopment site with emphasis on avoiding abrupt height transitions between taller and shorter buildings. At the heart of the retail focus area, the Plan recommends maintaining to the greatest extent feasible the existing heights and facades of the commercial buildings.
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Max height using Plan bonus plus Section 7-700
Max height using Plan bonus
Base height (existing zoning maximum height)
Note: The illustration is not intended to be a massing diagram but rather a visual interpretation of Figure 8B.
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The Plan proposes a new flexible zone or use of an existing zone to implement the Plan's incentive for the production of deeply affordable housing. New development will be able to take advantage of the maximum building heights as depicted in Figure 8B with the provision of 10% of the floor area associated with height that is in excess of the height permitted under existing “Base” zoning, exclusive of bonus height pursuant to Section 7-700 of the Zoning Ordinance, as committed affordable housing. Affordable housing created through this incentive will be consistent with the affordability provisions outlined in the Housing for All chapter. Properties in the Plan area may continue to use existing zoning (Base Zoning Figure 20).
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Notes:
Figure 8A: Base Height Existing zoning maximum height
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Notes:
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The existing community facility at 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue in Four Mile Run Park will remain, as recommended in the 2014 Four Mile Run Park Improvement Plan. To support the need for community/public facilities in Arlandria, future park planning will consider long-term replacement of the building.
Notes:
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Figure 9: Retail Focus Area and Neighborhood Core Buildings
| ■ ■ ■ | Plan boundary | — | Retail focus area |
| ■ | City of Alexandria boundary | ● ● ● | Retail encouraged area |
| ┌ ┐<br>└ ┘ | Area to be evaluated as part of a future planning process | ■ | Neighborhood core buildings |
| ■ | Open space |
The Plan calls for continuing to have a variety of retail and service uses that meet the needs of residents within walking distance. Integral to the future success of retail will be concentrating it in the retail focus area framing Mount Vernon Avenue as shown in Figure 7 and 9. Clustering the retail area will ensure a critical mass of people during the day and evening and throughout the week. The Plan recommends approximately 90,000 square feet of ground floor retail in the core of the neighborhood.
Retail uses envisioned for the Retail Focus Area include retail, restaurant, personal service, entertainment, and other uses that activate the streetscape with human activity and engagement. The Plan acknowledges the rapidly changing nature of retail and recommends flexibility in the type of uses permitted in the retail focus areas as long as they achieve the intent of activating the public realm and contributing to the social and cultural activity of the neighborhood. For example, uses such as gyms, daycares, and health and social services, as well as retail or restaurant incubators, art galleries, or co-working spaces can all contribute to activating the public realm if designed to visually engage the public passing by in the activity within. The Plan seeks to accommodate these and other future uses that engage the street. Retail uses are permitted in areas outside the Retail Focus Area if the proposed uses are connected to other retail and make sense from a planning and market perspective.
To ensure that street-level uses and spaces are diverse and adaptable, new development in the Retail Focus Areas will provide a minimum floor to floor height of 15 feet (18 feet preferred) on the ground floor, with a minimum depth of 20 feet (30 feet preferred), as depicted in Figure 11.
One of the neighborhood characteristics that residents deeply value is access to a variety of retail and service uses that meet their daily needs within walking distance. The intent of the Plan is to continue to maintain neighborhood-serving retail and services options. Maintaining and building on the existing distinct character of the commercial core will also be important to the corridor's long-term success. Displacement of existing businesses is nearly always a consequence of new development, because a business forced to relocate will likely not return, even if rents in the new building are not substantially higher, which they could be. In addition, if all or the majority of existing commercial buildings are redeveloped, the neighborhood would lose a very tangible and important connection to its current character. To maintain the general affordability of existing commercial spaces and unique character they confer to the neighborhood, the Plan recommends not providing development incentives (additional density or height) for some of the existing commercial and residential neighborhood core buildings in the heart of the Retail Focus Area, as depicted in Figure 9. These sites will not be eligible for additional height. Moreover, an enhanced streetscape will support a thriving retail environment by providing gathering areas, contributing to the neighborhood's overall social connection.
In the short term, the Plan calls for Alexandria Economic Development Partnership and the Office of Housing to partner on an initiative to conduct outreach to existing businesses in the neighborhood. The effort will document existing businesses and match them with potential resources such as affordable financing, façade improvement grants, “back-office” support, larger/different retail space, or other technical assistance that can help support, grow, and retain local businesses within the neighborhood.
It is possible that the strategy of retaining the heights of contributing buildings as depicted in Figure 9 may not be a long-term solution to maintain the affordability of these spaces and continuation of these important neighborhood services. Therefore, five years from the adoption of the Plan, Staff will review market impacts on the affordability of retail spaces and on neighborhood serving businesses. Staff will provide an update to City Council and potential recommendations if additional measures are warranted to retain these important community serving uses.
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The Plan recognizes the many benefits that street vendors provide for residents, the neighborhood, and for their own economic independence. These neighborhood entrepreneurs provide residents with affordable fresh food, connection to their motherland food flavors, and enable impromptu social gatherings in the public realm, contributing to a vibrant and colorful neighborhood. Many cities across the country, as well as local jurisdictions such as Arlington County, Montgomery County, and the District of Columbia, have established street vendor programs because of the many benefits such programs provide.
The Plan recommends an amendment to the Zoning Ordinance to allow small-scale street vendors to sell items such as food, art, crafts, and other items within specified locations in the public right-of-way. This may occur in the sidewalk amenity area and/or in identified on-street parking spaces but should not block the pedestrian zone as depicted in Figure 10.
The City will engage community stakeholders in developing the parameters of the street vendor program. Potentially, a pilot program may be considered to provide an opportunity to experience the potential benefits and test the viability of such a program, as well as to help determine and refine the standards and parameters that would guide the program.
Understanding that successful entrepreneurs may transition from street vendor to brick and mortar establishments, the Plan recommends that the City’s Small Business Development Center provide bilingual assistance to entrepreneurs and existing businesses, in collaboration with local non-profit or community organizations, to ensure that all potential neighborhood vendors have equitable access to the entrepreneurship opportunity and future growth into successful City businesses.
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In addition to their negative environmental impacts, surface parking lots significantly detract from a cohesive and safe people-oriented neighborhood experience. Many existing lots will not be redeveloped in the near term, and full implementation of the Plan will likely take 20 years. The surface lots present an opportunity to create interim unique destination experiences in advance of redevelopment. Until the parking lots are redeveloped, interim strategies are encouraged to activate existing surface lots. SImilarly, interim uses are encouraged in existing buildings to activate the ground floor until redevelopment occurs.
Interim uses could include pop-up parks, markets, gardens, recreational uses, entertainment and dining, or other options that activate the space and increase the range of options for those that live in the area as well as create interest in Arlandria-Chirilagua as a cultural destination for those who might visit. Neighborhood activation and placemaking may also consist of programming on sidewalks, open spaces and streets, including parklets, performances, festivals, or classes. Temporary and permanent public art including murals, street painting, or sculptures, will also promote neighborhood identity and attract local and regional visitors.
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The Plan envisions Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road as the "multicultural, social, and commercial spines" of the community, and as such, the hierarchy, pattern, and design of streets will reflect a commitment to a public realm that honors this vision.
Streets will be attractive, human-scaled, and provide safe and comfortable circulation and alternatives for all modes of transportation, focusing on the safety and comfort of pedestrians, cyclists, and bus riders (Figures 17 and 18). The street is an integral part of how people experience the neighborhood, and with new development, the Plan emphasizes the importance of a varied articulated streetwall, as well as mid-block streets and pedestrian or/and bike connections that add porosity and easy and safe movement through the neighborhood, as depicted in Figure 17. Streets will also be designed to collect and treat stormwater.
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The Plan recommends a variety of streetscape improvements including undergrounding of utilities, enhanced landscaping and/or green infrastructure elements, enhanced tree canopy coverage, and improved pedestrian and bicycle connections. A portion of the streetscape improvements will be achieved with private development, however, some critical gaps in streetscape will remain. Improvements not covered by private development may be achieved through grant funding secured by the City or considered as part of the City budget and CIP process through the 15- to 20-year life of the Plan.
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The Plan’s recommendations for building heights, streetwalls, streets, and parking have been crafted to address these gaps in the urban form, and design a future that promotes community diversity, equity, and inclusion. The Urban Design elements are intended to create spaces that welcome all residents to move freely throughout the neighborhood – a neighborhood that integrates rather than separates.
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A shared/flexible street is a street that balances the needs of people walking, biking, and driving low speed vehicles. They are typically a local, narrow curbless street, with trees, elements in the street design to prioritize all users. Shared street is encouraged at the western portion of Four Mile Run Park that will naturally have a higher proportion of pedestrians and occasional need for pedestrian-only access such as during events. See Figures 15 and 17 for share/flexible street location and design parameters.
In this neighborhood, sidewalks play a central role socially and culturally. The sidewalk should be of ample width to allow opportunities to stop and greet residents and visitors without interrupting the pedestrian zone. Sidewalks should feel welcoming and function as the central component of a multicultural and socially active neighborhood. Moreover, particularly in the retail corridor, sidewalks will offer opportunity for entrepreneurs/street vendors, adding to the mix of social and economic diversity. The sidewalk should also include a healthy tree canopy necessary to make the neighborhood more pleasant to walk in during warmer days and reduce the urban island effect.
To make the sidewalk network inviting to all users and activities along a street, the Plan recommends that the space between the curb to the front of the building (e.g. the sidewalk zone) be 20-feet in width along key corridors , like Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road as shown in Figures 12 and 13. The clear sidewalk space should be no less than 8-feet on any new or redeveloped streets while a typical Neighborhood Street should have 16-feet sidewalk in width as shown on Figure 14. Throughout the neighborhood, the pedestrian realm should incorporate neighborhood history and culture through elements such as public art, murals, or other interpretations, and should include lighting and street
furniture that will accommodate impromptu family and neighborhood gatherings and community events. To prioritize pedestrian activity and movement, curb-cuts and loading entrances should be minimized in number and width and provided through alleys whenever possible.
The quality of the 'streetwall' created by the new buildings to frame the public realm (the area composed of streets, paths, sidewalks, and open spaces) is as vital to the users' experience as the design of the public realm itself. The streetwall at the pedestrian level along all streets and park-facing blocks will be designed to enhance the pedestrian experience with active uses and visual porosity, high-quality building materials, and building setbacks, breaks, or articulation throughout the neighborhood.
Enhancing the public realm at the entry points to Arlandria-Chirilagua at Mount Vernon Avenue-Four Mile Run and Mount Vernon Avenue-West Glebe Road with landscaping, hardscaping, signage, lighting, public art, and murals is essential to signify entry into the neighborhood and a key opportunity to celebrate the neighborhood's multicultural character.
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Mount Vernon Ave./Glebe Rd. from Executive Ave. to Helen St.
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18' - 20' | VARIES | 18' - 20'
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Figure 12: Mount Vernon Avenue / Glebe Road Typical Section
Note: Street curb to curb design will follow the Transportation Master Plan, and will be consistent with Complete Streets, Green Streets, and Sidewalk Stormwater Design Guidelines and policies in the Vision Zero Action Plan.
Glebe Rd. from Alexandria Crossing Development to Russell Rd. and from Helen St. to Commonwealth Ave.
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18' - 20' | VARIES | 18' - 20'
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Figure 13: Typical Neighborhood Connector Section
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Figure 14: Typical Neighborhood Residential
Note: Street curb to curb design will follow the Transportation Master Plan, and will be consistent with Complete Streets, Green Streets, and Sidewalk Stormwater Design Guidelines and policies in the Vision Zero Action Plan.
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Figure 15: Shared/Flexible Street
The Plan acknowledges that on-street parking is generally at capacity in some locations within the neighborhood. New development will provide right-sized parking for the proposed uses, while also taking into account Arlandria-Chirilagua’s transit and amenity rich environment. In some cases, new development will provide new streets that add on-street parking capacity. Where appropriate, as determined through parking studies as part of the development review process, the Plan recommends consideration of flexibility for lower parking ratios and/or off-site parking options for committed affordable housing as well as consideration of shared parking. Further, the Plan recommends exploring ways to maintain or add on on-street parking capacity in the neighborhood. This will require a future community outreach process and technical review.
For new development, the Plan encourages that one full level of parking be provided below grade, if not precluded by floodplain requirements, to minimize the negative impact of above grade parking on the pedestrian realm. If parking is provided above grade, it will be subject to the following as depicted in Figure 16:
While the neighborhood is generally walkable, the pedestrian character and safety of pedestrians has been compromised over time by many surface parking lots and curb cuts. With limited landscaping and tree canopy, the parking lots also contribute to the urban heat island effect and polluted stormwater runoff. Interim uses and ultimately, redevelopment of the surface parking lots will address these issues. With new development, the Plan further recommends minimizing and consolidating driveways, garage entrances, and loading entrances to support the Plan intent to improve the public realm and pedestrian experience.
Figure 16: Illustrative Parking Screening Diagram
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Successful urban communities incorporate civic and social infrastructure and services for residents of today and the future. Building on Arlandria-Chirilagua's strong social network, the Plan recommends incorporating additional community facilities such as childcare centers, community spaces that could support an array of neighborhood activities such as meeting space, library facilities, spaces for City social services, as well as enhancing capacity and operations at the existing recreation and school facilities.
As an incentive to encourage integration and colocation of these important civic resources in new development, the Plan allows these uses on all blocks and recommends that they not count against a site's permitted floor area and/or building height, will not be subject to developer contributions, nor will the site be required to provide parking for these uses.
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) anticipates renovating the neighborhood's nearly 70-year-old Cora Kelly Elementary School in approximately five years to address ongoing facility and operational issues as well as capacity deficits. In addition, capacity of the shared gymnasium with the adjacent Leonard "Chick" Armstrong Recreation Center is nearing over-utilization. As part of the Cora Kelly Elementary School modernization project, the Plan encourages exploring opportunities to coordinate redevelopment of the recreation center to ensure the growing neighborhood programming needs and services are met. Additionally, ACPS and the City will collaborate on the appropriate integration of the new school with adjoining parks and open spaces, as well as with the FEMA Preliminary SFHA updated floodplain boundary which impacts this site.
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The City and ACPS regularly monitor and integrate projected student generation numbers in school enrollment projections to consider existing zoning and development capacity. With this Plan, approximately 800 net new residential units above what is allowed under existing zoning would likely be developed over the next 10 to 20 years. Based on student generation rates developed jointly by the City and ACPS, and assuming that 10% of future units will be affordable, this represents approximately 100 additional ACPS students across all grade levels over 20 years. However, given the Plan's affordable housing goal and the proposed AHDC project that will be 100% affordable, the estimated number of students will be higher as those units offer families with children more affordable opportunities to live in the area and historically have higher rates of student generation.
Annually produced school enrollment projections will integrate and consider these estimates in upcoming school capacity projects including the Cora Kelly Elementary School expansion, currently planned to be constructed in FY 2028. ACPS and the City will continue to coordinate to review, plan, and allocate resources for necessary additional capacity to ensure all ACPS students are provided with safe and equitable learning environments.
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Improving safety and connectivity for people walking, wheeling, bicycling, and taking transit; and supporting and expanding diverse, accessible, and affordable options for transportation.
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Arlandria-Chirilagua is characterized by convenient access to daily necessities within the neighborhood as well as connectivity to other areas of the city and beyond. However, despite this access and convenience, members of the community raised significant concern about safety, particularly for those walking, biking and accessing transit at Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road intersections. Street width and other conditions encourage speeding and an overall dominance by cars, increasing the likelihood of car/pedestrian/bike incidents. Given the high rate of transit use and lower vehicle ownership rates in the neighborhood, safe and convenient access for people walking, biking, and accessing transit is a matter of equity that the Plan seeks to address.
The Plan recommends safety treatments and further studies to help achieve the City's Vision Zero commitment of eliminating serious crashes by 2028. Figure 19 shows locations where the Plan recommends major and minor safety improvements. Improvements may include but are not limited to high-visibility crosswalks, new or improved pedestrian signals, leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs), curb extensions, pedestrian hybrid beacons or HAWK signals, safe bike connections, or full intersection redesigns. In addition, a planned and funded future multimodal safety and feasibility study on West Glebe Road and Mt Vernon Avenue will help determine how safety can be improved for all street users. The future study will include a public process to ensure the community has an opportunity to provide feedback on this important topic.
In addition, a comprehensive intergovernmental agreement between Arlington County and the City has been established for maintenance, inspection and rehabilitation of the two bridges over Four Mile Run in the Plan area, one on Mount Vernon Avenue and the other on West Glebe Road. Bridge rehabilitation will consider pedestrian and cyclist needs to ensure the safety of all users and will also consider public art as part of the gateways to Arlington and Alexandria. The Plan envisions an integrated transportation network that builds on the existing pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular networks. Streets will include a variety of typologies, each with a different character and function as depicted in Figure 17. Street design will promote safe and flexible mobility for all users as well as the desired character of the public realm, consistent with Alexandria's Complete Streets Design Guidelines and definitions.
As blocks redevelop, conditions will be assessed to identify how to provide improved bicycle and pedestrian facilities and how each site will introduce or maintain multimodal connections. This can be achieved by providing new connections and paths to formalize desire lines, as shown in Figure 18.
A transportation study was conducted to evaluate the transportation impacts of total planned development of 2.9 million square feet over the 20-year build-out of the Plan. The planning-level study evaluated the order of magnitude impacts associated with the Plan's potential development projections. The study found that the increase in density proposed can be accommodated. Locating additional development in this walkable, bikeable area with robust bus service means the impacts on the surrounding transportation network will be manageable. The transportation study underscored the benefits of the area's existing walkability and bikeability and recommends, per the Plan, continuing to prioritize these modes of travel to attain the higher proportion of non-auto transportation assumed in this. Strategies for achieving this vision are included in the Arlandria-Chirilagua Small Area Plan October 2021 Transportation Future Conditions & Opportunities.
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Figure 17: Complete Streets Typologies
| ■■■■ | Plan boundary |
| ■■■■ | City of Alexandria boundary |
| ┌──┐ └..┘ | Area to be evaluated as part of a future planning process |
| ■ | Open space |
| ■ | Neighborhood residential Potential with redevelopment |
| ■ | Neighborhood residential Existing |
| ■ | Main Street |
| ■ | Neighborhood Connector |
| ■ | Shared/flexible streets |
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Figure 18: Mobility Framework
| ■ ■ ■ | Plan boundary | ■ ■ ■ ■ | Proposed streets |
| ■ | City of Alexandria boundary | Existing streets | |
| ┌ ┐<br>└ ┘ | Area to be evaluated as part of a future planning process | ● ● ● | Proposed pedestrian and or bike connections |
| ■ | Open space | ■ ■ ■ | Proposed Shared / flexible streets |
| ▬▬ | Proposed trail | ||
| ▬▬ | Existing trail |
Note:
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Figure 19: Safety Recommendations
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"Muchas personas viviendo juntas en Chirilagua debido a dueños de casas que se aprovechan de la situación y el miedo de la gente de quejarse." "Viviendas a bajo costo es una preocupación. ¿qué considera la Ciudad de Alexandria vivienda a bajo costo?" "De viviendas, diferencia en calidad." "Necesidad de unidades a bajo costo." "No hay vivienda a bajo costo/ a bajo costo es el único del área." "¿Qué se hizo de esto? y para quién?" "Cambiando el vecindario." "Todos aquí, pero nadie es de aquí. Si solo pudiera vivir aquí, no sería tan interesante que se fuera." "Precios altos. Estamos a lado de un lugar donde sobrepasa el sueldo y lo que a este precio aproximadamente puede pagar." "Hay muchas mansiones en Del Ray que sigue creciendo y lo que ayuda al vecindario." "Los precios suben, suben, suben. La mezcla social de la gente es poco aquí." "Los precios elevados como los que ponen los dueños de casas, desafían el carácter de la gente en Del Ray." "No hay más mansiones en Chirilagua."
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Neighborhood Character
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Civic + Historic
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Parks
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What You Said: Challenges
CULTURE + HISTORY
HOUSING FOR ALL
Expand more deeply affordable housing options.
a. Multifamily rental: five percent of the increase will be affordable to households with incomes at 40% AMI (inclusive of utilities) and five percent of the increase will be affordable to households with incomes at 50% AMI (inclusive of utilities) for a minimum of 40 years. b. Multifamily condominiums and two-over-two and back-to-back units: ten percent of the increase will be affordable to households consistent with City affordable housing policy in effect at the time development proposals are submitted. c. Townhouse/single-family: ten percent of the increase will be affordable to households consistent with City affordable housing policy in effect at the time development proposals are submitted. d. Projects that involve a rental and for-sale component will be subject, on a proportional basis, to the rental and for-sale housing requirements. e. At the request of the City, and with the consent of the applicant and approval by City Council, a cash contribution may be made to the Housing Trust Fund in an amount equivalent to the value of the units that would have been provided on-site. 5. Affordable housing developer contributions on residential and commercial/industrial development permitted under existing zoning will be consistent with City affordable housing contribution policy in effect at the time development proposals are submitted. The City may convert the monetary contributions into on-site affordable units in residential developments by buying down market rents, with the consent of the applicant. 6. Pursuant to Section 7-700 of the Zoning Ordinance, bonus density and bonus height are encouraged to facilitate the production of affordable set-aside units. 7. Pursuant to Section 7-703(A) of the Zoning Ordinance, bonus density in excess of 30% is allowed to encourage the production of additional affordable units. 8. Encourage the conversion of planned affordable rental set-aside units from 60% AMI to an equivalent value at deeper levels of affordability. 9. The Office of Housing will explore opportunities, tools, and resources to further deepen levels of affordability to 30% AMI. 10. Support the use of zoning tools that encourage the production of deeply affordable units. 11. The Office of Housing will build partnerships among public, private, and nonprofit entities to maximize the use of private and public land and to leverage all available resources, including Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) equity, for the development of affordable and mixed-income housing. 12. The Office of Housing will explore and implement, to the extent possible, structuring and financing affordable housing projects to enable those living in the neighborhood who are income eligible to remain regardless of legal status. 13. The Office of Housing, in collaboration with community partners, will evaluate the need to undertake a census of households residing in the
Arlandria-Chirilagua community approximately five to seven years following the adoption of the Plan, to determine if and how housing and affordability needs have changed.
Preserve and invest in existing housing.
The Office of Housing will provide technical assistance to and explore partnerships among public, private, and nonprofit housing owners and neighborhood institutions to leverage resources for the preservation and improvement of market-affordable, committed affordable, and mixed-income housing.
The Office of Housing will work with private landowners to develop potential financial and non-financial tools to address capital needs and expand affordability in exchange for the preservation of committed or market affordability. This may include donations of existing buildings for affordability preservation when redevelopment occurs and/or the potential right of refusal for the City to acquire assisted properties when/if they are sold.
The Office of Housing, in cooperation with board leadership, will continue to offer to the Arlandria Chirilagua Housing Cooperative technical and financial assistance for capital improvements and to support the community's aspirations to enhance committed housing affordability through future redevelopment.
Empower residents to address individual and community concerns regarding housing insecurity, poor conditions, and displacement.
The Office of Housing will work with community partners and other non-profit entities to cultivate and promote tenant empowerment through training and mutual support, and to ensure tenants are prepared to apply for new affordable units as they are delivered to market.
The Office of Housing will offer landlord-tenant mediation and other support, including eviction prevention services, in the Arlandria-Chirilagua community.
Redevelopment proposals for existing residential properties should ensure that eligible residents receive tenant protections as well as relocation support and assistance, consistent with City policy in effect at the time redevelopment proposals are submitted, to mitigate impacts of potential future development. Support may include, but may not be limited to, payment to offset moving costs, ample? notification, and coordination of support services offered by ACPS, DCHS, and other City agencies.
The Office of Housing will seek to implement preferences that enable new deeply affordable housing to be prioritized for residents living in the Arlandria-Chirilagua community, including working with HUD on fair housing considerations.
Incorporate amenities and services that are responsive to community needs in future development.
Encourage a range of housing types within the neighborhood to meet current and future housing demand and to accommodate different household sizes, compositions, ages, and abilities.
Ensure all residents in a development have equal access to on-site amenities within that development.
Expand homeownership opportunities
Expand access to homeownership training and counseling to local residents, including providing such programs and services in Spanish.
Explore ways to create new affordable homeownership, including opportunities to create ownership structures that deepen affordability and housing stability over the long term (e.g., community land trusts and shared equity cooperatives).
On a case-by-case basis, evaluate need for enhanced City financial assistance to further subsidize affordable homeownership units created in the Plan area for low- to moderate-income residents.
HEALTHY + SUSTAINABLE + RESILIENT
Community
Buildings
Tree Canopy
Infrastructure – Stormwater
Infrastructure – Sanitary Sewer
GATHER + PLAY
New development will provide the at-grade publicly accessible open space network as generally depicted in Figure 5 and Table 1. The open space network should include a mixture of active, passive, natural, educational, physical fitness, cultural, and social elements for people of all ages and abilities. All open spaces should include amenities of some kind that enhance usability which may include but are not limited to seating options, grilling areas, exercise equipment, play equipment, and/or accessible restrooms.
Each ground level open space depicted in Figure 5 will be made accessible and usable to the public through dedication to the City as a public park or provision of a perpetual public access and use easement.
New development adjacent to Four Mile Run Park and other publicly owned open space will not intrude into the adjoining public open space unless in limited circumstances deemed appropriate and providing a public benefit in coordination with the Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities and generally consistent and compatible with the City's Open Space Master Plan and City Park Improvement Plans.
All public open spaces in the neighborhood will be designed to be welcoming, open and accessible to all. To support safety in public parks, all open spaces will be designed in accordance with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles.
Each block developed with a multifamily residential use will provide a minimum of 20% at- or above-grade public and/or private open space. The percentage will be based on the development block, excluding required streets.
Blocks required to provide on-site publicly accessible open space as part of the Plan area’s open space network depicted in Figure 5 and Table 1 are eligible for a one-for-one credit toward the 20% open space requirement. The design, configuration, and programming of open space will be consistent with the goals of the Plan and will be determined during the development review process.
Accessory structures that support recreational uses and programming consistent with the intent of the Plan to enhance park users’ experience may be provided within publicly accessible open spaces, subject to approvals through the development review process.
Special events and community activities in support of the Plan goals are encouraged and may be held within publicly accessible open spaces subject to all applicable City approvals and permits.
The existing community facility at 4109 Mount Vernon Avenue in Four Mile Run Park will remain, as recommended in the Four Mile Run Park Improvement Plan. To support the ongoing need for community/public facilities in Arlandria-Chirilagua, future park planning will consider long-term replacement of the building.
As part of new development, properties adjacent to Four Mile Run will be consistent with the Four Mile Run Master Plan and Design Guidelines.
Provide Open Space #6 depicted in Figure 5 (parking lot located at 3850 Mount Vernon Avenue), or a portion thereof, as a communal gathering space within the commercial core.
Provide Open Space #11 depicted in Figure 5 as a connecting park/trail consistent with the intent of the Plan.
Incorporate play spaces in LeBosquet at Sunnyside and Elbert Triangle Park as part of the Plan’s open space network improvements.
LAND USE + URBAN DESIGN
General
New development above what is already permitted (by right) will be subject to all requirements and applicable provisions of the Plan recommendations and Figure 7.
Provide residential uses to support the Plan objective to expand deeply affordable housing in the neighborhood, as well as complementary land uses where permitted to support a vital, distinctive, and walkable neighborhood and a variety of neighborhood residential supportive uses, such as medical offices, grocery stores, pharmacies, retail, commercial, churches, City social services, daycare, schools, recreation centers, and meeting spaces. Continuum of care and nursing home uses may be provided to further expand diversity of housing types in the neighborhood.
Existing institutional uses may remain and can expand as important civic elements in the community
Zoning
development may utilize additional height as depicted in Figure 8A and Figure 8B.
New development will provide ground floor retail uses in the required Retail Focus Area frontages as generally depicted in Figure 9. The intent of the Retail Focus Areas and retail uses within is to provide neighborhood serving retail and services and support a high degree of pedestrian activity to activate the adjacent street and/or open space. Locations that cannot provide retail level activation through active uses and elements such as murals, lighting, signage, and public seating.
Permitted ground floor uses in the Retail Focus Areas include retail, restaurant, personal service, entertainment, daycare, and other uses that activate the public realm. Residential lobby space is permitted to a limited extent if it meets the intent of the Retail Focus Area described above to provide street level activation.
Retail uses may be provided in other locations if consistent with the intent of the Plan and permitted by zoning.
Retail spaces on the ground floor fronting retail streets (for new buildings) in the Retail Focus Area will have a minimum depth of 20 feet (30 feet preferred) as depicted in Figure 11. All buildings will provide a minimum ground floor to ceiling height of 15 feet (18 feet preferred).
In the short-term, the Office of Housing and Alexandria Economic Development Partnership will conduct a survey of current businesses and provide technical assistance necessary to sustain and grow their operations in order to retain these important community serving businesses.
Five years from the adoption of the Plan, Staff will review market impacts on businesses identified in the survey above and the affordability of retail spaces. Staff will provide an update to City Council and a recommendation regarding whether additional measures are warranted to retain these important community serving uses.
Amend the Zoning Ordinance to allow small scale street vendors to sell items such as food, arts, crafts, and other items subject to all Health Department and City requirements.
Work with community stakeholders to develop the parameters of the new street program to be implemented in Arlandria-Chirilagua consistent with the intent of the Plan to provide economic opportunity for neighborhood entrepreneurs, affordable products to residents, and preservation of the culture and diversity of the neighborhood.
The Small Business Development Center will provide assistance to entrepreneurs and existing businesses on necessary permits. Assistance will be provided in Spanish as needed to ensure that all potential neighborhood vendors have equitable access to the entrepreneurship opportunity.
Redevelopment sites with 150 residential units or more are encouraged to incorporate space for neighborhood-serving community facilities such as space for after-school tutoring, library satellite space, job training programs and/or other comparable community-serving uses such as shared access to indoor community meeting space. This space will not count against the site’s permitted floor area, will not be subject to developer contributions, nor will the site be required to provide parking for these uses.
As part of the Cora Kelly Elementary School modernization project, explore opportunities to coordinate modernization of the adjacent Leonard “Chick” Armstrong Recreation Center.
Planning for school capacity and after school enrollment will be addressed by the City and Alexandria City Public Schools and take into account impacts of new development.
will provide ten percent of floor area associated with height that is in excess of the height permitted by existing zoning, exclusive of bonus height pursuant to Section 7-700, as committed affordable housing. Committed affordable housing will be consistent with the affordability provisions outlined in Recommendations 4a-e. Residential and mixed-use developments are also eligible for additional height pursuant to Section 7-700.
a. In cases in which residential and mixed-use residential developments request additional floor area consistent with Recommendation 4 and additional height consistent with Recommendation 70, such developments will comply with that recommendation which yields the greater affordable housing contribution.
a. Building frontages along Mount Vernon Avenue, East and West Glebe Road, and public parks–open spaces will be entirely screened with active uses as defined in the Plan unless otherwise addressed during the development review process. All other frontages are encouraged to have active uses on the ground floor to the extent feasible and the remainder of the building will be screened with an architectural design, materials, and fenestration comparable to the remainder of the building(s), which may include public art and/or murals. Parking for all townhouses and stacked townhouses will be in rear loaded garages accessed from an internal alley. Front loaded garages are prohibited. 83. Shared parking is encouraged to reduce single-purpose parking. New surface parking areas and porte cochères are prohibited as well as lay-bys that utilize sidewalk area where on-street parking is provided. 84. Guidance from the Alexandria Mobility Plan’s curb space prioritization framework will be used to allocate curb space. All passenger pickup and drop-off should take place curbside on the streets. 85. Provide flexibility in parking requirements for committed affordable units, including parking reductions and off-site parking options. 86. To prioritize the safety and experience of people walking, all driveways, garage entrances, and loading entrances should be consolidated and widths should be minimized to the extent possible.
SAFE ACCESS + MOBILITY
New development will provide the streets, blocks and connections depicted in Figure 17 as part of redevelopment. All new streets will be dedicated to the City, unless otherwise approved by the City.
All connections will have public access easements or be dedicated to the City as shown in Figure 18.
Provide safe, comfortable, and connected bicycling facilities as part of redevelopment or City infrastructure improvements according to the Complete Streets Design Guidelines, Transportation Master Plan, and consistent with the Plan. These may include enhanced bicycle facilities on Mount Vernon Avenue, West Glebe Road, and other key connections.
New development will provide a continuous, connected, and accessible network of sidewalks or shared-use paths that meet the Complete Streets Design Guidelines and enable people of all ages and abilities to move safely and comfortably within and outside the neighborhoods as shown in Figures 18 and 19.
Sidewalks for new developments adjacent to Mount Vernon Avenue and Glebe Road (Main Street and Neighborhood Connector Complete Streets Typologies) will be consistent with the curb to building dimensions depicted in Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15.
The City will evaluate multimodal safety, access, connectivity, and curbside management (such as but not limited to on-street parking) along Mount Vernon Avenue and East and West Glebe Road and implement intersection and roadway improvements as shown in Figure 19.
As part of new development, provide safe, well-lit, ADA compliant internal non-auto connections within larger redevelopment blocks to maintain the neighborhood's walkable environment.
As part of new development, implement safe pedestrian crossings generally consistent with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) guidance and with the Complete Streets Design Guidelines to the extent possible.
New development will provide bicycle racks that are public and private, convenient, easily accessible, and meet the City's established Bicycle Parking Standards at key locations, particularly at mixed-use nodes.
New development and the City will improve and expand access to shared mobility options (e.g. Capital Bikeshare, Dockless Scooters, etc.).
IMPLEMENTATION
The Plan establishes a 20-year framework to guide future planning and development in Arlandria-Chirilagua. The largest proportion of the implementation effort and funding will be focused on the expansion of committed deply affordable housing. The Plan also implements community amenities recommended to mitigate impacts from development and enhance the quality of life for residents.
The Plan recommends the following community benefits and assigns responsibility for implementing/funding those benefits as listed below and described in subsequent text.
| Community Benefit | Funding Responsibility |
|---|---|
| 1. Expansion of housing affordability | |
| a. 10% of additional residential development will be provided as committed affordable units (1/2 and 40% AMI and 1/2 at 50% AMI); contributions to the housing trust fund per the policy in place. | Developers in Kind; Developer Contributions to the Housing Trust Fund |
| b. Additional housing affordability achieved through partnerships, co-location; City, State, Federal funding; other tools. | City |
| 2. Enhancements to the Open Space Network | |
| a. Open Space Network as depicted in Figure 5 and specified in Table 1 | Developers in Kind |
| b. Improvements to create pocket park/urban Plaza at 3850 Mount Vernon Avenue (OS#5) | City, Developer Contributions |
| c. Playspace improvements for Le Bosquet and Elbert Triangle | Open Space Developer Contributions |
| d. Design and construction for Linear Park (OS#11) | Open Space Developer Contributions |
| 3. Streetscape Improvements | Developers in Kind; City CIP or grants |
| 4. Stormwater and Flood Mitigation Improvements | Developers in Kind; City CIP or grants |
The majority of the investment necessary to expand housing affordability in the Plan area will come from City, state, and federal funding, partnerships with non-profit partners, grants, and projects that maximize land and leverage all available resources.
In addition, as specified in the Housing for All Chapter, new development will provide 10% of the floor area in excess of the floor area permitted by existing zoning as committed affordable housing, exclusive of bonus density pursuant to Section 7-700. New development will also be subject to contributions to the Housing Trust Fund consistent with the City's affordable housing contribution policies and procedures in place.
As depicted in Figure 5, the Plan recommends a complete and connected open space network comprised of various park typologies. New open spaces in Figure 5 will be provided through new development at the size specified in Table 1. Enhancements or expansion of existing open spaces will be funded by developer contributions. The Plan recommends that Open Space #5, depicted in Figure 5 (parking lot located at 3850 Mount Vernon Avenue), or a portion thereof, function as a communal gathering space within the commercial core. Open Space #11, depicted in Figure 5, will serve as a trail and park. The Plan also recommends allocating contributions for Le Bosquet and Elbert Triangle neighborhood parks to fund playspace equipment for children.
The Plan recommends a variety of streetscape improvements including undergrounding of utilities, enhanced landscaping and/or green infrastructure elements, enhanced tree canopy coverage, and improved pedestrian and bicycle connections. A portion of the streetscape improvements will be achieved with private development, however, some critical gaps in streetscape will remain. Improvements not covered by private development may be achieved through grant funding secured by the City or considered as part of the City budget and CIP process through the 20-year life of the Plan.
Private development will be required to comply with all stormwater and floodplain requirements within their own sites. Area wide investments in stormwater management infrastructure will be allocated through the City's CIP process.
FUNDING OF IMPROVEMENTS
The cost of the above public benefits was estimated at a planning level basis. Consistent with other small area plans, the expectation is that Plan area improvements will be shared by the City and new development. The “share” attributed to new development is provided both in-kind and through monetary developer contributions. To assess the potential for developer contributions toward funding community benefits, the total cost of improvements is considered with respect to the area’s potential new development, and a per square foot rate is determined. The developer contribution rates for additional development permitted through the 2021 Arlandria-Chirilagua Small Area Plan will be established through a future separate City Council public process, consistent with other small area plan adoptions.
The City’s financial participation in implementing the Plan will compete for funding through the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) and/or grant funding sources and is anticipated to include funding for: Cora Kelley Elementary School modernization project, Alexandria Housing Development Corporation affordable housing project at West Glebe Road and Mount Vernon Avenue, stormwater and sewer infrastructure projects, two Four Mile Run bridge reconstruction projects in partnership with Arlington, and streetscape, open space and mobility improvements in areas not addressed by new development. Developer contributions and the affordable housing requirement will be calculated on additional development above the “base,” which is development that was permitted through base zoning as depicted in Appendix Figure 20.
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Figure 20: Existing Zoning with Floor Area Ratio (FAR)
| ■ ■ ■ | Plan boundary | NR | Neighborhood retail |
| ▬ | City of Alexandria boundary | POS | Public open space |
| ## | Existing F.A.R. | R-2-5 | Single- and two-family |
| CDD | Coordinated development districts | RA | Multifamily |
| CG | Commercial general | RB | Townhouse |
| CL | Commercial low | UT | Utilities and transportation |
| CSL | Commercial service low |
Notes:
In addition to the major community benefits described above, successful implementation of the Plan will include a wide variety of implementation tasks. Table 3 identifies tasks, responsibilities, and anticipated phasing. It should be noted that the table does not include infrastructure improvements that are typically required as part of development such as undergrounding utilities, stormwater, sanitary sewer, open space and streetscape enhancements, nor expectations regarding urban design as established in the Plan recommendations.
| Task# | Rec# | Implementation Task | Responsibility | Short (0-5 YRS) | Mid (6-10 YRS) | Long (11-15 YRS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CULTURE + HISTORY | ||||||
| 1-3 | Document and report as part of the Annual Status of Implementation Report for the City's Master Plan, new public art, murals, historical markers and other elements that celebrate the cultural history of Arlandria-Chirilagua in new and existing development and infrastructure. | City TES, RPCA/ Developer | x | x | x | |
| HOUSING FOR ALL | ||||||
| 4-26 | Report annual progress on recommendations as part of the Status of Implementation Report for the City's Master Plan | City Office of Housing | x | x | x | |
| 13 | Evaluate the need to undertake a census of households residing in the community 5-7 years following Plan adoption to update affordability needs. | City Office of Housing | x | |||
| HEALTHY, SUSTAINABLE AND RESILIENT | ||||||
| 28 | Pursue opportunities to provide community gardens, including shared resource gardens in City parks and/or other City-owned properties such as libraries and/or recreational centers and schools. Encourage new development to incorporate areas for community gardens in outdoor open spaces, including roof-top open spaces. | City RPCA / Developer | x | x | x | |
| 29 | Support the inclusion of a medical/dental clinic within new development. | City | x | |||
| 30 | Enhance neighborhood access to community resources such as providing job and language training, wireless internet service, and programs to support and engage youth and seniors, and report progress as part of the annual Status of Implementation Report for the City's Master Plan. | City Office of Housing / Community Partners | x | x | x | |
| GATHER + PLAY |
| Task# | Rec# | Implementation Task | Responsibility | Short (0-5 YRS) | Mid (6-10 YRS) | Long (11-15 YRS) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | Convert Open Space #6 depicted in Figure 1, or a portion thereof, to a communal gathering space. | City RPCA | x | |||
| 51 | Construct Open Space #11 depicted in Figure 1 as a connecting park/trail. | City RPCA / Developer | x | x | x | |
| 52 | Improve Le Bosquet and Elbert Triangle Parks with playspaces. | City RPCA | x | |||
| LAND USE + URBAN DESIGN | ||||||
| 56 | Conduct a study to determine need for a new zone, or amendments to an existing zone, that implements the intent of the Plan to incentivize housing affordability and allow flexibility of uses to maintain local neighborhood-serving retail, commercial, and services. | City PZ | x | |||
| 61 | Conduct a survey of current businesses following Plan adoption and provide technical assistance necessary to sustain and grow their operations in order to retain these community serving businesses. | City Office of Housing, AEDP | x | |||
| 62 | Assess market impacts on businesses identified in the survey referenced in #61, including the affordability of retail spaces, five years after Plan adoption. Provide update to City Council with a recommendation regarding whether additional measures are warranted to retain these community serving uses. | AEDP, City PZ | x | |||
| 63 | Amend Zoning Ordinance to allow small scale street vendors. | City PZ | x | |||
| 64 | Work with community stakeholders to develop the parameters of the new street vendor program. | City PZ, AEDP | x | |||
| 65 | Provide assistance to entrepreneurs and existing businesses on necessary permits. Assistance will be provided in Spanish as needed to ensure that all potential neighborhood vendors have equitable access to the entrepreneurship opportunity. | City AEDP SBDC; Community partners | x | x | x | |
| 68 | Explore modernization of Leonard "Chick" Armstrong Recreation Center in coordination with Cora Kelly Elementary School modernization project. | City PZ RPCA ACPS | x | x | ||
| SAFE ACCESS + MOBILITY | ||||||
| 91 | Evaluate multimodal safety, access, connectivity and curbside management along Mount Vernon Avenue and East and West Glebe Road and implement intersection and roadway improvements as shown in Figure 19. | City TES | x | |||
| IMPLEMENTATION | ||||||
| 101 | Establish developer contributions policy to implement identified community amenities | City PZ | x | |||
| 102 | Establish developer contribution fund | City PZ | x |
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In fall 2019, the City launched a community planning process to update the 2003 Arlandria Neighborhood Plan with a long-term vision for land use, affordable housing, parks and open space, health and sustainability, and safety and mobility. Updating the objectives and strategies of the long-term vision for the neighborhood is particularly important with the planned phased arrival of Amazon in Crystal City, and the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus and Metrorail Station in North Potomac Yard.
The initial project scope included the Del Ray and Arlandria-Chirilagua neighborhoods and outreach began by seeking input on how community members view and experience their neighborhood. With support from a VHDA Community Impact Grant, mobile pop-ups, community meetings and targeted stakeholder meetings were held in the fall and winter of 2019 where staff were on hand to answer questions and receive feedback. An informational video was produced summarizing activities and community comments to date. All input received was synthesized and themes were identified which informed the planning process moving forward. In early 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic, staff shared with Planning Commission and City Council progress and momentum gained during the fall/winter outreach and community listening sessions.
Engagement was conducted in Spanish-first with English translation, through City convened events, existing organizations, pop-ups, open houses, and in-person and virtual stakeholder meetings. Through focused conversations with the community and understanding the market pressures with new development in the surrounding area, objectives for the Arlandria-Chirilagua Plan update were developed with special focus on the preservation and expansion of housing affordability and the strength of this unique community and neighborhood business district.
These objectives are the foundation upon which the Plan recommendations were drafted. Community feedback was recorded through written and verbal comments received through all engagement venues including bilingual questionnaires distributed at key points in the process, some of which featured brief bilingual videos to ensure informed and substantive responses.
Passive outreach to raise awareness and encourage engagement included display of posters throughout the neighborhood with directions for how to engage the planning team and provide comments via WhatsApp or other means. Information was also posted on the project web page, City calendar; flyer distribution to area residential and office buildings; the City’s eNews service; social media postings; and emails. Ongoing news coverage occurred from Univision and El Tiempo Latino. Endorsement letters were received from the Park and Recreation Commission, Transportation Commission and the Alexandria Housing Affordability Advisory Committee
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A greater share of residents are children compared to the same age group city wide.
A lower share of residents are senior in age compared to the rest of the city.
2021 Population Estimate, City of Alexandria P&Z-NPCD
City of Alexandria P&Z-NPCD
About 65% of Arlandria - Chirilagua residents identify as Hispanic or Latino.
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| Arlandria | Alexandria | |
|---|---|---|
| Hispanic or Latino | ||
| White | ||
| Black or African American | ||
| Asian or Pacific Islander | ||
| Native or Other | ||
| Two or more |
Latin America represents 90% of place of birth for the foreign - born population.
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| Arlandria | Alexandria | |
|---|---|---|
| Latin America | ||
| Asia | ||
| Africa | ||
| Other |
More than half of Arlandria - Chirilagua residents speak Spanish at home.
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| Arlandria | Alexandria | |
|---|---|---|
| English only | ||
| Spanish | ||
| Indo - European | ||
| Asian / Islander | ||
| Other |
2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, US Census Bureau
December 2021 | Arlandria - Chirilagua Small Area Plan | 77
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About 42% of households in Arlandria - Chirilagua earned less than $50k a year compared to 21% for the City as a whole.
Legend:
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Compared to the City overall, Arlandria - Chirilagua residents are more likely to carpool or take public transit in their commute to work.
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A large share of residents have less than high school education compared to the rest of the city.
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A large share of Arlandria - Chirilagua residents are employed in either professional, scientific, and technical services or accommodation and food service jobs.
Legend:
2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, US Census Bureau
78 | Arlandria-Chirilagua Small Area Plan | December 2021
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More than a third of households are married couples.
Arlandria
Alexandria
~2,522 Housing Units 2021 Building Data, City of Alexandria ITS-GIS
~2.8% Unit Vacancy 2021 Population Estimate, City of Alexandria P&Z-NPCD
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A greater share of occupied units are rented.
Arlandria Alexandria
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Multi-family units occupy the majority of unit types in the neighborhood
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A third of the residents moved to the neighborhood of Arlandria - Chirilagua over ten years ago.
Arlandria Alexandria
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More than two- thirds of owner-occupied units are valued under $500K.
Arlandria Alexandria
2019 American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, US Census Bureau
December 2021 | Arlandria - Chirilagua Small Area Plan | 79
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