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Southwest Quadrant Small Area Plan (adopted 1992 Master Plan, as amended) - Alexandria, Virginia

Southwest Quadrant Small Area Plan (adopted 1992 Master Plan, as amended) - Alexandria, Virginia
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Page 1

SOUTHWEST QUADRANT

SMALL AREA PLAN

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ADOPTED 1992 MASTER PLAN

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA

Amended 6/25/1996, Ordinance 3879 Amended 10/15/2005, Ordinance 4426 Amended 6/12/2010, Ordinance 4674 Amended 10/13/18, Ordinance 5165

Page 2

AMENDMENTS TO SOUTHWEST QUADRANT SMALL AREA PLAN - as of 10/13/18

Master Plan Amendment #Ordinance #Passage DateDescription/AddressSmall Area PlanLand Use Change
MPA96-000438796/25/1996Southwest corner of Duke and Henry Sts (409 S. Henry, 324 S. West, 403 S. Payne, 1423 Wilkes)Southwest QuadrantChange in land use designation from RM to RH; and increase the height from 45 to 60ft with an additional 20ft for a limited number of rooftop architectural features.
MPA2005-0003442610/15/2005Incorporate Hunting Creek Area PlanSouthwest Quadrant/ Old TownIncorporate Hunting Creek Area Plan
MPA2010-000146746/12/20101001 S Washington St and 714 Church StSouthwest QuadrantChange in land use designation from CL to POS
MPA2018-0003516510/13/2018Incorporate South Patrick Street Housing Affordability StrategySouthwest QuadrantIncorporate South Patrick Street Housing Affordability Strategy
Page 3

SOUTHWEST QUADRANT

SMALL AREA PLAN

ALEXANDRIA CITY COUNCIL

Mayor Patricia S. Ticer Vice Mayor William C. Cleveland Kerry J. Donley T. Michael Jackson Redella S. Pepper Lonnie C. Rich David G. Speck

CITY MANAGER

Vola Lawson

PREPARED BY:

DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

Staff:

Sheldon Lynn, Director Larry Grossman, Chief Comprehensive Planning

Principal Author:

Raymond Johnson

Graphics:

V.E. Townsend Carla Childress

JUNE 13, 1992: ORDINANCE 3576

Page 4

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Purpose of Plan

Background and Issues

Description of Area1
Existing Land Use3
Existing Zoning6
Height Limits6
Economic Activity and Development Trends7
Transportation9
Policy History11
Issues14

Plan Recommendations

Goals and Objectives16
Land Use Recommendations17
Zoning Recommendations23
Height Limits31
Transportation31

See also Southwest Quadrant SAP Addendum | 38

Page 5

LIST OF MAPS

  1. | Study Area | 2 ---|---|---
  2. | Existing Land Use (1992) | 4
  3. | Recent Development Activity (1992) | 8
  4. | Potential Commercial Redevelopment Areas (1992) | 10
  5. | Land Area Rezoned Since 1974 | 13
  6. | 1974 Land Use Plan | 18
  7. | Proposed Land Use Changes (1992) | 19
  8. | Southwest Quadrant Land Use, as amended (Amended 6/25/96, Ord. 3879; Amended 10/15/05, Ord. 4426; Amended 6/12/10, Ord. 4674 | 20
  9. | Existing Zoning | 24
  10. | Proposed Zoning Changes | 25
  11. | Proposed Zoning | 26
  12. | Height by District (1992) | 32
  13. | Existing Height Limits by Right (1992) | 33
  14. | Proposed Height Changes (1992) | 34
  15. | Southwest Quadrant Height Limits | 35
  16. | 1974 Major Thoroughfare Plan | 36
  17. | Proposed Major Thoroughfare Plan (1992) | 37

LIST OF TABLES

  1. | Estimated Population | 3 ---|---|---
  2. | Existing Land Use | 5
  3. | Existing Zoning | 6
  4. | Rezoning Since 1974 | 12

See also Southwest Quadrant SAP Addendum | 38

Page 6

PURPOSE OF THE PLAN

The purpose of this document is to update the Adopted 1974 Consolidated Master Plan for the Southwest Quadrant area and to adopt a 1988 Southwest Quadrant Area Plan as part of the City's new Master Plan. The 1988 Plan, once adopted, will serve as the basis for future City Council policy initiatives and actions affecting land use, zoning, capital improvements and programs in the Southwest Quadrant area.

ORGANIZATION AND CONTENTS

The Southwest plan is organized into two sections: Background and Issues and Plan Recommendations. The first section reviews and analyzes existing conditions and trends in the study area including physical description, demographics, land use, zoning, economic development activities and trends transportation and urban design. This section also retraces past City policies including adopted plans, rezonings resolutions and capital improvement programs. Based on this analysis this section identifies issues which need to be addressed in the plan for the area.

The second section lists the goals, objectives and specific recommendations on land use, zoning, transportation and urban design.

PLANNING PROCESS

This plan has been developed in consultation with citizens, property owners and community and business groups, through a series of meetings which included review of existing conditions and trends in the Southwest Quadrant area, identification of issues, review of the 1974 Master Plan and review of plan recommendations.

The final draft of this plan will be sent to the Master Plan Task Force for review and to the Planning Commission and City Council for review and adoption. Once approved, the plan will be referred to the Zoning Task Force for input into the City-wide zoning code revision effort. Based on the approved plan and revised zoning code, the City will proceed with implementing appropriate rezonings in the area.

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BACKGROUND

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DESCRIPTION OF AREA

The Southwest Quadrant area is located in Planning District 1 in the eastern third of the City. The area is bounded generally by South Washington street on the east, Hunting Creek (City line) on the south, South Payne Street on the west, and by Wilkes and Wolfe Streets on the north. (See Map 1.)

The Southwest Quadrant area is characterized by major north/south and east/west roadways and other man-made and natural features which somewhat isolates the area and which internally creates barriers between neighborhoods. Washington Street, a major north/south arterial, forms the eastern boundary and divides "Old Town East" from "Old Town West." Franklin Street, an east/west arterial which runs through the area, separates residences in the Dip Renewal area from residences immediately south. Patrick Street (Route 1), a six lane north/south highway, is a major barrier dividing residential areas to the east and west.

Wilkes Street, an old railroad right of way which connected the waterfront to the Southern Railroad yard, forms part of the northern boundary. The other portion of the northern boundary is the large ten acre Southern Railroad property whose tracks create an effective barrier between the residences to the south and heavily trafficked Duke Street to the north.

Another effective barrier isolating and protecting residences in the western portion of the study area is the National Cemetery which separates the residential community from Hooff's Run and from the industrial uses in the Cameron Run Valley. Lastly, the entire area is delineated to the south by the Capital Beltway and by Hunting Creek.

The Southwest Quadrant has a long and interesting history. The greater portion of the Southwest Quadrant was not included within the City boundary until it was annexed by the City some time during the turn of the century. A portion of the Southwest Quadrant was part of the District of Columbia. The old District boundary line had an alignment from the corner of South Payne and Wilkes Streets to the corner of South Washington and Jefferson Streets.

Since the turn of the century the neighborhood has undergone a transformation from predominantly industrial to residential. In the early 1900's through the 1920's land uses in the area consisted of medium density residential uses such as row houses, industrial uses such as warehouses and factories, and rail-road facilities which consisted of a roundhouse and repair shops.

Much of the land area south of Jefferson Street was not developed and remained vacant until after the 1930's. During the 1940's and the 1950's most of these vacant parcels south of Franklin Street and east of South Henry Street were developed into row houses and garden apartments.

By the mid-1960's much of the older housing stock had become dilapidated and had deteriorated beyond a state of repair. In order to improve physical conditions within the neighborhood, City Council, in the late 1960's, established the DIP Urban Renewal Program. Under this urban renewal program, dilapidated residential and commercial structures were either renovated or demolished. Redevelopment in the area consisted of townhouses, garden and mid-rise apartments, a new church building (Alfred Street Baptist Church) and several planned office developments.

Page 9

Map 1

Study Area

See also Map 1 in addendum for extended boundary.

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NORTH

Page 10

Demographic Background

The 1988 population of the Southwest Quadrant area is estimated to be approximately 2,331 persons (Table 1). This represents an increase of 18.9 percent over the number of persons who lived in the area in 1980. This increase is attributable to the increase in the number of housing units that were added to the housing stock after 1978. Because land area zoned for residential development is almost 100 percent built out, it is not anticipated that the population will increase significantly.

An estimated 552 persons worked at locations within the Southwest Quadrant area in 1988, not including self-employed persons. Because this area is primarily residential and redevelopment of non-residentially zoned properties is limited to a few sites, a significant increase in employment is unlikely.

TABLE 1

Estimated Population Southwest Quadrant Area

19701198011988
Population2,0691,9612,3312
Housing Units8991,1001,3183
Average No. of
Persons Per Unit2.301.781.772

EXISTING LAND USE (Map 2)

The Southwest Quadrant area consists of approximately 171.1 acres. Excluding public right-of-ways such as streets and alleys, the area contains about 79.5 acres of land area that are subject to land use and zoning controls. Streets, alleys and the right-of-way for the Capital Beltway consist of 91.6 acres (Table 2).

Residential Land Use

There are approximately 1,318 dwelling units within the Southwest Quadrant area in 1988. These residential uses consist almost entirely of medium density rowhouses or townhouses, and mid-rise and garden apartments. There was a 46.6 percent increase in the number of housing units that existed prior to 1970. This increase in the number of housing units is attributable to the 447 housing units that were built through the implementation of the DIP Urban Renewal Program and the 99 housing units that were constructed by private development without public funding.

Commercial Land Use

Commercial uses cover about 11.5 percent (9.1 acres) of the developed land area. Most of these commercial uses consist of low scale retail shops and low density commercial office uses that are located along South Washington Street and Franklin Street. These commercial uses such as a bank, grocery store and restaurant serve the local neighborhood. There are several other commercial uses that are

Footnotes

  1. SOURCE: U.S. Census. ↩ ↩2

  2. SOURCE: Estimates by the Department of Planning and Community Development based on COG Round IV Forecasts. ↩ ↩2

  3. SOURCE: Department of Planning and Community Development. ↩

Page 11

Existing Land Use (1992)

See also Map 2 in addendum for extended boundary.

RM - Residential Medium RH - Residential High C - Commercial I - Industrial P - Parks, Recreation and Open Space INS - Institutional U/T - Utility and Transportation

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Page 12

located along U.S. Route 1 and Franklin Street. These uses consist of several service stations and an auto accessories retail store. These uses serve a clientele from a larger market area including commuters using Route 1.

Recreational Land Use and Open Space

Approximately 11.5 percent (9.2 acres) of the land area is used for recreational purposes. This recreational facility, located on Jefferson Street consists of a former school site (Robert E. Lee School) that was converted to a community and recreational facility.

TABLE 2

Existing Land Use Southwest Quadrant Area

Land UsesSquare FeetAcresPercent
Residential2,306,68853.066.6
Commercial397,7409.111.5
Mixed Use50,5361.21.5
Industrial9,9350.20.3
Park, Open Space
or Recreational399,1759.211.5
Institutional24,3230.60.7
Utility115,7182.73.3
Vacant157,8453.64.6
TOTAL3,462,96079.5100.0

Other Land Uses

Public utilities account for 3.3 percent (2.7 acres) of the land area. This public utility consists of an electric substation which serves the Northern Virginia area.

Mixed use development accounts for 1.5 percent (1.2 acres) of the land area. This mixed use development consists of the Arch Hall town house commercial office and residential development.

Industrial land uses account for only about 0.3 percent (0.2 acres) of the land area. This industrial use consists of a memorial (headstone) engraving business. This use is associated with the nearby cemeteries that are located along South Payne and Wilkes Street.

The only institutional use in the area consists of an animal shelter that is located in the 900 block of South Payne Street. This site contains 0.6 acres which represents 0.7 percent of the land area.

Vacant Land

The Southwest Quadrant area contains only about 3.6 acres of vacant land. This represents about 4.6 percent of the developable land area. Vacant properties within the area consist of several small commercially zoned properties that are located on U.S. Route 1 at Franklin Street and a larger residentially zoned property that is located in the Hunting Creek flood area. Before the latter property can be developed it would be necessary to alleviate the flooding conditions.

Page 13

EXISTING ZONING (Map 9)

Excluding right-of-ways for streets and alleys, 77.6 percent (61.7 acres) of the Southwest Quadrant area is residentially zoned. Most of this residential zoned property, consisting of 40.6 percent (32.3 acres) of the land area, is zoned RB. The RB zone allows townhouse development at 22 to 27.23 units per acre. Properties zoned RM, which allows townhouse development at 30 to 43.56 units per acre, consist of 10.4 percent (8.3 acres) of the land area in the Southwest Quadrant area. Properties zoned RC, which allows a greater number of units per acre (garden apartments at 54.45 units per acre), comprise 26.6 percent (21.1 acres) of the area's land area (Table 3).

Properties that are zoned for commercial use comprise 16.2 percent (12.9 acres) of the land area in the Southwest Quadrant. These properties have a C-2 and C-2-B zoning that allows commercial office and commercial retail uses as well as single family, two family and multi-family residential uses. The C-2 zoned properties would allow a maximum floor area ratio of 3.0.

Properties that are zoned for industrial uses consist of only 6.2 percent (3.9 acres) of the land area in the Southwest Quadrant area. While 213,484 square feet of land area (4.9 acres) are zoned for industrial use, less than 10,000 square feet of land area is actually used for industrial purposes. Most of the industrially zoned properties contain public utilities, commercial uses or are vacant.

TABLE 3

Existing Zoning Southwest Quadrant Area

Land ZonedSquare FeetAcresPercent
ResidentialRB1,406,80432.340.6
RM359,7198.310.4
RC920,76021.126.6
Commercial:C-2543,97312.515.7
C-2-B18,2200.40.5
Industrial:I-173,4431.72.1
I-2140,0413.24.1
Total3,462,96079.5100.0

HEIGHT LIMITS

Height limitations within the Southwest Quadrant are affected by two sets of regulations; height districts and specific zoning categories (Maps 12 and 13). Height is determined by whichever set of regulations is the more restrictive. For example, if a property is within a height district which allows 50 foot high buildings and the property is zoned RB with a 45 foot building height limitation then the limit is 45 feet as set by the zoning. If a property is zoned C-2 which allows 150 foot buildings but is in a 50 foot height district then the maximum building height is 50 feet as set by the district.

There are four height districts within the Southwest Quadrant area.

  1. The Washington Street Area. This district is located within a 100 foot setback from the center line of South Washington Street to the City boundary at Hunting Creek. Development within this area is limited to 50 feet in height.
Page 14
  1. Historic District. This portion of the Historic District is generally located between the 100 feet setbacks from the center lines of South Washington and South Patrick Streets between Franklin Street and the Capital Beltway. Structures within this district are generally limited to 50 feet in height.

  2. Urban Preservation. This portion of the DIP Urban Renewal area is located between Wolfe and Wilkes Streets, and between South Washington and South Patrick Streets. Structures within this area are limited to 62 feet.

  3. Hunting Creek Area. This area is divided into two separate sub-areas each having its own height limit. Any new construction that would occur west of South Alfred Street would be restricted to 77 feet. On the other hand, structures east of South Alfred Street would be limited to 50 feet, the same as structures in the Historic District.

Map 13 indicates permitted heights within zoning categories. As shown, some properties are permitted less height than otherwise would be allowed under the height district. On the other hand, it is noted that properties with permissive zoning such as C-2 and RC that are not located within a specific height district allow buildings up to 150 feet in height. These properties are located along South Patrick Street and within the block bounded by Gibbon, South Columbus, Franklin and South Alfred Streets.

ECONOMIC ACTIVITY AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS

Since the late 1960's the Southwest Quadrant area has undergone a major transformation which has brought about vast improvements to the neighborhood. This transformation was brought about by both the City's commitment to improve the deplorable housing conditions at the time and by the investment opportunities available to the private sector.

In the late 1960's City Council established the DIP Urban Renewal Program that was responsible for the renovation and the construction of many of the housing units north of Franklin Street. Under this plan, dilapidated structures that were beyond repair were demolished. Structures that were structurally safe were renovated. Because ownership patterns of properties were highly fragmentized, only through public acquisition could land be feasibly consolidated and packaged for redevelopment. As a result, housing opportunities were created that provided a diverse mix of housing that ranged from town houses to garden and mid-rise apartments.

The private sector was primarily responsible for new housing in the area south of Franklin Street. A number of apartments near South Alfred, Jefferson, South Columbus and Green Streets were either renovated and retained as multi-family dwellings, or were converted to single family row/town houses. During the late 1970's Washington Square, a mixed use town house development with residential and commercial office and retail components, was built in the 600 block of South Washington Street. Several service stations that were built on South Washington Street were constructed so that they appear to be more compatible with the residential character of the neighborhood.

During the past twelve years there have been approximately 536 new housing units constructed and 177 units renovated. During this same period four new developments have been constructed on commercial properties and buildings on three other commercial properties have been renovated (Map 3).

7

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Recent Development Activity (1992)

New Residential Construction

Residential Renovations

New Commercial Construction

Commercial Renovations

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Potential Development and Redevelopment Sites

Because the neighborhood is near the end of a long redevelopment cycle, only five locations can be identified where development or redevelopment (or renovation) will most likely occur. These properties have the greatest potential for being redeveloped for commercial use (Map 4). The locations are:

  1. The eastern half block that fronts the 600 block of South Patrick Street between Gibbon and Franklin consists of several vacant lots, an auto accessory retail store, a paint dealership, a neighborhood grocery store and soda fountain dispensing service\supplier. The zoning of these properties is I-1 which allows building heights up to 77 feet and a building density (Floor Area Ratio) of 2.5. This 46,800 square foot site could be redeveloped with a six story 117,000 square foot office building.

  2. The property at the northeast corner of South Columbus and Wilkes Street is zoned C-2 and contains a small carryout sandwich shop and a parking lot. This property could be redeveloped for a multi-story office building at a medium to high density.

  3. The properties at the northeast corner of South Washington Street and Gibbon Streets are zoned C-2 and C-2-B. This site is the former location of the Old Club Restaurant that ceased its business operation several years ago. During 1987 a plan was submitted to renovate and expand the existing structure for a Clyde’s Restaurant and to construct a parking garage behind the existing building. This plan did not materialize. Because portions of the Old Club restaurant building are considered historical, the total redevelopment of this site is unlikely. Nevertheless, the site is zoned C-2 which allows a 3.0 Floor Area Ratio and could be developed more intensely.

  4. The commercial properties in the block bounded by Jefferson, S. Washington, Green and South Columbus Streets are zoned C-2. Land uses consist small retail shops, a bank, several food establishments a cleaner and small offices. Most of the low scale two story commercial uses are focused on S. Washington Street whereas the parking supporting these uses is located along S. Columbus Street. Across from the parking lot to the west are residential uses consisting of townhouses and garden apartments. Because of its size (a City block), its high density zoning, its low density use and its excellent location this block may undergo redevelopment pressures for more intense use of the site.

  5. Although outside of the immediate study area boundaries the proposed development of the Norfolk Southern property located between Duke Street, S. Henry and Wilkes Street will have a direct impact on residences abutting the property to the north and to the south. The preliminary proposal is for 650,000 square feet of office space, 170,000 square feet of hotel space, 225,000 square feet of retail space and 600 residential units.

TRANSPORTATION

The basic configuration of the street system within the Southwest Quadrant area consists of a grid pattern having north to south and east to west orientations. The 1974 Major Thoroughfare Plan classified streets throughout the City into five categories: expressways, arterials, primary collectors, residential collectors and local streets (Map 16).

The Southwest Quadrant area is bisected by three major transportation corridors. U.S. Route 1 (Patrick and Henry Streets) having a north-south orientation through the middle of the neighborhood is classified as an arterial. Also classified as an arterial is Washington Street (George Washington/Mount Vernon Parkway). This route also has a north-south orientation with an alignment along the eastern edge of the area. The third traffic corridor, U.S. Route 95 (Capital Beltway), is classified as an expressway located

Page 17

Map 4

Potential Commercial Redevelopment Areas

(1992)

See also Map 3 in addendum for extended boundary.

Commercial Redevelopment Potential Commercial Redevelopment Potential

T

Transportation and Traffic

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10

Page 18

along the southern periphery of this neighborhood with an east-west orientation. These arterials and expressway carry heavy volumes of traffic that primarily serve through and commuter traffic, particularly during the AM and PM rush hours.

Only a limited amount of streets within the area are classified as primary collectors and residential collectors. When the Major Thoroughfare Plan was adopted, South Columbus Street was classified as a primary collector, along with South St. Asaph Street, as part of a one-way pair. South Columbus Street was one way south. Since the Major Thoroughfare Plan was adopted in 1974, Columbus and St. Asaph Streets have been converted to two-way primary collectors.

Franklin Street was classified as an arterial with a one way flow to the east from South Patrick to South Washington Streets. Franklin Street is designated as a two way local street between South Payne and South Patrick Streets.

Streets that are not given a specific designation are classified as local streets which primarily serve the local residential and commercial entities of the community.

The Southwest Quadrant area is impacted by heavy commuter traffic along the major north/south arterials and by the Franklin Street (one-way eastbound) and Gibbon Street (one-way westbound) one-way pair connecting Route 1 to Washington Street. Through traffic also diverts to more local streets such as S. Alfred and S. Columbus to avoid congestion on Washington Street. West of Route 1 there is also some diversion of afternoon southbound through traffic onto S. Henry Street as a way of avoiding congestion on Route 1.

As indicated earlier, the residential area west of Route 1 has been somewhat protected from commuter traffic by the historical presence of the Southern railroad tracks which cuts off Duke Street from the area. Because of the tracks, the 300 block of S. Payne Street is stubbed at the railroad tracks and does not connect with the rest of S. Payne Street which runs through the neighborhood. Similarly, the 200 block of S. Fayette Street ends north of Duke Street and does not connect with the 500 block of S. Fayette Street.

POLICY HISTORY

City policies affecting the Southwest Quadrant are reflected in the 1974 Master Plan, the Dip Urban Renewal Program and the City's rezoning actions over the past 14 years. The Long Range Land Use Plan Map contained in the 1974 Consolidated Master Plan recommended that the majority of the Southwest Quadrant area be designated "Residential Medium" (Map 6). The blocks bounded by Wolfe, South Washington Street, Gibbon and S. Columbus Streets were designated as commercial reflecting existing retail uses. However, the 1974 Land Use Map did not consistently recognize land use patterns and did designate some commercial blocks along S. Washington Street for residential use.

The 1974 Consolidated Master Plan designated the DIP Urban Renewal Program area, part of which lies within the Southwest Quadrant area, as a Development Potential area. Within this renewal area, the City made a public commitment to provide more appropriate land uses for the area, to eliminate dilapidated building conditions and to minimize the harmful effects of commuter traffic. Subsequent to City Council's approval of the DIP program, this area underwent a dramatic transformation that brought about extensive residential redevelopment. This area is now built out and would no longer be considered a "Development Potential Area".

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Rezonings (Map 5)

Since 1974 approximately 1,215,748 square feet of land area has been rezoned in the Southwest Quadrant area (Table 4). This represents approximately 35 percent of the land area that is subject to land use and zoning controls. In being consistent with the recommendations of the 1974 Long Range Land Use Plan, almost 99 percent of the rezonings that have occurred within the Southwest Quadrant area have been for residential purposes.

TABLE 4

Rezonings Since 1974 Southwest Quadrant Area

Land Rezoned to:Square FeetPercent
ResidentialRB222,49218.3
RM254,91921.0
RC724,91959.6
Total Residential
Property Rezoned1,202,33098.9
CommercialC-2-B14,2701.2
Total Property Rezoned1,215,748100.0

Rezonings that have occurred within the area have been to the RC, RM and RB zones. This relates directly to the type of development, the construction of townhouses and the renovation of garden apartments that have occurred in the area since 1974.

Only about 14,270 square feet or less than 2 percent of the land area rezoned within the Southwest Quadrant area since 1974 was for commercial purposes. These rezonings consisted of three (3) properties that were rezoned to C-2-B. These properties were being utilized as accessory parking for existing commercial and residential uses.

Height Districts

In consideration of policies to preserve the character of the Old and Historic District and to protect residential areas, City Council enacted various height districts within the Southwest Quadrant area. Recently, in 1987, City Council amended the height regulations along Washington Street which reduced heights from 77 feet to 50 feet.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

o The Southwest Quadrant area is primarily residential with mostly neighborhood oriented commercial retail uses concentrated along main roadways.

o The area is zoned primarily for medium density townhouse and garden apartment development whereas the commercial and industrial zoning allows high density office development.

o Most of the area is controlled by height districts or zoning categories which restrict permitted heights to 45 to 50 feet. Zoning on some sites allows 150 foot buildings.

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Map 5

Land Rezoned Since 1974

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13

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o Most of Southwest Quadrant is developed with few redevelopment opportunities. However, there are selected sites which are zoned for high density commercial use and which could be redeveloped for more intense uses. These potential redevelopment sites are adjacent to low to medium density residential areas.

o Planned mixed use development of the ten acre Norfolk Southern site will have a direct impact on the western most residential area of the Southwest Quadrant.

o The area is impacted by commuter traffic using the major north/south and east/west arterials which traverse the neighborhoods. Some commuter traffic diverts onto local streets to avoid peak hour congestion on the major roadways.

o The City, through its urban renewal program and its rezoning actions, has taken a very active role to remove blighting conditions and to encourage a mix of low, moderate and market rate housing construction and renovation activity in the neighborhoods.

o The City has enacted special height districts which seek to maintain and to protect the low scale character of the existing residential and historic areas.

ISSUES

Residential\Commercial Transitions

Since 1974 the Southwest Quadrant Area has undergone major changes including the removal of blight, the construction and renovation of a mix of townhouses and apartments for households with a wide range of incomes and the construction of low scaled mixed residential and commercial projects. In large measure these changes reflect the City's commitment to improve and strengthen the residential and historic character of the neighborhoods within the area.

What has not changed as greatly since 1974, or for that matter since 1952, is the commercial and industrial zoning affecting Southwest Quadrant residential areas. Although heights and densities within the industrial zones were reduced during the early 1980's the permitted heights and densities are still quite high at 2.5-3.0 FAR and at 77 feet. Similarly, although City Council reduced the permitted heights and densities within the C-3 zone from 150 feet and 6.0 FAR to 77 feet and 3.0 FAR the C-2 zone which prevails along S. Washington Street remains unchanged and still permits high density commercial buildings at a 3.0 FAR.

Commercial densities as permitted in the I-1 and C-2 zones may be appropriate in larger commercial areas. These densities may not be appropriate for sites adjacent to low and medium density residential areas.

One issue is the need to protect residential areas from highly dense commercial developments and to provide use and density transitions between existing residential and commercially or industrially zoned sites.

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Historic Preservation

As indicated earlier, S. Washington Street historically has been characterized by a mix of low scaled, small, commercial retail buildings and 3 to 4 story garden apartments. Within the last 15 years, however, redevelopment along S. Washington Street has resulted in intense reuse of sites for commercial or mixed use development. These redeveloped sites include the Atrium, Washington Square and most recently under construction, Sutton Place with its offices, restaurant and grocery store. Continued intensification of uses along S. Washington Street particularly through commercial redevelopment could transform the character of this street which is part of the Historic District even with the new height restriction. The change from small scaled individual buildings to larger scaled more monolithic structures may not be compatible with historic area preservation policies.

There is a need to moderate permitted commercial densities along S. Washington Street in order to discourage intense commercial redevelopment of underutilized sites.

Through Traffic on Residential Streets

The diversion of through traffic onto residential streets has been an ever present concern among residents in the Southwest Quadrant area. This concern stems from the heavy rush hour traffic and congestion affecting the area. As indicated the residences west of S. Patrick Street have enjoyed relative protection from through traffic due to the lack of road connections to arterial streets through the neighborhood.

This situation could change with the redevelopment of the Norfolk Southern tract located to the northwest of the planning area.

During several neighborhood meetings in the Southwest Quadrant area, the community expressed major concerns about the potential generation of heavy volumes of traffic as a result of the redevelopment of the Norfolk-Southern Railroad property along Duke, South Henry and Wilkes Street. They were particularly concerned with any direct connections of S. Fayette Street or S. Payne Street through their neighborhood.

Specifically, the neighborhood made the following recommendations;

  1. That South Payne, South Fayette and South West Streets not be allowed to extend through the development site between Wilkes Street and Duke Street.

  2. That Wilkes Street not be allowed to make a connection between Holland Lane and South Henry Street (U.S. Route 1) or to South Payne Street south of Wilkes Street.

  3. That Eisenhower Avenue not be connected to U.S. Route 1.

Staff supports these recommendations.

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GOALS AND

RECOMMENDATIONS

Page 24

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The primary goals of the Southwest Quadrant Area Plan are: 1) to preserve existing residential neighborhoods and uses 2) to protect residential neighborhoods from inappropriate commercial uses and densities resulting from redevelopment of adjacent commercial and industrial properties 3) to protect the historic character of S. Washington Street by moderating commercial redevelopment densities 4) to protect residential areas from through traffic resulting from local development.

The Plan objectives are:

o Rezone to residential existing residential uses which are now zoned commercial.

o Provide height, density and use transitions between existing residential uses and commercial and industrial properties.

o Reduce the scale and density of commercial development along S. Washington Street in scale with existing historic commercial uses.

o Prevent additional roadway connections which might induce commuter traffic through residential streets.

o That more attention be given to urban design in consideration of the gateway character of the Southwest Quadrant area.

o Explore the feasibility of constructing a bicycle path connection from Eisenhower Valley to the Mt. Vernon bike trail.

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LAND USE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS

The Southwest Quadrant Plan contains 21 changes to the Adopted 1974 Long Range Land Use Map. The reasons for these changes are threefold; first, to recognize changed land use conditions as a result of new development over the past 14 years; second, to recognize that the Southwest Quadrant has diverse land use patterns which are not adequately described using coarse, overly generalistic categories contained in the 1974 Plan; thirdly, to address the need to develop more specific and descriptive land use designations which are sensitive to historic preservation and density and land use transition issues.

Accordingly, the proposed plan calls for development of commercial and industrial sites to be of limited heights and densities because of the generally low scale of development in the Southwest Quadrant and nearby Old Town and because of the proximity of these sites to medium density residential housing. The Plan also redesignates for residential use those residential uses which were designated for commercial use in the 1974 Plan. This is consistent with the goal of preserving existing residential uses rather than allowing these uses to be converted for commercial use.

Conversely, those commercial uses which were designated as residential in the 1974 Plan were redesignated to the appropriate commercial category. This determination was based on recognition of the existing use, proximity to existing residential and the decision not to unnecessarily create new nonconforming uses.

The Plan also separates out those uses which were not appropriately designated in the 1974 Plan such as designating residential uses within the institutional category or designating parks within the residential category.

Lastly, the Plan recognizes existing and potentially desirable new mixed use project sites. The Commercial Downtown (CD) designation is intended to reflect existing mixed use developments where a site is built out and where redevelopment is unlikely. The Commercial Residential Mixed Use (CRMU) designation is designed for larger underutilized commercial sites which, if redeveloped would be desirable for medium density mixed use development with a residential component or for lower density commercial development if residential uses were not a component of redevelopment.

PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE LAND USE PLAN

The 1974 Adopted Consolidated Master Plan for the Southwest Quadrant Area is shown in Map 6. The proposed changes to the Plan are shown in Map 7 and the new proposed Land Use Plan is shown in Map 8. The proposed changed land use designations are described below.

  1. From Residential Medium to Residential High. This site consists of a residential mid-rise apartment building that is located on the southern half of the block bounded by South Alfred, Wilkes, and South Columbus Streets. This structure was built in the mid-1970's under the DIP Urban Renewal Program and its use is anticipated to continue in the future.

  2. From Commercial to Residential Medium. This location consists of medium density row/town houses that are located at the northeast corner of the 700 block of Wolfe Street at South Columbus Street. The townhouses on South Columbus Street were constructed under the DIP Urban Renewal Program in the mid-1970's. It is recommended that these townhouse structures and the dwellings on Wolfe Street maintain their residential land use for the future.

17

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Map 3

1974 Land Use Plan See also Map 4 in addendum for extended boundary.

RM - Residential Medium

  • Commercial INS - Institutional

⬚ figure

18

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Map 7

Proposed Land Use Changes (1992) See also Map 5 in addendum for extended boundary.

1 - From RM to RH 2 - From C to RM 3 - From C to CL 4 - From C to CL 5 - From C to RM 6 - From C to CL 7 - From RM to CD 8 - From RM to CL 9 - From RM to CD 10 - From RM to CL 11 - From RM to CL 12 - From RM to CRMU-L 13 - From RM to CL 14 - From RM to CSL 15 - From RM to CL 16 - From INST to CL 17 - From INST to RM 18 - From INST to RM 19 - From RM to P 20 - From INST to P 21 - From INST to U/T 22 - From No Designation to U/T 23 - From No Designation to WL 24 - From RM to RM/H 25 - From INST to CSL

26 - From RM to RH And See Addendum Ordinance 3879 6/25/96

This map is for historice reference only. For currently approved land use, please refer to Map 8.

⬚ figure

19

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Map 8

Southwest Quadrant Land Use, as amended

(See also Map 6 in addendum for extended boundary)

RM - Residential Medium

RM/H - Residential Medium/High

RH - Residential High

CRMU-L - Commercial Residential Mixed Use Low

CL - Commercial Low

CD - Commercial Downtown

CSL - Commercial Service Low

P - Park, Recreation and Open Space

INST - Institutional

U/T - Utility and Transportation

WL - Wetlands

POS - Public Open Space

⬚ figure

Please refer to Map 6 in addendum for this amendment (Ord. 3879).

Amended 6/25/96, Ord. 3879 Amended 10/15/05, Ord. 4426 Amended 6/12/10, Ord. 4674 Amended 10/13/18, Ord. 5165

Ord. 5165 Incorporate the South Patrick Street Housing Affordability Strategy (refer to Strategy for exact boundaries)

Ord. 4426 Incorporate Hunting Creek Area Plan (Please refer to Hungting Creek Area Plan for exact boundaries.)

Ord. 4674

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  1. From Commercial to Commercial Low. This area includes the commercial structures that are located along the west side of South Washington Street and along the north side of Wilkes Street. This area includes the Peoples Drug Store and Williams Sandwich Shop. The designation of commercial low would encourage the continuing land use of this area for low density retail shops, and would provide transition between the residential area on the west and the commercial area on the east.

  2. From Commercial to Commercial Low. This is the location of the Exxon Service Station, a real estate office, the former location of the Olde Club Restaurant and several row houses that have been converted into office space. This area is located along the west side of the 600 block of South Washington and the 700 block of Gibbon Street. Commercial low is recommended for this area in order to maintain the scale of low density commercial development and to provide a transition between the residential area on the west and the commercial uses on the east.

  3. From Commercial to Residential Medium. This location consists of residential townhouses at the northwest corner of Wilkes and South Columbus Streets. These townhouses were constructed under the DIP Urban Renewal Program in the mid-1980's. Residential medium land use for this area reflects a continuing desire to maintain medium density residential uses on these properties.

  4. From Residential Medium to Commercial Low. This location consists of retail shops at the southwest corner of South Washington and Gibbon streets. The Commercial Low land uses at this location would promote maintaining the low scale retail shops that provide a transition between the residential uses on the west and the commercial areas on the east.

  5. From Residential Medium to Commercial Downtown. This location consists of the Washington Square development which is located at the southern half of the block bounded by South Washington, Franklin and South Columbus Streets. It is recommended that this part of the block be designated Commercial Downtown in order to acknowledge its existing scale and mix of medium density residential and commercial office and retail uses.

  6. From Residential Medium to Commercial Low. This area is located at the southeast corner of Gibbon and South Alfred Streets and consists of two recently renovated structures that have commercial office use. Commercial Low is recommended for this location in order to maintain the existing scale of commercial development and to encourage the type of commercial uses that would be compatible with adjacent medium density residential uses.

  7. From Residential Medium to Commercial Downtown. This site is located at the northwest corner of South Columbus Street at Franklin Street and consists of the commercial office portion of the Arch Hall townhouse mixed use development. In order to preserve the scale and current mix of commercial development within Arch Hall, Commercial Downtown is recommended for only the commercial portion of Arch Hall.

  8. From Residential Medium to Commercial Low. This site consists of an Amoco Service Station which is located at the southwest corner of South Washington and Franklin Streets. Commercial Low is recommended for this site in order to maintain the existing scale of commercial development.

  9. From Residential Medium to Commercial Low. This area consists of properties that contain a 7/Eleven retail store, a mortuary and several row house structures that are the location of commercial shops. These properties are located at the northern third of the block bounded by South Alfred, Franklin and South Columbus Streets. Commercial Low is recommended for this location in order to maintain the present scale of development and to provide a transition between the residential area at the south and the commercial areas on the west.

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  1. From Residential Medium to Commercial Residential Mixed Use Low. This block is bounded by South Washington, Green, South Columbus and Jefferson Streets. Development within this block consists of low scale retail shops that front South Washington Street and off-street parking which is located at the rear of the property on South Columbus Street. Retail uses within this development include a First American Bank, a grocery store, a bicycle shop, a ski shop, two restaurants, a cleaner and a furniture store. These retail uses draw much of their support from the local residential neighborhood. It is the City's desire that retail uses along Washington Street be preserved. However, it is recognized that this comprises almost an entire City block and may be subject to redevelopment pressure. Should redevelopment occur, the intent of the CRMU-L designation is to encourage commercial uses along South Washington Street and residential uses oriented along South Columbus Street to provide a transition to existing adjacent residential development.

  2. From Residential Medium to Commercial Low. This area is bounded by Church and South Washington Streets and the right-of-way for the Capital Beltway. Existing land use consists of a Mobil service station and a low scale office building. Commercial Low is recommended for this location in order to provide a buffer, or transition, between the residential area north of Church street and the expressway on the south.

  3. From Residential Medium to Commercial Service Low. These properties are located in the eastern half block bounded by Gibbon, U.S. Route 1 (Patrick Street), Franklin and South Henry Streets. These properties currently contain low density service businesses such as a neighborhood grocery store, a paint supplier, an auto accessories retail store and a fountain soda distributor. It is recognized that this half block may be subject to pressure to redevelop. If redevelopment should occur, Commercial Service Low is recommended for this half block in order to encourage future land uses that would be compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhood. This type of development would also provide a buffer between the residential neighborhood on the west and the heavy volume of traffic that travels U.S. Route 1 on the east. The proposed designation would not preclude residential development.

  4. From Residential Medium to Commercial Low. This site is located at the northeast corner of U.S. Route 1 and Franklin Street. The current use of this site consists of a Merit service station which replaced another service station that occupied this site. Commercial Low is recommended for this site in order to maintain the scale of the existing types of land uses and to provide a transition between the residential area on the east and U.S. Route 1 on the west.

  5. From Institutional to Commercial Low. This site is located at the southeast corner of Franklin Street and U.S. Route 1 and consists of a Chevron service station which has undergone some minor renovation. Commercial Low is recommended for this site in order to maintain the scale of existing types of land uses and to provide a buffer, or a transition between the adjacent residential at the east and south and U.S. Route 1 on the west.

  6. From Institutional to Residential Medium. These properties are located on the south side of the 900 block of Franklin Street. This recommendation recognizes the existing and the projected residential use of these properties.

  7. From Institutional to Residential Medium. These properties are located at the northeast corner of Jefferson and South Patrick Streets and consist of rowhouses that have recently undergone renovations. This recommendation reflects the existing and the projected residential use of these properties.

  8. From Residential Medium to Parks, Recreational or Open Space. This area is located on the south side of the 1000 block of Franklin at the northern end of the playing field at Lee Center. This change reflects how the property is currently being used.

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  1. From Institutional to Parks, Recreational or Open Space. This area is bounded by South Fayette, Jefferson, Franklin and South Patrick Streets, and the off-ramp of the U.S. Route 1/Capital Beltway interchange. This recommendation reflects a change in the use of the property from a school to the use of the property as a recreational facility.

  2. From Institutional to Utility/Transportation. This site is the location of the electric power substation which is bounded by South Payne, Jefferson and South Fayette Streets. Utility is the appropriate category.

  3. No Designation to Utility/Transportation: This area consists of the right-of-way for the Capital Beltway (U.S. Route 95) and the U.S. Route 1 (Patrick Street) interchange. This area was not given a land use designation on the 1974 Long Range Land Use Map. The recommendation to designate this area Utility/Transportation is consistent with the way in which the area is being used.

  4. No Designation to Wet Lands: This area consists of the marsh area bounded by the U.S. Route 1 off ramp to the Capital Beltway, the 1100-1200 blocks of South Alfred Street and City boundary along Hunting Creek (Cameron Run). This area was not given a land use designation on the 1974 Long Range Land Use Map. This portion of the Hunting Creek area is within the 100 year flood plain, therefore no structures are located within. Because this area is a natural swamp, marsh or wet land, it should be preserved for wildlife. It is recommended that any area within this Hunting Creek marsh area that is below the elevation of 3 feet above sea level be designated as wet lands. This area would be preserved in its natural condition for wildlife and no development would be allowed to occur.

  5. From Residential Medium to Residential Medium/High. These existing medium density residential areas were designated RM/H to provide for the existing densities while allowing increased densities, up to 50 units/acre, with an S.U.P.

  6. From Institutional to Commercial Service Low. This is the City's animal shelter. The CSL designation in consistent with the way the property is being used.

For currently approved land use, please refer to Map 8 on page 20 and Map 6 in the addendum.

PROPOSED ZONING RECOMMENDATIONS

The following zoning changes are recommended to implement the Proposed Land Use Plan. In most cases these recommendations involve the development of new zoning categories to reflect the types and scales of uses desired for a given land use designation in the recommended Master Plan. These recommendations should serve as a guide to the development and implementation of new zones. Map 9 shows current zoning. Map 10 reflects the proposed changes to the zoning map and Map 11 shows the proposed new zoning map.

  1. Rezone from I-1 to Residential (RB). This site at the southeast corner of Wilkes and South Fayette Streets contains a headstone company. This type of business, which is associated with the nearby cemeteries located along South Payne and Wilkes Streets, is considered an "endangered craft." When the adjacent neighborhood was being redeveloped through the DIP Urban Renewal Program, careful consideration was given to not displace this trade and business. Because this property is currently zoned I-1, the zone and the property's use are at variance with the adopted Master Plan and the proposed small area plan, both of which recommend "Residential Medium". In order to prevent the displacement of this business, it is recommended that a special provision allow this property to continue to be utilized as a headstone engraving business under the "Residential Multi-Family" zone. This special provision would require that the future use of the property conform to requirements under the "Residential Multi-Family" zone in the event that the headstone engraving business should cease to exist.
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This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps webpage, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 9 - Existing Zoning

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This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps webpage, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 10 - Proposed Zoning Changes

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This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps webpage, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 11 - Proposed Zoning

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  1. Rezone from C-2 to Residential (RB). This property is located on the southeast corner of Wolfe and South Alfred Streets. The current use of the property consists of a residential townhouse which was built under the DIP Urban Renewal Program in the late 1970's. This change reflects the desire to continue the use of this property for medium density residential similar to adjacent properties.

  2. Rezone from C-2 to Residential (RB). This property is located on the southwest corner of Wolfe and South Columbus Streets. The current use of the property consists of a commercial structure that was renovated and converted into several residential townhouses. This change along with Number 2 above would make the whole block face RB.

  3. Rezone from RB to Residential (RC). This property is located in the southern half of the block bounded by South Alfred, Wilkes and South Columbus Streets. The current use of the property consists of a residential mid-rise apartment structure that was built through the implementation of the DIP Urban Renewal Program in the mid-1970's. Similar to almost all of the residential development that was constructed under the DIP Urban Renewal Program, this structure was built under the RB zone. While the overall number of dwelling units per acre for the entire DIP program is under 27 units per acre, this site was permitted to be developed at more than 92 units per acre.

  4. Rezone from C-2 to Residential (RB). These properties consist of residential townhouses that are located on the south side of the 700 block of Wolfe Street and the east side of the 400 block of South Columbus Street. The townhouses on South Columbus Street were constructed in the mid-1970's under the DIP Urban Renewal Program and the residential unit on Wolfe Street has been identified as being 100 years old. This change reflects the continuous use of these properties for medium density residential use.

  5. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). This area consists of the commercial shops that are located along the west side of South Washington Street and along the north side of Wilkes Street. These commercial shops include a Peoples Drug Store, Williams Sandwich Shop and several other businesses. This change would encourage the continued use of these properties for low density retail shops and would provide a transition between the residential area on the west and the commercial area on the east.

  6. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). This area consists of the commercial properties located along the entire west side of South Washington Street and along the entire north side of Gibbon Street. The current commercial uses within this area consist of an Exxon Service Station, a real estate office, the former location of the Olde Club Restaurant and several row houses that have been converted into office spaces. This change is recommended in order to maintain the scale of low density commercial development and to provide a transition between the residential area on the west and the commercial uses on the east.

  7. Rezone from C-2-B to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). This property consists of a small interior lot in the block bounded by Wilkes, South Washington, Gibbon and South Columbus streets. This lot had been used as off street parking for the Old Club restaurant prior to its closing. This change is recommended in order to insure that the future use of this property is consistent with the future use of the adjacent property which contains the restaurant.

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  1. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). These properties are located on the southeast corner of Gibbon and South Alfred Streets and contain two structures that have been recently renovated for commercial office use. Commercial Low is recommended for this location in order to maintain the existing scale of commercial development and to encourage the type of uses that would be compatible with the adjacent medium density residential uses.

10 & 11. Rezone from C-2 to Residential (RM) and new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Downtown designation (CD). This site, Arch Hall, is located in the block bounded by South Columbus, Franklin, South Alfred and Gibbon Streets. Arch Hall is a mixed use development that consists of townhouse residential and commercial office units. The residential portion of this mixed use is located along South Columbus Street and with internal portion of the block. The commercial offices of this development are located along the north side of the 800 block of Franklin Street. In order to protect the scale and current mix of residential and commercial development within Arch Hall, a medium density residential zone is recommended for the residential portion of the development and Commercial Downtown is recommended for the commercial office portion.

  1. Rezone from C-2 to Residential (RB). These properties, consisting of six renovated residential townhouses, are located on the southeast corner of Gibbon and South Columbus Streets. This change is recommended in order to maintain the existing scale and density of properties for medium density residential use.

  2. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). These properties consist of commercial retail shops that are located on the southwest corner of South Washington and Gibbon Streets. Commercial Low is recommended for these properties in order to maintain the scale and density of the existing structures that are located on the properties and to maintain the low scale of South Washington Street. Uses permitted under the zone would provide a transition between the residential uses on the west and the commercial uses on the east.

  3. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Downtown designation (CD). This location consists of the Washington Square mixed use development. It is recommended that this location be rezoned "Commercial Downtown" in order to acknowledge its dense level of development but using the commercial designation used in the downtown area.

  4. Rezone from C-2 to Residential (RM). This property is located at the southwest corner of Franklin and South Alfred Streets and contains a residential rowhouse. This property is and should remain residential.

  5. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). These properties are located on the south side of Franklin Street between South Alfred and Columbus Streets. These properties contain a 7/Eleven, a mortuary and several commercial rowhouse buildings. Commercial Low is recommended for these properties in order to maintain the present scale of development and provide transition between the residential areas at the south and the commercial areas on the west and east.

  6. Rezone from C-2 to Residential (RM). These properties consisting of four residential townhouses and a lot that is used to provide off street parking for the Mount Vernon Garden Apartments, are located in the 700 blocks of Franklin and South Washington Streets. These properties are and should remain residential.

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  1. Rezone from RC to Residential (RM). This property is located in the 700 block of South Washington Street and contains the Mount Vernon Garden Apartments. This change is recommended in order to insure that this property be maintained for residential use at its present scale and density.

  2. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). This is the Amoco service station on South Washington Street. Commercial Low is recommended for this property in order to maintain the existing scale of commercial development. It would also provide a transition between the adjacent residential townhouses on the west and garden apartment units on the south.

  3. Rezone from RC to a zone consistent with the Master Plan RCX designation. These properties are located on the south side of the 900 block of Jefferson Street and contain recently renovated rowhouses. This change is recommended in order to reflect the continuous use of these properties for medium density residential use. The RCX should also allow higher densities of residential with an S.U.P.

  4. Rezone from RC to a zone consistent with the Master Plan RCX designation. These properties are located on the east side of the 800 block of South Alfred Street and contain garden type residential housing units. This change is recommended in order to maintain the existing scale and density of these properties for medium density residential use. The RCX should also allow higher densities of residential with an S.U.P.

  5. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Residential Mixed Use Low designation (CRMU)-L. This block, bounded by South Washington, Green, South Columbus and Jefferson Streets, includes a variety of shops. Commercial Residential Mixed Use is recommended for this block so that if the block is proposed for redevelopment, the development would be mixed use with commercial use along South Washington Street and the residential use along South Columbus Street.

  6. Rezone from RC to a zone consistent with the Master Plan RCX designation. These properties are located on the northeast and the southeast corners of Green and South Patrick Streets. These properties contain garden type residential housing units. This change is recommended in order to maintain the existing scale and density of these properties for medium density residential use. The RCX should also allow higher densities with an S.U.P.

  7. Rezone from RC to a zone consistent with the Master Plan RCX designation. These properties are located on the north side of the 900 block of Church Street and contain garden type residential apartments. This change is recommended in order to maintain the existing scale and density of these properties for medium density residential use. The RCX should also allow higher densities of residential with an S.U.P.

  8. Rezone from RC to a zone consistent with the Master Plan RCX designation. This property consists of the entire city block bounded by Green, South Washington, Church and South Columbus Streets. This property contains the Gunston Hall Garden Apartments which were built in the early 1940's. This change is recommended in order to maintain the existing scale and density of this property for medium density residential use. The RCX should also allow higher density residential development with an S.U.P.

  9. Rezone from C-2-B to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). This property consists of a vacated unimproved section of South Columbus Street. Commercial Low is recommended for this property in order to insure that the future use of this property is in scale with adjacent property.

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  1. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). These properties, bounded by Church and South Washington Streets and the right-of-way for the Capital Beltway, contain a Mobil service station and a low scale office building. Commercial Low is recommended for this location in order to provide a buffer or transition between the residential area north of Church Street and the expressway on the south.

  2. Rezone from I-1 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Service Low designation (CSL). These properties are located in the eastern half block bounded by Gibbon, U.S. Route 1 (Patrick Street), Franklin and Henry Streets. These properties currently contain low density service businesses such as a neighborhood grocery store, a paint supplier, an auto accessories retail store and a fountain soda distributor. It is recognized that this half block might be subject to pressures to redevelop. If redevelopment should occur, Commercial Service Low is recommended for this half block in order to encourage future land uses that would be compatible with the adjacent residential neighborhood.

  3. Rezone from I-1 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). This property is located at the northeast corner of U.S. Route 1 and Franklin street and contains a Merit service station. Commercial Low is recommended for this site in order to maintain the existing scale and to provide a transition or buffer between the residential area on the east and U.S. Route 1 on the west.

  4. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Low designation (CL). This property, located at the southeast corner of U.S. Route 1 and Franklin street, consists of a Chevron service station. Commercial Service Low is recommended for this site in order to maintain the existing scale and to provide a transition, or buffer, between the residential area on the east and U.S. Route 1 on the west.

  5. Rezone from C-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Park, Recreation and Open Space designation (P). This consists of part of the play field of the Lee Center at the southwestern corner of Franklin Street and U.S. Route 1. Parks, Recreation and Open Space is consistent with the way in which this property is and will be used.

  6. Rezone from RB to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Park, Recreation and Open Space designation (P). This consists of the Lee Center and adjacent recreation facilities. Parks, Recreational and Open Space is consistent with the way in which this property is being used.

  7. Rezone from I-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Utility/Transportation designation (U/T). This property consists of the electric power substation located on the block bounded by South Payne, Jefferson and South Alfred Streets. Rezoning this property to Utility/Transportation would be consistent with the way this property is being used.

  8. Rezone from I-2 to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Commercial Service Low designation (CSL). This City owned property consists of the City's animal shelter that is located on the east side of the 900 block of South Payne Street. This zoning change would provide a zone classification that is consistent with the way this property is being used.

35-40. Rezone from I-2 RB, C-2 RC and C-2-B to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan Utility/Transportation designation (U/T). These properties consist of the right-of-way of the U.S. Route 1 and Capital Beltway interchange. The recommendation to change the zoning of these properties to Utility/Transportation provides a zone that is consistent with the way in which these properties are being used.

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  1. Rezone from RM to a new zone consistent with the Master Plan RCX designation. This area is bounded by Jefferson, S. Columbus, to Green Street, S. Alfred Church and S. Patrick Streets. The RCX zone should allow for medium density residential at heights up to 50', with increased densities allowed with an S.U.P.

For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps page, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

PROPOSED HEIGHT LIMITS

The height plan is intended to reduce all heights within the Southwest Quadrant to a scale which is compatible with the residential areas and with the Historic District. Those sites which are outside Height District restrictions and which have 77 foot to 150 foot height allowances have been reduced to either 50 foot or 45 foot in height. Overall. The myriad of height allowances has been reduced and simplified. Most of the area will be restricted to either 45 or 50 foot buildings. Maps 12 shows height districts in the study area and Map 13 shows heights allowed by right, under existing zoning and height districts. Map 14 shows proposed changes to height limits and Map 15 is the proposed new height map for the Southwest Quadrant Area.

It is recommended that the proposed height map be adopted.

TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The transportation recommendations are intended to update the 1974 Major Thoroughfare Plan (Map 15) by redesignating streets within the Southwest Quadrant Planning area according to their function and role in moving traffic through the area and to respond to the issue of potential commuter traffic on residential streets.

The proposed Major Thoroughfare Plan (Map 16) for the Southwest Quadrant area makes only one change from the 1974 Plan; acknowledging the role of Gibbon Street between Route I and Washington Street to be the same as Franklin Street. The recommendation is to:

  1. redesignate Gibbon Street between Route I and Washington Street from a local street to an arterial.

In addition, the Plan recommends that in consideration of the proposed redevelopment of the Norfolk Southern property and residents concerns about through traffic impacting their neighborhood:

  1. that the 300 block of S. Payne Street not connect through to the 500 block of S. Payne Street.

  2. that the 200 block of S. Fayette Street not connect through to the 500 block of S. Fayette Street.

  3. that Eisenhower Avenue not connect to S. Henry Street.

  4. City Council recommended that any connection of Wolfe Street to Holland Lane serve only as an outlet and not as a connector to S. Henry Street nor to Wilkes Street nor through to the 500 blocks of S. Payne and Alfred Streets.

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Map 12

Height By District (1992)

50’ - Washington Street 50’ - Old and Historic 62’ - Urban Renewal Area 50’/77’ - Hunting Creek

⬚ figure

NOTE: HEIGHTS MAY VARY DEPENDING ON ZONE REQUIREMENTS.

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Map 13

Existing Height Limits By Right (1992)

See also Map 10 in addendum for extended boundary.

⬚ figure

Note: By-Right height limits are determined by the more restrictive height allowed under a specific zone or height district.

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Map 14

Proposed Height Changes (1992)

See also Map 11 in addendum for extended boundary.

1 From 77' to 45' 2 From 62' to 45' 3 From 62' to 45' 4 From 45' to 62' 5 From 62' to 45' 6 From 50' to 45' 7 From 62' to 45' 8 From 150' to 45' 9 From 150' to 50' 10 From 50' to 45' 12 From 50' to 45' 13 From 77' to 50' 14 From 77' to 45' 15 From 150' to 45' 16 From 150' to 50' 19 From 150' to 50' 20 From 77' to 50' 21 From 77' to 50' 23 From 45' to 50'

This map is for historic reference only. For current height limits, please refer to Map 15.

⬚ figure

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Map 15 Southwest Quadrant Height Limits

See also Map 12 in addendum for extended boundary.

⬚ figure

NORTH

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1974 Major Thoroughfare Plan

  • Expressways
  • Arterials
  • Primary Collectors
  • Residential Collectors
  • Pedestrian Overpass

⬚ figure

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Map 17

Proposed Major (1992)

Thoroughfare

Plan

Expressways Arterials Primary Collectors Residential Collectors

⬚ figure

NORTH

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SOUTHWEST QUADRANT – ADDENDUM

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and Issues

Description of the AreaA1
Demographic BackgroundA1
Existing Land UseA1
ZoningA5
Height LimitsA5
Potential Redevelopment OpportunitiesA5
TransportationA7
IssuesA8

Plan Recommendations

Goals and ObjectivesA10
Land Use RecommendationsA11
Zoning RecommendationsA15
Height RecommendationsA19
Transportation RecommendationsA19
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LIST OF MAPS

  1. Boundary Area | A2
  2. Existing Land Use | A3
  3. Potential Redevelopment Areas | A6
  4. 1974 Master Plan | A12
  5. Proposed Land Use Changes | A13
  6. Southwest Quadrant Land Use, as amended<br>(Amended 6/25/96, Ord. 3879; Amended 10/15/05, Ord. 4426; Amended 6/12/10, Ord. 4674) | A14
  7. Existing Zoning | A16
  8. Proposed Zoning Changes | A17
  9. Proposed Zoning | A18
  10. Existing Height Limits | A20
  11. Proposed Height Changes | A21
  12. Southwest Quadrant Height Limits, as amended<br>(Amended 6/25/96, Ord. 3879) | A22

LIST OF TABLES

  1. Existing Land Use | A4
  2. Existing Zoning | A5
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DESCRIPTION OF AREA

At its March 21, 1989 Public Hearing, Planning Commission recommended that the boundary for the original Southwest Quadrant Study Area be extended to include a larger area. The western boundary was extended from South Payne Street to Hooff's Run and the northern boundary was extended from Wilkes Street to Duke Street between S. Henry and S. West Streets and the alignment of Wolfe Street between S. West Street and Hooff's Run. The southern boundary continues to follow Cameron Run (Hunting Creek) between Hooff's Run and U.S. Route 1 (See map 1).

This expanded area of Southwest Quadrant is characterized as an area that consists almost exclusively of industrial, municipal and institutional uses. This area includes the sanitary treatment plant and a number of public and private cemeteries. These cemeteries include the Alexandria National Cemetery which contains graves of the Civil War dead. There are also a number of private cemeteries adjacent to the Alexandria National cemetery that were founded in the late 1700's.

Prior to the mid 1950's the northern portion of Southwest Quadrant near King and Duke Streets was utilized as a railroad repair facility. This facility was the location of several railroad roundhouses of which none remain. Today this railroad property is used as a testing facility and as an office/laboratory. Because of the declining use of rail facilities in this area much of the railroad property in Southwest Quadrant is either vacant or underutilized.

This area is isolated from adjacent neighborhoods. Natural barriers such as Hooff's Run on the west and man-made barriers such as the Capital Beltway on the south make this area inaccessible. These physical factors plus the presence of cemeteries, the sanitation facility and railroad operations also have the effect of protecting the Southwest Quadrant neighborhood from through traffic and from development pressures.

DEMOGRAPHIC BACKGROUND

Although the study area is encompassed by residential neighborhoods to the north, south and east there are no residential uses within this portion of the Southwest Quadrant at this time.

It is estimated that there are 343 persons that work in this part of Southwest Quadrant. The two largest employers are the Sanitation Treatment Plant with 160 employees and Data Mail with 123 employees. Fannon Heat and Fuel employs 40 persons at its location at Duke and Payne Streets.

EXISTING LAND USE

This part of Southwest Quadrant Area consists of approximately 123.1 acres. Excluding public right-of-ways such as streets and alleys, the area contains about 82.2 acres of land area that are subject to land use and zoning controls. Streets, alleys and the right-of-way for the Capital Beltway consist of 40.9 acres (Table 1).

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Map 1 Boundary Area

South West Quadrant

A2

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Map 2 Existing Land Use *3;;4+

INST - Institutional C - Commercial I - Industrial U/T - Utility / Transportation V - Vacant

South West Quadrant

A3

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TABLE 1

Existing Land Use Southwest Quadrant Area (Amended Area)

Land UseSquare FeetAcresPercent
Commercial14,9859.30.4
Industrial281,8556.57.9
Institutional1,113,22025.631.1
Utility2,009,53946.156.1
Vacant161,7103.74.5
TOTAL3,581,30982.2100.0

Commercial Land Use

Commercial uses cover about 0.4 percent (0.3 acres) of the land in this area. These uses consist of a used car dealership at Duke and S. West Streets and an auto rental dealership at Duke and S. Payne Streets. Both of these businesses relocated to this location after being displaced from other neighborhoods. It is anticipated that once redevelopment occurs within this portion of Southwest Quadrant these businesses will again be displaced.

Industrial Land Use

Industrial uses cover about 7.9 percent (6.5 acres) of land area. These uses consist of the Fannon Heating and Fuel business, Data Mail operation and the Virginia Clay Products.

Institutional Land Use

Institutional uses are the second largest land use category within this area. These uses consist of the Alexandria National Cemetery and several other cemeteries that contain a total of 31.1 percent (25.6 acres) of land area.

Utility Land Use

The Utility/Transportation land uses are the largest land use category in this part of the Southwest Quadrant Area. These uses cover about 56.1 percent (46.1 acres) of the land area and consist of the Sanitary Treatment Plant facility and the Norfolk Southern Corporation testing facility.

Vacant Land

This part of the Southwest Quadrant Area contains about 3.7 acres (4.5 percent of the land area) of vacant land. This vacant land located at the southwest corner of Duke at S. Henry Street is owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation. This site was once the location of a railroad turntable which was destroyed by fire during the early 1970's. Since that time the railroad track has been removed and the site has been vacant.

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EXISTING ZONING (Map 9)

This portion of the Southwest Quadrant Area is zoned exclusively for industrial use. Approximately 99.4 percent (81.7 acres) if this area is zoned I-2 (heavy industry) and 0.6 percent (0.5 acres) is zoned I-1 (light industry) (table 2).

The I-1 zone allows industrial or commercial development with a FAR of up to 2.5. Uses permitted under this zone would include professional offices, auto sales and rental, retail businesses and other light industrial uses. There are only several properties in Southwest Quadrant that are zoned for these types of uses. These properties are located on Duke Street between S. West and S. Payne Streets and are the location of a used auto dealership and an auto rental business.

The I-2 zone allows heavy industrial uses with an FAR of up to 3.0. Uses permitted under this zone include railroad yards, trucking terminals, including facilities and steel fabrication businesses. Because this portion of Southwest Quadrant is the location of the treatment plant, railroad yards and building material sales yard, the I-2 zone is the predominant zone for the area.

TABLE 2

Existing Zoning Southwest Quadrant Area (Amended Area)

Land ZonedSquare FeetAcresPercent
Industrial:I-121,1850.50.6
I-23,560,12481.799.4
Total3,581,30982.2100.0

HEIGHT LIMITS

Height limits within this part of the Southwest Quadrant would normally be determined by one of two sets of regulations; height districts and specific zoning categories (map 11). The height would be determined by whichever set of regulations is the more restrictive. The height limit for this area is normally 150 feet but because all of the properties within the area are zoned I-1 or I-2, the height by right is limited to 77 feet. Under special conditions, development under a PUD would be allowed to increase the height limit to 200 feet with an average of 150 feet for developments occurring on properties of 5 or more acres.

POTENTIAL REDEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

There are approximately 17 acres of industrial property within the study area which are ripe for redevelopment over the next five years (Map 3). These sites are located between Duke Street, Wilkes Street and S. Henry Street and extend eastward toward the King Street Metro Station development area.

Most of this area is owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation and used for railroad related industrial uses such as the Clay Products yard and the railroad car testing facility. Those properties not owned by the railroad are being used for auto related commercial uses and for a fuel company with fuel storage tanks.

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Map 3 Potential Redevelopment Areas (1992)

1 - Southern Property (Soutern Plaza) 2 - Southern Property 3 - Roger Lawson Property / Data Mail 4 - Fannon Property (Heating and Fuel Distributing)

South West Quadrant

A6

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In comparison to the surrounding developed area and in consideration of proximity to transit stations, Route I, Old Town and to the Central Business District, these properties are underutilized and are subject to redevelopment pressures. Each of these properties is shown on Map 3 and described below.

  1. This vacant 3.27 property owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation and located at the southeastern corner of Duke and South Henry Streets is being proposed for a 105,000 square foot, 124 suite, hotel; a 100,000 square foot, four story office building; a 10,000 square foot, 300 seat restaurant; and a 60,000 square foot health and athletic center.

    This Plan, under review by the City, is the second such proposal to be submitted by the Gates Hudson/Norfolk-Southern Limited Partnership. The previous plan included a 10 acre site and consisted of 590 residential rental units, 225,000 square feet of commercial retail space, 650,000 square feet of commercial office space, a 150 room hotel, and a community center supported by a 3,500 space underground parking garage. Building heights ranged from four to thirteen stories. Because of strong neighborhood opposition to the density and proposed building heights the Plan was deferred indefinitely.

  2. This site, at the northwest corner of South Henry and Wilkes Street consists of 8.4 acres and is owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation. The property is used as an office and a testing facility for the railroad. As with the property mentioned above, this property was previously proposed as a part of a 10 acre mixed use development plan. However, this site is not part of the new proposal. It is likely that this site will remain in its current use for the foreseeable future.

  3. These properties located on Wilkes Street between S. Payne and S. West Street contain about one acre and are the location of the Data Mail Company. It is anticipated that the Data Mail site will eventually be redeveloped as development occurs on the adjacent railroad properties.

  4. Located on Duke Street between S. West and S. Fayette Street, these properties include 2.3 acres and contain the Fannon Heating and Fuel Business, a used auto dealership and an auto rental business. With the improvement to Duke Street and the likelihood of development on the Southern Property fronting Duke Street to the east, it is anticipated that these commercial businesses will relocate and the properties redeveloped.

TRANSPORTATION

Vehicular access to the developable portion of the Southwest Quadrant is limited to Duke Street to the north, to Wilkes street to the south and to S. Henry Street to the east. S. Payne Street serves to connect the area to Duke Street and to Wilkes Street; however, S. Payne Street is bisected by the railroad tracks and does not connect Duke Street to Wilkes Street.

In effect, the railroad tracks have cause a break in the traditional street grid pattern which characterizes the downtown area. The north/south streets, S. Payne and S. West, are not linked. Wolfe Street, which would be the logical east/west street through the area, terminates further east at S. Henry Street. There is no connection of this area to the west other than from Duke Street.

Duke Street, from Elizabeth Street near the Duke Street bridge to S. Henry Street is being improved on the south side to a five lane roadway with medians for turning movements. This improvement is needed in order to better facilitate the movement of east-west traffic.

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However, much of the additional capacity afforded to Duke Street because of the improvement will be absorbed by traffic generated by developments near the King Street Metro Station and to some extent in the Cameron Run Valley. An east/west connection to the Southern Railroad property and to other abutting developable properties may be needed to provide improved access to these sites and to relieve Duke Street from additional traffic burdens. This relief may be particularly important given the proximity of the development area to the heavily congested Duke Street and S. Henry Street intersection.

An east/west feeder street connecting to Holland Lane and running along the Wolfe Street alignment should only serve the industrial and commercial areas subject to redevelopment. There should not be a connection to S. Henry Street which might attract traffic through the neighborhood. For similar reasons S. Payne, S Fayette and S. West streets should not be connected through to the Southwest neighborhood.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS

  1. This area contains a number of industrial and railroad properties that are vacant or are underutilized and are subject to redevelopment pressures.

  2. Over 99.4 percent of this area is zoned I-2 which would allow heavy industrial uses.

  3. Over 87.2 percent of this area is utilized for institutional and utility purposes, uses which are unlikely to change.

ISSUES

Residential/Commercial Transitions

The types of high densities that are permitted under the I-1 and I-2 zones may be appropriate in large commercial areas but they are not appropriate for sites that are adjacent to low and medium density residential areas.

One issue is the need to protect the adjacent residential areas from high density commercial developments and to provide use and density transitions between existing residential areas and commercial or industrially zoned properties.

Coordinated Development

The Norfolk Southern Corporation properties centered near Duke and S. Henry Streets has been a fixture for many decades. However, much has changed around this site: the completion of the DIP Renewal Area, the development of the remaining DIP commercial projects, the westward expansion of Old Town, the redevelopment of the King Street Metro Station area and new residential construction in the Southwest Quadrant area.

The assemblage of a large underutilized property in the midst of a well located built up area provides a unique opportunity for coordinated mixed use development. The original Southern Plaza proposal for a mix of residential, office, retail, hotel and community uses was one example of how an integrated development could be applied to the Southern Railroad properties.

Unfortunately, the proposal was too dense and included building heights which were out of scale with the surrounding residential areas. Nevertheless, this is not to say that the concept of coordinated mixed use development, appropriately scaled down to harmonize with the surrounding area, could not work. The Master Plan Task Force recommended that this site be developed as a Coordinated Development District.

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The new proposal for a portion of the Southern Properties reflects a far more modest effort which involves three acres at the corner of Duke and Henry Streets. The project has bee scaled down considerably with heights not exceeding 50 feet.

At issue is whether the City believes that it is best to still pursue the concept of a coordinated development for the Southern Properties and the abutting commercial properties in this area or whether piecemeal mixed use development is acceptable for this area.

Through Traffic

The diversion of through traffic into the Southwest Quadrant Area is a continuing concern among residents of the area who experience daily the impacts of rush hour traffic through their neighborhood. The residents west of S. Patrick Street have been relatively protected from through traffic due to the lack of road connections to arterial streets through their area. This situation could change with the redevelopment of the Norfolk Southern Corporation properties located at Duke and S. Henry Streets.

During several neighborhood meetings in Southwest Quadrant area, the community expressed major concerns about the potential generation of heavy volumes of traffic as a result of the redevelopment of the Norfolk Southern Corporation property along Duke, S. Henry and Wilkes Streets. They were particularly concerned with any direction of S. Fayette Street or S. Payne Street through to their neighborhood.

Specifically the neighborhood made the following recommendations:

  1. That S. Payne, S. Fayette and S. West Streets not be allowed to extend through the development site between Wilkes Street and Duke Street.

  2. That Wilkes Street not be allowed to make a connection between Holland Lane and S. Henry Street (U.S. Route 1) or to S. Payne Street south of Wilkes Street.

  3. That Eisenhower Avenue not be connected to U.S. Route 1.

Staff supported these recommendations.

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The primary goals of this addendum to the Southwest Quadrant Area Plan are 1) to protect the adjacent residential neighborhood from inappropriate commercial uses and densities resulting from redevelopment of adjacent industrially zoned properties; 2) to protect the historic character of the area north of Duke Street by moderating redevelopment densities and heights; 3) to protect residential areas from through traffic resulting from redevelopment of the area; 4) to promote coordinated mixed use development on the Southern Properties and abutting commercial properties while minimizing traffic impacts to adjacent residential areas.

The Plan Objectives Are:

o Provide height, density and use transitions between existing residential and institutional uses and future development.

o Promote a moderate scale and density for future commercial development along Duke Street and a design which is compatible with the adjacent Old and Historic District.

o Promote coordinated mixed use development of the redevelopable commercial and industrial properties between West, Wilkes, S. Henry and Duke Street.

o Prevent additional roadway connections which might induce commuter traffic through residential streets.

o Rezone industrially zoned properties that are used for institutional and utility purposes to zoning categories that are more appropriate for these uses.

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PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE LAND USE PLAN

Staff believes that the most appropriate land use designation for the blocks bounded by Duke, Henry, Wilkes and West Streets is Coordinated Development District under the theory that the best way to promote an integrated and coordinated mixed use development in this area is to require a CDD plan for the entire area. The original Southern Plaza proposal was developed under this approach.

The Southern Plaza developer is now proposing a 1 1/2 block project at the corner of Duke and Henry Streets instead of the original 4 square block project. This approach suggests that the area, in all likelihood, will be developed into several, individualized, self contained, uncoordinated projects. Should the City approve this smaller project and forego pursuing the Coordinated Development District approach, this Plan recommends that the remainder of the area fronting Duke Street up to West Street and north of what would have been Wolfe Street be developed for moderately scaled commercial office uses.

The area south of what would have been Wolfe Street and fronting Wilkes Street should be developed for a mix of medium density residential townhouses and apartments to provide a compatible transition to the existing Southwest Quadrant neighborhood.

Because the buildings along the north side of Duke Street are low scale and within the Old and Historic District, this plan recommends that the buildings on the south side of Duke Street, at least for the first 100 feet, be included within the Old and Historic District in order to guarantee the compatibility of the buildings on the south side of Duke Street with existing buildings on the north side.

The block bounded by Wolfe, Payne, Wilkes and West Streets is occupied by an industrial establishment which is only marginally compatible with the nearby residential areas. In the future, as the blocks between Wilkes and Wolfe Street become residential, this incompatibility will only become more pronounced.

The plan calls for a gradual phasing out of the industrial activity along the north side of Wilkes Street by calling for residential development. Should the industrial activity remain as a nonconforming use, it should be buffered from new residential development to the east.

The 1974 Adopted Consolidated Master Plan for the Southwest Quadrant Area is shown in Map 4. The proposed changes to the plan are shown in Map 5 and the new proposed Land Use Plan is shown in Map 6.

Should the major property owner seek to develop his property as a coordinated mixed use development under a CDD, the City should consider rezoning to that category with appropriate design and use principles.

  1. From Industrial to Office Commercial.

These properties located on Duke Street between S. West and S. Henry Streets are currently either vacant railroad properties or underutilized industrial properties. It is recommended that redevelopment of this area be compatible in density, height and in use with the residential and commercial office townhouse structures that are located across Duke Street, and brought under the purview of the B.A.R.

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Map 4 1974 Master Plan

INST - Institutional I - Industrial

South West Quadrant

A12

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Map 5 Proposed Land Use Changes (1992)

  1. From I to OC

  2. From I to RM

  3. From INST to RM

  4. From INST to U/T

  5. From ---- to U/T

  6. From OC to RH (Ordinance 3879 6/25/96)

  7. From RM to RH Residential High (Ordinance 3879 6/25/96)

  8. From RM to RH (Ordinance 3879 6/25/96)

This map is for historic reference only. For currently approved land use, please refer to Map 6.

South West Quadrant

A13

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Map 6

Southwest Quadrant

Land Use, as amended

RM - Residential Medium OG - Office Commercial INST - Institutional U/T - Utility and Transportation RH Residential High POS - Public Open Space

Amended 6/25/96, Ord. 3879 Amended 10/15/05, Ord. 4426 Amended 6/12/10, Ord. 4674 Amended 10/13/18, Ord. 5165

See also Map 8 on page 20.

South West Quadrant

A14

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  1. From Industrial to Residential Medium.

This area is located north of Wilkes Street between South Henry Street and S. West Street. These properties are currently underutilized railroad facilities and industrial businesses. Because of the close proximity to the residential townhouses on Wilkes Street and S. Henry Street and the lack of commercial access to the area, it is recommended that medium density residential development occur in this area. This would provide a transition between the existing residential neighborhood and any proposed office/commercial redevelopment along the Duke Street area.

  1. From Institutional to Residential Medium.

This property consisting of 1.1 acres is owned by Norfolk Southern Corporation and is currently being used as a storage yard for the Virginia Clay Products business. This plan recommends that this use be phased out as residences are developed in the blocks between Wolfe and Wilkes Street to the east.

  1. From Institutional to Utility/Transportation.

This property consisting of 39.6 acres contains the sanitation treatment plant, the City's Print Shop and Records Center. Because of the type of use of this property, the utility land use designation is an appropriate category.

  1. New Designation to Utility/Transportation.

This area consists of the right-of-way for the Capital Beltway. This area was not given a land use designation on the 1974 Long Range Land Use Map. The recommendation to designate this area utility/transportation is consistent with the way in which the area is being used.

  1. From OC to RH 7) From RM to RH 8) From RM to RH (Ordinance 3879 6/25/96)

PROPOSED ZONING CHANGES For currently approved land use, please refer to Map 12 on page A14 and Map 8 on page 20.

The following zoning changes are recommended to implement the Proposed Land Use Plan. In most cases these recommendations involve the development of new zoning categories to reflect the types and scales of uses desired for a given land use designation in the recommended Master Plan. These recommendations should serve as a guide to the development and implementation of new zones. Map 7 shows current zoning. Map 8 reflects the proposed changes to the zoning map and Map 9 shows the proposed new zoning map.

  1. Rezone from I-1 and I-2 to Office Commercial (OC).

These properties are located on Duke Street between S. West and S. Henry Streets and are owned by Southern Railroad and by Fannon Heating and Fuel. The commercial densities and heights currently allowed on these properties are inappropriate next to the Old and Historic Alexandria District. The OC designation is designed to produce moderately scaled, moderate density commercial buildings. To assure design compatibility with the adjacent development on the north side of Duke Street, the Plan recommends that at least the first 100 feet south of Duke Street between West Street and S. Henry Street be included in the Old and Historic Alexandria District and be subject to Board of Architectural Review.

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This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps webpage, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 7 – Existing Zoning

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This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps webpage, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 8 – Proposed Zoning Changes

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This map is no longer being updated. For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps webpage, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

Map 9 – Proposed Zoning

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  1. From I-2 to RA and RB Residential Multi-Family.

This area is located north of Wilkes Street between South Henry Street and South West Street. These properties are currently underutilized. They contain a railroad office/testing facility, Data Mail operation and building materials business. This Plan recommends that Wilkes Street be rezoned to RB, which would allow townhouses compatible with the townhouses on the south side of Wilkes Street.

  1. From I-2 to RB Residential Multi-Family.

This area consisting exclusively of cemeteries is located on South Payne Street between Jefferson and Wilkes Streets. Because it has been recommended that this area be given an institutional land use and due to its close proximity to the existing 2 story residential townhouses developments across S. Payne Street, it is recommended that this area be rezoned to RB residential.

  1. From I-2 to Utility/Transportation (U/T).

These properties consist of a 39.6 acre sanitary treatment plant facility, the City's Print Shop and Records Center and right-of-way for the Capital Beltway. The recommendation to change the zoning of these properties to utility/transportation provides a zone that is consistent with the way in which these properties are being used.

  1. From OC, RA, and RB Residential Multifamily to CRMU-L (Ordinance 3880)

PROPOSED HEIGHT LIMITS For current zoning, please refer to the citywide zoning map on the GIS Standard Maps webpage, www.alexandriava.gov/gis.

This Plan recommends that all heights within the Southwest Quadrant area be reduced to a scale which is compatible with the residential and institutional areas and with the Historic District. The heights in those portions of the Southwest Quadrant which have a general height limit of 77 feet have been reduced to either 45 foot or 50 foot in height by zoning. Map 10 shows heights allowed by right under the existing zoning. Map 11 shows proposed changes to the height limits and Map 12 is the proposed new height map for this portion Southwest Quadrant area.

  • Note change on map as a result of ordinance 3879 (land use) and 3880 (zoning), June 25, 1996.

TRANSPORTATION RECOMMENDATIONS

The Plan recommends affirmation of the following policies:

  1. That the 300 block of S. Payne Street not connect through to the 500 block of S. Payne Street.

  2. That the 200 block of S. Fayette Street not connect through to the 500 block of S. Fayette Street.

  3. That Eisenhower Avenue not connect through to S. Henry Street (U.S. Route 1).

  4. Wolfe Street shall be allowed to connect to Holland Lane for use as an outlet, but shall not come further into the Southwest Quadrant.

OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS

  1. Extend the Old and Historic Alexandria boundary 100 feet south of Duke Street between Henry and West Streets.
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Map 10 Existing Height Limits (1992)

  • Up To 200 Feet Allowed With A Special Use Permit With 150 Foot Average

This map is for historic reference only. For currently approved height limits, please refer to Map 12.

A 20 South West Quadrant

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Map 11 Proposed Height Changes (1992) 1 - From 77 to 50 2 - From 77 to 45 3 - From 77 to 50

4 - From 45 to 60 (with up to an additional 20 feet for a limited number of architectural features per ordinance 3879, June 25, 1996).

This map is for historic reference only. For currently approved height limits, please refer to Map 12.

South West Quadrant

A21

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Map 12 Southwest Quadrant Height Limits, as amended

Amended 6/25/96, Ord. 3879

See also Map 15 on page 35.

South West Quadrant

A 22

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