The Alexandria City Council held a Public Hearing on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 1:25 PM in the Council Chamber at City Hall (301 King Street). This was the final council meeting in the historic chamber before renovations. The meeting included proclamations, a public discussion period, approval of consent items, and individual public hearings on the city's legislative package, affordable housing bonds, zoning text amendments, and major development projects. Consent Calendar - Items 6-13 (Roll-Call Consent): All eight consent items were approved unanimously. These included Special Use Permits for single-unit dwellings on substandard lots at 205 Macarthur Road and 2 West Howell Avenue, automobile repair uses at 612A-B S. Pickett Street and 3210 Duke Street, an extension for the Woodbine Rehabilitation Healthcare Facility addition, an amendment to the license agreement with Cox Virginia Telecom for additional conduits and fiber optic cables in public rights-of-way, and final passage of two ordinances implementing master plan and text amendments for Potomac Yard (601 E Glebe Road, etc.) previously approved on November 15, 2025. Public Comments & Testimony - Public Discussion Period (before agenda items): 15 speakers addressed the council on items not on the agenda. The overwhelming majority (14 speakers) urged the city to divest from Israel and pass an ethical investment resolution, citing genocide in Palestine. One speaker spoke in support of climate change programs. After the scheduled docket, additional speakers continued the divestment theme and raised concerns about the judicial system and the proposed waterfront pump station. - Item 14 (Legislative Package): Speakers addressed the package: Michael Schuster (Co-chair, Commission on Aging) supported aging-related items; Giselle Caruso (Upvote Virginia) suggested amendments to ranked choice voting language; Richard Merritt (Health Commission) recommended removing the cap on cigarette taxes and taxing vaping products; Pamela Berg (League of Women Voters) urged correction of election integrity language; Kathie Hoekstra supported building code updates; Marsha Rhea (Voices for Housing) requested stronger language on faith-based affordable housing zoning. Council heard testimony and then adopted the package with amendments. - Item 17 (Old Towne West): Attorney Mary Catherine Gibbs spoke on behalf of applicant Alfred Street Baptist Church and The Community Builders, highlighting the project's affordable housing and relocation plan. - Item 18 (Potomac Yard): Marsha Rhea (Voices for Housing) supported the Wesley Housing affordable component; Clea Benson (Potomac Yard HOA) requested transfer of open space maintenance responsibility; Attorney Cathy Puskar summarized the final phase of Potomac Yard development. - Post-Docket Public Discussion: Additional speakers (including Janice Grenadier, Carrie Schwartz, Kathleen Lowy, Ahmad El-Masry, Sara Katz, Marc Bendick, Rasha Enayah) again called for divestment from Israel, with one speaker opposing the waterfront pump station on economic grounds. Discussion Items - Item 14 – 2026 Legislative Package: Council debated several amendments. They adopted a motion by Councilman McPike to: add a bullet on reducing heating costs for low-income families; replace the school infrastructure paragraph; add a bullet on stronger state building code adoption and municipal aggregation; strike the first two sentences of the civic engagement section and replace with language acknowledging Virginia's strong election administration. They also removed the final bullet on ranked choice voting (by friendly amendment), expanded local authority on tobacco, nicotine, and vaping product excise taxes, and struck the ranked choice voting study language. The amended package was approved 7-0. - Item 15 – ARHA Revenue Bonds: Approved unanimously (7-0) without discussion. - Item 16 – Zoning Text Amendment 2025-00007 (Commercial Uses): After lengthy debate, council voted 7-0 to approve the bulk of the staff proposal but removed four provisions for further staff review (to return within 90 days): (1) the 2,000-square-foot limit on indoor live entertainment as a permitted use; (2) by-right status for private school trailers; (3) outdoor fitness uses requiring SUP; (4) the prohibition on exterior loudspeakers/outdoor speakers at restaurants. The rest of the amendment, including by-right indoor restaurants, streamlining administrative SUPs, and other modernizations, was approved. - Item 17 – Rezoning & DSUP for 598 S Alfred Street (Old Towne West): Approved 7-0. The project rezones from RB/Townhouse to RMF/Residential multi-unit and allows a multi-unit building with up to 3.0 FAR for affordable housing, including 30% AMI units. The relocation plan for existing residents was discussed. - Item 18 – Potomac Yard Landbays G & H DSUPs and Encroachment: Three separate votes approved 7-0 each: (A) DSUP 2025-10023 and Encroachment 2025-00008 for the mixed-use building (multi-unit residential with ground-floor retail, publicly accessible open space); (B) DSUP 2025-10024 for the affordable housing building (by Wesley Housing) with additional conditions; (C) DSUP 2025-10025 for the townhome development. These represent the final build-out of the southern portion of Potomac Yard, adding 620 housing units (including 88 affordable), retail space, and open space. The city will work to transfer maintenance of an open space parcel from the existing HOA to the new development. Key Outcomes - Divestment Calls: Despite extensive public testimony, the council did not place an ethical investment resolution on the agenda or schedule discussion; no action was taken. - Legislative Package: Approved with several amendments (7-0). The final package includes support for building code modernization, municipal aggregation, cigarette/vaping tax authority, and revised election language. The ranked choice voting study was removed. - ARHA Bonds: Resolution authorizing revenue bonds for the next phase (Block 1) of the Heritage at Old Town redevelopment (288 units, 52 affordable at 40% AMI) passed unanimously. - Zoning Text Amendment: Approved with four items reserved for further staff review over 90 days: indoor live entertainment square footage, private school trailers, outdoor fitness, and exterior speakers. - Old Towne West Affordable Housing: Rezoning and DSUP approved, enabling a deeply affordable housing development with 34 units at or below 30% AMI. - Potomac Yard Final Phase: Three DSUPs and one encroachment approved, completing the southern Potomac Yard plan with a mix of housing types, affordable housing, retail, and public open space. - Historic Preservation Text Amendment (Item 19): Deferred without objection.