Alexandria Board of Architectural Review Public Hearing – September 17, 2026

Note: The agenda for this meeting was dated September 16, 2026, but the provided meeting timestamp and instructions specify the meeting occurred on September 17, 2026. This summary uses the provided date.

The Board of Architectural Review (BAR) held a public hearing to consider several applications for certificates of appropriateness, demolitions, additions, and a concept review in the Old and Historic Alexandria District. Items included signage at 625 First Street, a partial demolition and addition at 430 South Lee Street, a partial demolition and roof addition at 103 Quay Street, and a concept review for six townhouses at 330 North Washington Street. The meeting featured extensive public testimony, with two applications deferred and one motion ending in a tie vote.

Consent Calendar

• BAR2026-00316 – Signage at 625 First Street (Applicant: Laura Mercier): Approved with a condition that the applicant work with staff on final placement of the sign. The halo-lit sign will replace a temporary banner above the hotel entrance.

Public Comments & Testimony

• 430 South Lee Street (Items 5 & 6): Multiple residents and civic organizations spoke. John Richards (Historic Alexandria Foundation) opposed the proposal, arguing it would encapsulate historic brickwork and set a bad precedent. Scott Borzai (Alexandria Federation of Civic Associations) raised concerns about potential damage to the 1851 Orange and Alexandria Railroad Tunnel foundation and requested a geophysical study. Several neighbors (Miriam Creeta, Joan Porsche, Mario Velasquez, Charles Enoch) objected to the massing, scale, wind pattern disruption, and visual prominence of the proposed two-story side addition. Yvonne Wade Callahan (Old Town Civic) also expressed concerns about the tunnel supports and asked for caution. The applicant, Karen Conkey, argued that the design met design guidelines and that the tunnel was 47 feet away; she noted outreach to neighbors had yielded little feedback.
• 330 North Washington Street (Item 9 – Concept Review): Several residents (Nancy McClernon, Mike Gaffney, Steve Davidson, Yvonne Wade Callahan) urged the board to require the applicant to study an alternative three-and-three mews layout instead of the proposed six townhouses in a row surrounded by parking. They criticized the suburban character, the parking-driven layout, and the lack of a full engineering study of alternatives. The West Old Town Civic Association’s written comments were echoed: the project remains inappropriate for the historic district.

Discussion Items

• 408 Prince Street (Item 4): Partial demolition and encapsulation of a 45-square-foot shed on the west elevation. No public comments. Approved as submitted per staff recommendation.
• 430 South Lee Street (Items 5 & 6): The applicant presented a 19-foot-wide, two-story frame addition set back 6 feet 7 inches from the main house, covering about 700 square feet of side brick wall (encapsulation). Board members expressed concerns that the addition reads as a separate house, is too wide and prominent, and that the modern windows and roof deck would be highly visible from the park and Lee Street. Several members suggested a greater setback, massing reduction, and more deference to the historic structure. The applicant requested a deferral, which the board granted unanimously.
• 103 Quay Street (Items 7 & 8): Partial demolition of 826 square feet of rear roof and construction of a new mansard roof with dormers and a roof deck. The applicant (Stephen Kulinski) had reduced dormer size per staff feedback. Board members debated dormer proportions and window railings. A motion to approve with conditions (to reduce railings and study dormer size) resulted in a 3–3 tie vote, which fails. The applicant then requested a deferral, which was approved.
• 330 North Washington Street (Item 9 – Concept Review): No vote was taken; this was a second concept review. The applicant presented revisions: smaller dormers, more brick wrap, and refined roof forms. Board members reiterated concerns about the six-unit row layout surrounded by parking, requesting that the applicant produce a formal comparative study of an alternative layout (e.g., three-and-three mews). The board stressed that all sides of the building should be treated as fronts given its isolated location. The applicant noted they had studied the mews concept but rejected it due to open space and parking viability, though they agreed to consider further refinements. Board feedback included reducing height, adding a brick wall to separate parking, and lowering roof deck visibility.

Key Outcomes

• Minutes of September 2, 2026: Adopted unanimously.
• BAR2026-00316 (Signage, 625 First Street): Approved with condition to work with staff on placement.
• BAR2026-00326 (408 Prince Street): Approved as submitted.
• BAR2026-00320 & BAR2026-00321 (430 South Lee Street): Deferred at applicant’s request (unanimous vote). The applicant will return with a revised design addressing public and board concerns about massing, setback, and tunnel protection.
• BAR2026-00324 & BAR2026-00325 (103 Quay Street): Motion to approve with conditions failed (3–3 tie). Applicant requested and received deferral to next meeting.
• BAR#2026-00033 (330 North Washington Street – Concept Review): No action taken. The board directed the applicant to produce a formal comparative site study of an alternative three-and-three mews layout and to improve architectural treatment of all elevations before returning for further review.
• Fiscal Year 2026 Annual Report: Adopted; chair authorized to sign.