City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: NOVEMBER 5, 2014
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: RASHAD M. YOUNG, CITY MANAGER/s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of a Resolution to Change the Composition of the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan Implementation Advisory Group. [ROLL-CALL VOTE]
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ISSUE: Consideration of a resolution to change the composition of the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan Implementation Advisory Group (BIAG).
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council approve the resolution (Attachment 1) changing the composition of the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan Implementation Advisory Group by adding two (2) slots for the Braddock Metro Citizens' Coalition.
BACKGROUND: City Council unanimously adopted the Braddock Metro Neighborhood Plan on March 15, 2008 and the Braddock East Master Plan on October 18, 2008 ("the Plans"). City Council established the 20-member Braddock Metro Neighborhood Implementation Advisory Group (BIAG) on February 2, 2009 in order to gain the advice of community members representing a variety of interests in implementation of the Plans.
On August 28, 2014, the Braddock Metro Citizens' Coalition (BMCC), which represents residents in the northern portion of the Plans area, sent a letter (Attachments 2 and 3) to the Mayor and City Council seeking to reconfigure the composition of the BIAG to replace the six existing at-large slots with: two (2) slots for the Braddock Metro Citizens' Coalition, one (1) for the Henry, one (1) for Old Town Commons, one (1) for Braddock Place Townhouses and Condos, and one (1) for the redeveloped Andrew Adkins and Samuel Madden. The City Manager directed Department of Planning and Zoning staff to study this proposal and report back to City Council with a recommendation for consideration.
DISCUSSION: As currently configured, the 20-member BIAG includes the following positions:
· At large (6) (1 slot currently vacant)
· West Old Town Civic Association (3)
· Northeast Citizens Association (1)
· Braddock Lofts Homeowners Association (2)
· Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority (1)
· Retail Representative (1) (slot currently vacant)
· Local/Small Business Representative (1)
· Area Developer (2)
· Public Housing Resident Representative (1)
· Non-Profit/Church Representative (1)
· Architect/Historic Preservation/Design Expert (1)
Staff met with members of the BMCC to discuss their proposal, then worked with the co-facilitators of the BIAG, Heidi Ford and Michelle Saylor, to prepare to bring the topic to the BIAG for discussion. These conversations resulted in several additional options to reconfigure the BIAG.
Six options were brought before the BIAG members for their comments at their business meeting on October 6, 2014, and a seventh option, Option 6B, was added during the meeting. Staff also sought input from those BIAG members not in attendance at the meeting.
The great majority of BIAG members were in favor of adding representation by the Braddock Metro Citizens' Coalition to the BIAG.
A component of BMCC's suggestion was to convert existing at-large slots to slots for specific residential developments such as the Henry, but the sense of the BIAG was that these slots should continue to be at-large, in part because the current approach is working well. The BMCC agreed to withdraw this portion of its request.
The options that received the most favorable response from the BIAG were two (Attachment 4):
1. An option that adds two BMCC slots to the current 20, for a total of 22 (referred to as "Option 2" at the meeting).
2. An option that converts two slots to BMCC slots so that the total number of members remains at 20. The slots to be converted: one of the at-large slots and one of the Braddock Lofts slots (referred to as "Option 6B" at the meeting).
On the BIAG, there was somewhat greater support for Option 6B, in part because it would keep the number of members at 20. It was noted that the at-large slot is currently vacant, and the Braddock Lofts slot could be filled by a BMCC member, so that no existing member would be removed from the group.
There was also considerable support for Option 2, which would add two new slots for the BMCC, thus bringing the BIAG to 22 members.
Staff supports either option, but recommends Option 2. Although the group is already at 20 members, and it is a large group, each of the voices at the table has been an important one, and the work of the BIAG has been very helpful and productive. The BMCC adds a new and important voice to the discussion, but staff is reluctant to recommend that it come at the cost of representation of other voices.
Staff is reviewing this and other similar advisory groups to determine whether the groups remain temporary or should be established as standing committees. Staff will come back to City Council with a recommendation on this aspect in the near future.
FISCAL IMPACT: Adding two new slots to the BIAG for the Braddock Metro Citizens' Coalition will not have a fiscal impact beyond typical administrative project management activities provided by assigned staff.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Proposed Resolution Changing the Composition of the BIAG
Attachment 2: Braddock Metro Citizens' Coalition August 28, 2014 Letter to City Council
Attachment 3: Braddock Metro Citizens' Coalition Revised Boundary Map
Attachment 4: Braddock IAG Reconfiguration Options
STAFF:
Mark Jinks, Deputy City Manager
Karl Moritz, Acting Director, Department of Planning and Zoning (P&Z)
Susan Eddy, Deputy Director, P&Z
Brandi Collins, Urban Plannner, P&Z