City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: JUNE 6, 2018
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
Consideration of the FY 2019 Long Range Interdepartmental Planning Work Program
BODY
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ISSUE: What planning work priorities should be established for FY 2019?
RECOMMENDATION: Adoption of a Long Range Interdepartmental Planning Work
Program for FY 2019.
BACKGROUND: In January 2018, the Planning Commission and the City Council provided
preliminary input on the Draft FY 2019 Long Range Interdepartmental Planning Work Program to help inform both the FY 2019 budget process and the final work program. Based on Council and Planning Commission input, staff has prepared a revised draft FY 2019 work program, provided as Attachment 1 (“Bar Chart”), for final review.
Description of all projects included in the work program as well as background on the process for developing the overall draft work program can be found in Attachments 2 and 3 respectively.
DISCUSSION: The following sections provide discussion on the main land use planning efforts scheduled for FY 2019 and beyond as well as primary changes proposed to the draft work program presented at the work sessions in January 2018.
In FY 2019 and FY 2020, land use planning will focus on updates to existing plans in areas identified as economic development areas for the City. Following completion of the Route 1 South Housing Affordability Strategy, the first of these will be the Landmark Mall site re-plan. Over the last several months, staff has been working closely with the property owner, Howard Hughes Corporation, to lay the groundwork for the planning process to begin as soon as the property owner is ready, currently anticipated to be in Fall 2018. Pre-planning work is now underway, including preparations for infrastructure studies such as transportation and sanitary sewer. It is anticipated that community engagement will begin in Fall 2018 and conclude in Spring 2019.
Following Landmark Mall will be the Eisenhower East Small Area Plan Phase 2 Update, anticipated to begin in early 2019 and conclude in Fall 2019. Also, a high priority for the City, this effort will update land uses, density, infrastructure, and improvements to the public realm, in order to maintain the area’s competitive potential as a Metro-proximate redevelopment area in the regional market. Coordination with property owners in Eisenhower East is also underway, and pre-planning work will begin as early as July 2018, focused on the associated transportation and infrastructure studies.
It should be noted that if the owners of Landmark Mall indicate that they will not be ready to begin the planning process in Fall 2018, the sequencing described above will be adjusted as appropriate. Another factor that could impact the sequencing and timing of planning efforts is the Amazon HQ2 site selection process. After significant work on the part of AEDP and city staff over the course of FY 2018, Northern Virginia including two Alexandria sites remains one of twenty U.S. and Canadian finalist sites in competition for Amazon HQ2, with a final decision anticipated in calendar year 2018. If the City were to be selected, the work program as proposed may further change.
The next land use plan to follow Eisenhower East Phase 2 is the update to the Mount Vernon Avenue Plans (Del Ray and Arlandria), proposed to begin after completion of Landmark Mall and Eisenhower East. At the direction of City Council, staff reached out to business and civic associations and other community stakeholders in January to discuss their priorities for the scope of this planning effort. All of the stakeholders were supportive of a targeted/strategic update and discussed two commonly shared objectives of the plan update, including:
• Review/update parameters for infill and redevelopment projects, and
• Identify funding tools and prioritize tasks/goals for implementation.
Stakeholders also suggested consideration of a handful of additional topics, including historic preservation, parking strategies, pedestrian safety, and transit access improvements.
The work plan also reflects the City Council and ACPS School Board affirmed recommendation of the Ad Hoc Joint City-Schools Facility Investment Task Force that the City and ACPS develop a Joint City Schools Facilities Master Plan, with funding approved in FY 2019. The master plan would determine a facilities baseline for the City and ACPS, review existing assumptions about the need for capital projects to support service delivery now and in the future, develop a strategic vision for facilities development for the City and ACPS; and synthesize the facilities baseline, assumptions, and the strategic vision into a roadmap that addresses the City and ACPS’ highest needs and biggest risks first, optimizes the use of swing space, and formulates a smart strategy for land acquisition and use.
Some minor changes or additions have been made to the Draft Work Program presented in January 2018, including:
• An Accessory Dwelling Units study has been added to the work program for FY 2020. This study was a recommendation of the Housing Master Plan and has recently also been included as a recommendation in the Age Friendly Plan.
• The Resolution 830 Modernization initiative, having recently completed the civic engagement portion of the project, has been extended, and is now anticipated for completion in December 2018.
• The Open Space in New Development policy initiative will be extended to December 2018 in order to complete the anticipated scope of the project.
• The Parking Meter Pricing/Location Study previously combined with the Residential Parking Permit Districts study, will instead be considered with the upcoming amendment to the City Code to clarify the roles and responsibilities of the Traffic and Parking Board.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed FY 2019 work program takes into account the resources allocated to the recommended planning initiatives in City Council’s approved FY 2019 Budget, including the FY 2019 to FY 2028 Capital Improvement Program, and includes funding necessary for Landmark Mall re-planning, the Joint City-Schools Facilities Master Plan, the Green Building Policy Update and Eisenhower East Phase 2. The Mount Vernon Avenue Plan Update is contingent upon operating budget funding in FY 2020.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Draft Revised FY 2019 Interdepartmental Long Range Planning Work Program (Bar Chart)
2. Project Descriptions
3. February 2018 Memo to City Council
4. Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Karl Moritz, Director, Planning and Zoning
Yon Lambert, Director, Transportation and Environmental Services
James Spengler, Director, Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities
Jeremy McPike, Director, General Services
Gregg Fields, Director, Department of Code Administration
Helen McIlvaine, Director, Office of Housing
Jeffrey Farner, Deputy Director, Planning and Zoning
Carrie Beach, Division Chief, Planning and Zoning