City of Alexandria, Virginia
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MEMORANDUM
DATE: MAY 19, 2021
TO: THE HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL
FROM: MARK B. JINKS, CITY MANAGER /s/
DOCKET TITLE:
TITLE
FY 2022 Long-Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program.
BODY
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ISSUE: What planning work priorities should be established for FY 2022?
RECOMMENDATION: That City Council adopt the proposed Long-Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program for FY 2021.
PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: On May 4, Planning Commission voted unanimously to endorse the proposed FY 2022 Long Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program. Members noted that the revisions to the work program focus on appropriate priorities important to the City’s long-term goals.
BACKGROUND: In January 2021, the Planning Commission and the City Council provided
input on the Draft FY 2022 Long Range Planning Interdepartmental Work Program to help inform the FY 2022 budget and the final FY 2022 Work Program. The final FY 2022 work program is provided as Attachment 1 (“Bar Chart”) and project descriptions are provided in Attachment 2. Background on development of the annual work program as well as previous years’ work programs can be found at www.alexandriava.gov/planning.
DISCUSSION: The following sections provide highlights of the major planning efforts and priorities scheduled for FY 2022 and indicate primary revisions to the work program since it was presented earlier this year.
Completion of Major Plans Underway
Alexandria Mobility Plan (AMP): The AMP, a strategic update to the 2008 Transportation Master Plan, will ensure that transportation in the city continues to serve the needs of residents, businesses, and visitors as the region grows and new technology adds to the ways we get around. After a two year engagement process beginning in summer 2019, the draft Alexandria Mobility Plan <https://www.alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/tes/info/AMP_Full%20Plan%20Document_DRAFT_033121-compressed.pdf> was made available for public comment in March. Public hearing on the final plan is anticipated for Fall 2021.
Sanitary Sewer Master Plan: This update to the Sanitary Sewer Master Plan was initiated in 2019 to update the 2013 plan and will incorporate population and growth projections from small area plan updates to update sewer hydraulic and financial models. The plan will also incorporate the results of sewer user fee and connection fee studies and will provide recommendations to inform the Sanitary Sewer CIP. Finally, the plan will address the recent flooding events in 2019 and 2020 that resulted in sanitary sewer back-ups and will include specific recommendations to help reduce the potential for back-ups. Public outreach to gain feedback on the plan is proposed for Summer 2021 with public hearing in Fall 2021.
Arlandria-Chirilagua Plan Update to the Potomac West Small Area Plan: In Spring 2020, after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, City Council directed staff to prioritize Arlandria-Chirilagua planning and housing affordability. Draft recommendations on housing affordability were shared with the community, stakeholders, Planning Commission, and City Council in April. Community engagement on the remaining plan topics will resume in May with final plan adoption in Fall 2021.
Planning / Implementation of Major Redevelopment Sites
Old Town North Power Plant: Hilco, the new owner of the former Pepco/Mirant/NRG power plant site in Old Town North, has begun the process for redeveloping this important Old Town North site with the expectation of implementing the vision of the Old Town North SAP. The approvals that will be required are a CDD concept plan followed by Development Special Use Permits. Hilco intends to submit a CDD concept plan and rezoning request in July 2021, with hearings anticipated in late spring 2022.
North Potomac Yard: Implementation of the North Potomac Yard Plan will continue with the construction of the Potomac Yard Metrorail Station and associated pavilions. Final Site Plan review has commenced for Phase I infrastructure, buildings and open spaces to facilitate construction of the approved projects.
Landmark: The community process for the redevelopment of the former Landmark Mall implementing the recently approved Plan began in January and will wrap up in May. The proposal includes a four million-square-foot community and medical campus anchored by a relocated and new and larger Alexandria Hospital, cancer center and medical office buildings. The Hospital is planned to be upgraded to a Level II Trauma Center. The Landmark site would include residential, retail, commercial and entertainment offerings integrated into a cohesive neighborhood with a central plaza, a network of parks and public spaces, a new fire-EMS station co-located with affordable housing, and a transit hub serving bus rapid transit, DASH, and Metrobus. After June/July public hearings, next steps will include an Infrastructure DSP and Final Site Plan starting this summer through the end of 2022. Construction of the first buildings, including the hospital, is anticipated to begin in 2023 with occupancy in 2027-8.
Community Engagement
Community Engagement Principles/Practices Post Pandemic: While the shift to online digital engagement during the pandemic has in some ways expanded the City’s capabilities and reached new stakeholders, the lack of equitable access to digital forums for public decision-making continues to be a challenge the City must address through special outreach to historically marginalized populations. This review and update of the City’s community engagement principles and practices will focus on equity in engagement as well as maintain the positive attributes of online digital engagement. As we emerge toward a “new normal,” departments leading and supporting community engagement initiatives will collaborate on updated engagement protocols that consider both gained benefits and necessary changes for in-person and online engagement and how we will ensure that these efforts can result in both a broader and more equitable outcomes. The update will reinforce and build on the City’s existing principles of engagement established in the What’s Next Alexandria Civic Engagement Handbook. The draft update will be shared for community review and feedback followed by City Council adoption in late 2021.
Sequencing of Upcoming Planning Efforts
After completion of the Arlandria-Chirilagua Plan update (Fall 2021) and the Strategic Plan (summer 2022) the next major small area planning effort will be the Duke Street Vision Plan, anticipated to begin in early FY 2023. This process will engage the community in developing a long-term vision for the corridor after substantial completion of the transportation planning initiatives that are already underway for Duke Street. The long-term vision will establish updated guidance for redevelopment sites and address community needs, infrastructure needs, affordable housing, open space, and economic development.
The sequencing of the next two planning efforts in FY 2023 (after the Duke Street Vision Plan) has not been determined as of yet. This Fall, Staff will study and make a recommendation on the sequencing of the Alexandria West and Del Ray Plans, considering community needs and priorities, infrastructure, and anticipated timing and location of future redevelopment sites. City Council will consider the recommendation at its January 2022 discussion of the work program. The first plan would begin in mid- to late-FY 2023, followed by the second plan in late FY 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT: The proposed FY 2022 work program takes into account the resources allocated to the recommended planning initiatives in City Council’s adopted FY 2022 Budget, as reflected in the FY 2022 to FY 2031 Capital Improvement Program.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Revised FY 2022 Interdepartmental Long-Range Planning Work Program (Bar Chart)
2. Project Descriptions
3. Presentation
STAFF:
Emily A. Baker, Deputy City Manager
Karl W. Moritz, Director, Planning & 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
Stephanie Landrum, President and CEO, AEDP
Carrie Beach, Division Chief, Planning & Zoning