Building Height Amendment Proposal Headed To Alexandria Planning Commission

ALEXANDRIA, VA — A proposed zoning ordinance text amendment on bonus heights for affordable housing is headed to the Alexandria Planning Commission Thursday.

The proposed amendment would allow bonus heights up to 25 feet in zones with building height limits of 45 feet.

The Planning Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday. A City Council public hearing is scheduled for July 5.

Under the current zoning ordinance, the bonus height is only allowed in zones with heights over 50 feet. At least one-third of a bonus height must be used for low-income and moderate-income housing. The proposed amendment would not apply to single-family homes, two-family homes or townhouses.

The text amendment is being considered as a tool for the city to increase affordable housing for low-income and moderate-income residents.

In 2020, the City Council endorsed the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments goal estimate of 75,000 more housing units on top of new units anticipated between 2020 and 2030.

In addition, 75 percent of new units were to be affordable to low- and moderate-income households and be near transit or activity centers.

The city has a goal to increase annual housing additions from 800 units to around 1,100 units, with 75 percent as affordable housing. The bonus height text amendment was one of the initiatives studied in the city's Zoning for Housing program, which examines removing regulations that restrict housing production while retaining quality of life factors.

"The demand for affordable housing — fueled by the disconnect between wage and housing cost growth — has been exacerbated by the loss of approximately 14,300 or 78 percent of market-affordable units in the City between 2000 and 2020," a city staff report on the proposed text amendment said. "Notably, this challenge has been magnified by the pandemic which further highlighted the vulnerability of thousands of Alexandria households who experienced income loss and housing insecurity and/or suffered disproportionate health impacts due to sharing of housing resources."

The city has already made several text amendments to boost housing options. In 2021, the City Council approved the allowance of accessory dwelling units, which can be basement apartments, converted garages or detached buildings on a residential lot.

Some 22 accessory dwelling units have been approved so far under the new policy, according to the city's website.