Letter to the Editor: DRCA President on Walgreens

To the editor,

Last weekend, the Land Use Committee of the Del Ray Citizens Association launched an online petition drive that opposes the opening of a Walgreens pharmacy in the 1500 block of Mount Vernon Avenue. More than 550 people had signed the petition as of the morning of March 20.

Although the DRCA board and membership have not formally taken a position on the Walgreens store, I support the committee’s effort, as do other members of the DRCA board. As president of the DRCA, I want to offer a perspective on this issue.

The reason why the prospect of a large national retailer such as Walgreens is disconcerting is because we in Del Ray have worked so hard to promote and support small, independent businesses. Indeed, one of the guiding principles of the Mount Vernon Avenue Business Area Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2005, is to “encourage independent retail.“ I served on the work group that helped staff and consultants develop the plan.

Walgreens would displace five independent businesses. In fact, the loss would actually be greater, because Potomac West Interiors and Antique Gallery supports 30 antique dealers who each have business licenses and pay taxes in Alexandria.  That business and its companion, Not Too Shabby Antiques and Consignments, draw a great deal of business to Mount Vernon Avenue and contribute greatly to the overall character of the community.

Another of the businesses that would be displaced is the Laundromat, which provides a vital service to apartment dwellers and those without cars. It serves many lower-income residents.

An unfortunate aspect of this situation is that it appears that Walgreens will not need a special use permit because of a zoning change made in conjunction with the Mount Vernon Avenue Business Area Plan that relaxed parking requirements. This change was specifically designed to make it easier for small, independent businesses to locate in Del Ray. It was never intended to benefit a large national retailer such as Walgreens. City staff must re-examine this zoning change and determine whether it should be altered.

To be sure, Walgreens would not fundamentally alter the character of Del Ray. This is a very diverse community.

However, the location at the intersection of Mount Vernon and East Monroe avenues is highly problematic. Traffic there is already heavy, parking is tight, and pedestrians must be wary as they cross the street because of the many turning vehicles. Walgreens would greatly exacerbate this situation. Walgreens is an intensive use, probably more intensive than all the current uses combined. Walgreens tends to have a steady stream of customers who shop at the store for short periods of time. These customers will be jockeying for parking on Mount Vernon Avenue, tying up traffic.

Vehicles going west on East Monroe and trying to make the left turn into the parking lot will need to wait for the often heavy stream of traffic coming from the east and will tie up traffic going west.

All of this will make it even more difficult for pedestrians. There must be a more appropriate place for Walgreens to locate, but if it is here, staff must study and consider making changes at this intersection. Pedestrian safety should be the top priority.

Even if Walgreens can move into this location by right, staff must do all it can to ensure that the current building façade is retained, to the maximum extent possible, including the hand-painted murals on the East Monroe Avenue side of the building. Façade improvements were made to this building a decade or so ago as a result of a public grant made by the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership. These improvements, which included the awnings, have contributed greatly to the character of this building.

Finally, another unfortunate aspect of this situation is that there do not appear to be any alternative places within Del Ray where these businesses could relocate. We should be thinking about why this is the case and try to deal with it. It is not simply because Del Ray is prosperous and space is not available. Space is lacking because there are certain businesses, such as auto uses, that might be more appropriately located elsewhere in Alexandria, which would potentially open up space for small businesses. This should be the long-term goal. We should be spending more time thinking about how it could be achieved.

As Potomac Yard is developed and national and regional chain stores congregate there, Mount Vernon Avenue could become even more of a haven for small, independent businesses. But this will not happen by itself. It will require proactive and prolonged effort by the city and Del Ray business owners, property owners and residents. It’s time to make a renewed commitment to small, independently owned businesses in Del Ray.

Bill Hendrickson
President
Del Ray Citizens Association
703-519-9410