Hospital to Restore Scenic Easements

Inova Alexandria Hospital will be planting new trees and shrubs on land it inadvertently cleared in violation of easement regulations.

According to the Seminary Hill Association, the area was an easement controlled by the city of Alexandria and is subject to a 99-year lease that states the land must remain in its normal state with no removal of vegetation or trees. Pat Escher, a planner in city Department of Planning and Zoning, described the area as an easement with natural vegetation.

“They went in and took out vegetation, unknowing they had a buffer easement and had to keep it in a naturalized state,” she said.

Community members contacted the planning and zoning department, which put out a stop work order on the vegetation removal. The city helped the hospital develop a revegetation plan, Escher said.

“It’s going to get installed in the next couple of weeks,” she said.

Hospital spokeswoman Allison Kenty said the vegetation removal occurred as workers were clearing out poison ivy and dead shrubs, and neighbors voiced concerns.

“The hospital and city and neighbors all met, and they came up with a mutual plan to restore the shrubs,” she said.

According to the Seminary Hill Association, the city has approved a plan to restore indigenous vegetation by planting Eastern Red Cedars and Crab Apple trees in the buffer area.