Letter to Editor: Vote for Silberberg, Hughes, Wood and Macdonald

To the editor:

I live in the West End, and I am deeply concerned about our community. For the last three and a half years, there have been meetings of various groups dealing with development plans, problems and issues here in the West End. These have included: the BRAC Advisory Group, where the community did battle with DOD trying to raise concerns about the negative impact of BRAC on our community and seeking solutions to mitigate its impact; the Beauregard Stakeholders Group, which included residents, developers and city planning staff who discussed the various issues relating to the development of the Beauregard Plan; and the High–Capacity Transit-way Work Group, which focused on Corridor C, the dedicated lane, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) proposal to run an eight-lane roadbed from Beauregard, to Sanger and then down Van Dorn to Van Dorn Station.

These experiences left many disappointed by responses of city staff and  members of the city council to the views, concerns and recommendations put forward by local residents. We have often felt we were ignored.

Particularly, and most intensely, we are still furious that BRAC is located where it is and that no member of the city council fought the DOD decision to put this facility there when there was not sufficient transit infrastructure to support it. Congressman Moran did fight DOD but councilmembers were remarkably quiet and then became boosters and supporters of a bad decision.

This was followed by a plan developed by Abi Lerner, the deputy of the city’s Transportation Department, to put a HOV Ramp from 395 into BRAC via the top tier of Seminary, 35 feet above the road bed of I-395. Then Transportation Director Rich Baier championed the VDOT proposal to install an auxiliary lane from Duke Street to Seminary. All of these decisions depress the property values of local residents, and do harm to our quality of life.

As a result of these decisions we will loose 30 feet from the median of trees between us and I-395. If the auxiliary lane were removed from this proposal, we would only be looking at between 10 and 12 feet of trees being removed from the median, not 30. Removal of the auxiliary lane from the RAMP/Auxiliary Lane proposal would be a significant improvement and do a lot less damage to the community. In spite of our signing petitions and protesting, in this decision city council ignored us.

When local civic associations and local residents raised questions about the need for more affordable housing, more tree canopy, costs and the financing of the Beauregard Plan, the need for more recreational facilities and open space, better traffic management, roadbed width, sewer capacity, density, possible additional schools and the like, and asked city council to delay approving the Beauregard Plan until more of these problems could be worked out, they went forward and approved the plan over local residents' objections. Contrast this with the four people I am supporting, who came in to support residents issues and our request for delaying approval.

Andrew Macdonald came to BRAC Advisory Committee meetings and listened to our concerns. He walked the Beauregard site with residents and city staff and supported our concerns about how to best deal with the proposed enhancements to the Ramsey School Recreation Field. He listened and supported local residents concerns about the proposed road next to Dora Kelly Nature Park. Residents do not want a road there but instead preferred a bike/walking trail, both because they wanted a bike walking trail and to protect the environmentally fragile park, which has steep grades and suffers from erosion.

He supported us on the need for more affordable housing, increasing tree canopy, concerns about density and potentially high transportation costs because of the design of Corridor C and the financing associated with it. Andrew has also pledged to do more to engage the business community on development issues, because we all want not just places to live but also a vibrant business community and a range of commercial spaces here in the West End. He also indicated that he would work to improve our schools to increase graduation rates and to help everyone from preschool children to adults seeking adult education opportunities or higher education.

Bob Wood is a good listener and a proactive problem solver. He was good at dealing with the fractious factions in Kosovo when stationed there and promises to build bridges to the various members of the public and other city councilmembers here in Alexandria on issues of common concern. I have been especially impressed with his comments about smart growth during the debates. It is clear that he has studied the elements of smart growth, which include not only good transit but “placemaking”, that is, having local amenities and businesses at redevelopment sites and not just residential high rises. When you do not put in the effort to invest in local amenities and attract, support and grow businesses, there is no “smart growth.”  The city of Alexandria staff have been very poor at this aspect of development. He has walked our neighborhoods and listened to our concerns and recommendations. He did this with the Polk site,  which we were proposing to receive the DOD open space funds and regarding other sensitive development areas. Bob called the decision to build BRAC the worst planning decision in Alexandria’s history — residents concur.

Alicia Hughes, of all of the current councilmembers, has done the most to support our concerns and those of other areas. She supported local citizens on the Waterfront Plan and the residents of Arlandria on the need for more affordable housing. She tried to get a delay in the consideration of the Beauregard Plan as we requested but was not supported by any member of city council when she advocated the delay we wanted. She expressed sympathy with our concerns about the HOV ramp and the auxiliary lane and was the ONLY member of the city council to vote against the auxiliary lane, which so devastates our community. She and her staff have only been a phone call or email away whenever we have we have had any problems and concerns such as securing a local parking district here in our community. She has also been very clear about the need to better engage the business community in local development policy decisions.

Allison Silberberg is a bright, articulate newcomer who has walked our neighborhoods and listened to our concerns. As a member and chairwoman of the Economic Opportunity Commission, she has focused on affordable housing and job creation. She spoke with great passion at the Beauregard Plan hearings about the need for housing opportunities for people at all income levels at the city council hearing. She has also been deeply involved professionally in programs for youth and education and has raised substantial amounts of money for nonprofit groups aiding at risk populations. I am particularly impressed that she not only talks about policies such as mentoring and tutoring children but has taken time from her personal schedule to tutor two students herself and helped them to significantly raise their grades and skills. She supported the community on the Waterfront Plan and West Enders on Beauregard Plan concerns and has served on boards as diverse as those supporting, youth, music groups and senior centers.

Richard W. Burris 
West End Alexandria resident