City Council To Reconsider Braddock West Development Denial

ALEXANDRIA, VA — On Tuesday, Alexandria City Council will consider rescinding a vote denying the Braddock West Development proposal.

On March 13, City Council voted 4-3 to deny the applications for the proposed development on Madison and Wythe Streets near the Braddock Road Metro. But at an April 6 City Council meeting, Council Member Canek Aguirre requested a motion to rescind the vote be docketed for April 27. He cited the developer reportedly addressing a concern about lack of contact with an adjacent Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority development.

If the vote is rescinded, City Council can set the Braddock West development applications for consideration at the May 11 meeting or schedule a public hearing with final consideration on May 15. A public hearing on the development applications was held on March 13, but City Council could choose to hold a second hearing to allow the public to comment.

The applicant, West Street Acquisitions, proposed a seven-story mixed use building with 180 multifamily residential units, including 14 affordable units in the 1300 blocks of Madison and Wythe Streets. The development would have a 1,500-square-foot publicly accessible plaza at N. West and Wythe Streets; ground-level commercial space for a restaurant, retail or personal services business; a fraternal or private club; and below-grade parking accessible from Madison Street. The core of the building would be 85 feet, but a proposed shade structure on the northern part of the rooftop would bring the height to a maximum of 95 feet. The proposed density would be a 3.0 floor area ratio, but a bonus density totaling 3.71 floor area ratio is proposed due to the affordable housing provision.

According to a city staff report, the development site currently has 10 one-story and two-story brick dwellings, and one lot is currently vacant. The project site is within the Uptown–Parker–Gray Historic District and encompasses most of the remaining African American community known as "Black Rosemont or "Colored Rosemont" established in the late 1800s. Most buildings associated with the African American community have been demolished, including the former Parker-Gray High School.

Ahead of the City Council consideration of rescinding the vote, a resident who spoke at the March 13 public hearing expressed opposition to the motion. A law firm on behalf of John Craig, a resident who lives 100 feet from the proposed development, wrote to City Council claiming the motion to rescind the vote is illegal. He argued that the Alexandria zoning ordinance mandates a "cooling off period."

Craig cites several parts of the Alexandria zoning ordinance. Section 11-507 states:

If an application for a special use permit is denied by city council, neither the planning commission nor city council shall consider an application for the same special use on the same site again within one year of the date of denial unless the new application differs in a substantial and material way from the prior one, in which case it may be reconsidered after six months.

At the March 13 public hearing, Craig had spoken about flooding concerns in the neighborhood and believes the development plans did not properly address the area's flooding problems. The letter the law firm sent to City Council on behalf of Craig said the application denial allows the developer and city to develop better long-term plans for the site. Craig hopes a revised plan would better address flooding in the area.

A memo to City Council on the motion to rescind the March 13 vote cites city code of ordinances' Section 2-1-49 on reconsideration of questions.

"In accordance with Robert’s Rules, the vote may not be rescinded if it has been relied upon," reads the staff memo. "In this case, since this vote was a denial of the project, staff does not see any reliance on the vote and therefore, believes it can be rescinded if the Council decides to do so."