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Meeting Report. Thanks to all who attended our October 25 meeting. Highlights:
- Catherine Rice provided an updated on the upcoming rollout of Ting’s Internet service in Rosemont. A copy of the presentation is available at https://rosemontcitizensassoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Rosemont-2-October-25-2023-Final.pdf.
- By acclamation, the meeting attendees endorsed sending a letter to the City Manager requesting further engagement regarding the plans for the reconstruction of the Commonwealth and King rail bridges. A copy of the letter is available at https://rosemontcitizensassoc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/RCA-Infrastructure-Letter-10-26-23.pdf.
- The RCA further discussed the City’s Zoning for Housing initiative. Although there was no consensus as to the implications of the proposed zoning changes, members are encouraged to review the proposals and provide feedback to the City. Some proposals would apply directly to properties in Rosemont; others would apply to properties elsewhere in the City.
- The City’s overall website for the initiative is https://www.alexandriava.gov/planning-and-zoning/zoning-for-housinghousing-for-all. Additionally, a City-provided “snapshot” of the proposals is available at https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/d8ed3a93b08e4f7797423722a72a467b.
- One of the groups generally opposed to the proposals, the Coalition for a Livable Alexandria, has explained its position on its website at https://livablealexandria.org/.
- One of the groups generally supportive of the proposals, YIMBYs of NOVA, has explained its position on its website at https://www.yimbysofnova.org/events-advocacy/alexandria/improving-zoning-for-housing.
- Agenda: Alexandria, which held a forum on the initiative on October 23, has posted a video of the event at https://youtu.be/KBgqt5FhDro.
- A Patch article which provides an overview of the proposals and upcoming meetings (and how to participate): https://patch.com/virginia/oldtownalexandria/zoning-housing-final-planning-commission-hearing-approaches.
- The next zoning-related event with an opportunity for public comment is a Planning Commission meeting on November 1, followed by City Council meetings on November 14 and November 18. See https://apps.alexandriava.gov/Calendar/?sc=335 for more information. Contact information for the City Council is available at https://www.alexandriava.gov/Council.
Marcus Alert Resources. Supplementing the information provided by Mike Razak at our September meeting about assistance for behavioral health crises – please visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/sites/default/files/2022-04/FY%2023%20BM%20104%20Attachment%201%20ACORP%20Staffing.pdf for more information.
Holiday Events: Believe it or not, the holidays are almost here. If you’re interested in helping with the annual holiday house decorating contest (identifying and/or judging), please let us know. And don’t forget the Turkey Trot through the streets of Rosemont and Del Ray on Thanksgiving morning (https://www.alexandriaturkeytrot.com/)
Keeping Informed. We try to provide regular updates on local news, Rosemont history, and general happenings in the neighborhood and Alexandria via our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/RosemontCitizensAssociation), Threads (https://www.threads.net/@rosemontcitizens), and Twitter/X (https://twitter.com/RosemontCitizen). General resources also can be found on our web page (http://rosemontcitizensassoc.org). The independent community email list can be accessed at https://groups.io/g/rosemontva
Jol Silversmith
President, RCA
