Waterfront Planning and Hunting Towers

[Bruce&Linda Dwyer]

The Park and Rec. Commisson supports the Hunting Towers easement for the Mt. Vernon Trail.  We are working on this proposal  also being  brought up at the WWB Neighborhood Tasks Force (Jerry King is a member), the waterfront Commission (Henry Brooks) and the Open Space Steering Committee (Bruce).  Please help talk it up in your circles.
Thanks

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Judy Guse-Noritake 
To: alexvamayor at aol.com 
Sent: Wednesday, January 28, 2004 5:19 AM
Subject: Waterfront Planning


January 27, 2004

The Honorable William D. Euille
Alexandria City Hall

Dear Mayor Euille:
    I has come to the attention of the Park and Recreation Commission that the City Council, in conjunction with the Department of Planning, will soon be selecting a small number of community planning projects to focus on in the coming year.  The Park and Recreation Commission would like to respectfully request that you give full consideration to undertaking a comprehensive plan of the Alexandria Waterfront as one of those projects.  
    As you know, our waterfront is one of the greatest assets of this community, and it always has been.  It has become clear after recent waterfront design challenges that creative uses for the remaining redevelopment parcels, as well as a comprehensive and unifying vision for the whole of the waterfront is needed now.  Such a vision will become more important as each year passes, particularly as the economy inevitably improves and investments in this area become more attractive both for the development community and for the City.
    If the waterfront is addressed in the coming year, we would urge you think about this challenge in broad terms, with the scope of the planning reaching to our southern most boundary and  looking to current and pressing opportunities still present in conjunction with the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Project.  I am attaching a memo written by Bruce Dwyer on behalf of the Bike Committee.  In it he points out that we have a tremendous opportunity to acquire an easement along the waterfront at Hunting Towers for the Mt. Vernon Trail at this point in time.  Its an important opportunity our community needs to address quickly.  
    In addition, Alexandria's Open Space Plan identifies another great opportunity at our northern most waterfront boundary, though one with a longer time horizon.  A part of the site at the Mirant Power Plant is seen as an important open space and waterfront development opportunity in the future.  Whether it is five years or twenty-five years, we know that at some point the power at that site will no longer be produced using coal.  If and when it is converted to an alternative power source, it is reasonable to assume that the footprint of the active plant will be much smaller than it is at this time.  It would be wise if Alexandria developed alternatives now for the probable use of waterfront property that might become available.  It would be an exercise in vision.  The pay off could be enormous over time.  
    Of course, the other parcels in the central area of the waterfront that we expect will be redeveloped fairly soon are also listed as top priorities in the Open Space Plan.  All these are in play at this point in some way.  Getting ahead of development and finding the right integration of open space and new businesses will be vital to making the most of this tremendous resource.   
    Though there are pressures in every part of the City that deserve attention, this waterfront is Alexandria's heart and soul.  It has been a generation since we developed a plan for its use.  In the time since we've done some very good things, but the time has come for us to undertake planning again, as a whole community, for the whole waterfront.

Respectfully,
    
Judy R. Guse-Noritake, Chair
Park and Recreation Commission



Judy R Guse-Noritake
605 Prince Street
Alexandria, Va.  22314
703.836.3420
jnoritake at erols.com

Attachment
Hunting Towers and the Mount Vernon Trail Alignment

The Alexandria Bicycle Committee strongly recommends that the City of Alexandria vigorously pursue making permanent the temporary alignment of the Mount Vernon Trail along the Potomac River waterfront. We have received many comments recommending that the temporary alignment of the Mt. Vernon Trail along the river behind Hunting Towers should be improved and made the permanent alignment. This is the alignment recommended in the Alexandria Multi-Use Trail and Bicycle Transportation Plan adopted by City Council in 1998 and again proposed by the Bike Committee in August 2000 comments on this entire area. We have had many conversations with the Wilson Bridge Project and city staff regarding bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the area. We have always maintained that trail alignment in its previous configuration closer to the beltway then running along the GW Parkway would continue unsafe conditions. This highly popular and busy route conflicts with vehicles in the Hunting Towers parking lot and a uses path too narrow and too close to the travel lanes of the GW Parkway. A route along the river would significantly improve the safety as well as the scenic experience of trail users.
We also believe that it is in the best interest of the city to consider the Waterfront Plan and its policy to assure public access to the waterfront to extend from its most northern boundary to its most southern boundary. The Hunting Towers property, being adjacent to Jones Point, would be a logical extension. We further believe that a public interest and oversight of this waterfront area would promote the interests of the Chesapeake Bay Protection Act and the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail among other quality of life initiatives.
In the past, these recommendations were rejected because the Hunting Towers property owner was not receptive. The current temporary ownership by VDOT presents the City with the opportunity to revisit the use of this waterfront area. As a public agency we would hope that VDOT would be receptive to quality of life improvements in this area that is being so significant affected by the Wilson Bridge expansion. As an agency with a transportation mission we would also expect them to recognize the value of these safety improvements in a route used heavily by bicyclists and pedestrian for clean and healthful transportation.
We understand that, as a temporary owner, VDOT will be pursuing sale of the property, so we urge the City to consider this recommendation expeditiously. We believe a number of different approaches may be possible for preserving this area for public use. The Open Space Plan recently adopted by the city suggested easements and other innovative methods in addition to acquisition to promote open space in the city.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Bruce Dwyer
Chair, Alexandria Bicycle Committee
703-549-3263
ouibike at att.net
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://bicycle.alexandria.va.us/mailman/private/bsc/attachments/20040202/cdec5a29/attachment.htm