July 11, 2002
Open space, that precious commodity that dominates much of the dialogue at meetings of the Alexandria Planning Commission, was once again a primary concern at the July 2 public hearing. But not for the usual reasons.
This time the parcel was not going to be swallowed by more development, or walled off from public access, or paved over. Rather, the city was suggesting the parcel in question be made more useful to the citizenry. It was that use that triggered the debate, before gaining final approval.
Alexandria's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) was proposing that a new recycling center be established at 4251 Eisenhower Ave., the site of the city's leaf mulch pile. But it is designated a Public Open Space (POS) zone.
When the matter first came before the Commission at its June meeting, there was a unanimous vote for deferral. The reason given then was that the Commission was concerned about allowing recycling centers to be located in POS zones "because of the potential loss of open space."
As stated in the application, recycling facilities are permitted only in industrial zones. This application asked that be amended to allow them in POS zones.
"We're trying to add recycling options for people who live in apartments and condos as well as for offices. The city doesn't offer curbside collection for businesses and multifamily residences. And, the centers can collect more items than residential pickup," explained Jennifer DeLong, T&ES recycling specialist.
She noted that the city once had six drop-off centers. That total is now down to three. They are located at Jones Point, South Whiting Street and 3540 Wheeler Ave. "It will be right next to the leaf mulch site that people come to anyway," she said.
According to DeLong, the city is required by the state to recycle 25 percent of its solid waste. It is presently at 31 percent, but the overall state average is 37 percent, she pointed out.
"There is speculation that the state is going to raise its requirement to 40 percent," she stated. "We now collect from 19,000 residences."
According to the staff report, the proposed Eisenhower Center will provide a minimum of three 20-cubic-yard containers for cardboard, newspapers, aluminum, plastic, steel and glass. There will be a separate 55-gallon drum for household batteries. No hazardous materials will be collected.
THE CENTER WILL BE accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Containers will be emptied three times per week. The site will be cleaned daily Monday through Friday, according to the application.
Lighting and landscaping will be installed at the site by T&ES. This will enable the center to be on a 24-hour schedule and shield it from view along Eisenhower Avenue. It was unanimously approved.
The other debated matter of the July 2 meeting was a request by Brian and Elizabeth Gibney, 300 S. Lee St., to encroach on the public right-of-way sidewalk to install two window wells in the front of their home, which faces Lee Street.
When the matter came before the Board of Architectural Review (BAR), it denied the request but was overridden by City Council. Commissioner H. Stewart Dunn Jr. stated, "I feel that was an unwise decision."
He then made a motion to defer the Commission's decision until September, expressing the desire that "during the deferral staff will be able to give us more information on this matter." That motion was defeated on a 4-3 vote.
Commission chairman Eric R. Wagner stated, "We have approved many encroachments throughout the city." Commissioner Donna Fossum then moved to approved the application, stating, "This won't set a precedent on anything." It passed on a 5-2 vote.
The primary concern throughout the discussion was how much the window wells would encroach on the public sidewalk. It was noted that they would be less of an obstruction to pedestrian traffic than the existing entrance stoop to the house.