To the Editor:
The question that should be asked every candidate or City Council or mayor is: What will you do to keep Alexandria from becoming Crystal City?
The essence of Crystal City is tall buildings — office buildings, condominiums, hotels — that tower over people walking along narrow sidewalks below.
The expansion of this type of Crystal City development into Alexandria is most evident driving south along Route 1 past the rapidly rising Potomac Yard development and on down Henry Street past the large buildings now being built or built recently at Pendleton Street, Oronoco Street, and one block west on Fayette.
But the spread of Crystal City-type development is evident also in the BRAC building, the proposed Beauregard Small-Area Plan, and even the Waterfront Plan.
All over the city smaller, more human-scale buildings are being replaced by high-rises. What will you do as City Council member or mayor to stop this trend?
Ted Pulliam
Alexandria