Waterfront Small Area Plan

Waterfront Plan Status

On Saturday January 21, The Alexandria City Council voted 5-2 to approve the Waterfront Small Area Plan. The Plan provides a framework for revitalizing Alexandria’s waterfront through several means, including: incorporating Alexandria’s history as a foundation for planning and design, expanding and enhancing public open spaces, improving public access and connectivity, promoting the waterfront as an arts and cultural destination, ensuring compatible development. On February 25, City Council voted to approve an ordinance that incorporates the Waterfront Small Area Plan into the City’s Master Plan. A second ordinance, which is required to implement the proposed waterfront zoning code changes, is currently pending legal determination. Finalization of the Plan for web-publication is currently underway. The Approval language and associated documents, which constitute the current Plan, can be found below.

The Plan's vision for public access and other amenities is currently undergoing implementation work by an indepartmental team of City staff. First steps include solicitation for design work related to parks and public space as well as a system for flood mitigation in the Waterfront core, from Thompsons Alley to Duke Street.  The City is also in the beginning phases of a study of circulation and transportation along Union Street, as recommended in the Plan.  In addition, the Arts and History communities are working together on compilation of a synthesized plan, reconciling the Alexandria Waterfront Public Art Proposal and the Alexandria Waterfront History Plan in order to form holistic guidance for implementation of these important elements. More information on these and other implementation activities will be made available in the coming weeks and months.

Waterfront Commission

The purpose of the Alexandria Waterfront Commission is to advise the City Council and staff on issues related to Alexandria's historic Potomac River waterfront, and advise on implementation of the Waterfront Small Area Plan. The Commission is composed of 21 members representing a particular neighborhood, community organization, or City committee. The Commission was established by City Council on April 14, 2012, and replaces the Waterfront Committee, which was founded in 1989. The Commission meets the third Tuesday of each month at 7:30 am at City Hall Room 2000, 301 King Street, unless otherwise indicated on the agenda. The public is welcome. For additional information, call 703.746.5500.

Waterfront Plan Approval

Waterfront Plan Executive Summary

Waterfront Plan Extended Summary Document
This document is a more detailed summary of the Updated Draft Waterfront Plan, which was released in June 2011.

Draft Waterfront Plan 
This is the version of the Plan which went to City Council on January 21, 2012. 

Read the City's Press Release for more information on Council's vote (the Action Docket is also posted on Council's Docket page).

City Council adopted the draft waterfront small area plan dated July 2011, incorporating the recommendations from the Planning Commission and the Waterfront Work Group and City staff has outlined in the memo (Staff Report) dated January 17, 2012, as an amendment to the City's Master Plan and a text amendment to the Zoning Ordinance Section 5.500 of the W-1 Waterfront Mixed Use zone, request the City Attorney to prepare the necessary ordinance and direct staff to proceed with implementation planning as directed in the report, with the following amendments: 1. on page 122, add a new sentence at the end of Parking recommendation 4:34 (d), which states: Testing and monitoring the effect of waterfront development on residential parking areas, with the understanding that additional protective measures should be taken to protect those residential areas. Add a new sentence to read: New residential parking controls, such as restricting parking to permit holders after 6:00 p.m., should be considered an implementation priority. 2. Add language to both the permitted and the special use lists in the W-1 zone: Uses that foster art, history and cultural awareness through increased understanding and training, such as museums, schools and cultural institutions. Any use over 5,000 square feet requires a special use permit. 3. add the word "preferably" in Recommendation 3.69 regarding eminent domain. 4. that it limit to two hotels in the whole waterfront plan, with a total limit of 300 rooms with 150 rooms per hotel in the entire W-1 zone. 5. to add specificity to the language so each parcel has the height limits clearly stated in the master plan.  

January 21 City Council  Public Hearing Staff Report and the following attachments:

Missed the meeting?  

• Click here to watch it online. 
• Click here to view the presentation by Staff.

More Information

• Waterfront Plan Work Group (WPWG)
  The WPWG is an 8 member citizen advisory group, formed to identify consesus areas and to identify, categorize, and narrow differences on the concerns raised by residents over the plan.
  • Waterfront Plan Work Group Final Report and Appendices with findings and recommendations
• Information Archive 
  Record of public meetings and other events related to planning activities, and any related documentation, presenations, and videos associated with the events.
• Stay Informed: Subscribe to eNews
  Receive updates, meeting notices, and more information by subscribing to the City's free eNews service.

For more information about the Waterfront Small Area Plan, contact Nancy J. Williams, Principal Planner, Planning & Zoning - 301 King Street, Room 2100, Alexandria, VA 22314 - 703.746.3851 or 703.746.4666

Frequently Asked Questions

• What are the benefits to increased density proposed in the Alexandria Waterfront Plan?
• How was the public involved in developing the Alexandria Waterfront Plan?
• How does the Waterfront Plan reflect what Alexandrians asked for?
• What has been the response to the Plan from Alexandria's appointed boards and commissions?
• How does the Plan address museums and other cultural institutions?
• How does the Waterfront Plan address flooding?
• How does the Plan for Alexandria's waterfront compare to National Harbor?
• How does the Waterfront Plan preserve historic buildings?
• The Plan increases public space along the Waterfront…by how much?
• How much new development would the Plan allow?
• What types of development (housing, retail, hotels) are proposed?
• How quickly can parking problems be addressed?
• Why does the Plan suggest hotels as a redevelopment option?
• The Waterfront Plan shows piers that extend further into the Potomac than existing piers. What is the process for these to be approved?

Planning Area & Goals

• Waterfront plan area - The Waterfront Plan will cover the area from Jones Point Park (where the National Park Service has completed its planning) in the south to Daingerfield Island in the north; approximately, by Union Street (south of Queen Street) and Fairfax Street (north of Queen Street) to the west, and then Bashford Lane out to the George Washington Memorial Parkway north to Daingerfield Island.
• Waterfront Plan Goals

Public Process

The passionate, broad, and high level of interest in this project throughout the Alexandria community has underscored the need for a public process that is as inclusive as possible. Throughout the process, City staff has engaged stakeholders through:

• Informational meetings to identify existing conditions, study other nationally and internationally successful waterfronts, and identify potential opportunities and constraints;
• Interactive meetings to enable interested parties and groups to share their ideas for the Waterfront Plan;
• A series of community workshops to establish values, principles and options for the Waterfront plan; and
• Walking and boat tours of Alexandria Waterfront and waterfronts in other cities.

The City thanks all interested parties for their past and continued participation to the planning process.

News & Media

• July 19, 2011 - Update on City's Efforts to Acquire Public Rights of Way on and Connected to The Strand
  Alexandria City Attorney James L. Banks, Jr. provides an update to the media on the City's efforts to acquire public rights of way on and connected to the Strand, adjacent to the Old Dominion Boat Club.

Click to enlarge this profile view comparison of Old Town Alexandria and National Harbor under the Draft Plan