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Photo by Mellenie Runion
(L-R): Councilman Paul C. Smedberg, Beth Tuttle, Mayor Allison Silberberg and Councilwoman Del Pepper
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Nicole Smith, property manager of Lerner Excelsior Tower (Commercial Beautification Award), along with Beautification Commission members (from left to right), Kevin Dunne, Cathleen Curtin, Carol Maxwell, Denise Tennant, and Joseph Crowell
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Beth Tuttle, president of the American Horticultural Society
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Members of The Old Dominion Boat Club (Winner of Excellence in Architecture), and architect Michael Winstanley, with Mayor Allison Silberberg, Councilman Paul C. Smedberg and Councilwoman Del Pepper
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Chief Michael Brown and Captain Monica Lisle of the Alexandria Police Department (Winner in Sustainable Design), along with Mayor Allison Silberberg, Councilman Paul C. Smedberg, and Councilwoman Del Pepper
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Members of the Alexandria Beautification Commission at The Lyceum (from left to right): Mellenie Runion, Carol Maxwell, Monica J. Murphy, Cathleen Curtin, Anna Smith Lacey, Archer Heinzen, Mary Ensch, Christina Mazurkevich, Julie Moore, Denise Tennant (Chair), Kathryn Chiasson, Joseph Crowell (Secretary), Dana Holmstrand (Vice Chair), Kevin Dunne, Erich Veitenheimer III
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Members of North Ridge Citizens Association (Green Practices in Beautification Award)
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Dave Vodvarka and Eunhee Roth (Residential Beautification Award), along with Mayor Allison Silberberg, Councilman Paul C. Smedberg, and Councilwoman Del Pepper
Photos by Mellenie Runion
It may be wintertime, but many of Alexandria's residents, businesses, community groups and others are probably thinking about ways to beautify their surroundings and the City at large come springtime.
In case you missed it, the Alexandria Beautification Commission held its annual Beautification Awards ceremony recently at the Lyceum in Old Town Alexandria. The theme: “How Green Spaces Improve the Quality of Life.”
Then-Mayor Allison Silberberg and members of City Council, Del Pepper and Paul Smedberg, presented the winners with their award certificates.
“This is one of my favorite events of the year," Silberberg said. "Beautification is crucial.”
"It takes a team effort, and the Alexandria Beautification Commission is a big part of that," she said. Silberberg thanked the honorees and the Commission for their hard work. “We are the winners here in Alexandria," she said. "We are beneficiaries of your devotion to beautification.”
Commission member, Anna Smith Lacey, announced this year’s
“This year, we are seeing a new and encouraging trend," she said. "We are seeing the City, local businesses, residents and communities coming together to create sustainable landscapes that not only create beauty, but also improve quality of life.”
Awards were presented in six categories:
Excellence in Architecture:
- 200 Strand St., The Old Dominion Boat Club
- 1407 Russell Road, formerly known as The Halloween House
Excellence in Sustainable Design
1505 Cameron St., Jefferson-Houston School
3600 Wheeler Ave., Alexandria Police Department
Green Practices in Beautification
- North Ridge Citizens Association
Community Beautification
- 1 Canal Center Plaza, Canal Center Plaza
- 4510 Duke St., Valvoline
- 5800 Quantrell Avenue, Lerner Excelsior Tower
Residential Beautification
- 4 Bellefonte Ave.
- 8 Potomac Court
- 107 Mount Vernon Ave.
- 1310 Bishop Lane
- 704 Grandview Drive
- 116 W. Mason Ave.
- 2291 N. Chambliss St.
- 5477 Fillmore Ave.
- 1060 Palmer Place
- 1000 North Terrill St.
Commercial Beautification
Potomac Greens Circle
Friends of Little Park
In her keynote address, Beth Tuttle, president of the American Horticultural Society, said “Beautification is full of power and potential. The process of beautifying our cities builds communities that are more resilient, more connected, healthier and more equitable.”
Tuttle spoke about the notion of cultivating resilience, which is the capacity to persist and solve problems and to adapt in the face of the challenging circumstances. “When we employ sustainable design, as many of tonight’s honorees are doing, and as we continue to work on the City of Alexandria’s initiative, science tells us that we are creating good conditions for both environmental and social psychological resilience," she said.
Tuttle explained that through urban green spaces, such as gardens and parks, we build community. By creating these neutral spaces for people to come together, “a sense of connectedness and ownership emerges as a result," she said. "It begins to foster greater trust, cooperation and sense of reciprocity among individuals. All of these are absolutely critical components of any well-functioning society.”
“The evening was a wonderful celebration of excellence in beautification,” remarked Christina Mazurkevich, Commission member and real estate agent. “It was about gratitude and recognizing those who do greater good to benefit all of us – our environment, our well-being, and thereby making Alexandria a more beautiful place.”
About the Alexandria Beautification Award categories:
- Excellence in Architecture is awarded for new construction, additions, improvements, and historical renovations.
- Excellence in Sustainable Design is awarded for new construction and improvements for factors such as the use of renewable energy, rainwater capture/filtering, the use of native/noninvasive plants, contribution to tree canopy, and contributions to community open space.
- Green Practices in Beautification recognizes individual or group efforts that promote sustainability in beautification.
- Community Beautification is a recognition of individual or group efforts that promote beautification in the community.
- Residential Beautification recognizes homes that contribute to the beautification of the City through landscaping and architecture.
About the Alexandria Beautification Commission
The Alexandria Beautification Commission was established to advise City Council and facilitate community efforts to improve the City of Alexandria’s architectural and landscape environments. The Commission works in collaboration with the City of Alexandria Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities. Its mission is to promote the beautification of the City of Alexandria through landscaping, architecture and sustainability. The Commission sponsors the Alexandria Beautification Awards each year.
