As other cities and states are making it more difficult for women to access abortion services, Alexandria is making it easier for abortion providers to operate.
The Alexandria City Council unanimously voted last week to ensure there were no zoning-related impediments against health care providers who provide abortion services and may want to operate in commercial and mixed-use zones in the City of Alexandria. They did so by adding language and changing definitions in old zoning codes.
City Council’s Resolution No. 3087 was adopted in June 2022. At that point, the resolution requested "…that the City Manager work with the Director of Planning & Zoning, in consultation with the City Attorney, to review existing land-use regulations regarding the operation of a clinic providing abortion services, and bring forward for consideration Zoning Text Amendments to ensure unfettered administrative approval in any commercial or mixed-use zone.”
In the past several months, according to a city staff memo: "Staff has identified inconsistencies in healthcare-related use definitions that should be amended to ensure that medical offices and clinics, including those that provide abortion services, can be approved by-right in commercial and mixed-use zones."
The vote on April 15 adopted amendments to remove those inconsistencies. The memo encouraged city council to allow zoning to include the phrase "'abortion services' in both the health profession office and medical care facility definitions. This way, by-right approval of abortion services would not be contingent on a staff determination and therefore less open to appeals."
Several people spoke both for and against the move at Saturday's city council meeting. In addition, dozens of residents and interested businesses sent letters to city council members ahead of the vote.
Mayor Justin Wilson pointed out that many of those who are against abortion were happy last year when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and effectively put abortion legislation in the hands of states and localities.
“You asked us to make decisions on that, and we’re making decisions on it now. Ultimately, if you disagree with the decisions that state and local policymakers make on this issue, we have elections and you can resolve it with those elections," Wilson said. "But ultimately, we’re making decisions that we believe are in alignment with the values of our community.”
