The Alexandria City Council Saturday morning approved the Braddock West development, which earlier this year drew controversy and a lawsuit.
The vote allows West Street Acquisitions, LLC to build a 180-unit multifamily building across West Street from the Braddock Road Metro station. It will include 14 affordable units and retail space at street level. City Council member Mo Seifeldein was the only council member who voted against the development.
The request by West Street Acquisitions, LLC to build a large multifamily residential building across West Street from the Braddock Road Metro Station was denied in a 4-3 vote by City Council in March. The project had been deferred multiple times before finally making it onto the March 13 city council docket, due to issues surrounding the ownership of two alleys on the site, plus stormwater and sanitary concerns. Additional concerns about the scope of development and outreach to neighbors led four council members to vote against the project in March.
On April 27, city council passed a resolution to vacate the March 13 vote, clearing the way for the council to reconsider the development. Such a move is very rare, but Mayor Justin Wilson said Saturday, “Procedurally we have hit the rewind button.”
The land is currently occupied primarily by single-family homes along West Street and Wythe Street.
At Saturday’s city council meeting, several residents spoke in favor of the development, including Braddock Metro Citizens’ Coalition President Judy Noritake, who said, “It is certainly appropriate here.”
Resident Ann Shack asked for a pause or delay in the development to allow the city to catch up on some infrastructure projects in the area, which can experience flooding during heavy rain events.
The developer has agreed to install a 12-inch sanitary sewer line that will connect to the Potomac Yard system, which will alleviate pressure on sanitary systems to the west of the property in the Rosemont and Del Ray areas. In addition, the developer plans to use permeable surfaces and other measures to ensure the property does not contribute to storm water issues in that floodplain.
Resident John Craig, who lives on North West Street, has filed a lawsuit to seek judicial enforcement of local ordinances that require city council to wait a year before reconsidering development applications. That case may be heard later this year.
Pending the lawsuit, site planning and building permits, groundbreaking would not occur until sometime in late 2022 at the earliest.
