CIRS Mold Toxicity Treatment in Alexandria, VA

Residents will attend a Land Use Committee meeting on Tuesday to make their voices heard.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The ongoing battle over data centers in Northern Virginia continues this week in Alexandria. We have been reporting on several data center proposals for months, and they have all brought a lot of controversy. Some consider them an economic driver, while those who live next door to them say they are a nuisance.

Neighbors in Alexandria are the latest in our area to try to stop construction of a data center there. Residents will attend a Land Use Committee meeting on Tuesday to make their voices heard.

It's the second time neighbors will put up a fight against the same developer. They thought they succeeded in stopping construction, but the developer changed plans to a smaller footprint that gives them by-rights use. It's meant to fast-track approval, and means neighbors will not have a say.

One of those residents speaking out, and trying to change the law, is Rebecca Gomez.

"Back here is where the data center will be," Gomez said, looking off her balcony.

She lives just behind the site where developer Starwood Capital Group wants to build a 446,000 square-foot data center. She doesn't think it's the right fit for the area, and construction could be a hassle. Gomez just had a baby.

"My primary concern for the newborn is that the constant sound would negatively impact him," she said.

We reached out to Starwood Capital Group, but they have yet to respond. Gomez and others wonder if enough is being done to regulate data centers.

"We have talked to Alexandria City, Fairfax County and the developers and because this is a by-right development, the developers aren't willing to speak with us," Gomez said.

Mason District Supervisor Andres Jimenez responded to our request for comment with the following statement:

"The Bren Mar location's by-right land use designation was decided before I took office in January. Nevertheless, I made it a priority to closely monitor Fairfax County's proposed data centers."

Jeffrey McKay, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors, echoed those sentiments in a letter he sent to constituents. It explained that zoning laws could be amended to address data centers, but even if that is proposed it would not be in time for this one.

"If the submitted plan meets all requirements, it must be approved," McKay wrote.

"I'm really disappointed. I really think there's an opportunity here to assuage our concerns. If the primary concern is noise, and that's something that's going to be fixed, why not talk to us," Gomez said.

In a report last year, we verified the type of noise these data centers emit are low frequency sounds, however they are harder to silence, can be more annoying and even pose health risks.

RELATED: What’s all the data center noise about?

RELATED: Battle over 'Digital Gateway' continues in Prince William County as Board is expected to make a decision

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Explore the city as a laboratory with architecture and urban design programs for undergraduate and graduate students

Welcome to the Washington Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC)

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Located in historic Alexandria, VA, less than eight miles from Washington, DC, the WAAC offers a unique professional learning environment with an interdisciplinary, international, individual focus. Our pedagogy emphasizes freedom and responsibility as partners in ethical design practice. Students have the freedom to choose their own studio and thesis projects, then take on the responsibility to realize those projects. We inspire students to chart their own career paths and become the architects or urban designers they want to become.

How to Study at the WAAC

The WAAC accepts master's and doctoral students, in addition to undergraduate students in their fourth or fifth years of study.

View Work from Our Students!

Selected WAAC Master's Thesis Projects

Facilities

The WAAC allows students to address the complexities of urban areas, using the Washington metropolitan area as a resource laboratory for design and research. All of our facilities are located within the Old Town district of Alexandria, VA, within a historic urban campus.

Student Activities

Firm Advisory Board

The WAAC Firm Advisory Board is open by invitation to a select group of design firms in the Washington metropolitan region and meets regularly to exchange ideas about the ways in which academia and the profession can work together on all the wicked problems facing the world.

Contact the WAAC

Please e-mail Stephanie Woodson, administrative and program coordinator, at rwsteph@vt.edu for general inquiries or requests to schedule a visit.

Follow the WAAC on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook.

Make a Gift to the WAAC

Donate directly to the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center. Enter the amount you would like to donate, then follow the prompts on the form to complete the process.

All of us at the WAAC – students, staff, and faculty alike – thank you for your generous support!

In 1953, the City of Alexandria in Virginia adopted an ordinance that said streets running in North-South directions had to be named for Confederate military leaders. But now, some of the street names that resulted from that ordinance will be changed.

“We named streets and other contexts, we named parks,” said city council woman Sarah Bagley, who serves on the Naming Committee. “And so I took up what I saw as the mayor’s charge to us that we should be leading this effort with public feedback.”

The name change proposal came about last year from Mayor Justin Wilson. There are at least 41 streets in Alexandria that are associated with Confederate military members.

During a meeting on Jan. 9, the City Council finalized a plan to rename or rededicate four of those streets.

The Naming Committee, composed of Bagley, Councilman John Taylor Chapman and Councilwoman Alyia Gaskins, worked with the Historic Alexandria Resources Commission to generate a list of individuals and locations worthy of honor by the City.

The ordinance, which was officially adopted on Jan. 20, will rename North Breckinridge Place after the founder of Alexandria’s first school for free Black children, Harriet Jacobs.

Forrest Street will become Forest Street and North and South Jordan Streets and Jordan Court will be rededicated in honor of Thomasina E. Jordan, an Alexandria resident who became the first Native American to serve in the U.S. Electoral College.

North and South Early Streets will each get an extra “e” in the name for the U.S. Army’s highest-ranking Black woman officer during World War II Lt. Col. Charity Earley.

Prior to the vote, city residents were given the opportunity to provide public testimony on the ordinance.

“We need to realize and recognize that our city made a failure in naming the streets as such, but by rededication allows us to close those wounds,” said one man named John who lives just off North Jordan Street.

Susan Cole lives on North Early Street, she said she’s concerned about the issues that could arise from changing street names.

“Personally, I have a ninety-year-old mother and a husband at home and I work full time. I am the caretaker to both of them,” Cole said. “And I can’t even fathom trying to do a name change for all the documents for my mother and for myself.”

But others, such as Fran Vogel who’s also a resident of North Early Street, found themselves in the middle.

“We still bear the burden of effort, time and costs of change of address — which is considerable,” Vogel said. “That said, renaming Early with the spelling E-A-R-L-E-Y preserves the sense of place, eradicates the association with the Confederacy giving new meaning that is unrelated to Civil War history and results in a change all can embrace.”

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If your New Year resolution is a new career, look no further for competitive wages, health benefits, paid leave, retirement savings and more in 2024!

ALEXANDRIA, VA — The United States Postal Service, consistently named one of the most trusted brands in America, is hiring motivated and dynamic individuals to help us Deliver for America in Alexandria.

Accepting a position with the United States Postal Service is the first step that could lead to a long, fulfilling career with a dynamic, forward-thinking organization committed to delivering for the American people.

If you like working outside or prefer inside, we have openings for various positions, such as city carrier associates, rural carriers, personnel support employees, mail processing and maintenance just to name a few.

Various craft and management opportunities are available after you receive a career appointment. If you have a skillset, with more than 2,000 different job titles, we more than likely have positions that align. Don’t have a skillset? Not a problem, we offer free on-the-job training.

To learn more, the Postal Service invites job seekers to attend the following USPS job fair to fill immediate openings:

Friday, Jan. 12, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Alexandria Post Office 5900 Barclay Street Alexandria, Virginia 22315

To assist potential applicants, USPS personnel will be onsite at the job fair to provide detailed information about available positions and to answer questions about starting pay and benefits. Applications are accepted online only at www.usps.com/careers. Applicants must be 18 years of age and be able to pass drug screening and a background investigation. Applicants must be available to work weekends and holidays. See job postings at www.usps.com/careers for full details for duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Job postings are updated frequently, so check back often for additional opportunities.

Delivering For America

The Postal Service is entering its fourth year of the Delivering For America (DFA), 10-Year Plan. If your news outlet is interested in interviewing a postal official about the progress made since the implementation of the DFA, please contact Mark Wahl at mark.a.wahl@usps.gov. To read the DFA plan: Introduction: Delivering for America: Our ten-year plan - about.usps.com.

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ALEXANDRIA, VA — Preparations are being made for a winter storm Friday night into Thursday in Alexandria.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory for much of the region and winter storm warning for some areas north and south of DC. Alexandria has the chance for 2 to 5 inches of snow. In the heaviest snow bands, 1 to 2 inches of snow per hour could fall for several hours.

The City of Alexandria is responsible for clearing its roadways, while the Virginia Department of Transportation handles interstates. The city's Department of Transportation and Environmental Services crews have mobilized equipment and pre-treated roads with a focus on bridges, hills and overpasses. Crews working 12-hour shifts will respond to snow and ice conditions for the duration of the storm.

Primary routes, including snow emergency routes, are cleared first, followed by secondary streets, intermediate streets and residential streets. Primary routes are considered major routes through the city. Secondary routes can include local and neighborhood streets and most Metro and DASH bus routes. Intermediate streets are those requiring extra attention in winter weather, such as streets with hills. The last priority is other residential streets near homes.

Residents can see the status of snow removal at apps.alexandriava.gov/SnowReport. For updates on interstates cleared by VDOT, visit vdotplows.org.

Find out what's happening in Old Town Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

If a snow emergency is declared, vehicle owners should move their vehicles off snow emergency routes.

Snow emergency routes include:

Property owners are responsible for clearing their sidewalks, driveways and entrances. Snow and ice must be cleared from all paved sidewalks on the property within a certain amount of time under the city code. A violation could result in a $50 fine. If a Level 1 storm is declared (8 inches of snow or less), property owners have 24 hours to clear snow after the snow stops. Violations can be reported to Alexandria's 311 or 703-746-4311.

Due to temperatures forecast at freezing and below freezing, the city's Winter Shelter at 2355-A Mill Rd. will be open starting at 7 p.m. Friday through 12 p.m. Sunday. Recreation centers and Alexandria Libraries also serve as warming centers when open.

Residents needing assistance with city services should use the Alex311 website, Alex311 mobile app or @AlexandriaVA311 social media. Emergencies should be reported to 911. For updates on weather, subscribe to the city's news at alexandriava.gov/eNews.

DASH Bus riders should check for updates on dashbus.com, the DASH Trip Planner or DASH's Facebook and X/Twitter channels.

The city government recommends the following tips during winter storms: