1. Calling the Roll. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Euille, and the City Clerk called the roll. All members of Council were present. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ New Business Item No. 1: Mayor Euille noted the passing of former City employee Moses A. Simmons who passed away on December 8. Mr. Simmons retired from the Department of Parks and Recreation after 32 years of service. 2. Public Discussion Period. (a) Annabelle Fisher, 5001 Seminary Road, spoke about the hiring and firing policies for City staff and the City's method for hiring upper management staff, which should include criminal background checks, in-depth background checks, reference checks and newspaper checks. Ms. Fisher asked the City Manager to review the hiring process and make necessary changes and report back to Council in January 2012. (b) Kathleen Burns, 1036 N. Pelham Street, spoke in support of Council's request to keep the Alexandria Post Offices open, particularly the post office on Seminary. Ms. Burns spoke in opposition to the scheduled January 21 vote on the Waterfront, and she said the entire Waterfront should be considered for a complete plan rather than a piecemeal approach. She also asked for reconsideration of the 7:00 a.m. hearings scheduled for the Park and Recreation Commission. Ms. Burns thanked T&ES for the quick overnight and daytime parking regulations and the completion of tree trimming on Pellum and Polk. (c) Ms. Sandy Mejias, 529 Oronoco Street, said she and her husband own the Olde Town School for Dogs, and she requested that Council rescind the ordinance banning electronic leashes as a means of physical restraint. She said they were not notified that the hearing would take place or she would have attended. She said many people who use the remote collars are responsible dog owners who have spent time and effort to train their dogs on them. She said they are interested in revisiting the issue and she asked Council to consider looking at possibly doing an amendment for professional dog trainers where if the dog is in a professional obedience class, they are allowed to be off leash. City Council moved to rescind the ordinance and send it back to staff for reconsideration for possible amendments, such as the allowance for professional dog training schools to use it. Staff, the Animal Welfare League and interested citizens should get together, talk about changes to the ordinance, and have it come back to Council in March. (d) Kevin Beekman, 3905 Elbert Avenue, on behalf of the Four Mile Run Farmers Market, an all volunteer run group that operates the Four Mile Run Farms and Artisans Market in Four Mile Run Park in Arlandria, presented the City Manager with a check for $1,000.00 to be used to continue the revitalization expansion of the Four Mile Run Park. He said they thank Laura Durham, the City's Open Space Coordinator, who has done a fantastic job, and the folks in the City and Arlington, who work together for the Four Mile Run Restoration Plan. (e) Poul Hertel, 1217 Michigan Court, read from the 1992 Small Area Plan relating to the Waterfront concerning the zoning of the remaining parcel being commercial residential mixed use. Mr. Hertel said the current plan is voluminous, and it encompasses a different concept from other small area plans. He said there is talk about hotels in the report but they are recommended and not in the guidelines. He said this is about a text amendment giving full flexibility to the developers in return for the guidelines. He spoke of a letter submitted by Duncan Blair asking for changes to the guidelines that was never made public. He said Mr. Blair is just doing his job, but he asked, is the City. (f) Gant Redman, 3800 Seminary Road, thanked everyone for its interest in the Seminary Post Office situation. He said he has submitted information with the Postal Service authorities. He said the decision by the Postal Service has been put off until May of next year, but its important. He said Congress has the power to provide the funding and the guidelines for a profitable operation. It has the profit, it has a 60 percent operating profit and they cannot disregard that, and it services a great area of the West End. (g) Kathryn Papp, 504 Cameron Street, requested an environmental impact study for the Waterfront Plan. She said an environmental impact study can help to develop decision tools that can make for better long-term costly investments. She said there are issues with toxics, flooding, stormwater run-off, air quality, and the Environmental Policy Commission should have been informing on it. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES ACTION CONSENT CALENDAR (3-4) Planning Commission 3. ENCROACHMENT #2011-0004 923 KING STREET Public Hearing and Consideration of a request for encroachments into the public right-of-way; zoned KR/King Street Retail. Applicant: Seyed Hossein Shoja-Maddahi represented Duncan Blair, attorney. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Recommend Approval 6-0 4. DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0017 1200 NORTH QUAKER LANE -- EPISCOPAL HIGH SCHOOL TOWNSEND HALL EXPANSION Public Hearing and Consideration of a request for a development special use permit, with site plan, to expand an existing private school, zoned R-20/Residential. Applicant: The Protestant Episcopal High School in Virginia represented by Duncan Blair, attorney. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Recommend Approval 6-0 END OF ACTION CONSENT CALENDAR City Council adopted the consent calendar, as follows: 3. City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendation. 4. City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES (continued) Planning Commission (continued) 5. SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0067 2702 KING STREET -- CHILD CARE HOME Public Hearing and Consideration of a request to operate a child care home; zoned R8/Residential. Applicant: Jason Middough PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Recommend Approval w/amendments 6-0 City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 6. SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0063 3310 HOLLY STREET - SUBSTANDARD LOT CONSTRUCTION Public Hearing and Consideration of a request to construct a single family dwelling on a substandard lot; zoned R-8/Single Family. Applicant: Alabama Ave., LC represented by Stephen Kulinski PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Recommend Approval w/amendments 6-0 City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendation. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 7. MASTER PLAN AMENDMENT #2011-0007; REZONING #2011-0002; DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0015; TMP SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0060 3526 KING STREET -- SAFEWAY ON KING Public Hearing and Consideration of requests for: (A) an amendment to the Fairlington/Bradlee Small Area Plan to change the land use designation of the property from CG/Commercial General to OC/Office Commercial with a proffer; (B) a rezoning from CG to OC with a proffer; (C) a development special use permit, with site plan, to construct a grocery store and a retail building with modification and SUP approval for a retail shopping facility greater than 20,000 sq. ft. and a parking reduction; and (D) a transportation management plan SUP; zoned CG/Commercial General. Applicant: Safeway, Inc., represented by Duncan Blair, attorney. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: MPA #2011-0007 Adopted Resolution 6-0 REZ #2011-0002 Recommend Approval w/amendments 6-0 DSUP #2011-0015 Recommend Approval w/amendments 6-0 TMP SUP #2011-0060 Recommend Approval w/amendments 6-0 City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendations. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ 8. CDD CONCEPT PLAN #2011-0005; DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2009-0016; TMP SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0058; COORDINATED SIGN SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0070 3809 - 3839 MOUNT VERNON AVENUE, 3907 BRUCE STREET - MOUNT VERNON VILLAGE CENTER Public Hearing and Consideration of a request for: (A) a CDD concept plan approval; (B) a development special use permit, with site plan, to construct a mixed use project with residential and ground floor retail with zoning modifications and SUP approval for a building height increase in exchange for affordable housing units under Section 7-700; (C) a transportation management plan; and (D) a coordinated sign program; zoned CDD#6/Coordinated Development District 6. Applicant: Arlandria Center, LLC represented by Duncan Blair, attorney. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: CDD #2011-0005 Recommend Approval 6-0 DSUP #2009-0016 Recommend Approval w/amendments 6-0 TMP SUP #2011-0058 Recommend Approval w/amendments 6-0 COORDINATED SIGN SUP #2011-0070 Recommend Approval 6-0 City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendations. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ (Vice Mayor Donley recused himself from item #9 due a conflict and left the meeting at this time - 3:36 p.m.) 9. MASTER PLAN AMENDMENT #2011-0008 CDD CONCEPT PLAN #2011-0006 DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0022 998 NORTH ALFRED STREET;1000 FIRST STREET - JAMES BLAND BLOCK F Public Hearing and Consideration of requests for: (A) an amendment to the Braddock East Master Plan to increase building height; (B) an amendment to a CDD Concept Plan to increase the height of one building; and (C) an amendment to DSUP #2011-0003 to increase the height of one building and to construct three multi-family buildings; zoned CDD#16/Coordinated Development District 16. Applicants: Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority and GPB Associates, LLC c/o EYA represented by Kenneth Wire, attorney PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: MPA #2011-0008 Adopted Resolution 6-0 CDD #2011-0006 Recommend Approval 6-0 DSUP #2011 -0022 Recommend Approval 6-0 City Council approved the Planning Commission recommendations. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS None. OTHER 10. Consideration of City Council Schedule. City Council adopted the schedule, noting the following schedule of additional FY 2013 budget work sessions: February 22, March 7, March 21, March 28, April 11 and April 30; noted the change of the date of the Tuesday, June 12 legislative meeting to Wednesday, June 13 due to a conflict with the primary election scheduled for Tuesday, June 12; and noted the investiture ceremony for incoming Circuit Court Judge James Clark is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 19 at the Alexandria Courthouse. Council Action:_________________________________________________________ REPORTS OF BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES (continued) DEFERRAL/WITHDRAWAL CONSENT CALENDAR Planning Commission (continued) 11. CDD CONCEPT PLAN #2011-0008 DEVELOPMENT SPECIAL USE PERMIT #2011-0030 SPECIAL USE PERMIT TMP #2011-0076 520 SOUTH VAN DORN STREET; 631 and 641 SOUTH PICKETT STREET- LANDMARK GATEWAY Public Hearing and Consideration of requests for: (A) an amendment to a CDD concept plan (CDD #2008-0003) to reduce retail space and to change building footprints and open space; (B) amendments to a development special use permit (DSUP #2006-0021), with site plan, to reduce retail space, increase residential units, and make adjustments to the building footprint and garage configuration, with SUP amendments for a parking reduction and an extension of time of validity; and (C) amendments to a transportation management plan; zoned CDD#17/Coordinated Development District 17. Applicant: Mill Creek Residential Trust, LLC represented by Howard Middleton, attorney. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: Deferred without objection City Council noted the deferral. Council Action:_________________________________________________________