A note from Potomac Greens’ PYMIG liaison Steve Crime:

December 6, 2018
By Steve Crime, Potomac Greens Liaison to PYMIG

Today I received an e-mail from City Staff that provides an update to matters related to the Potomac Yard Metro Station

Upcoming Meetings. Key meetings related to the Metro Station will be held by the Planning Commission on Dec 6^th, at 7PM in the Council Chambers and by the City Council on December 15^th, at 9:30am in the Council Chambers. The next PYMIG Meeting date/time/location is still TBD.

Special Tax District. The City Council will consider a recommendation by City Staff to eliminate the Tier II Special Tax District which only applies to residential properties in Potomac Yard. Staff anticipates increased property values in Potomac Yard due to Amazon & VA Tech will provide the revenues necessary to eliminate the need for the Tier II District. Potomac Greens was formerly part of the Tier II District but was removed in May 2011. Our inclusion in the Tier II District would have added a 10% premium to our annual property tax bills. There has been a continuing concern by a few of our residents that we might be added back into the Tier II District. I urge them and all other residents to attend the City Council Legislative Meeting on December 11^th at 7pm in Council Chambers and the City Council Public Hearing on December 15^th at 9:30am to speak in support of the recommendation to eliminate the Tier II District.

The full text of the e-mail I received from City Staff follows:

“Dear PYMIG Members

We wanted to remind you of upcoming key dates for meetings with the Planning Commission and City Council regarding the Development Special Use Permit (DSUP) Amendment:

• December 6, 2018 – Planning Commission (7pm, Council Chambers, Agenda Item #2) – Public Hearing and consideration of DSUP and Site plan to amend the previously approved Potomac Yard Metro Station http://legistar.granicus.com/alexandria/meetings/2018/12/1959_A_Planning_Commission_18-12-06_Docket.pdf

• December 15, 2018 – Council (9:30am, Council Chambers) – Public Hearing and consideration of Development Special Use Permit (DSUP) and Site plan to amend the previously approved Potomac Yard Metro Station

Additional updates on items associated with the Project are also coming before City Council at the December 11 Legislative Meeting (7pm, Council Chambers):

• City Council will be considering an amendment to the Wetland Mitigation Agreement between the City and National Parks Service (NPS). As has been discussed at previous PYMIG meetings, the current agreement, dated November 1, 2016, provides for the mitigation of permanent impacts of up to 4.37 acres of wetlands under the jurisdiction of NPS by compensation of $1 million per permanently impacted acre of wetlands; up to a maximum of $4.37 million. The Agreement calls for the mitigation to occur at Dyke Marsh, as requested by NP at that time.

• While the first phase of the Dyke Marsh project is proceeding, the restoration of the marsh has not been approved at this time through the permitting process with the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). Because of this uncertainty, NPS has requested that the Agreement be modified. The Agreement is proposed to be revised to remove Dyke Marsh as the stated location of the mitigation and to add language allowing NPS to determine an alternate mitigation location, based on their established criteria. The City pressed this issue with NPS, and NPS doesn’t believe that Potomac Yard mitigation monies will be able to be used at Dyke Marsh.

• City Council will also be considering a recommendation to eliminate the Tier II Special Tax District and hold a public hearing on that ordinance change on December 15. An increase in property values anticipated due to the Amazon / Virginia Tech Innovation Campus announcements are expected to generate the additional revenues from this special tax district, negating the need for the district. This change to the City Code will come before Council on December 11 for a first reading and be scheduled for a public hearing and final consideration on December 15.

• City Council will consider amendments to the Memorandum of Understanding with North Potomac Yard to reschedule to Phase II a portion of developer contributions in order to incentivize office, hotel and retail development services on the movie theater site.

Staff will reach out to PYMIG members in the coming weeks to schedule the next meeting in January.

Steve Sindiong, AICP
Transit Capital Program Manager, Transportation & Environmental Services
City of Alexandria, Virginia”