City to Help Fix Up Arlandria

The first Arlandria Code Compliance Walk of the year took place from 9 to 11 AM on Thursday, April 23. There was great city staff turnout to the walk, representing a solid show of support for the community improvement itch. CPT Eddie Reyes organized and led the walk, and we had representation from Planning and Zoning, the Sheriff's office, Alexandria Police, and the Alexandria Fire Department, to name a few.

City Councilman Rob Krupicka showed up for the event kickoff. He offered supportive words that spoke to the progress that has been made in the area as well as the hope that continued improvements and redevelopment would lift up Arlandria residents to a better quality of life.

The walk itself turned up many actions to resolve on both public and private property. It turned into more than a Code Compliance walk, as the city piled up a hefty list of things they themselves need to fix. Some recurring themes were cracked curbs, displaced pavers, weeds and unkempt shrubs, and illegal postings on utility poles and vacant storefronts. City staff was very receptive and promised that action items would receive follow-through in the near-term. All in all, staff documented 36 action items on the official list, with members of different departments noting other small items that fall into their purview. I'll post that when I get my hands on it. We'll be sure to keep them on task and check back on progress in coming weeks and months.


CPT Reyes also mentioned he wants to lead additional Code Compliance walks in the coming months to cover the rest of Arlandria and its many neighborhoods. The next one will likely take place in about a month and will focus on points east of Mt. Vernon Ave (Hume Springs, E. Reed Avenue, and hopefully Lynhaven). CPT Reyes said he'll try and figure out a way to host some walks on weekends, though that would likely decrease city staff attendance, somewhat.

On a related note, Open Space coordinator Laura Durham suggested residents volunteer under the Adopt-A-Garden program to create and maintain temporary gardens in front of the four purchased lots that will eventually be part of the Four Mile Run Park expansion (planning for which will be kicked off in the next month). Stay tuned for more on that topic.