January 23, 2021 Alexandria City Council301 King StreetAlexandria, VA 22314 RE: Support for Accessory Dwelling Units in Alexandria Dear Mayor Wilson and Members of City Council: Please accept these comments on behalf of the Coalition for Smarter Growth (CSG), the leading organization in the DC region advocating for walkable, inclusive,

We urge you to approve the Heritage at Old Town. Alexandria has lost over 90% of its affordable housing over the past two decades. We face a housing affordability crisis in Alexandria and neighboring jurisdictions. Multiple studies demonstrate that we need both more supply and more long-term committed affordable units. This project provides both. Supply is critical to avoid displacement, and a range of tools are needed including leveraging land value and density to ensure we create more affordable units.

Coalition for Smarter Growth March 14, 2019 Arlington County Board Suite #300 2100 Clarendon Blvd Arlington, VA 22201 Re:  Amazon incentive package and community needs Dear Chair Dorsey and members of the Board: The Coalition for Smarter Growth is the leading non-profit in the DC region advocating a network of

I am a also a strong historic preservationist, which is what attracted me to Alexandria in 1988. The rich African-American history Parker-Gray and our city, and the bravery of the residents who fought for freedom and equality resonates deeply with me and should continue to be documented, promoted and honored -- as is done so well by the Alexandria Black History Museum.

We strongly support the proposed ordinance, which proposes to establish a legal permitting process for accessory apartments. We commend the County for recognizing the potential of accessory units as an important opportunity to address the County’s tremendous housing shortfall–for households at all income levels. Accessory Dwelling unit permissions are recognized as a national best practice for mature, single-family housing neighborhoods like in Arlington.