PROPOSED EISENHOWER AVENUE FIRE STATION FACILITY
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From: Your Name <you@example.com>
To: william.euille@alexandriava.gov
Subject: PROPOSED EISENHOWER AVENUE FIRE STATION FACILITY
Dear Mayor Euille, Members of City Council, and City Manager Hartmann,
The Eisenhower Public/Private Partnership recently met with members of the City General Services Administration, Fire Department, and Police Department on March 24, 2010 to discuss the design-build solicitation for a proposed low-rise facility that incorporates a new fire station, shooting range, and impound lot on the Cityââ¬â¢s property at 5249 Eisenhower Avenue.
Given this propertyââ¬â¢s walking proximity to the Van Dorn Metro Station, we believe that the City is clearing a path that would perpetually foreclose the economic development potential of this property as a high-density mixed-use development. Building this facility across the street from Metro would be a highly inefficient use of taxpayer assets (in a challenging budget year), as it would not capture the full economic development value of the property. Additionally, it would blunt the Cityââ¬â¢s efforts to capitalize on fiscal opportunities that will follow a successful lease-up of Victory Center.
In December 2007 City Council unanimously passed the Recommendations of the Mayorââ¬â¢s Economic Sustainability Work Group, which recognized that:
* ââ¬ÅMetrorail is the most underutilized asset in which the City has made a substantial investment and has not received a full returnââ¬Â and that the City should focus on ââ¬Åcaptur[ing] the full economic development potential of the Cityââ¬â¢s Metrorail Stations.ââ¬Â
* The City should ââ¬Åmake economics part of [the] land use decision process.ââ¬Â
* ââ¬ÅModel density on best practices such as the retail/office/residential redeveloped Clarendon area in Arlington County...ââ¬Â
* ââ¬ÅThe City should look to determine if the current uses planned for properties it owns represents the most efficient utilization of the propertyââ¬Â and ââ¬Åparcels the City owns in commercial areas or high land value areas should receive special focus.ââ¬Â
* ââ¬ÅThe City should sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of propertiesââ¬Â¦ after determining the highest-and-best-use of those properties.ââ¬Â
While we donââ¬â¢t disagree that thereââ¬â¢s a need for a fire station in the western end of the City, building a low-rise 40,000 square foot non-Metro dependent facility on this three-acre property represents a density of 0.30 FAR, and a very inefficient utilization of taxpayer assets for a property that is one block from the Van Dorn Metro Station. The most efficient use would be to sell the property for development of a high-rise mixed-use or commercial building, with a 4.0 FAR density reflective of its mass-transit location. At such a density the property could accommodate about 525,000 SF of taxable real estate for the City of Alexandria. Assuming the tax benefit per square foot to the City is $2.50/SF on such a mixed-use development, then it could generate $1.313 million in annual income to the City, over and above whatever proceeds would be earned from its sale value today.
For comparison (assuming the same $2.50/SF), a lower zoned 0.30 FAR property of the same acreage would only generate about $100,000 in yearly tax income. Over the course of 20 years, this difference would represent a net opportunity loss of $24.25 million in taxes for the City (non-inflation-adjusted basis).
Building a low-rise fire station on this property would place a non-Metro-dependent use within a Metro station area, using up vital and limited station area land for an extended period of time, for a use that has no requirement for Metro proximity. Using up land near mass-transit for low intensity uses, will in turn force high-density Metro-dependent uses to locate further away from mass transit. We think itââ¬â¢s imperative that City Council change the direction of this effort, so as not to be stuck with a ââ¬Åreverse misfortuneââ¬Â of what happened with BRAC 133 locating to Mark Center, whereby metro-dependent uses are located outside our station areas, and non-Metro-dependent uses inside our Station areas.
I would impress upon you to consider selling the 5249 Eisenhower Avenue property for its highest and best use, and then using the proceeds to fund the construction of a fire station on a lower-value property outside of the Metro Station area. Furthermore, the location of a new fire station in the west end should not be dependent upon being able to incorporate room for a police firing range and impound lot, as these uses are not codependent and could go elsewhere within the City (for example on Wheeler Avenue near the new Police Department Facility).
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Organization
123 Your St.
Yousville, YO 12345
Phone: (123)456-7890
Fax: (123)456-7890x123
p.s.
Your Personal Statement
--
Campaign (<em>1986</em>): <em>PROPOSED EISENHOWER AVENUE FIRE STATION FACILITY</em>
Learn more about this campaign here: <em>http://www.citizenspeak.org/node/1986</em>
--
This campaign was created with CitizenSpeak. Visit us online at http://citizenspeak.org
To: william.euille@alexandriava.gov
Subject: PROPOSED EISENHOWER AVENUE FIRE STATION FACILITY
Dear Mayor Euille, Members of City Council, and City Manager Hartmann,
The Eisenhower Public/Private Partnership recently met with members of the City General Services Administration, Fire Department, and Police Department on March 24, 2010 to discuss the design-build solicitation for a proposed low-rise facility that incorporates a new fire station, shooting range, and impound lot on the Cityââ¬â¢s property at 5249 Eisenhower Avenue.
Given this propertyââ¬â¢s walking proximity to the Van Dorn Metro Station, we believe that the City is clearing a path that would perpetually foreclose the economic development potential of this property as a high-density mixed-use development. Building this facility across the street from Metro would be a highly inefficient use of taxpayer assets (in a challenging budget year), as it would not capture the full economic development value of the property. Additionally, it would blunt the Cityââ¬â¢s efforts to capitalize on fiscal opportunities that will follow a successful lease-up of Victory Center.
In December 2007 City Council unanimously passed the Recommendations of the Mayorââ¬â¢s Economic Sustainability Work Group, which recognized that:
* ââ¬ÅMetrorail is the most underutilized asset in which the City has made a substantial investment and has not received a full returnââ¬Â and that the City should focus on ââ¬Åcaptur[ing] the full economic development potential of the Cityââ¬â¢s Metrorail Stations.ââ¬Â
* The City should ââ¬Åmake economics part of [the] land use decision process.ââ¬Â
* ââ¬ÅModel density on best practices such as the retail/office/residential redeveloped Clarendon area in Arlington County...ââ¬Â
* ââ¬ÅThe City should look to determine if the current uses planned for properties it owns represents the most efficient utilization of the propertyââ¬Â and ââ¬Åparcels the City owns in commercial areas or high land value areas should receive special focus.ââ¬Â
* ââ¬ÅThe City should sell, lease, or otherwise dispose of propertiesââ¬Â¦ after determining the highest-and-best-use of those properties.ââ¬Â
While we donââ¬â¢t disagree that thereââ¬â¢s a need for a fire station in the western end of the City, building a low-rise 40,000 square foot non-Metro dependent facility on this three-acre property represents a density of 0.30 FAR, and a very inefficient utilization of taxpayer assets for a property that is one block from the Van Dorn Metro Station. The most efficient use would be to sell the property for development of a high-rise mixed-use or commercial building, with a 4.0 FAR density reflective of its mass-transit location. At such a density the property could accommodate about 525,000 SF of taxable real estate for the City of Alexandria. Assuming the tax benefit per square foot to the City is $2.50/SF on such a mixed-use development, then it could generate $1.313 million in annual income to the City, over and above whatever proceeds would be earned from its sale value today.
For comparison (assuming the same $2.50/SF), a lower zoned 0.30 FAR property of the same acreage would only generate about $100,000 in yearly tax income. Over the course of 20 years, this difference would represent a net opportunity loss of $24.25 million in taxes for the City (non-inflation-adjusted basis).
Building a low-rise fire station on this property would place a non-Metro-dependent use within a Metro station area, using up vital and limited station area land for an extended period of time, for a use that has no requirement for Metro proximity. Using up land near mass-transit for low intensity uses, will in turn force high-density Metro-dependent uses to locate further away from mass transit. We think itââ¬â¢s imperative that City Council change the direction of this effort, so as not to be stuck with a ââ¬Åreverse misfortuneââ¬Â of what happened with BRAC 133 locating to Mark Center, whereby metro-dependent uses are located outside our station areas, and non-Metro-dependent uses inside our Station areas.
I would impress upon you to consider selling the 5249 Eisenhower Avenue property for its highest and best use, and then using the proceeds to fund the construction of a fire station on a lower-value property outside of the Metro Station area. Furthermore, the location of a new fire station in the west end should not be dependent upon being able to incorporate room for a police firing range and impound lot, as these uses are not codependent and could go elsewhere within the City (for example on Wheeler Avenue near the new Police Department Facility).
Sincerely,
Your Name
Your Organization
123 Your St.
Yousville, YO 12345
Phone: (123)456-7890
Fax: (123)456-7890x123
p.s.
Your Personal Statement
--
Campaign (<em>1986</em>): <em>PROPOSED EISENHOWER AVENUE FIRE STATION FACILITY</em>
Learn more about this campaign here: <em>http://www.citizenspeak.org/node/1986</em>
--
This campaign was created with CitizenSpeak. Visit us online at http://citizenspeak.org
