BRAC: Alexandria Residents May Petition for Restricted Parking on Neighborhood Streets

This weekend, thousands of west Alexandria City residents may be consulting their neighbors and starting a petition process to implement restricted parking zones in the neighborhoods surrounding the Mark Center.

The city passed a Daytime Parking District ordinance this spring, with the purpose of “protect[ing] communities from the possible impact of overflow parking from the BRAC building at Mark Center,” according to a letter residents in the communities around the Mark Center received Saturday.

Residents and city officials are concerned the BRAC-133 building parking restrictions and traffic may spur Mark Center employees to park on residential streets in the area and walk to work. The petition process and daytime parking restrictions are meant to prevent that.

The area in which residents can petition for parking restrictions extend from the Fairfax County border west of the Mark Center east to Jordan Street in Alexandria. The south border of the area runs north of Duke Street, along I-395 and along Holmes Run. The northeast border runs along Seminary Road and Fillmore Street.

See the map of potential Daytime Parking District areas by clicking on it above.

The establishment of the districts is entirely up to the residents who live on the blocks within the mapped zone, according to the letter, which came from Abraham Lerner, deputy director for the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services.  To establish a parking restriction area, at least half the residents facing each block in the mapped area must sign a petition filed with the city manager. The restrictions can be set in place on a block-by-block or area basis and would be in effect from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Residents parked on the streets in restricted areas would have to display a valid City of Alexandria property tax sticker on their vehicle, and provide a guest permit for contractors and visitors. Each residence may receive one guest vehicle pass.

It is not clear yet how many residents intend to petition in favor of restrictions on their block. The petition form is downloadable from the city’s website at http://alexandriava.gov/uploadedFiles/tes/BRAC/PetitionDaytimeParkingDistrict.pdf. Questions should be sent to Bob Garbacz at daytimeparking@alexandriava.gov.