WASHINGTON — The Alexandria City Council has scheduled a public hearing on the future of the Ramsey Property, the site of public housing units it had voted to tear down.
Currently, 15 public housing units sit on the property. The public housing units in the Parker-Gray neighborhood were built in the 1940s for black defense workers and are a big part of African-American history in Alexandria. There has also been the question of saving some of the units to preserve as historic.
But in September council voted to tear them down. Now, the question that the council cannot seem to answer is what will go up in its place.
The property the housing units sit on is owned by the Alexandria Redevelopment and Housing Authority. It had proposed to the council building two three-story buildings with 53 public and affordable housing units.
But at a heated six hour public hearing on Feb. 20, the city council voted down the higher density rezoning for the property, which is located at 699 N. Patrick St.
The council did vote to approve a master plan amendment.
Then at its regular meeting on Feb. 23, the council reversed itself and voted unanimously to cancel its Saturday votes. So basically now no action has been taken on the issue.
A new public hearing on the issue is scheduled for March 12, where council is expected to further consider the proposals. The public will have a chance to testify.
