[Archived] Proposed Changes to Environmental Ordinance Is Topic of Community Meeting

City Press Release


	City of Alexandria, Virginia Office of the City Manager Alexandria City Hall 301 King Street, Suite 3500 Alexandria, Virginia 22314-3211 www.alexandriava.gov Telephone: 703.838.4300 Fax : 703.838.6343

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 21, 2004
PIO 098-04

Proposed Changes to Environmental Ordinance
Is Topic of Community Meeting

What: Proposed amendments to the City’s Environmental Management Ordinance
Where: Nannie J. Lee Center, 1108 Jefferson Street, Gold Room
When: Thursday, April 22 at 7 p.m.

Changes have been proposed to the City’s existing Environmental Management Ordinance. These changes are needed to comply with the Virginia Chesapeake Bay Preservation Area Designation and Management Regulations. Properties that are located within 100-feet of a perennial stream or within 50-feet of an intermittent stream may be affected by the changes.

Information presented at this meeting will be the same presented at a similar meeting held on March 22 at City Hall.

State regulations require that a 100-foot Resource Protection Area (RPA) buffer must be designated around all “waterbodies with perennial flow.” This differs from the existing requirement that protects all “tributary streams.” Resource Protection Areas are an important component of state and local efforts to protect the Chesapeake Bay and are generally defined as sensitive environmental corridors that should be preserved in a natural condition. In addition to the minimum state requirements, the City is also proposing to protect natural intermittent streams with a 50-foot buffer area.

At the meeting, residents will have an opportunity to:

q learn more about why these changes are taking place;
q provide comments and ask questions about the proposed changes to the RPA map as well as other changes to the Environmental Management Ordinance;
q learn about the City’s stream mapping project; and,
q hear about how the changes will affect your property.

The City of Alexandria takes pride in doing its part to protect Virginia’s environment and encourage residents to take this opportunity to become involved in these changes and to provide feedback.

For more information, contact the City’s Division of Environmental Quality at 703.838.4334.