Alexandria Times Vol. 14, No. 12 Alexandria’s only independent hometown newspaper MARCH 23, 2017 City officials lead massive heroin ring bust Drugs, guns, money seized, 11 indicted PHOTO/JAMES CULLUM BY ERICH WAGNER 1701 N. Beauregard St. will be retrofitted into a new West End elemen- tary school. Law enforcement officials in Alexan- dria, Virginia and City backs office building Maryland announced Monday that they had purchase for school apprehended 11 sus- Retrofitted West End I’m also cognizant and a little pects in connection building will open to concerned, frankly, still. with a complex drug students in 2018 “But this is an ongoing trafficking ring oper- BY JAMES CULLUM process. I’m concerned about ating throughout the City Council unanimously the fact that we didn’t have D.C. region. approved a transfer of $4.56 a contingency plan in case Alexandria Com- million from the city general things don’t work out in re- monwealth’s Attorney fund to Alexandria City Pub- gard to that road.” Bryan Porter said the arrests, of heroin and Robert E. Hunt, lic Schools to allow the pur- Schools Superintendent Al- and the seizure of firearms, 54, of Alexandria, is charged chase of the office space at vin Crawley said that ACPS vehicles and large quantities with three counts of distribu- 1701 and 1705 N. Beauregard has not yet secured permis- of illegal narcotics and mari- tion of heroin. St. for a planned new West sion from neighboring prop- juana are an important step in Gregory Taylor, 43, of End elementary school Satur- erty owners to use the private combating the national opioid Fort Washington, Md., Ty- day, despite reservations over streets surrounding the build- epidemic, albeit not a perma- rone Washington, 37, of Fort bussing, narrow sidewalks ing and its neighboring park- nent one. Washington, Tony Mann, 55, along a busy roadway and the ing garage. “I think this a complex of Alexandria, Albert Tay- tenancy of the top two floors The property sits at the enough case to cause a signifi- lor, 60, of Alexandria, Tony of the six-story building. corner of North Beauregard cant dent [in the drug trade] in Smith, 31, of Woodbridge, “We’re all in this together Street and Rayburn Avenue, the city for a short period of Jaqueline McBride, 61, of to help our kids to do the best and all school bus, parent and time,” Porter said. Fairfax County, Richard Wil- that they can. That’s the bot- staff vehicular traffic would Anthony Terry, 57, of liams Jr., 63, of Alexandria, tom line,” said Mayor Alli- have to use private roadways. Dumfries, is charged with Dwayne Mann, 56, of Alex- son Silberberg. “I’m excited There are covenants govern- possession with intent to dis- about this as an addition to tribute more than 100 grams SEE HEROIN | 6 the city school system, but SEE SCHOOL | 8 “ SMALL GARDENS WITH HIGH- TIFT MERRITT IS READY TO QUALITY DETAILS - PAGE 17 ROCK THE BIRCHMERE - PAGE 18 2 | MARCH 23, 2017 ALEXANDRIA TIMES Spring into a new home and Ask Us How! SAVE up to $10,000 in closing costs* ALEXANDRIA $1,249,900 ALEXANDRIA $1,095,000 ANNANDALE $795,000 ARLINGTON $795,000 Southeast Quadrant, Luxury Braddock Heights masterpiece! Springbrook Forest, updated Maywood rambler. Open floorplan, townhome in historic GW Main-level master suite, luxurious to including handicap-friendly beautifully landscaped corner lot. 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Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity. *Savings are based on the discounts received by Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices PenFed Realty’s mortgage and title affiliates as compared to purchasing the settlement services from Berkshire Hathaway PenFed Realty’s mortgage and title affiliates without retaining the services of Berkshire Hathaway PenFed Realty. Terms and conditions apply and are subject to change without notice. WWW.ALEXTIMES.COM MARCH 23, 2017 | 3 THE WEEKLY BRIEFING i s L e n t , S. P’ E C invites you to explore the daily meditations of: Old Town BID meeting gets heated A Season for the Spirit enterprises. A further taking by renowned Episcopal author, teacher from the owners will have a and priest MARTIN SMITH Come discuss them with Smith himself at serious impact on numerous the 10 a.m. Sunday morning forums! businesses surviving.” MARCH 12, 19, & 26 • NORTON HALL If city council approves the Smith will also preach at the 9 and 11 a.m. worship services on March 12. measure, around 730 Alexan- 228 S. Pitt St. Alexandria, VA 22314 www.stpaulsalexandria.com dria business owners and over 600 properties throughout Old Town, mostly along King, Duke and Washington streets, EAT LIKE A LOCAL! will be required to tack on 10 cents per $100 of assessed Start your value to their property tax bills for marketing, brand- weekend ing, event programming and off right. streetscape and transportation Friday Happy Things got tense last week and CEO Stephanie Landrum improvements. Hours ‘til 9pm at the first informational after the meeting. “When we BID organizers hopes to meeting for residents and went to break up, there was a have the proposal ready for a Crab cakes with business owners for the Al- desire for some in the room to city council work session in smoked tomato aioli ® exandria Economic Develop- have more of a back and forth. May and a public hearing and a Welcome to ment Partnership’s proposal … Some of the people who vote in June. The date and time for an Old Town Business Im- spoke were very passionate.” for the next public information provement District. Former Republican City session has not been set. The meeting, which was Councilor Frank Fannon also More information about held at the Lyceum and at- attended the meeting and op- the proposal can be found at Local Favorite tended by potentially impact- poses the BID. www.oldtownbid.com. 203 The Strand Alexandria,VA (703) 836-4442 ed commercial properties and “There was a tremendous - James Cullum www.chadwicksrestaurants.com business owners, residents, amount of outrage at last city officials and residents, week’s BID meeting that this became contentious when or- redlining tax could be as- ganizers attempted to break sessed on certain properties,” up the attendees into small Fannon said. “The average groups for a work session. taxpayer in the proposed BID “It’s pretty complicated. district already pays an aver- It’s 40 to 45 minutes worth age of $10,000 a year in prop- of work just to go through erty taxes along with an as- the various parts of the pro- sortment of other taxes the city posal,” said AEDP president levies on their entrepreneurial Officials approve demolition for Old Dominion Boat Club The 1920s era Old Do- building does not have enough minion Boat Club building at architectural or historic inter- 1 King St. was approved for est to remain, as it had been demolition last week by the modified and expanded with city’s Board of Architectural major projects in 1933, 1965, Review for the Old and His- 1968, 1973, 1994 and 2002. toric District. “Even if there were a desire The board unanimously ap- to return the building to the proved the demolition of the style it was in 1923, that would structure, which the city pur- require complete reconstruction chase for $5 million in 2014 as of the building,” staff wrote in a part of a land swap with the old report on the building. Beachcomber property, where City staff estimates it will the ODBC is currently build- be a decade until the planned ing its new clubhouse, and in- flood mitigation infrastructure tends to turn it into the Fitzger- is in place for the permanent WHO CARES? WE DO. ald Square Park. construction of the park. Email comments, rants & raves to letters@ alextimes.com The BAR found that the - James Cullum 4 | MARCH 23, 2017 ALEXANDRIA TIMES IN BUSINESS SINCE 1987 Alexandria man pleads guilty in Hall slaying A 31-year-old Alexandria killed in June of 2016. Hall was lice work that brought this case, man pleaded guilty in Alexan- investigated for the incident involving a brazen murder, to dria Circuit Court last week for but never charged.