HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY AND … · 2019. 12. 31. · • Civic Building/Flex Space • Children’s Garden with maritime history • Open Performance Space/Bocce

HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY AND PUBLIC ACCESS: City of Alexandria, VA

States Organization for Boating Access 11th SEPTEMBER 2019

Historic Context

2MOFFATT & NICHOL I HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY, AND PUBLIC ACCESS: City of Alexandria

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Early Years• Trading post

started mid-1600’s

• Port City from mid-

1700’s to 1860.

Official port of

entry for foreign

flagged vessels

• Exported tobacco,

wheat/breads, and

fish

• Part of the District of Columbia from 1789 to 1847

MOFFATT & NICHOL I HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY, AND PUBLIC ACCESS: City of Alexandria

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Civil War Era• Under military

occupation

throughout the war

• Major supply depot

for war materials

• Waterfront building

converted to war

time hospitals and

infirmaries

• At end of war,

commercial trade

was minimal. Port

thrived on

government exports


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Industrial Era• The waterfront

continued to support

commercial and

military purposes after

civil war

• Shipbuilding was the

dominant activities

• WWI era US Naval

Torpedo Factory built.

Factories constructed

on waterfront to

support WWII effort

• Mid 20th century, the

port contracted -

supported delivery of

paper products


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Today’s Waterfront• Old Town Alexandria

designated historical district in 1966

• Initial waterfront plan crafted in 1965

• 1973 –Federal/City ownership dispute

• 1983 settlement agreement - 70% open space, rest for commercial development

• Limited residential development and closure of existing commercial waterfront MOFFATT & NICHOL I HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY, AND PUBLIC ACCESS: City of Alexandria

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Today’s Waterfront


• Old Town Alexandria has rich maritime history: Preserve the historical

character of the waterfront

• Focus on maintaining public access to the waterfront: Adhere to the

1983 settlement agreement

• Address nuisance flooding and integrate resilience planning: Implement flood mitigation and future proof

• Support boat access to waterfront: Encourage public and new private

investment in waterfront.

MOFFATT & NICHOL I HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY, AND PUBLIC ACCESS: City of Alexandria 8

Challenges for the City

Waterfront Master Plan


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• Revitalizing waterfront to showcase history, expand/enhance open spaces, improve public access, and ensuring compatible development

• Work initiated in 2008 and adopted in 2012. Refined in 2014

• Significant community and stakeholder involvement

• Phase 1 between Duke and Queen Streets

• Integrate separate studies on flood mitigation and boating access


2012 Adopted Plan

2014 Refined Plan

OLIN

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Core Elements• Public Promenade

and lower boardwalk

for boating access

• Expanded Waterfront

Park

• King Street Pier/Water

Taxi

• Unified commercial

berths and transient

Slips

• Waterfront Steps

• Maritime Museum/Tall

Ship


OLIN

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Point Lumley Park• Renovate existing

park

• Civic Building/Flex Space

• Children’s Garden with maritime history

• Open Performance Space/Bocce Courts

• South terminus of lower boardwalk

• Alexandria Seaport Foundation Museum and kayak launch facility


OLIN

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Waterfront Park• Relocate ODBC

Building and Marina

• Outdoor Concert/

Festival/Movie Space

• Steps to Water

• Fitzgerald Square –

Icon Location

• King Street Pier with

shade structures

• Tall Ship Museum/Berth


OLIN

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City Marina/ Torpedo Factory• Restructured marina

with floating docks

• Dedicated

commercial slips

• Permanent/transient

slips

• Shoreline stabilization

and promenade

• Dedicated

dockmaster building

and shadeMOFFATT & NICHOL I HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY, AND PUBLIC ACCESS: City of Alexandria

OLIN

Flood Mitigation


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Nuisance Flooding• City has struggled with

nuisance flooding since the late 1800’s.

• Low lying areas along the riverfront that were filled.

• Elevated tide levels backing through existing storm outfalls

• Rainfall contributes to flooding when river levels are high

• Frequency has increased to over 20 events per year.

• Flood mitigation to be integrated with Waterfront Plan


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Initial Studies• Initial study in 2007 to

identify contributing causes and elevations

• Follow up study in 2010 identified mitigation strategies

• Challenge to systematically raise grades leeward of bulkhead due to historic structures and meet road/sidewalk standards

• Preliminary solution based on benefit cost analysis - floodwall supplemented by pump stations for interior drainage

• Extend from RTS to Founders Park (Core Area)


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Integration-Waterfront Plan• Determination that EL.

6 feet NAVD (10-year return period) addressed most nuisance flooding

• Refine floodwall alignment to support pump stations

• New alignment also improves pedestrian access along the waterfront

• City Marina and commercial slips restructured


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Flood Wall Refinement• Poor geotechnical

condition,

constructability, and

concerns with

archeology

• Integration with

riverfront promenade.

• Maintain and enhance

boating access

• Reduce debris

accumulation

• Design for future

conditions


Boating Study


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Boating Access• Waterfront Plan

developed to maintain and/or improve boating access

• Conduct regional market assessment to assess slip demand/ growth

• Developed marina siting plan (expansion waterward)

• Identified marina program

• Provided operational overview


43.2%

35.3%

12.1%

6.8%

2.2%

0.4%

48.5%

30.2%

10.3%

8.2%

2.4%

0.5%

54.0%

20.1%

5.6%

14.0%

5.0%

1.3%

0% 20% 40% 60%

< 16 ft

16 to 20 ft

21 to 25 ft

26 to 39 ft

40 to 65 ft

> 65 ft

Percentage of Boats

Boat Use By Size

District of Columbia

VA

United States

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Transient Boating• City currently supports

transient boating in

conjunction with long

term lease slip holders

• Private development is

encouraged to

promote transient

docking

• Two opportunities

along the City’s

waterfront identified

(RTS and RTN)

• Boating Infrastructure

Improvement Grant


Implementation


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First Phases• Park at 1 King Street

due to relocation of

ODBC

• Flood Mitigation Plan

finalized

• Relocation of Tall Ship

Providence

• Federal and State

Permit Efforts initiated

• Potential relocation of

federal channel

boundaries to expand

City’s water area


HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY AND PUBLIC ACCESS: City of Alexandria, VA

States Organization for Boating Access 11th SEPTEMBER 2019

Documents

HISTORICAL PRESERVATION, COASTAL RESILIENCY AND … · 2019. 12. 31. · • Civic Building/Flex Space • Children’s Garden with maritime history • Open Performance Space/Bocce