TO: The City of Alexandria Planning Commission
FROM: Northeast Citizens' Association

DATE: September 6, 1999

SUBJECT: VACATION #99-0002 44.02 Mason Hall Apartments

Please take a moment to familiarize yourselves with the history of this
situation.

Mason Hall tried to add parking spaces to the south of their building,
but was denied by the Planning Commission because it would destroy open
space.

Mason Hall then destroyed open space by paving a lot to the rear of their
building and allowing parking there without filing site plans or applying
for proper permits.

Mason Hall was forced to close this illegal parking lot by the City's
Department of Planning and Zoning.

Mason Hall unlocked their back gate, cut a hole in their fence at the end
of Bernard Street, and sent notices to their tenants to use our
neighborhood for parking.

Residents of Bernard Street tried to beautify the end of Bernard Street,
but the grass they planted is getting torn up from cars and foot traffic on
this area.

Mason Hall has created a thoroughfare from Slaters Lane through their
property into our neighborhood.

Residents of Bernard Street are concerned for their safety because they
have experienced:

Panhandlers; Loiterers; Trespassers; Hit and run accidents to cars parked
on their street; Returning home late at night and not being able to find
parking anywhere near their homes

According to current zoning requirements, Mason Hall has a deficit of 167
parking spaces and our neighborhood has a deficit of 42 spaces. Clearly
Mason Hall needs more parking spaces.

100% of the available residents in our neighborhood signed a petition
requesting that Mason Hall "erect and maintain fencing without gates or
openings along their west property line." The Northeast Citizen's
Association unanimously supported this petition. Mason Hall's attorney
proffered this as a possible remedy.

Therefore, we are in support of the subject vacation to afford Mason Hall
more legal parking spaces. However, we would very much appreciate Mason
Hall's locking their back gates on a permanent basis and repairing the hole
in their fence at the end of Bernard Street to be part of the remedy for
their destroying open space without proper permits and for the hardships
our neighborhood is suffering from the current parking situation.