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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The city will hold a community meeting Sept. 9 on potential changes to Article X of the zoning ordinance, the section governing historic districts and buildings.
The meeting runs from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Oswald Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St. It is open to the public and comment will be taken.
The review is part of a broader look at the zoning ordinance that Planning and Zoning staff began in fall 2025, covering residential, commercial and historic preservation regulations. The department describes the process as examining how current rules work in practice and gathering community input before bringing any recommendations to the Planning Commission and City Council.
Six historic preservation topics are listed on the department's zoning amendments page, each with anticipated public hearings this fall:
- Historic district ordinance consistency. Review standards and section ordering, to improve consistency across the districts and create more pathways for administrative approval.
- Maintenance and alteration requirements. Standards for routine maintenance, repairs and alterations, to clarify what projects require review.
- Board of Architectural Review development project review. The BAR's review of development special use permit projects, to formalize concept review and align BAR and DSUP approvals.
- Historic district curb cut regulations. How curb cut applications are reviewed in the Old and Historic Alexandria District.
- Historic district ATM regulations. Where ATMs may be installed in the historic districts.
- Ordinance language. Cleaning up the ordinance for clarity and removing outdated references.
The city has not released draft ordinance language for any of the six, and the page does not describe specific changes beyond those summaries.
Alexandria has two locally designated historic districts: the Old and Historic Alexandria District and the Parker-Gray District, which encompasses the historically Black Uptown neighborhood. Property owners in both need Board of Architectural Review approval for exterior changes visible from public view, and the board also acts on demolition permits. A separate part of Article X covers buildings more than 100 years old outside the two districts.
Some work in the Parker-Gray District can already be approved by the planning director rather than the board. Under the ordinance, the board may delegate defined categories — signs, minor architectural elements, minor alterations behind the rear of a building, and replacement in kind among them — after holding a public hearing and adopting written criteria.
The board has seven members appointed by City Council to three-year terms, including one property owner from each historic district and two architects.
Ryan Belmore is an Alexandria resident and the founder and publisher of The Alexandria Brief. Send tips, feedback, and story ideas to ryan@alexandriabrief.com.
