RCA Newsletter: March 2026

Jol Silversmith
Mar 31
3 min read

The Rosemont Citizens Association is 100% volunteer-driven, but it is readers, members, and donors like you who power it—thank you! Would you consider a gift to the RCA to keep it moving forward?

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A New Option to Connect

The RCA has established an email list to provide an additional means to provide information and updates about neighborhood and city developments, which also can be used for community discussion. To sign up, please visit https://groups.io/g/RCA .

RCA Virtual Gathering

Thanks to all who attended our experimental virtual gathering this month. Ray Greenstreet of Greenstreet Gardens provided a presentation on spring planting, and Steven Chen of Virginia-American Water provided a presentation on upcoming water main replacement in southwest Rosemont - see https://alertsdetail.awapps.com/alert/114456 for more information.

We plan to hold an in-person meeting in May, and are checking on the viability of providing a “hybrid” remote viewing option.

Happy Hour Returns

Meet your neighbors at the RCA-sponsored happy hour. Join us 5-7 pm on April 8 (and the second Wednesday of every month) at the Rosemont Cellar, formerly Grape & Bean, 2 East Walnut Street. The first 20 attendees get a free drink!

April Special Election

Early voting is now open for the April 21 election, which is both to fill a vacancy on the City Council and a state constitutional amendment regarding congressional redistricting. A sample ballot is available at https://www.alexandriava.gov/elections/sample-ballots.

For City council, the candidates and websites are:

Sandy Marks (D) (https://www.sandyforthecity.com/),
Frank Fannon (I) (https://frankfannon.org/), and
Alison O’Connell (I) (https://avo4alx.com/)..

Braddock Road Project

The City Council is tentatively scheduled on May 16 to take up the appeal of the Traffic & Parking Board’s February 23 approval of a plan that would add bike lanes and remove parking along Braddock Road between Russell Road and Mount Vernon Avenue. For more information about the project, please visit https://www.alexandriava.gov/transportation-planning/project/braddock-road-corridor-improvements.

Neighborhood Businesses

The RCA website includes a list of physical businesses in the neighborhood (https://tinyurl.com/437mu8mx) but we would like to expand it to include home-based businesses, as well as businesses owned by Rosemonters even if located outside of the neighborhood. If you would like to be added, please email us at mailto: jol@thirdamendment.com.

PELT Committee

Rosemont Pattern Book

The Rosemont neighborhood is a much-desired location in Alexandria for its tree-lined streets, access to transportation, and the architecture of its houses built in the early 1900s. The architectural styles represented in Rosemont include Craftsman, Colonial Revival, American Foursquare, Italianate, and Tudor.

Your PELT committee decided to highlight the architectural styles within the neighborhood by creating a Pattern Book. This Pattern Book discusses the important development patterns and building architecture of the Rosemont Neighborhood. It is designed to serve as a voluntary guide and informational tool for homeowners, builders, and developers looking for resources when undertaking building renovation, additions, and new construction.

You can find the Pattern Book in the PELT section of the RCA website under “Important links where you can learn more”: rosemontcitizens.org/planning-land-use

Chapters in the pattern book discuss:

How to look at a building and identify important contributing elements and architectural style
How to look at development patterns on your street
What to consider when making building improvements or constructing an addition or new house
Tips for building maintenance and energy efficiency
Sources for additional technical information

We encourage our neighbors to familiarize themselves with the architectural styles within Rosemont and when considering renovation, look to the Pattern Book for resources.

To broadcast the availability of this resource, John Hill, Chairman of PELT, sent a letter to several builders who have been active in our neighborhood over the years. We are pleased with the response received from the builder and developer community.

Resources from Alexandria Sheriff’s Office

The Alexandria Sheriff’s office offers a house-watching service (https://www.alexandriava.gov/sheriff/away-from-home-check). Additionally, the Sheriff continue to offer “Project Lifesaver” to help track adults and children with special needs (https://www.alexandriava.gov/sheriff/project-lifesaver).