RCA Newsletter: September 2025

Jol Silversmith
Sep 30
4 min read

About The Rosemont Citizens Association

The Rosemont Citizens Association is a 100% volunteer-run organization working to promote the interests and welfare of its members.

Everyone who resides or owns a property in Rosemont is automatically a member; we rely on contributions from citizens like you to sustain our mission and operations.

Contributions to RCA, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, are not tax deductible.

Please consider a gift to the RCA today!

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September Meeting Report

Thanks to all who attended our September meeting. Volunteer Alexandria provided information on its emergency training (https://www.volunteeralexandria.org/volunteer-reception-center) and overall “hotlist” of opportunities (https://www.volunteeralexandria.org/search).

Brian Rahal, the City’s Stormwater Program lead, provided a presentation on information and resources (https://2dd2928a-38d6-4a76-aca2-813832a2f804.filesusr.com/ugd/a17392_5a4c15680848482ebb5b04c7df39c4e9.pdf) and John Hill of the PELT committee also provided data on how much residents pay for water services (https://2dd2928a-38d6-4a76-aca2-813832a2f804.filesusr.com/ugd/a17392_c493c8e637bb49d0b3c344c6bc5a8dc4.pdf),

Oktoberfest Success!

Thanks to all who attended and volunteered for our Oktoberfest in Beach Park on Saturday, September 27 - some rain put a damper on the middle of the afternoon, but fortunately waited until we had started and also stopped to let us finish. Also a thank you to our sponsors, as well our vendors, Seven Guys Halal (https://sevenguyshalal.com; remember, turkish food is now a staple in Germany!) and Common Hearth Bakery (its proprietor, Leigh, is a Rosemont resident; use the code “Rosemont” for a 10% discount on her website, http://www.commonhearthbakery.com). Additionally, our semi-official photographer was Louise Kimmons and our musicians were the duo Wicked Game, Christina Sevilla and Jack Doll (@wickedgameband; http://www.wickedgameband.com). We look forward to seeing everyone next year!

Our Sponsors:

Christine Garner - https://www.christinegarner.com/

Salon Bisoux - https://salonbisoux.com/

Simpson Development - https://simpsondev.com/

Chadwicks - https://www.chadwicksoldtown.com/

Rosemont Landscaping & Lawncare - https://www.rosemontlc.com/

Yates Corner - https://www.yatesservice.com/

Woodbine Rehab & Healthcare - https://woodbinerehab.com/

Alexandria Rehab - https://alexandriahc.com/

Pork Barrel/Holy Cow - https://www.bbqdelray.com/ and https://www.holycowdelray.com/

Dairy Godmother - https://www.thedairygodmother.com/

Kings Jewelry - https://www.kingsjewelry.net/

October Happy Hour

Please plan to join us for our final happy hour of the year on Wednesday, October 8 at the Rosemont Cellar, sponsored by Realtor Shaun Murphy (https://dcmetroneighborhoods.com/) - and thanks to last month’s sponsor, Common Hearth Bakery (https://www.commonhearthbakery.com/).

PELT Committee

Replacing the King Street and Commonwealth Avenue Railroad Bridges

What is happening? The 1905 steel girder railroad bridges over King Street and Commonwealth Avenue will be replaced with modern bridges like the one over Braddock Road. A fourth track will be added on the Old Town side within the current railroad right of way, and the Amtrak station’s passenger platforms will be improved.

Why is this being done? The 1905 bridges are at the end of their service life, and replacing them will cost less in the long run than attempting to rehab them. The new bridges are part of a bigger project to enable passenger trains and freight trains to run on different tracks from the vicinity of the Van Dorn Metro Station all the way into DC. This will enable the existing roadbed to handle increasing railroad traffic while improving safety and avoiding delays.

When will this work take place? Virginia Rail Express (VRE), which will supervise all

construction, aims to finalize the schedule before the end of 2025. Its current, tentative schedule is:

1st Quarter 2026 – Begin a year of off-roadway work related to the bridges.
1st Quarter 2027 – Replace the Old Town side of both the King St. and Commonwealth Ave. bridges (the side that will carry the two freight tracks).
3rd Quarter 2027 – Replace the Rosemont side of the bridges (the side that will carry the two passenger tracks).
4th Quarter 2027 – Complete all bridge, track, and station work.

How will this affect Rosemont? The Rosemont Citizens’ Association’s Planning, Environment, Land use, and Traffic (PELT) Committee does not anticipate any major disruption of vehicle traffic on Commonwealth Avenue or King Street during 2026 because work will take place mostly on the railroad right of way. Commonwealth Avenue and King Street will be closed to traffic for one month during the first quarter of 2027 to replace the Old Town side of both bridges. They will be closed again for one month during the third quarter to replace the Rosemont side of both bridges. VRE aims to complete all work on the bridges, the fourth track, and the Amtrak station by the end of 2027. The spans of the new bridges will be somewhat longer than those of the current bridges, allowing the city to install wider sidewalks and dedicated bike lanes beneath them. However, the number of lanes for automative vehicles will remain the same as it is now.

What don’t we know yet? The PELT Committee doesn’t yet know if the closures of King Street and Commonwealth Avenue will be simultaneous or staggered so that one of the two streets remains open at all times. We also don’t know if bridge abutment work might disrupt sidewalk access as early as 2026, or how much construction noise, such as pile driving, to anticipate.

You can find images and additional information as well as sign up to receive update notices at:

https://vapassengerrailauthority.org/projects/alexandria-fourth-track/.

Next RCA Meeting

Our next meeting will be in-person at the good Shepherd Lutheran Church on Wednesday, November 19; we plan to be joined by Mayor Gaskins (and also will be looking for volunteers to help organize the annual holiday decorations contest). In 2026, we hope to hold at least some meetings virtually, with topics such as the care of trees and city arborist resources.

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).