The Planning Commission reviewed two right-of-way vacation requests during its work session: a request to vacate a portion of an alley behind 22 and 36 West Whitlock Street (ROW25206) and a city-sponsored request to convey an approximately 0.22-acre remnant of Hope Drive to be consolidated with the Ward Plaza redevelopment parcel (RW251).

David Stewart, city staff, explained ROW25206 was previously approved by council but expired because the applicant did not complete required administrative steps within one year. The current request is similar but seeks to vacate a longer portion of the same alley toward South Braddock Street. Stewart said the longer section requested includes an unimproved portion with rock outcroppings that has never been graded or regularly used as a public alley. The applicant — the owner at 22 West Whitlock — had placed a shed in the portion of the alley that was not in regular use; that shed was the genesis of the original request to formalize ownership of that strip.

Commissioners asked whether conveying the alley would require the applicant to improve it if they use it for parking, and whether vacating the land would create an undesirable precedent for requests to convert underused city right-of-way into private backyards. Stewart said the city does not typically require the homeowner to make public-standard improvements in similar single-family-alley vacations; he also said the city had previously offered the alley to adjacent owners, and in the earlier process the adjacent owners waived interest in acquiring the property. Commissioner Blue voiced concern about preserving pedestrian passage between Braddock and Loudoun and noted existing uses behind 36 Whitlock that relied on alley access.

On RW251, Stewart described the remnant of Hope Drive as excess right-of-way left after an alignment change near the Arby’s on Hope Drive. That moon-shaped parcel (about 9,700 square feet, roughly 0.22 acre) sits between the rebuilt roadway and adjacent properties. The parcel was offered to adjoining property owners in prior outreach; Wells Fargo’s adjacent lot declined interest. Staff proposed conveying the remnant to Winchester Acquisition Partners (the Ward Plaza developer) so it could be consolidated into the redevelopment parcel and used as additional green space or a linear park. Stewart said the conveyance would increase the total green area available to the development and that maintenance would fall to the redeveloper unless a separate agreement with the city is negotiated.

Commissioners asked whether the parcel could be treated in a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to guarantee public access, exclude the acreage from density calculations, and ensure the land was not used to reduce required green space within the development. Several commissioners asked staff to seek an MOU or conditions that make the parcel publicly accessible and exclude it from density or green-space calculations; staff said they would consult Public Services and return with additional information.

No formal votes were recorded at the work session on either request. Commissioners asked staff to gather additional information — including the exact fence/facility locations near Whitlock and any prior agreements from adjacent owners — before the items return for formal action at a later meeting.

Ending: Staff will collect requested clarifications and investigate possible conditions or an MOU to preserve public access and limit the parcel’s use in green-space or density calculations before the items return to a future meeting for formal action.