On May 14, after more than 18 months of City, Board of Architectural Review, Urban Design Advisory Committee, and community meetings, Land Lawyer Cathy Puskar and Land Use Planner Amy Friedlander obtained approval of a Development Special Use Permit for the renovation and expansion of the Colony Inn in Old Town North.
The project’s gateway location into the City of Alexandria along the George Washington Memorial Parkway and its proximity to residential neighbors created a unique challenge given the competing requirements of the Zoning Ordinance and Board of Architectural Review Standards, as well as varying interests of the parties involved in the project’s review.
Cathy and Amy helped the team navigate through the process, making revisions in response to comments from all parties involved, to arrive at a design supported by the Board of Architectural Review, the Urban Design Advisory Committee, and the Planning Commission and ultimately approved by the City Council. The project, which expands the existing hotel’s capacity from 49 to 95 rooms with a 60-seat restaurant/meeting space, improves the existing building in a sustainable fashion, meets the high design standards for buildings along the George Washington Memorial Parkway, supports local tourism, adds jobs, increases the City’s commercial tax base, and provides an amenity for the neighborhood.
