By reversing Planning Director Faroll Hamer’s rejection of a protest petition filed by waterfront plan opponents shortly before city council approved the proposal in January, the BZA put potential shoreline redevelopment in limbo.

In court documents city attorneys argue that by “reversing the director’s determination, the BZA decision was contrary to the law, arbitrary and an abuse of their discretion because the BZA applied erroneous principles of law and impermissibly relied on equitable considerations. … [The] BZA erred as a matter of law when it overturned the director’s determination.”

While officials want the court to overturn the BZA ruling, they’re also seeking guidance on the zoning ordinance regulating protest petitions at the heart of the legal battle. City Attorney Jim Banks maintains protesters never had the grounds to challenge the zoning changes in the waterfront plan.

“I’m not sure [the BZA] fully understood the implications of all that they were doing because the nature of the decision as it was made had implications far, far beyond the waterfront,” Banks said.

Had Hamer accepted the petition, it would have forced a supermajority city council vote for the plan’s passage. The council later voted 5-2 in favor of the proposal following a marathon public hearing in City Hall.

The plan exchanges density — and allows for hotel development along the Potomac shoreline — in exchange for developer-funded public amenities and increased open space.

The Saints won three games in as many days, showcasing skill at every position. They started the streak with an 11-0 blowout of Maret on Friday — a game marked by sensational diving plays by shortstop Nancy Bateman and right fielder Marena Anderson.

The team’s bats were equally explosive against Maret. Senior co-captain Taylor Heasley set the tone in the first inning after singling in the team’s first run and then stealing second base.

The Saints also showed their toughness in a close-fought game Saturday. Coach Stephanie Koroma’s crew defeated Stone Ridge 5-2, which set up a championship matchup Sunday with a strong Flint Hill squad.

But Sargent dominated in the final, leading the Saints to an 8-4 victory. The junior went 4 for 4 with five RBIs at the plate and struck out 14 with her maximum-effort pitching motion.

Koroma said this year’s squad contains many of the same players from the championship team of two seasons ago, but added, “compared to [then] we are more mature and have grown tremendously in terms of our ability to stay focused every single inning.”

Her star player, Sargent, pitched 13 shutouts during the season and leads all area pitchers with 312 strikeouts. The Alexandria Sportsman’s Club honored Sargent with the city’s top softball Player of the Year Award.

This is the first time the Saints have been the outright winner of the season and tournament ISL AA championships. St. Stephen’s (19-3-1) advanced to the first round of the Virginia Independent Schools AA Division I playoffs against the Bishop Ireton Cardinals on Wednesday — after the Times’ deadline.

The crosstown rivals, seeded No. 4 and 5, respectively, in the state tournament, played a marathon 10-inning game earlier this season, with the Cardinals squeaking out the 7-6 win.

The winner of the rematch will likely face Washington Catholic Athletic Conference champion Bishop O’Connell on Friday in Petersburg.

Pepco owns the land at 1400 N. Royal St., home to GenOn, the coal-fired power plant scheduled to close for good October 1. The 22.6 acres is worth $54.7 million, according to the Virginia State Corp. Commission.

What exactly comes next for the shorefront parcel is anyone’s guess. Coal has saturated the land for decades, and the site has been industrial since the 1930s. As such, any redevelopment requires years of demolition and environmental cleanup.

It would include “significant costs,” Pepco spokesman Bob Hainey said in an email. Staging the site for redevelopment could take through 2013.

The city’s draft waterfront plan offers only general guidelines for reinvention because GenOn remained operational during its passage.

“Extension of Old Town’s grid network of streets should be considered; doing so would provide a means for organizing and connecting the site to the rest of the city in a compatible way,” the plan states. “Potential uses may take advantage of the outstanding views and the close proximity to National Airport and may include office, hospitality or meeting facilities.”

But how much control the city has over the Pepco-owned property is up for debate.

“Clearly the private property owner has say,” said Deputy City Manager Mark Jinks. “But it remains to be seen which party [GenOn or Pepco] at the end of the day will drive the process.”

GenOn has 88 years left on its lease and can sublet the land with its landlord’s permission, which Hainey said the regional power company would consider.

The city doesn’t own the land, but any development is subject to extensive community input, Jinks said. Pepco’s plot is zoned as utility and would have to go through City Hall to become residential or commercial property.

With a nod to open space, the city’s redevelopment plan also calls for “a significant new public amenity” to improve “public enjoyment.” But GenOn, a publicly traded company, has a responsibility to its shareholders, said spokeswoman Misty Allen. Parks aren’t profitable.

“We are not in the business of development so I don’t know what the future holds for that property,” Allen said. “But we have to create value for the company, so if there’s value in the property, we have a duty to evaluate that. But at this time that doesn’t exist.”

In an email to Alexandria environmental activist Elizabeth Chimento, Allen said GenOn would review any term sheet submitted by a “financially solid developer.”

Whatever occurs, Pepco must micromanage the process. Extensive underground infrastructure and electric cables integral to supplying the region with electricity must be preserved, Hainey said.

“Pepco is not opposed to the potential for redeveloping the site or creating green space, but we will need to be actively involved in determining what is done with the property,” he said.

Jinks estimates it will be at least one year after the plant closes before any commercial entities begin a push to commercialize the property.

“Right now, neither Pepco nor GenOn has said redevelopment is a high priority,” he said.

Since 1995 it’s been illegal for any household to have more then three dogs and more than four cats. It’s the kind of law — like the rule prohibiting residents from parking in front of their homes for more than 72 hours — that makes some people scratch their heads.

“I don’t really get it, but it doesn’t bother me, personally,” said Joshua Miller, a resident who exercises his two dogs at Oronoco Bay Park in Old Town. “You got to think it makes sense for some people’s houses but not for others.”

One might expect the law to protect human health — and it does — but it exists mostly for the sake of animals, said chief animal control officer Joy Wilson. Many Alexandria apartments are simply too small for one dog, let alone two or three.

It doesn’t make for the ideal dog’s life, though cats need less space to wander, Wilson said.

But do animal control officers really enforce the finable offense?

“We do, but it’s always after someone complains about noise or defecation or something like that,” said Wilson. “Or we might be responding to a different kind of call. It’s never really out of the blue.

The fine is usually $50, but it’s at the officer’s discretion how long an offender gets to comply, which is the main goal, Wilson said. Often, residents simply say they’re dog- or cat-sitting and avoid paying anything. And it’s not a common offense for the Department of Animal Control — just a handful of calls a year, Wilson said, though she could not pinpoint a number.

Several residents said it seems like a silly law. While parts of Alexandria are urban and somewhat cramped, others boast spacious mansions with huge yards.

“It’s just another case of government overreach,” said Lily Hampton, an owner of three cats and two dogs on the West End.

Wilson admits the law would better serve the public if it were customized to each type of dwelling. But cutting down on too many animals is not about picking on “cat ladies.” Wilson said it’s actually indicative of a bigger problem — hoarding.

Hoarding is a recognized medical condition: a mental health disorder. Alexandrians, like a Carlyle resident featured on the reality show “Hoarders” two years ago, aren’t immune. They hoard anything imaginable: newspapers, food, clothes and even animals. It’s such an issue locally and nationally there’s a task force on hoarding that includes animal control officers, members of Alexandria’s fire department and representatives from the city attorney’s office.

“It’s a very real problem for the animals and the humans,” Wilson said.

U.S. Rep. Jim Moran (D-8), a former mayor and city resident, was on hand to welcome Organizing For America — Obama’s campaigning arm — to Alexandria on Saturday. He took the opportunity to stump for the Democratic president before a largely friendly crowd.

“We have a clear choice in this election between moving this country forward and building an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, and returning to the failed policies of the past and an economic policy that’s little more than tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires,” Moran said.

With the additional offices in Alexandria and Henrico, OFA has a presence in 15 communities across the commonwealth, including Richmond, Virginia Beach and nearby Arlington and Fairfax counties.

Political pundits peg Virginia among states in play as the country heads toward the November presidential election. While former Gov. Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican nominee, leads by slim margins in national polls, a recent Gallup study found Obama with a slender advantage in swing states.

Many consider Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) a plausible match as Romney’s running mate. The University of Virginia’s Larry Sabato — Sabato’s Crystal Ball — puts McDonnell squarely in the second tier of vice presidential hopefuls, behind popular names like Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) but ahead of Gov. Mitch Daniels (R-IN) and Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-NH).

She didn’t expect her family would receive the honor for their years of community service and philanthropy.

“I was kind of bowled over when John [Porter] said, ‘No, we’ve chosen you and your family,’” Leslie said with a laugh. “I said, ‘Oh.’ I thought it must be some mistake.”

But as far as Porter was concerned, there are few in the community more deserving of the annual award. Leslie, and her late husband John, planted deep roots in the city, supporting and working for organizations like Alexandria in Bloom, ACT and Alexandria Neighborhood Health Services Inc.

“They mean so much,” Porter said. “They are one of those families that has really made a difference in our community. We are certainly better off having them as our neighbors and having them in our city.”

And so Leslie found herself at the podium May 3, accepting the award, applause and accolades at ACT’s yearly gala. It was an emotional moment, she recalled, and a chance to heap responsibility for the family’s celebrated philanthropic spirit on her husband.

John, described by Leslie as someone who loved to bring people together, died unexpectedly of heart failure at the age of 68 in January 2011. Along with his family, John left behind a slew of charitable causes and string of small businesses, including the Times.

“He would have been very emotional about [the award], I’m sure, as well,” Leslie said. “He probably would have, like me, thought there must be some mistake. He was very self-effacing … [He] would have been very grateful for the recognition but also a little embarrassed about it.”

The embarrassment — that’s the closest Leslie can come to describing her feelings — is because neither she nor John devoted their time, energy and wealth to charitable causes for recognition. Things just popped up, she said — projects, causes and people.

“We see an issue, we try to deal with it in our own way,” she said. “And I can’t exactly tell you how it happens; it just kind of happens. We see somebody who needs our help or just needs help, we try to do the right thing.”

For example, while John juggled business ventures and championed charitable causes, he also regularly gave money to the homeless and chased down people who had the nerve to litter in front of him.

Like Leslie, Porter doesn’t believe John would have relished the limelight. He wasn’t charitable for accolades, Porter said, but likely would have appreciated what the award represented: some small measure of success.

“I don’t think John nor the family did what they did or do what they do for recognition,” Porter said. “I believe he would be honored by the recognition, but more importantly the fact that he had done enough to where someone wanted to recognize them. Because that means they were truly making a difference.”

“[Pouneh Barnes and I] talked on the playground one day about doing something more than just hanging around the playground,” said Megan Podolsky. “We wanted more. We both came from working backgrounds, and we were never expecting to stay home full time. It just worked out really well.”

Podolsky and Barnes met in the neighborhood and, with children about the same age, became fast friends. On that fateful day together in the playground, the two began talking — really, just kicking around the idea — of going into business together.

“We both have kids, and we both saw how you spend so much money on your children’s clothing and then they out grow out of it in a few months,” Barnes said. “We were talking about how costly it is to buy nice clothing for your kids. We were both stay-at-home moms at the time, and we wanted to do something where we can both be at home and do something for us too.”

And thus 529 Kids Consign was born, though with a digital storefront only. The pair’s early challenges included convincing potential customers they offered quality goods, so they began holding “popup” shops in conjunction with local businesses. The growing marketing trend pairs businesses without physical locations to established stores, allowing retailers to sell their wares – mostly maternity wear and children’s clothing – in another’s shop.

“People saw us and said, ‘Oh, they have nice stuff,’ and then they would look for our flyers,” Barnes said. “In order to successfully be an online store, you have to have that name recognition … it was very popular. People were like, ‘You’ve got so much stuff.’ But it was also challenging to bring all of our merchandise to the popup shops and having to display our styles.”

With success came the idea of opening a permanent storefront. In January, the duo began actively looking and settled on a 100 block S. Royal St. location not long after. Though they’ve catered to clients since early April, the twosome held their grand opening late last month.

Barnes and Podolsky take customers’ quality children’s clothing and sell it at about 60 percent of the original retail price. Once the garment is sold, they split the earnings 60-40 with their client. Depending on the customer, the pair hopes proceeds will eventually go toward a college savings fund — hence the numerals in the shop’s name.

“A 529 plan is a college savings plan; you can save on your children’s clothing now and save for education,” Barnes said. “We’ve been very well received since we opened. Once people hear about us and come see our store, then we’ll develop that name recognition. I don’t think they’ll hesitate to come back and then refer someone.”

“It was kind of weird,” said McMullen, 28. “It was a conversation more than him asking me questions, like what were some of your worst experiences. Obviously it always hurts to think about it again, and obviously it’s not like I bury it … but it always chokes me up to think about the worst of it.”

Few understand McMullen’s reaction better than the man behind the camera. A fellow Iraq veteran — he and McMullen grew up in the same town and served together — Napolitano came to the Washington area after mustering out of the Marines. The New York native went through the District police academy with hopes of joining law enforcement, filming much of it for a self-produced graduation video.

And when he finally finished the mini-documentary, Napolitano realized he pursued the wrong job.

After leaving behind any aspirations for law enforcement, Napolitano returned to school, pursued a career in film and, at McMullen’s urging, joined Alexandria’s American Legion Post 24. As he began to learn more about his fellow veterans, he recognized the wealth of untold stories in his hands.

“You talk to different veterans, you shoot the [breeze] with them and they just talk about their time in the military,” Napolitano said. “It’s great to be able to document their stories.”

The 29-year-old unveiled his first short documentary, “The Heroes of Post 24,” on Saturday night in the post’s basement hangout around the corner from Gadsby’s Tavern. Featured were Lt. Col. Bill McNamara, Emi O’Rourke and, of course, McMullen.
It’s not your typical war documentary, Napolitano said. While his subjects talk at length about their military service, they also discuss their lives after war and their service to the community.

“The whole concept is not to show another war documentary,” he said. “What I wanted to do was tell the story of an individual, their motives for enlisting, their time in the service and what they’ve done in the community.”

But “there’s definitely a reluctance for many to talk about it,” Napolitano said. “That’s when I tell people this isn’t a war story. It’s about your time in the service and what you’ve done.” Were their roles reversed, Napolitano wouldn’t hesitate to share his stories — but he understands veterans’ reluctance. That hesitancy, McMullen said, makes places like the American Legion invaluable. Tucked away below street level, the post is a comfortable place to swap stories.

Whether on camera or over a beer, veterans need to share their stories, McMullen said, as much for personal mental health as for posterity.
“For the first couple of years I wouldn’t talk about it at all,” he said. “At least I’m getting stuff off of my chest. Unfortunately, I’ve seen what can happen to guys who don’t talk. The last thing you want to do is go to the funeral of a buddy because he didn’t talk. … The older generations, they know what it’s like to keep stuff inside. It was horrible for them. They’re the ones who encourage you to talk to somebody.” Getting fellow veterans to talk on camera, though, is the hard part. It can be a battle, Napolitano admitted.

“I think trying to get more veterans to share their stories at this post, that’s the main goal,” he said. Saturday’s premiere, part celebration of the work completed and part fundraiser to keep the project going, ended with applause, cigar smoke and an encore viewing. Organizers raised more than $500 for Napolitano’s ongoing efforts. And, more importantly, two other veterans asked Napolitano to film their stories.

Hughes ran as an Independent in her first bid for a city council seat. The one-term councilwoman worked for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office at the time and abided by Hatch Act regulations on how and when a federal employee can seek an elected position.

No longer a PTO employee, Hughes is free to run with a partisan affiliation. Tom Fulton, chair of Alexandria’s Republican committee, said Hughes will run for re-election alongside fellow City Councilman Frank Fannon and newcomer Bob Wood.

“We’re glad to have her,” Fulton said. “She’s always caucused with us. She was prohibited from running under a party ticket, but she is no longer and so she’s free to pick and choose her own political affiliation. We’re glad to have her.”

It’s sure to make campaigning easier for Hughes, who did not respond to phone calls or emails. After winning a seat on council, Hughes learned federal authorities were investigating her for possible Hatch Act violations.

Though she benefited from Republican organizations endorsing and campaigning for her, the Office of Special Counsel cleared Hughes of wrongdoing — along with a reprimand — last year.

“These men and women gave the ultimate sacrifice while protecting our homes, our communities and ourselves,” said Deputy Police Chief Cleveland Spruill after placing a wreath beside the city’s monument for law enforcement officers.

“We will not allow the memories of these fallen heroes to fade over time,” he said as light rain fell across Waterfront Park. Local dignitaries, including City Councilman Frank Fannon and state Sen. George Barker (D-39), joined police, fire and Sheriff’s Office personnel in offering their respects.

“We’re extending our thanks to all those men and women in public safety,” said Mayor Bill Euille. “You give up your lives to do this.”

Alexandria’s lost 17 police officers in the department’s history, from Constable Elijah Chenault in 1823 to Andrew Chelchowski in 1993. Nationally, 36 law enforcement officers have fallen in the line of duty so far this year, according to the nonprofit Officer Down Memorial Page Inc.