By Herb Cooper-Levy, Alexandria (File photo)

To the editor:
The City of Alexandria chose seven community representatives for the Old Town North Small Area Plan Advisory Group. In doing so, it has, once again, demonstrated its insensitivity to the community. The largest issue in the Old Town North Small Area Plan will be the redevelopment of the closed GenOn coal-fired power plant site.

The Marina Towers Condominium Association sits directly across the street from this site. Marina Towers contains 283 condominiums with some 500 residents.

But despite my candidacy for the Old Town North Small Area Plan Advisory Group being identified as the person the board of Marina Towers wanted to represent it, neither I, nor anyone else from Marina Towers, were selected for the advisory group.

From the outset, residents from Marina Towers can only note that either the Old Town North Small Area Plan is flawed from the outset, or that, despite all the conversation in the current city council campaign about residents feeling City Hall is deaf to their concerns, city government is oblivious.

What is especially galling is that one of the “community representatives” does not live within the Old Town North Small Area Plan boundaries. That person represents a business located in the community. There is a separate category for business representatives.

Despite the lack of representation from Marina Towers, two community representatives live in the 1200 block of N. Pitt St. That’s two residents representing a block with far fewer residents than our apartment complex.

As the Old Town North Small Area Plan Advisory Group is just beginning to convene for meetings, there is still time for the city to correct this error. I am, however, not holding my breath.