As the city council agreed to shelve the waterfront plan until after their summer recess, Councilman Paul Smedberg called on residents to turn down the rhetoric on the controversial proposal. 

Ive also been concerned about the tone of some of the emails I personally have received, he said. Its the kind of discourse that I dont think has been very becoming of us as a community. I think its something we should be mindful of moving forward.

Without going into the details of his inbox, Smedberg called on residents, civic organizations and city officials to keep the debate accurate and factual. Vice Mayor Kerry Donley echoed Smedbergs remarks, a point he had previously raised during the councils Saturday work session just days prior.

Whatever happens on Alexandrias waterfront, it wont look like National Harbor, the vice mayor said. Anyone insinuating as much is wrong, he said. 

Some of the tone that does come in on some of the correspondence is a little bit vitriolic, Donley said. People are entitled to their opinion, but not to their own set of facts.