To the editor:
    
The Alexandria Archaeological Commission is deeply concerned preservation and history have no voice on the waterfront plan work group, recently appointed by the Alexandria City Council.  
    
ACC has repeatedly pointed out to our elected officials, and in our collaborative assistance to the planning department, that the waterfront is an irreplaceable part and expression of the citys heritage. Its future requires unusual vision and particular understanding and sensitivity. The popular opposition to elements of the current plan has its roots in this concern. Because no member of the working group has a background in preservation and history nor a perspective drawn from the citys heritage, the city not only may be in danger of losing sight of what has made Alexandria a special place, but it also may lose the future of what is still only a potential, unrealized gem. 
    
We hope the community leaders who were appointed, and who represent a variety of backgrounds, will recognize the unique importance of history and preservation while exploring potential solutions to the differing views surrounding the proposed Waterfront Small Area Plan. Alexandrias rich history, and a vision which reflects it, should be central to any future plans for the waterfront.