Our Community - We, the undersigned owners, residents, families, and stakeholders of Alexandria’s West End, submit this petition on behalf of the neighborhoods, schools, and green spaces that define our community. We live, work, and raise our children within close proximity to the Virginia Paving Company’s asphalt plant at 5601 & 5603 Courtney Avenue and 720, 730 & 750 South Van Dorn Street — and we are directly affected by its operations.
Our Ask

• Deny Virginia Paving’s request to extend its 2019 Special Use Permit (SUP#2017-0097) beyond its current term ending this year.
• Enforce Provision #75 (the Sunset Provision) of that SUP, requiring Virginia Paving to cease all operations at this location no later than January 1, 2027.
• Urge the City, relevant state authorities, and Virginia Paving management to collaborate on a responsible vacate/relocation plan that serves both operational and community needs.

A Health Hazard Next Door - Virginia Paving’s operations emit a documented mix of harmful substances — including volatile organic compounds such as dioxin (a known carcinogen), nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxides, and fine particulates (PM2.5 and PM10). These are not merely industrial inconveniences. Long-term exposure to PM2.5 is associated with respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, and developmental harm in children. The plant’s proximity to homes, schools, and parks means our most vulnerable residents — children and seniors — bear the greatest burden.

Meeting minimum federal and state pollution standards is a floor, not a ceiling. Alexandria has consistently chosen higher standards for its residents. This decision should be consistent with those standards.

Environmental and Quality-of-Life Impact - Beyond air quality, continuous asphalt production generates persistent noise pollution, strong and pervasive odors, and heavy industrial truck traffic. These conditions degrade the livability of our neighborhoods, reduce property values, and are incompatible with the residential, recreational, and mixed-use character of the West End that our community has worked to build.

The Council’s Own Commitment - This petition does not ask the Council to break new ground — it asks the Council to keep its commitment to Alexandrians, and rule that Virginia Paving comply with its obligations. The Eisenhower West Small Area Plan (EWSAP) establishes a clear vision for this corridor: sustainable, healthy, transit-oriented development that serves Alexandria’s growing population. When the Council approved SUP#2017-0097 with a Sunset Provision, it recognized that Virginia Paving’s operations were incompatible with that vision. Allowing an extension now would contradict that judgment and undermine community trust in the planning process.

The Sunset Provision exists for exactly this moment. We insist that the Council honor it.

A Path Forward - We recognize that Virginia Paving serves a legitimate regional infrastructure function. This petition is not a call to eliminate asphalt production — it is a call to vacate the current location and/or relocate it to a site that does not border homes, schools, and parks.

We urge the City of Alexandria, relevant state and environmental agencies, and Virginia Paving’s management to begin a collaborative, transparent vacate/relocation planning process immediately — so that the January 1, 2027 deadline can be met in a way that is orderly and fair to all parties, and beneficial to Alexandrians.

By signing below, we formally request that the Alexandria City Council deny Virginia Paving’s SUP extension and enforce the Sunset Provision of SUP#2017-0097, requiring closure of the West End asphalt plant no later than January 1, 2027.