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Alexandria council approves redevelopment of substandard lot at 1 East Custis

Alexandria council approves redevelopment of substandard lot at 1 East Custis

Rule Changes Alexandria, VA local

Alexandria approved the 1 East Custis redevelopment; City Council weighed a change to end the special-permit rule for most undersized lots

October 17th, 2026: City Council hears substandard-lot zoning change

Overview

Updated Oct 18

The Alexandria City Council approved the special use permit for 1 East Custis Avenue on Sept. 19, after the Planning Commission's 6-0 recommendation. The permit allows redevelopment of the single-family home on the substandard R-2-5 residential lot.

The approval breaks with a recent precedent: neighbors repeatedly blocked a similar undersized-lot project at 404-A East Alexandria Avenue. City Council was scheduled to weigh a zoning change on Oct. 17 that would end the special-permit rule for most substandard lots. Alexandria was also picked for a Bloomberg-backed housing initiative to shorten building-permit times.

Why it matters

The permit clears infill on a substandard Alexandria lot; a pending zoning change would end the special-permit rule for most.

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Key Indicators

6-0
Planning Commission vote
Recommended approval of SUP #2026-00032 for 1 East Custis Avenue on Sept. 1.
Approved
City Council action
Approved the permit for the substandard R-2-5 lot on Sept. 19, 2026.
7-0
Zoning text amendment vote
Planning Commission backed ZTA 2026-00003 on Oct. 7, which would end the special-permit rule for most substandard lots.
71
Special-permit cases since 1973
63 approved under the council review created in 1974; the pending change would end the rule for most lots.

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People Involved

Duncan Blair
Duncan Blair
Attorney of record for the applicant, OCH at Custis LLC
Represented OCH at Custis LLC; the Planning Commission recommended approval 6-0 and City Council approved the permit Sept. 19

Organizations Involved

Alexandria Planning Commission
Alexandria Planning Commission
City advisory body
Recommended approval of SUP #2026-00032 (6-0) on Sept. 1; backed zoning text amendment 2026-00003 on Oct. 7

Municipal land-use board that reviews zoning and development applications and recommends actions to City Council.
CU
OCH at Custis LLC
Development entity
SUP #2026-00032 approved by City Council Sept. 19, 2026

The legal entity that received permission to redevelop the property at 1 East Custis Avenue.
Del Ray Citizens Association
Del Ray Citizens Association
Neighborhood association
Opposed the parallel SUP at 404-A East Alexandria Avenue

A civic association that organized neighbors against a substandard-lot development in Del Ray.

Timeline

2026 October 2026

9 events Latest: October 17th, 2026 · 4 weeks ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. City Council hears substandard-lot zoning change

    Latest Regulatory

    The Oct. 17 public hearing docket included zoning text amendment 2026-00003, which would end the special-permit rule for most undersized lots. No outcome was reported in the sources reviewed.

  2. Planning Commission backs zoning change for substandard lots

    Regulatory

    The commission voted 7-0 to initiate and recommend approval of zoning text amendment 2026-00003, which would let owners of most undersized lots build by right.

  3. City Council approves special use permit

    Decision

    Council approved the Planning Commission recommendation, allowing redevelopment of the single-unit dwelling on the substandard lot.

  4. Public hearing on 1 East Custis redevelopment

    Hearing

    The Planning Commission hears the special use permit request for the substandard lot.

  5. Planning Commission recommends approval 6-0

    Decision

    The commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of SUP #2026-00032 for 1 East Custis Avenue.

  6. Agenda published for September 1 hearing

    Scheduling

    The Planning Commission agenda lists SUP #2026-00032 for 1 East Custis Avenue.

  7. City Council considers 404-A application

    Decision

    City Council hears the case; opponents say it was unanimously denied again.

  8. Planning Commission hears parallel substandard-lot case

    Hearing

    The commission hears SUP #2026-00013 at 404-A East Alexandria Avenue, a vacant lot lacking street frontage.

  9. Alexandria picked for Bloomberg housing initiative

    Policy

    Alexandria was chosen as one of the first 15 cities in the Bloomberg Philanthropies housing initiative, which funds faster permitting and more accessory dwelling units. The award will land between $450,000 and $750,000, and the city will adopt San Diego's permitting overhaul.

Scenarios

4

Zoning change ends special-permit rule for most substandard lots

Possible

Discussed by: Alexandria Planning Commission staff

The Planning Commission approved zoning text amendment 2026-00003 on Oct. 7. It would let owners of lots meeting a 90% standard or a block face test build by right, removing most undersized lots from the special-permit process that required City Council approval. City Council has final say.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

2024-2026

404-A East Alexandria Avenue (2024-2026)

A vacant substandard lot in Del Ray without public street frontage required two special use permits. Neighbors organized against it, citing fire access, stormwater, and tree canopy concerns, and a Change.org petition drew 92 supporters.

Then

City Council unanimously denied the project multiple times, per the petition, despite staff recommendations for approval.

Now

The denials show that organized neighborhood opposition can block substandard-lot infill projects in Alexandria.

Why this matters now

The same permit mechanism and decision bodies are now handling the 1 East Custis request.

2021

Virginia housing reform, HB 2349 (2021)

Virginia lawmakers passed HB 2349, ending single-family-only zoning by allowing duplexes and, near transit, multi-unit buildings in areas once reserved for detached homes.

Then

Virginia localities lost some control over land use, shifting the debate toward allowing more infill housing.

Now

The state-level push for density continues to collide with local neighborhood opposition in places like Alexandria.

Why this matters now

The 1 East Custis case sits in the middle of that tension: state pressure for more housing against local control over lot-level decisions.

Sources

(10)
+4
City of Alexandria Change.org Alexandria Brief City of Alexandria ALXnow Open Publica The Zebra Alexandria Living Magazine City of Alexandria The Alexandria Brief