2018 Alexandria Beautification Commission Holds Annual Ceremony

On October 16, 2018, the Alexandria Beautification Commission held its annual Beautification Awards ceremony at the Lyceum in Old Town, Alexandria.  The theme of this year’s event was “How Green Spaces Improve the Quality of Life.”

Mayor Allison Silberberg and members of City Council, Del Pepper and Paul Smedberg presented the winners with their award certificates. Mayor Silberberg remarked, “This is one of my favorite events of the year. Beautification is crucial.”  She stated, “We are all temporary stewards of this national treasure called Alexandria. It takes a team effort, and the Alexandria Beautification Commission is a big part of that.” Mayor Silberberg graciously thanked the honorees and the Commission for their hard work, “We are the winners here in Alexandria. We are beneficiaries of your devotion to beautification.”

Commission member, Anna Smith Lacey, announced this year’s winners who were awarded for their exceptional efforts in contributing to the beautification of Alexandria through architecture, landscaping and sustainable practices. Awards were presented in six categories: Excellence in Architecture, Excellence in Sustainable Design, Green Practices
in Beautification, Community Beautification, Residential Beautification, and Commercial Beautification. Ms. Lacey noted, “This year, we are seeing a new and encouraging trend.
We are seeing the City, local businesses, residents and communities coming together to create sustainable landscapes that not only create beauty, but also improve quality of life.”

Ms. Beth Tuttle, President of the American Horticultural Society, was the keynote

speaker. She said, “Beautification is full of power and potential. The process of beautifying our cities builds communities that are more resilient, more connected, healthier and more equitable.” Ms. Tuttle spoke about the notion of cultivating resilience, which is the capacity to persist and solve problems and to adapt in the face of the challenging circumstances. She said, “When we employ sustainable design, as many of tonight’s honorees are doing, and as we continue to work on the City of Alexandria’s initiative, science tells us that we are creating good conditions for both environmental and social psychological resilience.”

Ms. Tuttle explained that through urban green spaces, such as gardens and parks, we build community. She said that by creating these neutral spaces for people to come together, “a sense of connectedness and ownership emerges as a result. It begins to foster greater trust, cooperation and sense of reciprocity among individuals.  All of these are absolutely critical components of any well-functioning society.”

“The evening was a wonderful celebration of excellence in beautification,” remarked Christina Mazurkevich, Commission member and real estate agent.  “It was about gratitude and recognizing those who do greater good to benefit all of us – our environment, our well-being, and thereby making Alexandria a more beautiful place.”

The awards are as follows:

Excellence in Architecture Awards

200 Strand Street, The Old Dominion Boat Club

1407 Russell Road (formerly known as The Halloween House)

Excellence in Sustainable Design Awards

1505 Cameron Street Jefferson-Houston School

3600 Wheeler Avenue Alexandria Police Department

Green Practices in Beautification Award

North Ridge Citizens Association

Commercial Beautification Awards

1 Canal Center Plaza, Canal Center Plaza

4510 Duke Street, Valvoline

5800 Quantrell Avenue, Lerner Excelsior Tower

Community Beautification Awards

Potomac Greens Circle

Friends of Little Park

Residential Beautification Awards

4 Bellefonte Avenue

8 Potomac Court

107 Mount Vernon Avenue

1310 Bishop Lane

704 Grandview Drive

116 West Mason Avenue

2291 North Chambliss Street

5477 Fillmore Avenue

1060 Palmer Place

1000 North Terrill Street

The full program of the 2018 Alexandria Beautification Award ceremony can be found at https://www.alexandriava.gov/Beautification