Council Approves Del Ray Montessori Drop-off Zone

A special use permit application filed by to expand its enrollment and create a pick-up and drop-off zone for students on E. Windsor Avenue was approved by the Alexandria City Council on Saturday by unanimous vote.

The school operates out of Del Ray Methodist Church on the corner of E. Windsor and Clyde avenues. The primary entrance to the Montessori school is on E. Windsor Avenue.

While the school’s plan to expand from 21 to 41 students received approval from the Del Ray Citizens Association, the group was opposed to the drop-off zone on the west side of narrow E. Windsor Avenue because of safety concerns and its status as a primary route for ambulances.

As an alternative, the DRCA Land Use Committee suggested removing a few parking spaces to create a zone on Clyde Avenue. On Saturday, Del Ray resident David Fromm suggested that the school look into shared-parking opportunities with nearby businesses.

“With the westbound travel lane largely blocked when used as a school loading zone, Windsor can no longer effectively serve as an emergency services route,” DRCA President Sean Crumley said. “… We support this SUP request, but we urge for the safety of all involved that an alternate location be found that does not interfere with traffic on Windsor Avenue.” 

A separate daycare center, , also operates from the church and uses the church lot adjacent to Clyde Avenue for parking as well as its own pick-up and drop-off needs. Adding even more cars to the lot would aggravate existing issues with traffic in the narrow lanes of Clyde Avenue, school officials and others said. 

in the church and currently has 21 students, more than half of whom walk, bike or scooter to school, said school founder Sarah Fondriest.

Dozens of Montessori school parents and supporters spoke in support of the permit application on Saturday. Nearby resident Gayle Reuter said she believed that even with increased enrollment the drop-off zone would bring only “about 10 cars in a half-hour period.”

Council agreed with the recommendation of city staff to create the drop-off zone on Windsor.

“In all areas of Del Ray, Arlandria and Beverley Hills, the streets are narrow,” said Rich Baier, Alexandria’s director of Transportation and Environmental Services. “But we believe this situation will work.”

Councilman Rob Krupicka agreed that creating drop-off zone would be difficult wherever it might be done.

“There [are] less-than-ideal circumstances everywhere,” Krupicka said. “Most of the parents using this are from the neighborhood. The citizens raising legitimate concerns about Windsor are from the neighborhood. Ultimately, I think the community can come together and address the challenges that may come up here.”

Krupicka added language in the SUP allowing school personnel, city staff and citizens the ability to address any problems that arise with the drop-off zone without having to bring it back to council. 

In the future, Krupicka said he believed the church is going to have to look into constructing a more structured drop-off zone on its own property along its E. Windsor frontage.

“I know that the church is reluctant to do that,” he said. “I know there are economic impacts [in] doing that. But I want to be clear to the church and the community that I don’t think that option should be ruled out.”