About Us

The Beautification Commission represents citizens' values in City beautification matters and coordinates projects to encourage and achieve beautification. The Commission sponsors the Alexandria Beautification Commission Awards each year.

What is Beautification?

Improvements to a community encompassing landscaping, architecture, and sustainable environmental practices creating a healthier community and higher quality of life.

Mission

The Alexandria Beautification Commission promotes beautification of the City through advocacy, education and the celebration of community beautification efforts.

Meeting Information & Schedule

The Commission meets on the second Thursday of each month, at 7:30 pm., Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St.  For additional information, call Oscar Mendoza, Division Chief, at 703.746.4667. For a list of vacancies, to submit an application or for additional information, visit Boards & Commissions. 

For a list of Commission members, click here.

For information on membership requirements, click here.

2018 Meeting Schedule 

• January 11
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
• February 8
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
• March 8
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
• April 12
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
• May 10
  • Agenda
  • Minutes
• June 14
  • Agenda
• June 28 - Outreach Committee
• July 12
  • Agenda
  • Meeting Minutes
  • FOIA Presentation
• July 26 - Outreach Committee
• August 9
• August 22 - Simpson Park Triangle/Vacant Lot Subcommittee
  Durant Center, 1605 Cameron St.
  7 p.m. to 8 p.m.
  Topic: Strategies to raise funds to implement  Community Matching Fund  improvement activities
• August 23 - Outreach Committee
• September 13
  • Agenda
  • Meeting Minutes
• September 27 - Outreach Committee
• October 11
  • Agenda
    
• October 25 - Outreach Committee
• November 8
• November 22 - Outreach Committee
• December 13
• December 27 - Outreach Committee
  
   2018 Reports
• Annual Report
• Annual Attendance Report

Activities

• Makes recommendations to City Council and City Departments concerning landscape aesthetic improvements to the City's right-of-ways and City Properties
• Coordinates with City staff and community groups to organize clean-ups and invasive plant removal from public spaces
• Coordinates with City staff to transform vacant lots in the City into usable community spaces
• Sponsors a series of programs to education residents of Alexandria on matters of beautification
• Sponsors the Alexandria Beautification Awards to recognize residences, businesses, institutions, and public properties that beautify their surroundings through landscaping, architecture, maintenance, and litter clean-up
• Supports activities and policies to increase the City's Tree Canopy
  

   

Contact Us

If you would like to contact us about beautification issues and opportunities, please send your correspondence to:

The Alexandria Beautification Commission
2900-A Business Center Drive
Alexandria, VA 22314
Email:  AlexandriaBeautification@gmail.com 
https://www.facebook.com/AlexandriaBeautification/

Alexandria Beautification Awards    

The Commission sponsors the annual Alexandria Beautification Awards each fall.  These awards recognize residents, businesses, and community efforts to contribute to the beautification of their neighborhoods and public vistas.  Each year the Commission canvases the City in search of properties that have improved their surroundings through landscape, architecture, maintenance, and other efforts.  The Commission also actively solicits award nominations from the public. Nominations for 2018 have closed.

The Alexandria Beautification Commission will be holding a tour of properties nominated for Beautification awards on Saturday, June 9th at 7  a.m. The tour will depart from Lee Center. The purpose of the tour is to review all nominations according to criteria of various awards. Each nomination will be assessed and members will vote on award winners. The public is invited to join the Commission for the tour.

Awards are given in six categories:

1. Excellence in Architecture
2. Excellence in Sustainable Design
3. Green Practices in Beautification
4. Community Beautification
5. Residential Beautification
6. Commercial Beautification

For additional information, view the Beautification Awards Criteria applicable to all nominations.

Award Winners

Commission members make the final decision on Award recipients.   Awards are presented by the Mayor and City Council. To view previous Beautification Award Winners click on the following:

• 2018 Beautification Award Winners
  • Alexandria Beautification Commission Announces 2018 Award Winners
  • 2018 Beautification Awards Photo Gallery
• 2017 Beautification Award Winners
• 2016 Beautification Award Winners
• 2015 Beautification Award Winners
• 2014 Beautification Award Winners
• 2013 Beautification Award Winners
• 2012 Beautification Award Winners 
• 2011 Beautification Award Winners  
• 2010 Beautification Award Winners
• 2009 Beautification Award Winners  
• 2008 Beautification Award Winners 
   

 Special Projects

• Median Beautification & Sustainability
  On Friday, June 15, the Alexandria Beautification Commission saw a year's worth of planning and working with the City of Alexandria come to fruition with the installation of native and sustainable plant material in three medians at the heavily trafficked intersection of King St., Quaker Ln and Braddock Rd. The Commission initiated the pilot median improvement project in 2017 to make the City’s medians both more attractive and more sustainable.  
  
  The Commission recommended the use of low maintenance, no mow areas in City medians that utilize native and sustainable shrubs and perennial plants. For the past year, the Beautification Commission has been working with the City of Alexandria’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Activities to develop a cohesive landscaping plan for the medians which they hope can serve as a model for beautification of medians throughout the City. Together, their efforts have resulted in a beautiful and well-designed sustainable public space at a busy intersection.
  
  Zebra Press Article