May Old Town Crier                                                                  Membership Mail Application

Why we are the group to join

Whether you are new to Alexandria or have been in the community for several years we would like to take this opportunity to introduce you to the Old Town Civic Association. OTCA, as we are generally known, has a special status in a city without ward politics; we are a collective voice for citizens of Old Town that is respected by city government. The OTCA’s mission since our founding in 1951 – to preserve the historic and residential character of Old Town – has been accomplished with the informed and active participation and support of citizen members. Our objectives are:

• To give citizens an effective way to channel problems to the proper authorities.

• To provide an open forum to explore and resolve community issues.

• To achieve understanding between the commercial and residential interests in the area.

• To work cooperatively with other groups seeking the betterment of Old Town and Alexandria.

OTCA is governed by Officers and a Board of Directors elected by the membership. We stay abreast of City issues that directly and indirectly affect Old Town and its neighbors and write a monthly newsletter to keep members informed of important issues and up-coming events. Board members also represent Old Town citizen’s interests before City Council, the Planning Commission, the Board of Architectural Review, and other policy-making bodies.

We meet on the second Wednesday of the month at the Lyceum, 201 South Washington Street. A half hour of socializing with neighbors starts at 7:00 p.m. followed by the evening program at 7:30 p.m. Programs cover a wide variety of timely and informative topics including, for example, presentations by City officials and other professionals on development and land use issues in Old Town, traffic and parking, City policy, historic preservation, and garden design and maintenance.