ALEXANDRIA, Va. (WUSA) -- The Alexandria City Council took a step closer to bringing a new metro stop.
Council members approved a way to fund the new Potomac Yards Metro Station, near Jefferson Davis Highway and George Washington Parkway, which will come mainly
from new development and new homeowners in the area.
The unanimous vote on a special service district tax will hit new businesses and homeowners.
But some residents fear the next step will be taxing existing homeowners.
Council members are also considering another special tax that could potentially make the nearby Potomac Greens neighborhood to help pay for the rest of it.
Brett Melvin says, "It's not fair, it's wrong, but it's typical of Alexandria City Council. They think of only themselves and no one else."
Foster Henderson says, "I keep hearing it will benefit us because it will bring greater density to the city, yadda yadda yadda. If it benefits the whole city, the whole city should partake in taxes."
New homeowners and development will pay 20 cents for every 100 dollars of assessed property value.
If approved, existing homeowners would pay half as much at 10 cents per 100 dollars assessed.
That means for the average price of a townhome at 800 thousand dollars, a homeowner would pay 800 dollars more a year.
Councilmember Paul Smedberg says, "It's a policy decision and we have to decide if we want to move in that direction. We can discuss it and debate it. But it was in the plan 10 years ago. This is a great step for the city moving forward and it's exciting redevelopment."
While city council contemplates taxing existing homeowners, folks such as Foster Henderson who moved in less than two years ago will continue to fight it.
The proposed metro station would be built behind the Potomac Yards shopping center. It's part of a larger Potomac Yard urban redevelopment project.
If the special tax were to be approved for existing homeowners, it would not go into effect until 2016.