Brian Flahaven

ANC 6B considered the Office of Planning’s Zoning Regulations Review proposal, potential locations for a new Marine Barracks Washington Bachelor Enlisted Quarters and liquor license renewals for a number of bars and taverns during the commission’s October 8 meeting. Here are the highlights:

• The commission voted 6-3 to send comments (pdf) to the Department of the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps urging the department to focus its site selection for a new Marine Barracks Washington Bachelor Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) on two sites within the Navy Yard. The department is preparing to develop an Environmental Impact Statement on a number of projects related to MBW, including a new site for the BEQ currently located between I Street SE and the SE-SW Freeway.  ANC 6B also voiced strong objections in the letter to the use of two sites north of the Navy Yard for the BEQ, arguing that these privately-owned properties should remain in the city’s tax base and be privately developed. Michael Stevens, president of the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District, reported that both of the privately-owned sites are being targeted for mixed-use development.
• With the Office of Planning set to present their revised Zoning Regulations Review proposal to the Zoning Commission in November, the commission voted on a number of key provisions (pdf) in OP’s revised proposal. Most of the votes were unanimous with the exception of OP’s parking proposal. The commission voted 7-2 to encourage OP to stick with its original proposal to eliminate parking minimums in residential areas and transit zones. I voted with the majority because the revised policy is as ineffective and inefficient as the current one. Requiring developers to build or provide an arbitrary number of parking spots typically wastes building space and increases the cost of housing. In many instances, developers build parking spots that remain unused because it is much cheaper for tenants to pay $35/year for on-street parking.
• Frustrated by the DC Council’s Oct. 1 vote to delay the election of an Attorney General until 2018, the commission voted 7-1 to send a letter to Mayor Gray urging him to veto the legislation.
• The commission voted 9-0 in support of renewing the liquor license for Wisdom at 1432 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Commissioner Nichole Opkins (6B06) worked with owner Erik Holzherr to update the establishment’s settlement agreement with the commission.
• After a lengthy discussion about noise from dumping bottles, the commission voted 8-0 in support of renewing the liquor license for Tune Inn Restaurant at 331 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.
• I announced that I would be holding a Neighborhood Town Hall meeting on Oct. 10 at the Historic Congressional Cemetery Chapel.
• ANC 6B’s November meeting is on Tues., Nov. 12, 7 pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE).

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 13th, 2013 at 9:34 pm and is filed under ANC 6B. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.