ANC 6B December Meeting Recap

December 20, 2014

My battle with the sick bug these past two weeks delayed my recap of the final meeting of the commission term. Here it is:

  • The commission voted unanimously to support the Hill East Redevelopment – Phase I: Parcels F-1 and G-1 Disposition Approval Resolution of 2014 (PR20-1153) and retroactively approved my Dec. 9 testimony (pdf) in support of the resolution in front of the DC Council Committees on Economic Development and Government Operations. The commission had previously voted to support the surplus declaration (PR20-1152). On Dec. 17, the DC Council voted unanimously to support both resolutions, which means that Donatelli Development and Blue Skye Development can move forward on their plans for two mixed-use buildings on the parcels. I’m really pleased that this project is finally moving forward and optimistic that it will help push the city to develop the remaining parcels at Reservation 13.
  • After a significant amount of discussion, the commission voted on the Office of Planning’s proposed text amendments (pdf) to definitions, maximum height and minimum lot dimension requirements in residence zones. On the proposal that has received the most attention, the commission voted 6-3 to support OP’s proposal to limit the maximum height in the R-4 rowhouse zone to 35 feet (from 40 feet now) and to allow homeowners to apply for a special exception to build up to 40 feet subject to certain criteria. The commission did voice concern that some of the special exception criteria veered into the area of historic preservation. I voted with the majority. While it does subject “pop-ups” to additional ANC and Board of Zoning Adjustment Review, the OP proposal does not prohibit third story additions outright.
  • The commission voted unanimously to send letters to the District Department of Transportation on adding pedestrian crossings in the area of 11th, K and L Streets SE (near the freeway entrance ramps) and on converting the current one-way streets just south of Barracks Row from one-way to two-way streets.
  • The commission voted unanimously to reiterate our support for the 1333 M Street SE First-stage Planned Unit Development request.
  • The commission voted unanimously to urge the DC Department of General Services to initiate an environmental assessment of the Eastern Market Metro Plaza redesign plan. Commissioner Brian Pate (6B05) gave the commission and audience a brief presentation on the redesign plan.
  • After some debate, the commission voted 6-0-3 on to send a resolution (pdf) to the DC Council and the Public Service Commission voicing our concerns about the proposed Exelon-Pepco merger. I’m skeptical of Exelon’s record on sustainable energy and that the merger will be the best interests of DC residents.
  • The commission voted unanimously in favor of a resolution (pdf) thanking departing commissioners for their service. A big thanks to Commissioners Francis Campbell (6B10), Ivan Frishberg (6B02), Dave Garrison (6B01), Sara Loveland (6B07), Nichole Opkins (6B06), Brian Pate (6B05) and Phil Peisch (6B03) for their great service to their constituents, ANC 6B and the city. They all will be missed!
  • Commissioner Campbell, completing 12 years of service, adjourned the final full commission meeting of his tenure. The next commission meeting will be on Tues., Jan. 13 at the Hill Center.

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More Information on the DC Olympic Bid

December 14, 2014

On Dec. 16, Washington 2024, the organization leading the city’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, will make their final presentation to the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). Washington 2024 is competing against Boston, Los Angeles and San Francisco to be the U.S. bid city for the 2024 Games.

So far, Washington 2024 has refused to share their plans with the public. In attempt to learn more about the bid’s potential impact on Hill East, ANC 6B sent a letter (pdf) last month to Washington 2024 requesting a community meeting prior to the USOC’s final decision on a U.S. bid city. Unfortunately, Washington 2024 declined ANC 6B’s meeting request (pdf). They plan to start their community engagement process when/if Washington, DC is selected as the U.S. bid city.

While Washington 2024 declined ANC 6B’s invitation for a meeting, the organization did accept an invitation to speak at Councilmember Vincent Orange’s Small Business and Economic Development Summit held on Fri., Dec. 12. Since we can’t get a meeting with Washington 2024 in Hill East, I decided to attend the summit to learn more about the bid. Here is what I heard:

  • The USOC’s decision on a U.S. bid city could come as early as next week or as late as next January. If Washington, DC is selected, the USOC and city will have until Sept. 2015 to formally apply to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2024 games. The IOC will make its final decision on a host city in Sept. 2017.
  • Not surprisingly, Washington 2024 did not share the specific plans they will be presenting to the USOC. I’m not sure if the decision to keep the public in the dark about the plans is being made by Washington 2024 or the USOC but it is a bad decision. Putting on an Olympics requires a multi-billion dollar public investment. The secretive nature of the process has helped fuel skepticism about the bids in Washington and the other three potential bid cities.
  • RFK Stadium and Reservation 13 are under consideration for a new Olympic Stadium and Olympic Village respectively, though other sites are also being considered for these venues.
  • Robert Sweeney, senior advisor to Washington 2024, noted that the Olympics could be a catalyst to develop sites like Reservation 13 where redevelopment plans largely have failed to take off. I responded that the city is largely to blame for the state of Reservation 13 today and that it shouldn’t take the Olympics to develop a waterfront site sitting on top of a Metro station.
  • Sweeney did mention the Reservation 13 master plan and said that Washington 2024 would follow the plan in developing an Olympic Village if the site is chosen for such a use. I was pleasantly surprised that the organization was aware of the master plan and had thought about how to incorporate it. However, using the site for an Olympic Village would mean the city wouldn’t see the housing and retail slated for Reservation 13 until 2025 at the earliest.
  • Sweeney reaffirmed that Washington 2024 would begin an “extensive” community outreach campaign beginning in Jan./Feb. 2015 if the city is chosen as the U.S. bid city. Community briefings would be held in all eight wards and he recommitted to holding a community meeting in Hill East.
  • There was a lot of focus on the legacy of an Olympic Games. Andrew Altman, former head of the legacy corporation created for the London 2012 games (and former head of the DC Office of Planning) talked about how London began their Olympic planning by envisioning what the Olympic park and venues would look like in 2030. Washington 2024 is modeling their effort after the London games.
  • In addition to Councilmember Orange, Mayor-Elect Muriel Bowser spoke at the Summit in support of the Olympic bid and will be attending the Dec.16 USOC presentation. It appears that the Mayor, Mayor-Elect and DC Council are all behind the bid though they haven’t held a single hearing on the subject nor officially voted to support the bid. If Washington, DC is awarded the games, the city will have to sign a financial guarantee to fully fund the games and any cost overruns.

Community engagement should be the centerpiece – not an afterthought – of an Olympic bid. Residents shouldn’t have to attend business roundtables and summits to learn basic details. I plan to continue pushing city leaders and Washington 2024 to share more information about the bid.

1 Comment | DC General, Development, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront, RFK/Stadium Armory | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Attend the Dec. 11 Barney Circle-SE Boulevard Planning Study Community Meeting

December 10, 2014

On Thursday, Dec. 11, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells will host a community meeting to discuss the Office of Planning’s final concepts for the Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Project Planning Study. The meeting will be from 7-9pm at Friendship Charter School Chamberlain Campus (1345 Potomac Ave SE, across from Harris Teeter).

The Office of Planning has circulated the following document with the final concepts:

In addition to OP, representatives from the District Department of Transportation will be on hand to gather feedback from the community on the concepts. I also plan to ask them for an update on their plans to temporarily reopen the Southeast Freeway.

Please bring your questions and comments to the meeting.

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Mayor Submits Hill East/Res. 13 Legislation, Council Hearing Set for Tues., Dec. 9

December 7, 2014

Some good news on the long-stalled development plans at Reservation 13. Late last week, Mayor Gray submitted legislation to the DC Council related to the surplus declaration and disposition of Parcels F1 & G1 of the Hill East/Reservation 13 development. The two resolutions (listed below) have been added to the agenda of an already scheduled Committee on Economic Development/Committee on Government Operations Joint Public Roundtable (pdf) on Tuesday, Dec. 9, 2:00 pm in Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building (1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW).

If enacted, the city will formally transfer Parcels F1 & G1 to Donatelli Development and Blue Skye Development. The Donatelli/Blue Skye plans call for two mixed-use buildings with 354 apartments and around 20,000 square feet of retail space. Thirty percent (106) of the total units will be affordable housing units (53 at 30 percent of Area Median Income (AMI) and 53 at 60 percent AMI).

While the term sheet and land disposition agreement (LDA) have yet to be posted online, Michael Neibauer of the Washington Business Journal reports that the agreement prohibits “laundromats, check cashing establishments, adult entertainment, liquor stores and drive-thru services.”

I plan to testify in support of the legislation during Tuesday’s Joint Public Roundtable. ANC 6B will also consider the Disposition Approval Resolution during its Dec. 9 commission meeting (ANC 6B is already on record in support of declaring F-1 and G-1 surplus). If you would like to testify or submit written comments on the resolutions, send an e-mail to Tsega Bekele, Legislative Counsel to the Committee on Economic Development at tbekele@dccouncil.us.

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