Project Updates from Neighborhood Town Hall

October 14, 2013

A big thanks to everyone who attended my Oct. 10 Neighborhood Town Hall at Congressional Cemetery Chapel. We had a great turnout! For those who were unable to attend, here are some brief updates on major projects happening in the neighborhood:

  • Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront – On Oct. 24, the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development’s Office announced that Donatelli/Blue Skye had been awarded development rights for parcels F1 & G1 at Reservation 13. DMPED and Donatelli/Blue Skye are now negotiating on an agreement that will allow the project to move forward (terms of land transfer, etc.). This agreement will need to be approved by the DC Council, most likely in early 2014. The Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal calls for two mixed-use buildings with a total of 354 apartments (248 market rate, 106 affordable) and 20,000-40,000 square feet of retail on the first floors, including the possibility of retail along the C Street extension. Donatelli/Blue Skye has also updated their proposal to remove the “traffic island” around the Stadium-Armory Metro plaza.
  • 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (Old KFC site) – Construction has begun on this two-story retail building at the corner of 15th and Penn Ave SE. Douglas Development hopes to have construction completed by the end of the year. As for tenants, Douglas Development has not yet signed any leases though there has been interest in the site.
  • 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (Used Car Lot – formerly 1550 Penn Ave SE) – NOVO Development hopes to begin construction on this 77-unit residential building by the end of the year or in early 2014. Greg Selfridge and the NOVO team plan to hold a community meeting soon to discuss construction and its potential impact on surrounding neighbors. I’ll share information on the meeting once it is scheduled.
  • 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (Old Domino’s site) – Goldstar Group plans to build a 41-unit residential building at the old Domino’s site, with a mix of two bedroom, one bedroom and junior one bedroom units. While they plan to provide the required 21-parking spaces in an underground garage, Goldstar will probably have to ask the Board of Zoning Adjustment for zoning relief related to the size of the parking spaces (6-8 will have to be compact spaces). Goldstar is pushing the building as close to the 15th & Penn Ave SE intersection as possible to preserve some open space between the building and adjacent structures. The parking garage entrance will be off of 15th Street SE. Goldstar will present their plans and preliminary designs with neighbors at a community meeting in the coming weeks. I’ll share information on the meeting once it is scheduled.
  • 401 15th Street SE – Goodeon Kingston, LLC has begun construction on a 12-unit mixed-use retail-residential building at the corner of 15th & D Street SE. The big news is that they have now decided to include retail space on the first floor..about 1,000 square feet. Goodeon hopes to have concrete and foundation work completed by the end of the year. The building will have the six parking spaces required by zoning.
  • Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Project – The District Department of Transportation plans to hold its second public meeting on the Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Project on Thursday, November 21, 6:30 pm at Payne Elementary School (1445 C Street SE). At the meeting, DDOT and their consultant, CH2M Hill, will present options for public feedback. I encourage anyone who lives near Barney Circle to attend this meeting.
  • 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project – The good news is the design phase of the 17th & 19th Streets Safety Improvement Project is complete. The bad news is that DDOT has asked a consultant to do an additional environmental review of the project recommendations which will add another 6 months to the project timeline. We are now looking at mid to late 2014 for construction to begin. I plan to urge DDOT to move as swiftly as possible to complete the additional review and begin construction.

Please post any comments or questions below.

6 Comments | 15th Street SE, 17th Street SE, 19th Street SE, Barney Circle, Development, Penn East, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

*UPDATED* DMPED Moves Forward on Donatelli/Blue Skye Plans for Reservation 13

September 25, 2013

During a Sept. 24 Council hearing on major economic development projects, Ketan Gada of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development announced that DMPED has decided to move forward with the Donatelli/Blue Skye plans for parcels F1 & G1 at Reservation 13.

This is really good news for the neighborhood and will hopefully be the first step in the realization of the community supported Reservation 13 Master Plan. Over the next 120 days, DMPED and Donatelli/Blue Skye will negotiate an agreement that will allow the project to begin (transfer of land, etc.). This agreement will need to be approved by the DC Council prior to construction. Both affected ANCs – ANC 6B and 7F – will have an opportunity to weigh in on the negotiations and the agreement.

During the hearing, Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, chair of the Committee on Economic Development, suggested the creation of a community task force to focus on the project. I plan to work with my ANC 6B colleagues to determine whether the commission’s existing Hill East Task Force or a new task force should take on Reservation 13/Hill East.

We also need to continue to push the city to take action immediately on preparing the remaining parcels at Reservation 13 for development. While DMPED answered my question on the status of the Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal, they have not fully answered the other three questions I posed in my testimony (pdf).

Please post any comments/reactions/questions below.

Updated 10/4/13 – Video from the Sept. 24 hearing is now posted on DC’s Office of Cable Television website. Just click on the third “View Meeting” link and fast forward to 1 hour 26 minutes to see testimony on Hill East.

3 Comments | Development, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Res. 13/Hill East Council Hearing Tomorrow

September 23, 2013

The DC Council’s Committee on Economic Development, chaired by Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser, is holding a hearing tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 24, on major economic development projects. Reservation 13/Hill East is one of four major projects on the committee’s agenda. The hearing begins at 11:00 am in Room 500 of the Wilson Building (1350 Penn Ave NW). Read the hearing notice.

At the hearing, I’ll be testifying on behalf of ANC 6B. The main witness will be Victor Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. I’ll be curious to hear if Deputy Mayor Hoskins has any updates on the Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal and DMPED’s larger vision for Res. 13.

in addition to Councilmember Bowser, Councilmembers Anita Bonds (At-Large), Jack Evans (Ward 2), Kenyan McDuffie (Ward 5) and Vincent Orange (At-Large) serve on the Committee on Economic Development.

You can watch the hearing on the DC Council website. Written statements can be submitted to Rob Hawkins, the committee’s legislative director, at rhawkins@dccouncil.us.

1 Comment | Development, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Future of DC General Meeting Recap

July 14, 2013

Here is a brief recap of the June 27 ANC 6B Hill East Task Force meeting. I actually had to leave the meeting early to take my wife to the hospital, where my son, Cole, was born on Fri., June 28. A big thanks to my Hill East colleague, Commissioner Francis Campbell, for facilitating the rest of the meeting. If you attended the meeting, please post your comments below (particularly on the last half of the meeting!). 

Around 30 attendees participated in the June 27 Hill East Task Force meeting to discuss the future of the Family Shelter at the former DC General Hospital complex. David Berns, Director of the Department of Human Services, and BB Otero, Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services, were invited to provide an update on the shelter and the city’s future plans for the site. Here are the highlights:

  • I welcomed attendees and DHS Director David Berns. He noted ANC 6B’s recent letter (pdf) in support of the Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal to develop phase I of the Hill East development. The letter urged Mayor Gray and the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development to come up with a plan to close the temporary shelter at DC General. Due to a last-minute scheduling conflict, Deputy Mayor Otero was unable to attend the meeting.
  • Director Berns introduced himself and outlined the city’s plans to move homeless residents from shelter to housing. The city’s goal, according to Berns, is to move from a shelter drive approach to keeping families within their communities. View the DHS handout (pdf).
  • Berns talked about the importance of using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) assessment to identify families at risk of homelessness and to target resources to those families to help them stay housed. The goal is to reduce the need for emergency shelter units at sites such as DC General.
  • Berns stated the DHS goal of reducing shelter capacity at DC General from its current level of 271 units to no more than 153 units in FY14 and no more than 100 units by the end of FY15.
  • It costs the city $50,000/year to house one family in DC General. Berns stated that DHS has no desire to put more money into the deteriorating DC General complex and that the goal is to eventually close the antiquated facility.
  • I asked Director Berns for clarification on how many families (or units) can currently be housed at DC General. Berns responded that complex houses 271 units, with 18 additional units available for overflow during hypothermia season. One unit can have up to 6-7 people (large families).
  • When asked if the city or DHS has considered identifying a closing date for DC General, Berns responded that the other locations would have to be identified and funded prior to such a decision. This funding would have to be in DC’s capital budget moving forward. It was not fully funded in the FY14 budget request. If DHS can meet reduction target in number of families housed at DC General by FY15, Berns said it would be easier to request capital funding for smaller shelter location(s) to house roughly 100 families. He reiterated that the city’s goal is to move away from a shelter driven policy towards policy that provides resources to prevent families from needing emergency shelter.
  • I left the meeting at the beginning of the audience Q&A.

Again, please post any comments/reaction below.

2 Comments | ANC 6B, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

ANC 6B June 2013 Meeting Recap

June 13, 2013

Reservation 13, a proposed doggie daycare facility, bylaws amendments and comments on the Penn-Potomac Ave Intersection Pedestrian Safety Study were among the many issues on ANC 6B’s June 11 meeting agenda. Here is a brief meeting recap:

  • The commission voted unanimously (10-0) to send a letter (pdf) to Victor Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, urging his office to move forward with the Donatelli/Blue Skye proposal for parcels F1 & G1 of the Hill East Development/Reservation 13. The commission’s letter also includes specific comments on the Donatelli/Blue Skye plans and urges Mayor Gray and DMPED to take action now to prepare the remaining parcels on the 67-acre site for development. A big thanks to my commission colleagues and the many residents who provided feedback on the proposal and on early drafts of the letter.
  • I announced that BB Otero, Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and David Berns, Director of the Department of Human Services had agreed to discuss the future of the DC General shelter at a June 27 ANC 6B Hill East Task Force meeting. The meeting will be from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE.
  • After lengthy discussion and debate, the commission voted 9-0-1 to support a special exception and variance request that would allow City Dogs, a doggie daycare and boarding facility, to open at 1310 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. This was a very difficult case, particularly since one of the adjacent neighbors had converted her property from a commercial to residential use. City Dogs’ willingness to agree to additional operating conditions (pdf) with the commission ultimately persuaded me to support the case. I also agreed with the majority of commissioners that the commission should request that Board of Zoning Adjustment review the use after a certain period of time to ensure that all conditions are being met.  Kudos to Commissioner Nichole Opkins (6B06) for her hard work in getting to an acceptable compromise.
  • The commission unanimously supported sending a letter (pdf) to the District Department of Transportation outlining our views on the Pennsylvania-Potomac Avenue Intersection Pedestrian Safety Study. In the letter, the commission supports concept 3, which would create “T-intersections” and significantly improve pedestrian safety around the Potomac Avenue Metro plaza. Kudos to Commissioners Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04), Sara Loveland (6B07) and Nichole Opkins for their work on the letter.
  • Given my previous work on improving ANC 6B’s bylaws, I was extremely pleased that the commission overwhelmingly approved two amendments to the bylaws. The first amendment, which passed unanimously, clarified that Commissioners can only nominate resident members who live in their Single Member Districts (SMDs) to committees and task forces. The second, which passed 8-1 (7 votes needed),  finally allows resident members to vote in ANC 6B committees and task forces. Now residents who take the time to serve on committees can vote on recommendations to the full commission. A big thanks to Commissioner Brian Pate (6B05) for introducing the amendments.
  • On an 8-0-1 vote, the commission approved a package of letters on problematic vacant and blighted properties in the commission area. One letter (pdf), addressed to the Vacant Buildings Unit at the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, lists problematic vacant properties in each ANC 6B Single Member District, including 6B09. The commission will also send letters directly to vacant property owners urging them to improve their properties and comply with the law.
  • Commissioner Oldenburg provided an update on efforts to support Frager’s and the other businesses impacted by the June 5 fire. She mentioned the Friends of Frager’s website, where individuals can make tax-deductible contributions to support Frager’s through the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, and encouraged attendees to visit the Frager’s Garden Center “pop up” across from Eastern Market.
  • The commission heard a presentation by Juan Thompson of Serve DC, the Mayor’s Office on Volunteerism, who discussed the office’s efforts to emergency training preparedness efforts. The office is currently looking to recruit residents to serve in neighborhood corps, volunteers who would be able and willing to help neighborhood’s respond in the case of an emergency. You can read more on how to get involved in these efforts on the Serve DC website.
  • ANC 6B’s July meeting will be on Tues., July 9, 7 pm at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE.

2 Comments | ANC 6B, Development, Penn East, Potomac Avenue Metro, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront, Transportation | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

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