Brian Flahaven

This afternoon, I delivered the following testimony during the DC Council’s Committee of the Whole Agency Oversight Hearing on the Deputy Mayor on Planning and Economic Development:

Good morning Chairman Brown and members of the Council. My name is Brian Flahaven, and I am the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for 6B09. My single member district lies in Hill East and includes Barney Circle, the Historic Congressional Cemetery, and the Eastern Branch Boys & Girls Club Building.

I’m here today to testify about Reservation 13, the former site of DC General Hospital, and to ask you to encourage the Mayor and Deputy Mayor to proceed with long-stalled mixed-use development plans at the site.  I’m testifying on behalf of myself and my Single Member District. I am not representing Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B, though ANC 6B has officially supported mixed-use development at Reservation 13.

Ten years ago, this Council approved a master development plan for Reservation 13. The plan, created with substantial community input, envisioned a mixed-use development that would finally connect surrounding neighborhoods to the Anacostia River waterfront. The plan recognized the site’s many advantages – waterfront location, access to Metro and close proximity to two wards – and it envisioned bringing housing, retail and office space to an area of the city in desperate need of all three.

Since 2002, the city and our neighborhood have faced many obstacles to moving forward with the master plan – acquiring the land from the Federal Government, mayoral transitions and the Great Recession to name a few. Fortunately, the plan has withstood these obstacles – a testament to the community leaders and residents who spent hundreds of hours pulling it together.

Now, with markets rebounding and strong developer interest in the site, there is hope that this long-awaited development will finally happen. But a new obstacle has emerged. Last year, my constituents and I learned of Mayor Gray’s visit to the 33-acre training facility of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The apparent goal of the visit was to convince Dan Snyder to build a similar training facility on Reservation 13.

Since that time, my ANC colleagues and I have been trying to get additional information on where such a facility would be located and what benefits it would bring. So far, we have not received an answer from the Mayor nor Deputy Mayor.

My personal view is that a training facility on Reservation 13 is a bad idea.  Such a facility would take up almost half of the 67-acre site, eliminating any chance that the community-supported mixed-use vision would be realized. If it is like most NFL training facilities, it will be a fenced in fortress that prevents access to the waterfront.  And since Maryland and Virginia are also vying to build the facility, the Mayor will essentially have to give Dan Snyder some of the most valuable, transit accessible real estate left in our city for nothing.

However, the most unfortunate cost of such a facility would be the lost opportunity to bring hundreds of potential jobs, thousands of new residents, additional housing units, retail and tax base to our city.

I urge you to ask the Deputy Mayor to:

1. share any information he has on the location of the proposed training facility,
2. explain how he will ensure that the community is notified and involved in any decisions regarding the training facility or any future development on Reservation 13, and
3. share his projections on how many jobs, housing and retail opportunities would be created if a training facility is built instead of pursuing mixed-use development. I’d also be curious to hear how much the training facility will contribute to the city’s tax base.

Residents in my neighborhood are eager to work with our Ward 7 colleagues, who will now have leadership over site, to get this long-stalled project across the finish line. We see Reservation 13 not only for its potential to bring new jobs, housing and retail options to our neighborhoods, but also as a way to strengthen the connection between residents on both sides of the river. A mixed-use vision will benefit both of our wards.

Again, I ask that you urge Mayor Gray and Deputy Mayor Hoskins to pursue mixed-use development for Reservation 13. Reservation 13 should be developed in the best interests of the city, not for the private interests of Dan Snyder.

Thank you, and I’d be happy to answer any questions.

Around 20 residents spent a portion of their Valentine’s Day with ANC 6B at our monthly meeting. And it was a long one…three and a half hours!

Here are the highlights:

• I announced that Mayor Gray has agreed to participate in a community meeting on Reservation 13 and that I would work with colleagues in ANCs 7A, 7D, 6A and our commission to schedule the meeting. Mayor Gray continues to negotiate with Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins to put a training facility on the site. I voiced concern that a deal to build such a facility could threaten the community-supported master plan for Res. 13.
• The Commission heard a presentation from Tamara Haye Daufour, foundind director of HayeGirl, a 501(c)3 organization that teaches financial planning, small business development and self-reliance to military families, low-income individuals, disadvantaged business owners, at-risk youth and other underserved members of the community. You can learn more about the organization at www.hayegirl.org.
• ANC 6B unanimously approved a letter (pdf) asking DDOT to repair the broken fence at Barney Circle SE as part of the consent agenda. Thanks to Commissioner Kirsten Oldenburg, chair, and Keith Smith, 6B09 resident member, for their help with and support for the letter. I’m hopeful that DDOT will finally fix this dangerous eyesore.
• The commission unanimously approved the renewal of the ANC 6B Hill East Task Force and elected me to serve once again as the task force chair. I appreciate my colleagues continued support for the task force and I’m looking forward to holding additional task force meetings on issues affecting our neighborhood. The Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force was also renewed for an additional year.
• In the absence of signed voluntary agreements, ANC 6B voted to continue protesting the liquor license renewals for Pennsylvania Avenue Market (1501 Pennsylvania Avenue SE) and Southeast Market (1500 Independence Avenue SE). Owners of both establishments will not agree to stop selling two and three packs of beer unless their competition also agrees to do so. In March, ANC 6B will consider a formal position banning the sale of singles, two packs and three packs of alcohol in our commission area.
• The commission voted in support of the SunTrust Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon after organizers agreed to dump the idea of a parking ban on East Capitol Street and provided additional information on the event’s traffic and trash management. During the race, which will take place on Saturday, March 17, MPD will allow traffic to cross East Capitol at 15th and 17th Streets when runners are not present. Organizers also said that the 2013 race would begin and end in a different ward. View the marathon map.
• Commissioners voted unanimously to send a letter to DDOT (pdf) outlining concerns with the Hine Redevelopment Transportation Impact Study. The letter asks DDOT to request that the developers address a number of concerns, including parking, pedestrian safety and how corrective measures will be implemented post construction.
• The commission unanimously renewed the terms of all committee and task force resident members. Thanks to Ksenia Kaladiouk (Planning & Zoning), Keith Smith (Transportation), Kate Wall (Hill East), Darren Cole (Outreach) and Evan McCarthy (Outreach) for volunteering to be 6B09 resident members.
• ANC 6B’s March meeting will take place on Tuesday, March 13, 7 pm at the Hill Center.

Please post any comments or questions below.

Last night, 9 ANC commissioners met with Victor Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, to discuss the status of development plans for Reservation 13, the 67-acre site of the former DC General Hospital. Here is what we learned:

• The Mayor’s Office is continuing to negotiate with Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins to build a training facility at Reservation 13. Until the outcome of the negotiations is determined, any development plans for Reservation 13 remain on hold. Commissioners strongly pushed back that the community must be involved in the decision about a training facility on the site and expressed frustration that the Mayor is not seeking feedback from residents. Deputy Mayor Hoskins said that his office is not involved in the negotiations.
• Commissioners voiced concern about what a training facility would do to the master plan for the site approved by the DC Council and the community. We also asked where the facility would be located on the site. Deputy Mayor Hoskins said he did not have specific information on where the facility would be located, but said that the community would be involved in the discussion if the city moves forward on the facility. We pushed back that residents should be involved in the discussion now…before a decision is made.
• The Deputy Mayor said his office should know whether the city will pursue a training facility or continue with the current development plans in 30 days. If  plans for a training facility do not move forward, he said that the city would return to development plans approved by the community, beginning with parcels located next to the Stadium-Armory Metro station at 19th and C Streets SE. The Deputy Mayor also said that any training facility proposal would have to be consistent with the zoning for the site.
• Commissioners expressed frustration that the Mayor has not made Reservation 13 a priority, particularly given its access to Metro and waterfront location. Deputy Mayor Hoskins responded that his office’s involvement demonstrated that Mayor Gray is still committed to developing the site.
• All 9 Commissioners, representing Wards 6 & 7,  agreed thay Mayor Gray needs to come out to the community and explain how a potential training facility fits into the master development plan agreed to by residents. We asked Deputy Mayor Hoskins to relay this message directly to the Mayor. The Deputy Mayor reiterated his commitment to participate in a community meeting with or on behalf of the Mayor.

I’m extremely frustrated about the lack of community involvement or input in the training facility negotiations. As I’ve written before, I’m skeptical that a training facility is in the best interests of the city and neighborhood. However, I’d like Mayor Gray to come to the community and explain why he thinks such a facility would be a benefit. I’m disappointed that he has so far declined our invitation. I plan to continue to keep you updated on this critical project.

A big thanks to the commissioners who were able to attend the meeting with the Deputy Mayor:  Nick Alberti (6A05), Francis Campbell (6B10), Sheila Carson-Carr (7A01), Jared Critchfield (6B06), Neil Glick (6B08), David Holmes (6A03), Villareal Johnson (7A07), and Lisa White (7D01). And thanks to the Deputy Mayor and his staff for the update.

UPDATE: ANC 6B Chair Jared Critchfield reports that Mayor Gray committed to attending a community meeting on Reservation 13 during last night’s ANC chairs meeting. More details to follow. Thanks to everyone who called and urged the Mayor to attend the meeting!

Yesterday, the Prince of Petworth blog reported that the retail space at the corner of Potomac Avenue SE and Pennsylvania Avenue SE was recently sold and that plans for a gelato shop have been shelved.  The new owner, JBL Properties, posted a comment to the story asking for ideas on what should go into the space. Please take a moment to e-mail Jeremy@jblrealestatellc.com and share your suggestions. You can also post them on the PoP blog or below.

Note that I personally would love to see a coffee and/or sandwich place in that space.

The "temporary" fence at Barney Circle SE. Dangerous and ugly.

• The “temporary” fence at Barney Circle SE will be on the agenda at tonight’s (Wed., Feb. 8) ANC 6B Transportation Committee meeting, 6:30 pm, at the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. I plan to ask my colleagues to support sending a letter to the District Department of Transportation asking that the fence be repaired. Also on the agenda: a proposal to use DDOT Performance-Based Parking Funds to repair sidewalks in Garfield Park and a discussion of the Hine School Redevelopment’s transportation impact study. The meeting will be held in the 3rd Floor Conference Room.
• ANC 6B’s Alcholic Beverage Control Committee meets Thurs., Feb. 9, 7 pm in the 3rd Floor Conference Room of the Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue. Among other things, the committee will consider the resolution of liquor license protests for two Hill East liquor stores – Pennsylvania Avenue Market (1501 Pennsylvania Avenue SE) and Southeast Market (1500 Independence Avenue SE).
• Mayor Gray is hosting the “One City Summit” this Saturday, Feb. 11, 9:00 am – 4:30 pm at the Washington Convention Center. You can register for the free event on the Mayor’s website and vote for particular ideas/issues to be discussed, including the future development of Reservation 13 (right now Res. 13 has 19 votes).
• Looking for something to do on Valentine’s Day? Join us for ANC 6B’s February commission meeting on Tues., Feb. 14, 7 pm in the Benjamin Drummond Room at the Hill Center. The commission will be voting to renew the Hill East and Outreach & Constituent Services Task Forces, electing committee/task force chairs, approving resident members for committees, and discussing the upcoming Rock & Roll Marathon. The full agenda is available on the ANC 6B website.