Eastern Branch Building Meeting Recap & Next Steps

February 19, 2014

We had a fantastic turnout (40+) for the Feb. 18 ANC 6B Hill East Task Force meeting on the next steps for the Eastern Branch Building. The city-owned building located at 261 17th Street SE, once a Boys and Girls Club, has been vacant since  2007. The DC Department of General Services (DGS) recently approached the ANC about plans to issue a Request for Offer (RFO) on the building. Here are the meeting highlights:

  • Michelle Chin and Stephen Campbell from the planning division within DGS opened the meeting by talking about the department’s plans to issue an RFO for the building. Coming into the meeting, their goal was to get community feedback so that the RFO could be issued as soon as possible. Chin said the department was prepared to take community comments until March 18.
  • Chin and Campbell briefly noted restrictions on uses for the building (zoned R-4 residential, lacks parking, not ADA compliant and takes up 100 percent of its lot) and clarified that the city would be looking to lease the building to an interested developer or development team. Potential city uses for the building have been ruled out at this point.
  • When the responses to the RFO are received, a technical team at DGS will score the proposals on a variety of factors, including priorities of the surrounding community. Chin said that the review process precluded a community representative from sitting on this technical review team.
  • Chuck Burger recapped the recommendations of Councilmember Wells’ Eastern Branch Task Force (Burger chaired the task force). The task force recommended uses for the building that would serve “families” and meet a number of community needs – daycare, aging and senior services, wellness and fitness and recreation to name a few. He noted that the neighborhood has changed significantly since the task force recommendations were issued in 2009 and that the community should re-evaluate the recommendations. Read the task force report and additional background on the building (pdf).
  • Almost immediately, meeting attendees raised concerns about the DGS timeline. While attendees appreciated the city’s eagerness to move on the RFO, there was a general consensus that the community needed time to consider what should be top priority uses for the building. Commissioner Francis Campbell (6B10) asked why the department was in such a rush to do something. Chin and Campbell responded that the DGS planning division is actively working to find uses for city-owned surplus properties and Eastern Branch was at or near the top of the to-do list.
  • Former Ward 6 Councilmember Sharon Ambrose voiced concern about whether the city had really taken the time to figure out what they wanted to do with the building. She questioned the expectation of DC maintaining ownership and only offering a 20-year lease in the RFO. Campbell responded that the goal was to present the development community with a “blank slate” and that DGS would be open to other lease/financing terms.
  • Various attendees voiced opinions about uses for the site. Many supported the building being used for recreational purposes while others suggested private housing and daycare. Representatives from Capitol Hill Village mentioned their interest in developing “Green Houses” on the site – small, home-like skilled nursing homes that would allow seniors to age in place.
  • There were divergent views on whether the building should be preserved or demolished. Some felt strongly that the building or at the very least its facade should be preserved , while others argued that a new building could be designed to be more accessible, usable and energy-efficient. DGS is approaching the RFO as an opportunity to develop the existing building.
  • Burger emphasized the need to make sure that any use for the building is financially viable. The economics need to work and it is likely that multiple tenants will be needed.
  • A local developer noted that developers “don’t do community centers,” and that such a public function or use should be funded by the city. Likewise, Ambrose pointed to the Hill Center at Old Naval Hospital as a model of a public-private partnership that could be replicated in this instance. When Ambrose asked if the city planned to fund Eastern Branch in the city’s FY15 capital budget, Chin and Campbell responded not at this time.
  • I asked Chin and Campbell if DGS would agree to delay the issuance of an RFO until the community and ANC 6B had a chance to weigh in with formal comments.  They agreed to delay the issuance by at least a month. When I asked if DGS would be willing to let ANC 6B review the draft RFO prior to its issuance, they responded that they could not share the draft RFO with the ANC.
  • The task force voted to recommend that ANC 6B send a letter to DGS Director Brian Hanlon thanking his team for their community outreach and reiterating the community’s understanding that DGS will not issue an RFO until they receive formal comments from the community.

As for next steps, I plan to work with my commission and task force colleagues to schedule one or two additional community meetings to develop a list of community priorities for the building. This list will be basis of ANC 6B’s formal comments to DGS on the Eastern Branch RFO. And though we had a great turnout for this meeting, I want to make sure that we spread the word far and wide about these next two meetings (if you are interested in helping flyer, let me know).

If you attended the meeting, please feel free to post your comments and reactions below. A big thanks to all who were able to attend and weigh in. And thanks to the staff at St. Coletta of Greater Washington for hosting the meeting!

4 Comments | 17th Street SE, Development, Eastern Branch Building | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

ANC 6B February Meeting Recap

February 14, 2014

Zoning relief for 1500 Penn Ave SE, agency oversight hearing testimony and committee/task force chair elections were on the agenda for ANC 6B’s full commission meeting on Feb. 11. Here are the highlights:

  • The commission voted unanimously to support a parking space size variance and roof line height special exception for a proposed 41-unit condo building at 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The Board of Zoning Adjustment is scheduled to hear the 1500 Penn Ave SE case on Tues., Feb. 25.
  • ANC 6B also voted unanimously to renew the Hill East and Outreach & Constituent Services Task Force. Both task forces will sunset in Feb. 2015.  Commissioner Brian Pate (6B05) was elected as chair of the O&CS task force while I was elected as chair of the Hill East Task Force. I’m grateful to my commission colleagues for allowing me to serve another year as chair of the HE task force.
  • Commissioners Francis Campbell (6B10), Sara Loveland (6B07) and Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04) were elected chairs of the Planning and Zoning, Alcoholic Beverage Control Committees. Congrats to all three commissioners, each of whom have dedicated significant time and effort to their committee work.
  • Mostly current and a couple of new resident members were reappointed to ANC 6B committees and task forces. I’d like to thank all of the residents from 6B09 who continue to serve as resident members.
  • The commission unanimously approved testimony for 10 agency performance oversight hearings. ANC 6B will be testifying at hearings on:
    • Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA)
    • DC Auditor
    • District Department of Transportation (DDOT)
    • Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)
    • Department of Human Services
    • Metropolitan Police Department
    • Office of Unified Communications (911)
    • DC Public Schools
    • Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions

    I plan to testify on behalf of the commission at the Department of Human Services oversight hearing. View the full DC Council agency oversight hearing schedule (pdf)

  • The commission also retroactively approved my Feb. 11 testimony at oversight hearing for the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. My testimony focused on Reservation 13 and the Hine redevelopment.
  • ANC 6B voted unanimously to oppose B20-563, the District of Columbia Sports and Entertainment Complex Feasibility Study Act of 2013. The DC Council Committee on Economic Development is holding a Feb. 25 hearing on the bill and I plan to testify in opposition.
  • The commission voted 8-0 to send a letter to Mayor Gray outlining our views on what should be priorities in his FY15 budget. ANC 6B believes that the Mayor’s top priority should be school funding, though the letter also encourages the city to fund infrastructure costs at Reservation 13 and improvements at the Eastern Market Metro Plaza.
  • I reminded attendees that ANC 6B’s Hill East Task Force will be discussing the city’s plans for the Eastern Branch Building (261 17th Street SE) during a meeting on Tues., Feb. 18, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington (1901 Independence Ave SE).
  • After a somewhat contentious debate, the commission voted 6-2 to send a letter to the District Department of Transportation urging the agency to install a stop sign or signalize the intersection of 8th & D Streets SE.  Some commissioners voiced concern about posting a stop sign on only one side of the street (impacting southbound traffic) would confuse motorists. I was comfortable voting with the majority, particularly after the language about considering a stop sign or traffic signal was added.
  • ANC 6B’s March meeting will be on Tues., March 11, 7 pm at the Hill Center.

Leave a Comment » | ANC 6B | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Testimony on Res. 13 at Feb. 11 DMPED Oversight Hearing

February 11, 2014

This afternoon, I testified at the DC Council’s Committee on Economic Development oversight hearing for the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development . My testimony, posted below, focused mainly on the status of development plans for Reservation 13, though I also commented briefly on the Hine redevelopment. ANC 6B retroactively approved my testimony during tonight’s (Feb. 11) full commission meeting.  

Good morning Madame Chair and members of the Committee on Economic Development. My name is Brian Flahaven, and I serve as chair of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6B. My single member district, 6B09, lies in Hill East and includes Barney Circle, the Historic Congressional Cemetery, and the Eastern Branch Building.

I’m here today to testify about the Hill East Development, also known as Reservation 13, the 67-acre former site of DC General Hospital. I’d also like to share some brief thoughts on the Hine development. I’m testifying on behalf of myself and not on behalf of ANC 6B, though the commission will consider retroactively approving my testimony at tonight’s Feb. 11 commission meeting. My testimony is consistent with ANC 6B’s support of mixed use development at Reservation 13 and the Hine PUD.

In June 2013, ANC 6B voted unanimously to support moving forward with the Donatelli/Blue Skye response to DMPED’s Request for Expressions of Interest in parcels F1 and G1 of the Hill East Development. In September 2013, DMPED announced that the city would move forward with the Donatelli/Blue Skye response. The response – which consists of two mixed-use residential/retail buildings next to the Stadium-Armory Metro– is consistent with the community-supported Reservation 13 master plan and the Hill East District zoning on the site. I believe that the Donatelli/Blue Skye plans will help catalyze development on the rest of the site, assuming Mayor Gray, DMPED and the DC Council make the investments and policy decisions necessary to make the long-stalled vision of the Hill East waterfront a reality.

Currently, DMPED and Donatelli/Blue Skye are in negotiations on a final agreement which must be approved by the DC Council. I’d like the committee to ask Deputy Mayor Hoskins and his team:

1) When do they anticipate bringing a final agreement on the first phase of the Hill East Development to the Council?
2) Since this project is finally set to begin, how much funding is the Mayor and DMPED requesting in the FY15 budget related to the Hill East Development? As I’ve mentioned in previous testimony, public funding will be needed to extend public roads/sewers, demolish buildings and to mitigate any environmental concerns on the Hill East site.

I also urge Mayor Gray and DMPED to take action immediately to prepare the remaining parcels of the Hill East site for development. Specifically, DMPED should be:

• Working with the Department of Human Services on a plan to close the temporary homeless shelter at DC General and begin transitioning homeless families and individuals into better housing options. The current policy of housing up to 300 homeless families in a dilapidated, deteriorating old hospital building completely separated from the surrounding neighborhood is an embarrassment to the city and completely counterproductive to the ultimate goal of ending homelessness. Instead, the city should be looking to other alternatives for serving the homeless population in less concentrated settings.

• Developing a plan for transitioning social services located on the site. The Reservation 13 master plan envisions, and I certainly supports, continuing to provide existing services on the site at a reasonable scale in new facilities constructed on parcel L.

To ensure that DMPED is looking beyond the first phase of the Hill East Development, I urge the committee to ask Deputy Mayor Hoskins and his team a few additional questions:

1) What is the timeline for future phases of the Hill East Development?
2) Does DMPED plan to continue developing Hill East parcel-by-parcel? Or is DMPED considering issuing one RFEI for the remainder of the site?
3) If parcel-by-parcel, what parcels are being considered for phase II?
4) Is DMPED working with the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services and the Department of Human Services on a plan for eventual closure of DC General?
5) Does DMPED plan to talk more about the Hill East Development in the coming year? Last year, I didn’t see the Hill East Development referenced in any of the Mayor’s presentations on economic development. I’ll be curious to see if it made DMPED’s presentation today.

After years of distractions, three RFPs and numerous delays, I’m pleased that the Hill East Development is finally moving forward. This is just the first step to bringing mixed-use development to Reservation 13. The ultimate goal remains the achievement of the Council-adopted and community supported Reservation 13 master plan which, when completed, will finally connect the eastern end of Capitol Hill to the Anacostia waterfront.

I’d also like to share a couple of additional comments on the Planned Unit Development process for the Hine School redevelopment. As you know, the Zoning Commission has approved the PUD but the project is currently stalled by pending litigation.

First, I’d like to raise the issue of transparency. I believe the record now reflects that DMPED mishandled the Freedom of Information Act request submitted by community members and needlessly delayed and limited access to information that was appropriate for the public domain. Irrespective of the content of that information and its relevance to any proceeding, the mishandling of this request undermined the spirit of the public process around these types of developments and is not consistent with the city’s commitment to an open and transparent government.

Second, I want to raise a broader point about the PUD process itself. PUDs typically happen on straight forward property purchases where the owner has full ownership and is simply seeking to obtain zoning relief through the PUD. The community and affected ANC then negotiates appropriate levels of benefits, amenities and mitigation with the owner, with the Zoning Commission eventually approving the PUD and the package of benefits. In the case of Hine, the PUD process came after and RFP process, which included a very lengthy, closed door negotiation between DMPED and the selected developer to set the terms for benefits and amenities.

I certainly understand the need for closed door negotiations after the city closes an RFP process and selects a developer. However, I also believe that the community should be involved in helping set the parameters for these negotiations, particularly when it comes to desired benefits and amenities. Our ANC approached the RFP process with a fairly well publicized and organized process, but the commission’s entire focus was on which development team to support. Presumably this was somewhat predicated on the idea that the real discussion benefits and amenities would happen in the PUD process. We now know that the major conversation on benefits and amenities happened during DMPED’s closed door negotiations with the development team. To its credit, DMPED’s aggressive negotiations produced a well-defined and directed list of benefits and amenities to be delivered by the project.
Given the experience of ANC 6B, I encourage DMPED and the Council to consider strategies or ideas on how to engage the community and ANCs in helping set the parameters for benefits and amenities in situations where a PUD follows a city-led RFP process.

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

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

Meeting on Next Steps for Eastern Branch Building

February 10, 2014

On Tuesday, February 18, ANC 6B’s Hill East Task Force will hold a meeting to discuss next steps on the Eastern Branch Building, the former Boys & Girls Club building located at 261 17th Street SE. The meeting will be from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington (1901 Independence Ave SE).

The DC Department of General Services will soon issue a Request for Expressions of Interest for organizations interested in the vacant building. At the meeting, Michelle Chin of DGS will talk about her department’s plans and seek community feedback on the RFEI. Attendees will also hear from Chuck Burger who chaired Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells’ Eastern Branch Task Force.

All residents and organizations interested in the building should attend this meeting. In particular, I want to encourage residents who live near the building to attend and weigh in. To learn more about the building, just type “Eastern Branch” in the search box.

2 Comments | 17th Street SE, Eastern Branch Building | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Updated Plans for 1500 Penn Avenue SE

February 6, 2014
Rendering of 41-unit condo building planned for 1500 Penn Ave SE. Produced by Bonstra Haresign Architects.

Rendering of 41-unit condo building planned for 1500 Penn Ave SE. Produced by Bonstra Haresign Architects.

During the Feb. 4 ANC 6B Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, Eric May of the Goldstar Group shared updated renderings of their proposed 41-unit condo building at 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The drawings include the layout of the underground parking garage, a garage which will include 21 spaces. Goldstar is seeking a variance on parking space size requirements, seeking to count 8 compact spaces towards the 21 space minimum requirement.

May also asked the committee to weigh in on an additional variance request related to the height of the penthouse. The variance will allow the rooftop penthouse to have varying height instead of uniform height.

The committee voted unanimously to recommend that the full commission support both variance requests and the raze permit for the project. ANC 6B will vote on the committee recommendation during the commission’s Tues., Feb. 10 meeting, 7 pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Ave SE). Meeting attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions/provide comments on the requests. If you can’t attend the meeting, please share your comments with me directly or post below.

1 Comment | 15th Street SE, Barney Circle, Development, Penn East | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

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