Politics & Government

May 31st ANC2E Wrap Up

The Nation's Triathlon, Bikeshare and new residential for Dumbarton Oaks were among the agenda items Tuesday.

The Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E) updated the community on various utility and transportation projects in the neighborhood and reviewed several development and design plans.

Transportation, Utilities and Construction

  • The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) will reconfigure the southern end of Thomas Jefferson Street to make it two ways from the Colonial Parking Garage down to K Street. The project will happen in the first two weeks of June. 
  • DDOT is also "leaning toward" putting in a left turn signal for cars waiting in the south driveway of .
  • O and P Street construction continues and Commissioner Ed Solomon said the community relations team will work to improve communication between residents and the construction workers on the project. Additionally, Solomon said the reason for the sprawling nature of the project, is that the high pressure gas lines being installed require a different configuration that is spread out in different areas of the street.
  • Also on O and P Street, Commissioner Jeff Jones said the project is on time and on budget. The next phase will start on 36th Street where concrete barriers will be put in place.
  • Chris Holben from DDOT came to speak with the ANC about proposed additional station locations in Georgetown. Holden said he would take another look at the space at the Hyde-Addison School and received comments from the ANC about a proposed station at the south end of Rose Park on M Street.

Nation's Triathlon

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Nation's Triathalon worked with the ANC and MPD to devise road closures to minimize the impact on traffic in Georgetown for the September 11, 2011 event. The ANC again asked about how much of the event was for-profit and how much it benefited the non-profit partner, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Team in Training program.

Ulitmately the ANC "provisionally recommended approval" of the event's closure of the White Hurst Freeway, a section of Canal Road and the Clara Barton Parkway. However, Commissioner Ron Lewis made it clear that the approval only applied to the 2011 race, "we'll give it a try for a year," he said.

Find out what's happening in Georgetownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Zoning and Planning

  • 1679 35th Street- The plan called for creating an accessory apartment on the rear of the second floor of a home that sits across from the Duke Ellington School. The ANC said the proposal is "awkward" because of the issues surrounding the Georgetown Campus Plan and Zoning Rewrite underway. The ANC asked the Board of Zoning Adjustment not to grant the exception so "we all have the opportunity to work through the rewrite process and campus plan."
  • Public Alley behind 1416 33rd Street and 1418 33rd Street The two neighbors at 1416 and 1418 are hoping to close off a public alley behind their homes. The alley is often used and blocked by construction vehicles and out-of-state cars. The land would then belong to the two home owners. The ANC did not move to approve the closure and instead encouraged the neighbors to contact other residents on the block to notify them of their intentions and to try to create a record of 911 calls for illegally parked cars.

Old Georgetown Board

Dumbarton Oaks at 1700 Wisconsin Avenue: Dumbarton Oaks purchased the building at 1700 Wisconsin Avenue and intends to convert it to a residential space for its fellows program. The building would provide housing for 25 fellows as well as a gym, meeting room and a few other common spaces. 

Cunningham and Quill is the architecture firm for the project. Ralph Cunningham told the ANC that the plan is to add a "relatively small fourth floor addition" to the existing structure. The existing building is approximately 19,000 square feet and the plan would add another 10,000 square feet. The plan is to remain below the 2.5 floor area ratio limit and for the height to be below the allowable 50 feet.

Cunningham described the existing site as an "environmental nightmare" and that the project would use geothermal heating and cooling to exceed Harvard's required LEED Gold building standard. 

The ANC decided that, based on what the applicant had described, it did not object to the proposed planned use. Commissioners added that they strongly urged Dumbarton Oaks to reach out to neighbors. The ANC expressed concerns about massing, the addiotn to site line along Wisconsin Avenue and parking lot congestion.

3347 M Street “Fuhggetaboutit” Pizza: The former home of Philly Cheesesteak will become a pizzeria with residential space above. The project will restore the facade on both 34th and M Streets. The residential units will have access to an existing rooftop deck that will also see rennovation. The project architect said the deck cannot be viewed from public space and will not be accessible from the restaurant.

The ANC moved that based on the project as presented there was no objection so long as the roofdeck would only be used by those in apartment and not by the business on the first floor.


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