Neighbors and Students Mobilize to Attend First Zoning Commission Hearing on Campus Plan

The long-awaited day has arrived: the Zoning Commission will begin its review of the Georgetown University Campus Plan tonight at 6:30. Neighbors and students have taken to facebook and listservs to organize groups to attend the hearing. Doors open to the public at 5:45 p.m. in the Office of Zoning Hearing Room at 441 4th Street, Suite 220-S.

Despite efforts by the Advisory Neighborhood Commission to have the Thursday evening meeting delayed, the Zoning Commission will begin hearing testimony from the University about its proposed 10-year plan. The ANC had requested a delay to give neighbors proper time to respond to last minute changes made in the University's plan.

In a press release yesterday, a coalition of community organizations wrote:

"Less than two weeks ago, GU submitted a pre-hearing submission to amend its campus plan proposal that claimed to address community concerns, but only delayed making any significant decisions about housing, parking or student enrollment."

The Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG), the Burleith Citizens Association (BCA), Foxhall Community Citizens Association and the local ANCs are registered parties in to GU’s campus plan and will present their arguments along with individual residents at the hearings scheduled for May 12 and 16.

Tonight student and neighborhood groups will be showing up in numbers to demonstrate their support and opposition for the proposed plan.

In an email to the community listserv, CAG board member, Cynthia Pantazis, urged residents to attend tonight's meeting, "We need to show how many residents feel strongly that the neighborhood is and will continue to be impacted negatively."

On the other side of the invisible line, student groups are also calling for a large showing through a Facebook page run by D.C. Students Speak.  "We need to show who the real stakeholders are of the campus plan... and demonstrate that students need a voice at the table. A vocal minority should not decide the fate of our campus plan." Students are running busses to attend the evening's meeting.

Patch will be there tonight to cover the hearing. Look for a rundown of the proceedings Friday.