| June 2007 - General Membership Meeting - Minutes |
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| Written by CSNA | |
| Tuesday, 19 June 2007 | |
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At the June 2007 CSNA general membership meeting, Derrick Woody from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning & Economic Development, and consultant Joe Bender of Stanmore Associates, working on the redevelopment of the Lincoln Theater gave a detailed look at current plans for both the Lincoln and the back lots. DDOT officials gave updates on two projects: the resurfacing/reconstruction/streetscaping of U Street from 9th Street to 18th Street, NW and (2) the 14th Street Transportation and Streetscape Study. Mr. Woody also introduced consideration of redevelopment of the Sherman Avenue Exchange Site. These presentations were followed by reports from the CSNA committee chairs, so read on for the details. June 2007 · CSNA General Membership Meeting Minutes True Reformer Building · 1200 U Street, NW Welcome and Introductions Community Report, Announcements Special Presentations Derrick Woody, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Lincoln Theater Redevelopment Read more about this project under the Historic Preservation & Development section of CSNA's webiste Derrick Woody introduced ongoing community review of the redevelopment plans for the Lincoln Theater and the currently vacant lots owned by the city behind the theater. Use of the theater is projected to continue as a multi-use facility, and ways of including private promoters with the not-for-profit management of the theater are being developed. Capital improvements to the theater building will mean closure this July and August. Mr. Woody was asked about the time line for the redevelopment of the back lots, and he responded that the city hopes to have an RFP prepared and offered by the end of this summer. Joe Bender and Michael Marshall, consultants to the redevelopment proposal, stated that, after the previous years of work with the city and neighbors, an alternative analysis has been developed with three likely uses. What we are presenting for review is then density, uses and servicing. Option A shows residential use, with 46 residences, no retail, and 79 parking slots with 1/1 reserved for the residential tenants. Two configurations of an event space are located on the second floor, and will be accessible from the theater. The building is 90’ in height, and is stepped back at the 70’ level to decrease the massing to the north and west facades. Entry to the below grade parking (in each plan) is off the north/south alley to the east of the property, and loading will be accommodated also from this alley. The current curb cut for entry to the parking lot would be removed, and access/exit would be from the existing alley’s curb cut. Option B shows use as a boutique hotel with 103 rooms, and would most likely also feature a small restaurant or café. Option C shows use as an office building, with approximately ninety-thousand square feet of open and useable office space. All three options include below grade parking, aiding the functioning of the theater use, different upper story uses, and each hopefully can in some way help create a revenue stream for the theater. The three options are not exclusive, and a hybrid of uses is possible depending on marketplace responses. In the question and answer following there were a number of questions about the impact of the massing and traffic on V Street. Cheryl Cort, and others, presented a number of questions about the consultant’s assumptions on parking including the assumption that 1/1 parking was necessary for the residential option. Mr. Bender explained the choices in locating the parking entrance and loading area at mid block off the alley. Questions were posed about the juxtaposition of the proposed building abutting the Nidi Condominium building. Questions were posed about the upper story setbacks, and Mr. Bender stated that they had explored this option, but that the decrease in useable space could compromise the value of the property to developers. Mr. Bender also spoke to the need in the community for more parking, and cautioned that with full use of the theater the current neighborhood deficit of public parking will be further strained. The office and hotel uses were suggested as better in terms of the parking problems. Sherman Avenue Exchange Site Derrick Woody, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Derrick Woody introduced the city’s proposed redevelopment of the Sherman Avenue Exchange Site. This is property on the east side of Florida and Sherman just below the Howard dormitories and will be obtained after a land swap with Howard University. The first public meeting on this project will be held on Wednesday, June 27th from 6PM to 7:30PM at the HFA Building at 815 Florida Ave. Currently the projection is for a residential building with approximately three-hundred units, and a minimum of thirty percent of these units will be affordable. Questions were raised about the ongoing concern over building an east west roadway to better serve the superblocks in which this building will be located, but Mr. Woody stated that there is no agreement yet between all of the participants on how this will be accomplished.
U Street and 14th Street Transporation Studies Callistus Nwadike, DDoT Ward One Transportation Planner Callistus Nwadike gave an overview of the upcoming work planned for U Street between 9th and 18th. This is the result of the U Street Parking and Transportation Study done recently, and now we are presented with the initial designs for implementation. The first meeting on the “30% Submission” will be held next week, and Phil Spalding, Cheryl Cort and Scott Pomeroy are all planning on attending. Chris Ziemann, Ward 2 Transportation Planner for DDOT, introduced the beginning of the 14th Street Streetscape Design and Transportation Study. This will cover the public space on 14th Street from Thomas Circle north to Florida Avenue. CSNA is represented on the steering committee, and the first public meeting will be held on June 20th at 6PM at the Source Theater.
Update from ANC 1B – Phil Spalding, ANC1B02, This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it Commissioner Spalding noted that the upcoming ANC agenda for July includes an expanded restaurant license for Sala Thai to accommodate their new sushi bar located in the space vacated by Destination U. Also on the agenda are renewals for CR licenses for Axis, Carbonero, Alero, Duke City and Saloon. Committee Business and Regular Reports
The meeting was adjourned at aproximately 8:45pm. |
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