WHEREAS: The Washington Home and Hospice of Washington (TWH) located at 3720 Upton Street NW has applied to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) for a special exception for "construction of a 4-bed addition to hospice facility and the enlargement of existing parking lot from 75 to 173 parking spaces"; and

WHEREAS: The Washington Home is a non-conforming structure in an R-1-B neighborhood; and

WHEREAS: Section 219.5 of the Zoning Code, Health Care Facilities, provides that a health care facility located in an R-1 district shall not have an adverse impact on the neighborhood because of traffic, noise, or operations; and 

WHEREAS: ANC 3F at a March 18, 2002 duly noticed public meeting identified several concerns about impacts of the current application including concern about the size of the proposed parking lot; concern about storm water management; and concern about the number, location, and types of trees affected and had a presentation about the project by the Home at the May 20 ANC meeting; and

WHEREAS: The Washington Home has not justified the need for an additional 98 parking spaces and a 173 car parking lot in an R-1-B zone; and

WHEREAS: In 1997 when The Washington Home applied to the BZA for permission to reconfigure the existing structure and add 12 beds, its application asserted that parking at the Home was "adequate" to meet the needs; and

WHEREAS: Construction of a 173 car parking lot would result in the removal of 50 trees and endangerment of several large mature trees along Upton and 37^th Streets because of construction activity in their critical root zone; would increase the amount of impervious surface to nearly one and a half acres which will increase storm water flow into municipal sewers and create potential overflow problems; and would dramatically and unalterably change the residential character of the neighborhood; and 

WHEREAS: The proposed nearly one and a half acre parking lot, unlike the present lot, contains virtually no interior landscaping to temper the heat island effect of so much asphalt or to break up the vista of row upon row of parked cars both from surrounding streets and from the Home itself; and

WHEREAS: Opportunities exist for The Washington Home to maximize the use of the existing parking lot through improved management and greater efficiency; and 

WHEREAS:The D.C. Comprehensive Plan at Section 1403.5 states that use of public transit by institutions should be promoted and employee reliance on single occupant vehicles discouraged as a condition for discretionary approval when possible; and 

WHEREAS: Opportunities exist to increase the use of public transportation and minimize dependency on automobiles by visitors and staff of The Washington Home.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT: ANC 3F recommends that the BZA not approve Application 16836.

/s/ Cathy Wiss /s/ David J. Bardin
               Cathy Wiss, Chair               David J. Bardin, Secretary