Res 04-09


ANC 3F RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF
BZA APPLICATION NO. 16836, THE WASHINGTON HOME

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3F
North Cleveland Park, Forest Hills, and Tenleytown
4401-A Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Box 244
Washington, D.C.  20008-2322


WHEREAS, at a special meeting on December 17, 2002, the Board of Zoning Adjustment (the Board) approved a 4-bed addition to The Washington Home (The Home) and an increase in the number of parking spaces to 130, conditioned on approval of a site plan showing the location of the parking spaces, a landscaping plan, a parking management plan, and an employee transit plan; and

WHEREAS, on September 23, 2003, The Home submitted a revised site plan, a landscaping plan, and a parking and transportation management plan (Exhibit 129); but ANC 3F opposed this submission because the site plan and landscaping plan failed to meet the Board's criteria in many respects; in other respects, they were worse than the original designs; and in some places, they created new problems, see ANC 3F Resolution 03-20; and

WHEREAS, in response to a request from The Washington Home, agreed to by the Citizens Concerned about the Home’s Expansion (CCHE) and ANC 3F, the Board at its meeting on October 7, 2003, postponed its decision in this case to give the parties time to seek agreement on contested issues; and

WHEREAS, since October 7, 2003, the parties have worked together to design a new site plan, which The Home filed with the Board on March 8, 2004, and also have worked on a new landscaping plan that could not be finalized until after that date; and

WHEREAS, The Home and CCHE have signed a letter of understanding in which both parties agree to support the site plan submitted to the Board on March 8, 2004, and ask that the ANC and Board endorse the plan contingent on implementation of a landscaping plan developed by landscape designer Jane MacLeish on behalf of The Home and CCHE (see Attachment A); and

WHEREAS, the March 8 site plan appears to satisfy the Board’s criteria set forth at the December 17, 2002, special meeting:

·    “Preserve most if not all of the park-like setting” (Dec. 17 Tr. at 21, passim)
The parking lot will come no closer to Upton and 37th Streets than the existing lot.  It will extend only about 20 feet – one car length – closer to the cupola.

·    Preserve the berm along Upton Street (Dec. 17 Tr. at 27-28, 44)
The edge of the parking lot will not cut into the berm.

·    Preserve the area around the cupola (Dec. 17 Tr. at 44)
The parking lot will be about 45 feet from the cupola.  Plantings surrounding the cupola, including the grove of crape myrtles, will remain intact.

·    Minimize the impact on the large trees on the site (Dec. 17 Tr. at 28, 45)
The parking lot will be far enough away from the large trees on Upton Street to protect their critical root zones.  It will be farther away from the large pines along 37th Street than the two earlier designs.  A retaining wall will be used to support the lot near these trees rather than a berm, so as to prevent compaction of their roots.

·    Reduce the amount of paved or impervious surfaces (Dec. 17 Tr. at 42)
This plan calls for only a slight increase in impervious surface over the existing parking lot.  The area of the new lot will be 51,873 square feet, not including the entrance driveways -- an increase in paved surface of only 23%.  Of this, 7,119 square feet will be porous pavement to allow water to percolate and recharge groundwater.

·    Utilize the space more efficiently (Dec. 17 Tr. at 47)
The amount of paved surface per parking space is only 399 square feet.

·    Utilize techniques like scrim screening and berms to screen vehicles on the lot adequately (Dec. 17 Tr. at 28)
The island in the largest section of the parking lot will be increased to give space to grow more large trees.  These will provide scrim screening and shade the lot.  A berm on the west side of the island will also screen cars.  Several existing trees in the island as well as scattered trees around the perimeter of the lot will be retained so as not to lose the benefit of their screening and healthful contribution to the environment;

and

WHEREAS, the landscaping plan developed by Jane MacLeish, appended to this resolution at Attachment B, appears to meet the Board’s request for a “landscaping plan that is comprehensive, screens the lot adequately and tries to address some of the concerns that were raised in the testimony” (Dec. 17 Tr. at 58):

·    Two large islands and several dividers in the interior of the lot  will be devoted to landscaping, far more than the required 5%;

·    The islands and dividers will be planted with tall trees to give the effect of scrim screening;

·    Except where the Upton Street berm is high enough to screen the lot by itself, evergreen trees and densely-planted shrubs, all more than 42” high at the time of planting, will be planted to screen the edge of the lot facing 37th Street and the northeast corner of the property;

·    Several trees and shrubs in areas under construction will be saved by being transplanted;

·    The letter of understanding calls for planting evergreens near the 38th Street door for better screening on that side of the building;

and

WHEREAS, in response to the Board’s request that The Home submit a parking management plan to control access to the lot from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm and to designate spaces for employees and visitors with the option of leaving a few spaces open near the door for visitors (Dec. 17 Tr. at 45, 49-50), the March 8 site plan includes gated sections for employees and visitors, with 97 spaces set aside for employees and 33 spaces designated for visitors; in addition, the September 23, 2003, filing (Exhibit 129) includes a written parking management plan, which The Home now wishes to supplement by a memorandum dated March 15, 2004 (Attachment C); and

WHEREAS, at the December 17, 2002, special meeting, the Board asked The Home to submit an employee transit plan to encourage personnel to use alternative means of transportation such as carpools, transit subsidies, and shuttle service (Dec. 17 Tr. at 45-46, 48); in response, The Home submitted such a plan on September 23, 2003 (Exhibit 129) and now also proposes to designate carpool spaces in the parking lot near the doors and to provide bike racks, see Attachment C; and

WHEREAS, The Home proposes to hold twice-yearly meetings with neighborhood representatives to discuss issues related to construction and other matters that may arise, see Attachment C, a proposal that is endorsed by ANC 3F and CCHE;


THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT ANC 3F commends The Home and CCHE for their work toward reaching an agreement and, for the record, submits on behalf of the parties the letter of understanding, the landscaping plan prepared by Jane MacLeish, and the March 15, 2004, memorandum providing additional information; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT ANC 3F recommends that the Board approve the application for a special exception on the grounds that the March 8 site plan, the landscaping plan developed by Jane MacLeish, the parking management plan outlined in Exhibit 129 and supplemented by the March 15 memorandum, and the employee transit plan of Exhibit 129, as supplemented by the March 15 memorandum, meet the specific criteria set forth by the Board on December 17, 2002; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT ANC 3F requests that the landscaping plan developed by Jane MacLeish, the provisions of the letter of understanding between The Home and CCHE, the parking management plan and transit plan outlined in Exhibit 129, and the additional information transmitted in The Home’s March 15, 2004, memorandum be made conditions of the board’s order.
____________________________________________________________________________

Adopted by ANC 3F at a duly noticed public meeting on March 15, 2004, by a vote of 5-0-0 with a quorum present (a quorum being 4).




/s/_ Karen Lee Perry_______                 /s/  Cathy Wiss__________
Karen Lee Perry, Chair                           Cathy Wiss, Secretary              




Attachment A:   Letter of Understanding between The Home and CCHE
Attachment B:   Landscaping Plan by Jane MacLeish
Attachment C:   March 15, 2004, Memorandum from Amy Tucci Re:
   The Washington Home Parking Lot Expansion, additional information