Res 04-19    
                                        
ANC 3F RESOLUTION REGARDING BZA APPLICATION NO. 17149
THE SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL

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



WHEREAS, ANC 3F is adjacent to the Sidwell Friends School (“Sidwell”) Wisconsin Avenue campus  on its northern and eastern boundaries and includes the following neighboring properties zoned R-1B: The Washington Home on Sidwell’s northern border, the Phoebe Hearst Elementary School and Hearst Recreation Center and Playground across 37th Street, and a residential neighborhood of single-family detached houses on the streets to the north and east of Sidwell; and

WHEREAS, Sidwell has applied for a special exception under 11 DCMR § 206 to:

·    Construct a playing field atop a below-grade parking structure along Wisconsin Ave.
·    Renovate and enlarge the Zavitz Middle School building along 37th Street
·    Build a gymnasium and tennis courts along the boundary with The Washington Home
·    Renovate the Kogod Arts Center to improve instructional space and the Kenworthy Gym to          add arts teaching spaces
·    Construct a Quaker Meeting House
·    Develop a “green” landscape and develop and enrich landscaping at the borders of the property
·    Increase authorized enrollment to 850 students, while maintaining the faculty and staff count at 190 persons

and

WHEREAS, Sidwell has applied for a special exception from the stairway structure rooftop setback requirement under Section 411.11, and

WHEREAS, ANC 3F has applied to the BZA for party status; and

WHEREAS, ANC 3F held public meetings to hear from residents on April 13, 2004, and May 17, 2004; and

WHEREAS, Sidwell has held meetings with the community, with participation by ANC Commissioners, and posted information as it became available on their web site, and

WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Review Board, has adopted the HPRB staff report and not adopted the Sidwell plans, which might have implications for the placement of the Quaker Meeting House, the parking garage structure, and the ensuing relocation of other buildings and athletic facilities on the campus; and       

WHEREAS, much of the material provided by Sidwell to ANC 3F lacks sufficient detail to evaluate the critical information necessary to protect the neighborhood and the nearby residences; and

WHEREAS, Sidwell’s landscaping plan dated 5/28/04 is inadequate in detail and includes planting on The Washington Home’s property for which there is no agreement; and

WHEREAS, to date, there are still many outstanding issues on which ANC 3F and Sidwell plan to meet and negotiate, including, but not limited, to:  (1) a transportation management and mitigation plan to reduce vehicular traffic to the campus; (2) a plan to eliminate all student drop-off and pick-up from 37th Street and surrounding residential streets; (3) a plan to prevent students from parking on any residential street, including the non-restricted neighborhood parking places; (4) an enforcement plan, including the possible imposition of fines for non-compliance and monitors to patrol the surrounding residential streets; (5) a construction management plan; (6) the landscaping plan;  (7) a neighborhood liaison committee; (8) the enrollment cap; and

WHEREAS, Sidwell has been over-enrolled for several years and not in compliance with the Board’s Order of August 16, 1996, in Case No. 16139; and

WHEREAS, ANC 3F believes in the doctrine of “Clean Hands” and compliance with all BZA and Zoning Commission orders; and

WHEREAS, the BZA may approve a special exception for a private school in an R-1 District subject to the following provisions:

    Section 206.2  The private school shall be located so that it is not likely to become objectionable     to adjoining and nearby property because of noise, traffic, number of students, or otherwise             objectionable conditions.

    Section 206.3  Ample parking space, but not less than that required in chapter 21 of this title,         shall be provided to accommodate the students, teachers, and visitors likely to come to the site     by automobile.

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that ANC 3F does not object to:

1.    The special exception, pursuant to Section 411.11, from the stairway structure rooftop                     setback requirement.
2.    The addition of arts teaching spaces in the lower level of the Kenworthy Gym without                     expanding the footprint.
3.    The partial renovation of the Kogod Arts Center to improve instructional space.
4.    Green landscape and design.
5.    Raising the enrollment cap from 780 to 800.

FURTHER, ANC 3F strongly supports the construction of a two-level parking garage with 307 zoning compliant spaces,

FURTHER, ANC 3F recommends approval of the Sidwell plans, provided that the following conditions are incorporated into the Board’s order:

1.    That the first phase of construction must include the two-level garage with 307 zoning                     compliant parking spaces.  Sidwell will also maintain the 5 spaces behind the Johnson Building         for bus parking and the 16 spaces by the Zartman House for visitor/guest parking.
2.    That all students, faculty, and staff be required to park on campus.
3.    That all student, faculty, and staff cars be registered with the school, that Sidwell provide                 stickers to the driver, and that no students be allowed to park in restricted or unrestricted             parking spaces on residential streets.
4.    That Sidwell develop a traffic management plan which includes monitoring the neighborhood             for violators of the requirement for on campus parking and sanctions for such violations.
5.    That Sidwell adopt a transportation management plan, including MetroCheck, carpooling, and         shuttle buses from its Bethesda campus and local Metro stops and demonstrate that it can             reduce vehicular traffic to the campus by 15 percent.
6.    That enrollment be capped at 800 students (20 students above BZA Order of August 16,             1996, in Case No. 16139) until completion of the garage and that there be no enrollment                 increase until Sidwell has demonstrated that all students, teachers, faculty, visitors are parking         on campus for one school year.
7.    That all student drop-off and pickup, including 5th and 6th grade students, be on the grounds         of Sidwell and not on 37th Street or any neighborhood residential street.
8.    That Sidwell change the main entrance to the expanded middle school from 37th Street to the         courtyard on the Wisconsin Avenue side of the building so that it faces the center of campus in         order to discourage parent pickup and drop-off from 37th Street and surrounding streets.
9.    That the lighted tennis courts to be used in the evenings be located away from the Washington         Home and placed on the Wisconsin Avenue side of the campus.
10.    That Sidwell adopt a construction management plan in consultation with impacted institutions,         residential neighbors, and ANC 3C and ANC 3F.
11.    That Sidwell adopt a detailed landscaping plan showing type, size, and location of trees to be         planted in order to screen the middle school, new gym, and new tennis courts from homes on         Tilden, 37th, and Upton Streets and from residents of The Washington Home and that this             plan be accepted in writing by ANC 3C, ANC 3F, and The Washington Home.
12.    That Sidwell adopt a strong tree protection plan for existing trees on The Washington                     Home’s property, including the tall hedge by the proposed tennis courts, with a commitment         to replace in kind any of these trees damaged in construction.
13.    That Sidwell hold quarterly meetings open to all residents of the community, that it provide             written notice of these meetings to residents within 400 feet of the school, that these meetings         include a high-ranking Sidwell representative, that Sidwell take minutes, and that these minutes         be posted on the Sidwell web site and forwarded to ANC 3C and ANC 3F.
14.    That Sidwell provide, on a monthly basis, a calendar of school events with the anticipated             number of attendees in writing to residents within a 400-foot radius of the campus and on its         web site and to ANC 3F by e-mail.
15.    That Sidwell provide to ANC 3F on a yearly basis a report certifying that it is in compliance         with its BZA order.

FURTHER, ANC 3F designates Commissioners Kessler, Perry, and Wiss to represent it before the Board of Zoning Adjustment in this matter.


Approved by a vote of 4-0-0 at a duly noticed public meeting of ANC 3F on June 2, 2004, with a quorum present, a quorum being four.



               /s/ Cathy Wiss                                                    /s/ Carl Kessler
              Cathy Wiss, Secretary                                         Carl Kessler, ANC 3F01