Res 04-27

ANC 3F RESOLUTION CONCERNING ZONING CASE NO. 03-27
4600 BRANDYWINE ASSOCIATES LLC

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


WHEREAS, 4600 Brandywine Associates (the applicant) has applied to the Zoning Commission to develop as a planned unit development 12,661 square feet of land at 4600 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., which is currently occupied by three small commercial buildings housing a restaurant-bar-billiards parlor, a dry cleaner, tailor, and small office of a non-profit organization; and

WHEREAS, 4600 Wisconsin Avenue is located in ANC 3E but across the street from and within 200 feet of ANC 3F; and

WHEREAS, the applicant proposes to construct on this property a six-story building with 42 apartments (one of them at below market rates) and one 1,650-square-foot commercial space; an underground garage with 44 parking spaces (one parking space for each dwelling unit and two spaces for the retail use), a partial green roof, a terrace between the building and the neighboring Friendship Hospital for Animals, and also plans to landscape the terrace and public space along the streets fronting the property and to make donations totaling $182,427 to five public organizations serving the Tenleytown community* ; and

WHEREAS, this property is currently zoned C-2A, but designated for mixed commercial-residential use on the Generalized Land Use Map; and

WHEREAS, because the property does not meet the minimum area requirement of 15,000 square feet for a planned unit development in a C-2A district, the project must be found to have exceptional merit and be in the best interest of the city or country for the application to be granted a waiver under 11 DCMR Section 2401.2; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:  ANC 3F advises that this application lacks exceptional merit and does not meet the standards of the Zoning Regulations or Comprehensive Plan; and

BE FURTHER IT RESOLVED THAT:  ANC 3F would not object to Zoning Commission approval of this application if it were revised as follows:

·    The Wisconsin Avenue façade is enlivened;
·    Commercial use is restored to the entire Wisconsin Avenue frontage;
·    Three “affordable” residential units are provided at another location in the building;
·    The Wisconsin Avenue streetscape is redesigned to give adequate and required space to the sidewalk and treebox;
·    The landscaping plan is revised to include trees that can be expected to survive where planted;
·    A rain garden is included to meet storm water needs not addressed by the partial green roof;
·    Space in the parking garage is allocated for a car-share program and a bicycle parking shed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT:  ANC 3F designates Commissioner Cathy Wiss to represent it before the Zoning Commission in this proceeding.

* The applicant proposes to give donations to Janney Elementary School ($75,000 fpr playground equipment and strom water management), Wilson  High School ($20,000 for repairs), Friends of the Tenley Library ($25,000 for information technology for the new library or other needs), Friends of Fort Bayard Park ($15,000 for renovatios to the park), DC Department of Fire and Emergency Services ($47,427 for purchase of a hazardous materials POD).

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Approved by a vote of 4-3-0 at a duly noticed public meeting of ANC 3F on September 20, 2004, with a quorum present (a quorum being four commissioners).


             /s/  Karen Lee Perry                                                          /s/  Cathy Wiss
           Karen Lee Perry, Chair                                                 Cathy Wiss, Secretary