Monthly Archives: March 2016

The Safeway site at 415 14th Street, SE, rivals in size the currently-under-redevelopment Buchanan School site immediately behind it, but is unencumbered by historic structures.

Image from Google Maps shows the relative size of the space available for redevelopment on the right..  The left half of the block is the Buchanan School site, currently under redevelopment by Insight.  

Capitol Hill’s Southeast Safeway Slated for Redevelopment

by Larry Janezich

According to sources, Safeway Corporation has invited select developers to submit proposals for redevelopment of the Southeast Safeway at 14^th and D Streets, SE.  The project envisions a mixed use development not unlike the Georgetown Safeway or the Wisconsin Avenue Giant in NW DC.  A source tells CHC that a preferred developer has been selected, but it is uncertain who the developer is, or what they have proposed.

The request for proposals specified that a grocery store will remain on the site, along with additional ground level retail, and residential units on upper floors.  The huge site is zoned commercial C2-A and can be built to a height of 50 feet.  The plan is to develop the site “by-right”, meaning that no zoning changes or Planned Unit Development (PUD) process will be necessary, minimizing public review of the plan.

Ordinarily, there is no opportunity for community review of a “by right” project.  However, in the case of large developments, DC regulations require the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development and the Office of Planning (OP) to manage the overall process under its Large Tract Review (LTR) procedure. According to the OP website, “Reviews are coordinated with other city agencies, the ANC, and the impacted community and must be completed before a developer applies for a building permit. This is NOT a process resulting in an approval or denial by OP or any other entity. Rather, it is an administrative review by multiple District agencies and the affected community to identify issues and provide feedback to the developer prior to filing a building permit application.”  The process provides for at least one community meeting coordinated through the ANC.  The LTR must be completed within 60 days after an application for the review is received, though an extension may be granted.  See here:  http://1.usa.gov/1TisS3f

CHC asked ANC6B Commissioner Nick Burger, who chairs the ANC6b Planning and Zoning Committee to comment on the proposed redevelopment of the site.  Burger said, “There has been speculation for a long time regarding the potential redevelopment of the Safeway site and it’s not surprising if redevelopment is in progress. The site is not being used to the best of its ability.   I’m cautiously optimistic – the site has a lot of potential if it is being redeveloped.”

There are four residential or mixed use projects in the immediate area which, when complete, will add up to 1200 new residents to the neighborhood.  For more on these developments, see here:  http://bit.ly/1Zm9t60  How many more residents the Safeway site redevelopment will accommodate is uncertain.

Sean Ruppert of Opal LLC, hold depiction of aerial view of Watkins Alley looking Northeast. The large white structure at the top of the rendering is Safeway. The white structure just below it is Frager’s.

ANC6B Signs Off on Watkins Alley Development – Approves Community Benefits Package

by Larry Janezich

Last night, at a “Special Call” meeting, ANC6b voted 7-0 to support OPaL LLC’s Planned Unit Development (PUD) application for its residential “Watkins Alley” project near the SE Safeway after negotiating a community benefits and amenities package with developer Sean Ruppert.

The 43 unit project will include a total of 5 two and three bedroom affordable housing units, 4 of which will be available at 50% of Area Median Income (AMI), and one at 80% of AMI.  In addition, the project will include 1 one-level, universal design senior housing unit at the market rate.

In addition, the developer agreed to provide:

Tree boxes on the south side of E Street and the east side of 13th Street;

Alley resurfacing west of and adjacent to the property;

Security cameras, mirrors, and lighting;

Snow removal from adjacent alleys;

And a contribution to improvements at Potomac Avenue Metro Station.

The project will be built to the new Leeds Silver Standard.

Two new benefits which the developer agreed to were a $10,000 improvement to the D Street portion of the fence around Potomac Gardens (done at the request of the residents of Potomac Gardens) and support of the community “Safe Routes” programs which is organizing to improve safety around metro stations in ANC6B.  The total value of the benefits and amenities package was estimated by the developer’s architect to be around $250,000.

It seemed to be the consensus of the ANC to address concerns raised by nearby neighbors regarding traffic impact and traffic safety issues around the project by working with DDOT to slow traffic and possibly create pedestrian lanes in the alleys around the project.  Neighbors suggestion that relocating the garage to where it could be entered from the street was deemed impractical by both the developer and the ANC.

Stonework preservation begins on the Senate Wing of the U.S. Capitol Building’s East Front

The Week Ahead….Highlight: ANC Vote on Benefits Package from Watkins Alley Development

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday, March 29

1. ANC6B has scheduled a Special Call meeting for 7:00pm at Hill Center to consider and vote on benefits and amenities the community will receive in exchange for approving greater height and density for the Watkins Alley Project proposed for the 1300 block of E Street, SE.

Some items on the list of proposed benefits and amenities include:

Inclusion of one affordable unit at 50% Median Area Income;

Design of one townhouse as a seniors unit;

Tree boxes on the South side of E Street and the East side of 13th Street;

Contribution to improvements at Potomac Avenue Metro Station;

Alley resurfacing west of and adjacent to the property;

Addition of security cameras and mirrors;

Snow removal from adjacent alleys.

In addition, ANC6B is pressing for funding for a design concept (for planning purposes) for Lady Bird Park adjacent to the Peter Bug Academy at 13^th and E Streets, SE;

Improvement to the D Street portion of the fence around Potomac Gardens;

A plaque commemorating the community work of Will Hill and improvements for the park at 15^th and Kentucky Avenue, SE.

For images and previous post on Watkins Alley, go here:  http://bit.ly/1R951BT

2. ANC6B meets at 6:00pm in Hill Center to set the agenda for the April meeting of ANC6B.

Wednesday, March 30

1. Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) will meet at 7:00pm in the North Hall of Eastern Market.

Among items on the agenda:

Presentation by Forest Hayes, the Associate Director of the Department of General Services

Market Managers Report

2. The Federal Railroad Administration invites the public to an Informational Forum on the Washington Union Station Expansion Project, 4:00 – 8:00 pm, Washington Union Station, 40 Massachusetts Avenue, NE. The meeting is an opportunity to review and discuss plans for rail, parking, bus and taxi facilities; public concourses, retail space, and public open spaces at Union Station.

Barracks Row City Bikes Closes Sunday at 6:00pm

Capitol Hill Bikes Remains as the Only Shop on The Hill South of H Street, NE

The Back Story on City Bikes’ Departure From Barracks Row

A “Less Retail-Friendly Block” and Collapse of Lease Negotiations

by Larry Janezich

After five years on Barracks Row, 6:00pm Sunday will mark the close of the last day of business for City Bikes at 709 8^th Street, SE. The bike shop is moving to 4810 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, in Tenleytown – a site that was intended to be the fourth outlet for the company.  Clients who are unable to pick up their bicycles and/or special orders on Sunday will be able to do so at the Adams Morgan location at 2501 Champlain Street, NW.

Saul Leiken, City Bikes’ General Manager, told Capitol Hill Corner, he had hoped to sign an extension of his lease which expires at the end of the month, but that negotiations fell through after an “agreement in principle” had been reached.  He said that he had sought more favorable terms for the lease because restaurants on the block had “made it less friendly to retail” and “foot traffic was not what it once was.”  He said he learned Monday night that he would have to vacate the building by Sunday night.

Leiken said the short notice left him no time to look for another location on Capitol Hill, but that he would love to come back.  He said he would look for another location after the bike season ends in the fall.

City Bikes has stores in Adams Morgan and Chevy Chase in addition to the new Tenleytown location.  For more information, go here:  http://citybikes.com/

The building owner, long-time Barracks Row real estate investor Margot Kelly, told CHC that negotiations on extending the lease for three months at a lower rent fell apart after Leiken requested additional concessions once a tentative agreement on a lease extension had been reached.  Asked what sort of tenant she was looking for to fill the space, Kelly said, “I’ve never rented to a restaurant.  I would prefer to rent to a furniture store or a boutique.”  She said she would “concentrate on finding a business that would be an asset to the block”.  The space comprises 2,500 square feet on the first floor plus another 900 square feet in the basement.

Given the rents which owners on Barracks Row have come to expect, it’s not clear that any retail shop such as Kelly mentioned can be a viable enterprise.  Award winning restaurant Rose’s Luxury and its adjacent $250 prix fixe sister restaurant – Pineapple and Pearls – are just a few doors away.  High rent may have been a factor in the closing last October of Zest, An American Bistro on the same block.  That location remains empty.  Meanwhile, Capitol Hill Sports at 727 8^th Street – which threatened closure in February of 2014 before receiving a reprieve – is again sporting a “Going Out of Business Sale”.

The move will leave Capitol Hill Bikes at 719 8th Street, Barracks Row, as the only bike shop south of H Street, NE.  Capitol Hill Bikes formerly occupied the building being vacated by City Bikes.  The shop, founded by co-owners Denise D’Amour and Laurie Morin in May of 2000, subsequently consolidated its operations in their current building at 709^th 8th Street in February of 2010 when the recession hit Barracks Row retail.  For more information, go here:  http://capitolhillbikes.com/

Demolition Begins on the Buchanan School Site Near Southeast Safeway, Making Way for Residences

81 High-end Town Home/Condos Slated for the Site

by Larry Janezich

This past week saw the beginning of demolition to make way for new residential units on the Buchanan School site between D and E Streets, on 13th Street, SE.  It is one of the three residential projects being built in close proximity to Southeast Safeway.  The Watkins Alley Project, up before ANC6B is one of those projects, and lies on the south side of E Street, across from the Buchanan School project.

This was the layout of the Buchanan site before demolition began this week. The newer structure on the lower left has been demolished, as seen in the photo below. The non-historic auditorium to the left of the center building will be demolished. The two remaining historic buildings will be converted to condos. Subscribers to the newhilleast listserv can find a post on the history of the Buchanan site by Hill East resident/activist, Jim Myers, posted there on Sunday, titled: “Our Land of Broken Dreams”. That piece is reprinted below.

Plans call for 81 residences for the site – 40 townhomes priced at around $1 million and 41 condos priced at $300,000 to $1 million. For more on how the project will look, see here: http://bit.ly/1pDUMeQ

Previously printed on the newhilleast listserv and reproduced here:

Our Land of Broken Dreams

by Jim Myers

Piles of rubble along 13th Street, SE, behind old Buchanan School now seem to be all that remains of a pair of  quixotic ventures that came to naught in Hill East — and also sometimes made our neighborhood seem cursed by the shadow of too many ideas that were never meant to be in the first place.

Years ago, DC started getting rid of unwanted school buildings that were a result of racial segregation, requiring two schools where one would do thereafter. The Buchanan School was sold and for more than a decade became an enterprise that called itself the International Graduate University.  But it wasn’t a “university” in the common definitions, and that fact eventually left it empty without seeming purpose at all, while the land it sat on quietly but massively increased in value.

In recent days they’ve demolished section of Buchanan School closest to the 13th and D corner that briefly claimed to be the important-sounding Democracy Hall of Fame.  In the early days, the Hall enshrined the likes of Lech Walensa, who came all the way from Poland to our neighborhood to be so honored.

So Hall of Fame is now gone, and next to the piles, heavy machines on have also knocked down the remains of quixotic efforts by Lady Bird Johnson and her New York socialite/ philanthropist friend Brooke Astor who in 1968 wanted to turn the block along 13th Street into an “open-air living room” for our neighborhood.

It eventually included a sunken basketball court with seating for spectators, chess and checkers tables, concrete art and more — all of which evolved into sad uselessness in relatively short order. But, maybe, the neighborhood didn’t want an open-air living room; what many people here eventually seemed to want was a real living room in PG County.

Still the ill-fated “living room” venture was very ceremoniously dedicated in 1968 only days after rioting in the city ended, and on the day Lady Bird and Brooke came to Hill East, DC newspapers were still reporting about bodies being found in the rubble of burnt-out buildings elsewhere in the city.

After that, the sunken court eventually became a chosen spot to consummate  open-air drug deals (among other things) out of sight of the cops, and the discovery of new dead bodies on the basketball court sadly followed.

Then, for years, the rest of what remained of the open-air living room just sat there, rousing the question, “What was that supposed to be?”

Another of Lady Bird’s efforts in the 1300 block of South Carolina Avenue, SE, was removed years ago to build the row houses that were part of the Bryan School redevelopment project. A similar vision – dozens of townhouses and condos – now apparently awaits at Buchanan and environs.

Jim Myers

The Week Ahead….ANC6A Considers Community Benefits from Watkins Alley Project

by Larry Janezich

Monday, March 21

Cancelled  ANC6A Transportation and Public Space Committee meets at 7:00pm, at Capitol Hill Towers (900 G Street, NE – Photo ID required

Agenda:

DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo update on Maryland Avenue redesign and other local concerns –

Update from DDOT officials on 17th Street and 19th Street redesign

Sidewalk café permit application for BAB Korean Fusion at 1387 H Street, NE

Support for new DC Bikeshare station at 8th and H Streets, NE

Request for truck and bus restrictions on 11th Street, NE

(Commissioner Mahmud, who chairs the committee, will be available to SMD01 constituents from 6:30-7:00 pm, preceding the meeting.

Cancelled  ANC6B Community Outreach Committee meets at 7:00pm in Maury Elementary School (multi-purpose room), 1250 Constitution Ave NE, (enter from 13th St. NE)

Agenda:

Review of grant request: Ludlow Taylor Elementary School PTO

Proposed ANC 6A Facebook Page

Tuesday, March 22

ANC6B Special Call meeting from 7:00pm to 9:00pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE).   The ANC will hold final discussions and vote community benefits and amenities associated with the proposed Watkins Alley PUD project near the Southeast Safeway.  See here:  http://bit.ly/1R951BT and here http://bit.ly/1Zm9t60

The future home of Bullfrog Bagels. The balcony will hold two tables and four chairs – adjoining neighbors object to late night serving of alcohol a matter of feet from their second story apartments.

Board Hears Protest of Bullfrog Bagel’s Liquor License

May Opening Planned for Shop Near Eastern Market

by Larry Janezich

Last Wednesday, DC’s Alcohol Beverage Review Administration (ABRA) listened to more than 7 hours of arguments and testimony about the concerns of neighbors of 317 7th Street (steps from Eastern Market) – soon to be the home of Bullfrog Bagels.  Owner Jeremiah Cohen told the board that a liquor license is necessary because a bagel shop needs brunch, lunch, and dinner service to make the business viable.  He and partner Matt Frumin hope to open the shop in early May.

Nearby neighbors hired local attorney Ellen Opper-Weiner to press their case that 4:00am deliveries in the alley behind the bagel shop/restaurant and the noisy late night removal of trash from the second story dining area – down outside metal stairs to the indoor trash storage room – would impose an unacceptable burden on their quality of life.  Residents want alley deliveries limited to the same hours for trash pick-up, 7:00am to 7:00pm, and a limit on how late trash can be carried to the indoor storage.

In addition, the immediate neighbors to the right and left of Bullfrog Bagels – Fairy Godmother and Woven History – object to the serving alcohol after 10:00pm at the two tables and four chairs planned for the balcony over the building’s front porch – a distance measured in feet from the windows of second story apartments in those adjoining buildings.

Cohen cited concessions he had already made in the interests of the neighbors, including giving up a deep fryer, and screening mechanicals to reduce noise.  He pointed to the logistical difficulties in delivering carts laden with some 300 bagels up the stairs in the front of the building as opposed to up a ramp in the rear.  He said the second floor dining area would have 34 seats including the four on the balcony and that over time, the four seats on the balcony would amount to a significant portion of his business.

With respect to the hours of service, representatives from Bullfrog Bagels claimed that it was the ANC’s settlement agreement negotiators that encouraged them to extend their weekend operating hours beyond what they requested in their liquor license application.   That may have been a tradeoff for cutting back hours of operation during the week.  The application for a liquor license which Cohen originally filed requested operating hours of 10:00am to 11:00pm, seven days a week.  The settlement agreement negotiated with the ANC ended up specifying 10:00am to 10:30pm weekdays, and 10:00am to 11:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays.

Alex Golding, who with a brother and his father, Ken – the latter a partner in Stanton Development – who together comprise the entity which owns the 317 7^th Street, told the board that their company had spent $400,000 on renovations, essentially constructing a new building except for the façade.  Golding said, “Tons of restaurants wanted the space, but we wanted someone who would fit into the street a little better.”  Alex Golding, who also works for Stanton Development, told the board “we assembled four buildings and created 11 retail spaces on the block, as well as the Hine development across the street.”  Retail space in the Hine development, he said, would be occupied by “restaurants, shops, and a vibrant mix of retail.”

317 7th Street, was formerly “The Frame Up” – the studio, shop, art gallery and home of prolific artist Richard Sheehy, who died in February, 2014.  The Goldings bought it with the intention of leasing it to a restaurant.  Their initial plan of outdoor storage for trash was modified at the insistence of ANC6B to provide for indoor trash storage.  See here:  http://bit.ly/1XF8Tef

Although the ABC Board did deliberate after the hearing they did not communicate any decision to the parties.  The legal counsel to the board must write a final decision and issue it within 90 days, though it could come sooner.

This ATM in Eastern Market was the target of thieves who took an undetermined amount of money from the machine early Friday morning.

Thieves Target Eastern Market’s ATM Last Night

by Larry Janezich

According to sources, individuals entered Eastern Market last night somewhere around 3:00am and took an undetermined amount of cash from the ATM machine in the South Hall.  MPD was called in immediately upon discovery of the theft; it is believed that police are reviewing videotape for possible identification of suspects.  How the thieves entered the market is uncertain.  The suspects may have been crawling inside the market to avoid being captured on video.  If true, that could indicate a familiarity with the location of security cameras.

Security has been a concern at the market – the North Hall is a popular venue which is rented out to help support market operations and sometimes events last into the early hours of the morning.  In addition, vendors in the North Hall have pressed for and received from the Department of General Services (DGS), greater access to their stalls during off hours.

CHC reached out to DGS public relations some 12 hours after the alleged break-in and received the usual, “I’ll get back to you.”  The reply, when it came, read only:  “MPD was called and came out, conducted their standard procedure, and wrote a report.”

Ray Rothermel, Security Supervisor for UPS (back to camera) was joined by UPS Postal Inspector Maureen O’Sullivan and FeEx Security Specialist Marcus Lyers (both far left) at tonight’s PSA 108 meeting on package thefts.

Package Theft In Hill East – Three Delivery Services Brief PSA 108

by Larry Janezich

MPD District 1 Acting Captain Damion Taylor told residents who attended tonight’s meeting:  “This issue is one of the leading crimes in our service area (PSA 108) – package thefts are killing us.”

It’s a major problem for the three primary services delivering those packages, as well.

Representatives from UPS, FedEx, and the US Postal Inspectors were present to talk about the burgeoning problem of package thefts.  NBC4’s Jackie Benson, who told CHC that the issue was one of prime importance to her viewers, was on hand to cover the meeting.

Despite the compelling subject matter and the number of speakers, the number of Hill East resident who turned out was – minimal.  Those who attended heard the steps the three delivery services are taking to address the problem.

Ray Rothermel, UPS Security Supervisor, (rrothermel@ups.com)  urged residents to visit UPS.com/mychoice (here: http://bit.ly/1TSmOQ1) to give special instructions for delivering a package.  UPS has 400 drivers in DC and Prince George’s County – the top five drivers generating claims of package loss against UPS are called in for a “face-to-face” on a monthly basis.  Rothermel also told residents that UPS employs four armed off duty or retired police officers to follows trucks on routes, switching back and forth throughout the day.

Maureen O’Sullivan, U.S. Postal Inspector, (meosullivan@uspis.gov) told residents that postal inspectors do surveillance in neighborhoods with a high rate of package theft.  She discussed options for delivery, including resident having the post office hold a package for pick up.  “The biggest thing for us,” she said, “is knowing that package theft is an issue in a neighborhood.”

Marcus Lyers, FedEx Senior Security Specialist, (marus.lyers@fedex.com) explained options for customizing deliveries by using FedEx Delivery Manager (here: http://bit.ly/1TSokl3) to customize delivery time, deliver to another address, hold at FedEx location, require signature for a package, provide delivery instructions, and receive delivery notification.

Services are increasingly using electronic scanners fitted with GPS capability to track the delivery times and locations.  A future program to help delivery services reduce package theft is undergoing testing throughout the country; the “locker delivery” would provide access to packages delivered to centrally located lockers, by means of a code received on line.  A similar system is already being used in apartment buildings.

Lt. Damion Taylor reiterated that package theft is a crime of opportunity, and cited a recent incident where alert residents contributed to the arrest of a brazen package thief “with a long record.”  Hill East activist Jim Myers, urged the coordination between MPD and the community to launch a publicity campaign against package thieves, including wide distribution of information and photos of those arrested for package theft.

The meeting was organized by Community Leader and Facilitator for PSA 108, David Bibo.

So, What’s Going On With Results?

Operators Owed Building Owner $737,195

by Larry Janezich

It’s hard to say.  Here’s what we know.

Late Tuesday night, a sign on company letterhead appeared on the door of Capitol Hill’s Results, The Gym, which read:

During the past six months, Results Gym has faced growing economic challenges to its continued operations including extreme pressures arising out of the uneconomic lease for its space on G Street.  While management has worked diligently to address those challenges, it was unable to obtain terms from its landlord that would permit it to continue operating and the landlord has proceeded with eviction.

In light of this, we regret to inform you that Results Gym will discontinue operations effective March 15, 2016 at 11:59 p.m.  At present, we do not know how Results Gym’s remaining assets will be allocated between its secured and unsecured creditors.  As that process plays out, we hope to provide you with additional information.

Please submit all inquiries to: resultsclosing2016@gmail.com

An email with the same content was received by some Results Club members.

Separately, Results staff received an email, as follows:

To the Staff of Results Gym

During the past six months, Results Gym has faced growing economic challenges to its continued operations including extreme pressures arising out of the uneconomic lease for its space on G Street.  While management has worked diligently to address those challenges, it was unable to obtain terms from its landlord that would permit it to continue operating and the landlord has proceeded with eviction.  In light of this, we regret to inform you that Results Gym will discontinue operations effective March 15, 2016 at 11:59 p.m.  Each of you will receive payment for your work through that date on the next scheduled payment date of March 18, 2016 via the normal payroll distribution method.

We thank you for your hard work during these difficult times and are extremely disappointed that we cannot continue offering the first-class fitness experience that Result Gym provided its members.  We wish all of you success in your next professional endeavors.

Peak Performance V, LLC

t/a (trading as) Results Gym

It is not clear who or what “Peak Performance V, LLC” is, based upon a a superficial internet search.

However, court records reveal that proceedings were filed by Giddings Associates LC (the building owner) against Peak Performance V, LLC for unpaid rent last November.  The court awarded Giddings Associates $737,195 plus $22,560 in attorney fees from Peak Performance.  To see the case history, click here:  http://bit.ly/1pvsgMu  then enter Giddings Associates L.C. in the “company” box – then click “select” – then click “case details”

On Wednesday, Cwi Steiman, building owner and principal of Giddings Associates LC sent the following email to Results members:

Dear Members,

As of today, Results Gym DC (RGDC) assumed the management of Results the Gym. Please know that the club will be open on the regular schedule, effective Thursday, March 17, and the change in management will not affect your membership privileges in any way. We will honor all membership commitments made by the previous management, and we will deliver excellent quality of service during the transition.

While there will be continuity in the staff and programs, our greatest priority is member experience, so you will soon see improvement in the club, including new equipment and better value for membership. RGDC directors have over 50 years’ experience operating first class clubs in the Washington area, and we are excited to bring our vision to Capitol Hill. Please contact us at resultsdcreopening@gmail.com with your feedback, questions, and ideas for how we can best serve you.

Sincerely,

Cwi Steiman

Management/Partner

Steiman, who with Forbes Ramsey – who as owners of Sports and Health Club chain in Washington in 2001 – partnered with Results founder Doug Jefferies to launch Results at Giddings School that year.  Jefferies moved on to other endeavors in 2011.

It might be too early to breath that sigh of relief.