Community Benefits Proposed in Conservative Group’s Bid to Close Alley

The Conservative Partnership Institute’s (CPI) Headquarters in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

After closing the alley, CPI’s plan is to use the space for a courtyard behind the former Capitol Lounge.

Community Benefits Proposed in Conservative Group’s Bid to Close Alley

by Larry Janezich

Posted April 27, 2024

Details of the deal ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Subcommittee reached with the Conservative  Partnership Institute (CPI) regarding the latter’s application to close the dead-end alley behind the former Capitol Lounge have been posted on the ANC’s website.  (Technically, the agreement is with Clear Plains, LLC, a legal entity controlled by CPI.)

The CPI has assembled a bloc of properties on the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue and around the corner on the 200 block of Third Street, SE, for use as the new CPI Headquarters.  They say they plan to open a restaurant in the former Capitol Lounge and suggest that use of a courtyard in what is now a deadend alley behind the property may be used for outdoor seating by the restaurant. 

Since the application would require the city to surrender the right-of-way it currently holds for public use of the alley, and as is the case in other private development of city controlled property, community benefits are often sought as compensation for loss of public space. 

Negotiations between the Subcommittee – chaired by ANC6B Commissioner Frank Frank D’Andrea – and representatives of CPI have been ongoing for several months.  The Subcommittee has scheduled a virtual meeting at 7:00pm on Wednesday, May 1, to vote on forwarding the proposed agreement to the ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee.  That committee would then meet to vote on the Subcommittee’s recommendation.  A vote in favor there would send the agreement to the full ANC6B for approval.  The City Council will have the final word in the form of passing legislation approving the alley closing.

(Ed. Note. An earlier version of this post mis-identified the Chair of the Subcommittee which is chaired – as noted above – by Commissioner Frank D’Andrea, who also chairs the ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee.)

Under city regulations, city agencies are required to give “great weight” to ANC opinions on zoning and public space issues including alley closings.

Here are the main community benefits which have tentatively been agreed upon by the Subcommittee and representatives of CPI:

• In part exchange for ANC support of the alley closure, CPI will make a total contribution in the amount of $100,000 to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation.  CPI will condition its contribution upon the Capitol Hill Community Foundation’s promise to use it to benefit organizations based in ANC 6B.  The agreement provides for $25,000 up front and $75,000 after Alley Closing Legislation becomes DC Law. 
• Current Zoning or Land Use Designations on the Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use Map of abutting properties will remain in place and no attempt will be made to change them.  This preserves the current residential use of properties on Third Street. 
• CPI and any lessee will only use the outdoor areas of the Courtyard under their control from 7:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m. (midnight) Sundays through Thursdays, and 7:00 a.m.–1:00 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays; provided, that, if a ground-floor lessee obtains a valid license to serve alcohol in the Courtyard, the hours of that license will control the lessee’s hours of operation in the Courtyard.
• ANC 6B’s Use of Courtyard. If and after the Alley Closing Legislation becomes effective and within three months after substantial completion of Courtyard renovation, the Courtyard will be available for use by the ANC, its committees, subcommittees, and task forces and by mutually agreed upon ANC6B community groups which the ANC designates from time to time, up to a total of six times per year provided this does not interfere with regular operations of the tenant.
• Use of Interior Building Space for Community Meetings. Starting six months after the ANC votes to endorse this Agreement, CPI will make interior Building space, of at least a capacity of 20 people, available for use as a community meeting space by the ANC Bodies; provided that under certain circumstances CPI may substitute equivalent indoor space elsewhere in ANC6B.
• Use of Interior Building Space for meetings by ANC6B community groups. Starting one month after the Alley Closing Legislation becomes DC law and the Alley Closing Plat is recorded, CPI will make interior Building space, of at least a capacity of 20 people, for use as a community meeting space by ANC 6B community groups that the ANC designates and that CPI approves for such use.
• Use of Interior Building Space would be no more than twelve times a year for ANC bodies and ANC community groups combined, provided that CPI at its discretion may permit additional use.

The Conservative Partnership Institute is chaired by former Senator Jim Demint who founded the organization after he was bumped from the leadership role at the Heritage Foundation.  Former WH Chief of Staff Mark Meadows is listed as the organization’s Senior Partner – ahead of President and CEO Ed Corrigan and COO Wesley Denton. 

Here’s a link to info on how to join the Subcommittee’s virtual meeting at 7:00pm on May 1,  including info on how to join virtual meeting: https://bit.ly/4bdZGFX   The agenda includes a link to the full text of the proposed agreement.