CAPITOL HILL CORNER

The Hawk & Dove Will Reopen In Early February According to Owner Xavier Cervera

The Week Ahead…..Photo Update on Hawk & Dove

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday, December 11

ANC6B meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center. 

There are a few items on the agenda that deserve attention. 

The Slow Progress on the Signals at 10th and PA Avenue Gave False Hope to Residents Opposed to Installation of Lights At the Only PA Avenue Crossing Without Them

New Traffic Signals at 10^th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE

The installation of new traffic signals at 10^th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, is a done deal.  DDOT officials are being asked to present their rational for the signals and Soumya Vev and James Cheeks from DDOT are scheduled to appear.  Commissioner Oldenburg’s Transportation Committee, locking the barn before more horses escape, passed a resolution which will come before the full ANC later on the agenda, calling upon DDOT to consult with the community before any such action is taken in the future.  Passage is a safe bet.    

New Liquor License for New Barracks Row Restaurant

The ANC will vote on a license for Rose’s Luxury, 717 8th Street SE.

401-403 15th Street, SE – Payne School in Background

401-403 15^th Street, SEThe ANC will consider a raze permit for 401-403 15^th Street, SE, to make way for new retail and condos.   Sheldon Jones, partner in the mysterious Gideon Kingston, LLC, and Michael Regignano, of CAS Engineering, will explain why they need ANC approval now for a raze permit for the properties.  According to Jones, the partnership is “contemplating a mixed use project with a maximum height of 50 feet, with retail on the ground level and four levels of residential with 11 or 12 residences, split between one bedroom and two bedroom units.”  Jones plays his cards close to his vest, and has stipulated that any information regarding Gideon Kingston’s plans and the parties involved be regarded as confidential and privy only to the commissioners on ANC6B.  It’s not clear that communications with a government agency on community matters can be confidential unless proprietary information is involved, and it is hard to see how it could be at this stage.

XAVIER CERVERA ENTERTAINS OFFERS TO BUY HIS CAPITOL HILL RESTAURANTS

by Larry Janezich

This afternoon, local restaurateur Xavier Cervera confirmed to Capitol Hill Corner that he has received offers to buy all nine of his Capitol Hill operations, and that he is reviewing these offers seriously.  “I have been approached by a private equity group out of Boston and have made large offers which I have not accepted,” Cervara said on the phone this afternoon.  “The offers grow larger every week.  They have a lot of experience in the restaurant business.  They have looked very closely at my operation and like what they see.  They are being very aggressive.”

Cervera added:  “I am close to all of my restaurants and the 345 employees.  You don’t build this kind of operation in four and a half years without great staff.  It’s hard to let something like that go.”

Over the past few years, Cervera has opened several restaurants in the neighborhood:  those currently in operation include Lola’s, Molly Malone’s, the Chesapeake Room, Senart’s Oyster & Chop House, Pacifico, and The Box Car Tavern.  Three more are scheduled to open soon: the Park Tavern will open in three weeks (corrected) in the Navy Yard neighborhood in Southeast; the Hawk & Dove will open early in February; construction has just started on Willie’s Brew and Que, also (corrected) near the Navy Yard.

This would not be the first time Cervera sold his developments as a package.  Originally from Miami, he developed several boutique hotels there and sold them as a package some 15 years ago.

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  The ramp leading west onto the freeway

  

  Approach to the ramp heading south on 11th Street

A car turns right just after the underpass onto the access ramp

Confused About the 11th St SE Entrance to Westbound SW/SE Freeway?  These Photos Will Help

By Larry Janezich

The photos above illustrate the access to the on ramp to the westbound SW/SE Freeway.  The 395 sign in the upper right is right in front of Gingko Gardens.  The ramp provides smooth access onto the freeway and is much safer than the ramp at 3^rd Street.  It is also currently much underused, possibly because as of yet the signage is inadequate.

The Week Ahead….

by Larry Janezich

December 3, Monday

CHRS Historic Preservation Committee meets at 6:30pm at 420 10^th Street, SE. 

December 4, Tuesday

ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm in the cafeteria at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE.  Among the items on the agenda:

Raze permit for 401-403 15th Street SE.

December 5, Wednesday

ANC6b Transportation Committee meets at 6:30pm in Hill Center.  On the agenda:

Review of District Department of Transportation fiscal year 2013 sidewalk repair list

Discussion of and resolution on pedestrian signals at 8th & E Streets SE and 8th & G Streets SE

Thursday, December 6

AnC6B Alcohol Beverage Control Committee meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center.  Among the items on the agenda:

Voluntary Agreement for a new Barracks Row Restaurant, Rose’s Luxury, 717 8th Street, SE.

Thursday, December 6

2012 Holiday Group Show at Results the Gym, Capitol Hill, December, 2012 through February, 2013. Opening Reception: Thursday, December 6th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.  Exhibition Hours: Walk-ins are welcome during the normal operating hours of the Gym, 315 G Street, SE, Washington, DC 20003 (202) 234-5678

Saturday, December 8

Give Art and Wrap It Up Party at Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th Street, SE, 4:00pm – 8:00pm.  CHAW and Capitol Hill Art League have created a selection of gifts including jewelry, ceramics, oil paintings, books, photography, note cards, textiles and crafts.  Artists will wrap all gifts purchased on Saturday, but art will remain on sale until December 21 during regular CHAW  hours.  Contact:  CHAW 202 247 6839

Ketan Gada, Reservation 13 Project Director, Briefs Hill East Task Force on Development Plans

Developers’ Gaze Turns to Stadium Armory Metro Stop – City Moves Ahead with Plan to Develop Two Near By Parcels

by Larry Janezich

ANC6B’s Hill East Task Force met Monday night to hear Ketan Gada, the Deputy Mayor’s project director for development of Reservation 13, present an update on the current thinking and process for the residential and retail development of two key parcels of land adjacent to the Stadium-Armory Metro.

Since the Redskins have decided to train elsewhere and the prospect for a Georgetown campus on Reservation 13 has faded, the city is pressing ahead with plans to develop the 67 acre site, with the first phase being the mixed use project planned for two parcels totaling 114,000 square feet next to the metro stop.  

Three development teams have visited the site in response to the city’s October 4 request for expressions of interest.  Gada said he expects four to five offers to be submitted by the January 7 deadline.  Developers are being asked to provide affordable housing plans for the project under two scenarios – either 30% affordable housing with a limited life span of up to 40 years, or 13% affordable housing which would remain affordable in perpetuity. 

According to Gada, after January 7, the Deputy Mayor’s office will select those developers who have been “most responsive” to the city’s criteria and those developers will be asked to make presentations to the ANC.  Since Reservation 13 is now in Ward 7’s ANC7F, that ANC would ordinarily be the most directly involved.  However, ANC6B Commissioners Brian Flahaven and Francis Campbell are strong advocates of the involvement for ANC6B, since their single member districts are adjacent the project.  Flahaven, chair of the Hill East Taskforce, stated that he hopes developer presentations can be made to a joint committee comprised of both ANC6B and ANC7F, and Gada seemed receptive to that proposal.

About 15 residents turned out for last night’s meeting, and some of the issues raised by both those in the audience and by members of the Taskforce included concerns regarding the relocation of social services on the site, preservation of Anacostia waterfront green space, the fifty foot height of the project’s buildings facing 19^th Street, and safeguarding the continuity of the plan against randomness of piecemeal development.   

Flahaven asserted it was the responsibility of the residents and the ANC to “keep folks accountable,” but one member of the audience, James Ray, voiced skepticism of the Deputy Mayor’s commitment to the restrictions of the Master Plan noting that “residents feel powerless when Mayor Gray pulls a fast one with the Redskins Training facility” proposal. 

Flahaven said that the people most invested in the project are those who live closest to it and went on, “We’re stuck with what we have – we have the most to gain and to lose if it’s done incorrectly.”  Residents who seek input should bear the recent Hine experience in mind.  During that process, many meetings were held, but nearby residents were left feeling that many of their most important concerns went unaddressed.

The Week Ahead….

by Larry Janezich

November 26, Monday

ANC 6B’s Hill East Task Force will get an update on DMPED’s Request for Expressions of Interest for parcels F1 & G1 at Reservation 13 at 7:00pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE.

November 27, Tuesday

ANC 6B Executive Committee Meets at 7:00pm at Hill Center to set the agenda for the Dcember 11 ANC6B meeting.

November 28, Wednesday

(The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meetings scheduled for this day was cancelled.  The next meeting will be on December 19, at 7:00pm, North Hall, Eastern Market.)

November 28, Wednesday

ANC6B Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center.  At the meeting, the task force will review initial recommendations regarding policies on vacant and blighted properties. 

November 29, Thursday

The Historic Preservation Review Board will meet at 9:00am at 441 4th Street, NW in Room 220-South. Applicants and those interested in testifying should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the assigned time for the case.  From 11:15 – 12:00pm, the concept/renovation and new construction for the former Edmonds School at 901 D Street, NE, is scheduled to be considered.  Applicants and those interested in testifying should arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the assigned time for the case.

The New L Street Cycle Track

Better Bikeability for DC as City Embraces Bike Culture – New L Street Cycle Track a Fast East Bound Cross-Town Route

by Cathy Plume

Earlier this year, Walk Score, a website that ranks cities for their bikeability, listed Washington among the top ten most bikeable cities.  Studies indicate that some 3 percent of DC commuters use bicycles as their mode of transportation.  That’s one of the highest percentages in the US and   DC is promoting and facilitating the use of bikes by residents as a matter of policy.

The most recent addition to DC’s bike lanes is the L Street cycle track (bike lanes and cycle tracks are essentially synonymous as far as I can tell).  Running west to east from 25th to 12th Street, NW, this bike lane provides a fast crosstown east bound route that is well protected and signed specifically for cyclists. The traffic lights are timed such that one can safely and legally make almost every light.  The L Street, NW, cycle track will soon be mirrored by a track on M Street, NW, the two cycle tracks providing a major east-west bike corridor.

I live on the Hill and have long commuted to my office located in West End by bicycle. I’ve experimented with various routes over the years.  The L Street cycle track is an important new segment to my daily cycle commute back to Capitol Hill.  On my route home from the West End I take the L Street cycle track from 25th Street, NW, to 15th Street, NW, then the 15th Street bike lane to the White House, the 14th Street bike lane down to the Pennsylvania Avenue cycle track, Pennsylvania Avenue to the US Capitol and down the East Capitol bike lane. I’m on bike lanes for 48 of my 53 block commute!  (At this writing, the Pennsylvania Avenue cycle track is down as they resurface the road in preparation for the inauguration.  The lanes should be back – and improved – no later than mid-December). 

Over the last three years, bicycle commuting has become much easier and safer for DC residents.  At first, I attributed these changes to sports enthusiast Mayor Adrian Fenty.  I’m thrilled to see that the number of bike lanes across the District has continued to expand under Mayor Vincent Gray.  Under Gray’s administration, city agencies are embracing programs to promote bicycling and mass transit while discouraging car ownership.  New bike lanes and parking restrictions are part of the over-all strategy.  The L Street cycle track eliminated 120 parking spaces – partially offset by the creation of 70 spaces elsewhere.     

Bike lanes provide added safety for cyclists, but you’ll still need to be ever vigilant for the renegade taxi making a left turn from the center lane….or doing a U-turn on Pennsylvania Avenue!  You can ensure your safety by outfitting your bicycle with both a headlight and a taillight. While you may not need these lights to see, you’ll be more visible to others.  A cyclist is almost invisible to drivers, cyclists and pedestrians once the sun begins to go down.  Reflective clothing is also a good investment, and please, ALWAYS wear a helmet!

There are some great cycling resources here in DC.  The nation’s first automatic bike-share system, Capital Bikeshare is a huge success in the District and there are a plethora of stations around the Hill. The DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) provides downloadable bike maps and the app Spotcycle provides real time information on the location of the nearest Capital Bikeshare station and the number of bikes and docking stations available.  The Washington Area Bicycle Association (WABA) offers urban cycling classes and sponsors rides in the area.  WashCycle is a cycling advocacy blog.  Biking has never been better in DC.  Ride safe!

Edmonds Building from 9th Street, Showing Site of Three Future Townhouses

The Edmonds Building from D Street, with Site of Future Duplex Townhouse on Left

DC Teachers’ Union Credit Union – Formerly Edmonds School, from 9th and D NE

The Former Edmonds School at 9^th and D Streets NE Goes Condo – Historic District Structure the Latest to be Repurposed Residential

by Larry Janezich

The former Edmonds School at 901 D Street, NE, is the latest public property located on Capitol Hill slated to be repurposed for residential use.  Developer CAS Riegler will convert the 1902 structure to up to 25 living units.  An additional three townhouses and a duplex which will provide five living units will also be constructed on the site. 

The units will range from 500 square foot one bedroom apartments to 1700 square foot lofted three bedroom units.  The three 3500 square foot townhouses will face D Street and be connected to the main building by a bridge.  The duplex will face 9^th Street.  Architectural renderings can be viewed on the CAS Riegler website:  http://casriegler.com/edmonds-school/  (These renderings give the north-facing building a frontal southern exposure.)

As a matter of right, the developer can build 23 units in the Edmonds building, given the available square footage.  They had hoped to build 25.  The four townhouses require city approval by the Bureau of Zoning Adjustment. 

The Capitol Hill Restoration Society has signed off on the developer’s request for a Zoning Change and supports the concept plans for both the conversion and the new structures.  ANC6A has withheld endorsement of the project subject to an agreement on density (number of apartments/occupants).  Concerned about the effect on parking, the ANC voted to limit the total number of units, including those in structures other than the Edmonds building, to 27. 

The developer proposed limiting the number of street parking permits to 19, and to place that language in the condo sale documents themselves.  But regulation of the number of residential parking permits by this method is unacceptable to the ANC as it is unenforceable.  According to ANC6A Chair David Holmes, “ANC6A is in the final stages of negotiations with the developer to regulate the density (number of apartments), which will have the side effect of limiting street parking.” 

Edmonds School was closed during the Barry administration and sold to the DC Teacher’s Union Credit Union two decades ago and they have decided to sell the building.  The project appears to be the first Capitol Hill project for CAS Reigler.  Originally, the developer had planned to have a greater number of smaller units but insistence by the Historic Preservation Review Board on preservation of most of the interior walls forced the developer to scale back the total number. HPRB has scheduled a review of concept drawings for the development on Thursday, November 29^th and the Bureau of Zoning Adjustment has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday, December 11.

Conversations with neighbors of the Edmonds building revealed that several appeared to prefer the Credit Union to the new development, and that parking remains a major concern.  Zoning regulations require 14 parking spaces on site for the number of units in the project, and the developer’s plan accommodates this.  Since the developer has satisfied the zoning requirements, future residents of the project – with or without onsite parking – will be eligible to apply for residential street parking permits as well.  

Whatever the number of additional street parkers, it is likely to be too many to satisfy some residents, who point out that members of the Way of the Cross Church, directly across the street from the development, are accustomed to using the parking lot of the credit union for services.  With those parking spots slated to be removed, an already crowded D Street—which serves as a bus, bike and ambulance  route as well—will likely experience even more congestion.