CAPITOL HILL CORNER

Historic Preservation Board Delays Consideration of Hine Issue until April 28

ANC6b Sets Agenda on Hine Massing and Height Concept

by Barbara Riehle and Larry Janezich

On Tuesday night, ANC6b, at its regular March meeting, approved a new plan for receiving community feedback on the redevelopment of Hine School.  The Historic Preservation Office (HPO) announced at 5:30pm Tuesday night that the Historic Preservation Review Board’s (HPRB) consideration of Stanton-Eastbanc’s Historic Preservation Application (HPA) will be deferred until April 28, at the request of ANC6b.  Originally, HPRB was scheduled to take action on Hine at its March 24 hearing.

Also during the four hour meeting, the Commission approved operating guidelines for “Pacifico” and created a new Standing Committee on Transportation and two new Special Committees.  A report on extending the boundaries of the Performance Parking Program to impose additional parking limitations on the streets east of Barracks Row provoked a sometimes heated discussion.  (Watch for separate postings on the parking plan and on new committees.)

There has been considerable reaction in the Capitol Hill community to the massing and height concept drawings submitted to HPO by Stanton in support of this HPA.  Community commentary on these drawings on the major blogs and listservs following this story can be described as mixed, at best.  (See the following:    http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9502/make-capitol-hills-hine-project-better-not-smaller/ http://groups.yahoo.com/group/newhilleast/ and, of course, emmcablog.org.)

As previously announced, ANC6b will conduct a Special Call meeting – a meeting of the ANC outside of the regular monthly schedule and focused on a single issue – on Tuesday, March 15, from 6:00pm to 9:00pm at St. Coletta’s School, 19th and Independence, SE. Stanton-Eastbanc will present its plans during the first hour, including any changes to the plan since the last presentation on March 2.  During the following two hours, developers will take questions and comments from commissioners and community members.  A second Special Call meeting – time and place tbd – will be held in April to hear additional community input and for the Commission to vote on its recommendation to the Historic Preservation Review Board.  By law, HPRB must give “great weight” to the ANC’s recommendations.  The HPRB hearing will follow on April 28.

(EMMCA members will meet on Wednesday, March 16 to discuss Stanton-Eastbanc’s designs.  Members will be notified by email of time and location.)

A few nearby neighbors of Hine were on hand Tuesday night to respond to ANC6b Chair Neil Glick’s request for initial feedback on Stanton’s designs, first unveiled at the Commission’s Planning and Zoning Committee meeting on March 1 and presented to nearby neighbors on March 2.  Speaking for 8^th Street residents in the block just north of Hine, Bill Pate (no relation to Commissioner Brian Pate) called the designs “incompatible” with the area, objecting specifically to the height of the proposed buildings and the loss of light, air and green space in the plans.

Jeffrey Stine, who lives directly across the street from the Hine site said much had been made of the term “smart growth” and questioned whether the term – which is sometimes used to describe extensive massing near metro stations – is appropriate in an historic district.  He described the designs as “inharmonious” with the existing neighborhood.

There was brief discussion of resolutions on Hine ANC6b adopted in 2008 and 2009, described by Commissioner Dave Garrison as proposed criteria first for the City’s Request for Proposals (RFP), then for assessing the four proposed developers. Commissioner Kirsten Oldenburg injected that she recalled no discussion of height in the ANC6b’s Resolutions, but the June 2009 Resolution contains 12 proposed criteria, including “Restrict building heights to 60 feet along Pennsylvania Avenue SE, 40 feet along 8^th and C Streets SE, and 50 feet along 7^th Street SE.”

To view the full PowerPoint presentation by Stanton-Eastbanc, visit http://hineschool.com/sites/default/files/2011-03-02%20%20Community%20Presentation.pdf.

Does ANC6c Show Us a Better Way to Resolution on the Hine Site?

by Larry Janezich

Ryan Velasco, former ANC6c07 Commissioner and former Chair of their Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee posted a suggestion on newhilleast listserve from which the following is excerpted:

“I think ANC 6C has some valuable lessons learned in (community involvement in development projects).  Specifically, I’m referring to the process supported by the Office of Planning, development teams, members of the community and civic organizations on several major projects along the H Street Corridor – all of which started out significantly worse than (the Hine) project.  That process facilitated a dialogue that sought to address design concerns from the community and from neighbors surrounding the site.

An external mediator with an architectural background was brought in to shepherd discussions.  Having this objective perspective was key to success of the negotiations.  Community feedback was translated into a redesign and the end result of that collaborative effort was a project most could tolerate (but shouldn’t we aim a little higher than this)?.

I think it would be helpful to employ a similar process for the Hine site with representation from ANC 6B, civic organizations, Market vendors and citizens/market users participating.  There has been a lot of community engagement early on, but that was regarding a more conceptual conversation.  It seems we need a chance for the neighborhood to share their reactions to what has been proposed….  That ANC 6B has requested HPRB to delay it’s consideration of this project is a step in the right direction.”

Mr. Velasco has advanced the dialogue with a concrete and achievable suggestion and one which is hard to argue against.  One hopes he would use this forum to revise and extend his remarks to outline the process by which ANC6c made this happen.

ANC6b To Ask Historic Preservation Board To Delay Consideration of Hine Project – Will Hold Second Special Call Meeting in April

by Larry Janezich

In order to provide additional time for public comment and Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6b (ANC6b) consideration of the Stanton Development’s Historic Preservation Application (HPA) for the Hine project, the commission will ask the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) to delay its consideration of the application until April 28.  The commission is confident the request will be granted.  ANC6b has been caught in a time squeeze between the March 24 HPRB meeting where Stanton’s HPA had been scheduled for consideration, and a desire to provide opportunities for the community to provide input on the project.

Some nearby neighbors have been very active in voicing their concerns on the project and how it will affect the quality of life in the neighborhood.

The community will first have an opportunity for public comment during the ANC6b regular meeting on Tuesday, March 8, though the time will, of necessity, be limited.

A second and longer opportunity will occur at the previously announced ANC Special Call meeting on Tuesday, March 15, from 6:00pm until 9:00pm at St. Coletta School – the somewhat whimsical collection of buildings at 19th and Independence, SE.  Developers will make a presentation on the current plans, including any changes since the last presentation on March 2.  The meeting will then be given over to questions and comments from the community and the ANC.

A third opportunity for public comment will be at a second ANC6b special call meeting which will occur in April at a time and place to be determined.  The developers will report to the community on any changes in the project which develop after the March 15 meeting.

ANC6b will subsequently make a recommendation on Stanton’s Historic Preservation Application to the HPRB for its April 28th meeting, and that meeting will provide a fourth opportunity for public comment.

As reported elsewhere in this blog, Stanton is expected to submit the proposal to HPRB at least once more, probably in early summer, as design details are added.  This will provide additional opportunities for public comment.

Larger images of images of the Hine project and some new ones are now available on the emmcablogs Facebook page.  Please click the link on our homepage.

View from Hill's Kitchen - Residential Building on Right

8th and D Streets Looking North

8th Street Looking South

North Residential Building on C Street, Looking West from 8th Street

North Residential Building - C Street View

North Residential Building on C Street from 7th Street

Residential Building or Hotel on 7th Street, from Eastern Market Looking SE

7th Street Looking South

Pennsylvania Avenue Looking East

7th Street Looking North

Pennsylvania Avenue Looking West

New Conceptual Drawings of Hine Redevelopment Project Unveiled

Time Issues Force ANC to Alter Schedule for Consideration

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday night, Stanton-Eastbanc unveiled their latest concept drawings for the Hine project to the ANC6b Planning and Zoning Committee, Chaired by Commissioner Francis Campbell.  This is the first step toward consideration of their Historic Preservation Application (HPA) for massing and height by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) on March 24^th.  As additional details are finalized, the plans will go back to HPRB for additional review in late spring or early summer.

It’s unlikely that the 20 or so near-by residents who turned out for the meeting liked what they saw and several the ANC6b Commissioners appeared skeptical of the proposal and the amount of information they were given.  One was overheard to say, “This building is too damn big,” and that sentiment seemed to express the feelings of several commissioners.

Because of logistical time constraints on the meeting, Stanton’s architect, Amy Weinstein, rushed through a 20-plus minute power point presentation which was long on images and necessarily short on details.

The major changes in the design since Stanton’s last public presentation February 3 include elimination of the bridge between the commercial and residential buildings on the Pennsylvania Avenue face, thus effectively separating the two buildings; elimination of some ground floor residential space on 8^th Street in favor of “quiet retail,” and the addition of a sixth floor to the residential building on the Pennsylvania Avenue side to accommodate larger residential units.  Ms. Weinstein said Stanton was still unsure whether a boutique hotel would become part of the plan.

In architectural design terms, the concept for the office building on 7^th Street and fronting on Pennsylvania Avenue will be a contemporary combination of red brick and pier and glass construction.  The façade of the residential building will feature corbelled brick, similar to the concept employed in the façade of the Hospice Association Building on 7^th Street, across from Eastern Market, also designed by Weinstein. Clay tile or slate will be employed in the façade of the north residential building facing a newly-reopened C Street.

The full ANC6b had been scheduled to hear a Stanton Eastbanc presentation and take final action on their Historical Preservation Application on March 8^th.  Since there was no time for questions from the commissioners or statements and questions from the community on Tuesday night, the Commission decided to hear those statements and questions at the full ANC6b meeting on March 8.  A Special Call Meeting has been announced for Tuesday, March 15, at a place and time to be determined, at which Stanton Eastbanc will make another presentation for the community at large and answer questions and concerns raised by commissioners and members of the community.  The Commission will then decide what recommendation to make to the Historic Preservation Office for consideration by the HPRB on March 24.

For now, the position of ANC6b Planning and Zoning on the HPA is to “take no position,” and to request additional information from Stanton.  ANC6b Chair Glick specifically requested the “HPRB package” and Commissioner Pate insisted on clearly outlined details on the dimensions of the project, particularly regarding height and setbacks.

Stanton will make a separate presentation to the near-by neighbors Wednesday night and post the presentation on their website soon after that.  That site can be found at: http://hineschool.com/

8^th Street Residents List Objections to Hine Redevelopment and Request Changes

by Larry Janezich

The neighborhood organization “Eyes on Hine” (EOH) – residents who live on 8^th Street opposite the Hine site – have written to ANC6b Planning and Zoning Committee Chair Francis Campbell and Vice Chair Kirsten Oldenburg to protest that the proposed Hine Development will damage the historic character of the neighborhood and to request specific design changes.

The ANC6b Planning and Zoning Committee hears from Stanton Development on Tuesday night, regarding their Historic Preservation Application (HPA) on the Hine redevelopment, the first step in moving the plan through the ANC.  ANC6b will rule on the HPA at its March 8 meeting and that judgment will go to the Historic Preservation Office and be given great weight when the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) considers Stanton’s HPA for the Hine project.  As this blog has noted elsewhere, the HPRB decision is subject to appeal to the Mayor’s office.

EOH’s objections address the proposed design’s size, appearance, density, and economic impact.  In summary, the objections are:

From 8^th Street, SE, the Hine redevelopment would present a mammoth building filling much of the block with an unbroken façade.  The developer’s justification for a height increase beyond 40 feet was flawed, since historic buildings shown for comparison did not fill an entire block and were in juxtaposition to two and three story rowhouses.  The five story corner tower at 8^th and D Streets, and the five story entrance to the apartment complex mid-block on 8^th Street will mar the historic viewscape, block light and air, and “mock” the modest scale of the rowhouses across the street.  The proposed heights are not only out of harmony with the neighborhood but also emphasize the building’s massiveness.

The proposed four story bay windows, a response to an EOH request to ensure the frontage comport with the appearance of residential housing, emphasizes rather than mitigates, the building’s monolithic appearance.  And the massive size and scale of the proposed development demands deeper and more varied setbacks.

The letter notes that for the first time in history, there will be no open space accessible to the entire neighborhood on the Hine site.  And that the result of waiving current R4 residential zoning limits and the attendant 40 foot height limit will degrade the quality of life of the neighborhood by encouraging and enabling vastly increased traffic.

EOH states that the economic consequences of the project include the danger that overdevelopment will threaten an historic neighborhood that, by its charm and scale, has attracted new residents and businesses.  The letter notes that as taxes and rents soar, small and locally owned businesses are already being driven away from the vicinity of Eastern Market.

EOH proposes a number of changes to help make the current Hine development harmonize with the neighborhood.  They include the following:

A maximum 40 foot height limit for the residential building on 8^th Street, with no five story segments for the SE corner or on Pennsylvania Avenue.

A recessed 8^th Street entrance to the project mid-block rather than using additional height to designate the entrance.

More variation in height of the rooflines of the buildings.

More variation in the setbacks of the buildings along 8^th Street as opposed to an unbroken stretch of bay windows.

A set back from the curb for the entire building further than that proposed.

Two or three separate structures along 8^th Street, rather than a single long structure.

The letter ends with a statement defining what the group sees as being at stake:

“The land of the Hine School site belongs to all of us, the citizens and taxpayers of the District of Columbia.  The developers were awarded the right to propose how to develop that public land, but we believe that the current concept design is not congruent with, does not harmonize with, and potentially threatens the historic character of Capitol Hill.  The massive, block-sized building plan evokes corporate standardization, anonymity and conformity, and, per the changes outlined at the beginning of this letter, we call upon the developers to create an alternative concept more responsive to the neighborhood in which it will sit for decades to come.”

The Planning and Zoning Committee will meet at 6:30pm on Tuesday, March 1, at Caesar Chavez Public Charter School, located at 714-722 11^th Street, SE.

ANC6b will meet at 6:30pm on Wednesday, March 8, at the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS at 522 7^th Street, SE

ANC6b Plans Special Call Meeting on Hine PUD Process

Appointment of Taskforce on Hine Redevelopment Likely

by Larry Janezich

ANC6b is planning a Special Call meeting in April or May to inform the community on details of how the Public Unit Development (PUD) process will unfold for the Hine Redevelopment.  The PUD process could be the final opportunity for public and community input into the design of the project and one which often involves tradeoffs, or “public amenities.”  Commissioners Frishberg and Pate are pushing to appoint a special Taskforce made up of commissioners and representatives of community organizations, including EMMCA and Eyes on Hine, to provide input for the ANC’s participation in the PUD process.  The Zoning Commission can require changes to the design as the result of the PUD review.

The Special Call meeting and Taskforce issues will likely come up when Commissioner Pate (SMD05) hosts an open house to discuss community issues on Saturday, February 26, at the Corner Store, 900 South Carolina Avenue, SE, between 1:00pm and 2:30pm.

Stanton Development was scheduled to send their massing and concept design for the Hine project to the Historic Preservation Office (HPO) on Thursday, February 24, but did not do so.  They have until today – Friday – to file to meet the deadline to be scheduled for a Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) hearing on March 24.

Stanton will make a presentation regarding its Historic Preservation Application (HPA) to the ANC Planning and Zoning Committee meeting at Caesar Chavez Charter School, next Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30pm.  The Committee will make a recommendation on the application and pass it to the full ANC which will consider it at their March 8 meeting.  That meeting will occur at 6:30pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS at 522 7^th Street, SE.  The ANC recommendation on the massing and concept design will, in turn, be forwarded to the HPO and HPRB for the March 24 hearing.

According to HPO, there are at least three historic preservation related public hearings at which the public may provide testimony.  First, the ANC Planning and Zoning Committee, second, the full ANC meeting, and finally, the HPRB meeting.  HPO also welcomes written comments in lieu of testimony.  Those are forwarded to the HPRB as part of the review process.

Some large projects – e.g., Friendship House on Capitol Hill – go through the HPRB in two phases.  HPRB looks first at height and massing, and then at the details at a later hearing.  Stanton anticipates following this scenario, which will provide three additional opportunities for public input.   Stanton hopes to go back before HPRB in late spring or early summer, depending on the outcome of the hearing in March.

The developer can make minor changes to the plan after the HPRB review, in consultation with HPO.  HPO evaluates proposed changes and judges if they are major or minor or if they relate to concerns raised during the review process.

The Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) will also weigh in on the design, but their review process seems to be more cursory than the ANC’s.  The CHRS Historic Preservation Committee will take a look at the designs Stanton submits to HPRB and make a recommendation.  A more formal presentation to the Committee will depend upon a request from Stanton to appear before the committee or the CHRS Board.  Stanton briefed the committee in February, but did not formally submit anything and the committee did not write an “official” report, preferring instead to treat the meeting as a dialogue with the architect/developer.

Stanton also appeared before ANC6b and the Hine neighbors in February to reveal their massing and design concepts and changes which reoriented the project toward a residential development as opposed to a primarily commercial development.  For information on those meetings, please refer to the emmcablog postings on February 2^nd and 3^rd.

Next up:  Update on the Two Tracks on Retail Mix