Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 8F met on June 18. Commissioners Nic Wilson (8F01, treasurer), Rick Murphree (8F02, vice chair), Brian Strege (8F03, secretary), Edward Daniels (8F04, chair) and Clayton Rosenberg (8F05) were in attendance.
NRP Group (www.nrpgroup.com)and the Marshall Heights Community Development Organization (MHCDO, www.mhcdo.org) are building an apartment building at 101 Tingey St. SE, behind the US Dept. of Transportation. The 12-story structure will include 127 units and 2,600 square feet of ground floor retail.
The site sits directly to the west of an existing historic structure slated for retail development. Thirty-two percent of the apartments will be three-bedroom units appropriate for families. The project is 100 affordable with a mix of units reserved for renters whose incomes qualify at 80, 50 and 30 percent of Area Medium Income (AMI).
NRP and MHCDO have applied to the DC Zoning Commission (DCZC) to modify the 2003 Planned Unit Development (PUD), rezoning the parcel as MU-9, which permits high-density, mixed-use development. In addition, the developers are requesting relief from requirements for residential parking, onsite loading and side yard size.
In response to comments at the commission’s May meeting, stated NRP Vice President of Development Chris Marshall, the developers shifted the location of Pickup/Dropoff (PUDO) closer to the entrance and expanded the curbside loading zone to accommodate up to two delivery trucks. Marshall also have volunteered to protect the bike lanes with bollards.
Marshall promised to craft a loading management plan. There will be cameras trained on the loading lane and the property manager will call enforcement if needed, he said. Any deliveries involving trucks over 20 feet in length will be required to be scheduled; and the loading zone will be used for moves. Trash, he said, will not be allowed to sit on the curb.
DDOT is generally in of the concept, Marshall stated.
The developers proposed design of the curbside will eliminate current vegetation Chair Daniels and Secretary Strege pointed out. “There is simply not enough space” given the bike lane, stated Daniels.
Building management, Daniels said, will have no authority over the curbside, which is public space. The manager will keep 311 on speed dial, Marshall replied. The DC Dept. of Public Works (DPW), stated Daniels, does not ticket delivery vehicles.
It will be impossible to schedule move-in and move-outs due to conflicts with delivery vehicles, Daniels argued. “That lane on Tingey is always going to be blocked,” Daniels posited. “People don’t follow rules all the time. So, it will come up,” added Commissioner Rosenberg.
The removal of the protected bike lane would solve all these issue, said Treasurer Wilson, expressing frustration at the many bike lanes which he characterized as redundant.
Other than the loading issues, Commissioners generally expressed for the project. Daniels remained apprehensive about attaching transportation contingencies to any letter of . DCZC often ignores the ANC’s concerns, he stated.
Murphree insists it remained important to memorialize the commission’s concerns on the record. Commissioners agreed to predicate their on a PUDO plan, a surrounding site plan, a loading zone and bike lane realignment and continued consultations with the commission. The commission unanimously approved the measure authorizing Murphree to testify.
Noise
General Manager Michael Micioni and CEO Eaghmon Banks from the Bull Pen at 1201 Half St. SE addressed noise concerns. How do you keep track of decibel levels? asked Murphree. The company employs a sound engineer with a decibel reader, Banks responded. In addition, the shipping containers mitigate the sound.
After narrating his long experience with the Bullpen, Chair Daniels invited comments from neighbors. There was general agreement that noise problems occur when the space is rented out for private events. They “are incredibly loud, shaking the walls of our building,” stated one. “We want to coexist, but when stuff is falling off the walls of our apartments, there has to be a better way,” she added.
“A decibel reader is not necessary if the walls are shaking,” Daniels said. Banks promised to ban large speakers.
Does The Bullpen have contractual arrangements regarding noise with its third-party renters, asked a neighbor. Bullpen employees monitor third-party events, Banks stated. “We want to have the big events, but we will dial it back to be good stewards,” he promised.
Daniels suggested revisiting the issue when the Bullpen’s liquor license comes up for renewal to incorporate requirements into the attached community agreement.
The commission voted unanimously to send a complaint to Pink Taco at 100 M St. SE regarding the noise on their patio. “I live on New Jersey and I can hear the noise around the block,” Daniels stated.
Other Matters
Brookfield Properties, owners of the Yards, has applied to the DCZC for a text amendment permitting the second floor of the Lumber Shed at 301 Water St. SE to be used for offices. Future retail use would still be permitted under the change as well. The commission voted unanimously to the amendment.
Lieutenant Kenth Taylor briefed the commission on public safety. Violent and property crime is down across the board, he reported. The only exception is theft from automobiles. Taylor attributed the reduction in crime to targeted arrests, successful prosecutions and convictions. The real time crime center, he said, is contributing to increased apprehensions.
The Capitol Riverfront BID requested for a public arts grant to beautify and activate the space under the bridge next to Garfield Park, a spot now used for pickleball and skate boarding. The commission approved the measure.
The DC Housing Authority (DCHA) has cleaned up Square 769, Secretary Strege reported.
ANC 8F’ s next meeting is scheduled for July 23 at DDOT headquarters, 250 M St. SE, at 7 p.m. For more information, visit www.anc8f.org.
