This new blog, “Votes of the ANC” will be posted on the next day after our meeting to explain the votes that took place the night before. The language in resolutions will still be up to final review and some change may be made.  Last night at our regular ANC meeting the following votes occurred:

 

Meeting Minutes

Approval of Minutes (October 2014 and November 2014)

 

General

Resolution to Support Delinking Soccer Stadium from Reeves Center (ANC1B) – Commissioner Maltz moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Nichols. Passed 5-1-0. The resolution reads as:

Whereas, the District of Columbia Soccer Stadium Development Act of 2014 (Stadium Act) would approve agreements to acquire land at Buzzard Point in Southwest Washington, DC, prepare the land for development, lease the land to the DC United soccer team, enable the construction of a 20-25,000 seat soccer stadium, abate property and sales taxes, and develop adjacent land;

Whereas, the Stadium Act proposes to swap the District-owned Reeves Center located at 14th and U Streets NW for land at Buzzard Point, after which a private developer will redevelop the Reeves Center with a predominance of market rate housing;

Whereas, the plans to redevelop the Reeves Center were formed without community input;

Whereas, it is estimated that the Stadium Act will produce net new spending of $2.6 billion, including for both one-time construction benefits as well as the ongoing annual recurring benefits associated with the Stadium, the Buzzard Point hotel, the Reeves Center redevelopment and the new Ward 8 municipal center;

Whereas, this level of combined net new spending is estimated to support 1,683 new full-time equivalent jobs (FTEs), including both full and part-time jobs, and these new jobs are estimated to generate personal earnings of $1.3 billion in 2015 net present value dollars from 2015 through 2046;

Whereas, there are significant non-economic benefits that will also accrue from the soccer stadium project, including spurring economic development on Buzzard Point as much as ten years faster than would happen without significant governmental investment;

Whereas, it has been proposed that the Reeves Center will be replaced with a new government office building in Anacostia, which will also help to accelerate that area’s revitalization;

Whereas, despite the proposed benefits, the Stadium Act as negotiated can be improved upon by de-linking Reeves from the acquisition of land on Buzzard Point;

Whereas, recent appraisals value the Reeves Center at between $11 million and $20 million more than the price that the District is being paid for the property;

Whereas, the current administration has not initiated any action to fund the Ward 8 municipal office building;

Whereas, to protect District taxpayers, a higher value can be achieved by selling the property to the highest bidder;

Whereas, the DC Council Committee on Economic Development, chaired by Mayor-Elect Muriel Bowser, proposes to remove the Reeves Center land swap from the Stadium Act and doing so addresses the problem of the current purchase price being below the appraised value, solves the concerns voiced by many community members that they have not participated in discussions about how the site should be redeveloped;

Whereas, removing the Reeves Center land swap from the Stadium Act also allows the District to require that the site include more affordable housing;

Whereas, the Stadium Act as proposed to be amended by Mayor-Elect Bowser ensures that residents have input into the future of their communities, saves the District taxpayers millions of dollars, spurs redevelopment of Buzzard Point, generates hundreds of jobs and hundreds of millions in economic benefit, and results in the construction and operation of a state of the art home for DC United for decades to come, while also preserving the opportunity to redevelop the Reeves Center and develop a new municipal center in Ward 8 in consultation with the affected communities;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That ANC 2B supports Mayor-Elect Bowser’s plan to amend the Stadium Act to delink the Reeves Center from the stadium deal and to engage the community in discussions regarding the future of the Reeves Center and a new municipal office building in Ward 8.

 

Historic Preservation & Zoning Applications

HPRB Application for 2127 N Street NW
Commissioner Silverstein moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Smith. Passed 5-0.

Resolution on ANC2B Support for Market Price Purchase of St. Thomas Land to Preserve Parkland (Commissioner Nichols) – Commissioner Nichols moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Smith. Passed 1-5-0.

Rehearing for HPRB Application for 1617 Riggs Place, NW (HPA-14-723) (2B04) – Commissioner Putta moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Smith. Passed 4-1-1.

1826 15th St NW – historic preservation review for rear garage and third floor (non-visible) construction (2B09) – Commissioner Smith moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Feldstein. Passed 6-0. The resolution reads as follows:

ANC 2B supports the project as presented, only if a flag test confirms that the addition is not visible from anywhere along the 1800 block of 15th Street. The ANC supports the garage portion of the project as presented.

1432 Swann St NW – historic review for third floor addition (non-visible)(2B09) – Commissioner Smith moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Feldstein. Passed 6-0. The resolution reads as follows:

Whereas the owners of 1432 Swann Street NW propose to add a third story to their home, which would not be visible from the street.

Be it resolved ANC 2B supports the project as presented.

1504 Swann St NW – historic and zoning variance review for rear second story addition (visible from Swann St) and roof deck (non-visible) (2B09) – Commissioner Smith moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Feldstein. Passed 6-0. The resolution reads as follows:

Whereas the applicant proposes a second story addition to the rear of their home; and

Whereas the addition will be entirely visible from there street; and

Whereas the applicant is requesting the addition due to the loss of light and air on their roof deck based on their neighbor’s previously approved project.

Therefore be it resolved ANC 2B supports the project based on the unique circumstance of the impact of their neighbor’s addition on light, air, and quality of life; and

Be it further resolved ANC 2B believes this addition will enhance the historic Swann Street facade by filling in a currently vacant air space.

1541 T St NW – historic review for roof deck (2B09) – Commissioner Smith moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Feldstein. Passed 6-0. The resolution reads as follows:

Whereas the applicant at 1541 T Street NW proposes to build a rear deck and a roof deck; and

Whereas the roof deck will not be visible from the street and is consistent with a previously supported roof deck on the same block;

Whereas the applicant has two letters of support from neighbors.

Therefore be it resolved that ANC 2B supports the project as proposed.

 

Public Space Use & Related Applications

Public space application for a curb cut for a new mixed use block-long structure at 1900 N Street. Curb cut is for the new building, and will be in the same approximate place as the existing curb cut for the existing structure. JBG is the developer, and will introduce the project to the ANC at this presentation. (2B06) – Commissioner Smith moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Feldstein. Passed 5-0-1. The resolution reads as follows:

ABRA application, sidewalk cafe for Bistro Bistro, 1727 Connecticut Ave., 8 seats. (2B01) – Commissioner Smith moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Feldstein. Passed 5-0. ANC protest application based peace order and quiet and public saftey.

Public space application for 2112 R St NW for a Sculpture. (2B02) Commissioner Silverstein moved to approve, seconded by Commissioner Feldstein. Passed 6-0.