Capitol Hill Ramblings by Kirsten Oldenburg, Commissioner ANC6B
Late Friday, August 22nd, DDOT reopened the 11th Street SE westbound on ramp to I-695. This access point was closed about 2 months ago to enable the 11th Street Bridge project to realign the roadway up and over the future exit ramp onto I Street SE at 9th Street. Vehicles traveling north or south on 11th Street can access the ramp at a signalized intersection.
UPDATE of 12/30/2014: The HPRB requested more changes to this building at its meeting on 12/4. The applicant has, accordingly, made several changes to the design including setting the “penthouse” structures away from the south party wall, removing window wells along the corner of 11th & I, and reducing a large bay to multiple bays. The revised 11th Street elevation is below:
Here is a link to the full set of revised plans that includes the rest of the elevations, details on the roof deck and other features: 11th & I Condo revisions of 12-17-14
UPDATE of 10/29/2014: The HPRB requested several changes to the design of this building at its meeting on 9/18. The changes will now be reviewed by the Board in November. Accordingly, the ANC will also review the changes at its Planning & Zoning Committee meeting on Wed 5 Nov and will vote on the changes at its monthly meeting on Wed 12 Nov (see meeting details on the Events & Meetings page).
Below is the revised front elevation. According to the architect, the changes from earlier versions (see further below) include the base material, a simplified front entrance, and removal of the 11th and I Street separate entrances. All units will now be accessed through the main entrance.
UPDATE of 9/26/2014: Both the ANC and the Historic Preservation Review Board have approved this condo project for 900 11th Street SE. But, at the Board hearing on 9/18, Members asked for several changes in design from what the ANC and others saw on 9/2. Below is a view of the 11th Street side of the building with these changes. They include the elimination of “stoops” for duplexes along 11th and I Streets and a reduction in height of the main entrance feature. Scroll down to compare with previous designs.
ANC6B’s Planning & Zoning Committee–at its 9/2/2014 meeting–recommended that the ANC support the historical preservation application for a new condo building at 900 11th Street SE. The ANC will vote on the application at its monthly meeting on 9/9/2014.
Below are some of the designs (a perspective and north and west elevations) presented to the Committee. ANC6B had reviewed a different design at its Planning & Zoning meeting in July 2014 but final review/vote was delayed until September 2014. These current plans will be considered by the Historic Preservation Review Board during its September meeting.
The developer is Madison Investments and the architect is Jeff Goins of PGN Architects on Capitol Hill. Madison plans to include 49 units in the building; five units along 11th Street and one on I Street will be duplexes with street entrances. There will be parking on site for 30 vehicles (23 spaces underground) and 49 bikes with access to the garage via an existing rear alley. This will result in the closure of 3 existing curb cuts increasing the availability of on street parking spaces. Ten percent of the building’s units will be affordable.
Below for comparison is the July 2014 design for the West Elevation.
Amazing for August, about 50 people packed a room at the Hill Center on Monday August 4th to learn about and provide feedback on new concepts for a SE Boulevard. These new ideas have emerged from a DC Office of Planning (OP) neighborhood study in which ANC6B and the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) are participating.
The study came about after DDOT presented 4 options for the Boulevard at a meeting in November 2013. ANC6B pushed back on these options with a 9-page letter to DDOT, asking that a neighborhood study precede decisions on what kind/size of road to build. With Councilmember Wells help, this request became a reality when OP agreed to conduct a “rapid response” neighborhood study. The study began in April.
The August 4 presentation: 2014-08-04 ANC mtg OP Presentation
Large versions of 7 concept drawings: 2014-08-04 ANC mtg-Concept Alternatives
The concepts include 2- or 4-lane roads and have varying mixes of new housing/retail and parkland. All provide ways to connect with the Anacostia waterfront. Although Barney Circle is not an explicit component of the OP study, the concepts link to it. It is an obvious open space that needs to be designed with safe access for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Many of the attendees at the August 4 meeting were residents who live close to the site. They are understandably concerned about the impact on their existing neighborhood and generally don’t prefer it to change. But, analysis has to include the needs of the broader Capitol Hill community and consideration of regional traffic flows and how to keep it off residential streets. Compromise is inevitable.
Subsequent to the meeting, OP will be working with its consultant from SmithGroup to create 3 “finalist” concepts based on the input from all of us. ANC6B plans to hold a second Community Meeting–most likely led by CM Wells–in September to discuss these options. ANC6B expects DDOT to restart the NEPA Barney Circle & SE Boulevard Transportation Planning Study –that has been on hiatus during the OP study–in early 2015.
A new wrinkle discussed at the Monday meeting was that DDOT plans to reopen the old lanes of the SE/SW Freeway between 11th Street SE and Barney Circle by the end of this year. These lanes were closed about 18 months ago to enable the 11th Street Bridge project to use the space for staging and storage as that project built ramps and overpasses on the Capitol Hill side of the bridge. This reopening has major implications for the DDOT NEPA study. First, this freeway segment becomes the No Build option in the study. Second, in my view, it will take the pressure off city officials to get the NEPA study completed in a timely manner, hopefully, incorporating some of the fresh ideas generated by the OP study.
Update: See also Commissioner Flahaven’s post on the meeting