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Articles
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| ANC 6D OKs Corcoran project |
VOICE writes, "ANC 6D OKs Corcoran project
BY BEN WEINSTEIN
After months of negotiations with Monument Realty, the Southwest advisory neighborhood commission (ANC 6D) Oct. 15 signed off on the Randall School redevelopment plans.
The planned-unit development to remake Southwest’s Randall School (65 I St., SW) into residential units alongside a new Corcoran College of Art + Design campus goes before the Zoning Commission Nov. 8. Commissioners attributed their support to the project’s community-benefits package.
“Opposing this PUD will get us nothing,” Commissioner David Sobelsohn said of what’s been a contentious project, adding that the developer made significant design concessions to help appease the community. Sobelsohn suggested that the Zoning Commission would almost certainly approve the project and that the “benefits package is as good as we’ll get.”"
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The benefits package includes: $200,000 toward a community investment fund; arts-education scholarships and other opportunities at the Corcoran College for Southwest residents and teachers; space for community meetings; preference for Southwest residents on construction jobs; and preference for Southwest residents for affordable-housing units in the project.
The vote was 5-0-1, with Commissioner Andy Litsky abstaining. Litsky said he found troubling a report that Monument Realty threatened to delay renovations of the Navy Metro station in response to a dispute with the city about a separate project.
Monument Realty Executive Vice President Russell Hines said the Metro project is on schedule. “What we agreed to on [the Randall School] project we will abide by,” he added.
[New hede]
At-large Councilman Phil Mendelson spoke about the First District police station’s relocation from Southwest, telling commissioners the clock’s ticking.
“I’m not here with a lot of answers,” Mendelson said of the city’s plans to relocate the station in order to build a new consolidated forensics lab at the Fourth and School streets site.
Mendelson said he’s concerned that the city cannot meet its proposed timeline for completing the forensics facility — the completion date moved from 2010 to 2011. The councilman said the lab is a high priority because “we have a lot of crimes committed where there is DNA evidence” and the testing is delayed or doesn’t get done.
After the city said it would abandon plans to move the First District station, police headquarters and other department functions to 225 Virginia Ave., SE, Mayor Adrian Fenty said the station would stay in Southwest.
But the station needs to be relocated, temporarily or permanently, to accommodate lab construction. Mendelson said the city is considering using as swing space either Amidon or Bowen elementary schools, both in Southwest.
“If you’re picking up any frustration from me, it’s there,” Mendelson said, saying the city plans could not meet the current timetable to open the lab.
The commission also heard from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development about a zoning amendment, passed last week on an emergency basis, to open up eight more temporary parking lots for the new baseball stadium. The lots are between South Capitol and Second streets, SW, west of the ballpark.
Other actions
The commission also voted to:
• Ask the mayor and council to fund the D.C. Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation back to the levels of previous years. The agency funds out-of-school and summer programs throughout the city. Commissioner Max Skolnik said almost all of the nonprofit after-school organizations saw funding cuts this year because federal support expired.
Roll call
Commissioners Max Skolnik, David Sobelsohn, Andy Litsky, Roger Moffatt, Rhonda Hamilton, Ron McBee and Robert Siegel were present.
The commission’s next meeting will begin 7 p.m. Nov. 19 at 600 M St., SW.
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Posted on Oct 18, 2007 15:03pm.
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