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Hill East project revamps plan for parking and retail

September 8th, 2011 by Tim Ebner · 11 Comments · Barney Circle, Capitol Hill, New Hill East

The proposed mixed-use project at 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue (Wisdom is located to the left of the building). Courtesy of R2L Architects

A mixed-use development project at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and 15th Street, Southeast, may be one step closer to construction if developers receive approval from Capitol Hill’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission next Tuesday.

Developers presented revised plans to the ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee earlier this week. The project keeps the building’s 21 apartment units intact, but would downsize ground-floor retail space — from 3,000 to 2,600 square-feet — to accommodate a bike locker room and a building curtailment that would widen the adjacent alley by two feet.

The proposed project is within walking distance to the Potomac Avenue Metro Station and would replace a boarded-over KFC restaurant. The KFC could be razed in five to six months if the city approves permits, said Paul Millstein, who is overseeing construction for Douglas Development.

For the last few weeks, Douglas met with ANC members and Hill East residents to address community concerns. The main issue has been the location and access of parking for the building.

In the revised plans presented on Tuesday, developers met a request made by the District Department of Transportation to seal off an existing curb cut on Pennsylvania Avenue and place residential parking at the rear of the building.

The plans still call for a seven-car garage.

To address community concerns about street-level parking, Douglas said they would prevent building residents from receiving residential permit parking in the neighborhood.

“On the parking issue, we may try to seek city council support to legislatively enforce parking on the street,” said Commissioner Brian Flahaven, a representative of the Hill East neighborhood.

Developers are also working with DDOT to move the location of a bus stop, which is located in front of the entrance to the apartments, said Millstein. The current plan is to move the stop no further than a block away.

A vote on the revised development plans will take place at next Tuesday’s ANC6B meeting.

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  • Anonymous

    21 apartments, 7-car-garage, and they won’t be allowed to have street parking? that sounds like a winning formula

  • Anonymous

    Yeah I have to question that ridiculous sounding plan about the denial of street parking permits. Is there precedent for that sort of thing anywhere else around the ward or the city? Is that even legal? Is this just something they’re saying to gain approval, knowing full well it won’t fly once the development gets going?

    I know there are two apartment buildings on my street within Flahaven’s SMD and they all have street parking permits so long as they have a DC license and registration just like those of us who live in houses.

    Furthermore, even if the “neighborhood” has parking concerns, how is it fair to the new residents to deny them street parking? Wouldn’t that just encourage them to use off-street parking and then deny the city the money that would come with legally registering their vehicles? And who says that people in houses have some sort of entitlement to street parking on their own block anyway? I rarely have a problem finding parking on my house’s block even with two apartment buildings, and even if I did, I’d accept that as coming with living in the city in a house that doesn’t have an off-street spot.

    I guess I can end my rant, but I really hope that “parking concerns” don’t cause this development to languish, and that the developer and Flahaven aren’t making shady promises that they shouldn’t make and probably can’t keep. I’m really sick of looking at a fenced in, boarded up KFC, and would find this building to be an excellent addition to the neighborhood.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah I have to question that ridiculous sounding plan about the denial of street parking permits. Is there precedent for that sort of thing anywhere else around the ward or the city? Is that even legal? Is this just something they’re saying to gain approval, knowing full well it won’t fly once the development gets going?

    I know there are two apartment buildings on my street within Flahaven’s SMD and they all have street parking permits so long as they have a DC license and registration just like those of us who live in houses.

    Furthermore, even if the “neighborhood” has parking concerns, how is it fair to the new residents to deny them street parking? Wouldn’t that just encourage them to use off-street parking and then deny the city the money that would come with legally registering their vehicles? And who says that people in houses have some sort of entitlement to street parking on their own block anyway? I rarely have a problem finding parking on my house’s block even with two apartment buildings, and even if I did, I’d accept that as coming with living in the city in a house that doesn’t have an off-street spot.

    I guess I can end my rant, but I really hope that “parking concerns” don’t cause this development to languish, and that the developer and Flahaven aren’t making shady promises that they shouldn’t make and probably can’t keep. I’m really sick of looking at a fenced in, boarded up KFC, and would find this building to be an excellent addition to the neighborhood.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah I have to question that ridiculous sounding plan about the denial of street parking permits. Is there precedent for that sort of thing anywhere else around the ward or the city? Is that even legal? Is this just something they’re saying to gain approval, knowing full well it won’t fly once the development gets going?

    I know there are two apartment buildings on my street within Flahaven’s SMD and they all have street parking permits so long as they have a DC license and registration just like those of us who live in houses.

    Furthermore, even if the “neighborhood” has parking concerns, how is it fair to the new residents to deny them street parking? Wouldn’t that just encourage them to use off-street parking and then deny the city the money that would come with legally registering their vehicles? And who says that people in houses have some sort of entitlement to street parking on their own block anyway? I rarely have a problem finding parking on my house’s block even with two apartment buildings, and even if I did, I’d accept that as coming with living in the city in a house that doesn’t have an off-street spot.

    I guess I can end my rant, but I really hope that “parking concerns” don’t cause this development to languish, and that the developer and Flahaven aren’t making shady promises that they shouldn’t make and probably can’t keep. I’m really sick of looking at a fenced in, boarded up KFC, and would find this building to be an excellent addition to the neighborhood.

  • Anonymous

    Yeah I have to question that ridiculous sounding plan about the denial of street parking permits. Is there precedent for that sort of thing anywhere else around the ward or the city? Is that even legal? Is this just something they’re saying to gain approval, knowing full well it won’t fly once the development gets going?

    I know there are two apartment buildings on my street within Flahaven’s SMD and they all have street parking permits so long as they have a DC license and registration just like those of us who live in houses.

    Furthermore, even if the “neighborhood” has parking concerns, how is it fair to the new residents to deny them street parking? Wouldn’t that just encourage them to use off-street parking and then deny the city the money that would come with legally registering their vehicles? And who says that people in houses have some sort of entitlement to street parking on their own block anyway? I rarely have a problem finding parking on my house’s block even with two apartment buildings, and even if I did, I’d accept that as coming with living in the city in a house that doesn’t have an off-street spot.

    I guess I can end my rant, but I really hope that “parking concerns” don’t cause this development to languish, and that the developer and Flahaven aren’t making shady promises that they shouldn’t make and probably can’t keep. I’m really sick of looking at a fenced in, boarded up KFC, and would find this building to be an excellent addition to the neighborhood.

  • Anonymous

    Why move the bus stop? Wouldn’t the most people benefit from having it in front of high density development? Particularly if the residents don’t have parking? I mean why have high density if you’re going to take away the transit options?

  • http://profiles.google.com/eric.ship Eric Miller

    Apparently there are other apartment buildings with similar restrictions on residential parking permits, so this wouldn’t be the first place that restricting them. So, yes, it is legal. That being said I think we worry too much about parking. I live 2 blocks from here and parking is never an issue. I also think that this building’s proximity to metro/bus lines should make it attractive to those with out cars. I doubt the lack of legal street parking will be an issue in obtaining renters.

    Why not just eliminate this bus stop all together and have the buses use the one at the other end of the block? That makes more sense than moving it.

  • Anonymous

    This is a positive piece of news. The old KFC is awful, time for it to go.

  • Test Test

    Limiting street parking for a certain address is fairly normal. Its done often in NW.

  • Andrew Costello

    Before buying on the Hill, I lived at 909 New Jersey Ave SE and all of those buildings near the ballpark restrict on-street parking.

  • Andrew Costello

    Before buying on the Hill, I lived at 909 New Jersey Ave SE and all of those buildings near the ballpark restrict on-street parking.