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Friday, Jan. 18, 2013 11:02 a.m.

Foggy Bottom to add three Capital Bikeshare stations

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet reporter Sara Amrozowicz

The city will add three Capital Bikeshare stations near campus, a newly elected member of Foggy Bottom’s top advocacy group announced Wednesday.

The District Department of Transportation will install stations at 20th Street and Virginia Avenue, 23rd and E streets and 21st Street and Constitution Avenue, junior and Advisory Neighborhood commissioner Patrick Kennedy said. The stations will be installed between February and March.

The posts are part of a 53-station expansion across D.C. and parts of Virginia, he said, and will be ready in time for the National Cherry Blossom Festival.

The bike rental launched in D.C. in 2010 and now has more than 175 stations around the Beltway.

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Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012 6:22 p.m.

Two students win seats on local governing body

by Matthew Kwiecinski

Junior Jackson Carnes talks to voters outside the School Without Walls polling station Nov. 6. Jordan Emont | Photo Editor

Juniors Patrick Kennedy and Jackson Carnes won seats on Foggy Bottom’s top governing body Tuesday, according to the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics.

Kennedy ousted 10-year incumbent David Lehrman, a 66-year-old longtime Foggy Bottom resident. Out of 136 votes cast for the district, 96 went to Kennedy and 38 to Lehrman. Carnes ran unopposed and earned 90 votes.

Two other students – freshman Jevin Hodge and sophomore Peter Sacco – ran as write-in candidates. Sacco’s sought-after district received 22 votes and Hodge’s received 168 votes, but the election board website did not break down how many each candidate won.

Out of the city’s 40 Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, each is divided into about eight to 10 single member districts with elected representatives. The positions are typically held by local residents.

Following the election, the Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission will comprise two students and two alumni. If Sacco is elected, he would make a third student.

Hodge ran for a position on the Advisory Neighborhood Commission, representing the Mount Vernon Campus. The Somers Hall resident faced incumbent Penny Pagano, who also ran as a write-in candidate.

“It’s been very gratifying to have won, it’s been an amazing experience all throughout,” Kennedy said, adding that he received nods of support throughout the day from “mutiple professionals” at the voting center.

“It was really gratifying to get that message across the board,” Kennedy said.

Carnes said he is “very excited” for the next two years and that was glad to see voters turn out Tuesday.

Lehrman did not return a request for comment.

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012 9:49 a.m.

Off-premise liquor sales in D.C. could soon be offered on Sunday

by Matthew Kwiecinski
fobogro alcohol, wine

Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham said the District could shrink its fiscal year 2013 budget gap with an additional $710,000 in sales tax revenue by lifting a ban on selling hard liquor on Sundays. Hatchet File Photo

The District’s liquor stores could gain approval to sell hard alcohol on Sundays as part of an effort to shrink the budget gap for fiscal year 2013.

Ward 1 D.C. Council member Jim Graham announced plans Monday to recommend allowing stores with Class A liquor licenses – which sell soft and hard alcohol – to operate on Sundays, a move he said could generate an extra $710,000 in sales tax revenue, according to The Washington Post.

All liquor stores in the District are banned from selling hard alcohol on Sundays but the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration modified codes last summer to allow grocery stores and wholesalers that exclusively offer beer and wine to sell until midnight every day. All types of retailers still are barred from selling hard liquor on Sundays.

The recommendation comes a week after Graham held a town hall meeting to gauge input from D.C. residents and business owners on Mayor Vincent Gray’s proposed extension for alcohol sales at bars until 3 a.m. on weekdays and 4 a.m. on weekends to bring in an additional $3.2 million in revenue.

Graham – who has voiced safety and noise concerns over the extension of bar hours and plans to vote against the proposal – said the revenue brought in from liquor sales on Sunday would go towards the gap in the budget if the increase in alcohol sale hours at bars gets killed.

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Thursday, March 1, 2012 5:33 p.m.

University files zoning for Pennsylvania Avenue redevelopment

by The GW Hatchet
Pennsylvania Avenue, Froggy Bottom Pub, rendering

Rendering courtesy of the Office of Community Relations.

This post was written by Hatchet staff writer Danielle Telson.

The University released detailed plans Friday for a new office building on Pennsylvania Avenue that will replace a cluster of townhouses and commercial space.

The detailed designs filed with the D.C. Office of Zoning bring GW a step closer to tearing down an office at 2100 W Pennsylvania Ave. and two neighboring University buildings, as well as Froggy Bottom Pub, Thai Place, Panda Café and Mehran Restaurant.

Sara Bardin, director of the D.C Office of Zoning, said the project is being referred to the city’s Office of Planning for review this week. GW must receive a green light from the zoning commission to move forward with the site’s development.

Developer selection for the sleek 255,550-square foot office building will begin in mid-2013, according to the documents. Construction is estimated begin in early 2014 and last 24 months.

The building will include sustainable features, like a green roof, and will collect rainfall. It will also include 183 below-ground parking spaces and 50 bicycle spots.

The project follows a model similar to that of The Avenue – redeveloping a property for commercial use to draw in more revenue for the University’s academic programs, facilities and financial aid. A price tag has not yet been determined, University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard said, adding that costs are typically calculated after meeting with a developer.

GW first announced plans to demolish buildings along the block in November, after learning that health care center Kaiser Permanente, the tenant at 2100 W Pennsylvania Ave., plans to relocate in late 2012. The 2007 Campus Plan outlined future demolition of the townhouses but the University must gain approval from the zoning commission to redevelop the building where Kaiser Permanente operates.

Alumnus and Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner Asher Corson railed against the project then, calling the commercial property a profit-maker that strays from GW’s academic mission.

He suggested the commission bring on legal counsel to evaluate GW’s development projects, a request that led the group to allocate $2,000 at its February meeting to hire an attorney specializing in zoning laws.

“I can remember as a student I had classes throughout every year when I was a student at GW that were blocks and blocks off campus,” Corson said. “The student health center is off campus still. Here is a major building on campus and instead of using it for the needed classroom space and instead of using it to house a student health center, which I would say should be on campus for the sake of the student body, GW is going to go and use this property to make money.”

Corson said the redevelopment of the block would eliminate several affordable neighborhood restaurants and the University should seek out dining options that are low-cost – on which young professionals and retired individuals in the area rely – when the building is erected.

Sherrard said GW is committed to maintaining a positive relationship with neighbors.

“The process of engaging with nearby building tenants and the community has begun and will continue throughout the planning process,” she said.

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Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2012 10:23 a.m.

Renovation plans push out shops at Georgetown mall

by Gabrielle Marush
Shops at Georgetown Park

The Shops at Georgetown Park complex is an indoor mall complex along M Street. Photo courtesy of D.B. King under Creative Commons License.

The Shops at Georgetown Park will undergo renovations to rejuvenate the mall, after more than half the storefronts closed at the end of last month.

As shopping traffic in the M Street complex has taken a dip in recent years, the mall’s manager Vornado Realty Trust plans to refresh the space and bring in new retailers, Bill Starrels, vice-chair of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission for Georgetown, said Monday. Starrels did not elaborate on the details or timeline of the upgrades, but said that “most of the stores had to be moved out to do renovations.”

After 10 leases expired Dec. 31, the total closed units rose to almost 60 out of 110. Stores that remain include Anthropologie, Express, GNC and Victoria’s Secret.

“We are readying Georgetown Park for redevelopment, and working to create a plan that adds to the great fabric of Georgetown,” Mara Olguin, vice president of marketing for Vornado Realty Trust, said.

Lorenzo Caltagirone, the owner of Total Party, said that while he hasn’t seen a decline in regular customers, he did notice “a drop in people stumbling upon [the] store, such as tourists and foreigners.”

Barnes and Noble also cleared out its Georgetown real estate at M and Thomas Jefferson streets, a Vornado-owned property, Dec 31. The bookstore still operates from two other locations in the District.

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Thursday, Dec. 8, 2011 2:33 p.m.

Neighbors discuss noise from construction, loitering

by The GW Hatchet

FoBoGro owner Kris Hart said Wednesday that he would be willing to work with local residents to mitigate concerns regarding noise at his establishment. Muna Abdulkader | Hatchet Photographer

This post was written by Hatchet Staff Writer Danielle Telson.

Local residents voiced concerns about noise related to University construction projects and FoBoGro’s liquor license Wednesday night at a neighborhood meeting.

Foggy Bottom and West End Advisory Neighborhood Commission member Florence Harmon said she would like the see a construction management agreement between the University and the construction company, promising to comply with standards that would avoid disturbing local residents.

“I think it’s the only way you can hold people’s feet to the fire,” Harmon said, adding that though construction might not begin until 7 a.m., workers arrive earlier and the resulting noise travels.

Susan Cora, director of campus planning, said noise issues are addressed in the University’s contract with Clark Construction. When GW receives noise complaints, a representative from the University monitors the site to report early morning noise.

She added that any terms that would be in the agreement are already in the University’s construction contract.

The commission, satisfied with her response, voted to take no action.

Students reported in an informal Residence Hall Association survey last month that the University is not regulating excessive construction noise, prompting more than 500 students to sign the group’s petition urging GW to keep sounds at a minimum the disturbances during morning hours.

Neighborhood activists Barbara Kahlow and Sara Maddux accused FoBoGro costumers of creating noise, especially since the venue extended its hours for liquor sales in August.

“Basically, this is a nuisance property,” Kahlow said. “The noise issues are phenomenal.”

Maddux alleged Kris Hart, an alumnus, broke promises he made during a contentious liquor license approval process, including that he would prevent loitering and keep delivery trucks from double-parking in front of the F Street eatery and grocery store.

Commissioner Florence Harmon asked Kahlow, Maddux and Hart to privately reach a compromise to resolve the complaints.

Hart said he is willing to work on a compromise but does not know of any noise complaints filed about his establishment.

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Monday, March 28, 2011 2:01 p.m.

Zoning Commission postpones vote on Science and Engineering Complex

by Priya Anand

The D.C. Zoning Commission postponed a vote on the Science and Engineering Complex Thursday, saying they wanted more information from the University and cooperation between GW with neighbors before a vote on the project is scheduled.

University officials presented detailed plans for the school’s most expensive building at the hearing, but the commission stalled a vote, mirroring proceedings on previous large-scale projects that went through multiple rounds of questioning, such as Square 54 and the Law Learning Center and parking garage.

Commissioners asked the University to submit details on future campus development site Square 77 – at the corner of 22nd and I streets – to gain a broader perspective of campus plans and determine the feasibility of placing a second Foggy Bottom Metro station entrance at the site.

The University will file a response on the plans for of Square 77 by April 11, and a hearing before the Commission will take place April 25.

Alicia O’Neil Knight, senior vice president of operations at GW, said the 2007 Foggy Bottom Campus Plan referenced Square 77 as a potential site for a second Metro entrance, but GW cannot afford to fund the project.

She added that there is no distinct timeline for Square 77’s development.

Two local neighborhood groups – the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the West End Citizens Association – testified against the project, saying it does not benefit the surrounding community.

Chairman Anthony Hood said he would like to see GW and local neighborhood groups, specifically WECA, work together to iron out concerns during early development stages to avoid having opposition parties testify at commission hearings.

WECA member Barbara Kahlow said the complex would adversely impact pedestrians, adding that GW should support a second Metro entrance. ANC chair Rebecca Coder also objected to the SEC proposal, saying it does not offer enough for the neighborhood, but that a second Metro entrance would boost the deal.

“GW is committed to continuing to engage in productive dialogue with all of our neighbors, including WECA,” Knight told The Hatchet.

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Monday, June 21, 2010 9:57 a.m.

FoBoGro plans entrance renovations

by Priya Anand

Proposed design for FoBoGro's new entrance. Illustration courtesy Kris Hart

Foggy Bottom Grocery plans to renovate its front entrance to address access and safety concerns, owner Kris Hart told the Foggy Bottom and West End’s Advisory Neighborhood Commission last week.

According to designs presented by Hart, part of the brick retaining wall at the front of the structure will be removed and railings will be added along the stairs. Right now, Hart said, the entrance has the potential to be dangerous –especially for the elderly.

“We have 700 people going in and leaving the building, so [the renovation] is for safety and flow,” Hart said.

The building is classified as historic so Hart needs a final approval from the U.S. Commission for Fine Arts before moving forward with the project. Originally, Hart submitted a design that removed the entire wall, which  the commission staff members altered because the wall is a part of the building’s original architecture.

Hart, a GW alumnus, said he hopes construction will take place in August while business is slow, but needs to ensure the proposal is financially sound. Though he acknowledged removal of the retaining wall might increase awareness of FoBoGro’s lower level that sells sandwiches and other food, Hart said he doesn’t see much of a profit value resulting from the changes. The project is expected to cost $20,000 or more.

All of the ANC commissioners voted in favor of the proposed plans and commended Hart for his concern for the community’s safety during Wednesday night’s meeting at the School Without Walls.

However, one resident at the meeting, Barbara Kahlow, said she is concerned about FoBoGro becoming a “de facto café,” with customers eating and drinking outside the store. Kahlow did not return a call for comment.

Kahlow also opposed late-night hours for FoBoGro last year through the West End Citizens Association, where she is secretary. She argued that residents in the area would suffer negative effects from the grocery staying open late. The proposed late-night hours were later reduced, and FoBoGro now operates daily until midnight.

Hart told The Hatchet not a single noise complaint has been filed against his business and he said a police officer once complimented the establishment for being legitimately run.

“Barbara has fought my business over the past year. What was highlighted by Wednesday night’s meeting was that Barbara is going to fight me regardless,” Hart said.

Foggy Bottom Association President Asher Corson—also an ANC commissioner and GW alumnus—said he is impressed by Hart’s improvement of the business and the extent to which it has livened up the block.

“Overall, I think it is a great addition to the community and we should be welcoming to small businesses in our neighborhood,” Corson told The Hatchet Sunday. “Kris might even be the only one based in Foggy Bottom. As neighborhood leaders, we should be doing everything we can to help support that.”

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Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 7:00 a.m.

City representative skips Stevens School meeting

by The GW Hatchet

This post was written by Hatchet Staff Writer Harald Olsen.

The stage was set for a showdown Wednesday night between the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2A, which encompasses Foggy Bottom, and Valerie Santos, the city’s Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. The two parties have publicly disagreed for months over the fate of the Stevens School building on 22nd and L Streets, with one commissioner even testifying against Santos at a confirmation hearing last month.

But the public meeting failed to occur. After promising to address many of the ANC’s irate members, Santos canceled and sent one of her directors, Dale Smith, in proxy.

Armando Irizarry, Chair of the Commission, opened the discussion by expressing his frustration with Santos, whose last-minute cancellation was seen as just one more in a series of decisions that disrespect the input of area residents, Armando said.

“We’re extremely frustrated and disappointed with [Deputy Mayor Santos],” said Irizarry, “That is not the way to treat a community.”

Smith, who was sent to represent Santos, said Equity’s ability to finance construction was the deciding factor in the city’s decision to grant the company’s proposal to build apartments similar to another Equity building, the Apartments at 2400 M.

Residents spoke about their worry that the planned apartment building would fill with GW students, who were described as disruptive and detrimental to the property values of community residents.

“We don’t want a community full of students, we already have that at 2400,” said Michele Wiltse, who lived at 2400 M in 2007. “It’s completely absurd that you guys think you would replicate that with Equity again.”

Wiltse, who lived in the short-term rental building that has been historically popular with GW students, said that after a year spent seeing condom wrappers and cups full of beer in the hall, and hearing of neighbors whose patios had been urinated upon by students living above them, “I couldn’t get out of that building fast enough.”

Commissioner Asher Corson, a GW alumnus, described the decision to go with the Equity Residential plan as “insulting.” Corson also testified against Valerie Santos’ confirmation as Deputy Mayor in September.

“I really did think that ANCs mattered a little bit in this town,” Corson said. “Now I’m not so sure.”

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