The CurrenT
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WeDnesDay, oCTober 10, 2012
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GARDEN: Board OKs project From Page 5
Member Nancy Metzger urged residents to survey remaining green spaces in Sheridan-Kalorama to document whether they merit historic protections. “I regret people didn’t see this train coming down the track,� she said. The board discussed ways to preserve more of a historic garage in the rear of the lot, which is to be modified to serve as an entrance to an
underground parking garage. Architect Ralph Cunningham said his plans preserve a south-facing wall overlooking the garden. “The garage has four arches in back, which will be preserved. Effectively, it will look the same,� he said. Board members will review plans for the garage again, but they delegated final approval of the building design to their staff. The development firm hopes to break ground this fall.
GARAGE: Plan upsets neighbors From Page 7
half-finished, frustrating many neighbors. The latest owners — from Capital City Real Estate, which bought the site for $6.2 million this spring — have promised to restart previously approved construction while also seeking permission to add new amenities. The underground garage, they said, would make the site more marketable, allowing them to invest in other beautification efforts on the property. They would eliminate a planned above-ground garage and add green space in place of existing surface parking spaces, they said. The Old Georgetown Board disagreed that the underground garage would be a net positive, said Tom Luebke, secretary of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, which includes the Old Georgetown Board. “The impact on the property was just too great,� said Luebke. “[The garage] takes up a substantial part of the rear yard. It prevents the development of mature landscape.� Beyond that, neighbors had feared that having so much parking would turn the site into an attractive event venue. “If there’s going to be an event where 200 people come, valet park them the way every other house in Georgetown does when something else is going on,� said
commissioner Tom Birch. Project architect Dale Overmyer said the idea was merely to have accommodations for a prospective wealthy homeowner whose family might have many cars, and who would want to park close to the house. When a neighbor asked why the owners couldn’t park on the street like everyone else, Overmyer replied: “Is there anyone here who wants to see less parking in Georgetown?� Neighbors also raised concerns that existing mature trees would be threatened by an excavation project. Overmyer said the plans call for a new planting program after construction ends. At one point, Overmyer suggested neighbors would oppose anything the current property owners might put forward, exacting revenge for the site’s troubled history and its current messy conditions. Increasing parking wouldn’t change the situation. “It’s going to be a mess until at least next spring regardless, because of the construction that’s going to be ongoing,� said Overmyer. Birch said he hopes the property already has enough appeal even without the garage. “I understand your interest in wanting to create a marketable property. It’s a disappointment that a nice house with a big yard doesn’t sell, I guess,� he said.
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