1301 South Capitol Street SW Design ANC 6D REPORT by Andrew Lightman Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D (ANC 6D) met on April 11 over Zoom. Commissioners Dr. Marjorie Lightman (6D01), Ronald Collins (6D03, treasurer) Andy Litsky (6D04), Fredrica (Rikki) Kramer (6D05, vice chair), Rhonda Hamilton (6D06), Edward Daniels (6D07, chair) were in attendance. Jared Weiss (6D02, secretary) was absent.
R
ick Markus Architects presented their plan to replace the liquor store, row houses and parking lot on the corner of South Capitol and N Street SW with a 10-story condominium incorporating 3,500 sq. ft. of ground floor retail and 4,560 sq. ft. of second floor office space. 49 residential units are contemplated. The building will be LEED Sliver. The building, the site of which is owned by the proprietors of the existing liquor store, is being developed as a ‘matter of right.’ However, it falls within the South Capitol Gateway Special Purpose Zone. So, the project is subject to design review by the DC Zoning Commission. The project will not incorporate any parking. Nor will it have a loading dock. Instead, a curbside loading zone is envisioned along M Street SE. There will be parking for 24 bikes in the basement. The retail component involves two separate spaces. On the South Capitol side, a coffee shop or small café is contemplated. The M Street side will house the existing liquor store. Of the 49 residential units, five will be affordable: three two-bedroom and two one-bedrooms.
Commission Lightman led off the commission’s questions. She objected to its use of public space for the café. She called the plans for curbside pickup and delivery “inadequate.” Commissioner Collins and Litsky concurred. The latter termed the amount of street-side hardscape excessive. Commissioner Kramer suggested the design needs to be better integrated with the neighboring properties, which effectively wrap it. “We have no way of keeping these loading zones clear.” “I wish we had parking spaces to keep those cars off the streets and under the buildings,” stated Chair Daniels. The commissioner collectively objected to the absence of any parking. Hamilton pointed out the existing curbside scarcity, which has been exacerbated by the neighboring stadium. The project’s architects pushed back against commissioners’ criticisms. Neighbors do not want back lot loading, they stated. The DC Dept. of Transportation (DDOT) supports allocating zero onsite space for loading and parking, they added. The commission voted unanimously to oppose the project’s design and authorized Commissioners Kramer or Hamilton to appear before the Zoning Commission.
Talking Transportation Chair Daniels, Commissioners Lightman and Kramer had an “excellent meeting” with DDOT Deputy Director Sharon Kershbaum. Commissioners brought her their concerns about the I Street Bike Lane, M Street SE-SW Transportation Study, The Traffic Operations and Parking Plan (TOPP), and The South Capitol Corridor Project. The commissioners informed DDOT of their general support for protected bike lanes. However, they asked the agency to take a more nuanced approach on I Street SW that takes incorporates local conditions into
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May 2022 ★ 47
