Over 1,800 Mixed Income Units Could be Built at Greenleaf

At last Saturday’s second Greenleaf community meeting, consultants from HR&A Advisors revealed a potential redevelopment plan for Greenleaf, which calls for a phased redevelopment of the 15-acre public housing complex. The plan would rebuild the 493 units of public housing that currently exist at Greenleaf as well as another 1,374 units of market-rate housing, in a mix of 1-, 2-, 3-bedroom and townhome units. Since many of the existing Greenleaf units are townhomes, a portion of the replacement Greenleaf units will also be townhomes. 

There were six main design ideas that were followed by the consultants and planners from Perkins Eastman: 

1. Make significant public places – Greenleaf abuts Lansburgh Park north of M Street and Greenleaf Recreation Center to the south 
2. Build on existing and historic street network 
3. Construct higher density first 
4. Re-connect across M Street 
5. Enhance connection to emerging neighborhoods: Waterfront Station, The Wharf, Capitol Riverfront, Ballpark District 
6. Integrate market and affordable housing – 30% affordable on each redeveloped block 

The preferred redevelopment option would be to build the first phase outside the Greenleaf footprint, but in the vicinity, so Greenleaf residents won’t need to leave the community. A “Build First” model is something many in the community have advocated for and has the support of the ANC and the DC Council. Several District and federally-owned sites were identified as possible locations for building the initial phase of 127 units under the “Build First” model. This would allow the redevelopment of the block of 38 townhomes between L and M streets to proceed without displacing residents because the families in the townhome units can be moved to the new off-site building. 

The initial phase inside the Greenleaf boundaries would be a high-rise building on the north side of M Street with 271 units for seniors, with the potential for ground floor retail. Once that building is complete, the current seniors building on the south side of M would be replaced with another high-rise with 662 units of mixed income housing, including flats and townhomes on the first two levels. Phase three on-site includes 240 units – townhomes where the Greenleaf mid-rise building is now and a high-rise on the north end of the block between L and M streets. After that phase is complete, a mix of 336 mid-rise and townhome units can be built on the block between K and L streets. Development would conclude with more mid-rise and townhome units (336 units) on the northernmost block between I and K streets. 

This is just a preliminary plan and could change before the final plan is released this summer. A third community meeting will be held in May where the plan will be fleshed out further. Construction is still several years away, but having a framework will allow the Housing Authority to seek a developer partner to help bring the vision of a mixed income Greenleaf to reality.

The redevelopment plan for Greenleaf sounds very similar to one posted three years ago today on this blog...the only difference is the current plan is NOT A JOKE. The Housing Authority could have hired me to write the plan! :-)

Southwest Movie Nights This Summer at Lansburg Park

Existing Public Parks Finally Getting Some Love

(This post is an abbreviated version of the South by West article that will appear in June's Hill Rag.)

The Southwest Playground Project (SWPP) is projected to receive $250,000 in the District's FY2013 Budget to bridge the funding gap needed to build a playground adjacent to the Southwest Branch Library at 3rd and I Street SW. Budget funds are coming from Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells' Committee on Parks, Libraries, and Recreation. The SWPP, a project of the Near SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council, already raised over $100,000 on its own to build the playground, but several infrastructure issues need to be addressed at the city-owned park, such as storm water drainage, broken concrete pathways, and the need for retaining walls. These infrastructure improvements added nearly $250,000 to the budget estimate made by DC-based Landscape Architecture Bureau, who has been hired to design the playground. With the additional funds from the District, design work can proceed and a land survey can be conducted. Since the fiscal year begins on October 1, 2012, the District funds cannot be used until after that date. The first vote on the budget was done earlier this month and final passage is expected on June 5.

There will be a park clean-up this Saturday from 10am - 12pm at the Library Park. SWPP will provide bags, gloves, and refreshments.  Bring shovels, rakes, and of course, your children.

Meanwhile, another $400,000 is reserved in the FY2013 Budget for improvements to Lansburg Park, the large underutilized park located to the east of Greenleaf Gardens along Delaware Avenue. District funds reserved for Lansburg will go towards restoring the overhead lights, as well as installing basketball court to replace the tennis courts that are currently in bad shape. The "Friends of Lansburg Park" group was formed recently to join DPR's Parks Partners program and to use SWNA's 501c3 status to do fundraising. The Friends group is working with the PAWS of Southwest, who is applying with DPR to build what would be the largest dog park in the city at Lansburg, as well as with a group who wants a community garden. An open house was held last month to solicit ideas for the future of Lansburg and a charrette is planned for sometime this summer.

In addition, at the Southwest Duck Pond's annual Volunteer Recognition Event and sign unveiling ceremony yesterday, Council Member Wells announced there will be funding set aside in the FY2013 Budget for improvements to that park. As mentioned previously, there was funding set aside in the FY2012 Budget for park improvements, but since then, the newly created Department of General Services has taken jurisdiction over capital improvements from DPR and nixed the funding appropriation.

Ward 6 Easter Fest

A Few Quick Items: Dog Park, St. Matthew's PUD, 7th Street Landing Activities, Capital Bikeshare Expansion, Kastles Roster, Fish Market Restoration, Craft Beer & Food Truck Festival

- The PAWS of SW will be submitting an application to the Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) to create an off-leash dog park at Lansburg Park since Southwest is the only quadrant in the city without a dog park. They will be working with the newly created "Friends of Lansburg Park" to do fundraising and organize community events, with the support of SWNA. Over $100,000 is needed to build the dog park, which will go towards ground modification, fencing, running water, and to make the site ADA accessible.  A minimum of 5,000 square feet is needed for a dog park, but the proposed dog park will not take up all of Lansburg Park. Other uses are being explored for the large, underutilized green space, including a playground, community garden, and skate park. The PAWS of SW meets at the SW Library on the first Wednesday of every month and they have a Google Group (sw-dog-park@googlegroups.com).

- The development team behind the St. Matthew's church and multifamily housing project met with the Zoning Commission last week to get approval for their PUD application.  There were so many people who wanted to testify at the meeting that it was adjourned until March 19.   Neighbors of the proposed development have created an online petition in opposition to the development. Below is a video of the March 5 meeting in case you are so inclined to watch the meeting. Rendering courtesy of Shalom Baranes Architects

Update: The second half of the Zoning Commission hearing from March 19 is now available (see below). A few follow-up items still need to be sent to the Zoning Commission and they will meet again on April 30 to make their decision on the PUD application.

- Hoffman-Madison Waterfront is proposing to offer wine and beer sales at 7th Street Landing this season on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Last year, beer and wine was sold only on Thursdays during the farmers market. The farmers market will be back on Thursday evenings with jazz performances starting on June 7 for approximately 16 weeks.  Friday evenings will bring community entertainment, while YaLa and yoga will return on Saturday mornings.  New this year will be family-friendly movie screenings on Saturday evenings. Sundays will be dedicated to recreation, including bocce, table tennis, and cornhole.

-  Renovations are planned this summer at Amidon-Bowen Elementary school.  Phase 1 will include a new administrative office suite at the front of the school, a new walk-through from the front to the play area in back, re-sized classrooms, and a new ADA-compliant entrance. All of the renovations will be complete by the end of August.  Last summer, Target donated funds to renovate the school's library. There will be an open house on Tuesday, April 10 from 6-7pm at the school where the plans will be shared with the community.

- Two Capital Bikeshare stations were installed today on the National Mall.  One is located on Jefferson Drive between 14th and 15th Streets by the Washington Monument and the other is on Ohio Drive near the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial.  Three more stations will be installed over the coming weeks.

- The Washington Kastles have completed their roster selection and will bring back most of the team from last season, including Captain Leander Paes, Bobby Reynolds, and Arina Rodionova. Replacing retired player Rennae Stubbs will be Arina's sister Anastasia Rodionova.  The Kastles will have two sets of siblings with the Rodionovas and the Williams sisters, who will also return this season.

- The Housing Complex blog describes how the Hoffman-Madison Waterfront team will preserve and restore the Oyster Shucking Shed and Lunch Room at the Maine Avenue Fish Market as a component of The Wharf development.  Currently, the white buildings at the market are vacant and in disrepair.  From the post:

The currently unused Oyster Shucking Shed and Lunch Room, a pair of ramshackle buildings surrounded by vending machines and ice boxes, will become a "centerpiece," according to a spokesman for the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development. They've submitted an historic landmark application for the seemingly nondescript structures, which were built in 1916 and are now literally falling apart inside. They retain enough integrity, though, to "serve as reminders of the Southwest Waterfront's historic commercial and maritime industries." According to the application, the Lunch Room was home to the Cadillac Restaurant from the 1940s through the 1970s, while fish dealers used the shucking shed to prepare their catch for sale. 

- LivingSocial is hosting a Craft Beer and Food Truck Festival at Kastles Stadium at The Wharf on the weekend of April 21-22 from 12-5pm. There will be 25 craft brewery tents, live local music, 10 food trucks, and backyard lawn games and activities. LivingSocial is currently offering a package for $35 on their website.

A Few Quick Items from Monday's ANC 6D Meeting

- The boundaries of Police Service Areas (PSAs) in MPD's First District will change next year. The PSA that falls in Southwest will change from PSA 104 to PSA 105. The PSA meets every third Thursday of the month, usually in the community room of one of the residential buildings in the neighborhood.

- As mentioned previously, the SW post office at Half & L Street will close once its lease expires at the end of 2012. The USPS is looking for a new location for the post office in the neighborhood. If one can't be found in Southwest, a temporary one may be set up in Near SE until an appropriate space can be found in Southwest.

- The Urban Forestry Administration will clean up Town Center East Park (adjacent to the SW Library at I Street and Wesley Place), do some general pruning of trees, and remove dead tree stumps (pending an environmental assessment since the site of the park was once a funeral home).  Jack Chapman, an arborist from the Urban Forestry Administration, said he would inspect the park soon and see which trees may need to be removed. He mentioned that the street trees bordering the park might be removed since they are impeding the growth of the trees in the park and would be replaced with understory street trees.

- The ANC unanimously approved the designation of a group called "Friends of Lansburg Park", which would allow the organization to join the Parks Partners program under DPR and use SWNA's 501c3 status to do fundraising to make improvements to the park. The underused park, located along Delaware Avenue behind First District headquarters and across the street from Greenleaf Gardens, has been thought of as a place for a community garden, dog park, skate park, and playground, among other ideas. The "Friends" would organize a charrette with the community to help plan its future. However, individuals have not identified yet who would run the "Friends" group.

- Joseph Dorsey from DDOT gave an update on the reconstruction of Maine Avenue from the 14th Street ramp to 12th Street. The project was originally supposed to last about three to four months, but close to six months later, construction has not been completed yet due to weather delays. Substantial completion of the project is near, though. About 97% of concrete has been poured, granite curbs are installed, lighting is in place, and the road has been paved. The road has been narrowed from two lanes to one and the sidewalk has been expanded to allow improved access between the Tidal Basin and the Southwest Waterfront. Parking will be restricted in this area. A bike lane will eventually be installed on the road and should serve as a traffic calming measure. New trees will be installed next spring since it is so late in the season. The project cost about $2 million and despite the delays, is still on budget.

- The organizers behind the inaugural SW ArtsFest this past September have filed for 501c3 non-profit status and are looking for a Treasurer. They plan to do another SW ArtsFest next fall and will coordinate with the other Ward 6 festivals that occur around September and October so their event doesn't overlap with other festivals.  

A Few Quick Items: New Metrobus Route, CBCC Survey, SW Playground Project Receives $40K Donation, Dog Park Petition

- Starting on September 25, WMATA will introduce a new bus route that will connect Southwest and Downtown. The new route will be called the "74 - Convention Center/Southwest Waterfront" and will run seven days a week from 5am to 1am. During peak periods, headways will be 18 minutes and 24 minutes during other times.  This fall, Next Bus real-time destination screens will be installed at eight bus shelters along the route. The route is shown on the above map. The dotted line portion of the route shows the extension of the line to Buzzard Point during weekday peak periods. This new route was made to replace the SW Waterfront-Convention Center Circulator route that will be discontinued at the end of this month and also replaces the 70-71 routes.

- The Near SE-SW Community Benefits Coodinating Council (CBCC) is conducting a survey of ANC 6D residents to find out what services they would use in a community center. The survey is available online and participants are entered into a drawing to win a $25 Safeway gift card. Surveys must be completed by September 30. On a CBCC-related note, there will be a reception on October 4 at the Capitol Skyline Hotel to discuss The Wharf developers' community benefit commitment to hire CBE's. for more information, check their website.

- The Mandarin Oriental Hotel was able to raise over $40,000 for the SW Playground Project last Sunday at their inaugural FANtastic March 10K walk/run. $10,000 of the funds was a corporate match from the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and the rest came from race participants, nearly 220 people.  Congratulations to race winners Miles Hilder and Sara Vuong, both Southwest residents.

- The SW Dog Park group is passing around an online petition to support bringing an off leash dog park to Southwest, the only quadrant in the city without a dog park. The group has been taking their dogs to Lansburg Park, but the gate at the tennis court is broken so it makes it difficult to enclose the area for dogs to run and play. 

Saturday Night Movies at Lansburg Park

Screen on the Green on the National Mall is over, but tomorrow, Ward 6 Council Member Tommy Wells and the DC Department of Parks & Recreation (DPR) will host the inaugural of Saturday Night Movies at Lansburg Park, located at Delaware Avenue & L Street. This week's film is "Dreamgirls." Free popcorn and snow cones will be available, but moviegoers are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for a 30% chance of rain, so plan accordingly. Lansburg Park, at five acres, is an underutilized asset in our community, so it's good that DPR is starting to activate the space a little more. Back in March of 2008, CapitalSpace (a consortium of NCPC, NPS, the Office of Planning, and DPR) made a presentation to SWNA with recommendations to improve Lansburg Park, which included, among other things, showing films on the lawn. A summary of the recommendations from that meeting can be found here. SWDC Blog also has a post about the condition of the park.