Building Site AnalysisRite Aid, 5600 Georgia Ave. NWBy: Zack Hicks

History The lot is 1 acre in area, and is located on the west side of Georgia Ave. between Madison and Longfellow Streets. According to the 1911 Baist Map, the site was mostly vacant land back in 1911, with the exception of one brick house on the corner lots with Madison Ave. NW. Between 1988 and 1999, the lot was converted from possibly a car lot into a Rite Aid – the 1988 Google Earth imagery was unclear, and has not been added to the slide. Since the Rite Aid’s construction, the neighborhood has not seen any new construction. Block #2934 is currently in the stabilization phase of the neighborhood cycle, given the low vacancy rates and the presence of an important retailer. The block currently consists of one Rite Aid, an apartment complex, 3 row houses, and 3 single-family houses.

19991911

2015

Walk Radii7079

7079

E4

S2S4S9

Walmart

Hughes Mem. Tower

Emery Recreation Center

525354

E4

¼ mile radius

½ mile radius

Major artery

Minor artery

Major collector

To Silver Spring

To Fort Totten Metro

To Georgia Ave./Petworth MetroTo White House

ToBethesda

Bus routes 70, 79, and E4 run within ¼ mile of the site. Bus routes S2, S4, and S9 run within ½ mile of the site. No Metro stations are nearby. Most of the important retail is north of the site (or on the site itself). A Walmart recently opened on Georgia Ave., adjacent to the Hughes Memorial Tower, a 761-foot tall radio tower.

Surrounding Context The surrounding architecture can be best described as Federalist. As with many older buildings, these buildings are made with real materials such as brick and stone. Zoning restrictions restrict building heights to 40 feet in residential zones and 50 feet in commercial zones, making the tallest possible building 4 stories tall. The rowhouses and single-family households on Madison Avenue align, forming a strong line of force. The windows and doors are not given special priority in each building’s architectural design – the design is very standard. More emphasis is placed on building turrets and attic windows, which are common in many buildings. Most of the buildings in the surrounding area are “soldier buildings”: the only “hero building” within ¼ mile is the Emery Recreation Center.

Surrounding Land Uses

The primary commercial corridor in this area is Georgia Ave. Neighborhood-oriented single use retail can be found on this stretch. Away from Georgia Ave., one will find a mix of single-family households, apartments, and rowhouses. Immediately northeast of the site is a park and a recreation center, the Emery Recreation Center. The immediate vicinity does not have Metro service. Since the nearest Metro station is two miles away, automobiles and buses are the primary mode of transportation. Georgia Ave. is also the future location of a streetcar line, according to DCDOT.

Physical Characteristics The site is currently a suburban-style Rite Aid with a drive-through pharmacy window, and slopes slightly towards the south and west. There are a plethora of parking options, including on-street parking and off-street parking in Rite Aid’s parking lot. A retaining wall separates the parking lot from the back alley, as well as the rest of the block. The site is located at a slight bend along Georgia Avenue. It is possible to see 5-7 blocks in each direction at this bend. Pedestrians are provided sidewalks along all roads in the vicinity; however, walking along a protected or raised walkway from Georgia Ave. to the Rite Aid store is not currently possible. Street trees are featured prominently in the area, and are mid-to-large. Grates are found along Georgia Ave., while devil strips are more common on side streets. The soil does not have any contamination problems caused by previous fixed uses; however, the site’s extensive parking lot creates a lot of runoff, which can place pressure on the District’s water treatment facilities.

Urban Transect This Rite-Aid is in a solid T4 zone. Due to the lack of transportation options, it is advised that the densities are not increased significantly in the vicinity. In order to become more like an archetypical T4 (or even a low-end T5) zone, the development of the site should be as followed:• Georgia Ave. needs to have separated bike lanes• Buildings should be multi-storied and mixed-use

along a major corridor such as Georgia Ave.• Sidewalks should be 15 feet wide• All business signage shall be fixed to buildings• Off-street parking should be obscured from

streetview and accessed via a limited number of curb cuts

• The current tree-planting, buried utilities, and on-street parking schemes are acceptable for T4 zones

Authority-Having Jurisdiction (AHJ)

The site is currently zoned as a C-2-A zone, which allows for single-use commercial businesses. In order for significant development to occur, two things have to happen:

1) The streetcar has to be in the construction phase (as during H Street NE’s revitalization); and

2) The C-2-A zone has to be changed to a C-R zone. Without these two things happening, developers will have no interest in increasing densities along Georgia Ave. There are no federally-owned properties or historic properties nearby to impact the development process. DCDOT will not have an interest in the property until the proposed Georgia Ave. streetcar is funded. The site is located in ANC 4C and SMD 4C01. ANC 4C is known for its heated battles over new development, such as one over a new apartment complex on New Hampshire Ave. This particular ANC is viewed as “dysfunctional” by the local media. If I were in charge of redeveloping the site, I would make sure to court the councilmembers as heavily as permitted by law to ensure that they spew their vitriol towards opponents of my project. The two community organizations representing 16th Street Heights, the 16th Street Heights Neighborhood Association and the 16th Street Heights Civic Association, are also hesitant towards new development. Residents here value how quiet and semi-suburban their neighborhood is, and any new development must conform to the neighborhood’s character.

Entitlements The DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) requires that all developers obtain a permit for new construction, alterations, and demolitions. The permit is then invalid if construction does not start within one year of acquiring the permit. The Board of Zoning Adjustments is the authority which approves allow zoning variances as well as approves certain uses of land and hears appeals taken by the Zoning Administrator at DCRA. No order shall take effect within 10 days of the decision is finalized. If an application is rejected, a reconsideration or rehearing can be filed within 10 days of the final decision. If said appeal is denied, the applicant cannot appeal the decision on the same facts within 1 year of the decision. To be granted a permit and have a project approved, hearings are required for both actions. The ANC must also approve of each project before construction can begin. The entitlements process is arduous in the District: the process for the redevelopment of a large parcel such as the Rite Aid can take years to complete because of legal challenges such a project may encounter.

Development Potential The development potential for the site, at the moment, appears to be limited. There is sufficient demand, but the traffic generated by any new development would not be supported by current infrastructure.

Furthermore, it is not likely any project would make it out of the entitlement phase of development due to likely community opposition to any project. While the Rite Aid soils the urban fabric of the community, opposition to any drastic changes to the site will likely derail any developer’s dreams of redeveloping the site.

Above: 3701 New Hampshire Ave., a project currently the subject of a contentious debate – too much density away from Georgia Ave. – Petworth Metro Station. Below: A mixed-use complex featuring a Safeway at corner of Georgia Ave. & Randolph St. This was approved because it is much closer to Georgia Ave. – Petworth Metro Station.