letter regarding cws

8/3/2019 Letter Regarding CWS

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2100-D Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., SE Washington, DC 20020

Phone: (202) 889-6600 Fax: (202)889-6602

ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 8A

Government of the District of Columbia

Fairlawn/ Historic Anacostia/ Hillsdale/ Sheridan

August 18, 2011

Chairman Kwame Brown1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Suite 504

Washington, DC 20004

Re: Threat to the Economic Vitality of Ward 8s Commercial Corridors

Dear Chairman Brown:

I am writing at the urging of my constituents, community leaders, business leadersand fellow ANC chairs to respectfully request that you not allow Calvary Womens

Shelter (CWS) to relocate to the downtown Anacostia commercial corridor. With the

political and financial support of your office, CWS is seeking to locate a transitionalhousing shelter in the center of an already struggling commercial corridor. Our primary

concern is that CWS use of the facility may jeopardize our ability to maximize

opportunities for economic vitality and job growth in downtown Ward 8.

To date, CWS has bypassed the ANC process which provides the ANC with

great weight and allows for substantial community input. See No. 1-261, DC code, 1982

ed, and Title 11 DCMR 3115. CWS has not met with the community or its leaders to

articulate its program, its intended use of the property or its plans to ensure that the

transitional housing facility does not attract loiters or behavior that is not conducive to aviable commercial corridor (see the attached photo of its current location which shows

loitering). It has also come to my attention that on two occasions CWS has been hit with

a stop work order for the unpermitted demolition of the interior of a historic property.

CWS actions demonstrate its ability to violate the Citys rules and to disregard the needfor community buy-in and support.

CWSs potential new site is located one block from a methadone clinic, a liquor

store, and alcoholic anonymous/drug rehabilitation program as well as a day care

center, a family-friendly, two-week old convenient store, a jobs training center, and theDepartment of Housing and Community Developments new headquarters (strategically

placed in the downtown zone to spur revitalization). While we are not seeking to

disparage CWS or its noble mission, we are raising valid concerns about the potentially

negative impact that a transitional housing facility will have on an area 1- with such awide-range of businesses, service providers and non-profits, and 2- that is also struggling

to attract viable retail.


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Phone: (202) 889-6600 Fax: (202)889-6602

Numerous reports provided by City agencies tout the need for additional retail inthe Ward 8 business corridors, including:

The Washington D.C. Economic Partnerships 2011 Neighborhood Profiles, whichhighlights Anacostia as a historically designated commercial corridor that has

already experienced new development and investment. The Profile points out FourPoints LLCs plans to rejuvenate the commercial center of Anacostia by

redeveloping Riverview Plaza into a 1.5 million square foot mixed use center,

anchored by a grocery store and movie theater.

The Office of Plannings Retail Action Strategy produced in December 2009, whichnotes that while redevelopment across the river is increasing the level of amenities

provided along the Anacostia riverfront and increasing momentum for the

revitalization in far southeast, that the properties in the Anacostia commercial

corridor are in disrepair and that continued disinvestment has contributed to high

crime rates in the area. This report in particular notes that the City should focus itsefforts in retail investment on filling in gaps to make a more contiguous retail

street.

Similarly, the first point of your jobs program listed on your website is championingeconomic inclusion suggesting that you will serve as a champion for economic

vitality, business growth, and job creation across the City (including in Ward 8).

Within the next week, we request that you facilitate a meeting with CWS, communityleaders, local business leaders, interested residents and the following CWS supporters,

advisors and partners in an effort to address our concerns:

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Goulston & Storrs (Linda Goldstein of Goulston & Storrs co-chairs DCBIAs East of

the River Neighborhood Development Committee and should also be invited)

Mark G. Anderson Consultants OTJ Architects

Clark Construction Group

Shapiro & Duncan CS Consulting Engineers Inc. Walter L. Phillips Inc.


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Phone: (202) 889-6600 Fax: (202)889-6602

We also request your assistance in supporting the economic revitalization of Ward 8scommercial corridors and our efforts to better control/limit any uses which may

jeopardize the long-term success of our area. We request that you support our efforts to

revise the zoning maps for Ward 8 to prohibit any transitional housing facilities frombeing placed in commercial zones. If any such use is permitted an applicant would be

required to seek a variance from the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Such a modificationto the zoning map would provide the ANC the ability to thoughtfully weigh-in on anyrequest for variances and, where appropriate, authorize the variance subject to an

agreement by the housing provider to enter into a good neighbor agreement or similar

concession agreement that protects the communitys interest.

Attached to this letter is a petition executed by several hundred residents expressing

their support for a moratorium on the approval of permits of any new board, transitional,community based or similar temporary residential facilities in Ward 8 and ANC 8A, in

particular, until there is a comprehensive approach to addressing the overwhelming

density of these facilities in our neighborhood.

Please note that while our concerns are premised on the situation presented in the

Anacostia commercial corridor we are not alone. Our fellow ANCs share our concernsabout how particular matter of right uses may threaten the viability of the commercial

corridors throughout the Ward. As such, my fellow ANC chairs have demonstrated their

support for our efforts by also executing this letter.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to address our concerns. We look forward

to your prompt attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

ANC COMMISSION 8A

Anthony Muhammad

Chairperson

Lendia S. Johnson

Vice Chairperson

Barbara Clark

Treasurer

Anthony Muhammad

Secretary

Commissioners

Anthony Muhammad

SMD 8A01

Barbara Clark

SMD 8A02

Greta FullerSMD 8A03

Charles WilsonSMD 8A04

Carolyn B. WardSMD 8A05

Gregg Jabril Justice lll

SMD 8A06

Lendia Johnson

SMD 8A07


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Phone: (202) 889-6600 Fax: (202)889-6602

SUPPORTING ANCS:

ANC8B

ANC 8C

ANC 8D

ANC 8E

cc: Mayor Vincent GrayCouncilman Marion Barry (Ward 8)

Victor Hoskins (DMPED)

Harriet Tregoning (OP)David Maloney (HPO)

Jamison Weinbaum (OZ)

John Hall (DHCD)Commander Joel Maupin (MPD, 7D)

James Bunn (Ward 8 Business Council and Congress Heights Main Streets)

Arrington Dixon (Anacostia Coordinating Council)

Butch Hopkins (Anacostia Economic Development Corporation)Stan Voudrie (Four Points Development)

Charles E. Wilson (Historic Anacostia Block Association)

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