Neighborhood Notes - Foxhall: 26 July, 2000
Last week’s BZA hearing on GU Campus Plan
provided a glimpse of a fundamental shift in the way Office of Planning now
views neighborhood impacts. Namely, that each University in D.C. has different
types of zoning around them, and OP will look closely at the history over the
past decade’s impact and recommend specific neighborhood measures. For GU, a
modest cap is now proposed in ZipCode 20007, close to GU’s own request on the
number of their undergraduates in 2010. This is one variant on the 1990 campus
plan target of getting all undergraduates housed on campus. If GU can only
afford to house 84%, then why not let there be controls (on both location and
behavior) for their undergraduate (and graduate?) students housed off-campus.
However, it became clear from their
attorney’s reaction that GU is concerned about ANY limits over off-site
issues. And perhaps they (and other DC universities) should be worried, for on
July 27th the Zoning Commission will take testimony on unbridled
off-campus development, such as has already occurred in Foggy Bottom with GWU.
There appears to be a broad concern growing within the elected and executive
branch of D.C. government that some changes are long overdue in the whole campus
plan process, and this hearing is one first step towards regulatory reform.
Under
the umbrella of the DC Federation of Citizens Associations, all 16 neighborhood
groups representing areas adjacent to a university campus will be testifying, in
addition to invitations to testify were extended to every ANC.
Meantime
GU will have to address BZA board’s concerns on student behavior before
September. One positive note to report is a responsible approach that MedStar is
taking in working with DPW and area neighborhoods to fund design of solutions
for Reservoir Road gridlock.
© Bob Andrew, Foxhall
|
