The Federation of Citizens Associations is now deep into options for improved campus plans.

Examining the potential impacts of campus growth is not straight forward, even when the target location for expansion is an existing commercial building. Impacts in residential neighborhoods are readily understood - noise and traffic principally. However, changes of use for a commercial building may have socio-economic disadvantages to consider. For example, turning a hotel into a dorm and its restaurant into a cafeteria removes from nearby residents a public place to dine.

Turning an office building with professional suites into campus administrative space can remove local medical and legal services from neighborhoods. But the most egregious canard posited by the Consortium of Universities is claiming positive economic impact of their expansion, while still trying to have tax-exempt status for all buildings. To make matters worse, the majority of staff in every campus live outside of D.C. Without a vote in Congress, DC’s Delegate Norton has been powerless to get any kind of commuter tax to strengthen our economic base.

Careful examination is necessary whether the property tax loss is made up by any value-added activity that the University buildings generate. The best way to know that would be to include (in an improved campus regulatory process) the requirement to conduct economic assessments of commercial acquisitions that involve change in use.

Meanwhile back in Foxhall, residents are preparing petitions to NOT fence the renovated soccer field. In order not to endanger irrigated turf from yahoos doing wheelies on it, at minimum D.P.R. should install simple perimeter barriers to prevent driving onto this field, with just one removable barrier that allows mower access.

© Bob Andrew, Foxhall