Before the District of Columbia Board of Zoning Adjustment
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BEFORE THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENT Application of Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation 3425 Prospect Street, NW (Square 1221, Lot 96) STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE WITH BURDEN OF PROOF ______________________________________________________________________________ This statement is submitted on behalf of the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation (“CCPF” or the “Applicant”) in support of an application, pursuant to 11-X DCMR §§ 901.2 and 1000.1, for: (i) special exception approval to permit the use of an existing building by a nonprofit organization (11-U DCMR § 203.1(n)); and (ii) an area variance from the 10,000 square feet of gross floor area requirement for said use (11-U DCMR § 203.1(n)(2)), for property located in the R- 20 District at 3425 Prospect Street, NW (Square 1221, Lot 96) (the “Property”). Pursuant to 11-Y DCMR § 300.15, the Applicant will file any supplemental materials with the Board of Zoning Adjustment (“BZA” or “Board”) no fewer than 21 days prior to the public hearing for the application. In this statement, and at the public hearing, the Applicant will provide testimony and evidence to meet its burden of proof to obtain the Board's approval of the requested special exception and variance. I. BACKGROUND A. Description of the Site and Surrounding Area The Property consists of Lot 96 in Square 1221 and has a total land area of approximately 5,757 square feet. Square 1221 is located in the Georgetown neighborhood of the District and is bounded by N Street, NW, to the north, 34th Street, NW, to the east, Prospect Street, NW, to the south, and 35th Street, NW, to the west. The Property is located on the southwest corner of Square 1221 and is bounded by a public alley to the north, private property to the east, Prospect Street to the south, and 35th Street to the west. The Property is located in the northeast quadrant of the intersection of 35th and Prospect Streets, NW. Immediately west of the Property is Square 1222, bounded by Prospect, N, 35th and 36th Streets, which is the easternmost part of the Georgetown University campus and is occupied by residence halls and campus life uses, with an academic/administrative building located at the northeast corner of 36th and Prospect Streets. Directly across 35th Street, NW, from the Property, in Square 1222, stands the 6-story Loyola Xavier Ryder Hall, a residence hall for upperclass students at Georgetown University. The entirety of Square 1222 is owned and occupied by Georgetown University as multiple residence halls (Loyola Xavier Ryder Hall and Nevils Hall) and classroom and administrative office use (Walsh Building). Board of ZoningBoard Adjustment of Zoning Adjustment District of ColumbiaDistrict of Columbia CASE NO.19778 Case No. 19778 EXHIBIT NO.9 9 Single family residences are located in the southeast and southwest quadrants of 35th and Prospect Streets, respectively. Square 1221 contains a mix of single family residences, mostly in the form of row dwellings, small apartment houses, and an institutional use, the headquarters building of a Georgetown University service fraternity. Diagonally across the street from the Property, at 3408 Prospect Street, is Halcyon House, also zoned R-20 and currently occupied by a nonprofit organization hosting various arts and social enterprises, per BZA Order No. 18604. Georgetown’s commercially-zoned M Street corridor is located one block to the south. The Property is improved with a three-story + cellar detached single-family house. According to records of the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs and the Office of Planning, the building was constructed between 1797 and 1798 and is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places and on the District of Columbia Inventory of Historic Sites (designated alternatively as “Quality Hill”, the “John Thomson Mason House”, or the “Charles Worthington House”). The Property is also considered a contributing building within the Georgetown Historic District. The existing improvements contain approximately 11,189 square feet of total floor area, of which 11,037 square feet is located in the main house and 152 square feet is located in accessory utility rooms. Approximately 2,723 square feet of this finished square footage is located in the cellar and therefore not counted towards “gross floor area” as defined by the Zoning Regulations. B. Description of the Applicant The Applicant is the Calvin Coolidge Presidential Foundation, the official foundation dedicated to preserving the legacy and promoting the values of America’s 30th president, who served from 1923 to 1929. In the absence of an official presidential library, the CCPF was formed in 1960 by John Coolidge, the president’s son, along with a group of fellow Coolidge enthusiasts. Headquartered at the president’s birthplace in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, the CCPF seeks to greatly increase Americans’ understanding of President Coolidge and the values he promoted. Such values include the importance of education, fiscal responsibility, restraint, federalism, and especially civility. The CCPF maintains a lean staff of fewer than five full time employees. The Foundation is led by chairman and CEO, Amity Shlaes, author of the most recent biography of Calvin Coolidge, Coolidge, a New York Times bestseller, and executive director Matthew Denhart. The CCPF’s signature initiative is the Coolidge Scholars Program. Among the most competitive and generous undergraduate awards in America, “The Coolidge” is a full-ride, four- year, merit scholarship that can be used by recipients at any accredited college or university in the United States. The main criterion that distinguishes Coolidge Scholars is academic excellence. Secondary criteria include demonstrated interest in public policy, appreciation for the values Coolidge championed, humility, and service. Each year thousands of America’s top high school students study President Coolidge and read his Autobiography through the course of applying for the scholarship. Currently, three new Coolidge Scholars are selected annually 2 through a rigorous, multi-round, review process. The top 50 applicants take part in the “Coolidge Senators” program which, in partnership with the White House Historical Association, includes a Summit weekend in Washington, DC. The CCPF also operates a national high school debate program. The centerpiece of the debate program is the Coolidge Cup National Championship which begins with tournaments held in cities across the country -- from Dallas to Raleigh to New York to Vermont. The winners of these tournaments are invited to compete for the Coolidge Cup on the Fourth of July, Coolidge’s birthday, at the Coolidge Historic Site in Vermont. In all Coolidge debate tournaments, students confront pressing and relevant debate resolutions that relate to economics and public policy. Students learn all sides of policy issues and develop critical thinking and presentation skills necessary to be successful citizens. In addition to the scholarship and debate programs, the CCPF hosts school groups, conferences, symposia, lectures, and public events throughout the year. Furthermore, the Foundation conducts research and publishes Coolidge literature including a periodical, The Coolidge Quarterly, and a weekly email newsletter. CCPF staff make appearances in the media, compose op-eds about Coolidge, and otherwise represent Calvin Coolidge. The CCPF is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. C. Applicant’s Proposed Use of the Property The programs and initiatives described above reflect the vision of CCPF’s Board of Trustees to promote the legacy, values, and lessons of Calvin Coolidge to a national audience. The CCPF now seeks to expand its outreach through a presence in the District of Columbia. Washington is the premier location in the country for presidential history, and current visitors to Washington have few, if any, opportunities to learn about Calvin Coolidge. The CCPF therefore hopes to establish a center in Washington that would (1) accommodate office space for a limited number of staff; (2) host occasional lectures, symposia, workshops, dinner discussions, and small conferences; (3) provide temporary guest room accommodations for program participants, visiting scholars, Foundation trustees and special guests; (4) provide space for a Coolidge exhibit that would be open to the general public with limited hours; (5) host a limited number of fundraising events per year; and (6) serve as a base from which to plan events celebrating the centennial of President Coolidge’s inauguration in 2023. These activities will serve to broaden Americans’ understanding of President Coolidge and encourage tourism to the Presidential birthplace in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. The Property, also known as Quality Hill, is well-suited to the purposes the CCPF proposes in terms of size and historical uses. Since its construction 220 years ago, the late Georgian style house has had several historically-significant owners, including John Thompson Mason, the nephew of George Mason. George Mason was among the heroes of Calvin Coolidge, who spoke of Mason in the context of Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington (Address at the College of William and Mary, May 15, 1926). President Coolidge had an enormous respect for America’s Founding Fathers. Among other inhabitants of Quality Hill was 3 Senator Claiborne Pell, who led the establishment of the Pell Grant, the foundation for college financial aid. The CCPF, with its own scholarship, falls neatly into that scholarship tradition. The historic house is also laid out in a fashion well suited to the small foundation. A diagram showing the existing layout of the house and photos of the exterior and interior are included with this application. The lower level features a series of rooms that can serve as the CCPF staff offices. The main/receiving level will permit events for a limited number of attendees (fewer than 100), seminars, and a small Coolidge exhibit. The second and third floors can provide additional offices should the staff level expand, as well as guest rooms for occasional visiting scholars, program participants, Foundation trustees and special guests.