July/August News
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O Capitol Hill Restoration Society O www.chrs.org July 2009 CHRS Board Backs Developer for Hine Site by Gary Peterson fter receiving a meeting laid out its vision of what 5 Restore the original L’Enfant Arecommendation from a the successful development Plan by reopening C Street special committee of the board that proposal should be. This resolution between 7th and 8th, reviewed all of the proposals, the was reported on the front page of 6 Provide for commercial uses on board of the Capitol Hill the CHRS News of March 2008. 7th Street compatible with the Restoration Society voted at its The Board resolution spelled out existing commercial uses, June meeting to support a 11 criteria: 7 Set aside Pennsylvania Avenue preference for the Hine site 1 Comply with the recently for mixed use with retail on the development proposal of Stanton- enacted comprehensive plan, first floor and office above, Eastbanc. A detailed letter of 2 Be the best example of smart 8 Design the 8th Street frontage support will be sent to the Deputy growth and sustainable as residential and include a Mayor for Development before the development, substantial percentage of July 10 deadline and will be made 3 Reflect the importance of the workforce housing. available at www.chrs.org. location, 9 Consider live/work studios on To understand the decision you 4 Be compatible with the C Street. must go back to early 2008. CHRS surrounding zoning and Continued on page 5 at its February 19, 2008, board existing building scale, Also in this issue ARTICLES Election Results..............................3 Eastern Market Plaza Plans............2 The Market Re-opens.....................4 Rosedale Tour..............................10 Potomac Avenue Traffic Circle.......11 Gas Station in NE...........................9 COLUMNS President’s Column........................2 Historic Preservation Briefs.............8 Did You Know?..............................7 CHRS Supporters ...........................7 LOOKING AHEAD Mark Your Calendar.....................12 Hine School as seen from Pennsylvania Avenue and 8th Street President’s Column: Today and Yesterday by Beth Purcell his is my first column as a developer for the Hine School site planning study for historic Boat TPresident of CHRS. There are near Eastern Market in August House Row. On the other hand, many challenges facing the Capitol 2009. But the Reservation 13/Hill there is much to celebrate, Hill community. We have two East Waterfront Project is stalled; including the re-opening of Eastern bridge construction projects three years after federal legislation Market. I look forward to working underway and a proposed new authorized transferring title to DC, with our volunteers, including our traffic circle at Pennsylvania and DC still does not have title to board of directors, to meet these Potomac Avenues. Major real estate Reservation 13. Development challenges. O developments are in process: DC cannot go forward until DC has government has promised to select title. We are waiting to see the final Urban Oasis or Wasteland: the Eastern Market Metro Plaza by Dick Wolf ’ve walked through it a thousand Avenue, SE, plus a significant groups, business groups, and Itimes. In the summer, it’s green park. It had the room. elected officials. We met with the blistering hot with little shade; in These ideas had their origins in architects to discuss different ways the winter, the winds whistle the early 1970s when the first post- of improving what everyone through the large open spaces of the World War II rehabilitation of viewed both as a wasteland and a park and across the wide roadway. Eastern Market was undertaken missed opportunity. A pamphlet of It’s a place to get through as quickly and the Office of Planning several pages was the result of that as possible with little regard for the produced a poster showing the study. protocols of walkways and traffic connection between the Market Shortly after publication, the lights. It’s paved with Metro brown and Eighth Street. It was at that study was shown to a number of brick which – along with the time that the plaza was greatly public agencies who liked the ideas meager landscaping – has little to enlarged by the closing of South but did not commit themselves to do with the charm and Victorian Carolina Avenue through the area going further – with one notable buildings around the perimeter. But and the name of the Metrorail exception. It was shown to several you have to go through it to get a Station was changed from “Marine members of Congress who felt that bus or catch Metro. Does it have to Barracks” to “Eastern Market.” since the study suggested the be utilitarian ugly? That history, the confluence of improvement of Federal land and Back in early 2002, some of us development, and the growing explicitly acknowledged the thought that Eastern Market Metro sense of Capitol Hill as a special importance of Pennsylvania Plaza could be so much more. The neighborhood within the city Avenue, SE, as a major entry way late George Didden, wearing his caused CHRS and CHAMPS, using to the US Capitol, a more definitive hat as co-founder of Barracks special donations, to enter into a study should be undertaken. Row/Main Street and the Capitol small contract with the nationally Funding from a congressional Hill BID, thought it should be the renowned landscape architecture earmark was sent through the principal gateway to Barracks Row. firm of Ohme, van Sweden & District Government to Barracks Some of the rest of us thought it Associates, which has its offices at Row/Main Street to continue the should be the central organizing Eighth and G Streets, SE. We asked work. The leadership established a location for tying together the the firm to develop some concepts small working group of the principal Capitol Hill business about how to achieve an enhanced community organizations that had streets: Seventh Street/Market public realm on the plaza. A been involved in the earlier studies Row, Eighth Street/Barracks Row, steering committee was established and selected consultants to do the and the 600 block of Pennsylvania with representatives of citizen Continued on page 9 2 • CHRS News July/August 2009 Capitol Hill Restoration Election Results – The 2009-2010 Society (CHRS) CHRS Board BOARD OF DIRECTORS: President............................Beth Purcell he slate of officers presented by working on zoning cases, public 1st Vice President .............Rich Luna Tthe Nominating Committee has space cases and proposals for 2nd Vice President ...........Monte Edwards Secretary............................Lisa Wilson been elected. On July 1, 2009, they regulation changes. By day, he is a Treasurer............................Sharon Weiss joined two At Large members who benefits and compensation At Large.................................Donna Hanousek are serving the second year of a attorney at a law firm. He and his At Large.............................Elizabeth Nelson two year term. wife Kara, who grew up on the At Large.............................Shauna Holmes President: Beth Purcell has Hill, are renovating their home on At Large.............................Catherine Davis served on the CHRS board for Linden Place, where they look At Large.............................Chuck Burger At Large.............................Michelle Carroll four years and as the First Vice- forward to raising their daughter. Immediate Past President Dick Wolf President this past year. She works Second Vice President: Monte on the CHRS Beyond the Edwards is a Washington area COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Boundaries Project, was the co- native, having grown up in Donna Hanousek, Beyond the Boundaries leader of several recent historic Montgomery County and lived on Paul Cromwell, Budget & Administration walking tours, and chairs the Capitol Hill, in the 300 block of E Dick Wolf, City Planning Aileen Moffatt, Communications CHRS Environment Committee. Street, NE, for over 20 years. He Barbara Eck, Community Development She is also President of Trees For has served as an At Large Board Beth Purcell, Environment Capitol Hill, Inc. She lives in the Member of CHRS and has been Larry Pearl, Grants Hill East neighborhood, has been the Second Vice President for the Nancy Metzger, Historic Preservation an Orange Hat walker for over 10 past two years. Monte also serves Aileen Moffatt & Paul Cromwell, years, and researches and as a Steering Committee member House and Garden Tour Catherine Smith, Membership publishes articles on the and as the Co-Chair of the Land Elizabeth Nelson, Special Events architecture of eastern Capitol Use Committee of the Stanton Vacant, Transportation Hill. She works as an attorney in Park Neighborhood Association. Gary Peterson, Zoning the federal government. He has been a member of the First Vice President: Richard Eastern Market Community NEWS: Luna has been an at-large board Advisory Committee (EMCAC) David Holmes 202design, design & layout member since 2007 and serves on since it was first established and the CHRS Zoning Committee. He now serves as its Secretary as well OFFICE MANAGER: Gloria Junge first moved to Capitol Hill in 1996 as Chair of the Capital To contact any of the above, please to work as a senate staffer. After Improvements Committee. Now contact the Society offices by calling leaving to pursue opportunities in retired, he worked as an engineer 202-543-0425 or sending email to [email protected]. Annapolis, Brooklyn, New York and attorney for Washington Gas City and Houston, he returned to Light Company. www.chrs.org the Hill in 2002, drawn by its Secretary: Lisa Wilson moved to Celebrating more than 50 years helping to preserve and protect Capitol Hill’s vibrancy, sense of community and Capitol Hill with her husband in residential character, the Society is now beauty. Since then, he has worked 2007 and joined CHRS the same the largest civic association on Capitol through ANC 6A’s Economic year. She is an attorney in the Hill, and one of the largest in the entire District of Columbia.