September 2016 Minutes

Community Meeting – September 20, 2016, 7:00 PM

Officers in Attendance:

• Dan Schramm – President
• Teresa Fleming – Membership Director
• Clyde Blassengale – Treasurer
• Lamont Bessicks – Recording Secretary

Dan opened the meeting at approximately 7:00 PM

Item 1: Treasurer’s Report

• Clyde presented the September
• There were 15 new members from the July Meeting.
• $3,821.33 Beginning Balance
• $150.00 of new membership income
• $3,278.33 Ending Balance
• September’s Treasure’s Report voted and accepted.

Item 2: Membership Report

• Teresa, gave short summary on new members.

Item 3: Announcements

• New BNCA Website
• Ft. Bunker Hill Clean Up on Saturday, November 12, 2016. This is a stewardship agreement with the National Park Service.
• DHS Neighborhood Advisory Team – regarding homeless shelter
• City is organizing a Neighborhood Advisory Committee to focus on the homeless shelter project.
• The committee will hold three seats. Dan Schramm will occupy one. Another member will occupy a second. A third seat remains open.

Item 4: Elections For Vacant Officer’s Positions

• The floor was opened for nominations for Vice President.
• Brian Steven nominated himself for the position of Vice President.
• Clyde raised a point of order to make sure the Steven was a dues-paying member.
• Brian was voted and confirmed as Vice President.
• The floor was opened for nominations for Corresponding Secretary.
• There were no nominations for Corresponding Secretary.

Item 5: EYA Project on Allison Street

• Evan Goldman (V.P. of Development) & Tessa Quintanilla (Development Manager)
• Thrust of the project is because The Josephites needed to sell a portion of their land in order to continue with operations.
• EYA gave an overview of the progression of the project.
• Latest version of the project contains 82 units. Home heights were reduced from four stories to three stories.
• The project’s aesthetics will be consistent with the neighborhood, as many elements of existing, surrounding homes will be incorporated into the design.
• EYA is presenting this project to the ANC on September 28, who will have opportunity to offer support, comments, objections, questions and concerns.
• EYA was commended by the attending members on their efforts to work with the community to hear and respect their concerns.
• EYA submitted its application to the Zoning Commission on August 2, 2016. Their setdown hearing is scheduled for October 28, 2016.

Item 6: Evarts Alley Closure

• BCNA has submitted a comment letter to the reviewer’s office in opposition to the alley closing.
• The local ANC is also in opposition to the alley closure.
• Councilmember K. McDuffie:
  • Recognizes the importance of this development project to local neighbors.
  • Requested that Adams Investment attend tonight’s meeting.
  • C/M explained the process that must take place to obtain an alley closing.
  • C/M struggles with the idea that some people will always be opposed to new development.
  • C/M’s challenge is to bring in much needed development (transit-oriented) without alienating the residence it effects the most.
  • [C/M highlighted two forms of emergency legislation that he submitted to the Council today.]
  • Ms. Irene Kellog – Wants a moratorium on building in her neighborhood? When is the hearing before the Council so that people can express their concerns?
    • Answer: (C/M) there will not be a hearing until the Surveyor submits its application to the Council.
  • Ms. Linda Durrett – Disappointed that she will now have 9-story building on one side of here. Feels no one is looking out for her interest. Who is representing us?
  • Explained to Ms. Durrett that nothing has been approved yet, and that these meetings, submissions and applications are all part of process.
  • Brian Stevens – asked will alley be re-routed or redirected? C/M used the term “rerouted”.
  • [Neighbors vented their frustration about, perceived negative elements, being placed into their neighborhood without being informed prior to, and without their input.]
  • Neighbor asked why the neighborhood has to be reactive, instead of proactive, about development in the neighborhood. Why can’t there be a moratorium on development in Ward 5, as in Ward 3?
    • C/M answered as to the process of what is takes for this or a typical development to be approved.
    • Assured the membership he has heard the concerns of the residence.
  • Neighbor asked about how development falls in line with the designed land use?
    • Referred to the Colonial Brooks site that development must be consistent
      with the land use map.
  • C/M offered to ask a representative from Zoning to attend the next meeting.
• Adams Investment:
  • David Merrywether asked: “How are you going to work with us (community) on this project?”
    • John Holmes assured him Adams would work with the community on the alley closing/redirection.
  • Cory Griffin – prefaced what will be presented tonight; about alley closing; about height; about traffic.
  • John Holmes – Partner
    • Provided an overview of how Adams deals with new development projects.
    • The current zoning is MU-6 (C-2-C)
    • Two parcels combined 62,000 sf; alley is 16-ft wide.
    • 90-ft height & 70-ft
    • 7-stories on one end; 5 stories on the other.
  • Martin Segal – Partner
  • Lawrence Caudle – Hickock Cole Architects
    • Describe the project site and the “redirection” of the alley.
    • Alley redirect will dump trash truck movement on a residential neighborhood that is already narrow.
    • Street scape improvement of an 8-ft wide sidewalk.
    • All loading dock, parking access, etc., with come off of Reed Street.
    • Traffic study in currently underway, as well as study on traffic signals.
    • DDOT has no objection to alley closure.
    • Neighbor questioned the alley closings effect on the residential street.
    • Asked to explain the difference in development size and floors between having the alley closing to create one parcel, and having two separate parcels.
    • Neighbor expressed the real concern of having a massive, 7-story building immediately adjacent to single family homes.
    • Teresa emphasized that BNCA members requested photographs of building perspective from the Noyes parking lot.
    • Membership told Adams to come to every meeting.
    • Neighbor expressed concern of foundation construction causing damage to their homes. (Pile Driving)
    • Adams volunteered to work out an agreement with the BNCA/community about limits to height and construction to protect their homes.
  • Norman Glasgow – Holland & Knight, LLP.

Item 7: Other Community Concerns

Meeting adjourned at 9:30 PM.

Next BNCA Meeting: October 18, 2016, 7:00 PM.