Getting To Yes

A Positive Vision For The Neighborhood

Generally speaking, we’re inclined to say “yes.” Yes to the Ellington. Yes to L2. Yes to Black and Orange and the Louis and Blackbyrd and Langston Lofts and…well, the record’s pretty clear. With very few exceptions, we’re much more about Yes than No.

See that? It’s all that remains of the once grand Republic theater.

Of course, just like a relationship, yes isn’t unconditional. The Ellington had several rescalings, making it a superior building. L2 and its designer, Eric Colbert, were rapped on the knuckles by HPRB for an uninspired design, and returned with something demonstrably better. We always liked B&O, but wondered whether there isn’t a median between hosting a great burger joint and serving inebriates at 4am.

Let’s face it: yes is fun. No can be a downer. Saying yes generally means making others happy, while saying no means pissing off at least a few. Nothing new here.

Occasionally – as in every day – we get notes here from a few rather angry anonymous commentors. They’re often filled with poor spelling and pointless accusations, and judging by the clock, they’re frequently composed in the wee hours, which is rarely a good time to frame a serious argument. From now on, anyone sending a comment with the blanket condemnation that we’re just “N—-S” is simply getting this emailed back to them.

Still, we like being about yes, and generally agree that it’s as important to spell out what you’re for as much as what you’re against. So here goes.

Here’s what we’re about. What we want to say yes to. A positive vision for the neighborhood, which we can then share with others:

1. Daytime As Well As Nighttime. A tremendous amount of the neighborhood development recently has been focused on entertainment, food and drink. It’s made the hood a real draw. We like restaurants of all sorts – fancy (Eatonville) to divey (Pica Taco) and everything in between. We also like bars and music and all that. However, we want to see more daytime traffic. An office building, instead of yet another apartment bloc. A little more retail and a little less cocktail. It’s not asking too much.
2. Cooperation. Bar owners are making a killing in the neighborhood, and they’ve opened in some formerly empty buildings. But liquor means more fighting, more trash, more congestion. Those who are profiting from all that merriment should find it in their best business interests to help the neighborhood keep itself safe and clean. If you fill someone with booze, your responsibility for that person does not stop when they walk out the door.
3. Traffic. Our little streets are carrying more traffic than they can manage. Parking is beyond impossible, congestion ties up the streets. It’s a complaint as old as cities, but in this case it’s also true. Some of the new parking restriction initiatives are positive, but we just want a little honest. “New urbanist” types like to say that buildings now don’t need parking, because we’ve got Metro and bikes and Carshare. Hogwash. This is a fantasy like supply-side economics. You increase residents, with more people living on top of of one another than at any time before in this neighborhood, you increase cars. Just open the window and look. There may be no brilliant solutions to traffic, but everyone needs to be honest about the problem – and that includes developers who can’t be bothered with the expense (or the water table) to put in the required parking.
4. Respect. We can disagree and debate on what is good design, or smart development, or sustainable planning. In fact, we should. That’s not what those who hurl the NIMBY label, or make other accusations, are doing. They are just plain being bad citizens. Nobody respectable in the same-sex marriage debate uses the word “faggot.” Nobody respectable uses the brick of “Nimby” in the development debate. Period.

So: yes to buildings – those that house office workers as well as those who work in them. Yes to entertainment – and a cooperative relationship to keep everyone safe and sound. Yes to honesty when talking about traffic problems. And yes to everyone being a good neighbor, and respecting all those around you – along with their right to hold differing opinions.

See? Getting to yes really isn’t that hard.

When Too Much Isn’t Enough

When’s The Best Time To Push Through An Unpopular Initiative? Bingo!

Writing in this Sunday’s Washington Post, WAMU host Kojo Nnamdi tries to put his finger on the source of DC government corruption and mismanagement – DC’s original sin, if you will. It’s a good effort, but from this perspective, misses the mark just a bit.

In more ways than one, buddy.

For Nnamdi, much of the problem lies in both the youth of District self-government, and its limited scope. By youth, he means we’ve only had self-rule for a short while now, and even then we’re still the handmaiden to Congressional oversight. As a result, DC has just not developed a mature culture of democratic self-governance.

On the second note, every where else there’s political room to grow, but not here. Across the rest of America, school board members might become city councilmen, then mayors or county executives, who graduate to state House reps, or maybe move to a state commissioner or even the Governor’s office, and then…well, who can say? Whether you see it as government by Peter Principle or legitimate reward for higher service, people with an appetite and a skill for politics and public service have a path to grow and advance.

But not in the District. Maybe you get a seat on an ANC and quickly learn you can pretty much do whatever you want, to hell with your constituent’s sentiments. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to win a City Council seat, where you ripen for decades fiddling with the margins of government. Who knows – maybe somehow you get elected to (or purchase) the Mayor’s office. And then what? One or two terms of prudent government and quietly improving services and you’re out on your keister. Natwar Gandhi has had more longevity and better service (arguably) than just about any other publicly elected official in this town - and he’s not even elected!

Nnamdi’s correct about these two issues, but there’s a third that he misses; namely, the complete lack of accountability and transparency across local government. Just take a look at our little corner of the District. Did any of the ten new restaurants, those who are pushing out any other business, get their liquor service request? Who knows? Certainly not ABRA, assuming the committee is even staffed or bothers to hold public meetings. The parking agreement L2 negotiated with the local community? Good luck getting someone to answer where that is now that the City Council mucked them up. The behemoth JBG insists must be 9 floors at 13 & U? The BZA thinks HPRB is dealing with that, while HPRB thinks it’s the BZA, and all the while the ANC, meetings filled with opponents of the current proposal, blithely votes it forward.

Across all these, and many other levels, local government in the District is not working. In fact, it’s actively obfuscating and preventing the reasonable exercise of what limited self-rule we have here. Like Nnamdi asks – Quick, name your ANC chair! – I’ll go him one better. Quick – tell me who ultimately approves a building? A restaurant? A liquor moratorium?  We have layers upon layers of government but nobody seems to know what they’re supposed to do, what the rules are, and what (if any) role just plain folks are supposed to play in the process. Worse, in a town filled with journalists, if something doesn’t happen at the Wilson building, it’s like it never happened at all. Of course, it probably did, but it will be too late for you to do anything about it.

So I’d ask Mr. Nnamdi this question: who’s in charge, here? Because it’s certainly no the residents.

 

Let DC Be DC

You Can Take Manhattan; I’ll Take The District

It’s pretty much a certainty here that whenever we post something that questions a new development proposal – any new development proposal – for our little neighborhood, some one will respond by saying “I can’t wait for DC to become more like New York City!” If not those exact words, then something darn close.

Best. Museum Display. Ever.

It’s always puzzled us a bit, this adoration of Manhattan. We say this having been a resident of both cities: then, Second and A in the area they used to call Alphabet City, and now 13 and U in the hood they called “Black Broadway.” Manhattan was good to us, but DC has been even better. That’s why we chose to live here. DC is its own place, with its own style, pace and culture. If someone really yearns to live in Manhattan, it would seem the easiest thing to do would be…to move to Manhattan. Rather than trying to convert a totally different place into their foreign ideal.

Now comes a new study from Economist Intelligence Unit – whoever they are – that ranks the world’s most (and least) livable cities. The top U.S. city comes in at 14, behind such places as Amsterdam, Stockholm and Paris. And guess which one it is? Yeah, that’s us. As a friend would say, “Now we know who’s really hood!”

DC ranks higher than Chicago, San Francisco and New York on such measures as scale, sprawl, assets, pollution, green space and a host of others. (We even surpass such utopia as Seattle and – gasp! – Portland.) Yes, traffic in Northern Virginia on the weekend is worse than kidney stones, and yes, we have a regional tendency to fall flat on our face at the first snowflake, temblor or bolt of lightning. We’re comically self-important when it comes to all politics except local issues, which get pathetically limited coverage save for independent publications like the CityPaper or neighborhood blogs, like the excellent Borderstan. There’s still far, far too little accountability from the City Council straight down to the ANCs…or especially at the ANCs.

But all in all, this is a city we like. It’s a city that works at the scale it’s at. It’s not a place that needs 100 new high-rise apartments, because it would no longer be DC anymore. Development can be good, as we’ve consistently pointed out with any number of projects in the U Street area. But it can also be bad, and lead to even worse consequences.

The point is: next time you find yourself wanting to tell us how much you can’t wait for DC to become more like Manhattan with 24-hour dog washing and a dry cleaner on every corner, pause a moment to consider what makes DC so valuable as it is. And if you don’t agree, we would respectfully encourage you to follow your dreams, and live in the city you truly want to be in.

 

Help Thy Neighbor

This is a short post, as we’ll wager people don’t have much free time this weekend.

Friday’s “derecho” storm resulted in mixed damage in the neighborhood. We lost only a few large branches and have power. Others weren’t near as lucky.

Just six houses away, a cluster of four to five homes lost their roofs in part or entirely. Elsewhere porches and fences collapsed, utility lines were snapped and cherished trees were left in pieces.

We’re especially concerned about those who may need help. We’re checking on a few local households to make sure there’s power, water, food, that sort of thing. But others may need help but don’t know where to turn.

If anyone in the neighborhood here knows of someone vulnerable, please let us know. We’d like to help our community any way possible. Direct email is best for individuals; larger general concerns can be left in the comments section.

Hitting The Heights

Architecture, Community and Balance

A few months back, when JBG first presented its new plan for an apartment building development at 13th and U Streets NW, architect David Schwarz was asked how his building would reflect the historic neighborhood it might be joining. “I don’t have an answer for you right now,” he replied. It was an honest reply.

Last Wednesday, Mr. Schwarz answered that question.

In a presentation that mixed PowerPoint, classroom and community, Mr. Schwarz offered an impressive proposal about his design for the as yet un-named building that he promises will lift up, but not dominate, the U Street community. It was a small gathering; JBG offered those most intimately affected by the building, as in those on Wallach Place, a chance to see  the most specific details yet offered about the development. It was well illustrated, crafted, and much needed.

Given the haze that has largely surrounded this re-do proposal, this was a welcome opportunity, and one that both Schwarz and the neighbors seized…though to be frank, Schwarz and his crew (including his son) and the JBGers in attendance almost outnumbered those living on Wallach. (What, exactly, that reflects is a still unanswered question, though many will likely offer opinion.)

Schwarz is a name in architectural circles, and his buildings – like Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Hall  - generate interest, but not always for the desired reasons. Critics aside, it’s safely said his buildings are often as large as his personality. “I either wanted to be a successful architect or a bartender in the Caribbean. Nothing in between,” he famously told the Washington Business Journal. Like we said: personality.

In just over 15 minutes, Schwarz laid out a meticulous diagnosis of the U Street neighborhood’s architectural faces and antecedents. From muttoning and ribboning to window “punching” placement and a host of other terms I will no doubt get wrong, Schwarz offered up a professor’s tour of U Street as it is in brick and mortar, and an architect’s dreams of how it will be, still in pencil and pastel.

There’s no doubting that everyone gathered in our small living room was impressed. “I’ve really learned some things,” was how one resident summed it up. And while his site still lists the development as a hotel, attendees saw some new things – design elements across the 1/2 block structure that clearly were not throw-aways (unlike the now underway “WallachZilla“.) Perhaps having learned a lesson or three from their previous smack-downs, we can honestly say that Schwarz has designed a building that is steps ahead of the proposals that preceded it, and offers serious thoughts about what U Street was, is, and aspires to be.

That said, there was one significant area of rupture between artist and audience: namely, the building’s height. “Honestly, it should be at least a story taller than it is,” offered Schwarz when questioned about its out-of-rights eight stories, plus roof attics and whatnots. “It’s a handsome design, but couldn’t it be just as handsome at six floors?” asked yours truly. No, he candidly replied.

If architecture is our most public, and long-lasting, discourse about who we as a people are, then quizzing a designer who has laid down the law at eight floors about a building’s height can feel like Salieri snipping measures from a Mozart symphony.

But no. Precisely because it is so public, a community’s architecture is not the province of the singular artist, but rather the shared neighborhood where it resides. And this is where an artist’s vision, and a neighborhood’s concerns, abut economist’s bottom lines.

“Eight floors is pretty much the limit,” acknowledged Jim Nozar, one of three JBG representatives at the meeting, along with Brook Katzen and – I am very sorry to say – another representative who’s name escapes me. Like Schwarz,  the JBG reps were personable but focused. Like Schwarz, they appeared to have an affection, if not always a commitment, for the neighborhood. Like Schwarz, they are engaging and professional.

But at least as much like Schwarz – or perhaps more so, as the ultimate check signers – the JBG representatives were unyielding: the building must be eight floors or more. Any less, and – in their words – it simply wouldn’t be worth the effort.

The meeting broke up after some two hours of discussion, debate and concerns about the PUD process, the openness of community input, and the ultimate project dimensions. Many questions, most of them not new, remained unanswered.

But at least we now have the line drawn. JBG says they must have eight stories, plus the add-ons on top.

And say this: David Schwarz kept his word. He said he would explain how he believes his building – one which he promises he will live in – will be a new treasure of U Street, and he fully explained his view. The JBG representatives also gave a frank bottom line: eight floors, no step-downs, non-negotiable.

That’s their view. What the neighborhood wants – and deserves – is the next question demanding an answer.

UPDATE: Monday the ANC 1B Design subcommittee met in an previously announced, yet detail-free, session. (Meaning: no location, no time and no agenda public provided save for private distribution channels, but we’ll get to that later.) Despite much – meaning majority – opposition expressed in the meeting, the sub-committee voted 3-1 to approve the design. WITH acknowledgment of the community opposition.

The way the ANC “works” – much like the City Council “works” – it’s enough to make one wonder about the entire ANC process: the rules, the oversights, and what “public trust” means.

But you’ll be reading much more about that soon enough. And not just here.

Something Old, Something New

JBG’s Plan Leaves Residents Blue

After three teases before the U Street Neighborhood Association, a group at Busboys and Poets and the ANC earlier this Spring, JBG has officially begun its public charm offensive for the proposed nine-story apartment development they want to built at the corner of 13th and U Street. Mark June 14th, 2012, as the official start of the sprint JBG will rush through to either, depending on your view, “gather meaningful community input” or “punch its cards” on their march toward demolition and victory.

Hotel? Apartments? DC or Dallas? What does this building say to U?

Now, of course there have been and continue to be dozens of little side meetings here and there. I know only some of our neighbors, but everyone I run into is asking questions. “Did you hear about the meeting between so-and-so and JBG?” “How much did they tell you they’d pay for the PUD?” “They say the submitted documents on the structure, but I can’t find them.” “Gladys Kravitz says she heard that JBG is already calling for a vote of approval on their design, who OK’d that?”  It’s not too far off to say that many concerned neighbors are skittering hither and yon, trying to keep up with the byzantine tangle of DC development laws built so that only a development lawyer could keep up with them.  But hey, what’s a little disenfranchisement between friends?

Thursday’s meeting was hosted by the Saloon and its long-time owner, Kamal Jahanbein; “Kami” to many of his customers. When it comes to community involvement and smart planning, Kami’s at the head of the list. Because he bought his establishment, it’s just what he wants it to be without rapacious landlords pushing him around (or out.) And his commitment to good local governance – and generous philanthropic works around the globe – are as obvious as the hundreds of donor names painted on his walls. When Kami talks, neighbors listen close.

Thus it was a bit surprising that Kami waded into the JBG 13th Street development discussion not in his usual fair arbiter role, but as a concerned neighbor. Jahanbein’s business would no doubt stand to gain from hundreds of new thirsty residents, but even he expressed some concern about the building’s need, design, and motives of the developers. And he was not alone.

JBG’s Brook Katzen did his best to sell the building’s design as fitting with the overall architectural language and design of U Street, but his best was, once more, not good enough. At least, not to judge by the number of questions and doubts raised during this presentation. In sum, critics say:

1. The building’s height (nine stories) is far out of line with anything on the corners (SE corner 4 stories, NE corner 3 stories, NW corner of Ellington 4 stories before step-up)
2. The poor massing and sheer verticals of the building, rising to its complete height with no set backs or cut-ins, creates a looming hulk,
3. Possible concerns about the water table on the site mean that JBG doesn’t want to dig down to complete the full compliment of parking city regulations require,
4. There are few, if any, architectural details that integrate the structure into the historic rhythms of the neighborhood – it might as well be plopped in Loudon County somehwere,
5. Although this may be discounted by some, a growing number of residents of the Ellington are coming to realize their panoramic views of DC are about to be blocked.

There were other concerns as well – along with one (count ‘em, one!) voice of support for the building on Thursday. Clearly if it were put up to a vote now, it would have as hard a time as the last go-around (Revisionism alert: while JBG likes to say they pulled out of that earlier hotel for financial reasons after the community had voted to support it, that’s misleading at best. Community groups one after the other voted the proposal down, or just sent it back to the drawing boards.)

All that said, there’s one even larger question hanging over this compressed debate – why this building? Several years ago starchitect David Schwarz and JBG higher-ups told everyone who would listen that 13th & U needed one thing, and one thing only: a hotel. A world-class hotel, in fact. Young and hip and trendy; a place that all of U Street’s visitors would want to stay at, a place that captured the heart and passion of the neighborhood. Condos wouldn’t work, they said, nor would an office…AND it would have to be much taller than anything else nearby, just to get the economics to work.

Now, after getting their hand slapped, they insist that it’s apartments that the corner wants! Apartments and nothing more! And definitely no offices. It’s a curious argument, given that the entire area still doesn’t have a hotel of any size (most neighbors always liked the idea of a hotel, just not one that was 10 stories tall) and limited office space, but will soon have a glut of apartments. “Louis at 14th“? “Level2” at Wallach? JBG’s own “District Condos”? Has anyone counted the number of sky-cranes up and down 14th Street, from Florida down to R? Is their argument really that the one thing the neighborhood most needs is more apartments? Because if it is, that’s a losing one on its face.

There are more meetings, and more votes, which we’ll list here once we confirm the dates. The Shaw-Dupont Neighborhood Association is also sponsoring a P.U.D. workshop in the coming weeks with the guy said to know just about everything from everything about how they work, and what they’ll mean for residents.

It’s going to be a very fast ride along a very bumpy road; JBG has made clear its intentions to move this as fast as possible, and not get ensnared in the community opposition it encountered a few years back. That’s their right. It’s also the neighborhood’s right to slow it down as much as possible, until everyone has the chance to make an informed decision.

PostScript: Part of making an informed decision is having the proposal to examine. JBG insisted Thursday night that its building proposal and details could be found at its website. We’re still looking.

News And Notes

New Parking Regs, Liquor Moratorium, and JBG Public Meeting

Yeah, we haven’t been posting nearly as often as we should. Take it up with our other Internet bosses.

We will do better, and more. For now, some items of possible interest to the neighborhood:

#1: New Parking Regulations. In the near future, with the blessing of the DC City Government, Wallach Place parking is going to get much tighter – and that’s not just because of the U Street/Louis/Wallachzilla developments. Soon there will a resident-only parking initiative bubbling to the surface impacting anyone who likes to park on Wallach. In the near future, residents only will be allowed to park on the north side of the street during certain hours – those as yet to be determined. Meaning: if you love parking on WP during the day or for some evening entertainment, you’re going to lose half the street options. More on this very soon; stay tuned.

#2: Shaw Dupont Citizens Alliance Launches. There’s a new residents organization in the area: the SDCA. The inaugural meeting was held last Thursday, and monthly meetings – in addition to other activities – are rolling forward. Full disclosure: Craig and I are board members of the new group, but we’re not turning this site (and what we hope for it to become) into a mouthpiece for the group. They can handle that perfectly well on their own, as you can see here. In essence, if you’re a resident in the area bounded by 12th and 14th Street, U to S, you’re welcome to join. Owner, renter; development booster or smart-growth advocate – it doesn’t matter, you’re invited. The mission of the group is to give residents an equal voice with local business and other interests as the neighborhood evolves. Meaning if you want more of something or less of something else, you can give it a voice here. ANC commissioner Ramon Estrada has a good summary of the first meeting; look for this group to become more active in various issues in the coming months.

#3: Liquor Moratorium. There are growing rumbles about community support – or opposition – for a liquor moratorium for the U/14th Street area. It’s complicated (as with anything about liquor in DC) and there are lots of opinions all over the map. SDCA and other neighborhood groups are exploring this as a way to slow the explosion of bars & nightclubs in the overly (by city regulations) concentrated area. There are also lots of false rumors about this - no it won’t stop grocery stores like Smucker Farms or the much-teased Trader Joes from selling beer and wine. And no it isn’t a permanent, or even blanket prohibition on any new licenses. And more. We’ll be writing on this issue soon as well.

#4: New JBG Meeting on 13th and U. JBG has requested a chance to publicly present long-awaited specifics about their proposed development at 13th and U to the neighborhood, and solicit comment. Craig and I have again agreed to open our house to the JBG team for such a meeting. It will be Wednesday, June 20 at 7pm at 1315 Wallach Place. All interested are welcome to attend; however as this is only our tiny house, we may not be able to accommodate everyone…ugh, we’ll figure that out. In the meantime, mark your calendars. The JBG team has only had general comments about the development so far, and this meeting will be the first chance to hear specifics presented, especially – in JBG’s words – for “those most affected” by the proposed building.

It’s too beautiful outside to be sitting at a computer, so we’re taking the greyhound for a neighborhood walk, and I’m going to spruce up the gardens. Hope your weekends are similarly enjoyable.

Welcome to the Neighborhood, Mr. President

UPDATE: POTUS Leaves, Takes Sandwich

Just a quick note, with much more to come on far more serious issues.

Look what Craig espied on his way into work!

But you know your neighborhood is hot when the Obama’s come for a quick meal. This morning Mr. Obama will be dining at Taylor Gourmet, on 14th Street NW, just 1/2 a block from our house here. The sky is filled with helicopters, there’s a big tent on 14, and security is redonk.

It’s often said after either Mrs. Obama or the President visit a local eatery, business booms. We hope it’s so for Taylor, and all the worthy surrounding places, too.

It may not put Taylor’s on the national map as happened at Ben’s (with tourists winding around the block every weekend for half smokes) but it sure will generate a little buzz.

Now I’m off to go see what all the hubbub is about.

UPDATE: So the President met with several local business owners – those of Taylor Gourmet and Yes (exclamation point) Markets, both of which we very much like. Nobody else was allowed in, or even near 14th, however. Taking GOTUS (the Greyhound of the United States) for a walk down Wallach proved a challenge, both because of the helicopters buzzing low, freaking the dog out, and the Secret Service officers who wouldn’t even let us get down the street.

We totally get it – POTUS deserves big security, and that’s fine. We welcome everyone to the neighborhood. But perhaps next time, with just a little less traffic snarl.

The Song Remains The Same

JBG Unveils Its Latest Switch-up For 13 & U

It must have been a very busy month for JBG. Consider that just four weeks ago, Jim Nozar and Bryan Moll were standing before the U Street Neighborhood Association (a packed meeting at that) discussing plans for the hotel they wanted to build at 13 and U. Oh yes, hotel. Nozar was quite affirmative about that.

Renderings of JBG's proposed apartment building at 13 and U

Just what exactly happened over at HQ these last few weeks we can’t say. We can officially say now that, following Tuesday evening’s presentation by JBG of their plans to the community, the hotel is most assuredly off. And without saying it exactly, Nozar and architect David Schwarz seemed pretty certain who to blame.

“We’ve heard a lot from the community about the massing, the increased density, other concerns,” Schwarz told a packed community meeting Tuesday night, going on to specifically single out “residents of Wallach” several times for uncertain sins. Hmm. Basically, he says, the lot’s too narrow for an office building, the meanies in the community wouldn’t let them build 100 feet, they’re “stuck with” Rite Aid as a retailer on the corner, they can’t make the economics work, so boo-hoo, it has to be apartments.

Not affordable apartments, mind those who want to see real affordability. “High-end, class-A tenants,” said Nozar, noting that of 135 planned units there would be no efficiencies, just one and two bedroom units.

Here are the details, such as they are:

• Building height 90′, with an additional 18’6″ on top for the penthouse (by code they can legally build to 65 feet without a variance.)
• 72 parking units, including spaces reserved for retailers
• 10’3″ alley off 13th, where all traffic with flow in and out.
• Space for just three tenants (other than the much-derided Rite Aid), and not much space at that, perhaps a total of 15,000 sf, with the drugstore accounting for half of that.
• Oh and brick color? “We haven’t decided that yet,” said.  ”We’ll show you some samples later.”

JBG’s spin to the contrary, the new proposed building is nearly identical to the old proposed building, which isn’t all that surprising given the remarkably quick turnaround from must-have hotel to much-needed apartment building. In fact spin was surprisingly in evidence Tuesday night, with Schwarz asserting boldly: “It wasn’t the architecture that people didn’t like before, it was the massing and density.”

Look familiar? JBG model of 13th & U development

Perhaps everyone should be reminded of the actual debate several years back. Yes, massing and density were among the concerns; but so, too, was the building’s exterior, with the ANC and other boards specifically pointing out its lack of harmony with the street.

Asked Tuesday night to detail how, exactly, his new design is reflective specifically of the 13th and U neighborhood, Schwartz said simply “I’m not prepared to do that tonight.” Yipes.

JBG sees 13th and U as a “global neighborhood,” and they say they want to improve it, “…make it like Bleeker Street in New York.” First, DC isn’t Manhattan and shouldn’t pretend to be; rather it should be its own city with its own character. But more importantly, as one resident and former New Yorker pointed out, what makes Manhattan so interesting is the mixed presence of office and entertainment, ensuring 24-hour traffic. Bluntly put: we are completely unconvinced an architect as skilled as Mr. Schwarz would be unable to come up with an innovative office design that could attract an exciting business or three to the ‘hood.

There were a few supportive voices that spoke at the meeting – noting the design would remove all the Rite Aid trucks from loading/unloading on 13, and JBG’s community support of local education and other civic initiatives. That is good stuff…but also, as another voice noted, most likely part of JBG’s corporate plan. It would appear that JBG’s effort to court “influential opinion makers” in the neighborhood to sway the discussion (as several people reported to us) have not been all that successful.

In short it seems that JBG bought a lucrative property when real estate and times were riding high, and with the market crash ended up with something of a problem on its hands. It seems their solution is to just build yet another apartment building and be done with it. Seriously: can anyone find any difference between the new proposal and the former hotel proposal?

Judging at least from those who spoke Tuesday night, it doesn’t seem the community is loving that plan. “I’m just disappointed with what I’ll call a lack of bravery,” said one.

JBG will present its new plan before the ANC next Monday night. Next stop: PUD before the Zoning Commission.

Good Neighbor Policy

Finding Ways To Work Together

It’s Easter Sunday, and the neighborhood is beautiful. The sun is sharp and the air is losing its crispness. New flowers bloom and the tiny, fuzzy buds of last week are turning into waxy leaves. The people you meet on the street are dressed in Spring colors and almost universally smiling, waving hello as we pass with our giant black greyhound. It’s peaceful and happy and once more I’m in love with my neighbors.

That’s not always the case. In particular, not so much my neighbor’s guests. Any given Thursday, Friday, Saturday and increasingly Sunday, our neighborhood is treated like a sewer by visitors.

The Saloon on a typical night. Note: no standing, no yelling, no jerks.

Those of us who live here know the importance of good behavior. You don’t want to argue with a neighbor you will undoubtedly run into on the street. We certainly don’t always agree – on a lot of stuff – but generally speaking we respect each other and have good feelings for our community.

That includes businesses. Decades before Barack Obama visited Ben’s, it was one of the only places open on U, and we would wave each morning to Ben or Kamal, before the Metro was open. We respected them, and they respected us. There’s never been a Ben’s patron to leave more drunk than when they came in.

The same, sadly, can’t be said for a growing number of our new neighbors these days. Specifically the 100+ establishments with liquor licenses that have popped open in the last few years. We understand that their business is to host patrons and make a profit, and that’s cool. But along the way we’ve seemed to lose the good neighbor policy.

Contrary to some of our frequent critics, we not only enjoy the urban life but share it with our friends. We host gatherings large (and we do mean large) to small, and always hope our guests enjoy their time in our house. But part of our neighborly responsibility is that we never send guests out onto our streets loud, drunk and potentially dangerous.

If you’re leaving a party here, you are not allowed to bellow in the streets. You aren’t allowed to piss on neighbors yards or defecate in the alleys. You’re not allowed to steal things under cover of dark, or barf in the street or toss your garbage into the gutter. In short, you’re not allowed to be a bad guest.

That’s basically what we would like to see with our commercial (read bar) neighbors: a sense of community. Who’s responsible for sending thousands (literally, the numbers are coming soon) of inebriates into the streets every night? The people who served them. Who’s responsible for in part tolerating behavior that wouldn’t pass freshman amateur hour? Ask those who profited off the booze they drank.

Some critics – and almost universally those who don’t live right here – whine that we don’t get the urban life. “Go move to the suburbs, old man!” is typical of their “dialogue.” Just speaking for these two old men, we’ll put up the urban we’ve seen in our lives to anything you got – that most likely means you – and we’re still committed to our neighborhood.

We would like our neighbors – our commercial neighbors specifically – to show the same respect. There’s a huge opportunity here for good-spirited establishments to help keep the hood decent. Remind patrons to keep quiet on the streets. Post signs in the restrooms. Print messages on the tab, or, like great neighbor Kami of “The Saloon,” right on the walls and menus. And these are just the start: clever people can no doubt think up clever ways to reach people.

The point is: we all want a decent neighborhood. Notably those of us who make this our neighborhood. So it’s time everyone started living up to their responsibilities.