MedLINK Parking Appeal Needs Your Support
Earlier this year, the District's Zoning Administrator greatly reduced
the number of off-street parking spaces that MedLINK Hospital (aka Capitol
Hill Hospital or the Capitol Hill Group) must provide for its staff and
visitors. If MedLINK doesn't provide adequate parking, MedLINK's employees
and visitors will compete with the community for scarce on-street parking.
The Stanton Park Neighborhood Association has filed an
appeal with the Board of Zoning Adjustment protesting that decision.
There will be a BZA hearing on the appeal on November 4. [Note:
The hearing has been rescheduled for November 18.] A strong
showing of community support will help the appeal to succeed. Advisory
Neighborhood Commissions (ANC) 6A and 6C as well as the Capitol Hill Restoration
Society have already filed letters of support for the appeal. Please send
a letter to the BZA supporting this appeal by Friday, October 31.
Protest Filed on MedLINK Parking Decision
On May 23, 2003 SPNA filed an appeal with the Board of Zoning Adjustment
(BZA) to protest a recent decision by the Zoning Administrator. On March
26, 2003 the Zoning Administrator issued new Certificates of Occupancy
for MedLINK Hospital which greatly decreased the amount of required on-site
parking. SPNA maintains that the Administrator's decision should be rescinded
because of prior BZA orders which established the amount of required parking.
In addition, the Zoning Administrator improperly exercised his discretion
to set parking requirements because that prerogative is assigned exclusively
to the BZA by the zoning regulations.
H Street REVIVAL Planning
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions 6A and 6C will meet jointly in June
to consider recommendations for re-zoning and an overlay district for
the H Street NE commercial corridor. This meeting will conclude a series
of joint meetings between the ANCs to discuss how the vision of "REVIVAL:
H Street Revitalization Plan" can be implemented through changes
to the zoning regulations. The joint ANC meeting will be held June 25,
2003 from 7-9 p.m. at the Capital Children's Museum (800 3rd Street NE).
The public is encouraged to attend. Further details on the revitalization
plan are available at the DC Office of
Planning web site.
MedLINK Parking
At the end of March, Capitol Hill Hospital (aka MedLINK) withdrew a case
it had brought against the District. MedLINK had sought reclassification
to a community based residential treatment facility (CBRF) for the apparent
intent of reducing the amount of parking required by the current nursing
home operation.
SPNA has been informed that the day before the hearing the District withdrew its objection, granted the reclassification, and substantially reduced the amount of required parking. This would seem to open the possibility for redevelopment of the unused portions of the hospital facility in the building facing Massachusetts Avenue with some parking provided by the undedicated spaces in the underground garage at the northeast corner of the square. Other lawsuits and bankruptcy proceedings are ongoing with re-organization hearings scheduled for May.
SPNA is concerned that reclassification to a CBRF and the attendant impact on parking poses a serious potential problem for the surrounding community. In particular, SPNA is concerned that a substantial development could be realized as a matter of right. For example, if there are 100 undedicated parking spaces in the underground garage, up to 300 dwelling units could be developed as a matter of right in the R-5 zone. The resulting unmet parking demand would be substantially above the previous proposal for this site which provided one parking space for each dwelling unit.
In addition, because the nursing home/CBRF is staffed 24 hours a day,
employees can use residential streets for parking in the hours not covered
by the residential parking program. SPNA intends to research the implications
of the District’s determination and likely will file an appeal of
DCRA’s ruling. SPNA is also investigating other avenues of appeal.
