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. (See below for more background information.)
In 1991, BZA required 176 parking spaces for 130 beds and 250 employees at MedLINK. In 1999, when MedLINK wanted to expand to 162 beds and 340 employees, BZA required it to provide 276 parking spaces. Today, MedLINK has 177 beds and over 300 employees, yet the Zoning Administrator (who is separate from BZA) has improperly agreed to reduce the number of required parking spaces to just 85. A reduction in the parking requirements for MedLINK could have a dire impact on the community if a portion of the property is later sold to a developer.
The Stanton Park Neighborhood Association has filed an appeal with the Board of Zoning Adjustment protesting that decision. If MedLINK doesn't provide adequate parking, MedLINK's employees and visitors will compete with the community for scarce on-street parking. 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, 2003.
Please send a letter supporting SPNA's appeal to:
Board of Zoning Adjustment
441 4th Street, NW
Suite 210 South
Washington, DC 20001
Tips for Writing Your Letter
Be sure to reference BZA case 17043. Include any specific details
you can provide about parking problems near MedLINK, including dates,
times, locations.
You may wish to include some or all of the following points:
- BZA should revoke the Certificates of Occupancy because the Zoning
Administrator issued them without input from BZA or the community.
- BZA should require MedLINK's owners to provide the same number of
parking spaces as in BZA's existing orders, which establish how much
parking is adequate for the facility. There are up to 176 parking spaces
in MedLINK's underground garage. There is no reason for the owner not
to use all available on-site parking spaces to reduce parking pressure
on the neighborhood streets.
- There is no evidence of any change in the scale of operations at
MedLINK. The owner appears to have sought the new Certificate of Occupancy
for the sole purpose of reducing parking requirements.
- MedLINK is staffed 24 hours a day, so employees can park on the street
during hours not covered by the residential parking program, making
it hard for residents to park on evenings and weekends.
- MedLINK has a consistent history of disobeying the parking requirements
imposed by BZA.
- Any reduction in the parking requirements should be conducted through a public process with opportunity for discussion of the adverse impact that reducing the required parking spaces will have on the surrounding residential area.
Questions?
If you would like additional information, contact the co-chairs of SPNA's
Land Use Committee, Monte Edwards at 543-3504, or Drury Tallant via e-mail.
