Trees For Capitol Hill, Inc. supports HDG Waterfront Partners

Trees For Capitol Hill, Inc.  (TFCH) is a tax-exempt all-volunteer community organization dedicated to the planting and maintaining trees in public spaces.  Since 1991, TFCH has planted hundreds of trees on Capitol Hill, in schools, parks and street tree boxes. 

TFCH believes that Hunt Development Group (HDG) should be chosen as the Master Develop for the Hill East Waterfront.  We believe that HDG best understands how to extend Capitol Hill’s system of parks and trees to the Anacostia River.  HDG promises extensive green space, to achieve 45% tree cover by 2030, maintain the existing tree cover at the river’s edge, green space and protecting trees on Capitol Hill.

 Thanks for your consideration. 

 Sincerely,

Margaret Missiaen, Vice President

Trees for Capital Hill, Inc.

HEWAN Recommends City Work with HDG Waterfront Partners LLC

I am writing on behalf of the Hill East Waterfront Action Network (HEWAN) regarding the selection of a Master Developer for the Hill East Waterfront.  HEWAN is a membership organization which advocates for mixed-use redevelopment of the Hill East Waterfront and facilitates ongoing community input into the redevelopment process.  Most of our members live in the Hill East neighborhood adjacent to the property or in the broader Capitol Hill community.

HEWAN strongly recommends that the city select HDG Waterfront Partners LLC (HDG) to develop the Hill East Waterfront.  While all the proposals submitted in response to the Hill East Waterfront RFEI have positive aspects, we believe that HDG’s proposal is the most consistent with the community’s vision for the site, will provide the most benefit to the community and the District as a whole, and will best realize the potential of this beautiful waterfront location.  Strengths of the proposal include the following:

·        Project vision.  HDG envisions a neighborhood that is truly compatible with surrounding neighborhood in character and scale, and capitalizes on those features that make Capitol Hill so attractive.  As stated in the RFEI, goals of the Master Plan for the site include “to reconnect the Capitol Hill community to the Anacostia River” and “to weave the new development into the fabric of the existing Hill East community.”  HDG’s vision for the site exhibits deep respect for the existing scale and character of Hill East and other Capitol Hill neighborhoods.

Because the Hill East Waterfront site is near the core of a metropolitan area and has excellent Metrorail access, smart growth principles would suggest that the density of the new development be higher than existing neighborhoods on Capitol Hill.  At just over 3 million square feet, the HDG plan employs this smart growth approach, bringing taller buildings, more densely packed residents, and more urban streetscapes than presently exist in Hill East, Lincoln Park, Stanton Park, Eastern Market, or other Capitol Hill neighborhoods.  But we also believe the HDG plan strikes a necessary balance.  The new neighborhood would be dense enough to bring new vibrancy and new tax revenue but would not clash with the existing entirely low-rise residential neighborhood on the other side of 19^th Street.  In addition, the HDG plan would be less likely than other proposals to overload nearby thoroughfares and residential streets with traffic from the new development.  Furthermore, we believe HDG’s smaller buildings are more likely to be built as quickly as promised, especially in light of the overbuilt high-rise condominium market and generally challenging real estate environment.

We also have good reasons to believe that the HDG Waterfront Partners will create a new neighborhood that respects the existing aesthetics of the greater Capitol Hill area.  EYA Homes and Abdo Development have completed a beautiful infill development at the nearby Bryan School site between Independence Avenue SE and South Carolina Avenue SE. Abdo has also completed world-class work at Senate Square (the former Children’s Museum). These two builders have demonstrated that they care to construct historically-compatible modern buildings. HDG also has an excellent plan for Archbold Hall, returning it to its initial academic purpose by making it a school.

HDG’s waterfront neighborhood will draw city residents to the site and down to the river. The team envisions a new C Street corridor that is similar in spirit to both 8^th Street SE Barracks Row and to 7^th Street SE at Eastern Market.  The Hill East Waterfront’s buildings will be taller and more people will live above the commercial enterprises along C Street, but the new Metro Plaza, Village Square, and Farmer’s Market are likely to be similarly attractive places to live, visit, work, and shop.  By placing most retail along an intimate new C Street as opposed to the grand boulevard of Massachusetts Avenue, HDG is also demonstrating a familiarity with and love of Washington, DC.  Finally, we believe that the relocation of the modest-sized but central internal park (Village Square) to the middle of C Street is a stroke of design genius.

People choose to live in Capitol Hill – or to visit it for shopping or recreation – because it provides a small town atmosphere along with urban sophistication and amenities.  In 2007, the American Planning Association selected the Eastern Market area as one of the top ten neighborhoods in the nation.  To make the newest Capitol Hill neighborhood a financial success and a treasured city asset, its developers should leverage and extend the existing strengths of Capitol Hill.

·        Sustainability.  HDG envisions a new Hill East Waterfront that is truly sustainable. As stated in the RFEI, goals of the Master Plan for the site include “[creating] a model for sustainable infrastructure development.”

We approve of the city government’s wish to take maximum advantage of the huge opportunity that redevelopment of such a large parcel represents.  As the nation’s capital, the District of Columbia should be on the cutting edge of all development and building techniques and set an example for the rest of the nation.  The coming green building revolution should not be an exception. HDG’s approach to the sustainability challenge is world-class and sets its proposal apart.

HDG has partnered with One Planet Communities to learn from that organization’s extensive international experience.  HDG proposes to go far beyond requiring LEED certifications for new buildings.  HDG is aiming for zero-carbon and zero-waste.  HDG has already put a great deal of thought into making it easier for residents to live a green lifestyle.  The inclusion of car sharing sites, community gardens, a power plant, an education center, a bicycling commuting center, and a farmer’s marker are just some of the evidence that the HDG team understands sustainable neighborhood development principles.

·        Benefits to the community and commitment to community involvement.   In addition to the many benefits to the community discussed above, community benefits of the HDG plan include affordable housing, job creation, opportunities for local businesses, neighborhood-serving retail, open space for recreational activities, and a health center run by the well-respected D.C. Primary Care Association.  In addition, a density level that is more compatible with the existing neighborhood would benefit the surrounding community by reducing adverse impacts such as increased traffic.

Finally, we are deeply impressed by HDG’s commitment to incorporating the views of the community into its development plan. While formulating their RFEI response, HDG solicited input from local ANC members and other community representatives.  The plan itself proves that HDG has been listening closely to the wishes that have been expressed by the community over the last 8 years.  HDG partners EYA and Abdo also exhibited respect for community views when they redeveloped Bryan School.  Throughout the planning and construction process, the two builders consulted with neighbors.  This history, as well as HDG’s detailed plan for ongoing community involvement, suggests to us that HDG will continue to solicit and respond to the input of the community as the Hill East Waterfront redevelopment moves forward.

For these reasons, we strongly urge you to select HDG Waterfront Partners LLC as the Master Developer for the site.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the responses to the Hill East Waterfront RFEI. We look forward to continuing to work closely with the city and the site developers as the project progresses to ensure that the community continues to play an integral role in shaping this exciting addition to the city.

Sincerely,  Alaine Perry, President

Hill East Waterfront Action Network

Indigo Engineering Support Sustainabilty Plan

I wanted to express my full support of the HDG Waterfront Partner’s Plan.  I myself work as a Green Building and Sustainability Consultant in Washington, DC, and reading through this plan shows the tremendous opportunity I see for Hill East to really set the bar for sustainability in the Washington, DC area as well as the USA.  The One Planet Community framework is great and needs to be applied to more projects.

As much as new development projects are doing these days to become more sustainable, there are still few projects that have fully embraced the concept of sustainability and aren’t just scratching the surface of what we can really accomplish.  This plan truly looks at all aspects of a sustainable community and provides an outline for the future of Washington DC. It is well thought out and highlights many of the key aspects of a sustainable community from jobs to food sources to transportation.

My one comment that I feel is extremely important when the Hill East project is developed would be that there needs to be a strong focus on not making this development into yet another project that gentrifies an area and doesn’t involve the existing community of people who already live, work, and play in the project area. Too often I see developments that are fairly sustainable in most senses create a homogeneous environment of people that can afford to be there and the place loses its sense of history and unique character. Please make a commitment to making this project all inclusive for everybody to enjoy and make sure that social equity and environmental justice are just as large a part of this project as any other aspect will be. I would love to see a lot of the work for this project go to Washington DC based residents and businesses because it would make a statement about the importance of local community.

I would also suggest trying to make at least one of the buildings in the development a Living Building since there currently aren’t any buildings in Washington DC that have met the Living Building Challenge. It would be great to show everyone that creating Living Buildings are possible and would emphasis the commitment to sustainability for the project. Perhaps the Educational Facility mentioned in the plan could be this building since it’s inherent message is to teach about sustainability.

If there is anything I can do to help with the project, or my company, Indigo Engineering Group, can do please let me know. We are a Certified Business Enterprise and Disadvantaged Business Enterprise in the District of Columbia.

Thank you for your vision and your efforts, and I look forward to seeing what develops from the Hill East Development Project.

Dan Triman, LEED AP, CSBA, EIT
Green Engineer
Indigo Engineering Group, LLC
1730 M St., NW , Suite 1030

Washington, DC 20036
202-355-9030 (office)
202-355-9031(fax)
410-300-0360 (cell)

http://www.indigoengineering.com

Existing Hill East Residents Support HDG Plan

Of the competing plans for the development of the Hill East Waterfront,
I like the HDG Waterfront Partners plan the best. I believe it is most
in keeping with the low-density character of Hill East’s tree-lined
streets of 2 and 3 story rowhouses. I especially like the Lincoln Park
like park in the middle of the HDG street grid.

As the son of a mechanical engineer, I would often ponder my dad’s
renderings on the big drawing board in his study. I did my best to
understand the architectual renderings in the power point presentations
of the competing plans at the meeting at St. Coletta’s last December.
But I have to admit I don’t have the temperment or training of an
engineer or an architect.

For me the best advertisement for the HDG plan is Bryan Square on the
1300 blocks of South Carolina and Independence Avenues by EYA, one of
the HDG partners. EYA held meetings with neighbors and listened to our
concerns. Most importantly, Bryan Square has the feel of Hill East. I
know because I walk along South Carolina Avenue 5 or 6 days a week. I
also know what it feels like to live near two condo projects by Macy
Development at 15th & C St., SE. The Macy condos give me a bad feeling
every day. The Macy condos do not fit into the character of Hill East,
and Macy has repeatedly made it clear it doesn’t give a damn about what
the neighbors think.

So, for what my nonexpert opinion is worth, I am going to go with my
feelings about the importance remaining true to the character of Hill
East. I am for the HDG Waterfront Partners plan.

Jack Colhoun
1400 block of C St., SE

HEWaterfront Neighbors Blog: Neighbor comment supports tree lined streets & low density

Posted by Pat Taylor 3xx 17th St. SE on HEWaterfront Neighbors Blog  on January 22

Most important in HEWaterfront development?I love the Hill East neighborhood’s low-density, tree-lined streets of 2- and 3-story rowhouses, and fear our neighborhood could be overwhelmed by high density, high-rise development of the Hill East Waterfront. For this reason, I strongly favor the developer proposal that comes closest to extending our neighborhood’s design into the Hill East Waterfront. This is the proposal of the HDG Development Group.

 

—- HDG would build only 3 million sq. ft. of the permitted 5 million sq. ft. The other two full development proposals would build the full 5 million sq. ft. allowed. Go down on M St. SE, by the new ballpark and look at the new blocks of 8-story high apartment/condo buildings. That is what we will get with 5 million sq. ft. of space. —- HDG Development Group would devote most of its construction — 2/3’s of building — to residential units, which would be an extension of our residential neighborhood. Also it would build more 3- and 4-story townhouse and low-rise condos than the other two development groups.