Soldiers Home update 12/4

[from Sandy H.]

The final hearing on the Armed Forces Retirement Home Master Plan before the National Capital Planning Commission is Dec. 6 [Ed. note - this has changed, see comments]. Once NCPC approves this Master Plan it will govern development on the Home's property. These plans can be revisited, but usually that's done only once every 10 to 15 years. So this hearing is effectively the last chance in the planning process to do anything on this issue. After that it would require the Home reopening the matter by doing a new plan, someone suing the Home over the proposed development, or NPS or the city coming forward to purchase land from the Home. 

All that said, I frankly do not see that there is much that community members' words will do at this point. It's important that the community understand that the Home's final Master Plan does not include the park plan that many of us have been pushing for and that is in the District, but not the Federal, land use plan. That means we will not be getting that long strip of park connecting down to the McMillan Reservoir. 

They'll also want to know that the development proposed, while smaller in scale and better designed than the original proposal, is still very large - I don't have time to look it up, but I'm recalling over something like 6.2 million square feet of 3 to 8 story buildings, 8000 new parking places, with 550 units (550 parking places) in townhomes north of Quebec and west of the golf course. According to urban planning staff we've spoken to the original "plan" was not really designed/planned. It was basically the largest possible boxes placed throughout the area around the golf course. Even the NCPC said it was ridiculously massive. So to say the development is smaller in area than the original plan seems to me to be a little bit of a false comparison.

There's also a final EIS on the AFRH website.

Comments

[Bill C.]

Here's a note I just got from the Planning Commission... B.

*****

I am the Communications Specialist for the National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) and saw the recent posting on your site concerning the “final hearing on the Armed Forces Retirement Home Master Plan scheduled for our December 6, 2007 Commission Meeting.” Unfortunately, the review of the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) Master Plan is not scheduled for our December meeting. The AFRH expects to submit the Master Plan to NCPC this month. If we receive the AFRH Master Plan submission this month, it will likely be on the February 2008 agenda. Once we receive the submission, it is available for public review.

Please notify your readers that the AFRH Master Plan is not on the December 6 agenda, and to please check our website regularly for agendas and updates on Commission Meetings at www.ncpc.gov. You can also find instructions for public participation at Commission Meetings on our website.

I have included below a link to the final agenda for the December 6 meeting and instructions for how to sign up to receive email alerts for meeting agendas.

December 2007 Meeting Agenda
http://www.ncpc.gov/meetings/pg.asp?p=finalagendadecember2007

If you wish to be added to the agency's mailing list to receive tentative agenda items, the final agenda and/or publications, please contact [email protected].

I thank in advance for your attention to this matter and for your interest in projects impacting your community.

Sincerely,

Athena Hernandez
Communications Specialist
National Capital Planning Commission

[Sandy Hoffmann]

Just a note -- I just got a call back from NCPC staff. NCPC will NOT be considering the AFRH Master Plan tomorrow. NCPC is not sure when they will be considering it.

Also, the plan does include a bike path that winds around the development down to Irving and then along Irving to 1st. NW. It looks like it will cross a couple of roads in getting there.