Gompers Park to Improve Using Community Benefit Funds from Developer

Brad Reichard of the Friends of Gompers Park told Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle on February 4 that developer-financed renovation of the park is proceeding. However, he noted some difficulties in getting the promised funds from the developer.

Statue of Gompers in the park (photo credit below)

Gompers Park is located at intersection of 10th Street, L Street, and Massachusetts Avenue, in front of the Morrison-Clark Inn (1015 L Street NW).

Friends of Gompers Park should receive a one-time payment of $20,000 from the developer Quadrangle Development according to the terms of a community benefits package -- see SALM blog post of January 8. This payment is part of the terms of a Planned Unit Development (PUD), in which Quadrangle Development agreed to make payments to local development groups in return for relief from certain DC zoning requirements. The zoning relief will allow Quadrangle to build hotels and housing at the corner of 9th and L Streets, one block from the park.

The Friends of Gompers Park had been in discussion with the National Park Service, Reichard said, about beginning work on an "aggressive planting program", as well as thinning out existing trees, removing garbage cans, and improving street lighting on the L Street side of the park.

Although the $20,000 payment is supposed to be ready to access, Reichard indicated he was having difficulty doing so. ANC2F Chair John Fanning (Commissioner for district 04) and Sherri Kimbel, Director of Constituent Services in the office of DC Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward One), told Reichard that, under the terms of the PUD, Quadrangle Development cannot dictate where money is supposed to go or demand documents like invoices. Fanning and Kimbel also told Reichard that, if he continued to have trouble accessing the PUD money, they would be happy to help in their dealings with Quadrangle Development.

The discussion of the park improvement is mentioned in the summary of February 4 meeting on ANC2F's website here.

A diagram showing the proposed improvements is available here.

(photo credit: 2008 photo by AgnosticPreachersKid/Wikipedia)

Morrison-Clark Asks for 15-minute Parking Spaces

The Morrison-Clark Inn (1015 L Street NW) is asking that two parking spaces on its L Street be converted to 15-minute loading zones for customers. The entrance to the Inn will move from the 11th Street side to the L Street side after current renovations and construction are complete. The new spaces will be in front of the planned entrance.

Renovations on L Street Side of Morrison-Clark

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2F/Logan endorsed this request without stipulation. The request will now go to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for approval.

There are currently two spaces on the 11th Street side of the Morrison-Clark that are marked as 15-minute loading zones. ANC2F will write a separate letter to the DDOT asking that these spaces be returned to metered parking in return for the two spaces on L Street.

Gene Weissman of Architecture, Inc. made the presentation to the ANC. He said all permits were in place for the project except this one.

A neighbor asked why the residents of the surrounding area did not receive notification of the hearing. ANC Commissioner Greg Melcher (district 06) explained normal DDOT procedure is to notify the ANC only, which DDOT did. Public notice is not required.

Melcher's district includes the Morrison-Clark and surroundings.

Some neighbors who are unhappy about other aspects of the renovation used this opportunity to express their displeasure. Neighbors said they had never seen an amended set of plans for the renovation, and they still don't know how tall the finished buildings will be.

The vote in favor of the two 15-minute spaces was unanimous, 8-0.