Jack Lester and Bob Youngentaub of EYA presented the modified concept plan for the Takoma Metro Development. (Power Point presentation attached.)
Jack Lester noted that the plan as approved by the WMATA Board consisted of 86 townhomes, a .95 acre village green, 10 bus bays and two layover bays, a structured parking garage, two entrances off of Eastern Avenue and one off of Cedar Street, leading into a roundabout.
He described the modified plan as having the same size village green (.95 acre), 82 townhomes, and two additional bus layover bays. The residential traffic would be separated from WMATA traffic. He said the plan simplifies the car access for residents of the site. Mr. Lester described changes to the sidewalks and crossings. He said a kiss and ride shelter had been added and the handicapped drop off had been improved. Total off street and on street parking remained basically the same, going from 161 to 162 parking spaces.
Mr. Williams asked about the vehicle movement on the site.
Mr. Lester said those buses that currently use Eastern Avenue would continue to do so. Commuters using the garage would access the garage from Eastern Avenue, with signage that did not allow them to continue to the circle.
Mr. Williams asked about pedestrian access at the circle.
Mr. Youngentaub indicated that because car access would be prohibited in the circle, the fence to prevent passenger drop off would no longer be necessary.
Mr. Seamens commented on constituents that have diminished physical capabilities. They would have to cross bus lanes and proceed quite a distance for pick up or drop off.
Mr. Lester said that there is a handicapped drop off in the garage.
Mr. Seamens questioned that the number of bus bays would be sufficient.
Mr. Lester said the experts have consistently said that 10 bus bays and two layover bays would meet their future needs. The future transit capacity would be at Takoma Langley and Silver Spring transit centers.
Mr. Snipper noted that he used the bus to and from the Takoma Metro station. He observed that there would be barely enough room for buses to pass in the event of a bus breakdown. Insertion of a fixed median would make it quite difficult for a bus to go around another bus.
Mr. Lester said they had worked closely with WMATA and Ride On in designing the bus area. He said he would confirm that the space was sufficient. Widening the bus area would mean taking space from the green area.
Mr. Snipper asked about the advisability of two car garages for the townhouses.
Mr. Youngentaub said that the ADUs (affordable dwelling units) have parking for one car. Other townhouses have the option of additional living space instead of the second garage parking space. He said it was a function of what the market demands.
Mr. Wright questioned the options for handicapped individuals to access the station. He asked if handicapped passengers were dropped off, wouldn’t the distance they traverse be longer than with the current station.
Mr. Seamens asked for confirmation as to the number of bikes that could be accommodated by the plan.
In response to questions from Mr. Wright, Mr. Lester said he believed there were 123 parking spaces in the parking structure and 39 spaces on the street, metered as they are today. He said he did not anticipate visitor parking to the townhouses to compete with Metro parking during the evening and weekend hours.
Mr. Williams asked for clarification about the live work units.
Mr. Lester said the design was changed slightly, but the number of units remained the same.
Mr. Lester confirmed that there was no change to the amount of space on the plaza area by the entrance, but the bus shelters were moved back against the retaining wall to provide greater sidewalk width between the buses and the bus shelters.
Mr. Snipper questioned that the bus circulation would work well on the site.
Mr. Lester said the WMATA and Ride On engineers had studied it and were comfortable that the station would work for them.
Mr. Wright noted that experts can be wrong, pointing to the recent financial system meltdown.
Mr. Wright asked if the project would remain viable if the price in the sales contract were higher.
Mr. Lester said the project was marginal at best, for both sides. He said the project would probably be better off if the price in the contract were a million and a half dollars less.
The Council then heard public comments.
Jim DiLuigi, 13th Avenue, said he was an architect with a background in transportation planning and accessibility. He asked about the outside diameter of the turnaround space for a WMATA transit vehicle in the parking garage. He questioned that the space was sufficient. Mr. DiLuigi said the distance of travel for people with disabilities to reach the station (buses, transit, personal drop off) was greatly increased. Mr. DiLuigi also noted the number of units with no green space and the number of units which would have a bus passing by every few minutes.
Sara Greene, ANC 4B01, said that she found it bizarre to hear that the project was marginal for both sides. She said the flexibility for the future and the green space were being given up for a marginal project.
Megan Scribner said she had walked the site with a measuring tape to evaluate the new plan. She commented on the narrowness of the space for busses to pass by other busses. She also expressed concern about the entrance to the Metro from Eastern Avenue. She noted the narrowness of Eastern Avenue to accommodate the passage and turning radius needed under the new plan. Ms. Scribner also commented on the lack of space between some of the townhouses and the roadway.
Diana ____, noted the glut of housing around the Metro at this time and the plummeting housing prices. She questioned that there would be demand for the townhouses. She showed a drawing which illustrated the loss of green space at the site.
Peter Fieden, Eastern Avenue, expressed concern about the detrimental impact on the neighborhood. He asked if any effort had been made to mitigate the impact on the residents of Eastern Avenue where there is no parking lane and no buffer from the sidewalk to the street. Mr. Fieden asked about the buffer between the apartments and the Metro. He also asked if any though was given to preserving the mature oak trees.
Mr. Lester indicated that although increasing the size of the sidewalk would be a good idea, it was an issue for the District of Columbia Department of Transportation. In response to the next question, he said the buffer would be approximately 45 feet from the apartment building to the roadway. Finally, Mr. Lester said he had not given any thought as to preserving the oak trees.
Vanessa Dixon asked a number of questions about the impact of the plan and the role of the City Council in the process.
Mr. Lester said EYA was seeking the support of the City Council and the larger community. He said the City had been given standing in the DC zoning process.
Mr. Youngentaub noted that the process had been going on for eight or nine years. He said that the WMATA Board had already approved the previous plan, but had asked EYA to make a good faith effort to address concerns about pedestrian safety and access for those with disabilities. He said that buy in would be nice, but EYA had come to inform the community about the proposed changes to the plan. He said they would go forward with the approved plan if the community did not wish to move forward with the alternative plan.
In response to questions from Ms. Dixon, Mr. Youngentaub recognized the difference of opinion on future needs of the station, but said he had relied on the experts at WMATA and Ride On.
Sabrina Baron, President of Historic Takoma Inc., said that the plan is not right for this community and would bring suburban sprawl. Ms. Baron said that representatives of Historic Takoma had offered to meet with the developers on the issue but their request was not entertained; rather EYA had chosen to meet with elected officials only. Ms. Baron said there has been no substantive addressing of the concerns of the community. She asked why the project was going forward if it is marginal for everyone and wrong for the community.
_____, said he lived next to the parking garage. He asked for clarification on ingress and egress from the site and whether it would be one way traffic. He commented that it would make more sense to enter at Eastern and exit by Carroll Avenue to avoid creating congestion.
Faith Wheeler, ANC4B02, said her constituents are impacted by the proposal. She said that the 2003 transit study is out of date. She commented on the needs of the Metrorail system and its lack of opportunity for growth. Ms. Wheeler pointed to the need for expansion in transit to accommodate population growth. She commented on the reduction in onsite parking. She noted the number of parking spaces lost in the two-block area around the Metro which would create the need for additional parking or public transportation to the site. Ms. Wheeler also commented on the climate change issue.
Eileen Sobeck, Carroll Avenue, commented that the marginal changes made to the plan were not substantive enough to comment upon. She said the changes did not address the fundamental concerns of the community. She said the project is not in the community’s best interest. She noted that you cannot regain the green space or space for more bus bays once the townhouses are sold.
Brian Robinson, said the entire layout of the plan was ossified. He said the development would take advantage of property values being higher next to transit, but was not transit oriented development. He commented on the village green area bounded by bus bays and isolated live work units by the 7-11 dumpster. He urged EYA to work with the community to find a better way to work with the site.
Catherine Tunis, Chair of the Committee on the Environment, said that the Committee had taken a position in opposition to the development. She said that it is not transit oriented development, two car garages are wrong for the site, large houses encourage energy waste, and it is inappropriate to pave over so much of the site. She urged that the project be withdrawn.
Christine Simpson, said she believed the plan is too congested for the site. She noted that they would need to plan for where to put snow on the site. She asked that existing parking spaces on the site not be used in calculating the number of spaces in the plan. She expressed concern about the circle and noted that she believed cars would enter the circle anyway since it would bring them closer to the elevator. Ms. Simpson also expressed concern about the bus bays.
Seth Grimes, 7300 Willow Avenue, commented that he did not believe that the transit experts were looking are proposed changes in the area such as development of New Hampshire Avenue and relocation of Washington Adventist Hospital. Mr. Grimes said WMATA’s processes were deeply flawed early on and had been changed since this process had begun. He recognized that the plan was developed under the early process. He urged EYA to redesign the plan and include underground parking at the site or prove that it would not be economically viable to do so. He noted the costs the project would incur on the community.
Larry Gold, Baltimore Avenue, commented that two car garages for the townhouses represent a fundamental misunderstanding of the community and are based on the ideas of the past. He urged the developers to work with the community to plan a more forward looking development.
George French, Albany Avenue, asked for information on the number of trees on the site and asked how many would be saved.
Mr. Youngentaub responded that the saved trees were shown in the village green.
Mr. French questioned the parking plan.
___ Shugary, Ritchie Avenue, commented against the proposal.
Mr. Snipper asked for clarification on access to the kiss and ride for handicapped riders.
Mr. Williams noted that the Council is trying to address both tracks, to change both the icing and the cake. He said they wished the project was under the new joint development project rules. He said that the City was invited to a stakeholders meeting to explain its concerns. EYA had attempted to address the concerns raised and that was why they were invited to make their presentation to the Council.