Dear All:

Even as the ink dries on the County Board's approval of JBG's Central Place, the third Site Plan Review Committee (SPRC) for the other proposed Central Place Development, 1812 N. Moore, took place Monday evening. The proposal is for a 500-foot (above sea level) tower on what is now the site of the CACI building, just north of the metro station. The developer is also proposing to redo Moore Street (unclear how), effect cosmetic upgrades to the metro station and re-clad the VEPCO electrical substation at the north end of the block. The developer is proposing to obtain a LEEDS certification of Gold (the building would include wind or solar-powered components) and to have as part of the building a "Knowledge Center for Sustainability" using interactive displays and fancy billboard-style displays on the side of the building and power substation to present environmentally-themed public education

I have renderings that I will bring to Thursday's NRCA meeting and to the Highgate Annual Meeting on the 21st if you want to take a look at what is proposed, but in all likelihood the design will not be approved as currently proposed. For one thing, the current height amendment the County Board approved is for 490-feet above sea level, so the proposed tower is too tall, and it is too boxy -- virtually no tapering at all. Many people were concerned that it would block views from the observation deck of the JBG development, and indeed the building looms large. One person at the meeting described the building as a refrigerator wearing a hat. Another concern was to what extent the building could claim density from the VEPCO substation parcel. The parking ratios proposed were entirely unrealistic and one person suggested that parking be eliminated altogether because it was a "stupid waste of money and space" at the ratios proposed. He suggested the building be lowered and a $30 million contribution be made to the new metro elevators.

In sum, the commissioners were very critical of the building's fundamentals and, although some of them liked the environmental aspects of the proposal, there was concern that these elements were a gimmick. Some of them went so far as to suggest that the developer should by-pass SPRC altogether and go directly to the Planning Commission since there was no way this building would receive SPRC approval in its present configuration and the developers were just wasting everyone's time.

There were other minor issues mentioned in the 3 hour meeting, but they pale in respect to those mentioned above.

One additional discussion that bears mention relates to metro upgrades and skywalks. The proposed metro upgrades were seen to be mainly cosmetic and not addressing fundamental station needs such as improved access to Ft. Myer Drive. With regard to skywalks, some of the drawings failed to show the skywalk crossing Ft. Myer Drive, but this was an oversight -- there was no proposal to remove the skywalk. One of the commissioners wanted to know why preserving these skywalks was such a big issue -- she thought all of the skywalks were to come down -- but Cecilia Cassidy and I defended their utility to the community.

Jennifer