BEFORE THE PUBLIC SPACE COMMITTEE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Application of PN Hoffman, Inc. May 18, 2016 CONCEPT REVIEW 1800 COLUMBIA ROAD NW

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1 BEFORE THE PUBLIC SPACE COMMITTEE OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Application of PN Hoffman, Inc. May 18, 2016 I. Introduction CONCEPT REVIEW 1800 COLUMBIA ROAD NW STATEMENT OF THE APPLICANT This is the application of PN Hoffman, Inc. ( Applicant ) for concept review of public space improvements related to the proposed redevelopment of 1800 Columbia Road NW. The proposed improvements will facilitate the redevelopment of property located at an important intersection in the heart of Adams Morgan into a manner that will improve pedestrian safety and enhance the public realm surrounding the site. II. Background and Existing Conditions The property that is the subject of this application is located on Lot 78 in Square 2551 ( Property ). The Property is located in the Adams Morgan neighborhood at the intersection of Columbia Road, Adams Mill Road, and 18 th Street NW. The Property is triangular in shape. A 16.5-foot building restriction line runs along Columbia Road. The southwestern corner of the Property is bounded by a public alley with a minimum width of 10 feet that runs east-west from Columbia Road to the center of the square, where it intersects with a 15-foot wide north-south alley. The Property is currently improved with a bank and underground parking. The Property currently contains two curb cuts on 18 th Street and one curb cut on Columbia Road one curb cut on 18 th Street provides access to underground parking, and the remaining curb cuts create a private driveway connecting 18 th Street to Columbia Road. The private driveway runs parallel and adjacent to the alley, and was previously used as a drive-through for the bank. The Property slopes downward approximately 7 feet from west to east. III. Project Description The public space improvements are sought in connection with the Applicant s proposed redevelopment of an existing bank into a new mixed-use building containing an apartment building, ground-floor retail development, and approximately 32 underground parking spaces ( Project ). The Project will be set back from the intersection of 18 th Street, Adams Mill Road, and Columbia Road in order to maintain a pedestrian plaza at the intersection. As a result, the building has been pushed southward so that it is adjacent to the alley and property line. The proposed public space improvements include (a) widening of the alley along Columbia Road, (b)

2 a curb cut on 18 th Street to accommodate parking access to the Project, (c) vaults located within the public alley at the rear of the Project, and (d) a twelve-foot setback for an underground vault for parking located within a building restriction area. IV. Site Access The Applicant proposes to locate loading access to the Project from the existing alley system. To facilitate service and delivery access, the Applicant will set back the ground floor of the Project along the existing public alley, in order to virtually widen the east-west portion of the alley to a minimum of 15 feet. As shown on the truck turning diagrams included in the application, 20-foot and 30-foot long trucks will be able to access the Project s loading area front-in, front-out. The widened alley will also improve access for other vehicles that use the alley system in the square. The Applicant proposes to locate parking access to the Project s underground garage from a 16 foot-wide curb cut on 18 th Street. From a site planning and project design perspective, 18 th Street is the most appropriate location to place access to underground parking. The main entrance to the apartment building and, therefore, the ground floor of the Project have been located on Columbia Road. The elevation on 18 th Street is approximately 7 feet lower that the elevation along Columbia Road, which allows the parking ramp to begin its descent already lower than the building s ground floor. Given the relatively narrow site width, this allows the ramp to reach the garage level without too steep an incline. As shown on the drawings included in the application package, the Applicant studied locating parking access off the public alley, but concluded neither option was workable. Both alley access options create significant narrow and unleasable space along the ground floor of the Project adjacent to the parking ramp, which will create a dead zone along the adjacent public realm. Furthermore, the location and height of the parking ramp will adversely impact the remaining retail space by bifurcating it into smaller spaces located at different heights. Finally, because the alley is located at the same grade as the main level of the proposed building, the narrowness of the site would require relatively steep parking ramp slopes in order to reach the garage level. The parking garage only contains 32 parking spaces, which will result in very few trips in and out of the garage. Conflicts with pedestrians will be minimal, particularly since peak pedestrian times along 18 th Street do not correspond with peak times for vehicle trips from a residential building. The proposed curb cut is only 16 feet wide, which will channel vehicular traffic in and out of the garage and further reduce potential pedestrian conflicts. V. Vaults

3 The Project s utility vaults are proposed to be located within the public alley, adjacent to the Property. This location represents the only feasible location for vaults given the balance of urban design goals (which encourage building out the streetwall to the building restriction line along Columbia Road and property line along 18 th Street) and community goals (which desired the public plaza at the northern end of the Project, thereby pushing the building south to the property line along the alley). The plaza at the northern end of the property would represent a poor location given high levels of pedestrian and vehicular traffic at the intersection. VI. Projections As shown on the projections plan, the building design features certain projections into public space. (For purposes of this analysis, the building restriction area is treated as public space.) The above-ground bay window projections are permitted under and comply with the requirements of the Building Code. The below-ground vault projection into the building restriction area is for vehicular parking, which is also generally permitted under the Building Code and the Zoning Regulations. However, the proposed vault space is set back 12 feet, instead of 15 feet, from the curb line. Under Section of the Building Code, projections along streets wider than 90 feet are required to be set back a minimum of 15 feet from the curb. Columbia Road is 68 feet wide and contains two 16.5-foot wide building restriction areas, for a total width of 100 feet. Accordingly, projections along Columbia Road must be set back 15 feet. Assuming arguendo that this requirement applies to projections below ground as well as above-ground, the proposed 12-foot setback from the curb does not comply and will require approval of a modification of the code requirements for projections pursuant to Section of the Building Code. Here, the Applicant has set the edge of the underground parking garage at the proposed location in order to strike a balance between a relatively efficient and appropriate layout for the underground garage and adequate space within the building restriction area to accommodate pedestrian infrastructure. The additional three feet of width within the garage level accommodates better drive aisles and turning radii for vehicles turning around the sharp triangular corner of the garage. The additional width also creates more generous space around the building core, which can be used to accommodate additional parking spaces, building storage, and internal building needs. The twelve-foot setback from the curb still provides ample space for tree boxes and stormwater improvements in the public realm that project below the surface of the sidewalk, as well as space for underground utilities. Indeed, because of the change in grade across the site, the sidewalk along Columbia Road is located 4-5 feet above the parking garage, which means that for the first 4-5 feet of depth, the Project does provide the full required setback. This creates a notch within the building that could be used to accommodate additional underground utilities, if needed in the future and unable to be accommodated within the 12 feet of unencumbered width between the curb and the garage

4 Given the building restriction line and the voluntary setback for the plaza at the intersection, which combine to reduce the effective footprint of the Applicant s property by more than 20%, the proposed 3-foot extension of one story of underground vault space represents a reasonable balance of public space and private interests. Columbia Road will still maintain a total right of way width of 100 feet above grade, and a corresponding width of 97 feet below grade. This is more than sufficient to accommodate any public right-of-way needs in the future. VII. Conclusion For the reasons set forth above, the Applicant requests that the Committee approve the concept for the proposed site access, vaults, and projections. Respectfully submitted, /s/ David Avitabile Goulston & Storrs

5 CAUTION!! MISS UTILITY GENERAL NOTES: UNDERGROUND UTILITY RECORDS SHOWN: PS-1 EXISTING CONDITIONS PLAN 1800 COLUMBIA ROAD NW PUBLIC SPACE IMPROVEMENTS

6 CAUTION!! MISS UTILITY PS-2 EROSION AND SEDIMENT CONTROL PLAN - RAZE 1800 COLUMBIA ROAD NW PUBLIC SPACE IMPROVEMENTS

7 CAUTION!! MISS UTILITY PS-3 PUBLIC SPACE SITE PLAN 1800 COLUMBIA ROAD NW PUBLIC SPACE IMPROVEMENTS

8 PS-4 SITE DETAILS 1800 COLUMBIA ROAD NW PUBLIC SPACE IMPROVEMENTS

9 (US ) SU -30 TO AA SH Colu mbi a Ro ad Biltmore Street 15.0' 4.3' 49.8' SSU U ' 0 ) SU-311 (US 11 (U S) S U (U S) 0 ) SU-3 11 (US 10.0' 16.0' 12.5' Str 18th S) eet SU (U S) SU (U 15.0' SU (US) TO 0 S) SU-3 (U ' 13.5' SH 0 S) (U SU AA AA SU SH TO (US ) SU-30 SU (US) 11 (US) 15.5' -30 SU 2011 (US TO SU (U S) ) Belmont Road 0' 30' 60' 1" = 60' 120' Loading Access: 30' Trucks via Alley (wide view) 1800 Columbia Road NW Design Vehicle: TO SU-30 Adams Morgan, Washington, DC Base Plans dated " = 60' 1

10 AA SU SH TO (US ) Colu mbi a Ro ad Biltmore Street 15.0' 4.3' 49.8' 0 SU (US) TO S U (U S) 21.8' SU (US ) SU-3101 (US) 10.0' 16.0' 12.5' 18th 1 S) t Stree TO 2 0 SU (U 15.0' 0' 15' 30' 1" = 30' 60' Loading Access: 30' Trucks via Alley (commercial berth) 1800 Columbia Road NW Design Vehicle: TO SU-30 Adams Morgan, Washington, DC Base Plans dated " = 30' 2

11 AA SU SH TO (US ) Colu mbi a Ro ad Biltmore Street 15.0' 4.3' 49.8' SU (US) S U (U S) 21.8' TO SU (US ) SU (US) TO 10.0' 16.0' 12.5' 18th 1 S) t Stree TO 2 0 SU (U 15.0' 0' 15' 30' 1" = 30' 60' Loading Access: 30' Trucks via Alley (residential berth) 1800 Columbia Road NW Design Vehicle: TO SU-30 Adams Morgan, Washington, DC Base Plans dated " = 30' 3

12 CAUTION!! MISS UTILITY PS-3 TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN 1800 COLUMBIA ROAD NW PUBLIC SPACE IMPROVEMENTS

13 ALTERNATIVE SITE PLAN EXPLORATION - A - ALLEY DRIVEWAY WEST OF CORE. REJECTED / COMPROMISES RETAIL SPACE TOO MUCH, AND WOULD FORCE AN EXTRA 1/2 GARAGE LEVEL FOR THE SAME QUANTITY OF SPACES st PLAN WEST ALLEY DRIVEWAY 18% SLOPE W 1st 18%

14 ALTERNATIVE GARAGE PLAN EXPLORATION - A - ALLEY DRIVEWAY WEST OF CORE. REJECTED / COMPROMISES RETAIL SPACE TOO MUCH, AND WOULD FORCE AN EXTRA 1/2 GARAGE LEVEL FOR THE SAME QUANTITY OF SPACES P1 PLAN WEST ALLEY DRIVEWAY 18% SLOPE W P1 18%

15 ALTERNATIVE GARAGE PLAN EXPLORATION - A - ALLEY DRIVEWAY WEST OF CORE. REJECTED / COMPROMISES RETAIL SPACE TOO MUCH, AND WOULD FORCE AN EXTRA 1/2 GARAGE LEVEL FOR THE SAME QUANTITY OF SPACES P2 PLAN WEST ALLEY DRIVEWAY 18% SLOPE W P2 18%

16 ALTERNATIVE SITE PLAN EXPLORATION - B - ALLEY DRIVEWAY EAST OF CORE. REJECTED / COMPROMISES RETAIL SPACE TOO MUCH, AND WOULD FORCE AN EXTRA 1/2 GARAGE LEVEL FOR THE SAME QUANTITY OF SPACES st PLAN EAST ALLEY DRIVEWAY 18% SLOPE E 1st 18%

17 Alley Entrance at Columbia Road NW Driveway Entrance at 18 th Street NW

18 Site Photo