The Foggy Bottom Current
Wednesday, November 22, 2017
Substation is designated as a landmark
Vol. XI, No. 49
Serving Foggy Bottom & the West End
ELLINGTON UNVEILING
Local shops to celebrate ‘Small Business Saturday’ ■ Businesses: Annual event
to offer discounts, giveaways
By GRACE BIRD
By GRACE BIRD
Despite a chorus of opposition from local representatives, Pepco’s Friendship Heights substation was unanimously voted a landmark last Thursday by the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board. Pepco is in the midst of a project to upgrade the substation. Company representatives said the designation would cause delays and increase the cost of the project, which is intended to modernize equipment and boost capacity. Critics of the landmark designation say the substation, located at 5210 Wisconsin Ave. NW and built in 1940, is blight on the neighborhood — a dead spot with bricked-over windows and a neglected appearance. But the Tenleytown Historical Society and the Art Deco Society of Washington successfully argued that the facility is historically significant. The groups say the substation reflects the area’s evolution from farmland into a bustling community in the decades before World War II. The property, designed in the art moderne style, was constructed to resemble a storefront, consistent with Pepco’s citywide policy of matching its substations with their surroundings. The board backed the landmark nomination based on the substation’s historical significance and original art deco facade, with members noting that its current appearance needs work. “I think one of the things that is really positive about what Pepco is doing here is they are looking to improve the current condition of the building,” board chair Marnique Heath said. “Designating this project is only going to allow for better improvements.” Susan Kimmel, chair of Ward 3 Vision, said her smart-growth group does not consider the substation worth of historic designation. “We were concerned about See Substation/Page 3
Stores and restaurants across D.C. are set to celebrate “Small Business Saturday” this week with discounts and giveaways, part of an annual event to encourage residents to shop locally. Held the first Saturday after Thanksgiving every year across the country, the event is overseen by American Express as a way to promote the local retailers that bolster communities. More than 70,000 small businesses currently operate in D.C., equating to 98.2 percent of the city’s total companies, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2014, that translated to 240,441 jobs in the District. Several Northwest business groups are participating in Saturday’s event, including organizations based in Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Tenleytown, Van Ness and Shaw. The Georgetown Business Improvement District plans to distribute 10 American Express gift
Current Staff Writer
Current Staff Writer
Brian Kapur/The Current
Ward 2 D.C. Council member Jack Evans joined other city officials on Friday to dedicate the renovated Duke Ellington Park in the West End. Upgrades to the small triangle park include various sustainability features. See story, page 3.
Brian Kapur/The Current
Georgetown’s Pizza Paradiso is taking part in the annual event.
cards worth $100 each for participating small businesses to provide as extra giveaways for lucky shoppers, according to Georgetown BID communications director Lauren Boston. “Each small business has its own unique story,” Boston told The Current. “They’re the heart of Georgetown at the end of the day.” Nearly 30 small businesses in Georgetown have signed up to participate Saturday, offering discounts and freebies to shoppers. District Doughnut, located at 3327 Cady’s Alley NW, plans to give away “funfetti” doughnut bites; Pizza Paradiso at 3282 M St. NW is set to sell $4 draft beers, $6 glasses of wine and various discounted food items; farm-to-taco restaurant Chaia, located at 3207 See Business/Page 19
Residents may try to pursue custom zoning for Burleith By ZOE MORGAN Current Correspondent
Burleith residents are considering the possibility of requesting new custom zoning to help manage rapid development in the neighborhood. The Burleith Citizens Association began preliminary discussions by inviting local experts to discuss zoning options with the community last month. Joel Lawson of the D.C. Office of Planning discussed the District’s custom zones, in which specific building restrictions are implemented in a particular neighborhood. Burleith falls within an existing custom zone, R-20, which was developed with neighboring Georgetown in mind. This zone’s 35-foot height limit for new buildings is stricter than the normal 40 feet, among other modifications. “Custom zoning is nothing more than zon-
Brian Kapur/Current file photo
Pop-ups, such as this one under construction last year, have sparked debate in Burleith.
ing that’s tailored to your specific neighborhood and tailed towards your wishes,” Lawson said. Throughout the Oct. 25 meeting, neighbors asked questions about what custom zoning is able to address. According to Lawson, zoning regulations can cover attributes including how
tall a structure is, how much of the property it can occupy and whether it can have commercial or residential uses. However, Lawson told community members that “zoning doesn’t regulate taste.” That kind of oversight would have to be done through a vehicle like a historic district — an avenue Burleith had been considering in recent years, though the citizens association backed off amid community concerns about onerous restrictions and reduced property rights. The Zoning Commission has the final say on any custom zone proposal. The changes can’t be inconsistent with the city’s Comprehensive Plan, the custom area must have clearly defined boundaries, the regulations should be easy to interpret, and the proposal needs “general, if not fairly overwhelming, neighborhood consensus,” Lawson said. “The Zoning Commission gets very nervous See Burleith/Page 19
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Holiday congestion reminds us of need for rush-hour traffic, parking enforcement / Page 6
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