What a 350ft buffer around the Hoover Building looks like.

The FBI and the General Services Administration (GSA) are searching for a site to house a new consolidated FBI headquarters, to replace the much-maligned Hoover Building location on Pennsylvania Ave NW in downtown DC.  Though it was recently announced that no sites in DC remain in consideration, there are a few who wonder why they don't just reuse the existing Hoover Building site.

One of the strong preferences the GSA is considering in site location is that the site would allow for a 350 foot "security buffer zone" surrounding the new headquarters building.  Though this is apparently not an outright requirement, the GSA and FBI have made mention that they strongly prefer sites that can offer such a buffer zone.

Below is what such a 350 foot buffer zone would look like if it surrounded the existing Hoover Building footprint:


Image by the author.  Click on the image for a larger version.

As you can see, such a buffer zone around the Hoover Building would seriously impact buildings on almost every block adjacent to the Hoover Building.  More notably, it would impact the IRS headquarters, the Justice Department, and especially the historic Ford's Theater.  It would also have a minor impact on the Navy Memorial.

From a transportation perspective, it would seriously impact E St NW, 9th St NW, and Pennsylvania Ave NW, all major streets in the DC core.

Huntington flood/redevelopment meeting tweets

Last night was the second in a recent series of meetings stemming from last Thursday's flooding of lower Huntington from Cameron Run and the huge rains we had from Tropical Storm Lee's leftovers.

Brian Krebs wrote a quick article for Patch about last night's meeting. I'm not (yet) going to do much of a writeup, but wanted to include tweets from during the meeting itself. Three people, Brian, myself, and someone going by 22303huntington live-tweeted the meeting. Though some topics are duplicated between Brian and I, this should give you a fairly good feel for how the meeting progressed and what got discussed. I will admit that, at the beginning, I expected the meeting to be more contentious than it wound up being. All in all, it was a very civil meeting with almost no tempers flaring.

Here's the tweets in chronological order, starting around 7pm and lasting until about 9:30pm. Beware that this is a very long list:

ajfroggie
Here for a Huntington community mtg related to last week's flood. (@ Mount Vernon Mount Vernon Governmental Center) http://4sq.com/pyurCx

ajfroggie
Expecting a contentious mtg tonite. Lots of #Huntington folks were flooded out last week. ABC7 is here.

ajfroggie
Hoping to see @BelleHavenPatch and @22303huntington here. Will live-tweet what I can given the crappy 3G svc in this bldg. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Laying the ground rules early. Sure sign that this'll be a contentious mtg. #Huntington

ajfroggie
According to NWS numbers, this was 1000yr storm at Ft Belvoir & 500yr storm at Kingstowne. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Mention of numerous water rescues in lower #Huntington last Thurs night.

ajfroggie
Asking about Spanish speaking firefighters and response times.

ajfroggie
Siren at end of Fenwick that either doesn't work, or wasn't activated. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Standing room only at the Mt Vernon Gov't Center meeting to discuss #Huntington flooding. Never seen the parking lot so packed.

ajfroggie
Still 19 power outages in lower #Huntington.

ajfroggie
#Huntington Community Ctr being used as staging point for aid.

BelleHavenPatch
Currently 19 homes w/o power in #Huntington: one on Fenwick Drive & the rest on Arlington Terrace, —Michael Guditus emergency mgmt office

ajfroggie
Lots of talk fm county on continuous trash collection, mosquito control, and health/safety issues. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Free fans to those 60+y.o. #Huntington

22303huntington
Mt. Vernon Comm Center #Huntington flood meeting right now http://yfrog.com/gyd15lqj

ajfroggie
Praise from some for the county's and Red Cross's response. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Supervisor Gerry Hyland just walked into #Huntington flood meeting, greeted with applause.

ajfroggie
Sup. Hyland now here. Time for the serious talk on what to do next. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
One source told Hyland parts of #Huntington had "1000-year storm"

ajfroggie
Hyland asked FFX BoS on Tues to add #Huntington to a stormwater bond. Would go to voters Nov. '12.

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland: Supervisors will discuss bond issue at retreat next year w/ new board and then budget session in April. Would be on ballot Nov. 2012

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland: "Even if the board were to authorize the bond, we are still not going to have protection" for at least another five years

ajfroggie
$30M to do a levee & pump station in #Huntington.

ajfroggie
Another option would be to redevelop lower #Huntington. Wld require changing Huntington Conservation Plan.

ajfroggie
Concern from Hyland that the Conservation Plan protects #Huntington from being "bought out" by developers.

22303huntington
Talking points from #Huntington meeting: Future? Give owners fair market value? Storm bond for levy in 5+ years? Lift conservation plan?

ajfroggie
Someone just asked about dredging Cameron Run. Hyland: wouldn't keep water out of #Huntington.

BelleHavenPatch
"Dredging Cameron outside of your community is not going to allow us to keep the water out of your community" —Hyland quoting Corps study

22303huntington
#Huntington meeting talking points: Dredging not an option in Huntington, but maybe from GW parkway, says hydrologist.

ajfroggie
hyland: #Huntington floods becausenthere is a huge developed watershed to the west. Too much water & not enough stormwater management.

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland blames Cameron Run flooding at #Huntington "too much water coming out of the properties to the west. ... It's a capacity problem."

ajfroggie
Levee was asked for after '06 flood. Needed 6 votes fm BoS. Didn't get voted on. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Hyland: levee needed. Moran tried but won't get Fed funding. Will need to be funded locally fm bonding. Won't come fm gen fund.

BelleHavenPatch
Here's the info from Army Corps of Engineer report on #Huntington, Cameron Run flooding on @FairfaxCounty site: http://ow.ly/6uKdq

22303huntington
Hyland says, only short term way to save the lower #Huntington community is to build a levy, at flood meeting

ajfroggie
Apparently a flood control study was done 40yrs ago. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Each watershed has been studied, but implementation would cost multi-millions. Hyland: we don't have the time to wait for that. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Hyland supports stormwater bond, but need to put pressure on other Sups. #Huntington

ajfroggie
All: sorry for the mass horde of tweets. Live-tweeting a mtg abt #Huntington flood issues after last week's mess.

ajfroggie
Flows on Cameron Run last week were similar to '06 flood. Causes backups on storm drains & into basements. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Question abt pushing both the levy and revising-or-dropping the Conservation Plan. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
The community can pursue both options, Hyland said, attempt to get bond for levee and remove conservation plan to promote redevelopment

ajfroggie
Concern that new homeowners would lose out if Conservation Plan lifted. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Question if Conservation Plan could be lifted by street instead of lifting the whole plan. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
A resident asked about the ramifications for new homeowners. "What is our financial viability in this?"

BelleHavenPatch
Same resident said he would be financially devastated if he got less than what he paid for home.

BelleHavenPatch
Gerry Hyland speaking to a packed house at #Huntington flood meeting at Mount Vernon Government Center. http://yfrog.com/nuxfncxj

22303huntington
@BelleHavenPatch Can you ask if they will post a site or email box for public comment, please?

ajfroggie
Discussion on backflow preventers. Some commenting that they've installed them for $75 and it really helped.

BelleHavenPatch
Talk of backflow drains and disagreement on prices—ranging from $75 to $1000

BelleHavenPatch
Multiple residents have commented on how much they love their community. Lots of residents I've talked to, don't want to move.

BelleHavenPatch
One resident said community needs to band together to lift conservation plan and could get good price for redevelopment

ajfroggie
Speaker doubting viability of getting the levee & proposing homeowners band together so when developers come, homeowners get the best deal.

ajfroggie
Hyland: if this area gets redeveloped, we'd do everything possible to reduce the number of cars. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland said he won't condemn any properties for residents that don't want it

ajfroggie
Gotta wonder if process of changing/dropping the Conservation Plan will increase attendence at #Huntington Community Association meetings.

ajfroggie
Hyand citing Kelo vs. New London in how he'll defend homeowners. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Question how community will vote on this. Hyland's response is it'll probably go through #Huntington Community Association.

BelleHavenPatch
One resident, representing the Huntington Community Association, said the real value for the community is the land they own, not the homes

BelleHavenPatch
HCA representative asked Hyland for "concurrent planning" for bond referendum and lifting conservation plan for commercial development

ajfroggie
Resident: what we need from Hyland is a real estate expert to help us determine how/whether Conservation Plan should be changed. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Same resident: second thing we need is lawyers to guide us through the legal ramifications. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Resident request for real estate, lawyers to assist community if they decide to redevelop #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
3 professions with least respect: politicians, lawyers & used car salesmen, Hyland said. He's done first 2 but wants to go for 'trifecta'

BelleHavenPatch
Re: last tweet, Hyland seems more laid back, relaxed tonight compared to Saturday's meeting. Cracking jokes and shedding his suit jacket.

BelleHavenPatch
County staff official warns community about 'hold outs' in redevelopment. Cites communities in Vienna and near Dulles.

ajfroggie
County zoning staff citing what was done near Vienna Metro as an example. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Candidate for Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Will Radle gets microphone to speak at meeting. #Huntington

ajfroggie
Candidate for County Chair is now speaking. Can't help but think he's speaking for votes. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
"We do have the resources," and should look forward to solutions for #Huntington, Radle said. Remarks met with brief, scattered applause.

ssurovell
At Gum Springs tonight with VDOT, FCDOT discussing US1, Sherwood Hall Ln, & doing something about traffic!

ajfroggie
HCA member now discussing the proposed Conservation Plan revisions that county never implemented. #Huntington

ajfroggie
@ssurovell Will you blog about that? Some of us next door w/Sup Hyland discussing Huntington flooding.

BelleHavenPatch
A developed #Huntington would include affordable dwelling units, Hyland said.

ajfroggie
Hyland: many in #Huntington here because they can afford it. If redevelopment happens, need to ensure there are plenty of affordable units.

ajfroggie
Hyland: higher than the current 12% set-aside. So that those who want to stay can afford to. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland: "A lot of people will want to stay, and we need to find away for them to do that." #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland: back flow preventers information should be available in "a couple days"

BelleHavenPatch
Every mention so far about the county's help with response, cleanup has been met with applause.

BelleHavenPatch
"I am going to be dogged to make sure I know how they feel." Hyland on residents who don't respond to outreach on route to take

ajfroggie
Lady speaking about defective storm drains and asking what county will do about them.

BelleHavenPatch
Important numbers: Gerry Hyland: 703.967.0157. Brett Kenney, Chief Aide to Hyland: 703.780.7518

BelleHavenPatch
One resident shares potential solutions for homeowners to mitigate flooding: raised furnaces and tankless water heaters

ajfroggie
Lady speaking for her father...concerned abt representation of seniors and "oldtimers" in the process. #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
One resident asks community to consider older, established residents, not just younger, new residents.

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland: Mount Vernon has largest % of seniors in Fairfax County of all magisterial districts.

ajfroggie
Speaker proposes dropping Conservation Plan & raisinf density immediately & allowing developers to landbank over time as residents sell out.

ajfroggie
Hyland disagrees, calls if "leapfrog development". #Huntington

BelleHavenPatch
Next: #Huntington Community Association meeting on Thursday, Oct. 6 invites Hyland and staff for more information and dialogue

BelleHavenPatch
HCA rep brings up Huntington Avenue development: "It seems to me that re-planning it seems in order"

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland asking #Huntington Community Association to create committee within to focus on redeveloping

BelleHavenPatch
Hyland said as many meetings that need to be will be "in order to involve as many as possible"

BelleHavenPatch
Future meetings will be held at Huntington Community Center, Hyland said.

BelleHavenPatch
@ajfroggie raises concern on the effect of transportation if Huntington's population density increases under redevelopment

ajfroggie
I mentioned the need to include transportation as a discussion point if dropping the Conservation Plan and increasing density is considered.

ajfroggie
http://twitpic.com/6l0d7t Scene from the #Huntington meeting hosted by Supervisor Hyland.

Density and traffic in the Beauregard corridor

Been lax in posting lately (yeah, yeah)...so I'll try to make up for it here with some happenings from last night's Alexandria Transportation Commission meeting.

A good chunk of the discussion centered on the Beauregard corridor plan. There's a general feeling from basically all parties involved (city staff, local residents, elected officials, etc etc) that transportation solutions for the corridor need to be found, funded, and built before the plan (and it's associated rezoning and redevelopment...up to 7.5 million square feet in some scenarios) can be implemented. The traffic issues with BRAC-133 at Mark Center are further complicating the matter. One commission member mentioned repeatedly that the upcoming traffic situation around Marc Center has reached "crisis level". Another commission member commented that the city can't ignore what's going on in adjacent jurisdictions, noting that development plans at Bailey's Crossroads, Skyline, and Shirlington, and specifically mentioning BRAC-related expansion at Ft. Belvoir, will all have an impact on traffic in the Beauregard corridor.

City staff will respond in part by studying lower levels of density and modeling traffic at the lower densities. But the whole matter has reached a point where two City Councilmembers have written a letter to the city asking city officials to delay plans for higher density in the Beauregard corridor until a "workable and viable transportation plan" can be devised and implemented.

What's interesting about this is that the previous topic at the meeting was focused on funding, and the generally dismal funding situation. Even if the city implements the Commercial Real Estate Tax to pay for transportation projects, the revenue from that wouldn't be enough to fully implement Beauregard area improvements, let alone needed improvements elsewhere in the city.

Getting more money is not looking good. VDOT has effectively said to not count on them. Thanks in part to Congress' inaction, the Federal spigot is running dry. And thanks in part to how the state of Virginia works (and the General Assembly in particular), the only avenues the city has available are the Commercial Real Estate Tax and regular property taxes.

The funding situation hasn't stopped the city from pressing on with planning, though. City staff have developed a preliminary list of "priority transportation projects" for discussion and input...projects that could be funded from the real-estate tax, and have separated them into two tiers. Tier One is all transit-related and focuses on the three proposed "high-capacity transit corridors" from the city's transportation master plan. It also includes the Landmark Transit Center and what has often been called the city's top transit priority: an extension of the Eisenhower Ave Metro platform and new station access on the north side of Eisenhower.

Tier Two includes additional transit projects, namely trolley service to Del Ray and expansion of DASH (with the goal of providing 15-minute headways). Also included are some Complete Streets projects and three bike-related projects: improvements to Holmes Run between Beauregard and Ripley St, a trail extension along Backlick Run continuing to the Fairfax County line, and a new trail between Eisenhower Ave/Mill Rd and South Payne St running along the old Cameron Run channel.

The city has also hired a consultant to study the three high-capacity transit corridors and and develop both more-refined corridors and recommend a specific mode (i.e. bus, BRT, streetcar, etc) for each corridor. The study has just kicked off, but some preliminary concepts are expected by the end of the year with the final report sometime next spring. Several commission members inquired about the public input process for the study. The response suggests that some workshops and public meetings at various points in the schedule were planned, but suggested to me that the public input part needs further thought.

The meeting rounded out with Kevin Posey being elected the new chairman. After the meeting, I discovered just how small of a world it is: one of the commission members has been reading my road posts on a Usenet group for over 10 years. Small world, indeed.

Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group meeting - February 4, 2010

Tonight was my first, but the group's last, Potomac Yard Planning Advisory Group (PYPAG) meeting. This group has spent the last several months working on the Small Area Plan for the Potomac Yard area, and tonight's meeting, the final scheduled meeting, was a wrap-up of sorts.

Of course, there was some new material to discuss. On several people's minds was the rumors that an agreement has been reached on funding the planned Potomac Yard Metro station.

The short answer: sort of.

The current funding gap for funding the station is around $32 million, out of roughly $275 million total (the plan is for a $240 million construction cost, $30 million for capitalized interest during construction, and $5 million for bond insurance costs). The city is already working on setting up something similar to a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district covering the Potomac Yard area to cover some of the bond costs, but still came up short.

There have been discussions with the landowners/developers about them proffering the gapped portion of Metrorail station funding, and it appears there is tentative agreement with the owners of Landbay F on such a proffer, though the details are still in the process of being worked out. Still, this potentially gives the city the final piece in the funding puzzle in order to build the Potomac Yard Metro station.

The next subject for discussion was the "Flexible Zone". This is a planned area immediately around the northern Metro station entrance (Blocks 14 thru 21, except for Block 17) that is intended to be a pedestrian-intensive zone. The plan includes a roughly 0.75 acre park centrally located within the "Zone", surrounded on all sides by streets, with adjacent buildings facing the park. Much of the immediate area is intended for Office use with street-level retail.

There was a request from one Group member for a clarification and a more precise definition of just what constitutes "mixed-use". This turned into a discussion on what should be apprpriate land use next to the Metro station, which produced a couple of interesting (yet somewhat contradictory) statements (below are paraphrased and not verbatim):

- "Residents living next to Metro use it more than office workers next to Metro". Meanwhile...

- "Residents are willing to walk farther to Metro than office workers."

The general concensus appeared to be that Office use was more appropriate closest to Metro.

There were some comments about "keeping retail concentrated", instead of what was perceived as spreading it out amongst two smaller retail centers (one each in Landbays F and G).

There was some question (and concern) amongst group members on where (or even if) to reserve space within Potomac Yard for a school. Some think a new school will eventually be needed in the area. A few were skeptical that it needed to be placed within Potomac Yard.

Regarding traffic and transportation, there was definite concern among some that the plan for three east-west connectors (East Glebe, Reed, plus a new connector) would put more traffic on Commonwealth Ave, to which Del Ray residents are not happy. There were two Group members who showed an outright NIMBY attitude towards having a third east-west connector, with one of them going as far as stating he would be against the WHOLE plan if it included that connector. City staff attempted to explain that East Glebe is already over-capacity today, and that having additional east-west connectors forms more of a grid network that spreads traffic out and improves efficiency.

A meeting attendee also expressed concern about traffic impacts in adjacent neighborhoods.

It's obvious that the Metro station is needed before any of this development/redevelopment can occur. I asked the question about the street network and whether it is also a prerequisite or would be incorporated as development/redevelopment occurs. The response was that it's likely the street network, or at least the primary streets (namely Potomac Ave, Route 1, and perhaps one or two of the east-west streets) would be constructed prior to development/redevelopment. Bike trails along Potomac Ave and Route 1 and bike lanes on other streets would be incorporated as the street work is done.

I also asked what the rationale was behind keeping Route 1 at 4 lanes and not having a consistent 6-lane section through the city, since Route 1 is 6 lanes both to the north into Arlington and south through Old Town and beyond. I was told in no uncertain terms that Route 1 "will not be widened for general traffic", with no further explanation. Rather than start a potential argument, I left it at that.

That said, while additional regular lanes won't be build on Route 1, a consistent right-of-way (including space for the future dedicated transit lanes farther south) WILL be implemented along Route 1. This is important as, right now, Route 1 goes from wide at the Monroe Ave Bridge to narrow to a-little-wider near Target and wide again near Four Mile Run.

I left the meeting just as the individual group members were starting to go around voicing their support (or lack of) for the plan and their thoughts on it. Hoping someone from the Arlandria blog was present and will post about the group members comments.

Responses to the letter

The SunHerald printed my letter on the 22nd. The only change they made was to the title...they used Price gouging? Or basic supply and demand?

Only two responses thus far, both via E-mail.

Here's one:

Just a note on economics: As you correctly point out, the supply and demand
balance of Coast housing has changed, but that doesn't imply that raising
rents isn't "gouging." The lack of housing simply allows rising rents; it doesn't
require it.

An interesting thought on the rent raising, though I still think if you have a short supply and high demand, that's going to bump the price up in order to ensure a supply. Basic market forces there.

Here's the other E-mail reply:

Excellent letter... Thank God there are people like you who understand
basic supply and demand. It is going to be tough here for quite a
while... Things will get better, but rent may not ever go back down to
pre-Katrina levels.


I have faith that if we can get our housing unit levels back up to what they were (if not higher) pre-Katrina, that rents will eventually go back down.

Note I said "if". Because it will take the residents convincing their planning
commissions and city councils/county boards of supervisors that housing developments that encompass all income levels (and not just high-end condos or 5+ acre lots in the country) are what's needed around here.

And, of course, that will take some doing...