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Discussion of Takoma Theater and the History of the Parking Lot and Green Space at the Takoma Metro Station from the Takoma DC Listserve.
More information about the Takoma DC Listserve is available at Takoma DC Web Site
----- Original Message -----
From: Arg2@aol.com
To: TakomaDCList@studio405.com
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 3:11 PM
Subject: Re: [TDC] Takoma theater
Lou,
The man who owns the Takoma Theater, Mr. McGinty, is somewhat eccentric and is not interested in allowing the theater to be used by other organizations/theater groups. Several such groups have tried over the years to rent the theater from him. The SAP process is not one in which this problem can be addressed. It would take reaching out on a one to one basis to Mr. McGinty to try and establish a dialog to convince him it would be in his best interests as well as the community's to have the theater flourishing. This is the kind of implementation process that would be a follow-on from the SAP.
Alice Giancola
In a message dated 1/19/01 12:55:29 PM, louis.lieb@ferc.fed.us writes:
<< I think it's really a shame that the Takoma Theater doesn't get more use for which it was intended. It's also a shame that the SAP process to my knowledge hasn't focused on this (though I realize it's hard to do everything in the small time allotted.) >>
----- Original Message -----
From: Sara
Green
To: TakomaDCList@studio405.com
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 3:52 PM
Subject: Re: [TDC] Takoma theater
Hello:
Alice is right here. Several city master plans over the past decades have tried to make the Takoma Theater a focal point for the redevelopment of 4th Street and I think there has always been great community support for this. However, Mr. McGinty has been resistant. This is his private property.
So, the best the community has been able to do so far is to include this building in the historic district, so there are some protections against its demolition, and include it in area plans as a resource. However, city officials and planners can contact Mr. McGinty, start a dialogue with him, and they can use any number of available redevelopment and creative funding approaches to convince him to become more flexible. This has happened with other historic theaters in D.C. and it could happen here.
I think people need to be aware of the fact that a lot of things that have come out of this current SAP process that are obvious and do not require cooperation from private property owners, will not happen easily and may take years under the best scenarios. To get these things, like changes in the intersection at 4th and Cedar, or simple and uniform design, setback, street landscaping and sign guidelines, the planning office has to do a "design and implementation plan." That separate planning process needs to be funded out of the planning office budget and advertised for bid.
Then these planners need to come up with some ideas during a community-involvement process. Then, the cost of improving, say, the intersection at 4th, Cedar and Blair, must then become part of the city's capital improvements budget.
If, say, 95 units are approved by the zoning commission for the WMATA site, there seems to be no "link" or requirement that the Cedar, Blair, and 4th intersection will get any attention at all. Would it be EYA's responsibility to pay for improving it or contributing to the cost? Would EYA have to help pay for any part of resolving the problems that these new units create?
What about bringing landscaping, murals and other simple
improvements to the entrance to the Metro Station? There is absolutely no linkage
and no "carrot or stick" approach that the community can use to feel comfortable
these things will ever happen. We've had promises from city officials before.
We just haven't had any meaningful action. --- Sara Green
----- Original Message -----
From: Arg2@aol.com
To: TakomaDCList@studio405.com
Sent: Saturday, January 20, 2001 11:25 AM
Subject: [TDC] Re: Takoma theater, SAP and Metro development
To clarify some statements made by Sara:
"city officials and planners can contact Mr. McGinty, start a dialogue with him, and they can use any number of available redevelopment and creative funding approaches to convince him to become more flexible. This has happened with other historic theaters in D.C. and it could happen here."
When Mr. McGinty purchased the theater the first thing he did was renovate it, inside and out, physically the building is in good shape. So it is doubtful that "creative funding" would be an incentive.
" 1.The townhouse developer and WMATA have no "right" to build townhouses there. They need a zoning change to do so, and that triggers a formal public debate. We asked for a planning process to assess the impact of that change and other possible changes in the neighborhood."
Actually the Metro property is two lots, one is zoned C2A and allows mixed use (residential/commercial) and the other along Eastern is zoned R5A and allows apartment buildings up to 50 feet in height. Therefore they do have a right to build townhouses there, or apartment buildings on the other lot. EYA has decided to apply for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) so as to have more design flexibility and to make it a more pleasing development by including a useable and functional village green (they are proposing saving over 60% of the green space), pedestrian walk throughs and improved traffic flow within the site. This process also gives the community more input into their plan through public hearings conducted by the Zoning Board. Also, because the site is within the Historic District it would be subject to design review.
As background, because it seemed that the EYA proposal would generate more development interest in Takoma and because it is in the best interests of the community to have some positive input into future development; Plan Takoma requested that the city do a Small Area Plan for the entire commercial area. This included lobbying our Council member to obtain funding for this endeavor.
"2. The community was promised a permanent park at the Metro Station during the 1970's. "
The operative word here is promised. The land was never deeded as a park and depending on who you talk to is: open space, dead space, etc. This is a dead issue. There are many residents who don’t support this 30 year old position.
Alice & Tony Giancola
----- Original Message -----
From: Cbturneresq@cs.com
To: TakomaDCList@studio405.com
Sent: Sunday, January 21, 2001 2:19 AM
Subject: [TDC] Metro Development: More Leisure Reading
Memorandum
To: Takoma DC Listserve
From: Chris Turner, Takoma Neighbor since 1973 and Vice President of Neighbors, Inc.*
Subj: Takoma Station Site: Response to certain statements made by Alice and Tony Giancola in their January 20, 2001 e-mail clarifying some statements made by Sara Green in an e-mail also dated January 20, 2001
Date: January 21, 2001
First: The D.C. City Counsel Unanimously Approved the Takoma Station Site:
On May 13, 1974 the Washington, D.C. City Counsel unanimously approved the Takoma Station Site plan in accordance with powers it had received from the Washington, D.C. Zoning Commission on January 12, 1973 giving the Counsel control over design and location of the remaining stations, in the District, that had not already received final WMATA approval.
According to an article in the January 13, 1973 Washington Post: "Most of the remaining 23 stations that will be covered are in residential neighborhoods where community opposition to specific locations or designs is likely to be most heated. In the past Council members have complained that Metro officials are too concerned with simply building the 98 mile subway system and are not sufficiently concerned with the social or economic impact of their plans."
The WMATA board minutes from June 27, 1974, which adopted the site plan that was built at the Takoma Metro station, state in Part: "Mr. Moore supported Mr. Nevius’ statement and reviewed the planning activities in which he had participated as the Chairman of the Transportation Committee of the D.C. City Council. Mr. Moore noted that he had reported to the D.C. City Council on the hearings held by the Transportation Committee, and that the D.C. City Council was unanimous in support of the plan recommended by the staff."
Second: 1975 DOT Environmental Impact Statement Findings: The Final Environmental Impact Statement of the Metropolitan Washington Regional Rapid Rail Transit System (Project DC-23-9001) of the U.S. Department of Transportation Urban Mass Transportation Administration (The predecessor of the Federal Transit Administration) in cooperation with the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority stated in Response to Comments of the Save Takoma Environmental Committee regarding the traffic congestion and pollution that parking for 300-500 cars at the station would have in the immediate vicinity of the Takoma Station, that "Metro will not provide parking spaces at Takoma Station; provision for vehicular access to the station will instead take the form of bicycle bays and loading areas for kiss ‘n’ riders and for Metrobuses."
Note: The EIS also noted the hazards to school children, attending the three local public schools, from a potential increase in traffic at the station and noted the taking of park land at the Piney Branch Portal (U.S. Res. 531 - at Piney Branch and Eastern in the District), the taking of portions of Fort Totten Park and the Fort Drive Park (U.S. Res 497) and a large portion of Jesup Blair Park.
Three: National Environmental Policy Act: While WMATA has not yet applied for approval of this Joint Development Project from the Federal Transit Administration it is unclear whether this particular Joint Development Project, in light of the 1975 EIS, should be exempt from the requirement to prepare an Environmental Assessment to find if an EIS is needed. In addition, WMATA’s other Joint Development projects on the red line, in the District, might trigger the need for an update of portions of the 1975 EIS and Route Environmental Statements in that WMATA’s different joint development projects need to be looked at in their totality and not just individually.
Four: Hearing Requirements Ignored: WMATA is currently in violation of hearing requirements as set fourth in the North Takoma Citizens’ Association case with respect to their plans for the "Takoma Joint Development Site." Note: Neighbors Inc., through its Plan Takoma Committee (which later became Plan Takoma), was a Plaintiff in this suit. One of the direct results of this case is the tot park on Blair Road across from Jesup Blair Park.
Full Citation: North Takoma Citizen’ Association et al. V. Claude S. Brinegar, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, et al., (Civil Action No. 73-1040-K U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland).
Conclusion: Thus while Alice and Tony Giancola are correct that the land was never deeded as a park it is also correct that the current station site was approved by the City Counsel with open space and park buffers and was not arrived at by chance. This was done in 1974 and then again referenced in the 1975 and 1977 draft Plans for Takoma DC which document the station site that the City Counsel had approved: The 1975 plan states: "The parking lot, the nine bus bays and the bus lanes will be buffered by a park along Cedar Street and part of Eastern Avenue, by open space next to the apartments on Eastern Avenue and by a smaller green strip along Eastern Avenue between the car and bus entrances."
*North Washington Neighbors, Inc. was founded in 1958 in response to the tensions and pressures associated with the demise of segregation. Neighbors purpose was to promote the upper portion of what is now Ward Four as an integrated community. Neighbors continues to work to maintain our communities as a desirable place for people of different backgrounds to live together.
The annual Neighbors, Inc. Valentine Dance is February 10, 2001, 9-1 A.M. at Tifereth Israel at 16th and Juniper Streets, N.W. - I will post a note with more details shortly.
