Letter
Dear Ms. Tompkins-Flagg:
In its public meeting of 16 November conducted by videoconference, the Commission of Fine Arts was pleased to hear an information presentation on revisions to the Washington Navy Yard Master Plan, which includes the transfer of parcels from the Southeast Federal Center to the Navy Yard and the lease of several other Navy Yard parcels for private mixed-use development. Noting the potential great change in the character of the waterfront resulting from these actions, the Commission provided the following comments and requested further information about the development proposal.
In general, the Commission members observed that the project would redevelop for private use several parcels of the Navy Yard that have been federal property for more than a century. Long-term planning efforts in this area, particularly at the Southeast Federal Center (the Yards), have sought to protect the public interest—such as compatibility with the historic Navy Yard campus, as well as the protection and enhancement of the wider riverfront experience by incorporating setback and height restrictions—in addressing the effects of private redevelopment. For the southeast parcels proposed for redevelopment specifically, they recognized the impacts the proposal would have on the forthcoming 11th Street Bridge Park, the Anacostia Riverwalk Trail, and the pattern of development established at the Yards and westward along the river. In general, they raised concerns that the large scale of the proposed buildings may exceed what is appropriate for this context, and they advised that a supportable proposal on this federal land may not necessarily achieve what would be the maximum extent possible under local zoning regulations.
Given these concerns, the Commission members requested more information about the following topics:
Affordable housing. The Commission members strongly recommended that the project include a substantial component of permanent affordable housing units, preferably more than the amount that would be required if the property were under District of Columbia zoning regulations.
Building heights and massing. Finding that the nearest building of comparable height along this part of the Anacostia waterfront is nearly a mile away, the Commission members raised concerns about allowing this height on the southeast parcels. They also noted that the grade of the site is being elevated by roughly a story for flood protection, and that current building height regulations allow an additional twenty feet of occupiable penthouse structures; altogether, the proposed 130-foot height would result in a massing that is roughly 160 feet above the current riverwalk. They therefore requested the development of an alternative that incorporates lower building heights generally along the riverfront. In addition, they cited the importance of maintaining a full 75-foot setback at the riverfront, and they recommended against any upper-level projection of the new buildings into this setback.
Public green space. The Commission members commented that the large development, proposed to be more than 2 million square feet, should include substantial, publicly accessible green space; they asked for more clarification in the plans regarding which areas are already public (such as the riverwalk), how much of the open space would be paved versus planted, and what landscaped areas (such as residential amenity areas above the service plinths) would be publicly accessible or privately controlled. They emphasized the importance of accessible connections through the site to the waterfront.
Character of the riverfront. Noting the 11-foot increase in elevation proposed within the 75-foot setback, the Commission members asked for more information about the potential design of this linear park, which they said requires punctuation with nodes of activity to be successful public space. They observed that ground-level restaurants with outdoor service areas often require controlled access and should not extend into the 75- foot setback.
Views within and through the development. The Commission members asked for more studies of views that demonstrate the impact of the development, including from the Capitol Overlook of the 11th Street Bridge Park to the city’s monumental core, as well as views to the Anacostia River from locations within the development and from the adjacent parts of the Navy Yard.
Historic resources. In support of preserving the existing landmark and contributing historic structures that were part of the Navy Yard, the Commission members requested development of an option for Building 166 that maintains its entire historic H-shaped footprint and perimeter walls.
In summary, the Commission of Fine Arts recommends that the redevelopment of this public property incorporate a broad range of strategies to promote the public good. The Commission looks forward to reviewing the additional information requested for the revisions to the Washington Navy Yard master plan, as well as to the eventual review of individual building designs. Please coordinate the next submission with the staff which, as always, is available to assist you.
Sincerely,
/s/Thomas E. Luebke, FAIA
Secretary
Nicole Tompkins-Flagg
Naval Facilities Engineering Command
Washington Navy Yard
1314 Harwood Street, SE
Washington, DC 20374
cc: Tom Skinner, Redbrick LM