SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES – October 25, 2007 – ANC3D

A specially scheduled meeting of ANC 3D to consider Sibley Hospital's revised application to build a medical office building and parking garage was called to order by Chair Rachel Thompson at 7:05 PM.  Commissioners present: Thompson, Haas, Gates and Sandza.  Commissioners Wells and Smith were absent with notice.  Commissioner Heuer arrived at 7:45 pm.  There were approximately 40 people in the audience.

Sibley's initial proposal for these uses was considered by ANC 3D on September 20, 2006 at which time the ANC stated its approval of the project subject to four recommendations and 11 conditions.  The Zoning Commission (ZC) considered the initial application and ANC 3D's input on March 12, 2007 and declined to approve or deny the initial proposal.  Instead, the ZC directed the applicant to revise its proposal in consideration of ANC 3D's conditions and recommendations.  Pursuant to procedure set by the ZC, Sibley Hospital submitted its revised application on October 22, 2007, thereby requiring ANC 3D to submit its written reaction to the application within one week, thereby necessitating the Special Meeting.

Sibley Hospital officials presented the revised application which complied precisely to most conditions and recommendations and substantially with the others.  More specifically, the revised Sibley plan met the ANC's 65 foot height limitation by reducing the above ground building two floors, to 5 floors; reduced the number of medical doctors who can occupy the building from 75 to 62; reduced the total square footage to 110,512, and agreed to relocate the helipad and to work with DDOT, WMATA and the Army Corps of Engineers to upgrade the Little Falls Road roadbed so that buses may be re-routed from Loughboro Road.  The proposal also carries with it a $30,000 donation of benches at Palisades ball field and a $130,000 donation to Iona Senior Center.  In response to ANC questions, Hospital officials represented that they would never move the out-patient surgical and imaging function out of the ground floor level and replace it with tenant doctors, nor would they ever move the top floor conference center and replace that 700 square feet with rental space.

Following the questions from the ANC Commissioners, including from Commissioner Heuer who had by then arrived, and a written submission from Commissioner Wells that was read, the floor was opened for community comment on the proposal.  Approximately 18 people spoke, with roughly half of them speaking in favor of the proposal and half of them speaking against it.  Negative comments concerned increased traffic, including parking and traffic cutting through the surrounding neighborhood, as well as a resistance to general urbanization of the neighborhood.  Those who spoke in favor of the application expressed their belief that Sibley Hospital is an asset to the neighborhood and therefore it should be allowed to grow in this way.

Commissioner Thompson moved to approve the revised application with six conditions, Commissioner Heuer Seconded the motion and it was approved 5-0-0.

The six conditions attached to the approval are the following:

1 – Sibley Hospital will move its helipad and will work with WMATA to relocate its buses by July 2010 which is when they expect to complete the project.

2 – Sibley Hospital will provide 1 hour of free parking.

3 – No more than 62 doctors will occupy the building in any 24-hour period.

4 - The imaging and outpatient surgery center on the ground floor of the MOB will not be moved and replaced with additional tenant doctors.

5 – Sibley Hospital will hold quarterly meetings with neighbors during construction, and semi-annual meetings thereafter.

6 – Sibley Hospital will share with the ANC all of its applications and other filings related to the construction.