Hine Junior High Site

Note: Stanton-Eastbanc Developers have created a website for the Hine Project with links to the design, HPRB submissions, etc. Click on this address: http://www.hineschool.com/

Other documents:


Historical Information

Hine Project To Proceed for Zoning Consideration

Although a number of design issues remain to be resolved,  after a series of three meetings with the Historic Preservation Review Board (April 28, June 30 and August 4) StantonEastbanc gained sufficient conceptual approval of its Hine School redevelopment plans to be able to proceed with the filing of a Planned Unit Development with the Zoning Commission this fall.  The August 4 meeting focused on the northern section of the site, including the reopened C Street and the proposed plaza. Read More

Areas for further study and refinement cited by HPO and HPRB Hine Redevelopment

In its three reviews of the Stanton-Eastbanc Hine redevelopment project (April 28th, June 30th, and August 4th, 2011), the Historic Preservation Office (HPO) staff reports and Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) have made a number of suggestions for additional study, refinement or modification to the proposed conceptual plans.  Read more
Contacts  for  the Hine School Development

http://www.hineschool.com/sites/default/files/julyhprbbook.pdf


Continuation meetings are scheduled by the HPRB when any month’s calendar is too full for consideration of all cases in one day.


http://planning.dc.gov/DC/Planning/Historic+Preservation


Comments from the public, both individuals and organizations, are welcome by the HPRB in person or by letter. 
Letters may be addressed to Catherine Buell, Historic Preservation Review Board Chair, 1100 Fourth Street SW, Suite E650, Washington, DC 20024.  A copy of the letter should be sent by e-mail, if possible, to Amanda Molson, Historic Preservation Office staff person for Capitol Hill (amanda.molson@dc.gov). Historic Preservation Committee Meeting information may be found here.

                 CHRS also welcomes members’ comments about the project (CapHRS@aol.com, 543-0425).  If you have questions about the process, please contact Nancy Metzger, chair, Historic Preservation Committee,  nancymetzger@verizon.net, 546-1034. 

              


OVERVIEW OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW BOARD PROCESS
Comments at April 5 Meeting of Presentation of Hine School Plans

•     Up to this point the chief city player in the Hine School  redevelopment process has been the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development which issued the Request For Proposals, selected the developer, and negotiated the agreement.   That office will keep watch on the project as it progresses.  The City Council  approved the selection of the developer and the agreement.

•    The project moves now to consideration by the city’s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) since the site is within the Capitol Hill Historic District.   The Zoning Commission will consider the project later to address the rezoning request, Planned Unit Development issues http://bit.ly/e7WuE2 , and other zoning-related matters.

•    Because this is new construction rather than an alteration of an existing building, the HPRB will focus on the compatibility of the project with the character of the historic district as it conducts its review.  The city’s Guideline on New Construction in Historic Districts explains some of the terms and concepts that are applicable in considering projects.  The Guideline was written using a single building in a historic district as the example.   Since the Hine project deals with many buildings and a site plan, this is much more complex than the example given  but concepts such as scale, proportion, setback,  rhythm, size, height, materials remain relevant. 

•    This is a concept review which allows for a discussion about the direction of the project – its general architectural expression, the site plan, massing – before the applicants commit to the expensive detailed permit drawings.  It is an opportunity for the HPRB to understand the project, to consider the historic preservation issues involved, to hear comments from the community, and then to help shape the project to meet the criteria for compatibility. 

The way it all works:
•     What we will see this evening will be essentially what the HPRB will be discussing on the 28th.  Everyone will be on the same page, so that when you read the staff report later this month, you can relate it to the drawings or if you send in comments to the HPRB, members can relate those comments to the plans.   I understand the Hine School website will be updated Thursday the 7th so that everyone will be able to study the same set of plans.

•    The next city deadline is Wednesday, April 20, which is the date by which the city’s Historic Preservation  Office must receive letters if they are to be included in the Board packets which are sent to HPRB members a week before their meeting and includes relevant information on each case.  A representative of an ANC or other organization as well as community members are also welcome to give brief comments at the meeting.   On the CHRS website there is a document titled “Tips for Presentations”.   It gives hints about comments delivered in person at hearings but the advice is also relevant to letters.

•     Expect that a staff report and timed agenda will be posted on the Historic Preservation Office website (http://preservation.dc.gov), likely some time on Friday, April 22.  The staff report summarizes information about the project, frames the historic preservation issues, and makes recommendations.  It provides the basis for HPRB discussion. 

•    Since the Board will be looking for compatibility with the character of the historic district, the context becomes more than simply the buildings immediately next to the project.   Capitol Hill is a very diverse historic district and development patterns throughout the historic district are relevant.    The Board will also probably be aware of a number of goals included in the city’s Comprehensive Plan which talks about transit-oriented development and affordable housing  as well as protecting  the character of the historic district.  These are all, to some degree, part of the discussion.

•    At  HPRB’s  April  28 meeting there will probably be an emphasis on the “big picture” items -- design principles such as the site plan, setbacks, orientation, scale, massing, height and general architectural expression.   The Board may indicate areas that need to be restudied as well as areas that it feels are moving in the right direction.  

•    Topics such as loss of light and air, parking, and traffic are zoning issues and are not part of the Historic Preservation law so, as important as they are, the HPRB does not address those issues but they will be considered by the Zoning Commission.

•    After the HPRB provides its feedback at the April 28 meeting, the developers and their design  team will study, reconsider, react to the Board’s comments, and refine the project before bringing it back to the HPRB for further consideration, most likely in June.

•    At some point, the Board will be satisfied with the shape,  general direction and architectural expressions of the project  and will approve the concept as consistent with the Historic Preservation Act, with details and final approval delegated to the staff.  And then the project moves to the Zoning Commission.
Nancy Metzger
Chair, Historic Preservation Committee   

       


HINE SCHOOL MEETING DATES AND CONTACT INFORMATION

•     Tuesday, April  5 -- CHRS Community Meeting:  Presentation by Stanton- Eastbanc of proposed Hine School submission to Historic Preservation Review Board; 6:45 – 8:30 pm; Maury Elementary School, 13th & Constitution, NE (13th Street entrance)

•     Thursday, April 7, COB – Date that Stanton-Eastbanc  expects to post revised Hine School site plans on website (http://hineschool.com/design-concept/)

•    Monday,  April  11 – Comments for consideration by CHRS should be received by the Historic Preservation Committee via e-mail (CapHRS@aol.com) or letter (PO Box 15264, Washington, DC 20003)

•    Tuesday, April 19 – CHRS Board will approve letter/comments to Historic Preservation Review Board; will be posted on CHRS website (www.chrs.org) after submission to HPRB

•    Wednesday, April 20 – Deadline for submission of letters to Historic Preservation Review Board to be included in package of materials sent to the Board in advance of meeting (see addresses below).   Letters for the record may be submitted after that and will be given by staff to HPRB members at hearing. 

•     Friday, April 22 – Approximate release date of Timed Agenda and Staff Report
(Check Historic Preservation Office website, HPRB Meeting section, http://preservation.dc.gov

•    Tuesday, April 26 – Special Call Meeting of ANC 6b, 6:30 pm, Brent School at Third and North Carolina, SE,  to consider application by Stanton-Eastbanc development team to Historic Preservation Review Board for concept review of proposed design of redevelopment of Hine Jr. High School site.

•     Thursday, April 28 (Time to be announced – see above)
Historic Preservation Review Board meeting to consider Hine School Site proposal
441 Fourth Street, NW (#1 Judiciary Square) in Room 220 South
Note:  You will need photo I.D. to enter building.  You do not need to sign up in advance if you wish to speak at the meeting.  Time may be limited.

Letters addressed to the Historic Preservation Review Board may be sent by e-mail to Steve Callcott (steve.callcott@dc.gov) or Amanda Molson (amanda.molson@dc.gov) .  Hard copies should be sent to: DC Historic Preservation Office/Office of Planning, 1100 Fourth Street, SW, Suite E650,  Washington, DC 20024.  Letters should be addressed to: Ms. Catherine Buell, Chair, Historic Preservation Review Board.

March 30, 2011
HINE SCHOOL SITE DEVELOPMENT:

 The Compatibility Question

With the formal submission of plans to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) by the development team of Stanton-Eastbanc, the redevelopment of the Hine School site at Seventh and Pennsylvania SE enters a new phase – review of the proposal for compatibility with the character of the Capitol Hill Historic District.  It is important to remember that the current proposal is only the first iteration and will certainly evolve as the HPRB considers this concept.  After HPRB has given conceptual approval, the project must go through the zoning review process before the Zoning Commission.

HPRB’s attention in initial review will likely be focused on the larger-scale elements of the project – site plan, general architectural character, massing, setback from the street, scale and height.  If past experience guides, the project will return to the Board as these elements are refined in response to comments and as other design features that affect compatibility are included, such as materials, color, proportion, rhythm, details, ornamentation and landscape features.  In addition to welcoming the comments of the ANC and other community groups, the Historic Preservation Review Board appreciates the perspectives of individuals as well.  The Board’s decisions are informed by the city’s Historic Preservation Law, associated Guidelines, a project’s specific context,  and the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards.  (Standard #9 is particularly relevant in this case.)  Input from citizens is a part of the process.

Because a community and a city do not often have the challenge of redeveloping such a large area in the middle of an established historic district, CHRS is devoting this section of its web site to helping its members and other residents understand and participate in the review process.  You will find links to a number  of resources, such as :


Based on phone calls and conversations with residents over the past several weeks, we feel many people have questions about the Historic Preservation review process, particularly for this large project that will also be considered later by the Zoning Commission as a Planned Unit Development (PUD).  We would like to address some of those questions and will keep adding more  information to this site.
             
Finally, as always, CHRS encourages its members to contact us with your questions and thoughts [CapHRS@aol.com; 202-543-0425].        

March 30, 2011
CHANGING CAPITOL HILL:

What Does the History of the Capitol Hill Historic District Tell Us about Compatibility?

New construction in a historic district has a difficult mandate to meet: it must be “compatible with the character of the historic district” without necessarily duplicating existing buildings.  It must respect its particular environment while contributing a sense of its own time.  DC’s historic districts aren’t meant to be embalmed at a certain point in time, yet their significant historic, cultural and physical attributes must be protected and enhanced.  One of the basic requirements in compatibility is demonstrating an understanding of the context of the project, whether the context is simply a few neighboring buildings, several blocks of a historic district, or an entire neighborhood.  For a project the size of the Hine School site, looking at the development of the neighborhood is an important element in understanding the neighborhood context.

About five years ago, in considering a project in the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, CHRS’s Historic Preservation Committee looked at the development along the Avenue, not only what still remains but also what had been taken down.  It was a vivid reminder that what we now know as the Capitol Hill Historic District has been constantly changing, not only in size of buildings but also in styles of buildings.  The “contemporary” buildings of the 1880s were the bay-fronted Queen Anne houses or the Romanesque Revival house with a tower.  They replaced the “contemporary” flat-front Italianate and the side-gable “federal” buildings of earlier decades.  By 1910 and 1920, Wardman-style porch-front houses celebrated the latest “contemporary” styles and were built both as single houses and in long rows.  Large apartment houses joined the mix, as well as department stores and movie theaters. 

By taking a look at Pennsylvania Avenue both now and through old maps, particularly the 1903 Sanborn map (http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/map_item.pl; see Vol.2, images 83, 84, 114-116), we can gain a sense of the neighborhood’s changes over time.  The Pennsylvania Avenue spine through the historic district is a sort of accordion-like presence all along the avenue with the sides of the avenue compressed in places by row houses, stores, and apartments built close to the avenue and then, where other avenues intersect, open space and longer vistas appear.

  1. “Monumental” Capitol Hill (200-300 blocks of Pennsylvania Avenue)

 Some of the most iconic buildings of the nation form the backdrop of our community and provide a dramatic contrast to the Historic District.   Many of the residential  blocks closest to the Capitol were totally cleared as new buildings were built for the Capitol complex.  Included in the sweep of demolition were both early Federal houses and later larger buildings such as the Butler Mansion, which  was a four-story granite duplex mansion that stood next to the equally imposing three-story Coast and Geodetic Survey building at Independence [then known as B Street] and New Jersey avenues, SE.     

  1. Seward Square Park  (400 – 600 blocks of Pennsylvania):

This is one of the blocks of green that open up along Pennsylvania Avenue where a diagonal avenue – in this case North Carolina Avenue – crosses Pennsylvania.  Stately three-story Victorian-era houses predominate, used mostly for dwellings.  Today, there is later infill on the north of  four-story apartment buildings and on the south another apartment house and a modern church with spire.  An 1890s red-brick church sits on a high hill and contributes its own presence in the SW corner of the square.

     3.  600 Block of Pennsylvania Avenue:

  1.  Eastern Market Metro Plaza  (700 – 900 blocks):

Another one of the “open stretches” where, in 1903,  the four-block square of park (reservations) bisected by both Pennsylvania and South Carolina avenues provided a green setting for Wallach School, Towers School, and Eastern High School.  When built in 1864 facing Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 8th, Wallach School was the city’s first modern school building, large enough for 600 students.  Designed by Adolph Cluss, architect of Eastern Market, and his partner Joseph Kammerheuber, the building had ten classrooms with 15-foot ceilings and innovative ventilation techniques.  (Following 19th century practice, boys and girls had separate classrooms.)  Towers School was built in 1887 on the NE corner (8th & C streets) of the same square and Eastern High School was built on the NW corner (7th & C streets) in 1892.  These two were combined to form the first Hine Junior High School in 1929.  All three historic schools were demolished c. 1950 and replaced by the present Hine Junior High School and playgrounds. Interestingly, the four-story wing of Hine stands at 58’, which is a little lower than the roof height of the three-story Eastern High School was. 

Elegant two- and three-story tall houses line D Street along the north side of the park square; the Grace Baptist Church and two-story houses are on the east, and two-  and three-story buildings used mostly as dwellings in 1903 make the southern boundary.  In 1922, the Southeast Library was built on the high ground to the west and around the same time the three-story red-brick building at the SW corner of 7th and Pennsylvania was replaced by a one-story Art Deco Peoples Drug Store.  The four-story Haines Department Store, built in 1892, occupies the SE corner of 8th and Pennsylvania.  The most dramatic change, apart from the demolition of the Adoph Cluss-designed Wallach School and the other school buildings, was the closing of South Carolina Avenue from 7th to 9th and the building of the Eastern Market Metro station, transforming relatively quiet, leafy green spaces into open plazas bustling with residents, commuters and visitors using the Metro, buses, bikes, and taxis. 

  1.   900 and 1000 blocks of  Pennsylvania Avenue:

Opposite the 1866 Naval Hospital (900 block) was a row of 14 two-story bay-front houses while in the 1000 block there was a row of 13 three-story buildings, both flat-front and bay front.   These two blocks remain much the same as they were in 1903, except for Butterfield House, a five-story condo at the corner of 11th, that recently replaced a Shell station which had earlier replaced five of the three-story buildings, returning that corner to approximately the same height as it was a century ago.
 
The Amoco station on the south, just west of the hospital, occupies the site of a very early tavern, which later became a substantial private home and garden and then a beer garden before it was torn down.

In other blocks of the Hill, one can point to five and six-story historic buildings next to buildings of more typical residential height and mass – responses of their earlier times to the demand for different types of housing or commercial buildings.  Past changes do not give us a blue print for what changes should be made in 2011 to be compatible with the historic district, but relatively large buildings have been part of the mix for a long time.   Different styles, once considered contemporary, are now beloved as historic and are  also part of the mix.   Standing on the street and looking at buildings, trying to decide what makes them compatible (or not), is part of exploring what new construction might be compatible with the existing architectural record of the neighborhood.  

TIPS FOR PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE COUNCIL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS

1.        Maximize your effectiveness by submitting a pre-hearing statement outlining your positions and concerns.  You can elaborate at a hearing with illustrations or other material.  However, if the materials that you are presenting are complex, commission, board and council members often appreciate more time to become familiar with them before a hearing.  Also, at some hearings there may be a time limit of 2 – 3 minutes, so you may not be able to say everything.

2.          Be specific about the issues that are troublesome.  Don’t expect a board or commission member to know what you mean when you say, “It’s just so ugly.  I don’t want to see that every morning.”  “It’s just too #@% big” is also not very helpful.  They can’t respond to such vague comments and need you to be more specific about your concerns.  For example, “It would be three stories taller than any other building in the historic district” or “The proposed addition is twice as large as the existing house” would give them a context for your concern.

3.       Use photographs or other illustrations to help you make your points when possible.  Sometimes it is difficult to explain exactly what your concerns are, what similar projects you think are successful, or what  elements of a building should be re-studied.  You don’t have to propose a solution but you do need to be as precise as possible about the problem.

4.       Be civil.  Board members can’t solve outstanding neighborhood quarrels.   Personal attacks on applicants or other parties simply makes people nervous and uncomfortable, undercutting your  effectiveness.

5.       Know the types of issues that a board or commission may address.  It’s no use talking to the Historic Preservation Review Board about parking, traffic concerns, or intended uses.  Likewise, the Zoning Commission does not consider architectural style or façade materials. 

6.    Be aware that there may be a time limit on comments so that everyone can speak.  Boards, commissions, and council members welcome comments from an individual presenting the comments of a group and sometimes allow such a representative  a few more minutes.   It is important to emphasize your most important points first but you may also wish to associate yourself with comments made by others, freeing time to highlight other considerations.   Avoid simply repeating what has already been said.

(Adapted from Tips for Presentations distributed  at  “Contemporary and Compatible: A Symposium on Contextual Modern Design in Historic Neighborhoods” sponsored by the Historic Districts Coalition, Historic Preservation Office and National Trust for Historic Preservation in March 2009)

For a copy to print click here


July 2008
Second Community Meeting: The Future of Hine Junior High Site

Please join me for our second community meeting and conversation about the future of the Hine Jr. High site. At our first meeting, over 200 neighbors attended to share their ideas and priorities in creating a shared vision for the future use of this site. You can read a summary report of this first meeting by visiting my website: http://www.tommywells.org/content/view/404/30/.

A significant number of residents highlighted both a need to create useable green and open space, as well as integrate any future redevelopment with our Historic Eastern Market and adjacent Metro station. For our 2nd community meeting, I’ve arranged for a presentation and discussion on Eastern Market Metro Plaza redevelopment plans, followed by a discussion to help us refine the list of community amenities and priorities you generated at our earlier meeting.

Because of Hine’s closure and the building being vacated, our meeting will be held at nearby Tyler Elementary (more details below). And as before, we will be joined by representatives from the District’s Office of Planning, Deputy Mayor for Education, and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development.

2nd Community Meeting: The Future of Hine Junior High Site
Tuesday, July 22, 2008, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Tyler Elementary School Auditorium, 1001 G Street, SE

I appreciate your continued input in shaping how we move forward. If you have any questions about this meeting, please feel free to give me a call at 202-724-8072.

Tommy Wells, Councilmember, Ward 6


June 2008
Hine Junior High Site Meeting Results

by Gary Peterson

The community meeting on the future use of Hine Junior High School, hosted by Councilmember Tommy Wells, took place on April 30, 2008. Although no official count was made, there were over 100 people present. Neil Albert, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, attended the meeting. Wells made a brief statement about the closing of Hine and asked for ideas for what to do with the site. The audience was then divided into small working groups to propose ideas for the use of the site. Each group was then asked to report on its recommendations.

Several points of consensus were clear from the reports:

Accompanying this story is a draft plan that achieves some of the ideas. This does not reflect all of the ideas, nor is it a final decision or recommendation. There will soon be another community meeting to discuss the next actions regarding the site.


March 2008
CHRS Endorses Guidelines for Use of Hine School Site

School Closure Announced

by Gary Peterson

CHRS has joined ANC6B in attempting to insure that the future use of the Hine School site is compatible with the neighborhood and that those responsible for making that decision take into account the concerns of the community.

On February 1, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Chancellor Michelle Rhee announced the final school closure recommendations. In Ward 6, three schools are on the final list of recommended closures; Hine Junior High School is the only Capitol Hill school slated to be closed. On the same day, Councilmember Tommy Wells announced his support for the school closures and asked community organizations to make recommendations as to the future use of the Hine site. ANC6B quickly passed a resolution stating that any future use of the site should match the scale and character of the surrounding neighborhood and include community amenities.

At the February 19 board meeting, the CHRS Board passed the following resolution:

“CHRS supports the closing and then demolition of Hine School and development of the site in coordination with the Town Center development of the Eastern Market Metro Plaza. Making Eastern Market Metro the town square connecting Seventh and Eighth Streets will link the Natatorium and the Eastern Market on the North with the Navy Yard on the South. Any development of the Hine site must be consistent with the character of the Capitol Hill Historic District and must respect existing heights, density and uses. Any development proposal should:

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