A lawyer representing the Van Ness Zips Dry Cleaners asked ANC 3F at its May meeting to support a permanent zoning exception for its rear alley parking lot. The commissioners had other ideas.
The parking lot used by Zips, Burger King and Bread Furst, on the east side of the 4400 block of Connecticut Avenue, is zoned for residential use only, so the property owners must periodically apply to the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) to renew their special exceptions. Input from advisory neighborhood commissions, by law, is given “great weight” by the board. And ANC 3F leaped on this opportunity to urge changes to the way the parking lot is managed.
A casual observer might not even realize the parking areas are separate, but it’s hard to miss the gridlock that occurs during busy periods. Also, vehicles entering and exiting the Zips lot must share one lane, so cars waiting to enter can gum up traffic through the alley.
At the May 17th meeting, ANC 3F commissioners brought up the traffic issues and requested that representatives of John R. Klein, the owner of 4418-4420 Connecticut Avenue, work with other owners to come up with a “holistic” plan for rear alley parking.
Representatives from Borger Management, which manages this property, were open to working with other property owners, and Theresa Cameron, executive director of Van Ness Main Street, agreed to help arrange a meeting.
The Zips case comes up before the Board of Zoning Adjustment on July 19th. The ANC will take another look at the zoning exception at its June 21st meeting.