{"id":520,"date":"2021-03-15T17:50:29","date_gmt":"2021-03-15T17:50:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/?p=520"},"modified":"2021-03-15T17:52:51","modified_gmt":"2021-03-15T17:52:51","slug":"press-release-sw-dc-jemal-project-fails-affordable-housing-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/dc\/520","title":{"rendered":"PRESS RELEASE: SW DC Jemal Project Fails Affordable Housing Test"},"content":{"rendered":"<div dir=\"ltr\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"gmail_quote\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div class=\"gmail_quote\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\" class=\"gmail_attr\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;color:rgb(0,0,0);font-family:Arial;font-size:11pt;font-weight:700;white-space:pre-wrap\">For Immediate Release<\/span><\/div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\"><span id=\"m_6952491026480946635m_-3025300823339343850gmail-docs-internal-guid-6ff7f1a1-7fff-a0fa-13be-5e8adc7ab57a\"><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Monday, March 15, 2021<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Contact:<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Southwest DC Action<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><a href=\"mailto:swdcaction@gmail.com\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><a href=\"mailto:swdcaction@gmail.com\" >swdcaction@gmail.com<\/a><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:12pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">(202) 964-0620\u202c\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Jemal Project Fails Affordable Housing Test;<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">ANC in Apparent Conflict<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.38;text-align:center;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-weight:700;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Asks Zoning Vote Delay<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">This Thursday, March 18, the DC Zoning Commission will vote on a proposed development project by Douglas Development (Zoning Commission Case #20-34) in Southwest DC to turn the historic Cotton Annex building (300 12th Street SW) into a 12-story residential project. Douglas Development is directed by Douglas Jemal<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/local\/dc-politics\/douglas-jemal-trump-pardon\/2021\/01\/20\/2eac77a8-5b2b-11eb-b8bd-ee36b1cd18bf_story.html\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"> <\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">who was recently pardoned by outgoing President Donald J. Trump<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"> from charges stemming &#8220;from his efforts to influence a D.C. official for lucrative government leases.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">For the reasons below, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.swdcaction.com\/\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Southwest DC Action<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">, a group of SW residents who organize and advocate for a more equitable, anti-racist, and environmentally sustainable neighborhood, vehemently opposes this project, has given this project <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1U-OtGgVsZE7ZxNuZOg5qzYJwamzvD6iJNsdz9eYGdZ8\/edit\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">an F rating.<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"> The group opposes this project because it will exacerbate gentrification and lead to a racist outcome,\u00a0 In addition, Commissioner Andy Litsky (ANC 6D04) voted for the project with its community benefit of $100,000 to the Southwest Community Foundation while he sat on the foundation board and did not disclose his dual\/conflicted role.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><font size=\"4\"><span style=\"font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><span style=\"background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline\">The Cotton Annex project\u2019s failures to provide a<\/span><span style=\"background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline\">ffordable housing, <\/span><span style=\"background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline\">particularly for families and current SW residents, is demonstrated by the following<\/span>:<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px\">\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type:disc;font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Only 8% of units (50 of 610) will be affordable (50%-80%). This is the bare minimum required by law. It does not come even remotely close to our goal of 33% deeply affordable (50% AMI or below) and 33% workforce (50-80%).<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul style=\"margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px\">\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">There are few, if any, family-sized units (3+ bedrooms)<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li dir=\"ltr\" style=\"list-style-type:disc;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">It will lead to racist outcomes.<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u00a0 When only 8% of units are affordable and the Black median household<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dcfpi.org\/all\/dcs-growing-prosperity-is-not-reaching-black-residents-census-data-show\/\" style=\"text-decoration-line:none\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;text-decoration-line:underline;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"> income is $42,000<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-size:11pt;background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">, less than a third that of White households, this project, by design, inherently excludes the majority of Black residents from being able to afford to live there.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">This project demonstrates how the Mayor&#39;s goal of<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Roboto,sans-serif;color:rgb(15,20,25);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\"> 36,000 new units, 12,000 of these affordable by 2025<\/span><span style=\"font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(15,20,25);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">, is consistently undermined by her own Planning Office.\u00a0 OP not only supports the affordable housing-deficient Cotton Annex project, it ignores the <\/span><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Southwest Small Area Plan 2015 commitment to \u201cremain an exemplary model of equity and inclusion.&#8221; An even worse example is the OP endorsement of the 453 unit Rivermark project in Buzzard Point, by (you guessed it) &#8212; Douglas Development.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Commissioner Litsky&#39;s vote in favor of the Cotton Annex project was at the public ANC meeting of March 8, 2021.\u00a0 His apparent conflict is being referred to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability for its investigation and action.\u00a0 Because of this referral, SW Action is asking for Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen&#39;s support for a request to the ZC that it defer any action on Thursday, March 18 on this project.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"gmail_quote\" style=\"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex\"><p><span id=\"m_6952491026480946635m_-3025300823339343850gmail-docs-internal-guid-6ff7f1a1-7fff-a0fa-13be-5e8adc7ab57a\"><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">Pamela McKinney, member of SW DC Action asked:\u00a0 \u201cWhy are we allowing only 8% affordable units for this project? This is pitiful and shameful; The social and economic diversity of Southwest continues to be threatened by OP&#39;s support for projects such as this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><span id=\"m_6952491026480946635m_-3025300823339343850gmail-docs-internal-guid-6ff7f1a1-7fff-a0fa-13be-5e8adc7ab57a\"><br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"gmail_quote\" style=\"margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex\"><p><span id=\"m_6952491026480946635m_-3025300823339343850gmail-docs-internal-guid-6ff7f1a1-7fff-a0fa-13be-5e8adc7ab57a\"><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" style=\"line-height:1.2;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt\"><span style=\"font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial;color:rgb(0,0,0);background-color:transparent;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap\">\u201cEven if this project had 100% affordable units, without the necessary, though imperfect AMI affordability context, discussions on this project should stop on a dime when a conflict of interest like Mr. Litsky&#39;s arises,\u201d said Adom M. Cooper, SW DC Ward 6 resident. \u201cA disinterested observer can see how problematic these facts here are. How can anyone be expected to discharge the duties of an elected official appropriately when that person is simultaneously negotiating in an official government capacity for money that will explicitly benefit their organization?\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p>###<\/p>\n<div dir=\"ltr\" class=\"gmail_signature\" data-smartmail=\"gmail_signature\">\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>\n<div dir=\"ltr\">\n<div>\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For Immediate Release Monday, March 15, 2021 Contact: Southwest DC Action swdcaction@gmail.com (202) 964-0620\u202c\u00a0 Jemal Project Fails Affordable Housing Test; ANC in Apparent Conflict Asks Zoning Vote Delay This Thursday, March 18, the DC Zoning Commission will vote on a proposed development project by Douglas Development (Zoning Commission Case #20-34) in Southwest DC to turn [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1,67,72,8,33],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-520","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-affordable-housing","category-dc","category-planning","category-southwest","category-w6","category-zoning"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=520"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":526,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/520\/revisions\/526"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=520"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=520"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.dcfeedback.com\/fit2print\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}