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Janney Elementary School4130 Albemarle Street, NW
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School Improvement TeamMarch 19, 2008
We are writing, as the Local School Restructuring Team (LSRT) of Janney Elementary School, regarding proposals that have been submitted for development on the site of the school and the Tenley Library. Unfortunately, all three of these proposals are clearly unacceptable. They all claim such large areas of the school’s scarce land that they would permanently damage the ability of school to carry out its mission. We come to this conclusion with great regret. As you know, we supported the city’s exploration of a possible mixed-use development on the site of both the library and the school. We thought --- and continue to believe – that such a project could provide benefits to the community that cannot be realized through separate renovations of the library and the school. We never, however, envisioned or supported a project in which Janney was the sole source of land for private development. That’s the case in two of the three proposals, because rather late in the process, city officials amended the Request for Proposals and asked developers not to include the library building in their plans. The third proposal does include the library, but claims the most Janney land of all, because it foresees a very large residential structure. The proposals claim anywhere from 18,000 to 28,000 square feet of the school’s land for private development. We realize, of course, that the school would recover some of this land – about 12,000 sf – if the school surface parking lot could be moved underground. But that still leaves the school with less area for children to play games and run free. And if the school does get its much-needed addition, that would claim another 12,000 – 18,000 sf of the site, while adding to the number of students who need space to play. This outdoor space is precious, and needs to be preserved. The area of Janney land that these proposals would claim for underground parking is considerably larger. This is mainly a concern during the construction phase, when it could force DCPS to abandon its current plant to keep students on-site – “swing in place” – during the school’s renovation, and instead bus students to another school farther away. This also would be unacceptable. Yes, there is an urgent need to renovate and expand Janney Elementary School. To achieve this, we would be willing to accept certain costs associated with a multi-use development, such as a more complicated and disruptive construction process. But we cannot accept proposals, such as these, that permanently diminish this vital community institution – or even cripple it. We don’t think that any responsible public official would, either. We urge, as strongly as we possibly can, that you not pursue any of these proposals in their current form. But we do hope that there is an alternative. Perhaps it is still possible to reverse course and include the library in a mixed-use development. Perhaps a scaled-back project is feasible that would leave Janney with no net loss of land. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to find such an alternative, so that the original goals that led to the RFP in the first place can be realized. But if such alternatives are not feasible, we urge that the city proceed, promptly, with separate renovations of the library and the school. Sincerely, The Local School Restructuring Team, Janney Elementary School
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