| | | Commandant's House plan narrowly wins support | | October 16, 2009 |  | | By | Preet Kang and
Julie Westfall |
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| | Staff Writers | | A new security plan for the historic Commandant’s House at the Marine Barracks is moving forward with local support, despite some lingering concerns.
The Southeast Capitol Hill advisory neighborhood commission on Tuesday voted 3-2 to support the security plan for the historic house on G Street SE. The plan will go next before the city’s Historic Preservation Review Board, but a hearing has not yet been scheduled.
The plan has been through several community meetings and alterations, but many neighbors continue to question the need for the security measures and fear they could change the character of the neighborhood.
Original plans called for nearly 50 concrete bollards, two new guard houses and a new fence more than twice the height of the existing one.
In response to community concerns, planners lowered the proposed 5-foot height of the fence by two inches, eliminated several street lamps, moved some of the bollards behind the fence, and relocated the two guard houses to planting areas on both sides of the house.
The Commandant’s House is a national historic landmark and has housed the Marine Corps commandant, one of the joint chiefs of staff, since the 1800s.
Calling the security enhancements “unnecessary,” “unsightly” and a waste of taxpayer dollars, Kim Ross, a 19-year Hill resident, told the commission’s planning and zoning committee last week: “I think these changes are misguided.”
Carl Cameron, who lives a block away on the 900 block of G Street, said, “I believe the Marine Corps has not made a credible case.”
But Marines officials and the project’s architect, David Bell, have said the changes are necessary to bring the house in line with Department of Defense security standards.
“We have standards … [Department of Defense] regulations we have to meet. This building does not meet those standards,” said Lt. Col. Carl Henger.
Commissioner Neil Glick said the plans would alter the feel of the neighborhood.
“There are more neighbors than there are commandants,” Glick said, adding that the commandant could move to another house and the historic building could be turned into a museum.
But commissioner Kirsten Oldenburg said while she is not totally satisfied with the plans, she believes they are the best the neighborhood could hope to get. “I think by voting for this we at least contain it to a certain extent,” she said.
And commissioner David Garrison said he does not buy some neighbors’ arguments that the changes would cause a decline in property values in the surrounding area.
“People who chose to move there … did so knowing that this was a government facility and that issues like this would arise over time,” he said.
Commissioners Garrison, Oldenburg and Will Hill voted to support the plan, and commissioners Glick and Carol Green dissented. Three other commissioners were absent. | | | | | Log in to comment on this article |
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