Read and watch: UDC’s draft Campus Master Plan; DDOT’s preferred Broad Branch Road rebuild option; ANC 3F’s Oct. 20 meeting with MPD 2D’s commander

Late last week, UDC released the draft UDC Campus Master Plan for 2021-2030, and DDOT revealed an updated environmental assessment of the proposed Broad Branch Road reconstruction project.

The UDC campus plan is an important document for the Van Ness commercial area, which needs the vibrancy that a lively and growing student body, activation of the university campus and cultural arts spaces, and leased retail properties would bring. (Read our last update.) From what we have seen, the draft contains no enrollment projections upon which to base improvements to its campus buildings and development of additional sites.

The Broad Branch EA is the most extensive update since the release of the first environmental assessment in 2013. So what has DDOT been doing for the past seven years? Negotiating with Italy, Malaysia and other sovereign nations that own property along the road. Widening the roadway to accommodate both a bike lane and a sidewalk would encroach on their properties. The October 2020 EA states a clear preference for the alternative that adds only a sidewalk to one side of the road – and does not encroach on sovereign property.

We’re in the process of digging into both documents. In the meantime, we invite you to dig in, too. ANC 3F got an update from UDC at its October 20th meeting (video), and has posted the draft campus master plan (minus exhibits) to its web site.

And you’ll find the Broad Branch EA and assorted appendices here. This also falls under the ANC’s area of interest, but no one knew that an update was in the works, and its October 15th release came too late for commissioners to study before their October meeting. DDOT has also set a 30-day comment period which will end before ANC 3F’s November meeting, so the commissioners will ask DDOT for an extension.

“After waiting seven years for the report it does seem reasonable to ask for another 30 days,” said 3F03 Commissioner Naomi Rutenberg.

Speaking of the October meeting, ANC 3F was quick to publish the video. Here is the recording in its entirety. This link to the video begins when the meeting does, about an hour into the recording:

Other highlights:

MPD 2D Commander Duncan Bedlion spent almost an hour taking questions about the Shell station shooting and other community concerns. (Video)

A neighbor of the Howard University Law School spoke about concerns on Upton and Tilden Streets about changes proposed in DC’s Comprehensive Plan. (Video)

With the meeting in its third hour, commissioners tabled a resolution on renaming Melvin Hazen Trail. We’ll be hearing more about that in November.

This video and those of previous meetings are on ANC 3F’s livestream page.