A Scaled Back Proposal Pitched For AU Park Superfresh Site

• October 29th 2015

by Nena Perry-Brown

The team behind the redevelopment of the former Superfresh grocery store site in American University Park listened to feedback from the community and presented a scaled back plan for the site on Wednesday evening.

Last month, UrbanTurf reported on Valor Development’s updated schematics for the site at 4330 48th Street NW (map), which they hope will include residential buildings with over 250 units, connected by courtyards, plazas and walkways, and a grocery store. At the meeting where the initial proposal was presented, neighborhood residents expressed concerns regarding the scale of the development. On Wednesday evening, representatives from Valor and architect partner BKV Group returned to meet with community members and share more fleshed-out renderings in their quest for support of the planned-unit development (PUD).

The development team still intends to build 200-250 units spread across two buildings and a row of townhomes, with most of the residences above a grocery store and other small retailers. After hearing residents’ concerns about the scale of the project dwarfing neighboring homes, BKV presented a far more tapered structure on Wednesday, with step-backs and variations intended to maintain a two-story facade with townhouses along 48th Street and a 4 or 5-story height from the building near the intersection of 48th & Yuma.

Alleys on the Massachusetts Avenue side of the development would be widened to create access roads, with the intention of directing traffic to and from Massachusetts Avenue. There will likely be 200 parking spots set aside for residents of the development, with 50 of those being “swing spaces” that can double as retail parking. An additional 130 parking spaces will be designated for the project retail.

Residents continue to be concerned about the influx of people this will bring to the neighborhood, and as important as it is to return a grocery store to the area, they do not want it to become a destination grocer that will attract people from the rest of the city. Developers have ensured the community that larger housing units are planned so as to attract more established residents rather than a transient population. Street traffic is also a primary concern, and the developers plan to work with the District Department of Transportation and the ANC to conduct a thorough traffic study as part of the approval process. Valor is also exploring creating a shuttle service to take residents from the development to Tenleytown-AU Metro during peak hours of the day.

For Valor Development, it is crucial to secure support from influential community members in the initial phases of the project in order to pave the way for a more seamless approval process. A PUD requires a more stringent approval process than a matter-of-right (MOR) development, which the group could execute without community input or concessions. An MOR would still have 200 housing units, but the retail options would be limited and it is unlikely to attract a grocer. A larger presentation to the local ANC is planned for next month.

This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/updates_on_pud_development_at_former_superfresh/10521.