Monday, March 15, 2021
Contact:
Southwest DC Action
(202) 964-0620
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 the historic Cotton Annex building (300 12th Street SW) into a 12-story residential project. Douglas Development is directed by Douglas Jemal who was recently pardoned by outgoing President Donald J. Trump from charges stemming “from his efforts to influence a D.C. official for lucrative government leases.”
For the reasons below, Southwest DC Action, 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 an F rating. The group opposes this project because it will exacerbate gentrification and lead to a racist outcome, 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.
The Cotton Annex project’s failures to provide affordable housing, particularly for families and current SW residents, is demonstrated by the following:
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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%).
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There are few, if any, family-sized units (3+ bedrooms)
It will lead to racist outcomes. When only 8% of units are affordable and the Black median household income is $42,000, 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.
This project demonstrates how the Mayor's goal of 36,000 new units, 12,000 of these affordable by 2025, is consistently undermined by her own Planning Office. OP not only supports the affordable housing-deficient Cotton Annex project, it ignores the Southwest Small Area Plan 2015 commitment to “remain an exemplary model of equity and inclusion.” An even worse example is the OP endorsement of the 453 unit Rivermark project in Buzzard Point, by (you guessed it) — Douglas Development.
Commissioner Litsky's vote in favor of the Cotton Annex project was at the public ANC meeting of March 8, 2021. His apparent conflict is being referred to the Board of Ethics and Government Accountability for its investigation and action. Because of this referral, SW Action is asking for Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen's support for a request to the ZC that it defer any action on Thursday, March 18 on this project.
Pamela McKinney, member of SW DC Action asked: “Why 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's support for projects such as this.”
“Even 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's arises,” said Adom M. Cooper, SW DC Ward 6 resident. “A 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?”
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