If you drive by the new Nationals Stadium you will do several things: a) you will marvel at the enormity of the project; b) you will dwell on the beauty of the new South Cap. bridge; c) you will think about the cars—you will wonder where will all the cars go? Traffic is one thing. But what about the folks who won’t fit into the new parking garages being built next to the stadium?

Guess what the city wants to do? The city wants to build eight temporary lots in the area. If you happen to live in the surrounding neighborhood, that’s bad news. This week, ANC-6D passed a resolution fighting this proposal. You can read the details below:

A RESOLUTION BY ANC-6D REGARDING 07-08A

A RESOLUTION BY ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6-D OPPOSING THE APPLICATION BY THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE OF PLANNING TO PERMIT EIGHT TEMPORARY SURFACE PARKING LOTS IN THE NEAR SOUTHWEST NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE BELOW MENTIONED SQUARES.

WHEREAS the Office of Zoning has received an application from the District of Columbia Office of Planning for a text amendment to the Zoning Regulations to permit temporary surface parking lots on additional squares and portions of square located in the Southwest neighborhood, namely Squares 603, 605, 658, 661, 662, 662E, 664, 664E, and Square 658, Lot 7; and

WHEREAS these temporary parking lots, if approved, would allow the following number of cars into our neighborhood 81 days a year as follows: Square 603 – 500 cars, Square 605 — 250 cars, Square 657 — 450 cars, Square 658, Lot 7 – 250 cars; Square 661 — 500 cars; Squares 662 & 662E – 500 cars, Square 664 – 150 cars; and Square 664E – 350 cars; and

WHEREAS the approval of these above-mentioned Squares will permit the parking of a total of 2,950 automobiles in our Southwest neighborhood; and

WHEREAS the applicant has not provided ANC-6D with any documentation that these lots are supported by the recently adopted DC Comprehensive Plan Near Southwest Area Element Planning and Development Priorities (19-8 to 19-9); and

WHEREAS the Comprehensive Plan’s Policy AW-2.2.6 specifically “Ensures that the established communities adjacent to the South Capitol Street corridor, including James Creek and Greenleaf Gardens housing projects and adjacent residential areas, are buffered from adverse impacts associated with increased density and traffic relating to stadium area development.” (1912.13); and

WHEREAS the applicant has not provided an approved traffic plan prepared by the DC Department of Transportation in support of even one of these temporary parking lots; and

WHEREAS ANC-6D believes that these 2,950 automobiles traveling over local neighborhood streets on which our children play during the warm weather baseball season in a compressed period of time – both to and from these temporary surface lots — will cause a threat to the health, safety and well-being of the nearly 6,000 residents living South of M Street, SW; and

WHEREAS even though the Washington Nationals have stated that they will use all best efforts to direct stadium bound drivers to these lots through their public communications and marketing materials, directing them away from neighborhood streets, and that even though an Order in Case 07-08 prevents either the Washington Nationals or the DC Department of Transportation from directing baseball patrons to approved temporary surface parking lots over Eye, Fourth or P Streets, SW, in the intervening months absolutely no plan has been put in place to prevent drivers from ignoring such “prohibitions” protecting our neighborhood from this onslaught of traffic;

NOW, THEREFORE, be it resolved that on Monday, February 11, 2008, at a duly noticed and regularly scheduled public meeting of ANC-6D, where a quorum was present (and with 4 of 7 commissioners comprising a quorum) and by a unanimous vote of 7-0, the Commission voted to adopt this resolution and oppose the application by the Office of Planning to permit temporary surface parking lots at the above mentioned Squares.