| NEWS UPDATE: Community and GU Negotiate New Agreement
A message from CAG President, Jennifer Altemus
The Mayor was on hand last week to announce that Georgetown University and the community have worked out a negotiated settlement on key elements of a proposed revised Georgetown University Campus Plan. For the past two months I have been meeting with senior leadership of the University, ANC 2E, Burleith leadership, Foxhall leadership and ANC 3D. I firmly believe that we have developed a proposal that will go a long way towards alleviating many of the adverse impacts we experience living in such close proximity to the University. This is a genuine compromise whereby neither side got 100% of what it wanted, but we are all pleased with the outcome. Read some of the key details here.
BACKGROUND: In May 2011, CAG testified before the Zoning Commission in opposition to proposed Campus Plan. Dozens of residents also testified in opposition, as did ANC 2E, ANC 3D, the citizens associations of Burleith and Foxhall. Read details of ANC2E's excellent findings and recommendations regarding the proposed GU Campus Plan here.
But because GU’s transportation plan was, for the second time, found inadequate by the DC Department of Transportation, GU was granted a continuance until November 17, 2011 to submit a revised transportation plan and its rebuttal arguments.
In September GU instituted a number of tweaks to its existing off-campus student life programs -- which are long over-due and unfortunately, woefully inadequate.
CAG supports planned and thoughtful growth of the university but strongly opposes a plan that will make the objectionable effects of a 4,000 student expansion over 10 years worse. The DC Office of Planning agrees and has told the University to house 100% of its undergraduate students on campus or on sites outside the 20007 zip code by 2016.
If, however, the Zoning Commission allows GU to expand irresponsibly, the danger exists that valued residential neighborhoods will transform into predominantly off-campus student housing. Such an outcome would be a significant loss to the city.
Click here to read more about the GU Campus Plan
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