Question: Would you please provide me the memo created for the Landmark project with reasons why a school was not slated for that area? (Councilwoman Greene)

Response: 

A primary consideration in the discussions surrounding a potential school site during the 2019 planning process and subsequent approvals for the former Landmark Mall site was City Council’s 2018 approval of the Greenhill Coordinated Development District (CDD) Concept Plan, which includes land to be dedicated for a school site.  Greenhill is required to provide a 30,000 sq. ft. site for construction of a public school or civic use (the available site on the Landmark property is 25,408 sq. ft. as described below).  

The Greenhill North development area is located near the former Landmark Mall site at S. Pickett Street, Edsall Road and S. Van Dorn Street. This site is one of three school sites already identified in recent small area plans. The Greenhill North site can accommodate approximately 130,000 sq. ft. in five levels with opportunities for above-grade and directly adjacent ground level open space and is also within walking distance of Armistead Boothe Park to the south. Parking for the site would need to be underground or on an adjoining block.       

Additionally, during the 2019 small area plan process for the Landmark neighborhood, the community prioritized a fire station, a use that is particularly sensitive to siting, with affordable housing above the station. The location on the former mall site was prioritized in part because there were no other options that met the location requirements for the replacement of Fire Station #208. The planning process acknowledged that the 52-acre Landmark site was limited in size.  After removing the acreage associated with the hospital, streets, open spaces/parks, and the 25,408 sq. ft. site for the fire station, there are 18 acres remaining for market-rate development.    

Because of the nearby school site reservation on Greenhill North and the limited space remaining on the Landmark site, a stand-alone school site was not recommended as part of the Landmark approvals. 

It is worth noting that the Greenhill North site is generally consistent with the land area that was recently approved for a school on Block 23 in North Potomac Yard and on Block 2 in Eisenhower East. Also, as part of the upcoming Duke Street Plan there will be an opportunity to evaluate potential school sites. The number of students and type of school in each case would need to be coordinated with ACPS. All three sites are in keeping with the 2015 (updated in 2018) Joint ACPS-City Long Range Educational Facilities Plan which recommends that schools are considered in all small area planning efforts as well as in the development review process, and that the planning of all new school sites consider an urban school model. The Joint City-ACPS Facility Master Plan (2020) process confirmed that ACPS can accommodate its capacity needs on existing school sites under existing zoning – and that the sites identified in small area plans provide additional opportunities/flexibility.

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