Why I generally suspect DC attorneys involved in land use matters

There is a project proposed on H Street that has a lot of defects. The idea isn't bad, adding residences, converting office buildings, adding mixed use, but the realization of quality just isn't there in the project as proposed.

The neighbors have organized and are quite diligent in offering suggestions to better connect the project and mitigate impact on the neighborhood. ANC6C, ANC6A, the Zoning Committee of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, and the Land Use Committee of the Stanton Park Neighborhood Association have all weighed in, negatively, on the Zoning Application as submitted, pointing out myriad problems and defects in the application.

Each group has recommended to the developer that they delay going forward, to provide an adequate response to the reservations as identified, and to allow the various stakeholders time to review responses, if any.

Here is the response from the Holland and Knight lawyer representing the client:

The lawyer at the meeting said they still plan to go forward with the October 10 meeting date because they "have nothing to lose" in doing so.

(It's why this particular lawyer, and the firm generally, acts as indicator, at least for me, same with John Ray, and the firm of Manatt Phelps, that it's likely that the project will be contentious and steamrolled.)

One of the reasons I have a great deal of respect for Abdo Development is that they spent 3-4 months in meeting with various community stakeholders before the Zoning Commission "setdown" hearing was set, and continued this process from that late September hearing, until the following February when the matter was heard.

The value of upfront meeting was demonstrated in how quickly the project was approved--in March.

Yet the H Street Ventures organization is looking for approval in about a two month time frame, with a handful of meetings, which generally result in few changes, as opposed to the process that Abdo Development engaged in for the Children's Museum/Senate Square project.

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