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BZA approves Saint Peter's School expansion with ADA, TDM and preservation conditions
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Summary
The Board of Zoning Adjustment approved Saint Peter's School's multi-story addition and related penthouse relief after hearing architects, historic-preservation review results and OP support; the project includes elevator access, a rooftop play area and conditions to implement a transportation and loading management plan.
The Board of Zoning Adjustment voted on Dec. 3 to approve Saint Peter's School's request to renovate and expand its Capitol Hill campus and to grant limited penthouse and height relief needed for an elevator override. The unanimous roll call recorded three affirmative votes (3–0–2) from members present.
Jeff Utz, land-use counsel for the applicant, described aproject that will modernize the school's facilities without increasing its approved student enrollment or staff caps. Principal Karen Clay told the board the school has served the neighborhood for more than 150 years and that the proposed addition will provide an accessible main entrance, dedicated classrooms, an indoor multipurpose space and a rooftop play area set back and screened for safety.
Architect Megan Jansy described how the design preserves the historic building while adding an attached addition with a glass connector; the Historic Preservation Review Board had granted concept approval earlier in the project process. Urban planner Shane Depman and transportation consultant Jamie Milanovich explained that the penthouse-height variance is needed to accommodate an elevator override and related mechanical equipment (the override extends above the 10-foot penthouse limit to 14 feet 10 inches), and that the applicant will implement a transportation-management plan and a loading-management plan per DDOT recommendations.
Office of Planning staff supported both the special exemptions and the penthouse-height area variance, noting that the building's historic configuration and misaligned floors require an elevator to achieve ADA accessibility and that the elevator override would be centrally located and minimally visible from public rights-of-way.
Board members praised the applicant's outreach, the design sensitivity, and the condition commits (TDM/loading plans) recommended by OP and DDOT. Vice chair Carl Blake and other board members said the applicant met the burden for the requested relief. The board's approval includes the transportation- and loading-management conditions described in OP and DDOT reports and reflects the HPRB's earlier concept approval.
The board closed the record on the application with conditions incorporated as described on the record, and staff recorded the vote 3–0–2 in favor of application 21389.
