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NCPC approves St. Elizabeth’s Gate 7 garage plans, citing sensitive design and mitigation measures
Summary
The commission approved preliminary and final plans for the Saint Elizabeth's West Campus Gate 7 parking garage, praising its materials, landscape integration and pollinator plant palette while asking for continued coordination on transportation, tree replacement and potential solar/green‑roof strategies.
The National Capital Planning Commission unanimously approved preliminary and final site and building plans for the Saint Elizabeth's West Campus Gate 7 parking garage on July 9, 2026.
Laura Shipman presented the General Services Administration’s submission and explained that the five‑level garage (approximately 394,000 gross square feet) is designed to integrate with the historic Gothic and Italian Renaissance revival language of the campus through a brick base, arched openings and a concealed massing strategy that tucks the building into the hillside to reduce visual impacts.
Staff noted the project is generally consistent with the 2020 Saint Elizabeth’s master plan and recommended approval with comments: preserve and replace trees on a roughly one‑for‑one acreage basis (the submission indicated 903 existing trees would remain and 713 trees would be removed and replaced on-site at comparable density), refine the plant palette (native species and pollinator‑friendly plants), continue coordination with DDOT and WMATA on shuttle and multimodal access, and provide additional tree protection information prior to construction.
Commissioners’ comments and conditions
Commissioners praised the facade treatment as a responsive design solution and asked about opportunities for rooftop solar where feasible; the project team said a green roof is planned for phase two to minimize visibility from the upper campus, and noted that solar options will be considered on other campus buildings where rooftop visibility is acceptable. Commissioners also asked that the applicant coordinate further on shuttle access to nearby Metro stations and provide detailed tree‑replacement and planting plans.
Vote and next steps
On motion by Commissioner Dixon, seconded by Commissioner Argo, NCPC voted unanimously to approve the preliminary and final plans with the comments and conditions noted by staff. The commission asked the project team to continue coordination with DDOT and WMATA on transportation mitigation and to finalize tree preservation and planting details before construction permits are issued.
The approval allows the Gate 7 garage to proceed toward permitting and construction once the applicant completes the follow‑up items requested by the commission.
