About five people protested a special Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting Feb. 7 to discuss AU’s 2011 draft Campus Plan, wearing red and white “OPPOSE AU Plan” buttons and holding “NO Traffic Gridlock OPPOSE AU Campus Plan” signs.
Local residents said AU is acting like the neighborhood bully. Some say they think AU is pitting the students and neighbors against each other with its 2011 Campus Plan.
“We’re not going to let you get away with it that easily,” said local resident Jerry Gallucci. “I’m prepared to run with signs when you have your parents come on campus looking to get a nice impression of your school.”
AU Chief of Staff David Taylor and Assistant Vice President of Facilities Development and Real Estate Jorge Abud presented the draft plan to about 100 community members and students.
Many neighbors are worried about possible traffic and safety problems on Nebraska and New Mexico Avenues, as well as the proposed East Campus on the current Nebraska Parking Lot, which borders the Westover Place townhouses.
“I don’t think you’d have as many people here tonight if you didn’t plan to build dorms on the East Campus,” ANC 3D01 Commissioner Kent Slowinski said to Taylor and Abud.
In addition to the existing Nebraska Parking Lot driveway on New Mexico Avenue, AU has proposed a right turn-only driveway on Massachusetts Avenue to enter East Campus.
Many neighbors said the East Campus complexes, especially the Massachusetts Avenue entrance and increased flow of students crossing Nebraska Avenue, would negatively affect traffic in the area.
Abud said even if hundreds of students are crossing Nebraska Avenue during the peak traffic hours, traffic will not be negatively effected.
Some in the crowd laughed.
“Baloney!” shouted one resident.
Resident George Watson of Cathedral Avenue suggested a bridge that would span Nebraska and connect East Campus to Main Campus.
“I’m not as worried about the traffic,” Watson said. “I happen to be 79 and I’m not quite the driver I was at 16 when I got my license, but I worry about my insurance rates going up when I knock out a few students.”
ANC Commissioner 3D06 Ann Heuer asked if the design and placement of the buildings in the Campus Plan are flexible and if a compromise is possible.
For the majority of the meeting, Taylor and Abud listened to neighbors’ questions and concerns, saying the University believes the Nebraska Parking Lot is a suitable site for student housing.
ANC 3D02 Chairman Tom Smith said there are higher crime rates in areas near student housing “by nature of the student population.”
“Why are you pitting the students and neighbors against each other and putting us in a condition that we will be calling the [Metropolitan Police Department] every single night because we will be asking them to enforce the new noise ordinance?” said Westover Place resident Judith Berson.
The commissioners cited examples of students littering in neighborhood front yards, being admitted to Sibley Memorial Hospital for intoxication and violating drug laws.
“We’ve all done it — well, at least some of us have,” Smith said to laughs from the crowd. “But I didn’t do it living next to million-dollar town homes.”
ANC 3D04 Commissioner Stu Ross said the meeting should not be an attack on the University and its policing of students.
“I’m sure everyone at the University wants student conduct to be as exemplary as it can be,” Ross said. “I personally do not believe that American University officials who are here tonight would necessarily disagree with your concerns.”
An AU student told the commissioners and audience that he feels their noise concerns are overblown, saying he doesn’t believe the addition of dorms on East Campus won’t cause more students to drink.
“It’s not that anyone doesn’t want to give you the right to be a student, but you live in our neighborhood,” a neighbor said.
“You live in our neighborhood,” said a female AU student.
Resident Tom Hier, however, said he supports the Campus Plan, especially with moving the Washington College of Law to Tenley Campus.
“Every University in this city falls woefully short in terms of economic development,” Hier said. “Anything that we can do to get the University out into the community and more a part of our community is something I support.”
ANC Commissioner of 3D07 and AU freshman Deon Jones questioned the safety of AU’s Campus Plan throughout the meeting and recommended lowering the height of the proposed East Campus buildings.
At the end of the meeting, Jones said students have a positive effect on D.C.
“We have a lot of students who care about this country, this city,” Jones said. “This is our neighborhood, too.”
landerson@theeagleonline.com
