From ANC 5A02

SINGLE MEMBER DISTRCT 5A02 AND SURROUNDING NEIGHBORS
Boys Town Redevelopment Large Tract Review Neighborhood Meeting

The Urban Atlantic Development team will provide an update on the development status of the former Boys Town site on Sargent Road. Urban Atlantic has submitted a Large Tract Review application with the District’s Office of Planning for the development of 166 duplex homes, consistent with the existing R-2 zoning. The meeting will review the materials  submitted with the application and offer an opportunity for community questions and comments.

Wednesday, September 10th 6:30 pm

Microsoft Teams
Link: Microsoft Teams Join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 252 113 980 753 1
Passcode: MY9a5Ui2
Dial in by phone:  1 443-948-6064   Code:  682943271#
Phone conference ID: 682 943 271#

Urban Atlantic’s Large Tract Review (LTR) application for the redevelopment of the Boys Town campus is available on the DC Office of Planning (OP) website. Urban Atlantic is redeveloping the site located at 4801 Sargent Road NE with 166 semi-detached homes. Approximately 17 homes will be set aside for below market rate housing for households earning up to 80 percent of median family income. The property will be developed in phases.

The property sits in ANC 5A02. Timothy Thomas is the ANC commissioner for this area.

• Applicant’s Statement – 4801 Sargent Rd NE 
• Subdivision Plans – 4801 Sargent Rd NE 
• Project Plans – 4801 Sargent Rd NE 
• Concept Renderings – 4801 Sargent Rd NE 
• Transportation Plan – 4801 Sargent Rd NE 

The property will be accessed via the single entrance on Sargent Road. The developer plans to open up the campus by removing the mounds of fill dirt in front and creating a network of internal roads and 6-foot sidewalks throughout the site. The LTR application states the developer plans to plant 225 new trees. (Note: During public meetings, they said they will plant 90 new trees). The developer is studying creation of a pedestrian path to access the North Michigan Park Recreation Center from the property.

The developer plans to keep the 8,000 square foot building in the center of the campus (Main Building). They do not know what they will do with that building yet. The LTR application indicates they are evaluating formal designation of the building.

As part of the LTR application, Urban Atlantic submitted a comprehensive transportation review (CTR). (Note: While the applicant’s statement indicates the site will have 166 homes, the transportation analysis states the site will have 174 homes). Because the developer has not decided what to do with the Main Building, the CTR analysis is based on the assumption that the space will be for office use.

For residential use, the AM peak hour trip generation is projected to generate 59 vehicle trips per hour, 15 transit trips per hour, two (2) bicycle trips per hour, and 13 pedestrian trips per hour. The PM peak hour trip generation is projected to generate 70 vehicle trips per hour, 18 transit trips per hour, two (2) bicycle trips per hour, and 15 pedestrian trips per hour.

If the non-residential use were utilized as office space, the AM peak hour trip generation would be projected to generate 12 vehicle trips per hour, 1 transit trip per hour, zero (0) bicycle trips per hour, and zero (0) pedestrian trips per hour. The PM peak hour trip generation would be projected to generate 15 vehicle trips per hour, one (1) transit trip per hour, one (1) bicycle trip per hour, and one (1) pedestrian trip per hour.

The CTR does not include a transportation demand management (TDM) plan because the homes are for sale and the use of the Main Building has not been determined yet. The property is about one mile from Fort Totten station and is close to a few bus lines.

The traffic analysis includes the background development at 801 Buchanan Street NE. When this background development is taken into consideration, there is a slight increase in delays during AM and PM peak hours. But overall, the CTR concludes that the redevelopment will not have a detrimental impact on the transportation network or “trigger mitigation measures based on established DDOT standards.”

The CTR notes that Sargent Road has sharrows and that 12th Street has unprotected bike lanes. The CTR states that bicycle parking is not required for the residential portion, but the developer is proposing 10 short-term bicycle parking spaces in the center green portion of the site. The bicycle parking requirement for the Main Building will be determined when the developer decides what to do with that building. The CTR indicates that the nearest CaBi station is 0.4 miles away at South Dakota & Decatur.

Each home will have one private parking space for a car. The application states that each home “will also contain space for bicycle parking within the home.” There will be 16 additional parking spots for “shared use between the residential and non-residential uses.” Currently, there is unrestricted parking along Sargent.

The developer plans to provide electric vehicle parking in accordance with DC law that requires “all new construction of single-family homes (for building permits issues after January 1, 2025) that include dedicated off-road parking in the permit include installation of electrical panel capacity and conduit during construction that can support electric vehicle charging and mark the space as electric vehicle-ready.”

We previously discussed the LTR process in this post: Boys Town Redevelopment Pre-Large Tract Review Update. ANC 5A provided a letter in support of the conceptual redevelopment plan. The LTR application does not include everything that has been discussed at meetings so far. I know that there have also been side conversations among Commissioner Thomas, residents, and the developer with a goal of formalizing some type of agreement. Unclear at this point whether the ANC plans to submit a formal response with a copy of any agreement now that the complete LTR application has been submitted. The ANC is on recess until the end of September.

ANC 5A delivered the following message by email on August 2, 2025.

Dear Neighbors,

As you may know, ANC 5A has been working diligently to protest the marijuana application for 4942 South Dakota Ave. This letter will share some vital insights with you all.

ANC 5A’s protest letter was dismissed by the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) on July 14^th for lacking substance. ANC 5A has since hired legal counsel and filed a Motion for Reconsideration of the Board’s decision as ABCA’s decision to deny did meet the statutory grounds of D.C. Code as argued by our attorney, Ms. Kerri Verdi esq. Our Motion for Reconsideration articulates our legal reasoning behind the appeal and the clear procedural errors made by ABCA.

We anticipate that the Board will make a decision on whether to reinstate ANC 5A as a protestant in the coming weeks. In the meantime, ANC 5A is working to deliver the best legal arguments to oppose the application and to oppose the application through in-person protests.

We will be sure to keep everyone updated on the status of the motion and thank you for your support. 

Thank You,
ANC 5A

On July 14, 2025, the Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Administration (ABCA) held a roll call hearing on the application of Clinical Health & Wellness to open a medical cannabis shop at 4942 South Dakota Avenue NE in North Michigan Park. The property sits in ANC 5A08. ANC Commissioner Elaine Alston (5A08) represented the ANC at the roll call hearing.

By order dated July 16, 2025, the ABCA Board dismissed ANC 5A’s protest. The Board’s order states, “A review of the protest criteria versus the issues claimed by the ANC show that the initial protest lacks sufficient specificity under the law to proceed to a protest.” The order is just a few pages, well worth reading.

See ABCA Board Order Dismissing ANC 5A Protest Against Clinical Health & Wellness (July 16, 2025)

(During an ANC meeting, a couple of us tried to tell the ANC what they needed to include in a resolution, but they did not listen and here we are.)

ABCA also does not know what they are doing though. ABCA (maybe erroneously) issued an initial placard dated April 18, 2025. They rescinded that placard and readvertised a new one dated May 9, 2025, but they neglected to update the text of the notice. While the summary of the hearing information in the readvertised placard was updated with the new hearing dates, the text of the readvertised notice still listed the old hearing dates. On July 18, 2025, after the July 14th roll call hearing and July 16th Board decision, ABCA decided to issue a “corrected” notice with the correct hearing dates in the text of the notice.

In any case, at an emergency meeting on July 16, the ANC voted to spend ANC funds to retain counsel to seek reinstatement of the protest and to apply for a technical assistance grant from the Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC).

ANC 5A will have Urban Atlantic at the next public meeting on June 25, 2025, to discuss the Boys Town redevelopment project. The property sits at 4801 Sargent Road NE in ANC 5A02.

The only reason I am writing a post now is so that residents can be prepared to ask questions and provide initial feedback on this project because I am not sure if the ANC has a plan in mind for dealing with this project.

Vicki Davis, founder/president of Urban Atlantic, has briefly introduced the project to ANC 5A, and has presented to the North Michigan Park Civic Association (NMPCA) and at the single member district meeting for ANC Commissioner Timothy Thomas (5A02). Joel Lawson from DC’s Office of Planning attended the 5A02 meeting to answer questions about the Large Tract Review process.

Boys Town has been closed for about one year. They have a contract to sell the property to Urban Atlantic. The property is going to be sold to someone, if it is not Urban Atlantic (people should keep that in mind).

The property is zoned R-2 so duplexes and triplexes can be built as a matter of right. Urban Atlantic will be building duplexes in conformity with the zoning restrictions for the R-2 zone. So that means it will be a matter of right development. Therefore there will not be a public hearing.

Initial Proposal

• 12 acre site
• 153 market rate homes – final prices not yet set
• 17 Inclusionary Zoning homes at 80% of median area income
• Constructing over 1 mile of sidewalks open to the public
• 40% open space
• Improving drainage, removing large mounds of dirt that were added to front of campus
• Keeping the old Main Building of 8,000 square feet in place for an undetermined future use
• Keeping the main access road, but removing the gate, to open the site to the community
• Sharing public site amenities (undetermined at this time)

Because the property is over three acres, the project has to go through Large Tract Review by the Office of Planning (OP). ANCs and civic associations receive notice of Large Tract Review applications. ANCs and civic associations can and should submit responses to Urban Atlantic’s Large Tract Review application. As of June 18, Urban Atlantic had not submitted their application yet. They are working on their traffic study and plan to submit their application by the end of the month.

From Office of Planning:

The Office of Planning is supposed to produce a final report within 60 days of the application submission. Urban Atlantic stated they intend to submit their LTR application at the end of June. So the ANC really should have a plan for how they intend to address this application. They do not have time to dilly-dally.

Feedback

I recommend that nearby residents who care about what is happening here share written feedback with the following people:

• ANC 5A Chair Emily Singer Lucio – 5A03@anc.dc.gov

• ANC Commissioner Timothy Thomas – 5A02@anc.dc.gov

• Carmen Williams, President, North Michigan Park Civic Association – carm8954@aol.com

• Vicki Davis, Owner, Urban Atlantic – vdavis@urban-atlantic.com

• Teddy Swift, Project Manager, Urban Atlantic – tswift@urban-atlantic.com

Honestly, people should probably just email all 8 commissioners on the ANC (ANC 5A05 is still vacant). It is not at all clear how the ANC intends to handle this application. It is not clear to me that Commissioner Thomas understands that the ANC should in fact provide written feedback to the development team and OP. I think it would be beneficial for neighbors close to the site to band together to provide written feedback with reasonable suggestions, keeping the goals of Large Tract Review in mind, because there is no assurance that the ANC will pass on feedback to Urban Atlantic.

Issues I have heard raised at meetings and passed on to me by residents so far. I imagine a lot of this will be addressed in the Large Tract Review application.

Retail

The property is zoned for residential use not retail use. There is not going to be retail on the site.

Stormwater runoff

This is the biggie and people should look to see how Urban Atlantic addresses stormwater runoff in the Large Tract Review application. The two mounds in front of the campus were constructed by fill dirt brought in during the construction of Fort Totten Metro station. Apparently those two mounds of dirt cause all sorts of runoff problems for neighbors along Sargent. In addition, North Michigan Park Recreation Center also has a big issue with runoff from Boys Town. The mounds of dirt will be removed, but otherwise no real details just yet about how they will address the drainage issues in the area.

Other Environmental Issues

Residents have asked about tree canopy, how many trees will be removed/retained, new trees planted, etc. Urban Atlantic stated they have already met with a forester and will comply with DDOT guidelines. The initial site plan presented so far shows large planting areas along the perimeter of the site. Urban Atlantic said they will meet and likely exceed the required Green Area Ratio.

In response to questions, Ms. Davis said they are doing soil testing now and so far sampling has not indicated any big issues.

Transportation Demand Management

This is another biggie. We know the planned redevelopment will have a tremendous impact on neighborhood streets. The Providence campus down the street will also be redeveloped in a few years, so we know there needs to be a robust transportation demand management plan.

Sargent Road Entrance

Urban Atlantic is planning to keep the main entrance/exit on Sargent Road with the long driveway between the row of trees. They currently plan to have just that single entrance/exit. NMPCA asked them to consider having a second exit elsewhere on the campus in case of emergency. Urban Atlantic said this will be addressed in their traffic study/Large Tract Review application.

A resident shared with me that the traffic study should address the impacts of the development at the Sargent Road entrance and whether certain measures are warranted:

• All-way stop or traffic signal control
• Crosswalk markings and curb ramps for pedestrians crossing Sargent Road, for example, to cross from the bus stop on the west side of Sargent to the new development on the east.

Bus stop

There is a bus stop near the entrance to the campus in the 4800 block of Sargent Road NE. A resident shared with me that it would be useful if Urban Atlantic could upgrade the stop with a bus shelter to help encourage new residents to ride the bus. And if there is not room for a bus shelter in the existing right of way, perhaps an easement on the property for one could be granted.

Bikeshare station

There is a thought a bikeshare station could go near the campus somewhere.

One-time SmarTrip or Bikeshare membership & Information about transportation options provided to homebuyers

Urban Atlantic could be asked to provide these membership options and information to each initial homebuyer. And when they finally figure out what to do with the Main Building, they should ensure that similar provision be made for tenants/employees of that building as well.

Pedestrian Access to North Michigan Park Recreation Center

Urban Atlantic has noted that they have agreed to OP’s recommendation that they install a pedestrian walkway to access the North Michigan Park Recreation Center, which abuts the rear of the property.

Trails

Ms. Davis has stated they are opening up the campus and will build one mile of sidewalks throughout the site. She sometimes has described these as trails, other times as sidewalks. They are sidewalks. One suggestion has been to maybe build an actual walking trail around the campus.

Community Benefits

Community benefits are typically associated with planned unit developments (PUDs). This is not a PUD. It is a matter of right project. That has not stopped nearby residents and the NMPCA from asking for community benefits.

Urban Atlantic has previously stated they are looking at building a playground on the site that would be open to the public. Residents have pointed out that the rec center is basically in the backyard of the campus, so there is probably less of a need for public access to a new playground in that location. I do not know where they will land on this.

Other things I have heard tossed around include a pool (no), refresh of North Michigan Park signs, one-time enhancements to the small triangle green spaces in the area.

If people want community benefits, I think they should propose reasonable benefits in writing.

Historic Preservation

Ms. Davis often starts her presentation talking about the history of Boys Town, which was founded by Father Edward Flanagan. Before it was a school for boys in need, it was a school for girls. Residents, OP, and the ANC so far have all mentioned recognizing the historic use of the site.

Urban Atlantic plans to keep the 8,000 square foot Main Building, but at this point, it is unclear if they plan to go through the process of formally seeking historic designation of the building or if OP will suggest that they consider doing so. Perhaps there is some way to meaningfully mark the historic nature of the property besides the small plaque that is in front of the campus.

ANC Commissioner Jack Hermes (5A04) has asked Urban Atlantic to somehow recognize the Catholic history of the property.

One resident has suggested to the ANC that Urban Atlantic be asked to pay for (1) a historian to write a history of Boys Town DC, St. Gertrude’s School, and the earlier history of the site; (2) a photographer to thoroughly document the campus before its demolition, and (3) a small print run to provide copies to the DC Public Library, DC History Center, local university libraries, etc.; and (4) the historian’s expenses to present at the DC History Conference.

Main Building

Urban Atlantic said they are still accepting suggestions for how to use the 8,000 square foot Main Building. Ideas thrown around include a daycare center, affordable housing (I would be curious if this is something OP opines on), clubhouse (Ms. Davis said no). Ms. Davis mentioned that it may be some time before they decide what to do with the building. For purposes of the traffic study, she said they will assume worst case scenario. If you have ideas about the building, reach out to Urban Atlantic.

I am sure I am forgetting some things. A lot of this will probably be repeated tomorrow at the ANC meeting. For residents who care about this project, I suggest speaking up and requesting that the ANC and civic association provide concise written feedback to the Large Tract Review application once it is submitted. That may require having a special meeting over the summer.

ANC Commissioner Elaine Alston (5A08) is hosting an ANC Single Member District meeting at 7:00 pm on May 27, 2025, at UDC Community College (5171 South Dakota Avenue NE) to discuss the following:

• Potential opening of the Medical Cannabis outlet on South Dakota Ave 
• Bikeshare station on Decatur Street
• Update on McDonalds construction