Whittle School

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there isn't existing landmark protections, they won't have to put anything back. On the other hand, if raze/demolition took place without permits, that is another issue entirely.

Yes, that is what I was saying, there was a pending permit application for Landmark status, and they did not have demo permits. And there is an existing CFA overlay, but I guess that is for the site, rather than the buildings which is privately owned. So maybe need to go the the CFA before they get permits also.

What is the order of things, I have no idea. Assessment of the damage first by a historic expert? Or get the Landmark Application hearing over with so the need to rebuild anything can be established. Make them restore what they destroyed, if required, as a condition of the building permit application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If there isn't existing landmark protections, they won't have to put anything back. On the other hand, if raze/demolition took place without permits, that is another issue entirely.

A pending application for Landmark Status offers temporary protection under the law, until the case is heard. So they have a problem.

Putting things back will be determined by the experts in the historic preservation office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
They have been using Ayers Saint Gross for architectural and planning services.

DC government has also used this firm for various city planning and school planning work.

So Whittle and his A-team are very well connected. The local ANC and WAPO needs to pay close attention to how this thing moves ahead. And anyone else interested in good governance.

If this is true my guess is they are probably back to work already. Someone high up in the DC government is giving this project a pass by classifying it as some sort of embassy.

An Embassy must also get a building permit and get any zoning relief required under the zoning regulations. The building is owned by a big NY company 601W Company. The Land seems to be federal. I don't quite get it the ownership of the site, but it will not pass as an embassy and if they did it would not help them.

Can someone post a photo of the stop work order?

I drove by and didn’t see anything but it is a huge building. There is no stop work order posted online.

[Anonymous]

Don't worry about this stop work, no permit, won't get open thingy everyone is talking about. The FORMER PRESIDENT OF YALE, chancellor of BERKLY, CEO of BOEING OF INDIA and someone who went to EXETER are all over it. Problem...solved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't worry about this stop work, no permit, won't get open thingy everyone is talking about. The FORMER PRESIDENT OF YALE, chancellor of BERKLY, CEO of BOEING OF INDIA and someone who went to EXETER are all over it. Problem...solved.

Mind if I call you "bot" short?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
They have been using Ayers Saint Gross for architectural and planning services.

DC government has also used this firm for various city planning and school planning work.

So Whittle and his A-team are very well connected. The local ANC and WAPO needs to pay close attention to how this thing moves ahead. And anyone else interested in good governance.

If this is true my guess is they are probably back to work already. Someone high up in the DC government is giving this project a pass by classifying it as some sort of embassy.

An Embassy must also get a building permit and get any zoning relief required under the zoning regulations. The building is owned by a big NY company 601W Company. The Land seems to be federal. I don't quite get it the ownership of the site, but it will not pass as an embassy and if they did it would not help them.

Can someone post a photo of the stop work order?

I drove by and didn’t see anything but it is a huge building. There is no stop work order posted online.

I looked on -line also, and nothing, but sometimes it can take a couple of weeks for them to put the information into the DCRA system. In one of the two WAPO articles it seems that there had been an orange sticker posted on the gate or door, and they are not supposed to take that down until they have permission to do so.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't worry about this stop work, no permit, won't get open thingy everyone is talking about. The FORMER PRESIDENT OF YALE, chancellor of BERKLY, CEO of BOEING OF INDIA and someone who went to EXETER are all over it. Problem...solved.

You are so right.

The EXETER connection can fix it all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don't worry about this stop work, no permit, won't get open thingy everyone is talking about. The FORMER PRESIDENT OF YALE, chancellor of BERKLY, CEO of BOEING OF INDIA and someone who went to EXETER are all over it. Problem...solved.

You are so right.

The EXETER connection can fix it all.

I don't know if you people are being sarcastic. you are, right? One of you?

[Anonymous]

The school is offering 'personalized education' for every student. Where else can you get that? The first lesson is, get a permit BEFORE you begin construction. I bet none of the students planning to attend in September will forget that one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school is offering 'personalized education' for every student. Where else can you get that? The first lesson is, get a permit BEFORE you begin construction. I bet none of the students planning to attend in September will forget that one.

Lol. It was probably approved by the head of the lower school. She wasn’t the most competent when she was at Beauvoir.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The school is offering 'personalized education' for every student. Where else can you get that? The first lesson is, get a permit BEFORE you begin construction. I bet none of the students planning to attend in September will forget that one.

Yes, or "hire competent local staff, to compensate for eccentric bosses lack of acculturation skills after moving to from NY to DC "

[Anonymous]

If this property is federally owned then it must go thru Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Anyone want to pursue it? Go to ACHP.gov and see which staff member has responsibility for th Department of State, and contact them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If this property is federally owned then it must go thru Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Anyone want to pursue it? Go to ACHP.gov and see which staff member has responsibility for th Department of State, and contact them.

The land seems to be federally owned while the building is owned by an LLC which is actually 601W Companies. I see no evidence that it was sold to Whittle.

The Fine arts Commission (A Federal Body) hears the case because the site is covered by the Shipstead Luce Act. Look at property quest or a map of the Shipstead Luce Act area, and this is clear. https://propertyquest.dc.gov/ If they think they are a foreign mission still, that does not help, the Act also applies to foreign missions.

They do also need to go to DC's Historic Preservation Office, and probably to a public hearing with the Historic Preservation Review Board. But once they have done the rounds of review at the federal level, and get the approvals that they need there, then it will be smoother at the DC level. But that process is probably at least 6 months.

[Anonymous]

It's a very cool building. Would love to see as much as possible preserved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's a very cool building. Would love to see as much as possible preserved.

Write to the Reservation League, see if they are still pursuing Landmark Status.