ANC, OGB on N Street, ‘Exorcist’ Steps Condos, Latham Apartments

The Georgetown-Burleith Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the Old Georgetown Board have chimed in over the last two weeks on construction/reconstruction projects that include the old Latham Hotel, set to become apartments or “micro-units”; the old Alexander Memorial Church property at 2709-17 N St., NW, where a conversion and an additional house on the lot are planned; and the new EastBanc condominiums on the site of the Key Bridge Exxon on M Street, next to the “Exorcist” steps and the Car Barn.

ANC 2E opposed an additional house at the N Street church property and increasing the number of units in the old church, though it welcomed the property’s use as residences, adding life to an empty middle-of-the-block. The OGB saw no problem with the church containing three condo units, while the parish hall would become a single-family home. It did not necessarily oppose the addition of another house, but wanted it to be smaller to fit with the historical openness of the lot.

As for the Latham property, the OGB again called for scaling back – specifically, of large windows, a new tower and signage – of the project at 3000 M St., NW. The retail corner in front of the 150-unit building will be demolished, with a new one built to fit in with the commercial space and sidewalk.

Both projects also will come under the purview of the zoning board, which may call for other changes.

At 3601-3607 M St., NW, EastBanc’s Hillside condos, next to the “Exorcist” steps, appear to be reaching the final-refinement stage with the OGB, which did not like the blocky, monolithic design and preferred more pleasing breaks in the design. The concerns of neighbors on Prospect Street, above the gas station site, about the stability of the hill where their homes sit and better coverage of the condo’s rooftop equipment, were heard by EastBanc.