The proposed interior design of the Alter Ego Brewing Co. brewhouse, in back of Midtown Cinema.
“It’s Just Too Big!”
So read the signs that, over the course of a few days, suddenly sprang up on dozens of small, rectangular front yards about a decade ago on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where I owned a rowhouse.
One afternoon, as I walked down the street, deeper into the neighborhood, I saw the first sign and wondered, “What exactly is too big?” Then I saw several more and thought, “What are these people protesting?”
Soon afterwards, a friend filled me in that some of her neighbors (she lived closer to the source of the “problem”) were objecting to a plan to convert a huge, old building, the former Capitol Hill Hospital, into condominiums. Their main gripe: parking. The project provided off-street parking as required by city statute, but the neighbors thought that the one-spot-per-unit allocation wasn’t enough.
“What if they have visitors?” I remember one resident remarking in a story in the Hill Rag, the neighborhood newspaper.
Long story short: the protesters won. They successfully delayed the project until the developer went bankrupt. Street parking didn’t change. But neither did the old hospital, which gobbled up an entire city block and remained almost completely empty, a hulking, ghostly building that created an eerie, isolated, dangerous vibe for blocks around.
I think of that story sometimes when parking issues arise, as they often do, in Harrisburg. Like back in D.C., parking often pits residents who want to see their neighborhood develop, become denser and have more amenities against those who are worried that their street parking will vanish.
Both sides have valid points. Like most people, I want to park directly in front of my house, but I also want the cafe, the movie theater, the restaurants–all the things that make city life worthwhile.
Last night, I attended a community meeting held by the owners of Alter Ego Brewing Co., who are proposing to build a brewhouse in the building at the rear of Midtown Cinema at the corner of Reily and Green streets. The meeting was well-attended, attracting about 50 neighbors, most in support, but some airing legitimate concerns about noise, traffic, odors and the serving of alcohol.
Before long, the discussion became largely about parking, a topic that continued today on TheBurg’s Facebook page. Some neighbors, as well as some out-of-city patrons, are very concerned about parking, even though the Cinema has off-street parking for 49 vehicles, far more than required by the city, even with the addition of the brewery.
In the course of the evolution of a city, a time arrives when a decision must be made about priorities. Is it in the best collective interest of Harrisburg (or Midtown or Engleton) to see the continued development of the commercial district around N. 3rd and Reily streets? Or is it better to keep development at bay so that residents can continue to park in front of their houses?
In the end, I suspect that the parking issue will follow a similar course here as it did in D.C. Yes, the neighbors won the battle against the hospital conversion, but only because the developer already was financially fragile and couldn’t hold out any longer. However, they lost almost every other time.
They complained about parking as the H Street and Pennsylvania Avenue commercial districts were revived and built up, a process that has only accelerated since I left. They lost badly as the Barracks Row corridor went from a seedy strip of check-cashing joints and liquor stores to a booming restaurant district.
All along, they asked, “But where am I gonna park?” along with the related question–“Who’s gonna come here because there’s no parking?”
Turns out–a lot of people.
As the core, then the outskirts, of Capitol Hill improved, people flocked in, as did restaurants, cafes, bars and stores. The lack of parking may have deterred some, but, in the aggregate, the places to eat, drink and shop brought in far more people than were lost to tougher parking.
Sure, some upset residents departed for the suburbs, where they got their private driveways, strip malls and acres of surface lots. But the area’s redevelopment and amenities enticed others to move in, making the area a safer, more vibrant place to live, while dramatically raising property values.
D.C., of course, is fortunate to have a reliable subway, and I can only fantasize that Harrisburg, some day, will have a trolley or light rail system, which could revolutionize life in this city. But, today, Capitol Hill has far more visitors coming via every means of transportation–subway, car, foot, even bus.
In the not-so-distant past, you could walk down Barrack’s Row day or night without encountering another soul, other, perhaps, than someone bumming change off you. Today, the wide sidewalks are full of people; the streets with cars; the restaurants and cafes with patrons. And there’s no more parking today than there was 15 years ago.
In contrast, the old, large Capitol Hill Hospital today remains an under-utilized medical building (a long-term care facility) that adds little to the surrounding residential neighborhood. Every once in awhile, residents may hear an ambulance siren, but, for the most part, the entire city block seems lifeless each day, a bit dodgy at night.
So, around Capitol Hill Hospital, the protesting neighbors won. On Barrack’s Row, they lost. But, looking back now, it sure doesn’t appear that way.
