City working with Walgreens on neighborhood compatibility issues

Walgreens is expected soon to begin renovating the building at the corner of Mount Vernon and East Monroe avenues where it will open a store.

City staff has been working with the contractor for Walgreens on concerns raised by the community about the new store’s compatibility with existing neighborhood character.

The city is limited in what it can request of Walgreens, because the retailer needs only a simple building permit to operate. But Stephen MiIone, who worked at the Department of Planning and Zoning until August 31, said the contractor for Walgreens has been by and large very cooperative.

Milone provided the DRCA with an update on the city’s efforts:

Walgreens has agreed to retain the awnings on the building and agreed in concept to have murals on the Monroe Avenue façade. However, the existing antique shop murals would probably be replaced with ones that relate better to a pharmacy/retail use.

Walgreens does not want to retain the simulated storefront buildings painted along the rear/east elevation toward the parking lot and is undecided on staff’s suggestion to retain the mural along the south elevation next to the garden shop.

Milone said that Walgreens intends to use fairly nondescript internally illuminated signs that the company typically uses, with one sign on each building façade.

The main entrance for the store will be located at the prominent diagonal main entrance to the building at the intersection of Mount Vernon and Monroe avenues. The plans show the possibility of a secondary checkout line near one of the rear entrances to the parking lot that may or may not be used.

The contractor for Walgreens told Milone that the company expects to make improvements to the ramps at the rear of the store to improve the function of the entrance.

Walgreens has offered money to contribute to bicycle stands to be installed in the adjacent right-of-way as well as a small amount of money toward tree planting.

Milone said he was working with the applicant to keep the windows open to the extent possible. Most of the windows are currently proposed to be open, with views into the store. However, there are a couple of windows toward the south end of the Mount Vernon façade, in a portion of the building formerly occupied by the laundry, that the applicant is proposing to block because of certain uses behind the windows.

“I’m trying to work with them so that if windows must be blocked, we can minimize the area that will be blocked, and I have also reached out to the historic collections staff at the library to identify some historic Del Ray photos that could be applied to the windows to provide some interest and link to the neighborhood,” Milone said. “The developer has said that it seems like a good solution and expressed willingness to work with us on a solution.”

Milone said he has worked with the contractor on a plan for lighting the parking lot that is appropriate for a business close to residential properties.

Finally, Milone said the contractor for Walgreens said the company plans to underground the power line from the transformer by the sidewalk to the rear of the building and may also resurface and restripe the parking lot.

The previous occupants of the building moved out this summer. Potomac West Interiors and Antiques and Not Too Shabby Consignments have moved to a location south of the city. The two businesses have combined under the name of Evolution Home.