Opinion ID: 1970404
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: ANC 6C's Concerns

Text: The BZA recounted the issues raised by ANC 6C in Finding No. 31. It also addressed ANC 6C's recommendation that the application for special exception should be denied because the community is overrun with various types of residential facilities. Finding No. 31 states in relevant part: [T]he Board finds from a statistical breakdown of all community based residential facilities in the District of Columbia that Ward 6 falls in the middle of the range, having only 15% of the total number of such facilities (by contrast, Ward 4 has 24%). Moreover, there is only one adult rehabilitation home located in Ward 6. With respect to ANC 6C's concern about the number of residential facilities in the community, the BZA's Finding No. 31 addressed only the number in Ward Six as a whole. It did not respond with precision, see Kopff, supra, 381 A.2d at 1384, regarding the number of such facilities in the much more limited area represented by ANC 6C, as required by D.C.Code § 1-251(a) (1992). D.C.Code § 1-251(a) mandates that the Council divide the District of Columbia into neighborhood commission areas. Although neither area nor neighborhood is included among the definitions in D.C.Code § 1-202 (1992) or in 11 DCMR § 199.1, 11 DCMR § 199.2(g) (1994) provides that [w]ords not defined in this section shall have the meanings given in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. See also Concerned Citizens of Brentwood v. District of Columbia Bd. of Zoning Adjustment, 634 A.2d 1234, 1242 n. 18 (D.C.1993). Thus, for our purposes, the correct definition of area is a definitely bounded piece of ground set aside for a specific use or purpose. WEBSTER'S THIRD NEW INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY 115 (1986). In the context of D.C.Code § 1-251(a), it is clear that the definite boundaries of the term area are those of an affected ANC, in this case, ANC 6C and 7B. The noun phrase neighborhood commission undoubtedly modifies area; any possible doubt is dispelled by the interchangeable use of neighborhood commission area, Neighborhood Commission, and neighborhood. Id. See also Office of the People's Counsel v. Public Serv. Comm'n, 630 A.2d 692, 696 (D.C.1993). By addressing only the number of facilities in Ward Six as a whole, the BZA failed to respond with the proper precision. Kopff, supra, 381 A.2d at 1384. Moreover, the BZA did not offer any articulation whatsoever as to why ANC 6C did not offer persuasive advice under the circumstances. Levy, supra, 570 A.2d at 746 (citations and internal quotation marks omitted). Thus, we conclude that the BZA failed to give great weight to the views of ANC 6C. [15]