Opinion ID: 2265360
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: the coalition's contentions

Text: The Coalition contends that Dominion's presence on the University campus represents a commercial intrusion in a residential zone because the electricity generated from the plant would not be delivered directly to Georgetown, but would instead be sold entirely to PEPCO. The Coalition argues that the Cogeneration Facility would therefore generate electricity for commercial sale and profit, and thus fails to constitute a valid accessory use to the mission of the University. The Coalition reasons that the proposed facility is a purely commercial venture and thus is not incidental to University use. Further, the Coalition argues that a Cogeneration Facility is inappropriate for an R-3 zone and therefore nonconforming to other similar uses in the residential area, and thus Georgetown must seek a use variance [16] from the BZA as well as a special exception.
Next, the Coalition contends that Georgetown's purpose in its arrangement with Dominion to operate the proposed facility is not merely to serve University needs, but to institute a commercial venture in order to take advantage of the federal program that compels utility companies to purchase electricity produced by cogeneration facilities meeting the applicable standards. The Coalition maintains that a more modest facility could have been planned to satisfy Georgetown's utility demands. At the hearing, the Coalition introduced an energy consultant who testified that a twenty megawatt facility would adequately meet Georgetown's current heating and cooling needs. However, there was substantial evidence to support the finding that incremental development over the years of the proposed facility would increase the project costs by a minimum of 25% (or $18 million). Georgetown offered evidence to establish that: (1) the University's steam needs would require a facility with thirty-four megawatts capacity in 1993; (2) the University would require additional steam capacity by the year 2000; and (3) the physical size, equipment and stack of a smaller facility would be virtually identical to that of the proposed facility. The Coalition further contends that the proposed facility represents an industrialscale power plant, and thus is inappropriate for a residential environment. In addressing the concerns raised by the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E (Finding No. 51b) regarding the size of the facility, the BZA found [t]he capacity of the proposed facility is appropriate given the University's need to meet its peak projected needs for steam, chilled water, and electricity over the life of the project .... BZA Finding No. 60d (emphasis supplied). As a matter of passing interest Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2E, which includes Georgetown University within its borders, was unable to reach a consensus and took no official position on the application. The BZA further found that the University will utilize approximately 70% of the overall capacity of the facility to meet the demand for steam, chilled water and electricity during the initial year of its operation. But as to electricity alone, Georgetown will use approximately 93% by the year 2010. In sum, the BZA was not persuaded that incremental development was unreasonable given the University's immediate and future demands for energy.