Brian Flahaven

After an August break, ANC 6B re-convened on Tuesday evening for our September full commission meeting. Here are the highlights:

• The commission voted unanimously to send a letter (pdf) to the Federal Highway Administration and the District Department of Transportation with comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Virginia Avenue Tunnel Reconstruction. In the letter, the commission asks the agencies to pursue a hybrid option for the reconstruction of the Virginia Avenue rail tunnel, take steps to ensure that historic properties are protected during reconstruction and pursue a tree-lined linear park that connects Garfield Park and Virginia Avenue Park as a community benefit. Kudos to ANC 6B Transportation Committee Chair Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04) for crafting the commission’s comments.
• The commission voted to send two additional letters to DDOT. The first (pdf) requests additional information on the agency’s intent to install traffic signals on 11th Street SE. The second letter (pdf) requests an extension on expiration date of visitor parking passes.
• A long list of new resident members were unanimously approved, including seven new Hill East Task Force members. A big thanks to Jennifer Howard, Nike Opadiran, Ross Parman and Claudia Vilato for agreeing to represent 6B09 on the Task Force.
• On a 9-0 vote, the commission voted to approve testimony on the status of development at Reservation 13/Hill East. I plan to deliver the testimony at the Council’s Committee on Economic Development’s Sept. 24 hearing on the status of major economic development projects in the city.
• The commission voted 9-0 to support a new liquor license for District Taco (656 Pennsylvania Ave SE) and 8-1 to support the addition of rooftop garden summer garden seating at Rose’s Luxury (717 8th Street SE), a new restaurant opening soon on Barracks Row.
• Concerned about a lack of notice to nearby neighbors, the commission delayed voting on the liquor license renewal for Bearnaise (313-315 Pennsylvania Avenue SE), the new Spike Mendelsohn restaurant that recently opened. The commission is going to take up the license renewal at a special call meeting on Tues., Sept. 24, 8 pm at the Hill Center.
• After discussing concerns about the location of a dumpster and venting issues, the commission voted 5-1-1 to support a special exception to allow hot food service at Southeast Market (1500 Independence Avenue SE). The market currently sells cold sandwiches but wants to expand to hot sandwiches, which requires a fast food exception.
• After a presentation by ANC 6B Treasurer Brian Pate (6B05), the commission unanimously approved a FY14 budget. FY14 will be a transition year for the commission as we work to move away from a traditional staffed office.
• The October ANC 6B meeting will be on Tuesday, October 8, 7 pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE).

This entry was posted on Friday, September 13th, 2013 at 3:12 pm and is filed under ANC 6B. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.