Brian Flahaven

While I’m extremely fortunate and grateful to be unopposed on November 6, my three “freshmen” colleagues – Jared Critchfield (6B06), Ivan Frishberg (6B02) and Brian Pate (6B05) – face challengers in their reelection bids.

Jared, Ivan, Brian and I were elected to the commission in 2010. Since that time, we have worked together to bring new ideas and energy to ANC 6B. I strongly support all three and hope to continue serving with them on the commission.

I’ve worked the most with Commissioner Jared Critchfield, who represents 6B06, the district immediately to the south and west of mine. In his two years on the Commission, Jared has been a strong advocate for Hill East. A few examples:

• In 2011, Jared spent multiple hours gathering petition signatures at the Potomac Avenue Metro during ward redistricting. His help was critical in getting the redistricting subcommittee to move the proposed Ward 6/7 boundary from 17^th to 19^th Street.
• Earlier this year, a group of ANC commissioners from Wards 6 & 7 invited Mayor Gray out to the neighborhood to discuss his plans for a Redskins training facility at Reservation 13. For a time, it seemed as though Mayor Gray would decline our request, until Jared stood up at a meeting of ANC chairs and asked Mayor Gray point-blank  whether he would accept our invitation. Ultimately, the Mayor agreed to come out to the neighborhood.
• Jared and I have worked together to engage neighbors and organize meetings around proposed development projects along Pennsylvania Avenue. Most recently, Jared took the lead in convening the developer and nearby neighbors around plans for the old KFC site. Thanks to his work, we will soon see a new commercial building at that corner.

In addition to his efforts in the neighborhood, Jared has done a great job serving first as secretary and currently as chair of ANC 6B. Under his leadership, the commission has continued on a path to improving transparency and increasing resident engagement.

I’ve also worked closely with Commissioner Ivan Frishberg. Ivan represents 6B02, a district that includes Eastern Market and the Hine Jr. High School site. Ivan took on the daunting task of chairing ANC 6B’s Hine Subcommittee and handled it extremely well. It would have been easy for him to oppose the Hine project, but Ivan spent hundreds of hours negotiating with the site’s developer in the hopes of coming to an acceptable agreement. Throughout the process, he kept nearby residents and community groups informed and engaged in the process. In the end, Ivan voted for an agreement that effectively balanced the interests of nearby neighbors with the interests of Capitol Hill as a whole.

Ivan has also done a great job of working with business owners and residents around Barracks Row. A perfect example of Ivan’s proactive leadership style was his handling of an application for a proposed medical marijuana dispensary. Ivan proactively convened nearby residents and the applicant to discuss concerns and details prior to ANC consideration. His hard work resulted in unanimous commission support for the application.

Commissioner Brian Pate also deserves a great deal of credit for his work on Hine. Brian represents 6B05, which includes the southern portion of Lincoln Park and blocks immediately to the east of the Hine site. Like Ivan, Brian could have easily opposed the development but chose instead to spend hours of his time engaging his constituents and negotiating with the developer. He deserves a great deal of credit for helping craft an agreement with the developer that is good for the neighborhood.

In addition to his work on Hine, Brian created and chairs ANC 6B’s Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force, a new task force that has worked to improve ANC 6B’s website and tackled the issue of vacant and blighted properties on Capitol Hill. And Brian has been a strong and effective voice as ANC 6B’s representative on the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee.

I’m particularly grateful to Brian for his testimony before the DC Council during ward redistricting. Though his district would not have been directly affected by redistricting, Brian waited five plus hours to testify in front of the redistricting subcommittee on behalf of Hill East, finally getting a chance to share his thoughts at 1:00 am. He made a strong and effective case for keeping Hill East united with the rest of Capitol Hill in Ward 6.

My support of Jared, Ivan and Brian is based on my experience working with them on the commission. It is certainly not meant to slight their challengers, individuals who care just as deeply about our neighborhood. Ultimately, their constituents will have the final say on who will represent them these next two years.

To learn more about Jared, Ivan, Brian, their challengers or other ANC races, visit The Hill is Home. THIH has compiled a comprehensive list of individuals running for ANC in Ward 6 , including links to candidate statements and websites.