Brian Flahaven

• Thanks to everyone who has called Mayor Gray and urged him to accept the ANC invitation for a community meeting on Reservation 13. Your calls are making a difference. Please keep it up! If you have not already done so, give the Mayor’s Office a call at 202-727-6263 and urge the Mayor to participate in a community meeting on Reservation 13.
• Last night, I had a chance to stop by and check out Crepes on the Corner, 257 15th St. SE. Crepes was so busy on its first day that they ran out of food and closed early. I talked with owner Marc Ross who said their plans for a “soft opening” went awry when word quickly spread that Crepes was finally open. Stop by and  try it out over the next few days – its great to have a new crepe/coffee place in Hill East!
•  Southeast Market (1500 Independence Ave. SE) has a new owner. Late last year, Commissioner Neil Glick (6B08) and I met with the new owner, Mr. Moon, who said he planned to refurbish the store and offer prepared foods and quality gourmet groceries. I’m hopeful that the new market will be a great addition to the neighborhood.
• A quick update on 17th Street SE: MPD is still working out the details of the new photo enforcement technology contract with their vendors. They hope to have the contract ready for DC Council consideration by the end of February. MPD is fully aware of ANC 6B’s request that the new technology be deployed on 17th St. SE. I’m also continuing to press DDOT to repair the fence at Barney Circle SE. I’ll keep you updated.

I’ve been extremely frustrated at the city’s lack of progress on development at Reservation 13, the 67-acre waterfront site that used to house DC General Hospital. Despite a clear master plan and vision supported by the surrounding community, both Mayors Fenty and Gray have declined to move the project forward. Proposed development at Reservation 13, one of the largest undeveloped Metro-accessible sites in the city, would connect our neighborhood to the Anacostia watefront and generate additional tax revenue for the city. While development has roared forward in NoMa, Southwest and Near Southeast, Reservation 13 remains stalled without explanation.

In late December, 12 ANC commissioners representing districts adjacent to or near Reservation 13 invited Mayor Vince Gray to attend a community meeting to provide an update on proposed development plans for the site. Since that time, I’ve been working with the Mayor’s Office to find a date, time and place for the meeting.

Last week, we were able to confirm that Victor Hoskins, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, would accept our invitation and participate in the community meeting. However, we have not yet been able to confirm Mayor Gray. It is critical that residents hear directly from Mayor Gray about the city’s plans for Reservation 13 and how he will jumpstart development at the site.

We need your help! Please call Mayor Gray’s Office today and tell the Mayor he needs to be at the community meeting on Reservation 13. You can reach his office by dialing:

• 202-727-6263

It takes just a few minutes to make a call – and the more the Mayor hears from us, the harder it will be for him to decline the invitation.

Ward 7, Hill East and Kingman Park need development at Reservation 13. Its time for the Mayor and Council to stop stalling and move forward on this critical project.

Tonight, ANC 6B”s Bylaws Working Group will meet to begin a comprehensive review of the commission’s bylaws, the rules that govern the commission’s structure and operations. The meeting begins at 6:30 pm in the Third Floor Conference Room at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE). All are welcome.

The bylaws working group is charged with:

• streamlining the document,
• clarifying confusing sections and/or ensuring that all sections comply with DC Code, and  
• recommending changes to the bylaws that will improve the operation of the commission

As ANC 6B’s parliamentarian, I’ll be organizing and leading the working group process. Joining me on the working group are Commissioners Jared Critchfield (6B06) and Dave Garrison (6B01). The working group will also be assisted by Gottlieb Simon, executive director of the DC Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, and two registered parliamentarians who live in the area.

Tonight’s meeting will focus on the first five articles of the ANC 6B bylaws which generally focus on the name, boundaries, responsibilities,  members and officers of the commission. Future working group meetings will focus on the remaining articles. I plan to post all working group recommendations for comment on the ANC 6B website and my website.

Please post your comments and suggestions for improving the ANC 6B Bylaws. Use the links below to access the key documents.

• ANC 6B Bylaws (pdf)
• DC Code: Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (pdf)

There was a nice turnout of around 15-20 residents for last night’s inaugural PSA 108 meeting. Here is a brief recap:

• Since the PSA now stretches north of East Capitol Street,  MPD Lt. Michael Thornton welcomed residents of Northeast and the former PSA 103 to the meeting. Lt. Thornton said that he and his officers have been researching issues and talking to residents in Northeast. A map of the new PSA boundaries is included in this month’s PSA 108 newsletter (pdf).
• PSA 108 has kept almost all of the officers who served in the former PSA 107 and added officers from the former PSA 103. PSA 108 has more officers than the former PSA 107. PSA 108 also has an officer patrolling on a segway and continues to use mountain bike units.
• Theft from auto continues across Capitol Hill. While most recent activity has been focused in the new PSA 107, PSA 108 has had fourteen theft from auto incidents this year. Lt. Thornton said that theft from auto incidents occur during both the day and night and tend to cluster in particular areas – typically a four block radius.
• Individuals have stolen GPS devices, laptops and loose change from vehicles. 75 percent of the theft from auto cases last December in PSA 107 involved GPS devices. Lt. Thornton encouraged residents to remove GPS devices (and evidence of GPS devices) from their vehicles. He also warned that a recurring theft from auto offender has just been released from jail.
• Attendees had a “spirited” conversation about the placement of MPD’s photo enforcement vehicle on Independence Ave. A few residents suggested that the camera would be more effective if placed at or before St. Coletta School instead of at its current location after the school. Lt. Thornton replied that MPD’s photo enforcement unit conducted a number of studies and determined that the current placement is the best location for the camera. He also noted that moving the camera closer to St. Coletta would interfere with school bus parking and the bus lane. He did say he would share resident concerns with the photo enforcement unit.
• Since PSA 108 is a new PSA, Lt. Thornton did not have any year-to-date crime comparison data. However, he did share that between Dec. 20, 2011 and Jan. 18, 2012, overall crime declined 36 percent in the PSA compared with the previous 30 days. While violent crime was up a bit, Lt. Thornton explained that the uptick was due to four incidents at the DC Jail. Property crime declined 47 percent between Dec. 20 and Jan. 18 compared with the previous 30 days.
• Since Jan. 1, there have been four burglaries in PSA 108. All involved individuals breaking into homes through a rear entrance. A couple of burglaries have taken place in 6B09.
• Lt. Thornton reminded residents to call 911 if they see any suspicious activity. If you are unsure about an individual or situation, you should always call 911.
• The next PSA 108 meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 16, 7pm at Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Avenue SE.

The first meeting of the new Police Service Area (PSA) 108 will take place tonight, 7 pm at Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Avenue SE. MPD Lt. Michael Thornton will provide an update on the latest public safety trends in our neighborhood and take questions from residents. I plan to ask Lt. Thornton for an update on the status of thefts from auto and for data on the number of accidents that have taken place on 17th Street SE in the last year.

Here is a link to this month’s PSA 108 newsletter:

• PSA 108 January 2012 Newsletter (pdf)

Hope to see you tonight!