Brian Flahaven

Last night, the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force unanimously approved an ANC redistricting plan that keeps Hill East, Pennsylvania Avenue, Barracks Row and Eastern Market in the same commission area. You can view the initial plan on the task force blog. The plan is almost identical to a proposal submitted by Rosedale resident Rob Stephens, with two modifications:

• At the request of Commissioner Francis Campbell (6B10), St. Coletta of Greater Washington, which was redistricted from Ward 6 to Ward 7, will be drawn into a 6B single member district (SMD). A big thanks to Commissioner Campbell for making this request, which I strongly support. This move, and the task force decision to draw Kingman Park into ANC 6A, will have to be approved by the DC Council.
• The southern half of Lincoln Park, currently in 6A, will be moved to 6B.

The task force is also researching whether near Southeast, the area south of the freeway that includes Nats Park, Yards Park and Capitol Quarters, should be drawn into 6B or stay with ANC 6D, the commission that represents Southwest. Near Southeast Commissioner David Garber (6D07)  informed the task force that a majority of residents in his SMD would like to be included in ANC 6B. Other 6D commissioners have asked the task force to keep near Southeast with the Southwest ANC.  

Task force working groups will be drawing the SMD boundaries for each commission this weekend. Antonette Russell (former ANC 6B09 commissioner, Ken Jarboe, Donna Scheeder and Tyler Merkley are assigned ANC 6B. The initial SMD boundaries will be revealed and discussed during the Monday, Aug. 8 Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force Meeting, 6:30 pm, Theater Church (formerly “The People’s Church), 535 8th Street SE. I plan on attending and tweeting.

Thanks to everyone who urged the task force to keep Hill East with Barracks Row and Eastern Market in ANC 6B!

The DC Metropolitan Police District and our neighborhood will be holding a National Night Out celebration tonight (Aug. 2), 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm, at 13th Street and E Street SE (Peterbug Way). In addition food, music and activities for kids (including a moon bounce), the event will also include:

• Operation ID: Help police recover your property if it’s ever stolen. By marking your valuables, you’ll make it easier for law enforcement to trace and return your propety in the event of a burglary or robbery.
•  MPD Outreach Table
• US Attorney Information Outreach Table (Court Report)
• National Bike Registry and Limited Bike Lock Giveaway

You can read more about National Night Out on MPD’s website. I hope to see you there!

DC DPW Dir. William Howland answers questions at the July 20 neighborhood outreach meeting at Congressional Cemetery. DPW is providing trash bags for the Hill Trash Mob.

The Hill Trash Mob, a group of Hill residents committed to keeping our neighborhood streets and sidewalks clear of litter and debris, will be tackling the Potomac Avenue Metro area tomorrow (Sat., July 30). If you can spare an hour to help out, we will be meeting up at 9:00 am at the Potomac Ave. Metro plaza. Trash bags will be provided by the DC Dept. of Public Works.  

There will also be a group of Trash Mobsters tackling weeds at the community garden located by the Stadium-Armory Metro at 9:00 am.

Finally, make sure you join the Hill Trash Mob listserv to learn about future events and to suggest additional areas/parks, etc. that the mob should tackle in the future.

Thanks to Hill East residents Tom Dunkel and Bill Flynn for leading and organizing the Hill Trash Mob. Let’s all chip in to keep our neighborhood clean!

We had a good turnout (15-20 residents) for Wednesday’s inaugural ANC 6B Hill East Task Force meeting at St. Coletta School. Commissioners Francis Campbell (6B10), Jared Critchfield (6B06), Carol Green (6B07) and I were in attendance. Here are the highlights:

• Paul Millstein of Douglas Development shared his company’s latest plans for 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (pdf), the site of the old KFC. Douglas wants to build a 21 residential unit mixed-use development with retail on the first floor. Since the building would only provide 7 spaces (11 are required), Douglas is going before ANC 6B and the Board of Zoning Adjustment in September to ask for a parking variance (they are also asking for another minor variance related to roof access).
• Millstein said that Douglas was willing to include language in the rental agreement with tenants that would require tenants to waive their right to a Residential Parking Permit (RPP). This would help address concerns that the development would exacerbate the parking situation around the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE and the 700 block of 15th Street SE. However, Millstein is unsure if the city can enforce blocking RPPs for a particular address.
• Damon Harvey of the District Department of Transportation said that the city can block residents from obtaining RPPs on blocks that are not zoned RPP. He mentioned a number of blocks down by Nationals Park that do not allow RPPs to residents. However, once a block is zoned for RPPs, the city can not legally deny a resident from obtaining a permit. Both the 1400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue SE and the 700 block of 15th Street SE are zoned for RPPs.
• There was some question as to whether the DC Council could change current law so that residents living at a particular address on an RPP block could be denied permits. Would doing so violate equal protection? Or would the fact that a renter voluntarily chose to live in an apartment that did not allow RPPs negate this legal issue? Harvey did say that an ANC can request that a block be removed from th.e RPP database, though it is unclear if just one side of the block could be removed.
• Millstein said that Douglas is working with Councilmember Mary Cheh’s office on a similar development in Ward 3. Commissioner Critchfield and I said that we would work with Councilmember Wells’ office and DDOT to explore potential solutions to the parking issue. Residents also expressed interest in having DDOT do a parking study of the area from 13th Street SE to the Sousa Bridge.
• In the community speakout portion of the agenda, residents expressed concern about ANC redistricting and a plan proposed by ANC 6A Commissioner Drew Ronneberg that would create an all Hill East ANC, dividing Hill East from Barracks Row, Eastern Market and the rest of Capitol Hill. I encouraged residents to post comments on the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force blog and to attend the Monday, Aug. 1 Redistricting Task Force Listening Session, 6:30 pm at St. Coletta School (1901 Independence Ave. SE). There was a general view that separating Hill East from the rest of Capitol Hill would disadvantage the neighborhood.
• Residents also encouraged the task force to consider other issues at future meetings, including:
  • Reservation 13 and its future development. This will likely be the subject of a Hill East Task Force meeting in the fall
  • Development along the eastern end of Pennsylvania Avenue SE and around the Potomac Avenue Metro
  • Is there anything ANC 6B can do to help Crepes on the Corner (15th Street SE and C Street SE) open sooner? The restaurant’s opening has been delayed due to permit issues with the city,
  • The deterioration of Anne Archbold Hall, a designated landmark at Reservation 13. Should ANC 6B send a letter asking the city to maintain the building or at least produce an analysis of what it would cost to maintain the building?
  • The future of the Eastern Branch Boys & Girls Club building (261 17th Street SE).
• The task force will likely hold two meetings in the fall. Residents interested in serving on the task force should contact both their ANC commissioner and me (brianf6b09@anc6b.org or 202-658-9447).

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force is charged with drawing new ANC single member district boundaries for the entire ward. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to visit the task force blog, www.w6tf.blogspot.com, to review and comment on some of the proposals under discussion.

One proposal in particular caught my eye. ANC 6A Commissioner Drew Ronneberg (6A02) has proposed a plan that would create a separate “Hill East ANC” consisting of Hill East, Rosedale and Kingman Park. The plan would make 11th Street SE the dividing line between the western and eastern portions of southeast Capitol Hill. The boundary would then follow South Carolina Ave. SE north to 15th Street SE and proceed north up 15th Street NE to Benning Road NE. Click here to view the proposed plan. Note that Commissioner Ronneberg does not serve on the task force – he is just proposing this plan for discussion.

While I appreciate Commissioner Ronneberg’s attempt to place all of H Street NE within one ANC, his proposed plan does so at the expense of Hill East and southeast Capitol Hill. As I posted in the blog’s comments section, the plan would eliminate the voice that Hill East, Rosedale and Kingman Park residents have, or should have in the case of Kingman Park, on Barracks Row/Eastern Market (for SE Hill East) and H Street NE (for Rosedale and Kingman Park). The plan disadvantages all three neighborhoods and is exactly what we all argued against during ward redistricting – a marginalized north-south ANC on the eastern end of Capitol Hill with no primary commercial corridor.

The plan also goes against the east-west orientation of the Ward 6 ANCs. This orientation reflects how most Capitol Hill residents view their immediate neighborhood. As one commenter from Rosedale posted, “Residents of Rosedale and Kingman Park have MUCH more in common with the issues of fellow residents to the west, pointing down C street and H street than we do with our neighbors to the south.”

The ward redistricting battle clearly demonstrated that Hill East, Rosedale and Kingman Park residents can effectively work together while “living” in different ANCs. We can continue to work together on issues like Reservation 13 and RFK without losing our voice and connection to the rest of Capitol Hill.

What do you think of the proposed plan? Post your comments below and on the Ward 6 Task Force Blog. Also, make plans to attend the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force’s ANC 6B Community Listening Session next Monday, Aug. 1, 6:30 pm at St. Coletta’s School (1901 Independence Ave. SE).

Thanks to Chair Joe Fengler and the rest of the Ward 6 Redistricting Task Force for all of the time and effort they are putting into this process.