Brian Flahaven

An update on redistricting: Councilmember Michael Brown (I-At-Large), co-chair of the DC Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting, will be in Hill East this Wed., May 18, 6:00pm for a Community Meeting on Redistricting. The meeting will be on the DC General/Reservation 13 site at:

Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA)
Karrick Hall (Building 17), 1900 Massachusetts Avenue, SE

Karrick Hall is the tall building. Metro: Stadium-Armory, use the south exit between C St. SE and Burke St. SE.

This is a great opportunity to share our concerns with Councilmember Brown and to urge him to keep all of Hill East united with the rest of Capitol Hill in Ward 6. I hope to see you there!

If you can’t make Wednesday’s meeting (and even if you can!), please continue to call and e-mail members of the Subcommittee on Redistricting:

• Councilmember Michael Brown (I-At-Large) – mbrown@dccouncil.us, 202-724-8105
• Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) – jackevans@dccouncil.us, 202-724-8058
• Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) – pmendelson@dccouncil.us, 202-724-8064

Thanks for your help!

About 20 residents attended Tuesday night’s ANC 6B full commission meeting at the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS. The meeting was 90 minutes – extremely short by ANC 6B standards. Here are the highlights:

• The commission voted 9-0 to support the redistricting resolution adopted by the ANC 6B Executive Committee earlier this month and to authorize my April 27 testimony on behalf of the commission before the DC Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting. I thanked my colleagues for their unanimous support for keeping Hill East united in Ward 6.
• Mark Batterson, Lead Pastor, National Community Church, announced that the purchase of The Peoples’ Church and their intent to refurbish it back to a movie theater.  Residents can e-mail suggestions and comments to mark@theaterchurch.com.
• After receiving e-mails from a number of residents, the commission voted 8-0 to oppose the application by S&J Liquors (1500 Massachusetts Ave. SE) to renew their single sales exemption.
• The commission voted 8-0 to support a license for beer sales only at DC-3 restaurant and to support a request by Fusion Grill to expand their sidewalk café in front of the Shakespeare Theater building. Both restaurants are located on Barracks Row.
• Citing insufficient notice from the Historic Preservation Office, the commission voted 8-0 to oppose the design of a planned antenna installation on the Haines Building (801 Pennsylvania Avenue SE) and will ask the Historic Preservation Review Board to delay consideration of the case until June so the commission has time to review the plans.
• The commission voted 9-0 to send a letter of commendation to MPD First District Commander David Kamperin congratulating him on his retirement and thanking him for his service to southeast Capitol Hill.
• Finally, for reality TV fans, the show “Top Chef” will visit Eastern Market at the end of May.

• The American University Chamber Singers will be performing a free concert tonight (Wed., May 11), 7:30 pm at Holy Comforter – St. Cyprian Catholic Church, 1357 East Capitol Street SE. The group is preparing for a concert tour of Spain and Portugal.
• Concerned about litter and trash on the streets and sidewalks of our neighborhood? If so, join a Hill Litter Patrol organizational meeting tonight (Wed., May 11), 7:00 pm at Jenkins Row, 1391 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Make sure you enter at the Potomac Ave. SE entrance of Jenkins Row.
• DC Public Schools is hosting a Ward 6 State of the Schools this Sat., May 14 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm at Eastern High School, 1700 East Capitol Street SE. Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells and Acting Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson will be in attendance. Food and childcare will be provided.
• The DC Department of Health is hosting its 2011 Ward 6 Animal Fair on Sat. May 14 from 9:00 am – 11:30 am at the King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N Street SW. Free rabies and distemper vaccines will be available for dogs and cats.
• Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) will be in Ward 6 on Mon., May 16, 6:30 pm to discuss redistricting. The meeting will take place at the Capper Seniors Building, 900 5^th St. SE.  

Around 250-300 people attended last night’s Ward 6 Democrats Public Forum on Redistricting at Friendship Charter School. Of the three members on the DC Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting, only one – Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At Large) – was able to attend. Councilmember Michael Brown (I-At Large), one of the co-chairs of the subcommittee, did send a staff member. Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells was also present and re-iterated his intention to fight to keep all of Ward 6 intact.

I presented our Hill East petitions (756 signatures so far) to Councilmember Mendelson and Councilmember Brown’s staff. Thanks again to all who signed the petition and were able to attend the forum!

Here are my three takeaways from last night’s events and conversations:

1. The Redistricting Subcommittee is focused on Ward 6 – Councilmember Mendelson, who took the bulk of audience questions, repeatedly focused on moving parts of Ward 6 in his remarks. While Ward 7 could gain the population it needs by taking portions of Ward 5, Mendelson was more interested in the Ward 6 options. And while he mentioned that cohesive neighborhoods should be respected in redistricting, he also said getting ward populations to be as close to 75,000 was his preference.
2. Hill East is Extremely Vulnerable – If the subcommittee is focused on Ward 6, we are the primary target. Instead of viewing the Kingman Park experience as a mistake, it seems the subcommittee is leaning towards adding more of Hill East to Ward 7.
3. Residential Blocks Beyond the Waterfront are In Play –  While a lot of discussion has been focused on moving Reservation 13, DC Jail and Congressional Cemetery, residential blocks west of 19th St. SE are also in play.

To have any chance of keeping our neighborhood united in Ward 6, we need to call and e-mail the redistricting subcommittee members and tell them that dividing Hill East is unacceptable. Subcommittee members should also be reminded that there are better redistricting options, like shifting the northeastern border of Ward 5, that would keep Hill East whole and allow Ward 7 to gain the population it needs. Once again, here are the three redistricting subcommittee members:

• Councilmember Michael Brown (I-At-Large) – mbrown@dccouncil.us, 202-724-8105

• Councilmember Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) – jackevans@dccouncil.us, 202-724-8058

• Councilmember Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) – pmendelson@dccouncil.us, 202-724-8064

In addition, we need to call and e-mail our other At-Large Councilmembers – Council Chairman Kwame Brown (D) and Councilmember David Catania (I-At-Large).

• Chairman Kwame Brown (D) – kbrown@dccouncil.us, 202-724-8032

• Councilmember David Catania (I-At-Large) – dcatania@dccouncil.us, 202-724-7772

Please share this information with your neighbors and encourage them to weigh in. I plan on continuing to seek signatures for our hard copy petition. You can also sign the e-petition if you have not already done so.

Please help us keep Hill East united in Ward 6!