Brian Flahaven

• If you are planning to travel around the city on Saturday, make sure you check out the National Marathon route map. The marathon begins and ends at RFK Stadium, which means it will be tough to drive north on Saturday morning.  Note that the marathon begins at 7:00 am.
• Wondering what happened to the trash cans on the Payne Elementary School grounds? A few residents on the 1500 block of C Street SE and D Street SE asked me to look into the issue. Apparently, DC Public Schools removed the cans after one was set on fire over a weekend last year. Payne’s Principal, Vielka Scott-Marcus, will ask DCPS to replace the cans with the caveat that they be removed again if problems arise. Thanks to Principal Marcus for her help and thanks to the residents for bringing it to my attention.
• According to the Prince of Petworth, the retail space on the corner of 14th and Pennsylvania has been sold. Unfortunately, Annie and Teddy’s sandwich shop is not going to happen. Hopefully a café/coffee shop/sandwich place will eventually move in. I’ll let you know if I learn anything new.
• ANC 6B has announced a second special call meeting on the Hine redevelopment project, taking place on Tues., April 26, 6:30 pm, at Brent Elementary School (301 North Carolina Avenue SE). The site’s developers, Stanton/Eastbanc, will present any changes to their design concept to the commission and community, and the commission will deliberate on recommendations to the Historic Preservation Review Board. Also note that the Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) is holding a public meeting to discuss the Hine redevelopment on Tues., April 5, 6:45 pm – 8:30 pm at Maury Elementary School (13th St. NE and Constitution Ave. NE).
• We had a great turnout for last week’s neighborhood walk. Weather permitting, we will be walking again this Sunday, March 27, 6:00 pm, beginning in the front of Harris Teeter (1350 Pennsylvania Ave. SE). I hope to see you there.

Have a great weekend!

Lt. Michael Thornton, MPD and Doug Klein with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for DC shared the latest neighborhood crime trends at last night’s monthly PSA 107 meeting . Here is a brief recap:

• Overall crime is down 27 percent year-to-date in 2011 from the same time period in 2010. Violent crime, property crime and robberies are all down in the PSA.
• Burglaries are up from the same time period in 2010 (7 in 2010, 10 in 2011). There have been 3 burglaries so far this month, including two recent incidents on G Street SE and 15th St. SE. Most of the burglaries are happening during the day while residents are at work – the burglars are bashing in back doors and/or entering through open windows.  Residents should make sure that all doors and windows are locked, bikes are stored, and all electronics are photographed and marked.
• If you see any suspicious activity happening in alleys, please call 911. MPD must catch an individual in the act of the burglary in order to charge that person with theft of property (as opposed to the lesser charge of possession of stolen property). Lt. Thornton and Klein both said when in doubt – call 911. You will not be inconveniencing the police.
• Auto thefts continue to occur in the PSA. Do not leave items visible in your vehicles, particularly GPS systems. Sometimes pocket change is enough for a thief to break-in to a vehicle.
• MPD vice units are being proactive on drug and PCP cases. PSA 107 officers worked closely with the vice units on a couple PCP and drug arrests that happened a few weeks ago. Overall, MPD has not seen a noticeable uptick in PCP or drug usage in the PSA.
• There were no assaults or major crimes reported in the PSA after last weekend’s Shamrock Fest at RFK. Lt. Thornton and PSA 107 officers were present and visible at the festival closing on Saturday night.
• On traffic, MPD has stepped up enforcement at the corner of 18th St. SE, E St. SE, and Potomac Avenue SE. In the last week, MPD has issued a number of traffic citations for running stop signs, talking on cell phones, etc.
• I thanked Lt. Thornton for the electronic speed display sign at the corner of 17th St. SE and C St. SE and encouraged him to continue to work with residents on a permanent solution to the speeding problem on 17th. He mentioned that the sign would be moving to various sections of the PSA where speeding has been an issue.
• The April PSA 107 meeting will take place Thursday, April 21, 7:00 pm at Liberty Baptist Church (527 Kentucky Ave. SE).

MPD Speed Display on 17th Street SE

• A big thanks to MPD for placing an electronic speed display on 17th St. SE. While not a permanent solution to the speeding problem on 17th, the display will help slow some traffic down.  It is located by the Eastern Branch Boys & Girls Club at the corner of 17th St. SE and C St. SE.
• Two important meetings tonight. DC Water is holding a Ward 6 Town Hall Meeting at Watkins Elementary School (420 12th St. SE) from 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. DC Water General Manager George Haskins and Councilmember Tommy Wells will be on hand to talk about water projects and answer your questions. Also, the monthly PSA 107 meeting is at 7:00 pm at Liberty Baptist Church (527 Kentucky Avenue SE). I’m going to try to attend a portion of both meetings.
• At Tuesday’s Special Call Meeting on the Hine development, ANC 6B heard from a number of residents interested in Stanton-Eastbanc’s plans for the site. Residents with concerns about the design cited its proposed height on Pennsylvania and the massing of the proposed residential building on 8th Street SE. There were also residents and business owners who spoke out in favor of the design, noting that the residential units would include “empty nester” units for seniors. For two different viewpoints, read the recaps from Eastern Market Metro Community Association and Greater Greater Washington. Please e-mail me or post your comments on the project below. 
• My NCAA March Madness Men’s Basketball Final Four predictions: Ohio State, Pitt, Kansas and Connecticut. 

If you are interested in learning more or weighing in on development plans for the Hine Jr. High School site (335 8th Street SE – across from Eastern Market), I encourage you to attend tonight’s ANC 6B Special Call Meeting, 6:00 pm, at St. Coletta’s School, 1901 Independence Avenue SE. Meeting attendees will hear about the latest plans from the site’s developer, Stanton-Eastbanc, and will have an opportunity to ask questions and/or share their concerns with the commission. You can view the latest plans on the Stanton-Eastbanc Hine website.

Note that tonight’s meeting will focus on the project’s design, which is scheduled to be reviewed in April by the Historic Preservation Review Board (Hine is in the Capitol Hill Historic District). The commission will not vote on the design tonight – that will happen at second special call meeting in April. Zoning issues at the site will be considered by the commission later this year.

Please post any comments or thoughts you have on the Hine project below.

As I mentioned in my earlier post on ANC 6B’s approval of the Hill East Task Force, Tuesday’s full commission meeting was long…very long. Around 40-50 residents were in attendance, though the number dwindled as the hours went by. We gaveled in at 6:30 pm and adjourned around 10:30 pm.
 
Here are the highlights:

• The commission unanimously approved a motion to allow Commissioners Brian Pate (6B05) and Norm Metzger (6B03) to testify on behalf of ANC 6B at a DC Council oversight hearing on the Department of Regulatory and Consumer Affairs (DCRA). ANC 6B wants to inform the DC Council about the flawed implementation process of the Fair Housing Act as it relates to construction at 1363 Massachusetts Avenue SE. Commissioner Pate testified at a March 9 hearing. View video of the testimony (go to 3/9/11, Pt. 2, Performance Oversight, Committee on Public Services and Consumer Affairs).
• Councilmember Sekou Biddle (D-At Large) introduced himself during the community speakout and talked about his interest in public education. Residents also spoke about noise and trash concerns in the alleys around Barrack’s Row and plans to expand an enhanced parking program.
• The commission passed our first consent agenda. While it did not significantly shorten our meeting, the consent agenda did clear the way for further discussion of more controversial issues.
• On a 8-1-1 vote, ANC 6B voted to lift the commission’s protest of a liquor license for Pacifico, a new Barracks Row restaurant, after the owner, Xavier Cervera, agreed to sign a voluntary agreement. Commissioner Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04) voted against the motion and Commissioner Neil Glick (6B08) abstained. A group of neighbors who live on the blocks surrounding 8th Street SE plan to continue their protest of the liquor license with the DC Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board.
• The commission unanimously voted to jointly hire an attorney with other protesting parties in the case of the proposed 8th Street Bar & Grill. ANC 6B is protesting the owner’s application for a tavern license and an entertainment endorsement.  The attorney will represent the protestants, including ANC 6B, during the protest hearing with the ABC Board. ANC 6B approved spending up to $750 on the attorney and approved a recommendation of a restaurant liquor license for the 8th Street Bar & Grill if the protest fails.
• Chairman Glick announced the process for further consideration of the Hine Jr. High School site. ANC 6B will hold a special call meeting on the Hine project on Tuesday, March 15 from 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm at St. Coletta’s School (1901 Independence Avenue SE). During the March 15 special call meeting, the site’s developer, Stanton-Eastbanc, will provide a one hour presentation about the project and will take questions from commissioners and the community.  No vote will be taken at the March 15 meeting. The commission will hold another special call meeting in April that will include a vote on a recommendation to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). The commission unanimously approved motions to request that HPRB delay consideration of the Hine case until April and to confirm the date/time/location of the March 15 special call meeting.
• Commissioner Metzger announced that the Retail Mix Task Force had completed its work and delivered a final report and recommendations to the commission. One key recommendation – ANC 6B should oppose a moratorium on liquor licenses for Barracks Row. ANC 6B unanimously approved a motion thanking the resident members of the task force for their hard work and assigned various portions of the recommendations to various committees for consideration. You can view the task force final report on the ANC 6B website.
• Commissioner Dave Garrison (6B01) provided an update on potential plans to expand the enhanced residential parking permit program north to East Capitol Street SE and east to 11th Street SE. The program limits parking on one side of the street to vehicles with Zone 6 stickers only. A few residents indicated their opposition to plans to expand the program, arguing that the process has not been open and voicing concern that the restrictions will be an inconvenience for social gatherings and visitors. You can read more about the program and the current boundaries on DDOT’s website.
• In addition to approving the Hill East Task Force, the commission approved the creation of a transportation committee (10-0) and an outreach and constituency services task force (8-0, Commissioners Francis Campbell (6B10) and Oldenburg abstained).

Please post any comments or questions about the meeting below.