ANC 6B September Meeting Recap

September 14, 2012

We had a packed room for ANC 6B’s September meeting on Tuesday night. Here are the highlights:

  • The commission unanimously supported the extension of Performance Based Parking (PBP) north of Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Blocks with PBP restrict parking to Zone 6 residents only on one side of the street. The expansion includes all streets north of Pennsylvania Ave SE from 2nd Street SE to 11th Street SE (East Capitol Street SE is not included). PBP would be in effect 6 days a week for most of the expanded area, though the commission has requested that PBP be in effect for 7 days on the blocks between 5th Street and 8th Streets SE.
  • On a 9-0-1 vote, ANC 6B voted to protest a liquor license Ambar, a new restaurant planning to open at the location previously occupied by Jordan’s 8 (523 8th Street SE). The protest was mainly due to the inability to negotiate a voluntary agreement prior to the meeting (owner was out of the country). Hopefully, the commission and owner can come to an agreement in the near future.
  • Commissioner Norm Metzger (6B03) discussed an August 27 letter (pdf) ANC 6B received from DC Water regarding damage to the pocket park located at Potomac Avenue SE and M Street SE. DC Water General Manager George Hawkins explained that his agency was using the park as a staging area for the Clean Rivers Project and would replace the park once the project is completed. The commission felt that DC Water’s response was satisfactory and did not take any action on the issue.
  • The commission unanimously supported the design concept for a proposed development at 1211 G Street SE, the site of a former Salvation Army Building. If it moves forward, the development would include a renovation of the existing building and the construction of new row houses along G and 12th Streets SE.
  • The commission also unanimously supported plans for the 2013 USA Rock N’ Roll Marathon and Half Marathon taking place Saturday, March 16, 2013. Unlike previous years, the marathon will not begin and end on Capitol Hill and will not cause multi-hour street closures on race day.
  • After a lengthy discussion, the Commission postponed taking action on a resolution calling for the closure of the 300 block of 7th Street SE during construction of the Hine project. The 300 block of 7th Street SE has been discussed as the location for the weekend flea markets during and after Hine construction. Commissioners Brian Pate (6B05) and Ivan Frishberg (6B02) requested postponement to allow for the views of the brick and mortar merchants along the block to be incorporated into the resolution.
  • Lisa Sutter from MPD’s Traffic Safety Automated Enforcement Unit talked about MPD’s efforts to install additional speeding cameras and other photo enforcement tools across the city. In addition to speeding cameras, MPD is getting ready to introduce stop sign, truck and cross walk cameras across the city, starting with blocks near schools. When I asked about ANC 6B’s request for a speed camera on 17th Street SE, Ms. Sutter said that they had received the request and are waiting for the DC Council to approve the new photo enforcement tool contract, hopefully this month.
  • The commission also heard brief remarks from Elizabeth Falcon of the Housing for All Campaign, an initiative that is trying to get DC to invest additional dollars in affordable housing. The campaign is hosting a Ward 6 Town Hall on Thursday, Oct. 11. Additional details are available on the Housing for All website.
  • I reminded my colleagues and the audience that ANC 6B will be holding a special call meeting to consider proposed revised bylaws and proposed standing rules on Monday, Sept. 17, 7 pm at Brent Elementary School (301 North Carolina Avenue SE).
  • The commission unanimously approved a budget for FY2013 and a new contract for ANC 6B Executive Director Susan Eads Role.

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Posted by bflahaven

DDOT To Announce 17th & 19th Streets Safety Project Recommendations on Sept. 26

September 11, 2012

The District Department of Transportation will announce  recommended safety improvements for 17th and 19th Streets at a meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 26, 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm at Friendship Charter School Blow Pierce Campus (700 19th Street NE). Recommendations will represent the consensus of feedback from the three 17th & 19th Street meetings held this summer. Read recaps of the public charrette meeting #1 and meeting #2.

Short, medium and long-term recommendations along with implementation timelines will be provided by DDOT and the consulting firm assigned to the project, McKissack & McKissack. Following the Sept. 26 meeting, affected ANCs, including ANC 6B, will be notified of the recommendations and project design will commence. I’m pleased that DDOT will be announcing a range of recommendations, including improvements that can be implemented quickly.

If you live on or near 17th and 19th Streets, please mark your calendars and plan to join us on Sept. 26.

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Posted by bflahaven

Friday Updates: Public Safety, ANC 6B, Vacant Buildings

September 7, 2012
  • Unfortunately, the spike in burglaries and assaults across Capitol Hill continues, including a couple of  recent assaults in Hill East. During the August 28 community public safety meeting, the Metropolitan Police Department urged residents to call 911 – not 311 – when reporting suspicious individuals/activities. MPD also encouraged residents to join the MPD First District listserv and to attend monthly Police Service Area (PSA) meetings. The next PSA 108 meeting is on Thursday, Sept. 20, 7 pm at Liberty Baptist Church (527 Kentucky Ave. SE). Stay alert and stay safe!
  • ANC 6B’s September meeting is next Tues., Sept. 11, 7 pm at the Hill Center (921 Pennsylvania Avenue SE). The agenda is posted on the ANC 6B website.  Included in a long list of agenda items is a presentation from Lisa Sutter about MPD’s speed camera plans and consideration of a resolution supporting the closure of the 300 block of 7th Street SE for use by the weekend flea markets during Hine construction. The full agenda is posted on the ANC 6B website. In addition, ANC 6B will hold a special call meeting on Mon., Sept. 17, 7 pm at Brent Elementary School (301 North Carolina Avenue SE) to consider proposed revised bylaws and proposed standing rules.
  • The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) has posted updated lists of vacant buildings in DC and information on how you can notify the agency if your home has been incorrectly classified as vacant. If you don’t see a building that you assume is vacant on these  lists, send an an e-mail to vacantbuildings@dc.gov.
  • DCRA has also finally responded to May 16 ANC 6B letter (pdf) asking why the agency was incorrectly classifying Reservation 13 as “unzoned” for purposes of building/construction permit applications. In an August 31 letter (pdf), DCRA Director Nicholas Majett said that DCRA’s computer systems have now been updated to correctly reflect the “Hill East District” zoning on the site. Director Majett also said that an agency review of all permits issued for the site since August 2009 found that all work permitted was allowed under the Hill East District regulations.
  • While the closing of Crepes on the Corner is certainly disappointing, I am excited that the Pretzel Bakery (340 15th Street SE) has announced an expanded menu and hours. Since the bakery now opens at 8 am, customers can pick up coffee and a pretzel on their way to work. If you have not already done so, I encourage you to check it out.
  • Finally, THANK YOU to everyone who signed and/or volunteered to sign my petition to run for re-election for ANC 6B09. Thanks to your help, my name will be on the November 6 ballot.  While I do not have an opponent, I plan to campaign hard this fall to earn the support of 6B09 residents.

1 Comment | ANC 6B, PSA 108, Public Safety, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

Strengthening ANC 6B’s Bylaws

September 3, 2012

Hope you had a nice Labor Day weekend! Two weeks from tonight on Sept. 17th, ANC 6B will hold a special call meeting at 7 pm at Brent Elementary School (301 North Carolina Avenue SE) to consider adopting proposed revised bylaws and proposed standing rules. The documents below are the product of ANC 6B’s Bylaws Review Working Group, a group which I chaired as Parliamentarian.

As I mentioned in a post earlier this year, the working group was tasked with doing a comprehensive review of ANC 6B’s bylaws and making recommendations to the full commission. The current bylaws are too long, contain significant inconsistencies, include outdated references to DC law and are loaded with administrative detail that makes it extremely difficult for the commission to make routine changes in its operations. From the outset, the working group set out to streamline the document, update references and move administrative functions and detail to new standing rules.

In addition, the working group considered a number of “policy changes” designed to improve how the commission operates. The following are a few of the major changes:

  • Resident Members of Committees/Task Forces Get a Vote – Under the current bylaws, resident members serving on committees can only vote if their commissioner is not present at the committee meeting or if the issue on which the committee is voting is located in his or her Single Member District (SMD). It seems odd to ask a resident to serve on a committee and not to let him or her vote, particularly when all committee’s do is vote on recommendations (the full commission always has the last say). The revised bylaws would allow all resident members a vote, regardless of whether their commissioner is present or not.
  • Committee Assignments – ANC 6B’s bylaws state that every commissioner is a member of every committee or task force. This means that commissioners feel compelled to attend three committee meetings (planning & zoning, alcoholic beverage control and transportation) the first week of the month followed by the full commission meeting on the second Tuesday of the month. And the commission hears all of the same cases at the full commission meeting.  The proposed standing rules would spread the workload by assigning commissioners to the two committees with the most work – planning & zoning and ABC – and would fill the rest of the committee slots with resident members.
  • Executive Committee – ANC 6B’s Executive Committee is really only an executive committee for purposes of establishing a quorum. Once a quorum is established (three of the five officers), then any commissioner can attend and vote at executive committee meetings. The revised bylaws would create a true executive committee and limit votes at committee level to the five officers
  • Meeting Procedures – If you’ve been to an ANC 6B meeting lately, you know that our monthly meetings typically last for 3+ hours. Long meetings are not good for encouraging public participation and engagement with the commission. The proposed standing rules introduce simple meeting procedures, such as putting time estimates on meeting agendas and establishing clear rules for community speakout, that will hopefully increase the efficiency and decrease the length of commission meetings.

The Sept. 17th meeting will likely include lively discussion about these and other proposed policy changes. Seven commissioners must vote in support for the revised bylaws to be enacted while the proposed standing rules will need a majority vote.

This process has taken a tremendous amount of time and effort. I owe a special thanks to Commissioners Jared Critchfield (6B06) and Dave Garrison (6B01) for agreeing to serve on the working group. Commissioners Carol Green (6B07) and Brian Pate (6B05) also contributed to the development of the revised bylaws and proposed standing rules. And I especially want to thank Susan Eads Role and Wanda Sims, two registered parliamentarians who volunteered their time and expertise to assist in our comprehensive review.

Please post any comments and questions below.

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Posted by bflahaven

Georgetown in Hill East?

August 27, 2012

A few weeks ago, the Washington Post reported that Georgetown University has Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront at or near the top of its list as a potential location for a new campus. And just yesterday, the Post also reported that Georgetown is in negotiations with developer Forest City Washington to advise the university on its expansion plans.

The university appears to be looking for a large parcel(s) of land to expand and relocate its medical campus and the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. They’ve identified the Hill East Waterfront as one location that meets many of their objectives – large undeveloped parcel of land, Metro access and a location that expands the campus beyond its traditional NW neighborhood.

But would a new Georgetown University medical campus and hospital be a good thing for Capitol Hill and Hill East? It’s an intriguing idea that is worth exploring.  I’ve spent the past couple weeks gauging Hill East resident reaction and feedback to Georgetown’s potential interest in Reservation 13 . The following is a list of the top pros and cons I’ve heard from residents.

Pros

  • Catalyst for Development – Though the Gray Administration plans to issue a Request for Proposals for Parcels F1 and G1 soon, it is clear that development of the entire Hill East Waterfront is not at the top of the Mayor’s priority list. And who knows when (or if) Mayor Gray or subsequent mayors will proceed with development on the entire site. A new medical campus and hospital would clearly use a large portion if not all of the 67-acre site, potentially bringing development to the waterfront sooner rather than later (perhaps much later). And if the campus is built with the Reservation 13 Master Plan in mind, the campus/hospital buildings could be built with first floor, outward facing retail in mind.
  • Access to Healthcare/Physicians – Capitol Hill has a significant shortage of physicians that practice on the Hill. In addition to emergency care, a hospital would bring access to physicians for residents in Ward 6 and Ward 7. This would be a big benefit for our large senior population as well as for the influx of young professionals and families moving to the neighborhood.
  • Large Daytime Workforce  – Hill East is a very residential neighborhood. Since there is not a lot of office space, the lack of a daytime workforce can make it tough for restaurants and retail to survive on the eastern end of Capitol Hill. A medical campus and hospital would bring a large daytime workforce and student population which could help support residential/retail development, both on Reservation 13 itself and on the eastern end of the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor.
  • Georgetown as a Neighbor – Georgetown University could be a great neighbor by working closely with the community, developing the site so that it closely mirrors the vision laid out in the master plan and helping to connect the Anacostia River waterfront to the neighborhood.

Cons

  • Inconsistent with the Master Plan – As I tried to explain to both Mayor Gray Councilmember Jack Evans during the Redskins training facility meeting, the Reservation 13 Master Plan does not include a stadium. It also doesn’t include a medical campus nor full hospital (though the plan does set aside 2 1/2 acres for healthcare use). How much of the retail/office/housing envisioned for the site would be sacrificed for a hospital/medical campus? Will the neighborhood and city lose an opportunity to see the original vision of the master plan realized?
  • Hospitals can be islands – Hospitals have a tendency to be inward looking and do not necessarily spur development around them. They tend to have their own in-house shops and cafeteria, which typically only serve hospital workers, patients and their families. The Reservation 13 Master Plan envisions a site that is clearly connected to and serves the surrounding neighborhood. Could a new medical campus/hospital really be built to serve both the mission of the institution and the interests of Hill East residents, who want Reservation 13 to be an extension of the neighborhood?
  • Ambulance Runs – Noise can often be an issue for neighborhoods surrounding hospitals, particularly with ambulances using neighborhood streets to access emergency facilities. A new hospital would certainly bring additional noise, but it is tough to predict how much without additional details. Most residents told me that the ambulance runs wouldn’t bother them – we already hear a lot of sirens in the neighborhood.
  • Georgetown as a Neighbor – Georgetown University does not have a great relationship with its current neighbors, one of the reasons they are looking to expand beyond their traditional campus. Should Hill East residents expect a different relationship with the university? Support for the plan will be contingent on ample community feedback and a commitment by the university to build a positive relationship with the surrounding neighborhood.

What are your thoughts? Do you think a Georgetown University medical campus/hospital would be good for Hill East?  Please post comments below!

5 Comments | Development, Reservation 13/Hill East Waterfront | Permalink
Posted by bflahaven

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