Brian Flahaven

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.

The inaugural meeting of ANC 6B’s Hill East Task Force will take place on Wed., July 27, 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE. In addition to discussing the proposed development at 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE (old KFC site), the task force will spend a significant amount of time listening to residents and outlining potential issues for future Hill East Task Force meetings. Here is a link to the agenda:

• ANC 6B Hill East Task Force Agenda July 27, 2011

We will also provide details on how residents can apply to serve on the task force.

I hope to see you there!

We had around 10-15 residents for last night’s PSA 107 meeting, not bad for a hot and muggy night in the middle of July. Here are the highlights:

• New MPD First District Commander Daniel Hickson stopped by and introduced himself to residents. He said that it would take him about 3 months to get up to speed on all the personnel, resources and problem areas in the First District. Commander Hickson has been with MPD since 1973 and has held numerous positions in the department.
• I asked Commander Hickson about the new boundaries for PSA 107 and whether MPD considered crime issues related to Reservation 13 when they decided to expand the PSA into NE. Commander Hickson said that the new PSA boundaries were drawn by Chief Lanier and former 1D Commander Kamperin and Res. 13 calls would have been included in the conversation. However, he did say that the DC Protective Services Police Department oversees safety and security at Res. 13 (Protective Services is separate from MPD). Thus, MPD does not report all crimes that happen on the site. Commander Hickson also said he would talk with Protective Services about releasing more statistics on crime at Res. 13.
• Lt. Thornton reported that overall crime is down 16 percent year-to-date in PSA 107 when compared to 2010. Violent crime has seen a 32 percent reduction YTD while property crime is down 12 percent YTD.
• While overall crime and violent crime are down, there has been a recent uptick in property crime, particularly thefts. The thefts vary from stolen bicycles to stolen items at stores. Lt. Thornton reiterated the importance of securing bicycles indoors.
• Burglaries are up this year. There were two burglaries last month in PSA 107, both in the northern end of 6B09. In one instance, an individual(s) entered through an unlocked window. Please make sure all of your windows and doors are locked, even if you have a tall fence off your alley.
• Residents voiced concern about some illegal activities taking place around the PSA. Both Commander Hickson and Lt. Thornton said they are aware of these issues and employing a variety of tactics to curb illegal activities. MPD is also working closely with the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) to make sure that individuals on parole or probation are not continuing to engage in illegal activities.
• Lt. Thornton reported that officers have been ticketing drivers using the Barney Circle entrance to the SE/SW Freeway. He reminded residents that the access road is restricted to authorized vehicles only.
• First District MPD will be providing food, drinks and fun for National Night Out, Tuesday, Aug. 2, 6:00 pm – 9:00 pm. The festivities will be at 13th and E Sts. SE (PeterBug’s). Residents interested in volunteering on the event can contact Commissioner Carol Green (6B07).
• The next PSA 107 meeting will be on Thursday, Sept. 15.

ANC 6B is actively seeking interested residents to participate as voting members on committees and task forces.  Under the ANC’s bylaws, one resident from each Single Member District (SMD) can serve as a voting member of each standing committee while multiple residents of a SMD can serve on task forces.  This is your chance to influence events and decisions in the neighborhood. By expanding the skills and capacity of the Commission, your involvement will allow ANC 6B to do more for our community.
 
ANC 6B features two standing committees–Planning and Zoning and Alcoholic Beverage Control; a term limited Transportation committee; and two Task Forces–the Outreach & Constituent Services TF and the Hill East TF.  If you are interested in representing 6B09 on a committee or task force, please contact the appropriate committee or task force chair or vice-chair and copy or call me (brianf6b09@anc6b.org or 202-658-9447). 

Here is a listing of the committees/task forces and their leadership:

Planning and Zoning Committee
Purpose:   Adjudicates historic preservation, zoning and public space cases.
Meeting Schedule:  Every 1st Tuesday of the month.  Next meeting on the 6th of September.
Chair and Vice-Chair:  Francis Campbell (fmcampbell6b10@yahoo.com) and Kirsten Oldenburg (kirsten6b04@anc6b.org)

Alcoholic Beverage Committee
Purpose:  Adjudicates requests for liquor licenses or substantial changes to existing liquor licenses. Negotiates voluntary agreements.
Meeting Schedule: 1st Thursday of the month. Next meeting on the 8th of September.
Chair and Vice-Chair:  Carol Green (carol6b07@anc6b.org) and Norm Metzger (norman6b03@anc6b.org)

Transportation Committee
Purpose:  Advise on transportation issues on the Hill.  Develop and recommend improvements to the Performance Parking Pilot (PPP) and expenditure of related budgets.
Meeting Schedule:  As scheduled by the Chair. Next meeting 21 July.
Chair and Vice-Chair:  Kirsten Oldenburg (kirsten6b04@anc6b.org) and David Garrison (David6b01@anc6b.org)

Outreach & Constituent Services
Purpose:  Develop and implement methods to increase resident participation. Review and improve ANC technology usage.
Meeting Schedule:  As scheduled by the Chair.  Next meeting 20 July.
Chair and Vice-Chair:  Brian Pate (patebc@gmail.com) vice-chair TBD

Hill East Task Force
Purpose: Address issues specific to the Hill East area, such as Reservation 13 and development around the Potomac Avenue metro.
Meeting Schedule:  As scheduled by the Chair.  Next meeting on 27 July.
Chair and Vice-Chair:  Brian Flahaven (brianf6B09@anc6b.org) and Francis Campbell (fmcampbell6b10@yahoo.com)

Again,  if you are interested in representing 6B09 on a committee or task force, please contact the appropriate committee or task force chair or vice-chair and copy or call me (brianf6b09@anc6b.org or 202-658-9447).   The respective committee/task force will consider the applicant at its next meeting and forward a recommendation to the next full Commission meeting.  Once approved by the full Commission, the resident member will serve for a period of one year (typically February to February). Resident members can serve for a longer period of time if they desire, subject to a determination that the member is in good standing and review by the full Commission each February.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to strengthen our neighborhood and ANC 6B!

• Douglas Development has new plans for a mixed use retail/residential building to replace the Old KFC building at 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. The building would have roughly 2,900 sq. ft. of retail and 21 apartments. Seven parking spots would be available in the building, though Douglas has said they will ask tenants to waive their right for a Zone 6 residential parking permit and ask the city to enforce that restriction. Here is a link to the plans – post any comments or thoughts about the proposed development below:
  • 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue SE Proposed Development (pdf)
• If you have an hour to spare, join the Hill Trash Mob tomorrow morning, Sat., July 16, at 9:00 am to help clean up the area around the southern entrance to Stadium-Armory Metro (19th Street SE and Burke Street SE). A big thanks to the Hill Trash Mobsters for tackling the trash in our neighborhood!
• Please join us next Wed., July 20, 7:00 pm for our 6B09 Neighborhood Outreach Meeting at Congressional Cemetery (1801 E Street SE). William Howland, Director of DC’s Department of Public Works, will be there to answer your questions on trash collection, parking enforcement, alley cleaning, etc. I’ll also provide an update on ANC 6B’s latest activities.
• ANC 6B’s Hill East Task Force will hold its first meeting on Wed., July 27, 7:00 pm at St. Coletta School (1901 Independence Ave. SE). This will be an organizing meeting – an opportunity for residents to suggest issues/concerns that should be the focus of future task force meetings.

Have a great weekend!