Monthly Archives: May 2011

Restoration Society Weighs in on Redistricting

by Larry Janezich

On May 31st, Elizabeth Purcell, President of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society, sent the following letter detailing reasons for keeping Ward six intact, to members of the Redistricting Subcommittee and copied all members of the City Council.

PO Box 15264

Washington, DC 20003-0264

Councilmember Michael Brown

Councilmember Jack Evans

Councilmember Phil Mendelson

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

May __, 2011

Subject: Redistricting

Dear Councilmember Brown, Councilmember Evans and Councilmember Mendelson:

The Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) is a community organization of some 1,000 members.  For more than 50 years CHRS has worked to promote and protect all aspects of the well-being of greater Capitol Hill.

The statute on redistricting, DC Code § 1-1011.01, refers to equal Ward populations within a plus or minus 5% deviation range.  The current population of Ward 6 is within 5% of one-eighth of the DC’s 2010 population of 610,723 and no adjustment of the Ward 6 boundaries is required.  The redistricting statute also requires “the promotion of a rational public policy, including but not limited to respect for the political geography of the District, the natural geography of the District, neighborhood cohesiveness, or the development of compact and contiguous districts.” That public policy is expressed in the statutory provision that allows a greater than 5% deviation in Ward populations and is a controlling guideline in any redistricting decision.  In making decisions on redistricting CHRS urges the Council to be guided by neighborhood cohesiveness.

Our community, which includes Hill East and Rosedale, share common concerns and common problems on transportation, public safety, and economic development.  These concerns are best addressed by having the entire area within one Ward, with one councilmember, one Ward DDOT planner, one Ward city planner, etc.  Our community already has one major development project east of 17th Street, SE: Reservation 13.  The entire Capitol Hill community wants a successful development there, one that will be an asset to greater Capitol Hill.  The future of RFK Stadium, also east of 17th Street, SE, will also affect everyone on Capitol Hill.  As someone involved in community affairs who has lived one block from 17th Street, SE for over 20 years, I know that the best way for us to make progress is to remain as one Ward.

Thank you for your consideration of this letter as the redistricting process moves forward.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Purcell

President, Capitol Hill Restoration Society

Cc:

Chairman Kwame R. Brown                          kbrown@dccouncil.us

Councilmember Michael A. Brown                mbrown@dccouncil.us

Councilmember Jack Evans                            jackevans@dccouncil.us

Councilmember Phil Mendelson                     pmendelson@dccouncil.us

Councilmember David A. Catania                  dcatania@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Vincent Orange                    vorange@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Jim Graham                           jgraham@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Mary M. Cheh                      mcheh@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr.                 hthomas@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Yvette M. Alexander            Yalexander@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Muriel Bowser                      mbowser@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Tommy Wells                        Twells@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Marion Barry                        mbarry@ dccouncil.us

Councilmember Tommy Wells Addresses Crowd at Eastern High

To view photos, please visit our Facebook Page by clicking on the link, lower right.

ANC6B09 Commissioner Flahaven Calls for Rally To Save Ward 6

The following announcement was released Saturday by Flahaven.

For many years, our Capitol Hill community has united in an effort to grow, and has succeeded — developing from a few blocks in the shadow of the Capitol into a vibrant, productive neighborhood. Today, the Hill not only encompasses the foundations of our nation’s history, but also includes Eastern Market, many bustling restaurants and businesses, successful schools, and beautiful parks… stretching all the way to the Hill East Waterfront. Now, the DC Council’s redistricting plan is threatening to erase all of this hard work — by moving a significant portion of Hill East and its Waterfront into Ward 7.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SAVE WARD 6?

Join your friends and neighbors for the Rally to Keep Capitol Hill Together Tuesday, May 24, 2011. 5:45 p.m. — meet at Lincoln Park (plaza at 13th & East Capitol Sts. SE). Be ready to march to the Rally for Ward 6!

Contact DC Councilmembers on the Redistricting Subcommittee by Wed, May 25, 2011. Call or email the Councilmembers below to let them know your concerns:

• The schools, businesses, and community organizations on the Hill are tied together. Ward 7’s distinct neighborhoods have different priorities and interests.

• After all the work we have poured into improving schools (like Eastern High School), they will fall into the hands of a Councilmember who will struggle to represent them from across the river.

• Don’t let us become a community divided. If “contiguous” and “compact” are keywords to redistricting, Capitol Hill and Hill East fit the bill — keeping neighborhoods like ours intact should be a key part of the process.

Michael Brown (I-At-Large), Co-Chair Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Co-Chair.  Phone: 202-724-8105 Phone: 202-724-8058 Email: mbrown@dccouncil.us Email: jackevans@dccouncil.us

Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) Phone: 202-724-8064 Email: pmendelson@dccouncil.us

If you have questions, contact Brian Flahaven, ANC 6B09 Commissioner, at brianf6b09@anc6b.org or 202-658-9447.

To learn more about the redistricting issue, visit DC Council’s redistricting website for additional information on the process: http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/redistricting2011info. Keep Hill East united with the rest of Capitol Hill in Ward 6

Redisticting Committee Members Phil Mendelson and Jack Evans Meet with Near SE/Navy Yard Residents Monday NightNear SE/Navy Yard Residents Meet with Councilmembers on Redistricting

ANC6B09 Commissioner Brain Flahaven (rear) at Monday night's meeting

City Council’s Redistricting Committee to Vote on New Plan May 26

Plan “Probably” To Be Made Public May 25

by Larry Janezich

Councilmember and Redistricting Committee member Phil Mendelson announced the schedule for consideration and voting on the new DC redistricting plan to about 80 residents of Ward Six Monday night.

The Redistricting Committee will meet on Thursday May 26.  Mendelson said, “at that point, there will be a plan the Committee can adopt.   Asked when the plan would be available to the public, Mendelson said, “probably on the evening of May 25.”  The three-member committee will vote to approve the plan.  That vote will be followed by a public hearing on Thursday, June 2, where public input will be solicited.  That testimony will be taken into consideration on Tuesday, June 7^, when the City Council’s Committee on the Whole will vote on the proposal.  The City Council’s final vote on the plan will likely come on June 21, but could possibly come during the Council’s July session on July 14,

The Redistricting Committee is comprised of Councilmembers Michael Brown, Jack Evans and Phil Mendelson.  Mendelson, for the most part, repeated remarks he has made before in other Ward Six redistricting meetings.  He reiterated that the change is a change in political boundaries, with minimum effect on parking, no effect on school or historic districts, and no likely effect on city services.  Despite the crowd’s adamant opposition to changes in Ward Six, Mendelson stated, that “east of the river has to be moved to west of the river,” that is, part of Ward 6 has to become part of Ward 8.  The options are Rosedale, Near Southeast/Navy Yard, or Southwest.    Both Councilmembers emphasized that they are still mulling the options and they are not inclined toward any of them at this point.

Councilmember Jack Evans, also attending the meeting, explained that once the Ward map is redrawn, each councilmember sets up a Ward District Committee to get people in the ward together to redraw ANC single member districts.  The districts will be based on the 2010 census figures and contain about 2,000 voters each.  The wards will report back to the Redistricting Committee by October, and a final vote on ANC redistricting will occur by the end of the year.

Tonight’s meeting was held the Capper Seniors Building, south of Southeast Freeway.  Councilmember Michael Brown, co-chair of the DC Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting, will attend another meeting on redistricting in Hill East, Wednesday, May 18, at 6:00pm.  The meeting will take place 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. The closest Metro station is Stadium-Armory; use the south exit between C Street, SE and Burke Street, SE.  This meeting came about as the results of the efforts of ANC Commissioner Brian Flahaven and a group of Hill East Residents who visited Councilmembers last week to oppose moving any part of Hill East out of Ward Six.