Wrapping up the Week…. Hine, Security Cameras, New Development, Parking, Etc.

Two new town houses are slated to replace this white brick building facing Stanton Park, at 513 C Street, NE

Wrapping up the Week…. Hine, Security Cameras, New Development, Parking, Etc.

by Larry Janezich

Hine Project to Get Underway Mid-Summer

According to word from Stanton Development, neighbors of the Hine project are likely to see the beginning of demolition activity at the Hine site mid-summer as the building is boarded up for asbestos removal prior to demolition scheduled to begin in the fall.  Still to be hammered out with neighbors are the details of the construction management agreement.  Group representatives will meet with the ANC reps and Stanton soon to begin this process.   

Security Cameras for Eastern Market Metro Plaza and Nearby Streets?

ANC6B Commissioner Ivan Frishberg has asked Tommy Wells’ office and other city officials for information on costs of high tech security cameras in order to explore the feasibility of tapping into the Performance Parking Fund for this new crime fighting technology.  MPD Chief Lanier has embraced the use of cameras as a crime fighting tool, noting that while the new technology is very helpful it is expensive.  Software associated with the technology looks for certain movement such as the gathering of crowds and fast motion.

Regulations provide that a portion of the parking fees derived from the Performance Parking Pilot be funneled back to the community for non-automotive transportation projects.  Frishberg says he thinks the cameras would contribute to a walkable neighborhood.  The funding of such projects is limited to the area in which the parking restrictions are actually in force, which would include Eastern Market Metro Plaza, the area around Eastern Market, nearby Pennsylvania Avenue.  “The idea is exploratory at this stage,” Frishberg emphasized, “saying the ANC should see what the costs and options are.” 

New Development:  Two “Elegant” Townhouses to Face Stanton Park

Plans are in the works for development of two “elegant” town hours (read $1.5 million+) for the space now occupied by the building pictured above at 513 C Street, NE, on the south side of Stanton Park. 

Architect Carmel Greer of District Design brought the concept designs before the CHRS Historic Preservation Committee last Monday, which as usual, wanted to see some tweaking.  The concept drawings will go before HPRB in March. 

Delay in Extension of the Performance Parking Pilot Restrictions North of Pennsylvania Avenue

Extension of the Performance Parking Pilot parking restrictions north of Pennsylvania Avenue to East Capitol has been delayed by a bureaucratic snafu.  City attorneys have informed ANC 6B that city regulations will have to be amended before extension of the program owing to the unusual inclusion of different parking restrictions for Saturday and Sunday in some parts of the plan.  Faced with the decision of plunging ahead with a half measure of parking under the normal Performance Parking restrictions and going back to change signage after the regulation change, or wait out the regulation change before doing anything at all, the ANC Transportation Committee elected to wait for the city to change its rules.  Additional background can be found here: https://capitolhillcorner.org/2012/09/14/anc-votes-to-expand-performance-parking-and-to-protest-ambar-liquor-license/

Disgruntled ANC6B Unhappy with Dysfuntionality of DDOT

ANC6B Commissioners plan on testifying before the City Council at the March 4th DDOT Oversight hearing.  The consensus of the ANC’s Transportation Committee was that while DDOT deserves credit for some projects such as the 17th and 19th Streets Project, the 11th Street Bridge Project, and Capitol Bike Share, the list of grievances against DDOT is a long one.  Among the items the ANC is unhappy about are problems with DDOT’s administration of public space, unilateral decisions affecting traffic control infrastructure made without public notification and input, administration of the Performance Parking Fund,  lack of attention to the Barney Circle Project, lack of follow-through on ANC requests and a general lack of responsiveness to ANC concerns.   

ANC6B  Zoning Regulations Task Force

Zoning Regulation Task Force has had three meetings and continues, according to Chair Dave Garrision, to work through the process.  The Task Force hopes to have recommendations for the ANC’s Planning and Zoining Committee to consider by the Committee’s March 5 meeting.  Garrison noted that there will be two opportunities for ANC input:  first, when the recommendations of the ANC go to the Office of Planning, second, when the Office of Planning submits the final proposal to the Planning Commission later in the spring.   The Task Force has scheduled two meetings this month on Thursday, February 14, 2013, at 6:00 pn, and Thursday, February 28, 2013, at 6:30 pn.  Both meetings will be held in Hill Center.