The Week Ahead …… and a Look Back at CHRS and EMCAC

The Week Ahead …… and a Look Back at CHRS and EMCAC

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday, April 30

ANC6B Executive Committee meets at 8:30pm in Hill Center to set the agenda for the regular May meeting of ANC6B. 

Wednesday, May 1

EMCAC Marketing Committee meets at 6:30pm in Eastern Market North Hall to discuss a marketing plan for Eastern Market, focusing both on the next six months and a longer term strategy. 

Friday, May 3

Capitol Hill Village Symposium: Addressing the Future, Housing Options on Capitol Hill, 8:30am to 4:00pm, in Hill Center.

This event – free and open to all – will enable attendees to learn about how to stay in their own homes or in the neighborhood throughout life.  Topics covered will include: preparing multi-floor townhouses for ease of use, moving to one-level living, choosing co-housing or one-level living with communal space, financing changing needs, and moving to small neighborhood skilled nursing homes when 24 hour professional attention is the best solution.  Space is limited and those planning on attending must RSVP by 3:00pm on Wednesday, May 1.  Email info@capitolhillvillage.org or call CHV office at 202 543 1778.  Attendees need not attend all sessions.  For the agenda and more information, go to www.CapitolHillVillage.org/Housing

EMCAC Miffed At Lack of Input on Vendor Licenses for Lower 7^th Street

Last Wednesday, at the April meeting of the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meeting, Chair Donna Scheeder said that the limited opportunity for EMCAC input into the process for licensing flea market vendors to operate on 7th Street “left a lot to be desired.”  Grudgingly admitting relief that a licensing agreement has been worked out for flea market vendors to use 7^th Street between C Street and Pennsylvania Avenue once they are displaced from the Hine parking lot, Scheeder told the other members of EMCAC that the way the process worked is “not the way I think we should be doing business.  If we’re supposed to be consulted, we should be.”

According to Saturday flea market vendor Carol Wright, the lower 7^th Street contract was signed April 3 after six months of negotiation with DC’s Department of General Services, who will provide oversight of the vending operation through Eastern Market Manager Barry Margeson.  Wright says the two vendors will pay the same rent – $2000 per month each  – for the 17,000 square feet on 7^th Street that they did for the 55,000 square foot lot they have now.  The contract is for two years, starting August 1.  The vendor’s current contract runs until July 12.   Stanton Development expects asbestos removal from the Hine building to begin in July and demolition to begin in this fall.  The vendors hope to negotiate a partial occupation of the parking lot for the bigger vendors on a temporary basis.  Wright said she was very happy that the license had been signed with DGS and the mayoral order issued for closing 7^th Street on weekends for the two year period.   

CHRS Nominating Committee Announces Slate of Candidates for Upcoming CHRS Election

The slate of officers put forth by the nominating committee appointed by the President is as follows.  The election will be held in June, and the newly elected board will announced at the annual meeting in June.  The list was announced with the proviso that if any nominee proved to be unqualified under the Society’s bylaws, that slot would be filled by backup candidate Elizabeth Purcell.  It was unclear what the Board’s reason was for this proviso, since the discussion of the nominees took place in secret session.  

President                     Janet Quigley

1^st VP                          Monte Edwards

2^nd VP                         Lisa Dale Jones

Secretary                     Susan Burgerman

Treasurer                     Patrick Crowley

Delegate 2 year           Chuck Burger

Delegate 2 year           Drury Talent

Delegate 2 year           Ben Klay

Delegate one year       Undine Nash

Two delegate are finishing their first year

Maurice Walters

Lisa Wilson

In other business, current President Janet Quigley announced the appointment of Board member Maurice Walters as the new CHRS representative to the Eastern Market Community Advisor Committee, replacing Barbara Eck, who resigned last month. 

The CHRS Board also heard Historic Preservation Committee Shauna Holmes explain the committee’s reasoning in recommending a setback of at least five feet for the glass façade on the proposed addition to Frager’s Hardware which will front on 11^th Street.  Holmes said that the committee felt the only way to make the starkly modern look of the building compatible with the neighborhood would be to set it back to subordinate the addition to the main building.