Sunday Eastern Market Flea Market Vendor Jerry Marshall of Monkstown, Maryland, sells his collection of antique printing type and wood blocks.
Typology?
Yearly Archives: 2013
The Week Ahead….
The Week Ahead….
by Larry Janezich
Monday, March 4
CHRS Historic Preservation Committee meets at 6:30pm at 420 10th Street, SE
Tuesday, March 5
Planning and Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington.
Among items on the agenda: public space request for Tash on Barracks Row, discussion of draft zoning regulations.
Wednesday, March 6
ANC6B Transportation Committee meets at 6:30pm in Hill Center.
On the agenda: letter to DDOT on Pennsylvania-Potomac Avenues Pedestrian Safety Study, discussion of Barney Circle-Southeast Boulevard Transportation Planning Study
Thursday, March 7
ABC Committee meets at 7:00 p.m., in Hill Center
Among items on the agenda: change in hours for Hank’s Oyster Bar, JJ Mutt Wine & Spirits, World Liquors.
Thursday, March 7
PSA 107 Meeting at 7:00pm in SoutheasE Library, 403 7th Street SE, basement
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Zoning Regulations Revision Proposes Major Parking Changes for Capitol Hill – City Proposes Shifting Parking Costs From Developers to Residents
Zoning Regulations Revision Proposes Major Parking Changes for Capitol Hill
City Proposes Shifting Parking Costs From Developers to Residents
by Larry Janezich
Tuesday night, ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee will consider proposed citywide revisions to current Zoning Regulations.
ANC6B formed a special Zoning Regulation Revision Task Force headed up by Commissioner Dave Garrison to consider these changes. At its meeting last Thursday night, the Task Force agreed simply to refer the most contentious items to ANC 6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee, chaired by Francis Campbell, which will deliberate these issues before the full ANC takes them up on March 12.
The proposed revisions would have the effect of increasing density near Metro and bus stops and reducing parking in an attempt to further the currently in-vogue city planning concept of creating a livable, walkable city under the rubric of “new urbanism.”
Less discussed, but no less important, is the fact that proposed changes would benefit developers because the change in regulations would shift the burden of new parking from them to the residents. By changing the rules about who can park on the street and by reducing the number of spaces available, you reduce traffic, but you also create a more competitive parking environment. An official embrace of “new urbanism” also makes it cheaper to build developments by freeing developers of the obligation to build parking into their plans. While few would disagree with the goal of reducing traffic, the question of who should bear the burden of that reduction is not being discussed in explicit terms or with full candor. Nor are the long term consequences for the city and the nature of urban living being considered. Many on Capitol Hill, especially older residents, find that owning a car is necessary in order to live here.
Among the most important revisions being considered by the Planning and Zoning Committee next Tuesday are proposed regulations that would eliminate the requirement for developers to include on-site parking for new town houses or apartments or condos with up to ten dwelling units. Off-street parking would not be required for residences in the historic district. In addition, there would be no on-site parking required for apartments or condos of any size, as long as they are built within a half mile of Metro or a quarter mile of a high service bus line.
Two other proposed regulations would promote increase population density in ANC6B with the likely result of increasing the street parking demands. The first would make it easier to turn carriage houses into dwelling units if they are associated with a single dwelling unit townhouse; owners of a townhouse with an English basement could not convert a garage or carriage house unless the basement unit was eliminated. The second would permit building on alley lots. Although ANC6B only has a dozen or so vacant alley lots of the minimum 450 square feet, the number of alley lots with existing buildings such as garages or other buildings which could be converted is unknown.
Another proposed change would allow for commercial use of any building in residential areas, including corner stores under certain conditions. This could have a potential impact on parking and traffic, though no projections have been offered.
While these regulatory revisions have received a sustained discussion within certain DC circles, they have by and large been under the radar and escaped the attention of the residents most affected by them. Task Force Chair 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.
In sum, these regulatory revisions amount to a city planning effort that represents a departure from current code. There have been community meetings designed to garner resident input but some attendees have left the meetings unsatisfied that their concerns and issues were being heard.
The Planning and Zoning Committee will meet Tuesday night at 7:00pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE.
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Eastern Market Report
Eastern Market Report
by Larry Janezich
Changes in Committee Membership
The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee met last Wednesday night in the North Hall. Treasurer Barbara Eck announced her resignation as a representative of the Capitol Hill Restoration Society and said that a new representative would be appointed. ANC6B Commissioner Ivan Frishberg has replaced ANC6B Commissioner Brian Pate as the ANC6B representative.
Income
According to Market Manager Barry Margeson, Eastern Market received substantial rental income from the North Hall in the past three months, especially in February. The totals were as follows:
December $15,812
January $24,138
February $27,973
A surprising addition to the revenue flow has been from the ATM machine located in the Market, as follows:
October $5,997
November $5,918
December $7,369
January $5,054
Grumbling Over the Marketing Plan – or Lack Thereof
The management is still wrestling with coming up with a marketing vision and strategy. The Market – or the city on behalf of the Market – apparently has a contract with The Ad Store, a full service international ad agency. Although the company receives a retainer from or on behalf of Eastern Market, any actual work performed evidently requires an additional payment. The discussion on Wednesday night revealed little about what the company does or is required to do under the contract, and annoyed EMCAC Chair Donna Scheeder asked Margeson to produce the contract for the committee’s examination, which he said he would do. Since Eastern Market is already a top DC destination, it is not clear why a marketing vision is needed or whether having one would necessarily benefit the market, a point made by committee member Bill Glasgow.
Energy Efficiency and Flooding Issues
The city is finally moving to address the energy efficiency issues which have persisted in the Market since its restoration. Primary among them is ventilating problems occasioned by the round windows which are supposed to be opened by a motorized means but which so far have failed to operate. This is connected to the efficiency of the ceiling fans which are supposed to operate a variable speeds but which so far only operate at the maximum. In addition, the inability to regulate the temperatures of the North and South Halls independently has resulted to unnecessarily high energy bills. Meetings have been scheduled in the near future with the city’s Energy Sustainability Division.
Separately, remedies are being sought for the unacceptable acoustics of the North hall and flooding in the basement resulting from obstructed waste lines.
Fresh Tuesdays
Next Tuesday, Amish farmer Christian Hertzler will be back on the Farmer’s Line with produce and baked goods. Hertzler is the first of the farmers that have been absent through the winter to return.
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Hello my name is – Opens at The Fridge Tomorrow, Saturday, April 2
Hello my name is by HKS 181
HELLO my name is Opens Saturday at The Fridge
Ed. Larry Janezich
Opening Reception: March 2, 7 – 11pm
Film Screening: March 10, 1 – 3pm
Exhibit Book Launch and Panel Discussion: March 23, 1 – 3pm
HELLO my name is will showcase the foundation of modern graffiti: the name.
To create HELLO my name is, a list of eighty artists from across the Americas and UK was compiled by DC graffiti legends ULTRA and CHE KGB. Each of these artists has received a canvas with an illustration of a “HELLO my name is” sticker that they will paint and return to the gallery. The resulting collection of works is the chance to see the breadth and depth of graffiti artists working across the US and abroad today.
From the start of the graffiti movement in the late 60’s to early 70’s, the act of painting a nickname has become a worldwide radical, infectious act. Repetition and size equal strength, fame and might, and in this collection of works the floor-to-ceiling canvassed walls will represent where graffiti came from and where it stands today.
On the tails of the Corcoran’s Pump Me Up: D.C. Subculture of the 80s retrospective, HELLO my name is is set to exhibit the contemporary counterpart of this movement.
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ANC6B Chair Urges City Council to Move Forward on Reservation 13 – Flahaven Points Out Why Development Appears to Have Stalled
ANC6B Chair Urges City Council to Move Forward on Reservation 13
Flahaven Points Out Why Development Appears to Have Stalled
by Larry Janezich
ANC6B Chair Brian Flahaven testified before Councilmember Bowser’s Economic Development Committee oversight hearing of the Deputy Mayor’s Office for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) this morning, urging the city to move forward with development of Reservation 13.
After the failed development attempt under the Fenty Administration and the Gray Administration’s effort to bring the Washington Redskins training facility to the site, Flahaven noted the Gray announcement a year ago that the DMPED would proceed with plans for mixed use development of the site in two phases. DMPED went back to the drawing board and sought new expressions of interest for phase I, the portion of Reservation 13 adjacent to the Armory Stadium Metro Station. The response was underwhelming, with only one development team – Donatelli/Blue Skye – submitting a proposal. Flahaven said there are three explanations for the failure to receive more responses.
First, DMPED removed language that gave the winning development team for the smaller area the right of first refusal to negotiate with the city to develop the rest of the site, thereby removing an important incentive for developers to bid on the scaled-back project.
Second, the request for expressions of interest required development teams to pay for all infrastructure improvements, including public roadways.
Third, the city has no plan for closing DC General and relocating any of the services on Reservation 13, including the DC General homeless shelter currently housing around 1,000 homeless, a methadone clinic, and DC Jail.
The message appears to be that the city is suffering from a credibility deficiency regarding their commitment to closing developing the rest of the site.
Flahaven, on behalf of ANC6B, urged Bowser’s committee to ask DMPED the following questions:
How does DMPED plan to proceed with the Donatelli-Blue Skye response?
Will they share that response with the community?
Will the Gray Administration seek funding in the FY 14 budget for infrastructure improvements?
How is DMPED working with the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services on plan for closing DC General?
How does DPMED intend to demonstrate that the city is serious about developing the Hill East waterfront?
A November 27, 2012 posting on this subject can be found here:
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Ninnella Italian Restaurant on Lincoln Park Opens Tonight – Photos
Ninnella on Lincoln Park
Dining room features a winter fireplace
Ninnella Italian Restaurant on Lincoln Park Opens Tonight – Menu Below
by Larry Janezich
Ninnella, the new Italian restaurant on Lincoln Park, formerly the Park Café, opens tonight. Chef Emanuel Simeoni from Frioli in northern Italy joins brothers Angleo and Alessalandro Forte from Campania in southern Italy in the new joint venture. Simeoni comes to Ninnella after 15 years of experience in Italian cooking in New York City at several restaurants, including his own. Simeoni pledges at the minimum, a soft opening tonight, and offers a glass of wine on the house and maybe some appetizers when the door opens.
Although the menu currently does not feature gluten free pasta, Simeoni says that it will be offered in the future and notes that polenta is available.
The menu is as follows:
Antipasti
Mediterranean sea bass tartar, capers, citrus dressing for $12
Fried calamari, rock shrimp with Marinara sauce for $14
Buffalo mozzarella with roasted tomatoes and basil oil for $14
Barolo Marinated Rabbit Liver Pate served with crostini for $12
Baby spinach salad with walnuts and balsamic reduction for $12
Organic mixed green salad, radishes, herbs, lemon citronette for $8
Baby Rucola salad with shitake mushrooms and shaved Grana cheese for $12
Frisee salad Caesar dressing, shaved Parmesan cheese and crostini for $12
Pasta
Hand made angel hair pasta sautéed with clams, cherry tomato and zucchini for $16
Hand made Tagliatelle in classic tomato and basil sauce for $13
Hand made tagliatelle in classic Bolognese sauce for $14
Home made Pappardelle in Bolognese sauce for $14
Lasagna with lamb ragout, butternut squash, tomato sauce, grana cheese for $14
Pesce
Pan seared filet of Mediterranean sea bass with fennel creme and Beluga lentils for $26
Roast wild salmon filet, salsa verede, roasted tomatoes for $22
Roasted lamb rack served with mashed potatoes and balsamic caramelized onions for $26
Beef filet mignon served with asparagus flan, vin santo, thyme and beef sauce for $26
Dessert
Pannacotta for $10
Valrona chocolate mousse for $10
Classic Tiramisu for $10
A range of Italian wines will be served as well. A gas fireplace will provide atmosphere to the front of the restaurant during the winter months.
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The Week Ahead….
The Week Ahead….
by Larry Janezich
Tuesday, February 26
ANC6B Executive Committee meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center to set the agenda for the March monthly ANC6B meeting.
Wednesday, February 27
Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meets at 7:00pm in North Hall, Eastern Market.Wednesday, February 27
Community meeting to hear developer’s plans for a new 80 unit residential building at 1550 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, currently a used car lot, 6:30pm, at New York Pizza, 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
Wednesday, February 27
Permits 101: Ask the Experts. CHRS presents Permitting for Homeowners in the Capitol Hill Historic District, with Amanda Molson, DC Historic Preservation Office and Robbie Sabbakhan, DCRA. Also introducing HPO’s new primary Preservation Specialist for Capitol Hill, Frances McMillen. 7:00 – 8:30 pm at Maury Elementary School,1250 Constitution Ave NE.
Thursday, February 28
ANC6B Zoning Regulations Task Force meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center to continue consideration of recommendations for the re write of DC Zoning Regulations.
Thursday, February 28
DC Council on Human Services hearing on management of DC General Shelter at Reservation at 6:00pm at DC General Shelter, 1900 Massachusetts Avenue, SE.
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Capitol Hill Restoration Society Update
Capitol Hill Restoration Society Update: Secret Session, Capitol Place Micro-grants, The Blue Castle, Community Gardens
by Larry Janezich
Capitol Place Micro-grants
The Capitol Hill Restoration Society’s Board of Directors met last night and immediately moved to convene in secret session excluding staff, volunteers, CHRS members, and press. The secret session lasted some 45 minutes. There was no word what was discussed, but it might have been about the disposition of the $250,000 that the CHRS was awarded in the settlement of the PUD application for the Dreyfus (now Fisher Development) Capitol Place property on H Street, N.E. The developer agreed to fund two micro-grant programs for a total of $250,000: $150,000 for façade improvements to homes of nearby neighbors, $80,000 for energy conservation grants for nearby neighbors and $20,000 for CHRS to administer the grants. The foot print for eligibility for grants is the blocks between 2nd and 4th Streets and F and H Street, NE. The CHRS Board is clearly interested in using the $20,000 in administration funds toward expansion of the Capitol Hill Historic District northward to H Street. The current northern boundary of the historic district is F Street, NE. Board President Janet Quigley announced that Larry Pearl, Chair of the CHRS Grants Committee, “is reviewing the information” on the Capitol place micro grants. An update on the micro-grants will be provided to the CHRS membership at the CHRS Winter Members Forum at 6:30pm, Wednesday, February 27, at Maury Elementary School.
The Blue Castle
According to Historic Preservation Committee Chair Shauna Holmes, the representatives of Madison Marquette, developers of the “Blue Castle” on lower 8th Street near the Navy Yard, have quietly begun to reach out to community organizations opening lines of communication in anticipation of the redevelopment of the historic Car Barn into a large scale mixed-use project that will help connect lower 8th Street to the historic Capitol Hill neighborhood to the north.
The 100,000 square foot property at 770 M Street SE was purchased in 2005 by Preferred Real Estate Investments Inc. of Conshohocken, Pa., for $20.2 million. Leases for the three charter schools who were then operating out of the building ran until 2012. In 2008, Preferred Real Estate Investments sold the property to Madison Marquette for $25 million. The company announced that the building would be developed into a mixed use project with restaurants, offices and/or residences, and retail – possibly including a grocery store.
The “Blue Castle” was designed by architect Walter C. Root in 1891, the Romanesque Revival building was originally known as the Washington and Georgetown Railroad Car House (commonly referred to as the Navy Yard Car Barn). The Blue Castle was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 14, 2006.
Zoning Regs Rewrite Imperil Community Gardens
According to Gary Peterson, Chair of the CHRS Zoning Committee, some 150 alley lots – mostly in the eastern part of Capitol Hill – could become eligible for construction of alley dwelling under changes proposed in the zoning regulations. Many of these spaces are currently occupied by community gardens, popular with gardeners across the Capitol Hill community. According to Peterson, there are about 500 alley lots in Ward Six and 200 or so are already developed. An uncertain number are too small for development. The remaining 150 to 200 could be developed, and a lot of these are in Hill East. The greatest impediment for many is that the developer will have to run utilities – water, sewer, and electricity – to the lots, an expensive undertaking. Some alley lots – where industrial buildings once existed – have utilities, but many do not.
Two CHRS Board Members Will Retire
Two Board members, Secretary Doriann Fengler and Treasurer Sharon Weiss, have announced they will not seek re-election to the Board in the upcoming elections this spring. Currently, there is also a vacant member at large slot on the board. President Quigley has appointed board members Paul Cromwell and Gary Peterson, as well as Hill Center Founder Nicki Cymrot and former board member Cathi Smith to the 2013 nominating committee. The nominating committee will solicit candidates from the CHRS membership and recommend a slate of officers.
Historic Preservation Update
The contemporary addition to the Stuart Hobson School and the Heritage Foundation Development will go before HPRB on March 7. CHRS is still unhappy with the Stuart Hobson project. The earlier report in this story that the Heritage Foundation plan to wrap the retail around the corner of the building at 3rd and Massachusetts, NE, and put an outdoor café on Third Street, has been nixed by the HPO staff is in error. Actually, the HPO staff report, which was published on February 22, supports the corner seating area at Third and Massachusetts and recommends approval by the HPRB. The staff has some concerns about the proposed new café space on Third Street which is detailed in the staff report.
The third story addition at 426th 11th, objected to by CHRS and the new townhouse in the empty lot at 820 C Street will both go to HPRB at the end of this month. The owner of 42611th Street has withdrawn his plan from consideration by CHRS after failing to satisfy its concerns and is taking his chances before HPRB without their input. Reportedly, the developer of 820 C Street has abandoned the controversial “butterfly roof.”
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The Week Ahead….
The Week Ahead….
by Larry Janezich
Monday, February 18
President’s Day. No trash/recycling pickup Monday. Pickups will be on Tuesday and Friday.
Tuesday, February 19
Capitol Hill Restoration Society Board of Directors meets at 6:30pm, Capitol Hill Townhomes, 750 6th Street, SE.
Wednesday, February 20
ANC6B Outreach & Constituent Services Task Force meets, 7:00pm – 8:00pm, Hill Center.
Thursday, February 21
DDOT Barney Circle-SE Blvd Planning Study Meeting, 6:30pm – 8:30pm, Payne Elementary School, 1445 C Street, SE. This is the first in a series of public meetings to redesign Barney Circle and environs and to design the conversion of the SE Freeway into a boulevard.
Thursday, February 21
PSA 108 Meeting, 7:00pm – 8:00pm, Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Avenue SE.
Saturday, February 23
Remembering the 1963 March on Washington, Lutheran Church of the Reformation, 1:30pm, 212 East Capitol, NE.
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CAPITOL HILL CORNER 