Monthly Archives: April 2017

Developer on Verge of Announcing Hine North Building Retail

by Larry Janezich

Eastbanc partner Stanton Development is expected to announce the retail leases for the north building of the Hine Project in mid-April.  There are four street level retail spaces in the north building plus one large lower level retail space below grade.  One of the street level spaces will be reserved for two “incubator” retail tenants – local businesses who have not graduated to independent brick and mortar status – which means a total of six retail tenants for the project.  Stanton characterized the tenants as a mix of food and non-food retail.

Stanton is still working on leasing the retail space for the south building which will accommodate as many at ten street level retail tenants, plus a day care center at the corner of 8^th and Pennsylvania and a Trader Joe’s.  Trader Joe’s has begun to modify their space in accordance with their needs; the company is looking to open this fall.

Stanton’s partner Eastbanc advises that the target for beginning to lease the residential units in the south building is late summer.  The 128 apartments average 1,250 square feet.  Stanton says that they have had 2,000 expressions of interest in the units.  Leasing of the residential units will be handled by Eastbanc partner Bozzuto property management.

The Week Ahead….

by Larry Janezich

Monday, April 3

1. ANC6D meets at 7:00pm, 1100 4^th Street, SW, second floor.

Among items on the draft agenda:

Public Safety Report – First District MPD (PSA 105 & PSA 106) with Sgt. Barnes.

Pepco Proposed Rate Increase.

Application for Class B liquor license for Sal’s Café, 400 C Street, S.W.

Amendment to Class A liquor license for Masala Art, 1101 4^th Street, S.W.

Discussion of Parcel L-1 Hotel at The Yards.

Discussion of modernization funding for Jefferson Middle School Academy.

Extension of PUD for Waterfront Station II.

Extension of PUD for Randall School.

Public Space application for RiverPoint – 2100 2nd Street, S.W.

Public Space application for Peninsula 88, First and V Streets, S.W.

2. Capitol Hill Restoration Society, Historic Preservation Committee meets at 6:30pm, Kirby House, 520 10^th Street, S.E.

Tuesday, April 4, 2017

1. ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm, St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue, S.E.

Among items on the agenda:

Historic Preservation Application for 602 E Street, S.E; Permit/rear addition.

Historic Preservation Application for 913 East Capitol Street, SE; Concept/three-story rear addition.

Bureau of Zoning Adjustment Application for 1 Library Court, SE, for special exceptions from the parking, the penthouse setback , the height, the pervious surface, the rear yard, the side yard, and the rear addition extending more than ten feet past the rear wall of the adjacent building requirements, and variances from the nonconforming structure and the lot area and width requirements to construct a one-story rear addition to an existing one-family row dwelling in the RF-3 Zone at 1 Library Court, S.E.

Bureau of Zoning Adjustment Application for 202 9th Street, SE, for special exceptions from the accessory building lot occupancy, from the accessory building rear yard, and from the lot occupancy requirements, to construct an accessory two-story carriage house for use as covered parking and an office in the RF-1 Zone at 202 9th Street, S.E.

Public Space Application for 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, CAS Riegler Development.

Discussion of Construction Issues & DCRA

2. ANC 6C Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee meets at 6:30pm at Northeast Library, 7^th and D Streets, N.E.

Among items on the draft agenda:

DCRA presentation on home-improvement permitting – overview of permit application process for minor home improvement projects (fences, interior renovation/repair) and online resources. (Tentative; presenter TBD)

Historic Preservation Application for 17 6th Street, N.E., – Application for concept approval for rear, rooftop, and garage additions.

Bureau of Zoning Adjustment Application for additions at 17 6th Street, N.E., – for a special exception from the lot occupancy and the RF-1 use requirements, to construct a third-story addition with roof deck to an existing one-family dwelling and expand to an accessory building for residential purposes in the RF-1 zone at 17 6th Street, N.E.

Historic Preservation Application for concept approval for 618 3rd Street, N.E. – for front basement entrance, rear addition, and garage demolition.

Historic Preservation Application for concept approval for 622 D Street, N.E. – rear and rooftop additions.

Discussion of DC Comprehensive Plan amendment cycle.

Wednesday, April 5

1. ANC6B Transportation Committee meets at 7:00pm at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E.

Among items on the agenda:

Presentation on DC’s Vision Zero Initiative with Jonathan Rogers, DDOT.

Discussion of issues to Consider in 2017

Update on SE Boulevard and the Environmental Assessment Process.

Thursday, April 6

1. ANC6B Alcohol Beverage Control Committee meets at 7:00pm, Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania avenue, S.E.

Among items on the agenda:

Class C Restaurant Liquor license for Sushi Hachi, Inc., 735 8th Street, S.E.

Update on Action Items from March Meeting

2. ANC 6C Transportation and Public Space Committee meets at 7:00pm at Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, 700 2nd Street, N.E.

Among items on the agenda:

Uline Loading Zone, 1140 3rd Street, N.E.  Douglas Development, owner of the Uline building that REI is in, is proposing to create a loading zone for pick-up and drop-off on 3rd Street N.E in front of the main entrance. The loading zone would be active between 7:00 am and 7:00 pm. The goal is to cut down on any potential congestion from Uber/taxi pickup and drop off at the building.  Representative: Drew Turner, Douglas Development Corp.

New Zipcar Spaces, 263 8th Street, N.E.; 1225 5th Street, N.E.  Car sharing provider Zipcar is looking to reserve four street parking spaces within ANC 6C for their cars. The spots are located at (1) the first two spaces at the intersection of 8th Street. N.E. and C Street, N.E., (approximate address: 263 8th Street, N.E.); and (2) the first two spaces at the intersection of 5th Street, N.E. and Florida Ave NE (approximate address: 1225 5th Street, N.E.).

LED Streetlights – The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is planning to install cool-white LEDs that have a strong blue-wavelength component. The American Medical Association has warned that blue-rich LED street lights cause hazardous glare and are potentially harmful to human health because of their disruptive effect on circadian sleep cycles. To mitigate these potential problems, the AMA recommends that roadway lighting have “the lowest emission of blue light possible.” ANCs 4B and 5B and the Palisades Citizens’ Association have endorsed warm-white LED street lights that comply with the AMA’s recommendations. In addition, more than 150 people from multiple wards have signed petitions expressing concern about blue-rich LEDs and calling for installation of warm-white LEDs. Representative: Wayne Savage, D.C. Street Light Task Force.

3. PSA 107 will not meet this month.

The War on Rats – Part II:  Residents & City Identify Six Rat Haven Hotspots on Capitol Hill

by Larry Janezich

ANC6B is waging war on rats in response to expressions of alarm and concern by Capitol Hill residents who live near “restaurant clusters” which provide support for the city’s rodent population.

On Tuesday, March 21, the ANC’s Taskforce on Outreach and Constituent Services co-chaired by ANC6B Commissioners Jennifer Samolyk and Diane Hoskins, held a standing room only community meeting attended by more than 50 residents who took the opportunity to voice their concerns about rats.  The six “restaurant clusters” identified by residents and by Department of Health Rodent Control Chief Gerard Brown include:

Barracks Row; Eastern Market and the 200 block of 7^th Street, SE; the 100 block of D Street, SE; the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue; the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue and the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue.  Public green spaces flanking Pennsylvania Avenue between 4^th and 6^th Streets were also pointed out as sites of infestations.

CHC interviewed a number of attendees as to their impression of the meeting and what their take-away had been.  The overwhelming sense of residents is that rats – which have been under control for a while – are back in a horrendous way.  People were incensed and related personal experiences.

A resident of C Street, SE, behind the Tune Inn and the Hawk & Dove said she knocks on the inside of her door before leaving home to scare away rats outside; a resident of 8th Street, SE, walking home after dark, saw 8 rats in one block under the covered walkway on 8th Street next to the Hine project.  A resident of the 600 block of C Street S.E. said defecation in the green spaces flanking Pennsylvania Avenue as well as food leftovers attract rats to the park.  Residents singled out the 7/11 on Barracks Row and Ophelia’s Fish House – both at 8^th and C Streets – as examples of egregious trash management offenders, with rats so emboldened or overcrowded that they can be seen on trash bins in the daytime.  The nearby residents showed a video posted to YouTube of the trash conditions at these venues:  See here:  http://bit.ly/2mXnoTf

The rat problem is directly related to a neighborhood’s number of food service establishments with poor trash management policies.  The city has encouraged development of dining destinations, and has lax enforcement of trash and rodent management either deliberately to reduce the hassle factor of operating a restaurant or because they have turned a blind eye to the consequences of the problems associated with development.  Consequently, the residents have been left to fend for themselves.  ANC6B, chaired by Chander Jayaraman, has pioneered the use of liquor license applications and renewals to require restaurants to use best operating practices regarding trash management.  Recently, the ANC won a precedent-setting finding by DC’s Alcohol Beverage Board that trash management can be considered by the ANC in making recommendations on liquor licenses.

Some restaurants, notably, &Pizza, Eat Bar, and Acqua al 2 have earned praise from the ANC and/or residents for adopting exemplary trash management practices.  Others, such as Capitol Hill Tandoor, are in the process of adopting these practices.  Some, such as the three Spike Mendelsohn restaurants on the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, have resisted addressing trash and rodent issues.

Here’s their takeaway:

The Mayor and the City Council have not made rodent control a priority and do not provide the funds or the resources to effectively manage rodents.  The Department of Health has four inspectors for the entire city and 9 abatement employees.

The city does a poor job of enforcing the current regulations.  The Department of Health’s Bureau of Rodent Control (apparently) somehow lost the ability to fine businesses and residences for harborage of rats – read “rat burrows”.  (Ed. Note:  How this happened is unclear, since the law still seems to be in effect.  If – granted it’s a big if – this ability was lost by administrative action, the power to fine should be restored.  See here:  Subchapter I. Bureau of Rodent Control. Rodent harborage prohibited http://bit.ly/2nsLjGf)

Rats are rampant at construction sites.  Developers say city regulations prohibit use of “tracking powder” – a rodenticide “shot” into rat burrows on construction sites – because of hazards to workers.  Baited traps which are permitted are ineffective means of control.

Use by DOH of an effective means of rat control – treating burrows with dry ice, which suffocates rodents in their burrows – was recently suspended because of federal regulations.   EPA prohibits the use of dry ice for rat abatement since it’s not labeled as a rodenticide.  It may be that the agency was prompted to issue its stop use order by protests from National Pest Management Association (and it seems likely the Association will lobby hard to prevent any change in that regulation).  See here   http://usat.ly/2np01xi

Rats are rampant on green space public lands on Pennsylvania Avenue, but confusion among residents and agencies regarding who has jurisdiction to do what often results in nothing being done.

Among the action items to come out of the meeting:

A letter to DOH and city officials advocating a citizens’ enforcement pilot program and activating of the DOH Rodent Control Task Force for hot spots.  (See Part I of CHC’s three part series on rats here:  http://bit.ly/2njUUit)  In addition, DOH will consider additional installation of rat proof trash containers similar to those recently installed on the 600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue.

Residents are organizing to appear at the city council budget hearings to ask the council to put more resources into rat abatement.

Residents are organizing to reach out to and collaborate with other ANCs and to press the city council for regulations requiring indoor trash storage for businesses serving food.

As reported by CHC, CM Charles Allen has already pledged to “take a crack” at organizing a coalition of government agencies and civic and business organizations to take on the rodent problem.