Monthly Archives: January 2018

A cross section of the plan shows the three level parking structure on the left. On the right is a cross section of one of the five new townhouse rental units being built be the Church, and one of the five parking spaces behind those new units.

Historic Preservation Board Resumes on Ebenezer Church Parking Issue this Thursday

by Larry Janezich

The Historic Preservation Review Board has revised its February 1 Continuation Meeting schedule to accommodate continued consideration of the Capitol Hill Historic District Case at 400 D Street SE Ebenezer Church).

9:00 – 9:30     400 D Street SE, HPA 17-488, concept/construct parking structures [continuation from January 25th meeting]

The meeting will be held at 441 4th Street NW in Room 220-South.  Applicants and those interested in testifying should arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to the assigned time for the case.

HPRB Meetings are streamed live.  Go here:  http://bit.ly/2ndn7Jc and click on “View Live Video” in column on the left to view hearings.

For a report of the initial HPRB consideration of the case, see CHC post here:  http://bit.ly/2DPpoEy

Metro Center

Metro Sales Office at Metro Center to Re-open with Expanded Hours on Feb 26

by Larry Janezich

Metro’s in-person sales office is moving back to an inside Metro Center Station and will offer expanded hours, starting February 26, 2018.

The announcement, by press release, stated, “The new Metro Center Sales Office will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. – two hours later than the existing sales office at Metro Headquarters, which closes at 4 p.m. The new location will allow customers to conveniently purchase SmarTrip® cards, add value to their card, purchase senior and specialty cards and pick-up bulk sales packages – all without exiting the Metrorail system.”

“Metro Center is the center of Metro, making it the ideal location for our sales office,” said Dennis Anosike, Metro’s Chief Financial Officer. “Relocating the sales office to a space within the rail system will maximize convenience for visitors and customers, who will now be able to purchase fare products without leaving Metro.”

At a January 6 DDOT community meeting at Barracks Row’s Miracle Theater on proposed Circulator Bus changes, Heather Foote – representing Capitol Hill Village – pleaded with officials to consider providing an indoor location in DC where residents can purchase Senior Discount Smart Cards.  She told officials that since the location at Metro Center was eliminated, the only place in the District to buy a Senior Discount Card is the outdoor location at Metro sales office at 600 Fifth St, NW.  Capitol Hill Corner reported on that meeting here:  http://bit.ly/2m2Z2E3

While it is clear that many factors went into the decision to re-open the Metro Center outlet, Foote’s comments brought home to DDOT, at least, needs of seniors in the system which needed to be addressed.

The existing sales office at Metro Headquarters will permanently close on February 23, 2018.

Not What You Think – NWYT is an a cappella ensemble performing pop, light jazz, and folk. They performed at East City Book Shop on Saturday, January 20.

The Week Ahead….

by Larry Janezich

There’s not much happening the last week of January

Tuesday, January 30

ANC6B’s Executive Committee meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center to set the agenda for the next full meeting of ANC6B on Tuesday, February 13.

Here’s a capture from today’s meeting.  HPRB Meetings are streamed live.  Go here:  http://bit.ly/2ndn7Jc and click on “View Live Video” in column on the left to view future hearings.

Historic Preservation Board Puts Off Ebenezer Church Parking Plan Until February

by Larry Janezich

Thursday afternoon, the Historic Preservation Review Board considered Ebenezer Church’s mechanical parking proposal but ran out of time and pushed further consideration until its next meeting on February 22.

The board had about 30 minutes before it had to surrender the meeting room and heard briefly from the project’s architect, the ANC6B (which opposed the parking plan), and three community members – one in support of the project and the additional parking it would bring to the neighbors and two opposed on the grounds of the disruption, noise, and traffic that the proposal will bring to the middle of a block in what previously had been green space.  For more, see the previous CHC post see here:  http://bit.ly/2mYGIgD

Coming Soon: HYPE Cafe

HYPE-Café – Ethiopian Coffee Café To Open at 12^th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE

by Larry Janezich

Hype-Café, an Ethiopian Coffee Café featuring home-made pastries will open at 12^th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, according to Mahmoud Abd-alla who owns the building which once housed Frager’s Paint Store and a long series of restaurants.  Abd-alla also owns the adjacent buildings occupied by Anh-Dao Vietnamese Restaurant and Pizza-Iole Pizza by the Slice.

Asked when the café would open, Abd-alla said, “When you smell the coffee, you will know it is open,” but later allowed he hoped to open in February.

In February of last year, Abd-alla floated a preliminary proposal to develop the three properties into 32 residential units with 5000 square feet of ground floor retail.  The status of that plan is uncertain.  See CHC post here:  http://bit.ly/2lp8hgX

The speakers were on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.  Photo from Saturday, January 21, 2018, circa 12:20pm. Click to enlarge.

Batala Washington, the All Female Afro-Brazilian Percussion Band, showed up to lead the march to the White House.

The pussy hats have become gender neutral.

The Week Ahead…And Photos from the Women’s March on the Polls

by Larry Janezich

Monday, January 22

ANC 6A Transportation & Public Space Committee Meets at 7:00pm at Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G Street, NE. 

Among items on the agenda:

Announcement that ANC 6A seeking volunteer committee members.

Request for support of the 2018 Capitol Hill Classic 10K race.

ANC 6A Community Outreach Committee meets at 7:00pm at Eastern High School, Parent Center, 1700 East Capitol Street NE (Enter from East Capitol Street).

Among items on the agenda:

Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law presentation of 2018 Vita Tax Preparation program with Catholic Charities.

Tuesday, January 23

PSA #106 meets at 7:00pm at Congressional Quarter Community Center, 1000 5^th Street, SE.

Wednesday, January 24

Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meets at 7:00pm in the North Hall, Eastern Market, 225 7th Street, SE.

Among items on the agenda:

Receipt and request for comment on RFP for 300 block of 7th street

Oversight hearings for Department of General Services and request for input

Committee appointments

Special Task Force to study market violation and dispute resolution process.

Market Managers Report

Status of the Leases

Financials

Eastern Market Main Street

Tenant’s Council Report

Thursday, January 25

The Historic Preservation Review Board will meet on Thursday, January 25, at 441 4th Street, NW in Room 220-South.  The Ebenezer Church case HPA 17-488 regarding a curb cut to allow parking on the interior of the block as well at the Historic Preservation Application for two structures housing mechanical parking lifts, is scheduled to be heard from 3:15pm – 4:00pm.

A cross section of one of the three-level parking structures is shown  on the left. On the right is a cross section of one of the five new townhouse rental units being built by the Church and one of the five parking spaces behind those new units.  Click to enlarge.

Historic Preservation Office Ok’s Ebenezer Church Mechanical Parking Lifts

by Larry Janezich

On Friday, the Office of Planning released the Historic Preservation Office staff report recommending that the Historic Preservation Review Board approve the concept for a curb cut and parking structures housing a mechanical lift for parking cars behind Ebenezer Methodist Church at 400 D Street, Street, SE.  The Board will consider the case on Thursday.

The staff found that the proposed curb cut will not result in parking on public space and is consistent with where an alley curb cut would be found.  The report states that while the mechanical lift is unusual, numerous new garage structures in the Historic District have been approved.  The report glosses over the question of the mechanical lift per se.  As for the structures themselves, the report says they are  consistent with other garage structures in the Historic District.  The latest concept drawings for the structures show two identical 26’ 11’ X 20 buildings instead of one 26’ X 20’ and one 34’ X 20’.

On January 9, ANC6B voted to oppose Ebenezer Church’s effort to put the 19 car mechanical parking lift behind the church at 4th and D Streets, SE.  The vote was 4 – 2 with 2 abstentions.  See CHC post on the ANC6B meeting here: http://bit.ly/2mo4ylZ

The Historic Preservation Review Board will next meet on Thursday, January 25, at 441 4th Street, NW in Room 220-South.  The Ebenezer Church case HPA 17-488 is scheduled to be heard from 3:15pm – 4:00pm.

The full text of the staff report is as follows:

HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW BOARD

STAFF REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION

Landmark/District: Capitol Hill Historic District (X) Agenda

Address: 400 – 418 D Street, SE ( ) Consent

(X) Concept

Meeting Date: January 25, 2018 ( ) Alteration

Case Number: 17-488 (X) New Construction

Evergreen Urban, in partnership with Ebenezer Methodist Church (as Ebenezer Flats, LLC), seeks conceptual design review for the construction of parking structures. Plans have been prepared by R. McGhee and Associates.

At the September 2017 meeting, the Board approved concept plans for subdividing the lots and constructing five new brick townhouses. The Board deferred taking action on the proposed parking structures and asked the applicant to return with more detailed information.

Property Description

Ebenezer Methodist Church is a red brick Romanesque styled building built in 1897 by architects Crump & Palmer and builders Masson & Harper. The church, which faces D Street, occupies three lots on square 820 that have never been combined: 806, 805 and 4. The congregation also owns lots 804 and 803 to the east which are vacant except for a playset, stone retaining wall, and steps.

The project also includes 416 and 418 D Street. The square does not have an alley. There is an existing driveway at Seward Square SE leading to a parking lot adjacent to the Capitol Hill Methodist Church.

Proposal

The two parking structures would be located at the rear of the new townhouses facing D Street and slightly off-set from one another. They would house mechanical lifts that would allow for cars to be stacked within. The buildings would be accessed from a new curb-cut and driveway on 5th Street. Both structures would be constructed of brick, each with a foot print measuring 26’ 11” x 20’ 0”, and a height of 13’ 4”. The top portion of the elevations would be perforated brick for ventilation, and the roofs would consist of open wood framing concealed from view by low brick parapet walls. The south elevations would feature paneled wood garage doors with crossbracing. Neither structure would be visible from the street.

Evaluation

The square features two large churches, Capitol Hill United Methodist at the northeast corner, and Ebenezer United Methodist at the southwest corner. There is currently a large at-grade parking lot associated with United Methodist at the square’s northern border. The proposed at grade-parking and parking structures at the southern border adjacent to the Ebenezer Methodist Church would essentially book-end the square.

New curb cuts are unusual for the Capitol Hill Historic District, and have been found incompatible by the Board when resulting in the creation of parking spaces within public space front yards. However, in this instance, the proposed location of the curb-cut will be in keeping with where an alley entrance would be found within the district, and it will not result in parking in public space. Given the location of the proposed curb cut, and the overall context of the project, the proposal is not incompatible for the character of the historic district.

While the mechanical lift component for these garages is unusual, the Board has approved numerous new garage structures within the historic district. The proposed 13.5 feet height will result in proportions consistent with those found in the district and will result in subordinate relationships to the rowhouses and clearly read as secondary structures. The simply designed brick elevations articulated with perforated brick panels and wood garage doors are consistent with other garage structures within the historic district.

Recommendation

The HPO recommends that the Board approve the general concept as consistent with the purposes of the preservation act, with further development of the plans as outlined above.

HPO Staff Contact: Gabriela Gutowski

The Eastern Market Tenant’s Council and a few observers met in the Market Manager’s Office Thursday night.

Food Fight at Eastern Market – Push Back on Plan to Open Market on Mondays

by Larry Janezich

Thursday night, the Eastern Market Tenant’s Council – comprised of representatives of the Eastern Market inside merchants and outside vendors – pushed back hard against several proposals to changes the rules and operations governing them and the Market.  The changes were offered by Barry Margeson – the city official who manages the Market on behalf of the Department of General Services – who says they grew out of customer requests.

The proposals include – among others – that the Market remain open on Monday, that merchants in the South Hall be required to accept credit cards, that they be required to post prices on their products, and that they be open the same hours that the Market is open.

Margeson stressed that he was seeking input from the Tenant’s Council on the proposals and it was not his intent to make any changes without consulting with them.

On opening the Market on Mondays, Margeson said that competing markets are open seven days a week – except for Union Market – and that 63% of respondents to an on-line survey supported keeping  the Market open on Monday.

Opening on Mondays was unanimously opposed by the merchants and vendors.  One vendor said that “Monday is a slow day, and weekdays are already slow.  We would have to provide extra stock and hire an employee.  It’s a hardship.”  Another said, “Monday is the day I get stock and take money to the bank.  I can’t hire another person.  One day a week off is not crazy.”  A third asked, “How is this going to be paid for: security, cleanup, a Monday Manager?  It involves a lot of expense for Eastern Market but provides little benefit for the merchants.  It’s unfair to make us work seven days a week – we need downtime.”

Opposition to the credit card and pricing display requirements seemed to be based on interference with “what our rights are”, and the assertion “You shouldn’t tell us how to run our business.”  One merchant submitted in a written statement, “Product pricing is a function between the business owner and their customers.”

When the group turned to the details of additional suggested changes on parking, loading, and hours for operation of individual stands, the discussion turned acrimonious, seeming more like a food fight than a session of a quasi-legislative body.  Raised-voice arguments broke out with participants shouting at each other.  Much of contentiousness was between representatives of the inside merchants and the outside vendors – reportedly because of vendors’ resentment over the continuing efforts of the inside merchants to close the 200 block of 7th Street to traffic on Sundays.

In the end, the body unanimously passed a resolution stating that the Tenant’s Counsel agrees with the management that there should be no change in market days or hours of operation until a “comprehensive process of consultation with the Tenant’s Counsel and the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee is completed according to regulations, which may include a concise market study”.  The wording was intended to address a concern that presentation of the proposals and the discussion Thursday night did not constitute consultation which is required by city regulation.

It’s noteworthy that Margeson and the city do not have to heed the recommendation of the Tenant’s Council or the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee, both of which serve as advisory bodies to the Market Management.  An effort by former Council Member Tommy Wells to create a stronger community-based governing body for Eastern Market failed when it was opposed by then Chair of the Council’s Economic Development Committee, Muriel Bowser.

The birds-eye view locates the two triangular parks on Potomac Avenue, SE – click to enlarge

Final design for reservation 253 between Potomac Avenue and K Streets. The plan includes a water feature which may depend on the unknown cost of getting water to the park. The pollinator garden activates and beautifies the space and allows partnering with other agencies for maintenance. Landscape architect Brent Cisco says there is a series of pollinator gardens throughout the city, which are typically well maintained at little cost.

Final design for reservation 254 between Potomac Avenue and I Streets. The plan includes a fenced playground. The plans for both parks include chess/checkers tables, a hardscape plaza, and outdoor fitness areas and landscape buffers. The current tree canopy in both parks would be preserved.

Redesign of Two Potomac Avenue Triangle Parks Advances to ANC6B in February

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday night, stakeholders in the plans to redesign two triangle parks on Potomac Avenue SE met to review the Department of Recreation’s final designs before they go to ANC6B for review next month.

After former ANC6B07 Commissioner Daniel Chao laid the ground work for addressing the problematic parks’ issues (nearby residents cited them as locations for illicit activity, including drug dealing) his successor, Commissioner Aimee Grace, became the driving force behind redesigning the parks.  She described her efforts to get city funding for the project as taking “a back channel approach”, appealing directly to Councilmembers Allen and Cheh for help.  Allen replied that he would help if the community was on board.  The result was an outpouring of community support for transforming the parks to safe neighborhood gathering places.  The effort won Allen’s support and he was subsequently successful in adding $500,000 to the FY 2018 DC Budget for the two redesigns.

Brent Cisco, landscape architect for the Department of Public and Recreation, unveiled the final versions of his designs for the parks at Tuesday’s meeting, stressing that the goal was to make them places for people to come together in all four seasons.

Residents wanted some tweaking of the design for the Reservation 254 park, worried that the design presented wouldn’t rebrand the park and the neighborhood enough – referring to the illicit activity associated with the park.  Some of the suggestions were to add picnic tables, art work, or boulders for children to climb on.  Grace and Cisco agreed to circulate modifications by email to reach an agreement before going before the ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee in early February.

CM Allen, who attended the meeting, reiterated that the whole idea behind redoing the parks is to bring people together.  He recalled that a previous attempt by Mayor Fenty spent money on the parks without seeking stakeholder input.  “You did that”, he told Grace, “and that provides a feeling of ownership and the likelihood that people will use it because they were brought into the process.”  Allen said that as we go to a final decision, he wants to see a cost estimate by the end of April in case he has to consider seeking additional funding and/or bringing additional partners into the process.

The designs will come up before ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee on February 6, and their monthly meeting, 7:00pm, at St. Coletta’s of Greater Washington.

They will then go to the full ANC6B meeting on February 13, at 7:00pm in Hill Center.

Sector 2 Comprises PSAs 104, 107, and 108

NEW!  MPD Sector 2 Meeting (PSAs 104, 107, 108) Thursday at 7 PM at Liberty Baptist Church

by Larry Janezich

Wondering what happened to the PSA meetings?  They are being combined into new Sector 2 meetings, and the first one is tomorrow January 18, 7:00pm, at Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Avenue, SE. (See message from MPD Captain John Knutson below.

Knutsen heads up Sector 2.  On January 11, Knutsen appeared before ANC6A last week and said that the reorganization of the MPD into Sectors, each under a Captain – as opposed to PSAs under a Lieutenant – has been partly responsible for a drop in crime statistics in every category over the previous year.  He said that the Sector model allows a more intelligent deployment.  It appears that the location for the Vector 2 meetings will rotate.  It’s not clear how often they will occur.  There at 3 Sectors in the First District, as follows:

First District (1D)

Sector 1: PSA 101, 102, 103

Sector 2: PSA 104, 107, 108

Sector 3: PSA 105, 106

From: MPD-1D@yahoogroups.com <MPD-1D@yahoogroups.com> on behalf of ‘Knutsen, John (MPD)’ John.Knutsen@dc.gov [MPD-1D] <MPD-1D@yahoogroups.com>

Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2018 12:18 PM

To: MPD-1D@yahoogroups.com

Subject: [MPD-1D] Sector 2 Community Meeting Tomorrow

Good Afternoon,

Just a reminder that the next Sector 2 (PSAs 104, 107, 108) Community Meeting will take place Tomorrow, Thursday, January 18, 2017, at 7:00 PM. This month’s meeting will take place at Liberty Baptist Church, 527 Kentucky Ave SE. Please bring your friends and neighbors. Look forward to seeing you there!

John R. Knutsen

Captain

First District

Metropolitan Police Department

500 E Street, SE

Washington, DC 20003

202-698-0056 (office)

202-438-8486 (cell)

We are here to help.