Monthly Archives: July 2018

Cops Reassure Residents on Shootings at Capitol Quarter Community Center

by Larry Janezich

At a regularly scheduled Police Service Area 106 community meeting last night, MPD First District Commander Morgan Kane reassured the 40 plus residents that she doesn’t think it’s the case that residents are in danger or have to be concerned about the drive by shooting outside the Capitol Quarter Community Center at 3:20am on Saturday morning.   The meeting was held in the building at 5th and L Streets, SE, outside of which, the shootings occurred.

Kane provide a few new details – it turns out the shooting was outside the Community Center itself  rather than across the street from it, as was initially reported by MPD.

There were two victims – one had been shot in the stomach and the other in the foot; both were hospitalized.  Neither is cooperating with police.  Kane said that “officers were here immediately and recovered two guns.”  She said it was not certain that some of those involved were residents of the community – “because someone has an address in the community doesn’t necessarily mean they live here.”  MPD has reviewed video from Community Center security cameras, and Kane said detectives were working the case “around the clock.”

Residents say that hanging out on Community Center property and elsewhere in the neighborhood is an ongoing problem.  One resident said, “People hang out and smoke and drink all night long and nobody pays attention.  What’s the plan was for moving forward?”

Kane’s message: Don’t be reluctant to call 911.  She cited the “delicate balance” between enforcing against criminal behavior and intervening when people are not doing anything wrong.  Being on Community Center property after 8:00pm is a violation and enforceable.  Kane said, “If you see a problem night after night – if you know something we don’t – you need to tell us.  We will increase patrols and coordinate with DCHA Police.  If people are standing on the corner drinking and smoking weed we need to come for it.”

When a resident said that the line is unclear when we should call 911.  Lt. Crystal Beslow responded, “Call and let us figure it out. “

Kane said that she was passionate about keeping residents safe and getting guns off the street, and that MPD has to do a better job of heading off these incidents before they happen by engaging all members of the community – “those doing right, those on the line, and those across the line.”

The Community Center is currently being administered by the DC Housing Authority.  See CHC article here:  https://bit.ly/2Lmoxjm  Naomi Mitchell, CM Charles Allen’s community liaison representative, noted that plans are underway to transfer the Community Center from DCHA to DC Department of Recreation by year’s end.  She said that the community will have an opportunity for input on the Center’s role going forward, and that the community needs to be involved from day one.

ANC6D07 Commissioner Meredith Fascett, in whose single member district the Center lies, told Capitol Hill Corner after the meeting, “The candid conversation that Commander Kane led tonight makes our community stronger.  I am very grateful for the tremendous efforts of MPD’s First District team and the unwavering commitment of community members to ensure that our neighborhood is a place where everyone can feel safe and thrive.”

 

The Week Ahead…MPD To Meet With Residents on Shootings in Nearby SE Saturday Morning

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday, July 24

PSA 106 meets at 7:00pm, Capitol Quarter Community Center, 1000 5th Street, SE.  The shootings which occurred across the street early Saturday morning (see below) will be discussed. 

Saturday morning, MPD First District Lieutenant Joseph Stimmell, messaged to the MPD First District listserv:

‘At approximately 0320 hours unknown number of suspect(s) approached the victims that were in front of 1005 5th Street SE in dark colored vehicle.  The suspect(s) opened fire on the victims wounding both of them.  One victim was shot multiple times and transported to the hospital, the other victim was shot in the leg and transported to the hospital.

The suspect(s) and suspect vehicle fled in an unknown direction.  It is unsure how many individuals were in front of 1005 5th Street SE.  Two weapons were  recovered in front of the recreation center, also multiple shell casings found on the scene and there are rifles casings among the shell casings.’

Commander Kane, MPD 1D, will attend the meeting.

Wednesday, July 25

The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meets at 7:00pm in the North Hall of Eastern Market. 

Among the items on the draft agenda:

Election of Board Members at the September meeting

Parking report update

Status of Lease Discussions

NOTICE:

For residents considering a run for ANC Commissioner, petitions are available at the DC Board of Elections Office.  Candidates must submit a petition of at least 25 signatures of registered voters in their single member district by Wednesday, August 8, at 5:00pm.   See the following link for more information.  https://dcboe.org/Candidates/Candidate-Guide-to-Ballot-Access

 

 

Batalá All Female Drum Band Performs Last Night at Library of Congress:  Video

by Larry Janezich

Last night Batalá DC performed on the North Lawn of the Library of Congress.  The performance was the first in the partnership of Washington Performing Arts with the Library of Congress which will continue on Thursday nights through August 16 in conjunction with the LOC Summer Movies on the Lawn series which showcases iconic films from the Library’s National Film Registry.  There will be no film associated with the concert on August 23 by DuPont Brass and VeVe & Tha Rebels.  Concerts start at 7:00pm followed by the film at sundown.

Tickets for the concert are available, but not required.  See here for information on the artists and registration.  http://www.washingtonperformingarts.org/calendar/view.aspx?id=3910

Tickets for the screenings are available, but not required, on a first-come, first-served basis.  See here:  https://etloc.eventbrite.com

The schedule for the remainder of the performances is as follows:

July 26:  Chelsey Green followed by “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” (1994 National Film Registry)

August 2:  Cheick Hamala Diabate  followed by “Back to the Future” (2007 National Film Registry)

August 9:  Trifilio Tango Trio   “Superman” (1978) (2017 National Film Registry)

August 16:  Sarah Marie Hughes & Coy Fish followed by “The Wizard of Oz”(1989 National Film Registry)

August 23:  DuPont Brass and VeVe & Tha Rebels (No film on this date)

Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names to the National Film Registry 25 motion pictures that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant, showcasing the range and diversity of America’s film heritage to encourage support for its preservation. The films must be at least 10 years old. The Librarian makes the annual registry selections after conferring with members of the National Film Preservation Board (NFPB) and a cadre of Library specialists. Thousands of public nominations are also considered.

ANC6B Says Historic District Designation Process Does Not Serve District Residents

by Larry Janezich

ANC6B has put CM Charles Allen, Mayor Bowser, and the Historic Preservation Board on notice that it believes that the process for designating new historic districts “is not working to serve District residents” and wants the city to review it before any more historic districts are approved.  In addition, the ANC specifically wants clarification of both the ANC’s role and the role of community support or lack thereof in the process.

The charge, detailed in a letter authored by 6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee Chair Nick Burger and passed by 5 – 1 vote of the commission, was sparked by the Historic Preservation Board’s (HPRB) recent designation of the Kingman Park Historic District, apparently over the opposition of a majority of the residents, as well as a recent series of inconsistencies in HPRB actions in ANC6B’s jurisdiction.   A case in point regarding the latter was HPRB’s failure to refer a historic preservation application to the ANC after the historic preservations staff made substantive changes to the application and referred it directly to the HPRB for approval.  In addition, the letter cited deficiencies in HPRB’s notification process and ambiguity regarding criteria for adjudicating historic preservations cases.

Regarding the Kingman Park Historic District, City Paper recently reported (https://bit.ly/2Lgwt1p) the DC’s Historic Preservation Office opinion on the changing national climate about what constitutes eligibility for historic designation – broadening the definition of beyond those neighborhoods with unique and historic architecture, to include consideration of the value and meaning that the diversity of minority communities bring to the city.

In accordance with a change in thinking, a long-standing civic group (the Kingman Park Civic Association) filed an application for the Historic District directly with the Office of Historic Preservation (HPRB’s administrative arm), by passing the local ANC, the usual route to historic district designation.  The move was controversial; in general (according to press reports) older residents of the historic black community preferred historic designation while newer residents were wary of the accompanying restrictions which would prevent them from expanding homes to accommodate growing families.

As the controversy played out – apparently without substantial outreach and notification to the community – HPRB appeared to put the onus for community engagement on the ANC7D – home to most of the proposed historic district – rather than on the sponsoring civic association which is customary.  The Friends of Kingman Park civic association, formed to oppose the historic designation, conducted a survey and claimed that 72 % of respondents in Kingman Park opposed a historic district.  Despite the lack of evidence of the support of a majority of residents, HPRB approved the application and Kingman Park Historic District came into being on June 24, though smaller than what the applicants had wanted.  It is noteworthy that HPRB is not required to take community opinion into consideration.

According to ANC7B Commissioner Bob Coomber, “We (ANC7B) heard the applicants twice, but the applicants mostly made ad hominem attacks against me and the Chair, so we didn’t have enough information to vote either time.”  ANC6A, on the other hand, claiming status since two blocks of proposed historic district was in their jurisdiction, voted to oppose the Kingman Park Historic District based on limited communication and outreach and lack of transparency in the process.

Beth Purcell, who is active in historic preservation on Capitol Hill, when asked to comment on the ANC6B’s letter, says that when people come to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society seeking information on establishing a historic district, she urges them to consult their ANC commissioner immediately and get the ANC to sponsor it.  She suggested the letter could have been improved by making a case for adding conservation districts as “another tool in the tool box.”  Purcell said she is not aware of any current plans for expansion of the Capitol Hill Historic District in ANC6B.

An attempt to establish the Barney Circle Historic District in Hill East in 2010-2011 foundered, after it failed to get the endorsement of ANC6B.

Capitol Hill Corner asked ANC6B chair Dan Ridge, who voted for the letter, to comment.  Ridge said that “the Capitol Hill Historic District is a failure at a number of things,” noting it has done nothing to restore the street car routes that made neighborhoods practical for downtown workers and nothing to support the small merchants that make a historic neighborhood work.  He says it has also failed by using the force of law to preserve architectural features that enable passive cooling and heating while doing nothing to incentivize using those features, and nothing to prevent people from filling open courts in the rear that bring in fresh air and daylight to interior rooms.

Ridge asked, “Is Barney Circle (or Kingman Park, or anywhere else in the city) facing the same existential threats that prompted the creation of the Capitol Hill Historic District? No.  Are there residents in these neighborhoods interested in conserving particular qualities of their neighborhood (like architectural forms, air, light, privacy, densities, flora, subsidized auto storage in public space, property values)? Yes.”

Ridge said that there are tools other than a historic district that could be used, citing for example, that the city could move quickly to take remedial action in Barney Circle by paying or eliminating the costs for those who wish create conservation covenants and easements.  “I signed the petition (supporting Barney Circle Historic District) last time,” he said – “I am older, wiser, and kinder now. Who could say whether I would sign another one?”

For the full text of ANC6B’s letter, visit the “Library” on Capitol Hill Corner’s homepage.

The Week Ahead…and a Look Back

By Larry Janezich

A Look Back….

The Week Ahead….It’s a slow week.  ANCs are already looking toward the August recess.  Meetings resume in September.  

Monday, July 16

ANC6A Transportation & Public Space Committee Will NOT meet in July. Next meeting: 3rd Monday, August 20, 7:00pm, Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G Street, NE.

Tuesday, July 17

ANC6A Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee will NOT meet in July.   The next meeting is scheduled for August 21, 2018 at 7pm.

Agenda not available at press time. 

The Capitol Hill Restoration Society Board of Directors meets at 6:30pm, Capitol Hill Townhomes, 750 6th Street, SE. 

Agenda not available at press time.  

Wednesday, July 18

ANC6A’s Economic Development and Zoning Committee will NOT meet in July.  Next meeting: Wednesday, August 22, 7:00pm, Sherwood Recreation Center, Corner of 10th and G Sts. NE

Thursday, July 19

Sector 2 (PSAs 104, 107, 108) Community Meeting, 7:00pm, J.O.Wilson Elementary School, 660 K Street, NE.

NOTICE:

For residents considering a run for ANC Commissioner, petitions are available at the DC Board of Elections Office.  Candidates must submit a petition of at least 25 signatures of registered voters in their single member district by Wednesday, August 8, at 5:00pm.   See the following link for more information.  https://dcboe.org/Candidates/Candidate-Guide-to-Ballot-Access

 

 

DPW Claims on Hill East Parking Enforcement Raises Questions

by Larry Janezich

Friday night, ANC6B Hill East Task Force, Chaired by Commissioner Denise Krepp, met to hear DPW officials respond to resident concerns about lack of parking enforcement in Hill East.  Residents say illegal parking is not being addressed either on a day to day basis or on days when events occur at RFK Stadium.

Former ANC Commissioner Francis Campbell was particularly vehement in asserting that there is a lack of parking enforcement in Hill East, saying, “I don’t see them. They have no visibility.  Why are vans and construction vehicles sitting for hours without ticketing? After 6pm I don’t see inspectors.  Enforcement does not happen.”

Johnny Gaither, Deputy Administrator, Department of Public Works Parking Enforcement Management Administration, told the Task Force that his agency deploys two squads of three to four officers each, in two shifts to cover Hill East six days a week, from 6:30am until 10:00pm.  He defined Hill East as the area between 14th and 19^th Streets and East Capitol and D Streets, SE.  (DPW does not enforce parking restrictions on Sunday – DOT and MPD provide limited enforcement.)

But DPW Director Chris Shorter was quoted last week in the Hill Rag https://bit.ly/2u2oP4c  as follows:  “We have issued 1,246 citations and 120 ROSA [Registration of Out-of-State Automobiles] warnings starting from 01/01/2018 through present in the Hill East area.”  This would mean that fewer than ten parking citations per day – total – were issued per day by the 6 to 8 enforcement officers covering Hill East area.

A follow-up inquiry to DPW elicited this response:  the 1,246 figure actually represents the number of citations issued between January 1, 2018 and June 14, 2018 in the area defined in the attached map – a different area that the one cited by Gaither.  The map does not represent the full Hill East neighborhood but focuses on the areas adjacent to RFK and the Armory.

The Hill East area covered by the 2 enforcement teams per day, six days a week cited by Gaither remains unclear, as does the number of citations issued in that presumably larger area.

Gaither told the Task Force that there are 220 parking enforcement officers in the city and the number of officers on a squad varies based on absenteeism, but “there could be three – four – five squads in any ward at one time”.  (Parking restriction signage is not equal by ward, meaning some wards would have fewer teams than others.)

DPW’s responses to a list of questions Krepp had asked them to be prepared to answer are as follows:

What is the day-to-day break down of the 1246 parking enforcement citations?  DPW said their General Counsel advised Mr. Gaither not to answer the question and instead ask ANC6B to FOIA the information.  (The Task Force voted to send a letter to the Director, citing the Task Force status as a city agency.)

How many DPW inspectors are assigned to Hill East on days when Events DC is sponsoring events at the RFK?  The numbers do not change and DPW does not staff up for the events.

How many of the 1246 citation were paid?  DPW does not have that information.  (The city collects around $70 million a year in fees for parking violations overseen by DMV.)

Does DPW track on a year by year basis the number of traffic citations issued?  They do and the information is available on the DPW website.  (See below for sample)

What is the city’s policy of parking enforcement on Sundays?  DPW doesn’t enforce parking on Sundays.  (DOT and MPD provide limited enforcement.)

Several years ago, DPW agreed to provide extra parking enforcement inspectors for Events DC sponsored events with greater than 10,000 attendees. Is that agreement still in place?  No such agreement in effect. 

The Hill East Task Force discussed the idea of ANC6B entering into an agreement with Events DC and DPW for additional parking officers to be deployed for Events DC-sponsored events greater than 10,000.  Commissioner Ridge will follow up with the Office of the ANC about the idea.  Events DC and DPW agreed to raise the idea with their leadership.

In addition to Gaither, others attending the meeting included Celeste Duffie from DPW, and Jennifer Lawrence and Villareal representing Events DC – the frequent sponsor of events which occur at RFK.

*Below is a sample of data from the DPW website illustrating the categories with the highest number of recent parking citations:

 

The Week Ahead… and Sephora Opens Friday, 10am, in the Hine Project

By Larry Janezich

Monday, July 9

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D meets at 7:00pm, at 1100 4^th Street, SW. 

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentation:  DCHA Update on the Arthur Capper / Carrollsburg Redevelopment & Greenleaf Redevelopment .

Presentation:  All Star Week TOPP Update – EOM/DDOT/DPW .

Presentation:  SW BID Presentation RE Food Truck Safety & Regulation.

Presentation:  LimeBike – Maggie Gendron.

Presentation:  Crown Castle Wireless Communications – Adam Shapiro.

Hilton Washington DC National Mall – new restaurant liquor license with summer garden and entertainment endorsement (former license of L’Enfant Plaza Hotel from safekeeping).

Rappahannock Oyster, 1150 Maine Avenue, SW – new tavern liquor license.

ANC letter to ABC Board re actions to be placarded to allow for ANC input.

Letter to DDOT/DOEE RE Air Quality Monitoring & Mitigation for the FDMB Construction (Hamilton).

CTR Scoping Review – 1000 4th St. SW Stage 2 PUD (Moffatt).

Letter for Support for HPTF Financing for 1550 1st St. SW (Hamilton).

Historic Preservation Application for Thomas Law House.

Letter to the FHWA RE Independent Vibrations Monitoring of CSX Rail Operation in the VAT.

Letter to the AG/ZA RE Hotel-Like Rentals w/in PUD-Approved Residential Buildings.

ANC6C Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee meets at 7:00pm at Kaiser Permanente, 700 2^nd Street, NE. 

Among items on the draft agenda:

808 7th Street NE, Alley Bar, LLC d/b/a The Little Grand – new application of tavern license

411 H Street, NE, Nando’s Peri Peri – trash violations.

Tuesday, June 10

ANC6B will meet at 7:00pm at Hill Center, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentation: Lauren Renford, artist.  Asking ANC support for mural on The Fridge.

714 11th Street, SE – Historic Preservation application for concept/new basement entrance and light-well.

419 Independence Avenue, SE – Historic Preservation application for concept/two-story rear addition.

228 9^th Street, SE – Historic Preservation application for restoration.

Letter to relevant parties regarding Kingman Park and historic designation process.

 ANC6C Parks & Events Committee meets at 7:00pm, at Kaiser Permanente, 700 2^nd Street, NE. 

Among items on the draft agenda: 

Presentation:  NoMA Parks Foundation – Status update on pending park projects and underpass installation.  Stacie West.

Presentation:  Sustainable DC Plan – Kate Judson, program analyst, DC Department of Energy and Environment.   (The District has released a draft update to its Sustainable DC Plan, first adopted in 2012. The P&E Committee will consider the District’s 5-yr progress report and the draft update, dubbed “Sustainable DC 2.0.”

Wednesday, July 11

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C meets at 7:00pm, Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentation:  Jessica Sutter, Ward 6 candidate, DC State Board of Education.

Mural design, 1005 North Capitol, rear wall, Chapman Todd.

808 7th Street, NE – new tavern license for Alley Bar, trading as The Little Grand, 808 7th Street NE.

Central Armature Works, 1200 3rd Street, NE – Public Space application (construction) .

Visitor Parking Permit Bill B22-0841.

Streetcar, Third Street station.

D.C Sustainability Plan 2.0, new effort to reflect D.C. resident concerns.

NoMa Parks Foundation, status of park projects and underpass installation

Bill 22-683, Substandard and Construction Relief Amendment Act of 2018.

 Bill 22-684, Blighted Property Redevelopment Amendment Act of 2018.

Thursday, July 12

ANC6Z meets at 7:00pm, Miner Elementary School, 601 Fifteenth Street, NE.

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentation:  Eliot-Hine Middle School Modernization – Oni Hinton and Meg Davis, Facility Planning and Design, District of Columbia Public Schools.

Presentation:  2019 Liquor License Renewal Process – Sarah Fashbaugh, Community Resource Officer, Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA).

Recommendation: ANC6A write a letter to ABRA to protest the license transfer of Touche (1123 H Street NE) to Smokin’ Pig (1208 H Street NE) unless a settlement agreement amendment is agreed to that states that the kitchen may cease serving food no earlier than one (1) hour before closing time.

Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter to DDOT Public Space Committee for the public space application by Eliot-Hine Middle School (1800 Constitution Avenue NE) for installation of a staircase and ADA ramp on the C Street side of the school.

Recommendation: ANC 6A send letter of support to DDOT Public Space Committee for the sidewalk cafe application by DC Diner (802 13^th Street, NE), conditioned on applicant’s agreement to restriction imposed by a Settlement Agreement.

Recommendation: ANC6A send a letter of support to BZA for a special exception to permit two existing primary buildings on a single record lot at 518 9th Street, NE and 816 E Street, NE.

Recommendation: ANC6A send a letter of support to BZA for special exceptions to construct a third-story rear addition to an existing principal dwelling unit at 1016 Massachusetts Avenue, NE, with conditions.

Recommendation: ANC6A send a letter of support to BZA for a special exception to construct a rear roof deck and access stairwell at 1318 Constitution Avenue.

Recommendation: ANC6A send a letter of support to BZA for a request to construct a rear addition to an existing nonconforming structure at 121 Tennessee Avenue, NE, with conditions.

Capitol Hill Restoration Society Zoning Committee meets at 7:30pm, Kirby House, 420 10^th Street, SE. 

Agenda not available at press time. 

“District Soul Food & Lounge” to Open on Barracks Row in Former Banana Café

by Larry Janezich

Two Brothers Soul Food, a popular but short-lived restaurant on Route 1 outside the Beltway has chosen the former Banana Café on Barracks Row as their new home.  According to ANC Commissioner Kirsten Oldenburg, in whose district the restaurant lies, the restaurant plans to open in September.  Banana Café closed last December, when owner Jorge Garcia-Meitin Zamorano retired.

District Soul Food owners Chris Everett and David Roundtree announced last November that they were closing Two Brothers after seven months and relocating.  The restaurant opened in May of 2017 and had experienced a number of structural issues with the building, which eventually drove the decision to relocate.

The menu will feature authentic Southern cooking, heavy on fried chicken, pulled pork, fried fish, collard greens, baked beans, etc.  Oldenburg says that the owners will offer live jazz in the former piano bar on the second floor.  Everett and Roundtree are partners in other real estate deals, but relative newcomers to the hospitality business – Two Brothers was their first venture as restaurateurs.

The space is undergoing renovation, which, according to ANC Commissioner Chander Jayaraman will include plans for indoor trash storage.  Jayaraman, as chair of ANC6B’s Alcohol Beverage Control Committee, has been a strong advocate of indoor trash storage, and developed a strategy of using alcohol beverage license applications and renewals to encourage Barracks Row restaurants to provide indoor storage to combat rodent issues.