ANC6C Hears Appeal for More Affordable Housing at High Density Development in NE

ANC6C:  L-R Robb Dooling, Mark Eckenweiler, Vice Chair; KarenWirt, Chair; Christine Healey, Secretary; Joel Kelty, Treasurer; Jay Adelstein.

ANC6C Hears Appeal for More Affordable Housing at High Density Development in NE

By Larry Janezich

The ANC heard a report from Mark Eckenweiler’s Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee on the six proposals to develop 2 Patterson Street, NE, the 42,252 square-foot city-owned parking lot at North Capitol and New York Avenue.  UrbanTurf summarizes the six proposals for high-density mixed-use development here:  https://bit.ly/2soj53r

The committee report, according to Eckenweiler, stopped short of making a recommendation, and instead analyzed the pros and cons of each of the six proposals.  The Deputy Mayor’s Office of Economic Development is expected to select a developer in February.  Eckenweiler outlined the relative differences in the percentage of affordable housing of the proposals and commented on the proposals’ disparity in their approach to providing parking.  City agencies are required to give “great weight” to ANC recommendations and opinions.

About ten members of Washington Interfaith Network (WIN) showed up for the meeting and spoke of the need for affordable housing in the area.  They urged the commission to give consideration to the proposals maximizing the potential for affordable housing.  WIN is a “broad-based, multiracial, multi-faith, nonpartisan, districtwide citizens power organization, rooted in local congregations and associations” –  its website says it is committed to training and developing neighborhood leaders to address community issues, and to hold elected and corporate officials accountable in Washington DC.

In other business, of its first 2019 meeting, ANC6C elected officers, as follows:  Karen Wirt, Chair; Mark Eckenweiler, Vice Chair; Christine Healey, Secretary; and Joel Kelty, Treasurer.