SW Parking Enforcement Woes. When former DPW Chris Geldhart was named Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, Mayor Bowser appointed DPW General Counsel Christine Davis as Acting DPW Director. Last Monday night, ANC6D commissioners asked Davis why so many parking tickets in ANC6D were being “closed out” after being designated “no violation” or “no vehicle found.” Chair Edward Daniels cited data submitted by out-going commissioner Andrew Bossi regarding 200 requests for ticketing which were closed out as “no vehicle found” with evidence that the vehicles were still there. Commissioners also cited DDOT vehicles illegally parked and not ticketed (Davis said Parking Enforcement has authority to ticket them), Traffic Control Officers on game days who park illegally while claiming immunity (Davis says they are subject to ticketing), UPS and FedEx trucks who park illegally with impunity (Davis says they absorb tickets as the cost of doing business and she is working with other agencies on this), and construction workers parking illegally in the SW Post Office parking lot (Davis says DPW will reach out to construction teams). It wasn’t all bad for Davis – commissioner Litsky thanked Davis for the previous weekend’s parking enforcement efforts at The Wharf.
Redistricting. Later Monday evening at ANC6D, CM Elissa Silverman told commissioners that the Redistricting Subcommittee would probably release and make public three draft maps by the November 3, Ward 6 redistricting hearing. She said, “Wards 7 and 8 are both going to move west – there’s no other way to do it.” There are two possibilities for Ward 8 – moving SW or Navy Yard into Ward 8. The Subcommittee is still discussing draft maps for Ward 6 and is considering a Navy Yard approach, a Southwest approach, and a Ward 6 east of the river approach. The guiding principles in redistricting are · Getting as close as possible to the mean number of residents · Not diluting the voices of Black residents · Compactness and contiguous · Conforming to census tracts Several 6D commissioners including Collins, Litsky and Kramer all voiced concerns that SW be kept together as a community.
And still later last Monday night, ANC6D voted to oppose the design for C.W. Smith Development’s 13 story apartment complex at 850 South Capitol Street. The Commission listed five objections: · Lack of retail in the project · 56 balcony units facing the I-695 freeway · Over-all size, egress and ingress issues, and project siting · The amount of parking in the building · Inadequate community amenities in the space under the freeway The commission also voted to oppose the Public Space application for two curb cuts. Both motions to oppose carried unanimously, 6 – 0 – 0. The DC Zoning Commission has regulations for projects on the major arteries leading to the Capitol Building and part of that review is by the affected ANC. The practical consequences of ANC opposition to the design is uncertain pending action or opinion by the Zoning Commission,. The opposition to the Public Space Application seems more straightforward and may require the company to return with an altered proposal. The ANC’s main objection to the project – lack of affordable housing – is not relevant to the design review.
7th & C Street, NE Installation Honors Suffragist. Alice Lee Moqué: 19th & 20th Century women’s’ rights activist, journalist, photographer and one of the earliest women cyclists is honored in a 7th and C Street, NE, fire call box installation. She lived from October 20, 1861 until July 16, 1919.
A dedication on of the work last Wednesday afternoon featured four of her great great granddaughters. The work was sponsored by the Dolly Madison Chapter of the DC Daughters of the American Revolution. The bas relief sculpture was created by Charlotte Patterson. Photo credits: Jay Adelstein
The Week Ahead…and Some Photos from the Past Week
by Larry Janezich
Monday, October 25
ANC6A Community Outreach Committee holds a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 
What is wrong with balconies facing the freeway?