Monthly Archives: December 2021

How the Barracks Row Popeyes Fell Through the Cracks at DC Department of Health

By Larry Janezich

Posted December 28, 2021

ANC6B invited the Food and Safety and Hygiene Division of the DC Department of Health to its December 14 meeting to talk about restaurant inspections.  Ivory Cooper, Food Technologist at the DC Department of Health, gave a lengthy presentation on the DC food safety inspection process and FDA guidelines. 

After the presentation, ANC6B Chair Brian Ready, referred to the “elephant in the room” – the early November closure of the Barracks Row Popeyes, not as the result of conditions discovered by DC Department of Health, but only after a video by a deliveryman showing a rampant rat infestation inside went viral on Tik Tok and Twitter.  The now-closed restaurant was in Ready’s Single Member District and Ready asked Cooper how often his agency inspects restaurants.

Cooper said that the number of inspections is based on how at-risk the Department regards an establishment.  Restaurants are ranked 1 through 5, and the intent, he said, is to inspect those in categories 4 and 5 four times a year, and those in categories 1 – 3, two or three times a year.  He said, “We reach that benchmark in some cases,” and cited staff shortages as a reason they do not. 

Ready said that the issue at the Barracks Row Popeyes was “not new” and had existed for some length of time and wondered if the restaurant had been inspected often enough.  He noted that the restaurant had passed inspection and the public didn’t know what conditions were like until the video was aired.  “What are you doing to make sure this doesn’t happen again?” he asked.

Cooper said, “We can only cite what we see – our ability to inspect has been limited by the pandemic and when that happens, a site can get out of control.  The inspection is based on the moment we go in.  It can be clean today and different tomorrow.  We can only cite what we see when we’re there.  We may miss things or when we go, there may not be a problem.  Any time the public reports an issue, we respond within two business days.  An inspection is only a snap shot – we are on site one to one and a half hours – five hours out of 365 days.  A restaurant can get away with a lot.” 

Commissioner Alison Horn asked if inspections are random and whether restaurants get advance notice of inspections.  Cooper replied that inspections are random, but proximity of inspections at other places can be a tip off and so can timing – the knowledge that a restaurant will be inspected every four months. 

Cooper gave the address of a public website where residents can see which restaurants have violations.  https://dc.healthinspections.us/?a=Inspections

The Week Ahead…

by Larry Janezich

The last week of the year is a quiet one. The political and civic organizations which CHC regularly covers have no meetings scheduled.

To Patronize Restaurants, Bars, Gyms, and Other Private Venues, Proof of Vaccination Must be Shown

Bowser to Impose City Wide Vaccine Requirement Effective January 15

by Larry Janezich

In a Situational Briefing today, Mayor Bowser said that on January 15, patrons of many indoor venues  in DC will need to show proof of having received at least one corvid vaccination, and by February 15, two. 

Venues include restaurants, bars, nightclubs, indoor cultural and entertainment facilities, indoor recreation and exercise facilities, and indoor event and meeting establishments.  The requirement is for patrons and not staff – it is not an employer mandate. 

Groceries and churches will be exempt.  Additional information on exemptions will be forthcoming. 

Here a link to the Mayor’s PowerPoint presentation today.  https://bit.ly/3qd5BoO

 

Bowser Reinstates Indoor Mask Mandate Starting Tomorrow

by Larry Janezich

Posted December 20, 2021

Mayor Bowser announced the reinstatement at a scheduled 11:30am Situational Briefing on Monday.  The Mayoral Order on the indoor mask mandate will begin at 6:30am on Tuesday and last until 6:00am on January 31, unless extended.  

Other major points from the briefing are as follows:

• Beginning Wednesday, December 22, DC Health will launch the Test Yourself Express program. Residents will be able to pick up free at-home rapid antigen COVID 19 testing kits (results in 15 minutes) at 8 libraries across DC (none on Capitol Hill).  Libraries will be open six days a week (Monday – Saturday) to distribute 1,000 kits per library per day and more available as the supply increases.  Residents can get two free rapid test kits per day.  Each kit contains two tests.  Proof of residency will be required.   Libraries:  Pleasant, West End, Cleveland Park, Petworth, Woodridge, Shaw, Capitol View, and Anacostia 
• 100,000 Rapid Antigen tests are being distributed to DCPS and DC public charter schools, to be used to support a safe return from winter break. Every school will receive enough tests for every student, teacher and staff member. DC Public Schools will be closed on Monday, January 3 and Tuesday January 4 to allow time for staff and families to pick up and use tests before returning to in person instruction.
• The Omicron variant currently accounts for less than 1% of cases in our region but is expected to increase over coming weeks. Sequencing to identify the virus looks back and takes up to 10 days.
• 64.9% of DC residents have received two doses of the vaccine – up from 63% one month earlier.  
• Residents can continue to access free PCR (results in 1.5 days) at sites across the city including 8 firehouses one of which is Engine 8 at 1520 C Street, SE. Hours:  Tuesday & Thursday 2:30pm – 7:30pm and Saturday 12:00pm – 400pm.  Nine additional Test Yourself DC pick up and drop off sites open at noon today, for a total of 36 sites, including Southeast Library at 403 7th Street, SE, and Northeast Library at 330 7th Street NE.
• All employees, contractors, interns, and grantees of DC Government must be fully vaccinated against COVID 19 and must have a booster. No test out option.  Specific deadline to be announced. 
• New COVID Testing & Vaccination Centers will begin coming online in the second half of January with the goal of one center per ward.

Here’s the Mayor’s PowerPoint presentation:  https://bit.ly/3FiQXm8

Here’s the entire Situational Briefing on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/search?q=mayor%20bowser&src=typeahead_click

Down to the Wire:  Rosedale and Hill East Fight Ward 7 Annexation

by Larry Janezich

Posted December 20, 2021

Tomorrow, the DC Council will hold a final vote on the Ward Redistricting map.  Residents of ANC6A in Rosedale and north Hill East have mounted a last ditch effort to sway the Council against extending Ward 7 boundaries to include these two neighborhoods.

A petition circulating in ANC6A against the move declares, “We do not want to be pushed out of Ward 6.” The petition states, in part:

In November 2021, after nearly a dozen public hearings and receiving extensive public input, the Redistricting Subcommittee produced a map that preserved Rosedale in Ward 6 to avoid the racial segregation.  But Chairman Phil Mendelson arbitrarily rejected that proposal and sent a new map to the full Council to move Rosedale to Ward 7.  We cannot let this happen.

Ward 6 is already experiencing massive gentrification, and Ward 7 is already approximately 95% Black.  Moving Rosedale to Ward 7 is yet another boost to gentrification.  We urge you to contact Councilmembers today – in particular, Charles Allen, Christina Henderson, Elissa Silverman, and Anita Bonds.  Impress upon them that you oppose moving Rosedale to Ward 7 because it politically disenfranchises our community.

You still have time to tell the Council you support the ANC’s request, or another approach to redistricting if you do not agree with the “final” map.

ANC6A Commissioner Sondra Phillips-Gilbert, a long time outspoken opponent of extending Ward 7 to Rosedale, said of the upcoming vote:

“Rosedale should remain in Ward 6 to maintain the “Racial Equity” (Black Electoral Vote and Voice) of one of the largest and oldest Black communities on Capitol Hill.  Placing Rosedale in Ward 7 will not add “Economic Equity,” but will disenfranchise 69% of the black vote, or 79 % of the total non-white population in my Single Member District.  Based on “CORE’s Racial Equity Assessment Report” Bill 24-0371 will likely exacerbate racial inequity in the District of Columbia. The Redistricting Committee further agreed to preserve “Racial Equity” by keeping the Rosedale Community in Ward 6 in their final report.

Forcing Rosedale out of Ward 6 is not legally justifiable (given that the redistricting legal thresholds do not require this displacement).  Chair Mendelson used his prerogative to make deals to slip in his map without any public scrutiny, while our elected leadership on all levels watched it happen.  This is the question I would like to leave with our elected officials whom will vote on Tuesday, December 21st. How can you advocate becoming the 51st state in the Union, while you’re in the business of “disenfranchising and gerrymandering “a poor and disadvantaged Black Community in our Nation’s Capital?

In Hill East, former ANC6B commissioner Francis Campbell said residents were unhappy about extending Ward 7 boundaries to include them.  “Many feel,” Campbell said, “that CM Charles Allen didn’t fight hard enough to keep Hill East in Ward 6.”  Hill East south of East Capitol is caught in a hard place – resentful they had no voice in the development of Ward 7’s Reservation 13 despite being the neighborhood most affected, and still wanting their closely knit community to remain with the Ward with which they most identify. 

The Havana Tobacco Mart Smoke Shop at 607 Pennsylvania Avenue is open, marketing cigars, hookah products, CBD, Kratom, and Delta 8.

The Week Ahead…and Some Photos from the Past Week

Tuesday, December 21

ANC6B’s Executive Committee holds a virtual meeting at 7:00pm to set the agenda for the January meeting of the full ANC.

To join the meeting, go here:  https://bit.ly/3qeaZIn

Note: This meeting date has been adjusted to avoid conflicts with holidays or religious days.

DDOT Plan to Speed Up 8^th Street NE Buses Between Florida Ave to East Capitol Street

by Larry Janezich

Posted December 18, 2021

DDOT will implement a plan to speed bus traffic between Florida Avenue and East Capitol by 2023.  8^th Street NE will join a half dozen existing bus corridors already in moveDC’s Bus Priority Network.  The Bus Priority Network is made up of 70 miles of the busiest bus corridors across the city where improvements are needed to make transit faster and more reliable.  DDOT says that by 2032, 75% of all commute trips will be by non-auto modes.

Last Tuesday night, ANC6A Transportation Committee, chaired by resident committee member Maura Dundon, heard a kickoff presentation on the 8^th Street Bus Priority Project by DDOT Project Manager Yohannes Bennehoff who said DDOT wants to make sure everyone knows this is happening as well as seek input from the community.

The Bus Priority Program uses over 20 tools – or treatments – to boost bus operations, including pedestrian improvements to ensure bus stop accessibility, bus lanes to reduce congestion delay, and transit signal programing which will give buses priority and queue jumps.  Another tool is rebalancing of bus stops so that buses make fewer stops along the route, which reduces delay associated with entering the bus stop and re-entering traffic.

Initial concept design will begin in the spring of 2022 and construction in FY 2023.  8^th Street, SE, south of East Capitol will be brought into the project at some future but uncertain date. 

For more information and to provide feedback, go here:  https://ddot.dc.gov/page/bus-priority

For more information on Bus Priority Plan tools, go here:  https://bit.ly/3sjgo3A

ANC6A Committee Meets to Air Restorative Justice Issues

by Larry Janezich

Last Monday, ANC6A’s Community Outreach Committee, chaired by Resident Committee Member Roni Hollmon, held a two hour discussion on restorative justice issues. 

Members of the discussion panel included CM Charles Allen, representatives of the US Attorney’s Office, and First District MPD officials, as well as representatives from   community/civic organizations, including Pranav Nanda, Moms Demand Action; Ms. Thompson El, Co-Chief, Cure the Streets; Naïké Savain,  DC Justice Lab; and Gary Zottoli, Defund MPD/Metro DSA. 

Allen took the opportunity to hammer home his support for restorative justice programs, saying that two years ago, after the budget had zeroed out all violence prevention efforts he had to put it back as well as funding for victim supports services. 

Allen said, “In the most recent budget I put a million extra dollars into restorative justice, doubling the program in the Attorney General’s Office…put millions more to expand Leadership Academy with the Neighborhood Engagement Safety Office, and expanded our Pathways Cohort for the young men and women that come into that program….”  He said that at the last minute – because of the shooting at Nationals Park and on 13th street, SE, there was support for adding money exclusively for hiring new police officers; “We had just had a meeting with the Police Chief who said ‘I can’t hire any more than what I’ve got.’  We worked on it…and decided to add some officers but split the funding proposal in half and focused half on violence prevention and community based investment.  That’s the way we move forward.”

He added, “Plenty people try to beat me up for it but that’s the kind of investment we’ve got to make…we’ve got to be willing to say, ‘It can’t be a police only response’.  Those are the decisions we have to make…how to find a balance – how to make investments…and how do we push back.”

At the close of the meeting, the Committee voted to support two resolutions offered by Committee Outreach Committee resident member Marc Friend: 1)  a resolution of support for Councilmember Henderson’s RESTORE ACT to reduce barriers to employment and housing for those who have been arrested but not convicted of a crime or who have served their time and are returning to the community, and 2) a resolution to urge the City Council to increase funding for violence interruption programs such as Cure the Streets.

The Week Ahead …and Some Photos from the Week Past

by Larry Janezich

Monday, December 13, 2021,

ANC6D holds a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

To join the meeting, go here:  https://www.anc6d.org/virtualmeeting/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Public Safety Report.
• Square 662 Design Review.
• Parcel B SW Design Review. Modification of PUD.  Special Exception for bowling alley. and resident parking. 

ANC6A Community Outreach Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00 pm. 

To join the meeting go here: https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• DC Council Office – Councilman Charles Allen, Lauren Marks, Naomi Mitchell.
• DOJ – First and Fifth Districts – AUSA Magdalena Acevedo (5th); ChristopherWade, Community Outreach Specialist (1st and also covering 5th).
• MPD – First and Fifth Districts – Captain Tatjana Savoy (1st); Lieutenant Zezobia Hakir.
• Pranav Nanda, Moms Demand Action.

Tuesday, December 14

ANC6B will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

To join the meeting go here: https://bit.ly/3GEC3a6

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentations:

• Food Safety and Hygiene Division of the Department of Health.
• DC Water – Ward 6B Updates on Ongoing Projects.

Alcoholic Beverage Control Committee

• 522 8th Street, SE, Han Palace. Application for New Retailer’s Class “C” Restaurant liquor license.  Total Occupancy Load of 38 with 18 seats inside. Sidewalk Café with 10 seats.

Planning and Zoning Committee                              

• 1227 E Street SE; Historic Preservation Application. Concept review:  Two story rear addition with cellar. Rear yard deck with cellar level parking below.
• 321 D Street SE. Historic Preservation Application.   Concept review:  Construct a rear three-story addition; add a partial third floor on the existing house and renovate the existing house.
• 912 G Street SE. Historic Preservation Application.   Concept review: Add roof deck to garage.

ANC 6A Transportation & Public Space Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

To join the meeting go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Update on speed hump installation near Miner Elementary School.
• Update on traffic calming at Northwest corner of Lincoln Park (11^th Street/Massachusetts Avenue/East Capitol Street).
• Presentation on 8th Street NE bus lanes (Yohannes Eagle Bennehoff, Transportation Planner, DDOT).
• Maryland Avenue project: Removal of bike lane and parking on 1400 block of Maryland Avenue NE; joint punch-list letter with ANC 6C.
• Traffic calming at 8th Street/Constitution Avenue/Massachusetts Avenue, NE.
• Traffic calming at corner of 14th Street and Tennessee Avenue, NE, and at corner of E Street and Tennessee Avenue, NE.

Wednesday, December 15

ANC6A Economic Development & Zoning Committee holds a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

To join the meeting go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• 647 16th Street, NE. Zoning Adjustment Application.  Request for special exception.

Zoning relief  and special exception zoning relief  to construct a third story and rear addition, and convert to a flat, an existing, attached, two-story with cellar.   

• 308 11th Street, NE. Historic Preservation Application.  Review of concept for the construction of an existing one story garage to be rebuilt and expanded into a two story carriage house, and the third floor addition and roof deck at main house.
• 909 Kent Place, NE. Zoning Adjustment Application.  Request for special exception and zoning relief to construct a one-story, rear addition to an existing, attached, two-story with basement, principal dwelling unit.

Give Art for the Holidays: Capitol Hill Art League Holiday Art & Gift Show on Saturday

Please join twelve artists from the Capitol Hill Art League at the Holiday Gift and Art Show at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop on Saturday, December 11, from Noon – 6:00 PM.

This special pop-up show to kick off the holiday season will feature a wide range of creative gifts including framed paintings, prints, cards and paper creations, photographic art, and some very unique tiny house sculptures.

Noon – 3:00 pm: Nancy Arbuthnot, Tammy Barnes, Tara Hamilton, Karen Van Allen, Marcie Wolf-Hubbard and Karen Zens.

3:00-6:00 pm: Steve Kunin, Molly Pauker, Iryna Smitchkova, Jamie Sonnenberg, Nan Raphael, and Carolyn Rondthaler.

Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th Street, S.E.