Flowers in the National Gallery of Art’s Rotunda celebrate the season. The lilies represent purity, innocence and rebirth. The Rotunda and the building were designed by Architect John Russell Pope who also designed the Jefferson Memorial. The design was based on the Pantheon in Rome and the building was completed in 1941. The building was funded by former Secretary of the Treasury, Paul. W. Mellon, who gifted it to the nation. The sculpture of Mercury, from Mellon’s collection, stands atop the Mercury Fountain, and is the work of an anonymous artist after Giovanni Bologna, 1529 -1608.
Public Safety. Last Thursday, Council Member Charles Allen hosted his Ward 6 Community Meeting on the Mayor’s proposed budget. The meeting was both virtual and in person at the School-Within-School at Goding. Here are the highlights from the public safety portion of the meeting:
- The Mayor proposed $10 million in budget cuts for MPD, but the budget includes what MPD asked for re for recruitment and retention bonuses at $5.4 million, and $1.2 million for police education incentives. In addition, there is $2.18 million to civilianize 18 MPD positions and get 18 officers back on the streets. Also:
- $7.7 million for violence interruption programs at the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement.
- $4.5 m for Pathways workforce development for at risk youths (but 14% overall budget cut).
- $9 m for safe passage programming.
- $227 million for a new jail
Allen said that the two public safety issues driving violent crime stats – gun violence/ homicides and carjackings are a national problem. MPD strategies in response have been: 1) Establishing a region-wide carjacking taskforce to coordinate police responses, and 2) Better partnering with community based organizations and violence interrupters. He noted that that coordination didn’t happen two years ago.
Declining police staffing is also an issue which is not limited to DC. Allen said the Chief says that money is not the problem – of the 347 training slots in the police academy, only 74 are filled. Attrition is outpacing new hires. (On Friday, Mayor Bowsers raised the hiring bonus for new MPD recruits to $25,000, $5,000 over the current bonus.)
ANC6C’s Transportation Committee, chaired by Resident Member Michael Upright, met last week and voted to support a proposed streetscape plan for the NRP Group’s new 12-story plus penthouse mixed-use building at 301 Florida Avenue, NE, with 115 dwelling units, all affordable to income levels at or below 50% AMI and ground level space dedicated to retail.
The ANC6C’s Transportation Committee also voted to support Folger Shakespeare Library’s request for support of the installation of two digital totems (signage); one at 2nd and East Capitol, one at 3rd and East Capitol. An earlier plan for ten foot totems was scaled back to six feet, judged to be more in keeping with the scale of other nearby signage.
This street tree on the unit block of 7th Street NE, fell victim to last weekend’s windstorm, so to speak. Photo: Daniele Schiffman
Easter Sunday, circa 3:00pm, at The Flea Market at Eastern Market on 7th Street, SE.
The Week Ahead …
By Larry Janezich
Posted April 9, 2023
Monday, April 10
Southeast Library Taskforce will hold an in person meeting at 7:00 pm at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Second Floor.
Tuesday, April 11
ANC7D will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm.
For info on how to join the meeting, go here: https://bit.ly/40MDsWL
Among items on the draft agenda:
Community Speaker – FY 2024 Budget & Questions
- The Honorable Muriel Bowser, Mayor, Washington, DC
DC Government Updates/Presentations
- Mayor’s Office of Community Relations & Services (MOCRS)
- Office of Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray
Scheduled/Open Community Comment Period
- Yvette Alexander, R13 Community Partners
- Parkside Community Development Update
- DDOT, 19th Street, NE, Redesign Update (TBD)
- Community Violence Interrupters (TBD)
- Geoffrey St. John, DC Public Charter School Board
- Capitol Hill Classic Road Race (TBD)
New Business
- ANC 7D Committees Update
- ANC 7D Resolution (23-xxx) In Support of Solutions to Address the Opioid Crisis
ANC6B will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
For info on how to join the meeting, go here: http://bit.ly/3ZQ33ge
Among items on the draft agenda:
Consent Agenda
- Lola’s, 711 8th Street, SE. Retailer’s Class “C” Tavern License, Application for an Entertainment Endorsement.
- Lola’s. Request for a stipulated license for an Entertainment Endorsement.
- Mason & Greens DC. 400 8th Street, SE. Application for a Retailer’s Class “B” Full-Service Grocery Store license.
- Mason & Greens DC. Request for a stipulated license for a Retailer’s Class “B” license.
Presentations:
- Charles Allen, Councilmember, Ward 6
- Stephen Akyereko, DC Water – Lead Free DC
Planning and Zoning Committee
- 4-5 Library Court, SE. Special Exception to combine one tax lot and two record lots in the RF-3 zone (Square 788, Lots 28 and 817).
- 1236 Walter Street, SE. Zoning Adjustment Application to construct a two-story rear addition, to an existing attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
- 1236 Walter Street. Historic Preservation Application to construct a two-story rear addition, to an existing attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
- Rezoning of 1323 E Street, SE.
- Potential of Moving P&Z Meetings from Tuesday to the Thursday ABC Committee Slot
Transportation Committee
- Traffic Safety Resolution
Southeast Library Task Force
- Sending Previously Approved Letter of Support for Budget Funding for Interim Services for the Southeast Library to Remaining Members of DC Council.
- Authorization for Commissioners Sobelsohn and D’Andrea to Testify (Thursday 4/13; 12-3pm) on ANC 6B’s Behalf to the DC Council’s Library Committee on the Library System’s Budget.
Special Committee on Public Safety
- Report for the Special Committee on Public Safety
Wednesday, April 12
ANC6C holds a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
For info on how to join the meeting, go here: https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/
Agenda not available at press time.
Thursday, April 13
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6A will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
For info on how to join the meeting, go here:
Among items on the draft agenda:
Community Presentations
- Mayor’s Proposed FY2024 Budget – Richard Jackson, Director, Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE)
- DC Water’s Lead Free DC (LFDC) Initiative – Sean Moore, District of Columbia Water and Sewer Authority
Consent Agenda
- Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the application of Hiraya Kapamilya at 1250 H Street, NE, (ABRA-124137) for a Class C Tavern License unless a settlement agreement is entered into prior to the protest deadline.
- Recommendation: ANC 6A submit FOIA requests to DDOT to disclose certain data regarding the nature and disposition of the pre-January 6, 2023 TSI requests; as well as the component parts scoring of the TSI 2.0 prioritization model, and the identification and availability of data used to compute the prioritization scores.
- Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter to DDOT and Washington Gas, requesting that all barriers be re-installed along the entire Florida Avenue bike route and that measures be taken to ensure compliance with safe accommodations.
- Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter to DDOT or an appropriate entity within DC government to request data concerning the number and disposition of claims related to sidewalk safety issues in 6A; and if the information was not made available within a “reasonable” period of time, then ANC 6A would submit a FOIA request.
- Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter of support to BZA for area variance relief for a project to construct a rear addition to an existing, attached, two-story with basement, principal dwelling unit at 912 Maryland Avenue, NE, in the RF-1 zone on condition that the owner provide letters of support.
Plenary session:
- Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the application of Old City 1 Cafe at 1307 H Street, NE, for a Class C Restaurant License.
- Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter of support to BZA for Special Exception relief pursuant to construct a new, detached, five-story with cellar and penthouse, 80-unit apartment addition, to existing mixed-use buildings at 1000–1016 H Street, NE, based on the plans that include 3,261 square feet of retail space on condition best effort to get come to an agreement on construction issues and that gas service only be used for emergency usage.
- Recommendation: ANC 6A send letters of support to BZA and HPO for special exception relief to construct a rear and side addition to an existing attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit at 336 11th Street, NE, with the condition that any information or reports received from HPO before the full ANC considers the project be in support of the project. BZA hearing scheduled for 4/26/2023.
- Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter of support to BZA for special exception relief to construct a two-story rear addition, to an existing semi-detached, two-story principal dwelling unit at 214 Warren Stree,t NE, in the RF-1 zone on condition that the developer make best efforts to get letters of support from 216 and 222 Warren Street NE.
- Suggested Motion: ANC 6A support the application of Kitchen Cray at 1301 H Street NE for a stipulated restaurant CR license with an entertainment endorsement under the condition that entertainment is only in the indoors lower level.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 