The Week Ahead…& First Look at the Folger’s New Sculpture + Some Photos from the Past Week

Cloud of Imagination. Photo by Lloyd Wolf

Artist Anke Neumann. Photo by Lloyd Wolf

First Look at Folger Library’s New Sculpture Cloud of Imagination.  Last week, Folger Library unveiled a newly commissioned artwork for its renovated spaces.  Cloud of Imagination, by German artist Anke Neumann is an ethereal and symbolic 15-foot-tall light and paper sculpture which hangs in the stairwell that will take visitors from the building’s new east lobby to the historic theater above.

Visitors will first be able to see Cloud of Imagination when performances of Folger Theatre’s The Winter’s Tale begin in November. The work is one of three commissions by contemporary artists being integrated into the Folger’s expanded and renovated spaces, and the first to be fully activated for the public.

While the renovation work will not be completed until 2024, Folger Theatre will return to its home stage after three years on the road with a production of The Winter’s Tale beginning on November 4.  The Folger will announce its grand reopening date before the end of 2023.  For more info, including tickets for upcoming performances go here:  https://www.folger.edu/

ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee met last Thursday night.

DC’s Weak Penalties and Lax Enforcement Abet Tearing Down Historic Houses in Capitol Hill Historic District.  Last Thursday night, at ANC67B Planning and Zoning Committee meeting, chaired by Commissioner Frank D’Andrea, Commissioner Jerry Sroufe raised two issues which affect the preservation of historic homes in the Capitol Hill Historic District.

First, the issue of builders tearing down historic houses in violation of their permits and the city’s lack of enforcement or oversite of building permits once granted.  Sroufe said that a letter received from the city showed many violations of building permits that receive no punishment and most fines for violations are adjusted downward.  Sroufe said the Office of Historic Preservation’s maximum fine for an illegal tear down is $4200.  Councilmember Charles Allen is contemplating legislation to address. 

Second, the Historic Preservation Review Board is supposed to have nine members but has been operating with five members for some time.  Sroufe asked, “Why have the vacancies not been filled?”

Former ANC6B Chair and current resident committee member Cory Holman said the Mayor’s office has been lax in filling empty positions.  City Council Chair Mendelson rejected one of the Mayor’s nominations and then refused to hold a hearing on the nomination when resubmitted.  There has been no action by Mayor to appoint other members.  There are also empty seats on both the Zoning Commission and the Board of Zoning Adjustment.

Holman suggested either a formal or informal letter to Mendolson letting him know this is an issue the ANC is running into and separately sending a resolution to the Mayor urging her to fill the slots – noting the empty seats leaves federally-appointed members of the board often effectively in control – is not in keeping with our push for statehood. 

Regarding the enforcement issue, Holman pointed out that Chair Mendolson chairs oversight hearings and suggested this discussion go through him rather than Council Member Allen.

Commissioners Sroufe, Holman and Sobelson will bring proposed language for the letter to Mendelson and resolution for the Mayor to the next meeting of the committee.

I Egg You gets liquor license.  Last week, the DC Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration granted a restaurant liquor license for I Egg You, a new breakfast/lunch restaurant and event space on Barracks Row being brought to you by the owners of Chiko a few doors away.  ANC6B had protested the issuing of the license because the license applicants were not willing to make concessions regarding trash storage.  So I Egg You owners Danny Lee and Scott Drewno hired restaurant liquor license expert attorney Andrew Kline who knows that the city tends to give applicants the benefit of the doubt absent a compelling case, and ANC6B didn’t appear to have one.  The news was first reported by Barred in DC@BarredinDC. 

I Egg You is the creation of Lee and Drewno – the Fried Rice Collective – that founded the widely acclaimed three Chinese/Korean Chiko restaurants at 428 8th, SE, and on P Street, NW, as well as on Bethesda Row.  They are also behind Anju, the Korean restaurant on 18th Street, NW.

The Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation performed at Eastern Market Metro Plaza Saturday afternoon, winding up HillFest, 2023.  HillFest is an annual week-long music conference concluding with a day-long music festival held outdoors in the Capitol Hill neighborhood the first week in October.

The conference consists of day long events for five days and ranges in topics from Arts Policy, Jazz Education, the composing and recording industry, and music and technology.

Featured panelists may include local and Federal politicians, professional musicians, Jazz educators, festival organizers, Arts administrators, members from the GRAMMY’s, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC), and many others.

Triple Candie.  Here’s the latest installation by Triple Candie in the space in the front of the former Li’l Pub at 655 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  Triple Candie is a research-oriented curatorial agency run by art historian co-founders Shelly Bancroft and Peter Nesbett.  Their purpose is to create alternative exhibition methods making that the object of critical focus rather than what is displayed (which for the most part does not include original artworks).  Go deeper here:  http://www.triplecandie.org/

The Week Ahead…& First Look at the Folger’s New Sculpture + Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted October 8, 2023

Monday, October 9

Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day – DC Government Holiday. 

• Trash and recycling will slip to the next day. 

ANC6B Parks and Public Spaces Taskforce will hold and in-person meeting at 7:00pm at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Discussion: Unleashed Dogs in Parks.
• Eastern Market Metro Park Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

Tuesday, October 10

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

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Among items on the draft agenda:

Consent Agenda

• September 2023 Meeting Minutes.
• Resignation and Re-Appointment of 6B03 Resident Members for the Special Committee on Public Safety.
• Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee – Consent Items (If Any).
• Transportation Committee – Consent Items (If Any).
• Planning & Zoning Committee – Consent Items (If Any).

Presentations

• Charlene Roach Glymph – Facilities Grant Recipient Establishing Child Development Center at Park Kennedy.

Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee

• Dos Toros Taqueria, 215 Pennsylvania Ace SE.  Application for a new Retailer’s Class “C” Restaurant License.  (postponed until November)
• Capitol Supreme Market, 501 4th Street SE.  Application for the renewal of a Retailer’s Class “B” Grocery Liquor license.
• Yes! Organic Eastern Market, 410 8th Street, SE. Application for the renewal of a Retailers’ Class “B” Retail Grocery Liquor license. 
• World Wine and Spirits, 1453 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Request to amend existing SA to allow for the sale of individual containers of beer and ale of less than 70 ounces.
• Omakase of Barracks Row, 522 8th Street. S.E., 2nd Floor. Application for a new Retailer’s Class “C” Tavern License.
• Ugly Mug Dining Saloon/Valor Brew Pub; 723 8th Street, SE.  Application for a substantial change to add sports wagering endorsement to their operations.
• Café 8, 424 8^th Street, Barracks Row.  Renewal of Class “C” Restaurant License

Transportation Committee

• Letter of Support for Notice of Violations of DDOT and Other Related District Agency Regulations.
• Eastern High School Homecoming Letter.

Planning and Zoning Committee

• 630 G Street SE, Project.  Zoning Adjustment Application.  To construct a two-story rear addition to an existing, semi-detached, three-story principal dwelling unit and to add a roof deck in the RF-1 zone.
• 630 G Street SE, Project.  Historic Preservation Application. To construct a two-story rear addition to an existing, semi-detached, three-story principal dwelling unit and to add a roof deck in the RF-1 zone.

Reports:

• Southeast Library Task Force.
• Public Parks and Recreation Spaces Task Force.
• Special Committee on Public Safety.
• Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee.

New business:

• Resolution in support of renaming Tyler Elementary to Shirley Chisholm Elementary.
• Letter to Deputy Mayor for Public Safety & Justice Regarding Safe Passage at Eastern Market Metro Plaza and Potomac Avenue Metro Station.

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7D will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1/meetings

Among items on the draft agenda:

Featured Speakers;

• The Honorable Robert C. White, Jr, At-Large Councilmember.
• The Honorable Dr. Christina Grant, State Superintendent of Education, OSSE.

DC Government Updates/Presentations

• Mayor’s Office of Community Relations & Services (MOCRS).
• Office of Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray.

Community Presentations

• Lisa White, RFK Future Task Force.
• Marcus Martle/Ann Chisholm, WMATA Metro Lift Program.
• Andrew Lightman, Managing Editor, Capital Community News, Inc.

ANC 7D Committees

• Appoint Additional Committee Members.
• September Report of the Public Safety Committee.
• September Report of the Economic Development, Housing Justice (and Zoning and Alcoholic Beverage) Committee.
• September Report of the Transportation & Public Space Committee.

New Business;

• Application for Zoning Adjustmant. Case #20975, Jill Gerber, SQ 4545 Lot 125.
• ANC 7D Joint Resolution for DDOT Traffic Calming Input.
• ANC 7D Resolution Concerning the Cain Family of the 1500 Block of A Street, SE.
• ANC 7D Letter to Mayor’s Special Events Task Group (HSEMA) Concerning Eastern High School Homecoming Parade.
• ANC 7D Letter to DC DMV Director Concerning an Org Tag for ANC Commissioners and ANC Alumni.  

Wednesday, October 11

ANC6C will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Not available at press time.

Thursday, October 12

ANC 6A will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda: 

Presentations:

• Lindsey Appiah, Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice (invited).
• Assistant Chief Tasha Bryant, Patrol Sector Services South, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) (invited).
• Anwar Saleem, Executive Director, H Street Main Street.

Consent Agenda

• ANC 6A send a letter of support of ANC 7D’s resolution for the honorary renaming of the 1300-1600-blocks of A Street, NE, to recognize the Eastern High School Blue & White Marching Machine.
• Renew service agreements for package prep/web services and notetaker for FY2024.

Standing Committee Reports:

• Community Outreach (COC).
• Alcohol Beverage Licensing (ABL).
• Transportation and Public Space (TPS).
• ANC 6A send a letter of support for NOI-23-198 and requesting a comprehensive study of pedestrian safety and vehicle circulation around Lincoln Park.
• Economic Development and Zoning (EDZ).

New Business

• Suggested Motion: ANC 6A send a letter of support to DC Councilmembers for the Open Movie Captioning Requirement Act of 2023.