The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

By Larry Janezich

Posted September 15, 2024

Some photos from the past week: 

The Church of God’s stained glass will remain covered.  Last Wednesday, residents living near World Mission Society Church of God at 701 A Street NE unhappy that the church covered up the stained glass windows, pressured ANC6C to continue the effort to restore the public visibility of the windows.   Those windows, with the sanction of the city’s Chief Building Officer (CBO) are obscured from public view by opaque coverings which the CBO has deemed “storm windows.”  As such, their installation does not require a building permit, thus avoiding review by the Historic Preservation Office (HPO).  Last February, ANC6C appealed the CBO storm window definition, but the CBO confirmed the decision. 

The neighbors wanted the ANC to appeal the CBO decision to the Office of Planning, claiming that covering the windows is in violation of the intent of the Mayor’s Agent who – earlier – had ordered the windows restored after the church had removed them claiming their faith prohibit religious imagery. 

The protestations of Commissioner Jay Adelstein and of neighbors pushing to restore the character of the neighborhood were not enough to convince a majority of the commission to move to appeal the storm windows decision.  A motion to ask the Office of Planning for an HPO review of the decision to defeated, 2 – 3 – 2. 

The ANC then agreed to a motion by ANC6C Chair Mark Eckenweiler to send a letter to CBO and HPO asking them to close the regulatory loophole which permitted the opaque storm windows to be installed and asking that the regulations be clarified to make sure there is never a repetition.  The vote was 7 – 0 – 0. 

ICYMI – Frager’s Garden Center and Foliage by Frager’s are taking over the former Hype Café at 1129 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  They hope to open by the holidays.

Georgetown Optician at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue was robbed late Tuesday or early Wednesday morning.  This is the scene circa 8:00am Wednesday morning. 

ICYMI.  Signage announcing Sahara Market and Café is “coming soon” to the space formerly occupied by The Cupboard Market at 1504 East Capitol Street.

This weekend, the National Museum of the American Indian hosted an event featuring artists creating folk art made in Mexico.  Here’s an example of Alebrijes – folk art sculptures of fantastical creatures – a tradition which started in the 1930s in Mexico.  Sculptures made in Oaxaca, Mexico, are carved from the copal tree.  The pieces created by Oscar Becerra-Mora, one of which is shown here, are made from papier-mâché.  For more, including a giant Alebrijes by Becerra-Mora, see here:  https://mccdenver.org/alebrije-xolotl-dios-perro/  

And here’s an image of a Yarn Painting by Cilao Valadez of the Wixarika tribe in Mexico, made by pressing brightly colored yarn onto resin-coated wood or papier-mâché.  The works are created, adhering to an ancient Pre-Columbian tradition – and used as offerings sacrificed in ceremonies in which deified ancestors are asked to answer prayers.  In the before times, colorful feathers were used instead of yarn.  Cilao Valadez is a widely recognized master of the tradition who demonstrated the creation of pieces this weekend at the National Museum of the American Indian.  See more here:  https://cilauvaladez.com/

The Week Ahead…

Monday, September 16

ANC6A Transportation & Public Space Committee 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:

Old Business: 

• Florida Avenue NE Streetscape Project Update. The Florida Avenue NE Streetscape Project outreach team will provide updates to this project scheduled for completion in October 2024.
• H Street NE Bus Priority Project.  Mr. Zack Gambetti-Mendez, H Street Bus Priority Project Manager, and Mr. David Lipscomb, DDOT Curbside Manager will present data from Pick-Up/Drop-Off (PUDO) zone and short-term parking pilot projects as it relates to the H Street Bus Priority Project.  Commissioner Gove has also requested an update on timing of the project as well as possibilities for added green space in the curb extensions.
• Traffic calming on 11th Street NE from East Capitol Street to Florida Avenue NE. Commissioners Gove and Shapiro have requested an update from DDOT on plans for traffic calming installation that are over a year old. This is following a third collision with a parked vehicle affecting the same neighbor on the 700-block of 11th Street NE.
• Intersection of 11th Street NE/East Capitol Street/Massachusetts Avenue NE.  Commissioner Gove has requested an update from DDOT on signage plans to clear up the confusing lane assignments on westbound East Capitol Street at the northwest corner of Lincoln Park turning south onto 11th Street NE.
• Request for an all-way stop sign at the intersection of Tennessee Avenue NE and 14th Street NE. Commissioner Wethington has requested an ANC letter of support for an all way stop sign at this intersection.  DDOT’s TSI 2.0 Dashboard indicates 5 TSIs for Future Consideration dating from June 2022 through March 2024 related to traffic speed and volume.  NOTE: DDOT has paused TSI prioritization for this quarter (July September 2024) to refine the TSI program with a goal of resuming an improved program on October 1, 2024.

New Business.

• Request for an all-way stop sign at the intersection of Tennessee Avenue NE & E Street NE. Commissioner Dooling has requested an ANC letter of support for an allway stop sign at this intersection. DDOT’s TSI 2.0 Dashboard indicates 11 TSIs for Future Consideration dating from January 2023 through August 2024 related to traffic speed, poor field of view at the intersection, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.
• Consideration of converting 1400-block of G Street NE to one-way. Commissioner Dooling has requested a letter of support for converting the 1400-block of G Street NE to a one-way street, following discussion of specific direction among the community.
• Restoration of raised crosswalk at 14th and E Streets NE. Commissioners Gove and Wethington have requested an update from DDOT on the status of the restoration of this crosswalk following repaving that occurring in 2023.  
• Public Space Permit application #453622.

ANC6B Parks and Public Spaces Taskforce will hold an in person meeting at 7:00pm. 

700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Second Floor, Conference Room 3 (Main Entrance Adjacent to Trader Joe’s)

Agenda:  TBA. 

ANC6D Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://www.anc6d.org/anc6d-transportation-committee/   

Agenda:  TBA

Wednesday, September 18

ANC 6A Economic Development & Zoning Committee 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:

Resolution of previous heard cases:

• EDZ Recommended / ANC Supported / BZA Approved Zoning Adjustment Application for 813 7th Street, NE.  To construct a detached, two-story accessory garage with accessory dwelling to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
• EDZ Suggested /ANC Supported /BZA Approved Zoning Adjustment Application for 1252 H Street NE.  To construct a rear addition to an existing, attached, two-story with basement, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.

New Business:

• 910 12th Street, NE.  Zoning Adjustment Application to construct a third story with roof deck and a three-story with cellar rear addition, to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.

RFK Events Quarterly Virtual Meeting.  6:00pm. Register here: https://bit.ly/4d6BbLd

Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:

Monday, September 16th

7:30pm. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Capitol Hill. 

• The Capitol Hill Chamber Music Festival returns with Renaissance Psalms, Irish Baroque & Folk: 1630, 1730 & 1830 featuring guitar and flute. Suggested donation: $20-30. 18 and under free. More details available at https://chcmf.org/dc.html

Wednesday, September 18th, 7:30 pm

7:30pm.  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Capitol Hill. 

• Piano duo SONET, featuring two of Armenia’s best pianists, will be performing works by Mozart, Schubert, Poulenc, Tchaikovsky, Faure, & Khachaturian. For more info or to purchase tickets ($45, also available at the door), visit eventbrite.com https://bit.ly/4gjhouW

Saturday, September 21st, 7:00 pm

7:30pm.  St. Mark’s Episcopal Church Capitol Hill. 

• The Washington Bach Consort performs Bach’s masterful Saint Matthew Passion. Considered by many to be the composer’s greatest surviving work, it displays a meticulous formal symmetry in addition to being a work of deepest emotional expression. Both performers and audiences are profoundly affected by this work long after first experiencing it. Tickets: $45-99, $20 for those under 40, $10 for those 18 and under. Limited seats available. https://bachconsort.org/events/bach-st-matthew-passion/

Sunday, September 22nd, 7:30 pm

• The final performance of the Capitol Hill Chamber Music Festival is titled Songs Without Words: 1550-1750 and features flute and viola da gamba. Suggested donation: $20-30. 18 and under free. More details available at https://chcmf.org/dc.html

Saturday, September 21.

H Street Festival from noon until 7 pm. 

Capitol Hill Montessori School Launches First Ever On Line Auction

Ongoing: – now through October 25th.  

“We currently have donations from more than 100 local businesses and CHML families, and more items are being added daily. Bidding is open on gift cards for a variety of restaurants, fitness classes, photography sessions, sports and theater tickets, apparel, camps, music lessons, and more. Exciting offerings include dinner for two at a Michelin starred restaurant, a weekend in the Shenandoah, an educational tour with Anacostia  Riverkeeper, sleepaway camp, and private soccer sessions. Bidders can also score gift cards for local casual dining great for families.

The auction runs through CHML’s Fall Festival on October 25th, where things will really heat up with a *live auction* for some seriously amazing prizes—think suite box tickets for Capitals games, a chance to see Cyndi Lauper, and *just in time for Christmas*… Mariah Carey tickets! We will also be hosting a silent auction featuring incredible classroom-wide projects that our students will be working on between now and the Fall Festival.”

Link to online auction:

https://new.biddingowl.com/AuctionLanding?QueryAuctionId=4297aac4-af2b-45c2-b8b8-6a9cd60302ca