Author Archives: ljjanezich

The Week Ahead…

Eastern Market Outside Vendor Stall, c. 5:00pm, Saturday, June 6

Eastern Market Outside Vendor Stall, c. 5:00pm, Saturday, June 6

The Week Ahead….

by Larry Janezich

Monday, June 8

  1. ANC6D meets at 7:00 pm, DCRA Meeting Room, 1100 4th St. SW, 2nd Floor

Among items on the Agenda:

Spy Museum L’Enfant Plaza – Building projects into Public Space

Randall Recreation Center-Field Update – Nats, UnderArmour, Cal Ripken Foundation

Nation’s Triathlon 09/04/15

Prevent Cancer 5k Walk/Run, Nats Park area, 10/04/15

  1. RFK Playground Project Planning Meeting, 6:30pm, RFK Administrative Offices, 4th   –

Events DC and United for DC are currently seeking active members of the community to participate on the Planning Committee.  The Planning Committee will be tasked with executing the build timeline and driving this project forward to ensure success.  RSVP by calling 202 608 1100.

Tuesday, June 9

  1. ANC6B meets at 7:00pm, at Hill Center.

Among Items on the Agenda:

Summer roof garden for Belga Café

New restaurant liquor license for &Pizza at 405 8th Street, SE

Historic Preservation Application to replace bell tower at 801 North Carolina Ave SE, Christ Our Shepherd Church

Public Space issues for multiunit residential project at 816 Potomac Avenue, SE

Request for zoning relief for multiunit residential project at 1325 D Street SE (Buchanan School)

Letter to Events DC on Need for Transportation Plan for July 4th RFK Stadium concert

Letter to DDOT responding to comments by DDOT official on SE Boulevard

  1. Police Service Area (PSA) 104 public meeting at 7:00pm, Ludlow Taylor Elementary School, 659 7th Street, NE

Wednesday, June 10

  1. ANC6C meets at 7:00pm at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.

Among items on the Agenda:

Washington Project for the Arts in NoMa

Miscellaneous issues related to Reservation 84, Peace Corps memorial, NoMa parks, and M Street Underpass

318 (rear) Third Street, NE, – conversion of nonresidential building to 1-family dwelling

300 M Street, NE – PUD development, retail and residential

DC Streetcar update – Malia Salaam

Louisiana Avenue Cycle Track—Joe McCann

700 Constitution Avenue, NE, Public Space permit for new construction

Billboards

Thursday, June 11

  1. ANC6A meets at 7:00pm at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th Street, NE.

Among items on the Agenda:

Amazing Love Health Services, LLC, 702 15th Street, NE, seeking zoning relief for less than required parking for a medical facility

1300 H Street, NE, variance from parking requirements, overlay requirements, and design and special exception requirements to allow construction of a new four story, mixed use building with ground floor retail, on the following conditions:

The applicant records a covenant requiring that all leases or contracts for sale of the individual units prohibit the tenant or purchaser from obtaining a residential parking permit (RPP);  The applicant treat the building (and all units) as fronting on H Street and as having an H Street address; and The applicant investigate with DDOT the feasibility of supporting an expansion of access to Capital Bikeshare near the building.

  1. ANC6B Community Outreach and Constituent Services Task Force meets at 7:00pm, Hill Center.

Among items on the Agenda:

Crime and community policing.

  1. Capitol Hill Restoration Society Zoning Committee meets at 7:30pm at Kirby House, 420 10th Street, SE

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&Pizza – The Next Ruby Tuesday?

Steve Salis Opened the First &Pizza Outlet on H Street, NE, in 2012

Steve Salis Opened the First &Pizza Outlet on H Street, NE, in 2012

Barracks Row &Pizza Is Scheduled to Open in August at 405 8th Street, SE

Barracks Row &Pizza Is Scheduled to Open in August next to Starbucks at 405 8th Street, SE

& Pizza – The Next Ruby Tuesday?

Ruby Tuesday Founder Reportedly Chairs &Pizza Board of Directors

by Larry Janezich

Sandy Beall, founder of Ruby Tuesday and its CEO for 40 years, has reportedly become the Chair of the Board of the incipient fast-casual pizza chain, &Pizza.  &Pizza seems to be downplaying the relationship with this industry powerhouse in the wake of the departure of co-founder Steve Salis from his role as CEO of the company.

On March 3, Nation’s Restaurant News listed Beall – who stepped down as Ruby Tuesday’s CEO in 2012 – as one of the board members of Ima Pizza, LLC, &Pizza’s parent company. (http://bit.ly/1dkrbAe)

This followed &Pizza’s February 18 announcement that it had received $10 million in additional investment funding.  Carriage Hill, a company that helps shareholders of “privately held middle market companies” recapitalize, possibly alluded to the source of the investment in a note regarding a growth capital transaction it handled for &Pizza which read, in part, as follows:  “The private investor is a high net-worth family office that invests in consumer brands and emerging fast casual restaurant concepts throughout the US.”  (http://bit.ly/1HT4oUp)

Months later, on May 19, Rick Aristotle Munarriz wrote on the financial planning website Daily Finance:  “Some of the [fast casual pizza] chains that don’t have affiliations with public companies are also well connected … &pizza has Ruby Tuesday’s (RT) founder as its chairman of the board.” (http://aol.it/1F0tKgP)

On Friday, May 29, Andrew Metcalf of Bethesda Magazine reported that &Pizza co-founder Steve Salis was stepping down as CEO.  In that piece, Salis said that the company plans to hire a new CEO, but that &Pizza’s co-founder Michael Lastoria would remain as the company’s president.

This sequence of events mirrors that of start-ups on the way to buyout, and suggests that &Pizza might be destined for far greater expansion as a franchise.

Metcalf quoted Salis using some of this terminology explicitly:  “I thought the business was at the right point for us to bring in a blue chip, top-notch CEO to run the company.”  However, five days later, on Tuesday, June 2, Metalf’s Friday post was updated with additional information from &Pizza’s public relations spokesperson Barbara Martin, who told Bethesda Magazine:  “Michael and Steve founded a company and Steve’s moved on.”  Metcalf continued, “Martin said Lastoria is currently also serving as the CEO. She countered what Salis said, saying that Lastoria is the CEO and the company is not currently looking for a new leader.”  (http://bit.ly/1LOz1Ou)

Martin is a principal at the high-powered DC public relations firm, BrandLinkDC, profiled in the NYT in 2010 here: ( http://nyti.ms/1KMl2Il)

In its official pronouncements, &Pizza seems to be emphasizing its local leadership.  Last Thursday, June 4, representatives of &Pizza appeared before the ANC6B alcohol licensing committee to support &Pizza’s application for a liquor license for the Barracks Row &Pizza location, at 405 8th Street, SE, scheduled to open in early August.   When an attendee asked, “Where’s Steve?,” &Pizza’s legal representative Debbie Kaplan told the room that Salis had stepped down as CEO and Lastoria was the new CEO but that any agreements with respect to the operation of &Pizza on Barracks Row would be endorsed by Lastoria.

Until now, Salis has been the public face of &Pizza.  Salis first appeared before ANC6B in September, 2011 (http://bit.ly/1cChfBt), as a New York City entrepreneur who wanted to bring his vision for joining the fast casual dining experience to Barracks Row.  He had hoped to open his flagship restaurant on 8th Street, but retreated to H Street, NE, when delays in getting an exemption from the ban on fast food restaurants on 8th Street took longer than expected.

After opening several restaurants in the area, Salis and returned to his goal of having an &Pizza outlet on 8th Street and has been persistent in pursuing that goal since last March of last year (http://bit.ly/1iT6UPB).  After twice rejecting Salis’ request for a fast food exception, ANC6B finally endorsed the application after an agreement on how the restaurant would be operated was reached with the neighbors (http://bit.ly/WJQiUA).   At last Thursday night’s meeting, the committee agreed to recommend approval of the license application to the full ANC, on the condition that the license include the language previously negotiated between Salis and the neighbors regarding trash disposal, rodent control, noise mitigation and odor mitigation.

CHC asked Kaplan about the restructuring.  She said it was done to “address the different needs of the company.”  Asked what role Salis had after the restructuring, Kaplan replied, “Steve remains a significant investor.”

According to the Nation’s Restaurant News article, a board of directors with decades of experience in national and international retail and franchising has been assembled.  In addition to Beall, members of the Board are listed and described at the end of this piece.

Salis had never made any secret about his desire to establish a restaurant chain.  Few expected him to be able to do so this quickly.  Now with the new infusion of capital and a board of directors with decades of experience in national and international retail and franchising, it appears that &Pizza is on the brink of becoming a national – if not international – chain.

Should that come to pass, &Pizza will be the fifth chain food outlet in the 400 block of 8th –  a block that already supports Starbucks, Popeye’s, Chipotle, 7-11, Subway, and Baskin Robbins.  Potbelly is reportedly interested in opening a venue on the block and DC development company Streetsense is looking for a tenant for the former location of Craze Burger.

While the operating agreement attached to the liquor license provides some reassurance to neighbors, they are justifiably concerned about the general rule that chain restaurant outlets do not make good neighbors.  If and when problems arise, it is nearly impossible to bring pressure to bear against a distant corporate office that has little concern for quality of life in a community.

& Pizza’s Board of Directors, according to Nation’s Restaurant News:

Joe Farina, former partner at Fireman Capital Partners (private equity firm that invests in the consumer sector), former president of Genuity (a $2 Billion internet infrastructure company), former president of Lynch Interactive (a telecom holding company) and former corporation officer and president of various divisions of Verizon (lead Verizon expansion into Europe and Asia).

Edward Albertian, CEO of City Sports, Inc. (sporting goods retailer operating 27 stores over seven east coast states), former CEO of TNT Vacations (an vacation operator serving the New England market), former CEO of C&S Wholesale Grocers (largest wholesale grocery supply company in the US), former CEO at Star Markets (online food shopping), and current Board member of Streamline.com Inc., (international payment processing).

John Barton, operating partner with the investment firm LNK Partners (private equity investing in consumer/retail), former Executive Vice President of Real Estate for Staples (most recently managed Staples’ emerging markets of South America, China, Taiwan and India), and current member of the Board of Fitness Connection and an advisor to Au Bon Pain, current “Doman Expert” for Highland Consumer Partners (investment in growth-oriented consumer-facing businesses – including City Sports see Edward Albertian above) focusing on international operations, profit and loan management, franchising, and retail real estate development.

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HPRB Votes to Expand Capitol Hill Historic District Northward

HPRB Votes to Expand Capitol Hill Historic District Northward

by Larry Janezich

According to Mark Eckenwiler, Chair of ANC6C’s Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee, last Thursday, the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) voted unanimously to expand the Capitol Hill Historic District to the north.  The expansion includes a portion of a Capitol Hill community known in the late 19th Century as “Swampoodle” – which later became the home of Union Station and NoMa. The newly designated part of the Historic District lies within Eckenwiler’s single member district (SMD).

According to Wikipedia, the area received its name from a description in a newspaper report about the 1857 ground-breaking for St. Aloysius Church.  The reporter covering the event referred to the swampy character of the land and the puddles left when Tiber Creek overflowed.  An Irish community developed in the area in the late 1800s comprised of those fleeing the Irish potato famine.

The Capitol Hill Restoration Society has been actively supporting this expansion as part of its “Beyond the Boundaries” initiative.  (For a previous post on this initiative, see CHC posting here:  http://bit.ly/1JoEJHh)   In March of this year, CHRS joined ANC6C and Councilmember Allen in petitioning HPRB in support of the Swampoodle addition to the Capitol Hill Historic District.  CHRS has provided a map of the expansion, see here:  http://bit.ly/1HJF6b2

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Violent Crime the Focus of Special Hill East Meeting

Residents turn out for community crime meeting last night

Residents turn out for community crime meeting last night

MPD 1st District Commander Jeff Brown and Lt. James Dykes take residents' questions on crime

MPD 1st District Commander Jeff Brown and Lt. James Dykes take residents’ questions on crime.

Violent Crime the Focus of Special Hill East Meeting

Neighbors Turn Out to Discuss Crime Wave with Police Command

by Larry Janezich

Despite last night’s downpour, more than 50 Hill East residents showed up at St. Coletta’s for a community crime meeting with MPD 1st District Commander Jeff Brown and PSA 108’s Lt. James Dykes.

Also in attendance were most ANC6B Commissioners, and representatives of Mayor Bowser and Councilmember Allen.

The large turnout was motivated by concern over the recent spike in violent crime plaguing Hill East, from 9th to 19th Streets, SE, including Lincoln Park.  Generally, the focus of the meeting was a hot spot at 17th and Independence Avenue, and the rash of sneak assaults on pedestrians, sometimes with no intent to rob the victim.

Residents say much of the activity at 17th and Independence centers around a “nuisance residence,” which neighbors allege is a drug house and a magnet for rowdy teenagers.  Nearby, at 18th and Bay, there was a recent shooting of a teenager which police say involved another teenager from outside the community.  Police investigation has been hampered by the victim’s refusal cooperate regarding the identity of his assailant.  The police disavowed knowledge of any gang activity in the area.

The same general area was the scene of two violent muggings recently.  The wife of one of the victims of a mid-day mugging became emotional as she told police she was trying to make sense of the crime; another resident recounted how he was recently mugged at 8:00a.m.  Residents shared numerous stories and conveyed their growing anxiety and frustration over the rash of attacks.

Commander Brown told the victim’s wife she shouldn’t try to make sense of it because “there is no rhyme or reason” behind the crimes.  “There is no gang initiation” he said, citing a series of 7 different robberies and 9 assaults and adding that perpetrators set out specifically with the “intention of robbing or punching people with no reason behind it.”

Residents near 17th and Independence noted that, regardless of affiliation, they have seen the same “roving band of teenagers” around 17th and Independence that “we see all the time.”

Regarding the muggings and assaults – which Brown described and “hit and run” – Brown said that two different groups were responsible – one is comprised of juveniles, and the other an “older crowd in their mid-20s to early 30s.”

Asked what the strategy is for addressing the issues, Dykes said that part of the plan is targeted enforcement – “putting more officers in the area to focus on these guys.”  He said, “I believe it will cause this to stop.”

With respect to the nuisance residence, Brown said that if there is no criminal activity, there is not much police can do.  Dykes said, “We do what we can within the letter of the law, and admitted, after neighbors expressed disgust over police failing to search nearby bushes for illicit drugs stashed as soon as law enforcement appears,  “we could be doing a little more. We’ll do a little more.”  A longer term solution to the problem, Brown said, was demonstrating criminal activity at the residence and building a case to take to the Attorney General’s Office.  He said that this is a long process.  ANC6B Commissioner Denise Krepp, “What does the case look like now?”  Brown replied that the police don’t have any kind of case at present.

Neighbors also expressed their frustration that, after being encouraged to call 911, police in uniform knock on their door to discuss their report – in full view of other neighbors, including suspected wrongdoers.  Dykes said, “That shouldn’t happen,” and promised to discuss this kind of unintentional endangerment as his next roll call meeting.

An on-line petition urging the Mayor and Chief Lanier to devote more resources to fighting “this dramatic wave of crime” and concluding “we don’t want to be forced to leave the neighborhood and the city as a consequence” and signed by 319 residents was presented to a representative of the Mayor who attended the meeting.

ANC6B Commissioner Brian Flahaven who chairs the ANC’s Constituent Services and Community Outreach Task Force told those attending that the Task Force would discuss what the ANC can do regarding ways the ANC can weigh in with the city.  The next meeting of the Task Force will be on Thursday, June 11, at 7:00pm in Hill Center.

The community crime meeting was requested and organized by ANC6B10 Commissioner Denise Krepp.

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Demolition of Hine School Begins – Photo Essay

Demolition of Hine School Begins

by Larry Janezich

Just before 8:00am this morning, Clark Construction began razing the former Hine Jr. High School.  The construction schedule anticipates the completion of demolition by late June.  Excavation of the site will begin in July, with vertical construction beginning in November of this year.  Completion of the first phase – the South building residential units and retail space is expected in June 2017.

View of the razing of Hine Jr. High School, looking south.  June 2, 2015, circa 8:00am

View of the razing of Hine Jr. High School, looking south. June 2, 2015, circa 8:00am

.View of Hine Jr. High facing south.

.View of Hine Jr. High School facing south.

View of Hine Jr. High demolition, facing east.

View of Hine Jr. High School demolition, facing east.

View of demolition of Hine Jr. High School, facing east.

View of demolition of Hine Jr. High School, facing east.

View of demolition of Hine Jr. High School, facing east.

View of demolition of Hine Jr. High School, facing east.

View of demolition of Hine Jr. High School, facing southeast.

View of demolition of Hine Jr. High School, facing southeast.

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The Week Ahead…and Eastbanc’s Troubled Georgetown Luxury Condo Building

3303 Water Street, NW

3303 Water Street

Eastbanc’s Troubled Georgetown Luxury Condo Development

On Friday, Michael Niebauer, of the Washington Business Journal posted a story on the status of the lawsuit against Washington developer Anthony Lanier, his company – Eastbanc – and contractors involved in the construction of the Georgetown luxury condos at 3303 Water Street, NW.  The residents of the building filed suit in 2011, alleging shoddy construction resulting in “substantial risk to the health and safety of unit owners and residents.”  The link to the piece, titled “Repairs to EastBanc’s luxury 3303 Water St. complex forcing residents out – Washington Business Journal” is here:  http://bit.ly/1FNPgcL  Eastbanc is the developer of both the Hine school and the West End Library developments.

The Week Ahead…

by Larry Janezich

Monday, June 1

  1. Community Crime Meeting, 7:00pm, St. Coletta’s school, 1901 Independence Avenue, SE.

Commander Jeff Brown meets with residents regarding recent violent crime in Hill East.

  1. Capitol Hill Restoration Society Historic Preservation Committee meets at 6:30pm, Kirby House, 420 10th Street, SE.

Tuesday, June 2

  1. ANC6B Planning & Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm, at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Avenue SE.

Among items on the agenda:

801 North Carolina Ave SE, Christ Our Shepherd Church, replace bell tower.

148 11th Street SE, addition of rear carriage house.

816 Potomac Avenue SE, multiple public space issues including a driveway, sidewalks, bike racks, landscaping.

Wednesday, June 3

  1. ANC6B Transportation Committee meets at 7:00pm at Hill Center.

Among items on the agenda:

Discussion of Transportation Plan for July 4th RFK Stadium concert (Events DC).

MPD’s Red Light Camera decision making process (tentative).

  1. ANC 6C Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee meets at 7:00pm at Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, 700 Second Street, NE.

The agenda was not available at press time.

Thursday, June 4

  1. ANC6B ABC Committee meets at Hill Center.

Among items on the agenda:

Belga Café, 514 8th Street SE, substantial change to add summer garden with occupancy load of 34.

New liquor license for &pizza, 405 8th Street SE.

  1. ANC6C Transportation and Public Space Committee meets at 7:00 pm at the Kaiser Permanente Capitol Hill Medical Center, 700 Second Street, NE.

The agenda was not available at press time.

  1. PSA 107 meets at 7:00pm, Southeast Library, lower level. Lt. Eddie Fowler, MPD 1st District.
  2. Friends of Southeast Library meet at 5:30pm, Southeast Library, lower level.

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Playseum Closes – Retail Furniture Outlet Reportedly Will Move Into Space

Moving Sale

Moving Sale

Playseum Closes – Retail Furniture Outlet Reportedly Will Move Into Space

by Larry Janezich

Gina Seebachan, owner of Barracks Row’s Playseum, announced last week that the Playseum’s last day of business at the Capitol Hill location would be Saturday, May 30.  A source close to the landlord of 545 8th Street, SE, told Capitol Hill Corner that a retail furniture outlet will move into the space later this year.

Seebachan said that thus far, she has not found another location on Capitol Hill.  She said that everything from the Barracks Row location would be moved into storage today – Sunday – in hopes that a new community or a different landlord within DC will make space available within her budget.  She is also exploring opportunities to re-open in Annapolis, where she and her family live.

A letter to the community expressing thanks to the Capitol Hill community follows.

“The DC Playseum would like to thank the Capitol Hill Community for its support and patronage.  In our four short years on Capitol Hill families have visited Playseum one hundred fourteen thousand times.  We have watched many of your children grow, celebrated their  birthdays and contributed to multiple local private and public school functions.

When we opened in Capitol Hill July 2011, we were so thankful for the opportunity given to us by Paul Loukas, the landlord of 545 8th Street SE.  He has been a fabulous landlord. We are ever grateful for the chance to have made a mark of love, creativity and the use of imagination on South East DC.  There are few landlords in the DC area as kind and generous as he.  When no one else would give a mother of four a chance to dream and to build a haven for children and parents he did.  Unfortunately, at this time we will not be renewing our lease and May 30th is slated as our last day of operation in DC.  We also want to thank the Domino’s Pizza on M Street who has faithfully served our Birthday parties each weekend.

Many have asked if we are moving or closing. As of right now, no other spaces have opened their doors to us at a price point that we can afford, however we will keep looking. Meanwhile This Sunday, May 31st everything will be loaded into a moving truck and put into storage with hopes that a new community or a different landlord within DC will open their doors to the Playseum so that we can continue to serve children and help them grow by building quality memories with their parents.

With lots of love,

The Playseum”

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The Week Ahead…..And a Look at Bayou Bakery’s Regular Menu Available in June

Bayou Bakery at Hill Center expects to open for regular hours and expanded menu the first week of June.

Bayou Bakery at Hill Center expects to open for regular hours and expanded menu the first week of June.

Bayou Bakery's regular menu (see here: http://www.bayoubakerydc.com/menusdc) features a number of gluten free options.

Bayou Bakery’s regular menu (see here: http://www.bayoubakerydc.com/menusdc) features a number of gluten free bakery options.

The Week Ahead…

By Larry Janezich

Tuesday, May 26

ANC6B Executive Committee meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center to set the agenda for the June 9 meeting of the ANC.

Wednesday, May 27

The Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meets at 7:00pm in Eastern Market’s North Hall.

Thursday, May 27

ANC6B09  Commissioner Brian Flahaven will hold a Neighborhood Town Hall Meeting at Congressional Cemetery Chapel.  Flahaven will update the community on the latest information on development plans for Reservation 13 and the Barney Circle-SE Boulevard Project.  Representatives from both the Goldstar Group and NOVO Development will be in attendance to provide updates and answer questions on the 1500 and 1600 Penn Ave. residential projects. Washington Gas will also provide an update on their ongoing pipe replacement work along 17th and D Streets SE.

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House Extends Deadline for​ Swamp Fox Memorial in $612 Billion Defense Authorization​ ​Bill

1903 Map of Area Around Marion Park

1903 Map of Area Around Marion Park

House Extends Deadline for​ Swamp Fox Memorial in $612 Billion Defense Authorization​ ​Bill

A Lesson in How Congress Works

by Larry Janezich

Last Friday, the House of Representatives passed the $612 billion Defense Authorization Bill by a vote of 269-151.  In doing so, because of a “rider” placed in the bill, ​the House ​simultaneously ​reauthorized the National Park Service to continue efforts to place a memorial for South Carolina’s Revolutionary War General Francis Marion in the District of Columbia​.  The NPS seems to have set its sights on Marion Park on Capitol Hill.

As reported on this blog (here http://bit.ly/1vx3Uhj and here http://bit.ly/1D1W1XE ), the controversial memorial had stalled for lack of sufficient fundraising and in the face of Capitol Hill resident opposition when authority for the project expired earlier this month.

A bill to reauthorize for three years the effort to memorialize Francis Marion was introduced in the House by Rep. Joe Wilson on January 22, 2015.  The bill was referred to House Committee on Natural Resources on January 22, 2015 and then referred to the Subcommittee on Federal Lands on March 2, 2015.

When members of congress wish to expedite passage of a favored (and more recently, controversial) ​pet project, they look for a veto proof vehicle to which to attach it.  As it happens, Joe Wilson is the fifth ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, and a former aide to South Carolina’s best-known congressman, Floyd Spence, who chaired the Armed Services Committee from 1995 to 2001.

How ”riders” become attached to budget appropriations is a mysterious process, sometimes attached by a committee member during the “mark up” of the final version of the bill in committee – and sometimes inserted by staff in the drafting of the final version.  That the reauthorization has nothing to do with Defense Authorization speaks to the practice of “log rolling” – accommodating the wishes of another member in return for a similar accommodation.   ​A​s ​​riders​ in large and complex bills​, these provisions ​often ​sail through House Floor consideration and final passage unremarked upon, and unnoticed. ​ ​

On the Senate side, the Senate Armed Services Committee agreed upon its final version of the Defense Authorization Bill last Friday – it does not appear to contain the Marion ​reauthorization language.  The bill is likely to come to the Senate floor in early June.  After the Senate passes its version of the bill, a compromise will be worked out in a conference between the Senate and House.  Items may fall away in that process, depending on the degree of opposition brought by the opposite body’s representatives.  It would seem there is little incentive for members of the Senate to oppose the reauthorization, and Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee from which the conferees will be drawn.

Yesterday, Capitol Hill Corner asked the House Committee on Natural Resources spokesperson about the status of the Swamp Fox memorial reauthorization, and received the following reply:  “It is part of National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) right now. We don’t know what the current state of it will be but if it is stripped out we will revisit it as a Committee again. The entire South Caroline delegation supports the provision.”

The members of the South Carolina delegations are as follows: Jim Clyburn (D) (6th district), Jeff Duncan (R) (3rd district), Trey Gowdy (R) (4th district), Mick Mulvaney (R) (5th district), Tom Rice (R) (7th district), Mark Sanford (R) (1st district), Joe Wilson (R) (2nd district).

Next:  Another Slap in the Face for DC Home Rule

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The Week Ahead…

Apoptosis - Works by Peter Krsko will be on view at The Fridge, 516 8th Street, SE, Rear Alley, until June 6.

Apoptosis – Works by Peter Krsko will be on view at The Fridge, 516 8th Street, SE, Rear Alley, until June 6.

The Week Ahead…

by Larry Janezich

Monday, May 18

(Note: ANC6A Transportation and Public Space Committee meeting has been cancelled.)

1.  ANC 6A Community Outreach Committee meets at 7:00pm in Maury Elementary School.

Among items on the agenda:

Grant Application Revision and Grant Outreach Plan and Implementation Strategy

Tuesday, May 19

1.  ANC6A Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee meets at 7:00pm at Sherwood Recreation Center, 10th and G Streets, NE.

Among items on the agenda:

Discussion of license renewal for New H Wine and Spirits at 914 H Street, NE.

Discussion of license renewal for New York Liquors at 1447 Maryland Avenue, NE.

2.  Capitol Hill Restoration Society Board of Directors meets at 6:30pm at Capitol Hill Townhomes, 750 6th Street, SE.

Wednesday, May 20

1.  ANC6A Economic Development & Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm, Sherwood Recreation Center, 640 10th Street, NE.

Among items on the agenda:

Request for zoning relief re off street parking, roof structure requirements, and overlay requirements to allow construction of a new four-story, mixed-use building with ground floor retail containing 36 residential units at 1300 H Street, NE, (old RL Christian site).

Request for zoning relief from parking minimums to allow housing of a medical office at 702 15th Street, NE, the building that most recently housed the Options Public Charter Academy.

Councilmember Allen hosts H Street Community Office hours on 5:30-7:00 pm at Smith Commons 1245 H Street, NE.

Thursday, May 21

1.  ANC6B’s Hill East Task Force will hold a meeting from 6:30-8:00pm at St. Coletta of Greater Washington, 1901 Independence Ave, SE. Topics include a discussion on crime and public safety in the neighborhood with PSA 108 Lt. James Dykes and an update from Donatelli Development on plans for Hill East/Reservation 13.

2. Councilmember Allen will discuss his plan for adding more trees and greenspace to Ward 6.  6:00-8:30pm, Westminster Presbyterian Churcn, 400 I Street, SW.

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