Author Archives: ljjanezich

The Quiet Week Ahead…& Some Photos from Last Week

by Larry Janezich

The Quiet Week Ahead…

Monday, April 20

ANC6A Transportation & Public Space Committee meeting CANCELLED 

Next meeting: 3rd Monday, May 18, 7:00 p.m. Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G Street, NE.

Tuesday, April 21

ANC6A Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee meeting CANCELLED 

Next meeting: 3rd Monday, May 19, 7:00 p.m, Sherwood Recreation Center, Corner of 10th and G Street, NE.

Here Are the Obstacles Small Businesses Say They Face In Reopening After Covid-19

by Larry Janezich

Over the past two weeks, CM Charles Allen has repeatedly warned that economic recovery from COVID-19 will take several years and that a lot of Capitol Hill’s small businesses and restaurants may not be able to reopen once the crisis is past.

CHC asked several local business stakeholders to explain why reopening will be so difficult.

Julie Aaronson, Executive Director of CHAMPS says, “In general, most long term contracts still need to be paid regardless of whether or not the business is operating. While rent is usually the largest monthly expense, several others exist. For example, IT contracts, trash and sanitation, payroll fees, credit card processing fees & other bank charges, utilities, etc.  Even if late fees are forgiven, the debts will still pile up making bankruptcy the only viable option for many businesses.

Many of the small businesses on Capitol Hill (especially restaurants) rely on discretionary spending. If higher income individuals begin losing income then they will necessarily decrease spending. Unfortunately, it’s not easy for many businesses to “scale down” to a lower price point. That part of the market is already filled by chain restaurants or big box retailers.”

Martin Smith, Executive Director of Barracks Row Main Street (BRMS), agrees with Allen and says, “We really need a stronger federal response – the Paycheck Protection Program and Small Business Administration assistance are mini steps in the right direction but it’s assistance that comes as the result of the federal government’s ability to engage in deficit spending – an option that states and local government don’t have.  The city will not be able to do enough – they can waive penalties for late taxes, but I don’t know how much more the city can do.”  Asked whether BRMS could use the $500,000 grant it received from DCCD to assist its 168 businesses, Smith said those funds are designated by the agency for façade improvement and BRMS has no discretion to repurpose them – he said he would love to, but thinks it unlikely.  Asked if it were possible to repurpose funds from the city’s $150,000 annual grant to Main Street organizations, Smith said that a significant amount of those funds have either been spent or committed during the first half of the year.

Charles McCaffrey, Executive Director of Eastern Market Main Street, said most small businesses operate on a 3.5- 5% profit margin, and that’s based on a 75% capacity.  With any reduced capacity, the loss of revenue is significant.  He says, “Our MainStreets have already seen a decline in business as competitors – the Navy Yard, the Wharf, Union Market – have emerged, and that has resulted in a decline in revenues.  Then add the virus, and for some businesses it’s going to be devastating.  As people focus on essentials – food, rent, and healthcare – they are not focused on restaurants and retail consumption.  Once you get to the point where you can reopen but income hasn’t been coming in, if too much debt has stacked up, businesses may see no sense in reopening if all they will do for the next 3 – 5 years is repay debt.”  McCaffrey has urged his members to apply for everything available in the form of city and federal government assistance.

There was funding available for small businesses from the city and the federal government, but those pools of assistance have dried up, and so far, few if any of the grants and loans have been distributed.  Those governments have blamed the overwhelming demand and a clunky distribution system for the slow response.

The city council passed Emergency Legislation to address COVID 19 in March.  Among the provisions was a $25 million public health emergency grant program to assist businesses with fewer than 500 employees who have suffered because of the health crisis.  Applications were overwhelming and the application process closed the first week of April.  CM Chares Allen says the office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) is processing applications and preparing to announce awards later this month.  The legislation also provided for mortgage and rent payment deferral for up to 90 days without penalty, as well as a freeze in all rent increases.

On Friday, Mayor Bowser was asked about pressure from a group of business owners for additional relief for small businesses.  Bowser said that in light of a projected $600 million shortfall in revenues for the current fiscal year, she could “not make any commitment for any other relief at this time.”

The two sources of small business assistance from the federal government have also been tapped out.  The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) $349 billion Pay Protection Program (PPP) established by the Congressional CARE Act – passed last month in response to the health crisis – ran out of money on Thursday.  It provides loans to small businesses at 1% which are forgivable if the money is used for payroll expenses. That program was administered through banks, some of which accepted applications only from current customers.  An additional $250 billion refunding of the program is stalled in Congress.

The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EDIL) providing loans and grants on a first come first served basis is also out of funds. The CARE Act provided $10 billion in grant money and was quickly overwhelmed by 3 million applications.

Congressional Democrats want an agreement on an additional $50 billion in funds for the EIDL loan program and $15 billion for grants, as well as additional aid for hospitals before they sign off on the administration’s request for the $250 billion in additional funds for the Paycheck Payment Program.  Negotiations are continuing over the weekend and an agreement could be reached this week.  It is likely that substantially more funding will be necessary.

Aaronson says that a number of CHAMPS members have applied for the DC grants and SBA EIDL and PPP funding, but she is not aware of any who have received checks.  She said, “While the money may be in the pipeline, it is needed as quickly as possible…. Some businesses saw a decline even before the shutdown order, so they are operating on 6 weeks or longer of reduced/no sales and income. They are anxious about how to pay bills, how to help their employees, and how to plan when we do not yet have a sense of when or how we can reopen safely.”

Additionally, she said, some businesses have expressed concern about how to pay next month’s rent, and while they are hopeful their landlords will take advantage of the mortgage deferment that was included in the Council’s emergency legislation, there’s no guarantee landlords will pursue or qualify for the deferment.

According to one source, most small restaurants operate on thin margins with substantial fixed expenses with lots of perishable inventory.  A retail store with a 5000 square foot store might have $20,000 a month expenses and 10 employees but a restaurant with 5000 square feet will likely have $200,000 expenses and 50 employees.

The source said that the PPP requires a restaurant to hire the same amount of staff before the forced closures and it will cover salaries for approximately 2 months – but a restaurant full of employees but no customers is pointless and the restaurant will still end up closed.  In addition, Unemployment Insurance provides [$440 for 39 weeks plus $600 for 13 weeks for those who lost jobs because of the health crisis] – more than some employees made before closures.  It’s going to be hard to hire those people back.

The source says, “Even when government says we can reopen, demand won’t be like before especially without a vaccine or the like.”

Washingtonian Magazine has a piece – How to Help Struggling DC-Area Restaurant and Bar Workers here: https://bit.ly/3ezdAG9

Eastern Market Main Street created a Go Fund Me campaign to raise fund to help the small businesses of their Main Street here:  https://bit.ly/2wVWNw4

ANC6B Supports Resurrection of Huge Mixed Use Project on M Street SE – 900 Units & Retail

by Larry Janezich

Tuesday night, ANC6B voted to support Felice Development Group’s resurrection of a dormant residential/retail project on the banks of the Anacostia River near Boat House Row.  The 6 – 0 – 2  vote was to support of the developer’s plan to ask the DC Zoning commission to initiate  the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process for the project.  The Zoning Commission has scheduled that meeting for later this month.  (Developers of a PUD project apply to the Zoning Commission for a change in zoning that would allow greater density, height, and mass than the current zoning for the site would allow.  If approved, it is usually with a package of benefits or amenities for the community, provided by the developer.)

A similar project, introduced in 2015 by developer Crescent Heights, was deferred in 2017,“stymied by overdevelopment” according to the developer, who at the time sought and received at two year extension of the PUD.  http://bit.ly/2kTQKxy

According to a representative of GTM Architects, the revival of the 2015 – 2017 project is similar to that plan but with an improved design and development (and 1/3 larger) program.

The new plan anticipates three buildings – two of the larger buildings – each 13 stories and 130 feet tall, will be connected by a bridge.  The smaller third building will stand alone with nine stories at 92 feet tall.

The total project will amount to 791,000 square feet, with 900 residential units and two levels of below grade parking.  Ten percent of the units will be affordable – 2% more than is required under Inclusionary Zoning requirements.

The project will provide 45,000 square feet of retail space, with ground floor retail facing M Street.  A 25 foot slope of the site toward the river will afford two levels on retail on that side.  According to Biz Now, the developer will fill much of the retail space with a food hall.

ANC6B Commissioner and Chair of the ANC’s Planning and Zoning Committee Corey Holman said that the ANC would appoint a working group to discuss community benefits and amenities, as the project moves forward.  Holman noted that the buildings will change the present view-scape dramatically and raises questions about that value to the community.  He said the Planning and Zoning Committee would solicit the input of constituents on benefits, as well as on how a Memorandum of Understanding regarding construction mitigation should be structured. He also said his Committee wants to see additional renderings of the view from L Street and from the river and the south side of the river, as well as shadow studies.

A company representative cited a number of “community benefits” which the project will provide by developing beyond what the department of transportation requires in terms of infrastructure improvements.  She noted that providing 2% more affordable housing than the 8% requirement was also a public benefit.

 

Eastern Market Farmers Line to Re-open Tuesday & New Hours for Inside Merchants

by Larry Janezich

DGS announced this afternoon that the Eastern Market Farmers Market has been granted a waiver to re-open.  Both the farmers line and the inside merchants will operate with shorter hours during the COVID-19 crisis.

For the Farmers Market:

Tuesdays: 12:00pm to 4:00pm

Saturdays and Sundays: 9:00am to 1:00pm

For the Indoor Merchants

Tuesday – Sunday: 9:00am to 5:00pm

To ensure everyone’s safety, customers will be required to follow social distancing regulations:

Per Mayor’s Order 2020-058 issued on April 8, 2020:

ALL CUSTOMERS MUST:

• Wear a face covering.
• Avoid entering the Farmers’ Market if you are feeling sick.
• Maintain six (6) feet of distance from each person who is not part of your household. Households should have no more than one or two people in their shopping group.
• Cough or sneeze away from people and into a tissue or your elbow or sleeve and immediately dispose of tissues in a safe manner.
• Do not shake hands or engage in any other physical contact.
• Do not eat any food you purchased while in the market space.
• Wash your produce and wipe down any packaging with a disinfectant when you get home.
• Keep your market visit simple and short; buy what you need and do not linger, socialize, or congregate in the market space.
• No browsing or entering market tents! Stay focused on buying what you need — aim to get in and out of the market in under 30 minutes.
• Leave your dogs, children, and senior family members at home.

The Week Ahead… CM Charles Allen Continues Updating ANC Virtual Meetings on CORVID-19

Monday, April 13, 2020

ANC6D meets at 7:00pm.  This meeting will be a Webex virtual meeting.

Details for ANC 6D Virtual Meetings will be provided on this page. http://www.anc6d.org/virtualmeeting/

The hyperlink to connect to the meeting and call-in information will be provided below on the day of the meeting. You will be able to enter the meeting no earlier than 15 minutes prior to its scheduled start time. There is a call-in option for those who prefer to listen via phone.

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentation:  CM Charles Allen – update on COVID – 19.

Public Safety Report:  1^st District MPD, Lt. Donigian

La Famosa, 1300 4^th Street, SE – application for a new class C restaurant liquor license.

Colada, 10 Pearl Street, SW – application for a new class C restaurant liquor license.

1900 Half Street, SW – Zoning Application for a modification of design review.

Report on DC Central Kitchen/Riverpoint.

Proposal to strengthen guidelines for work on construction sites during COVID-19 pandemic.

Request for five month relocation of Unity SW Health Clinic.

Tuesday, April 14

ANC 6B will meet at 7:00pm.  This meeting will be a Webex virtual meeting.  Below is the link & Call-In number to join this public meeting.

Meeting Link:

https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=m0382991b034b966a7cab4419c2925854

Join by video system:

Dial 477941435@dcnet.webex.com

You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.

Join by phone:

1-650-479-3208 Call-in number (US/Canada)

Access code: 477 941 435

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentations – Councilmember Charles Allen – Update on COVID-19

The Roost – 1401 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE – application for a class C restaurant license.  Establishment will be a restaurant offering multiple food vendors. Seating Capacity of 415inside and a Total Occupancy Load of 480. Sidewalk Café with a Total Occupancy Load of 118. Request to add an Entertainment Endorsement indoors and outdoors. Hours of Operation for Inside of The Premises and For the Sidewalk Café: Sunday through Thursday 7am–2am, Friday and Saturday 7am –3amHours of Alcoholic Beverage Sales, Service, And Consumption Inside of The Premises and For the Sidewalk Café: Sunday through Thursday 8am–2am, Friday and Saturday 8am –3amHours of Live Entertainment Inside of The Premises and For the Sidewalk Café: Sunday through Thursday 8am–2am, Friday and Saturday8am –3am

Finn McCools, 713 8^th Street, SE – Change in liquor license request to install three Dragon’s Ascent electronic games of skill machines.

Lola’s, 711 8th Street, SE – Substantial Change request to install three Dragon’s Ascent electronic games of skill machines.

The Brig, 1007 8th Street, SE – Substantial Change request to install three Dragon’s Ascent electronic games of skill machines.

1333 M Street, SE – Zoning application, 1st-Stage & Consolidated PUDs & Related Map Amendment from PDR-4 zone to MU-9 zone.

DDOT Notice of Intent for E Street SE Bike Lane.

Notice of Intent for Temporary Pick Up Drop Off Zones for ANC 6B for 501 8th Street, SE and 655 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.

Review of request for Traffic Hump on 600 block of D Street, SE.

Letter to DDOT on request for traffic calming measures on 11th Street, SE, at the junction of I-695.

Wednesday, April 15

ANC6A Economic Development & Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm.

Webex Event

A link to the virtual meeting is provided on the ANC6A webpage, here:

https://anc6a.org/wp-content/uploads/EDZA0420.pdf

Among items on the draft agenda:

429 18th Place, NE – Informational discussion

909 and 911 I Street, NE – Zoning application for special exceptions for a special exception under the penthouse height requirements and to permit a trellis that does not conformwith the side building wall setbacks, to construct two three-story buildings with penthouses in the RF-1 Zone.

 

Other News, courtesy of ANC6B Commissioner Kelly Waud:

Food Insecurity:

If you know anyone who is experiencing food insecurity, please share:

DC Central Kitchen, Martha’s Table & World Central Kitchen are providing free lunch & groceries starting at noon @ THEARC located at 1801 Mississippi Ave SE. See below for a schedule:

DC Central Kitchen providing FREE lunches for children 19 & younger Monday – Saturday from 12 noon – 3 pm

Martha’s Table providing FREE grocery bags on Wednesdays from 12:30 – 3 pm

World Central Kitchen providng FREE hot lunches Tuesday – Thursday from 12:30 – 3 pm

Solid Waste Management:

Trash and recycling collection will continue as scheduled.

Residential mowing continues but may be delayed. (NOTE: I have submitted requests for mowing for the lot at 13th and Potomac and the park across the way).

All resident solid waste drop-offs, including hazardous waste and e-cycling, are suspended.

Parking Enforcement:

Ticketing for safety violations (e.g., blocking a fire hydrant) continues.

The following ticketing is suspended:

Emergency no parking violations (vehicles will be relocated without charge and will not be ticketed)

Expired district license plates and inspection stickers

Expired residential parking permits

Expired meters

Vehicle booting and towing is suspended.

Eastern Market Outdoor Farmer’s Line Closed Until Waiver to Operate Is Granted – New Rules Govern Access to Inside Merchants

by Larry Janezich

Today, Eastern Market Farmers received the notification below from the Chief Operating Officer of the Department of General Services – ten hours before the Saturday morning market setup.  On yesterday, Eastern Market management imposed strict rules implementing the Mayor’s order governing access to food markets.  Only one door on the north end of the market may be used for access, customers are required to wear masks, only 11 customers are permitted in the market at a time, and foot traffic in the market is limited to one direction – north to south.

 

 

CM Charles Allen Tells ANC6A Recovery Will Take Several Years – and Situation at DC Jail

by Larry Janezich

Charles Allen participated in ANC6A’s virtual April meeting last night.  He plans on doing the same for other ANC’s this month, to talk about the city’s strategy for dealing with day to day crisis management re COVID-19.

In his update for the commission, he said he participates daily in a conference call with the Mayor, the City Council, and city administrators.  Right now, the city is focused on trying to get out money as fast as we can to the 56,000 people who filed from unemployment insurance.  He called the figure “astronomical” and noted that although the city has a strong trust fund, but “we need to look at the recovery to sustain it.”

Recovery will not be easy, and Allen says that the virus has been like a “wrecking ball through the economy.  Tens and tens of thousands have lost jobs and there will be local business which will never reopen.  We are looking at several years for recovery.”  The budget will take a massive hit, and tough decisions lie ahead.  He said we have to urgently pursue what the recovery will look like while we still have the ability to minimize the impact, and that he would like to have “something rosy to focus on, but it’s hard right now”.  In addition, he said, everyday we are undermined by the federal government – we’ve received one-half of 1% of what we asked for from the strategic stockpile and we’re treated as a territory instead of a state for purposes of federal financial relief, receiving a fraction of what we would have otherwise been entitled.  The city is working with Congress to rectify the latter in upcoming legislation.

Allen said that the Mayor has appointed a recovery team working under DMPED to plan the process.  Allen is participating in the planning, especially on education and transportation recovery. As the process unfolds, he anticipates public participation in the form of town hall meetings for the solicitation of ideas and feedback. He said recovery “will require big thoughts and sacrifices.  We’re not going to see mass service cuts right now – there are lots of people in need –  but we’re still examining how deep and wide the pain is going to be before we get out of it.”

Allen took questions from on-line commissioners and participants, many of which concerned issues reported on this blog in a report covering Allen’s virtual Town Hall meeting earlier this week.

An issue which Allen expanded on more thoroughly than in the Town hall was the situation at DC Jail.  As of Wednesday, there were 41 positive cases at the jail.  Allen says he talks to the Director of the Department of Corrections on a daily basis about the situation.  He says that there are three approaches being taken to control the spread of the virus.  1) aggressive screening and quarantining – medical isolation, 2) reducing the number of people in the jail by having MPD cite and release with a summons to reappear instead of incarceration, and 3) early release for good time credits and compassionate reasons, while making sure those released get access to housing and healthcare.

CM Charles Allen Hosts Virtual Town Hall Meeting Last Night – The Virus Peak and Its Aftermath

by Larry Janezich

Charles Allen held a virtual town hall meeting last night to engage Ward 6 residents on the unprecedented healthcare crisis afflicting the city.

Allen emphasized the importance of the stay-at-home order, reviewed the recent work of the city Council in passing two bills to address the crisis, and said there were more to come. The Council’s priorities are increasing access to unemployment insurance, providing funds to help small businesses, freezing rent increases for commercial and residential tenants, and effecting a 90 day deferral of mortgage payments with the intention that building owners will pass on the benefit to tenants in the form of rent deferral. Allen anticipates repayment plans of five years for mortgage deferrals and 18 months for renters. He said there would be a huge economic impact from the crisis and recovery would take several years.

Questions from Ward 6 residents elicited the following information:

• The Peak and aftermath: Allen says we don’t know exactly when we’ll peak. The current model being used by the Mayor projects a peak based on how well or badly residents practice social distancing, the rate of testing, and the rate of increase of positive cases. As of now, the peak is estimated to hit in mid-June – early-July, but with new information coming in everyday, the model will fluctuate. Allen said, “Were in this for the long haul – not a couple of weeks but several months. When a vaccine is not going to be produced until March or April of 2021, were not going to be able to flip a switch and have things come back to normal. Some element of social distancing will have to stay in effect until there is mass production of vaccine.” He added, “When the Mayor announced the number of 93,000 infection over this year – which is about 10% to 15% of the DC population – that is not enough from a public health standpoint to provide herd immunity – that is, having enough people having exposure to either build up antibodies…. So, we’ll be concerned when we come out of the peak about whether we have to watch for another peak coming.” [Herd immunity occurs when so many people have antibodies that those who have not been infected are too few for the spread of the virus to be sustained.]
• Racial disparity in the numbers of infection: Allen cited the high number of African-Americans who have tested positive and said that was rooted in a long time disparity and inequality that exists in housing, education, and healthcare. He noted the high maternal mortality in African-American mothers and said it was “because we have a broken health care system which allowed perpetuation of racial disparity to take place – layered discrimination in housing, employment, and education. These inequities have been allowed to exist for a long time, and that’s how it plays out.“ Allen said, “We have a lot of work to do not just here and now but in the entire city in all different aspects.”
• The higher rate of infection in Ward 6: Allen cited two reasons, 1) there are 15,000 more people in Ward 6 than any other Ward, and 2) residents in Ward 6 on average have better access to health care, testing, and diagnosis than some other wards. Overall, he said, the percentage the population infected is in line with other wards.
• Extension of school closure and social distancing/unessential business orders: Allen said it is reasonable to expect that the Mayor will extend the order on schools, social distancing, and unessential businesses until mid-June.
• Recovery plan: There is no formal recovery plan yet and we are nowhere near the apex. DC is in a far better place that most cities and states. We’ll take a big hit. Sales tax revenue and income tax revenue are down and that will have an impact on the budget.

Other issues:

• Elections: The city will aggressively promote a mail and ballot option – will mail out a request for to every registered voter, reach out online, and open 20 in-person sites for early voting.
• Construction workers: Workers not following social distancing guidelines is a major concern of every councilmember. When we see it we contact DCRA inspectors.
• Crime: The city is not seeing an increase in crime. Burglaries are down but homicides are on pace. Almost all homicides are conflict driven and occur between individuals who know each other.
• Enforcement of social distancing: MPD has enforcement abilities regarding social distancing, but the city doesn’t want that to result in criminal consequences. The emphasis is on increasing awareness of public health and safety. In some social gathering hotspots, responders from the DPR Roving Leaders Program and the Violence Intervention Program are used as messengers to increase public awareness.
• Closing of Streets: We should look at temporary closing of streets in residential blocks for public recreation. Ward 6 has dense and compact neighborhoods. Closing streets to add public space makes sense. The Mayor is concerned about unintended consequences [festivals] but Allen thinks we can do it.

The Week Ahead…and Photos of Union Station Last Monday Afternoon

Thursday, April 9

The Week Ahead…

ANC 6A will conduct a Teleconference via WebEx  at 7:00pm. 

https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/j.php?MTID=m241d9d82f599fe4227a11fdd8e489352

NOTE: This meeting will be conducted virtually.  Call-in information appears below and under Community Calendar at anc6a.org.

Call-in Number: 202-860-2110

Meeting number (access code): 477 294 397

For those attending via WebEx: use this link:

https://dcnet.webex.com/dcnet/onstage/g.php?MTID=e80e517883d6e21c40f75f0a26a583b82

The agenda package has been posted to the ANC’s website at https://anc6a.org/wp-content/uploads/ANCP0420.pdf.

Among items on the draft agenda:

Presentation:  Jeff Marootian, Director, District Department of Transportation (DDOT)

Mozzeria Restaurant, 1300 H Street, SE, application for a new Retailer’s Class “C” liquor license.

Letter of support to encourage DGS/DCPS to select a field configuration for Eliot-Hine Middle School that reduces on-site parking in exchange for building athletic fields that allow for on-site hosting of sport activities.

Letter of support to DDOT for Councilmember Charles Allen’s proposal requesting COVID-19 related street closures to allow for safe use by pedestrians and cyclists.

 

NOTE:  Eastern Market Main Street created a Go Fund Me campaign to raise fund to help the small businesses of our Main Street.

Here is the link to the Go fund me page: https://charity.gofundme.com/o/en/campaign/emms-emergency-small-business-support-fund?utm_campaign=oc&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=crowdrise&fbclid=IwAR1dkTbmQTaR86nWAei518YvrrKvBrOBymea5vln7Tcuy1cHGN5zRLyIvSo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a Capitol Hill Coronavirus Update for Some More Food and  Retail Venues

by Larry Janezich