Ginza Karaoke opens this week. The so-far unmarked entrance to Ginza Karaoke and Barbeque Lounge is situated between Bitter Grace and Bombay Street Food on Barracks Row at 526 8th Street. Eat DC reports the entertainment/restaurant venue is hosting a soft opening at 6:00pm on Thursday, November 16th. The Japanese BBQ restaurant ill be on the roof top while the karaoke will be confined to the second floor where there will be 8 private rooms and a dance floor. Total capacity is set at 157 people plus 49 at the rooftop restaurant.
Here’s a shot of the glittery fun-promising view you see as you step inside Ginza.
Wednesday night, ANC6B met under the gavel of newly elected Vice Chair, Commissioner Jennifer Samolyk, who stepped up to the leadership to fill the seat left vacant when former Vice Chair Alison Horn resigned from the ANC because of relocation. The committee voted to send letters to DDOT regarding their concerns about the 30% design for the I-695 11th Street Off-Ramp and giving the ANC’s conditional support of a plan for an Open Street Event on 8th Street SE/NE listing numerous potential issues.
Also from the Wednesday night ANC6B meeting, a Navy Yard Land Swap: The Navy Yard, citing security concerns, wants to swap land on their east end (yellow) to a developer who has the rights to develop Federal Center land on M Street (blue). This is an image of the plan the Navy prefers. The proposed use of the land on M Street (blue) would be to site a new Naval Museum. The proposed use of the east end of the Navy Yard (yellow) would potentially be 2 million s.f. of residential, retail, office and parking. There will be community meetings next week on the Environmental Impact Study to receive comments. See below, Tuesday and Wednesday.
807 Maine Avenue, SW. ANC6D held a Special Meeting last Thursday, chaired by Commissioner Edward Daniels, and continued to hold Mill Creek Development’s feet to the fire, listing the community benefits the ANC wants in exchange for their conditional support of the residential/retail development at 807 Maine Avenue, SW.
A commitment to provide 42 below market rate units (27 proffered by the developer at 50/60% AMI) plus 27 units at 60/80% equally divided.
Reduced FAR Floor Area Ratio
Not to be construed as altering Small Area Plan in SW or elsewhere in DC
Financial support of $150,000 in supplemental educational activites to PTO of Jefferson Academy Middle School
$100,000 equally divided between PTOs of Amidon-Bowen Elementary School and Richard Wright Public Charter School
$75,000 for public art under direction of minority and women owned business in consultation with group to be selected by the ANC.
Approved construction management plan and a plan for dog waste management stations
ANC6A, chaired by Commissioner Amber Gove, met last Thursday night and announced an ANC6A Multi-Agency Community Outreach Walk on WEDNESDAY November 16: Meet at 9:30am, 600 8th Street, NE. Presumably this will include MPD and DOH and DPW as well as representatives from the Mayor’s office.
Not available at press time. (6D – less transparent than other ANCs in Ward 6, does not release its agenda early)
Tuesday, November 15
Virtual Community Meeting on Navy Yard Land Swap: 6:00pm – 7:00pm. The Navy Yard hosts the first of two virtual meetings to receive verbal comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Study of land transfers at Washington Navy Yard. The Concept plan is to create potential for 2 million square feet of residential, retail, office, and parking use ~1300 at 11th and O Street SE (Background Info and how to join the meeting here: EIS: https://ndw.cnic.navy.mil/WNY-Land-Acquisition/1/
Wednesday, November 16
ANC6A Economic Development and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
1717 E Street, NE. Zoning Adjustment Application. Request for Special Exception zoning relief to construct two new, semi-detached, four-story, 4-unit, apartment houses.
1022 Maryland Avenue, NE. Zoning Adjustment Application. Request for Special Exception zoning relief to permit a Health care facility for up to 15 persons in an existing, three-story detached building.
ANC6A Multi-Agency Community Outreach Walk: Meet at 9:30am, 600 8th Street, NE.
Virtual community Meeting on Navy Yard Land Swap: 1:00pm – 2:00pm. The Navy Yard hosts the second of two virtual meetings to receive verbal comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Study of land transfers at Washington Navy Yard. The Concept plan is to create potential for 2 million square feet of residential, retail, office, and parking use ~1300 at 11th and O Street, SE. Background Info and how to join the meeting here: EIS: https://ndw.cnic.navy.mil/WNY-Land-Acquisition/1/
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The Peter Bug Shoe Academy at 1320 E Street, SE. In the background, the former Buchanan School, now the Buchanan Condos. The large stele on the left – a public art project – is the last of three sculptures remaining on the site after the renovation of the school’s plaza and playground in 1968.
This 15 foot concrete public art stele created by sculptor William Tarr is one of three pieces commissioned for the site. The piece is patterned with geometrical shapes and symbols and is slowly disintegrating from abrasions of weather and time.
A former sunken basketball court was part of the renovation of Buchanan’s Plaza/Playground in 1968. Today it’s overseen by the Peter Bug Academy and used for local performances and community festivals.
Lady Bird Johnson, Buchanan School & Peter Bug Matthews
by Larry Janezich
Posted November 12, 2022
After the 1968 reality of Lady Bird Johnson’s beautification of the playground at Buchanan School faltered in the 1970s, Capitol Hill resident Peter Bug Matthews picked up the pieces and founded the Peter Bug Shoe Academy. Now it’s on the way to being designated as a DC Historic Landmark.
Last Tuesday night, ANC6B voted unanimously to support the designation of the Peter Bug Shoe Academy as a DC Historic Landmark. Earlier this month, Todd Jones of the DC Historic Preservation Office presented the nomination to the ANC’s Planning and Zoning Committee which recommended the nomination to the full ANC. Mr. Matthews initiated the proceedings for the designation, filing a petition and application with the Historic Preservation Office. (For more on the process, see below.)
The site’s history dates to the mid-1960s and Lady Bird Johnson’s Beautification Project which had made addressing urban decay part of its mission. DC became a “template city” according to Jones in his remarks to the Committee.
Buchanan School was built in 1895 but by the 1960’s the school, playground and plaza had become dilapidated and rundown. Under the First Lady’s Beautification Project, federal assistance provided $300,000 and the Vincent Astor Foundation (owing to the interest in the project of NYC socialite, philanthropist and LBJ friend Brooke Astor) kicked in another $428,940 to create a new play area for the school, including a sunken basketball court, chess tables, climbing equipment, a water feature, public art, and a building with restrooms, snacks, and an office.
Post LBJ Beautification renovation project, the playground was one of the best in the city. It was meant to be a 24 hour community living space without fences. Photo: LBJ Presidential Library
The First Lady spoke at the opening of the new facility in May of 1968 attended by future first home-rule mayor Walter Washington and Brooke Astor. Photo: LBJ Presidential Library
In her remarks, the First Lady said, “School yards must not be locked at 3:00 pm. They must not have forbidding fences that shut the community out and shut the children in. Outdoor time is learning time, just as much as the hours spent in the classroom. Play facilities must offer wide variety, and lots of challenges, so that young people stretch and grow – emotionally, as well as physically. They must be attuned to the tempo of our times – and how fortunate we are to have the people who see this need and are filling it. This kind of round-the-clock community playground is a new and constructive answer to the urban problem.” See LBJ Library video here.: The section on Buchanan School starts at 8:50:00 minutes into the video: http://bit.ly/3fYDAQJ
As soon as the early 1970s, however, the renovated playground and building again fell into disrepair. Maintenance was the responsibility of the Department of Parks and Recreation which did not have the resources to provide the necessary upkeep. It was then, according to Jones, Capitol Hill resident John Matthews (known by his nickname of “Peter Bug” after the customized souped-up gold Volkswagen he drove) sold the idea of opening a shoe repair shop in the now closed play area building to the Department of Parks and Recreation. Matthews’ training was in education and his specialty was shoes – and he founded the Peter Bug Shoe Academy there which opened in 1977. Jones told the committee, “He established a safe place to learn job skills and continues doing that today.” The sunken basketball court became a venue for local performances and community festivals. Jones said, “The nomination recognizes and remembers the long legacy of community engagement and public service the Academy represents for the Capitol Hill Community.”
Regarding the vehicle from which Peter Bug got his nickname, Mr. Matthews told the committee he is in the process of restoring the 1966 Volkswagen and he hopes to park it in front of the Peter Bug Academy by Thanksgiving as an attraction and legacy marker in its own right. He says, “It’s not gold anymore – it’s maroon. And we’ve renamed the Volkswagen. It’s now called Bugszilla.”
In the spring of 2016, Insight Development purchased the school site began the conversion of Buchanan School and the nearby townhouses into luxury residences – Buchanan School Condos and Buchanan Park Town Houses. The project did not incorporate the southwest corner of the site comprised of the remnants of the playground, the sunken basketball court, and the Peter Bug Academy.
DC property owners and community groups can help to preserve local history through historic designation. Getting a property or area recognized as historic requires a successful application to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). The Board designates historic landmarks and districts for listing in the DC Inventory of Historic Sites, working with the staff of the Historic Preservation Office (HPO).
When HPRB evaluates an application for listing in the DC Inventory, it also decides whether to recommend the property for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. This advice is forwarded to the District’s State Historic Preservation Officer (SHPO), who nominates properties for National Register listing. See here: http://bit.ly/3hA1TVN
Peter Bug Matthews’ oral history interview with the Ruth Ann Overbeck Capitol Hill History Project can be found here: http://bit.ly/3GfnXPA
For more on what happened in the aftermath of the 1968 dedication, see article by Jim Myers here: http://bit.ly/3UwwNgf
Capitol Hill Art League Presents: “What Brings Me Joy.” Reception Saturday 5:30pm-7pm
by Larry Janezich
Posted November 11, 2022
The Capitol Hill Art League will host a reception on Saturday evening, November 12, for a new exhibit at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, 545 7th Street, SE, from 5:30-7:00 pm. Those attending the show will be able to vote for the winning “People’s Choice” art work. The show will run until December 9.
The Art League says: “The theme of this show “What Brings Me Joy” opens so many doors for art interpretation. Art itself brings us joy, as do the people and places that inspire it. This non-juried show will display a wide range of interpretations of joy.”
Featured artists in the show are: Ken Bachman, Julie Byrne, Tom Chabolla, Tara Hamilton, Deborah Hurtt, Jim Huttinger, Steve Kunin, Elisabeth Lacayo, Rindy Obrien, Carolyn Rondthaler, Elin Whitney-Smith and Karen Zens.
The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop and its Gallery operates in compliance with the District of Columbia’s Coronavirus directives.
The Capitol Hill Art League is a visual arts program of The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop (CHAW). For more information about the Art League, visit the website at www.caphillartleague.org
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Redesign of the 11th Street Freeway Off Ramp. Last Wednesday, the ANC6B Transportation heard a presentation from DDOT on the 30% design stage of the proposal to alter the SE/SW Freeway east bound exit ramp to 11th Street, SE. DDOT says safety is the number one consideration but stresses the plan balances the needs of motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. This was the first time DDOT came back to the committee since April of 2021, when Committee Chair Corey Holman lambasted the presenters for favoring motorists over pedestrians and bicyclists. The committee followed up with a letter detailing the changes they wanted to the intersection. See here: https://bit.ly/3spn9NE Last week the DDOT returned to the committee with the 30% complete re-design in hand. The details showed that DDOT had tinkered around the margins of the recommendations, but did not change the major concern – widening the off ramp and making more concessions to cyclists and pedestrians. Unhappy attendees at the meeting pushed back, voicing their opposition and disappointment. The final design will be finished next summer and construction will begin as funds are available. The committee voted to send a letter to DDOT summarizing attendee’s concerns expressing the committee’s major concerns about widening the ramp and the impact on cyclist and pedestrian safety. The letter goes to the full ANC for its meeting next Wednesday.
Open Street Event for 8th Street SE/NE. Also on Wednesday, after some wrangling over language, the ANC6B Transportation Committee agreed unanimously to recommend the full ANC send a conditional letter of support for an Open Street Event on 8th Street, SE/NE some Saturday next spring. Concerns have been raised by the Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee about the impact on Eastern Market and customer (not to mention residents) access to parking at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue which houses Trader Joe’s. Working out the details regarding these issues – including closing of cross streets, (H Street NE, East Capitol Street, Pennsylvania Avenue SE, Maryland Avenue) – would fall to those event planners at DDOT. The event is being pushed by Open Streets advocate Mark Sussman. ANC6A and ANC6C have already given their conditional support. Go here for more on DC Open Streets https://openstreets.dc.gov/
Historic Landmark Status for Peter Bug Academy. On Tuesday, the ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee gave its endorsement to a proposal to grant Historic Landmark status to the Peter Bug Shoe Academy at 1320 E Street, SE. Matthews was in attendance at the virtual meeting when Todd Jones of the DC Historic Preservation Office presented the case for the designation to the committee. More later on this. Peter Bug Matthews has achieved icon status for long service to the community and the recommendation will go to the full ANC’s consent calendar for their meeting next Wednesday (a day later than usual owing to the election).
Renovation of Folget Library. Here’s a work in progress photo on the Folger Library. The Library is closed for major renovation under a time line that would see it reopen in 2023. But…I don’t know. We’ll see.
Here’s a rendering of what it will look like.
Triple Candie Again. Here are some parts of Triple Candie’s latest abstruse installation at the Li’l Pub at 655 Pennsylvania Avenue. Triple Candie takes conceptualism in a new direction, eliminating the museum, the gallery, the art market, and in some respects, the art.
Crazy Aunt Helen’s, 713 8th Street, SE. Class “C” Tavern License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Cover Charge Dancing Entertainment & Sidewalk Café.
Tune Inn Restaurant, 331 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Class “C” Tavern License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Sidewalk Café.
Hawk N’ Dove, 329 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Class “C” Tavern License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Cover Charge Dancing Entertainment & Sidewalk Café.
Hill East Burger, 1432 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Class “C” Tavern License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Entertainment.
Fight Club Restaurant, 633 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE: Class “C” Restaurant License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Entertainment.
Comments on Draft Environmental Impact Study of land transfers at Washington Navy Yard. Concept plan to create potential for 2 million square feet of residential, retail, office, and parking use ~1300 at 11th and O Streets, SE.
Letter to DDOT on 11th Street 695 Ramp Study 30% Design.
Letters to DDOT for Transportation Safety Impact studies: 11th & G Streets SE Intersection and 9th & I Streets, SE, Intersection.
Letter to DDOT on proposal to hold an Open Streets Event along 8th Street SE/NE in Spring of 2023.
Kelly’s Irish Times, 14 F Street, NE; Buffalo and Bergen, 240 Massachusetts Avenue, NE; Red Bear Brewing Company, 1140-100 Third Street, NE, Suite B; The Dubliner, 4 F Street, NW; Hamilton’s Bar & Grill, 233 2nd Street, NE; Solid State Books, 600 H Street, NE; Allure Lounge, 711 H Street, NE; Bar Elena, 414 H Street, NE; The Big Board, 421 H Street, NE.
Transportation and Public Space Committee
GWU Survey, electric vehicle (EV) charging sites
Two Rivers Public Charter School, request for School Parking Zone at 1227 4th Street, NE
FedEx, 300 Maryland Avenue, NE, existing curb cut, public space permit
Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee
601 Massachusetts, NE. Historic Preservation Application. Concept approval, raze one-story noncontributing building (dry cleaner) to construct a three-story residential building.
616 Lexington Place, NE. Historic Preservation Application – Amended application, concept approval for rear and attic addition to a two-story row dwelling with attic and cellar.
663 Maryland Avenue, NE. Bureau of Zoning Adjustment Application. Special exception from lot occupancy requirements to construct a two-story rear addition to a three-story dwelling with basement.
Capitol Hill Village – Mary Bloodworth, Director of Operations
Rosedale Recreation Center – Henry Moton, Recreation Manager, Department of Parks and Recreation
Consent Agenda
Alcohol Beverage Licensing (ABL)
Letter of support in favor of Biergarten Haus at 1355 H Street, NE, for renewal of its Class C Tavern License.
Letter of support in favor of Brine at 1357-1359 H Street, NE, for renewal of its Class C Tavern License.
Letter of support in favor of Sospeso at 1344 H Street, NE, for renewal of its Class C Tavern License.
Letter of support in favor of H Street Country Club at 1335 H Street, NE, for renewal of its Class CC Tavern License.
Letter of support in favor of the Pie Shop at 1339 H Street, NE, for renewal of its Class C Tavern License.
Recommendation: ANC 6A oppose the license renewal application of Copycat Co. at 1110 H Street, NE, unless a new settlement agreement is entered into prior to the protest date.
Letter of support in favor of Capitol Square Bar & Grill at 1500 East Capitol Street, NE, for renewal of its Class C Restaurant License.
Letter of support in favor of Langston Bar & Grille, at 1831 Benning Road, NE, for renewal of its Class C Tavern License.
223 8th Street, NE. Letter of support to HPRB for a plan to construct a rear three-story addition; add a partial third floor on the existing house, and renovate the existing house for a home
Letter of support to the city with recommendations to assist the tenants at the Havana Building at 1219 K Street, NE. (Because of the pending auction, two letters will be drafted and ANC 6A will select the appropriate one to submit.)
ANC 6A send a letter of support to the DC council for the Green New Deal for Housing Act Green New Deal for Housing Act with recommended changes to the Act.
Motion: ANC6A provide EDZ with a mandate to further investigate ANC6A support to sponsor a text amendment for zoning districts NC-9, NC-10, NC-11, NC12, NC-13, NC-14, NC-15, NC-16 and NC-17 to actively encourage use forthe arts.
Motion: ANC6A send a letter to Councilmembers Vincent Gray and Robert White and Department of General Services (DGS) Director Keith Anderson to request urgent support for repairs and improvements to Eastern High School Athletic Facilities.
***
ANC6D will hold a virtual Special Meeting at 7:00pm
Renovation of “Spielberg Park” in Hill East To Begin Next Spring
by Hilary Russell
Posted November 5, 2022
Landscape architect David Wooden of DC’s Department of Parks and Recreation shared details at a Zoom community meeting on November 2 on plans to renovate the triangular park at 17th and C, SE. He acknowledged that he had “heard from neighbors” that it’s “sometimes referred to as Spielberg Park,” but didn’t explain why. Steven Spielberg’s movie studio donated the current playground equipment after this small park served as a shooting location for his 2002 movie Minority Report.
This Hollywood gift will disappear by next summer, replaced by up-to-date play equipment installed by AMT and Konstructure, the design-build team that won the $750,000 contract last June. The design/permitting phase continues until next February; construction managed by the DC Department of General Services begins in the spring. The new playground, in the same location, is the main feature of this project. Work outside its wrap-around fencing will improve turf, add shade trees, benches, a picnic table, a bike rack, and fencing along a portion of Massachusetts Avenue. Comments at the meeting prompted information on features not listed in the presentation, including a drain system for the playground and a water fountain with a bottle- filler.
Attendees were invited to chime in on two options, both for the model and colors of the Sparks@Play playground equipment and the location of an ADA-compliant ramp.
They preferred Option 2: “Hedra” equipment, and in earth-tones, not bright blue and purple. Option 1, the Tree Tops model, would duplicate the equipment in the playground at Pennsylvania and 8th Street, SE.
Attendees also preferred a gentler ramp between Massachusetts Avenue and the playground, rather than a steeper ramp from C Street that requires handrails. Attendees brought up a few concerns, including the need for fencing along C Street, given its large volume of traffic, and the potential for disturbing close-by neighbors if the equipment includes musical toys.
Map showing the new west of the river Ward 7 Hill East Single Member District boundaries post 2022 redistricting. The new ANC and SMD boundaries will take effect on January 1, 2023
Map showing current ANC6A and ANC6B Hill East Single Member District boundaries 6.
Hill East’s Ward 7 ANC Election – The List of Candidates
by Larry Janezich
Posted November 3, 2022
DC’s 2022 redistricting process extended the Ward 7 boundary across the Anacostia River west to 19th Street, SE, moving that Hill East area (along with the Rosedale neighborhood to the north) into Ward 7.
This leaves the new Ward ANC7D Single Member Districts (SMDs) west of the river with something of an identity crisis. These SMDs fought long and hard to remain a cohesive and independent Ward 7 ANC west of the river, first making the case for a new Ward 7 ANC including Reservation 13, and then falling back to a Ward 7 ANC which did not include Reservation 13. Neither proposal garnered enough support to become a reality. This ultimately left an ANC7D comprised of 5 Single Member District which were formerly part of Ward 6, plus the Ward 7D01 SMD (Kingman Park) on the west side of the river, and four ANC7D Single Member Districts on the east side of the river. Some critics of the cross river division say such a large ANC separated by such a distinct geographic boundary can’t work effectively to serve its residents – which is why how ANC7D responds to this inherent challenge will be so important and so interesting to watch.
Among the five SMDs formerly in Ward 6, two seats are being contested: 7D07 (two declared write in candidates) and 7D09 (two candidates listed on ballot); two seats have only one candidate – 7D06 and 7D08, and one seat is up for grabs by any undeclared write in candidate – 7D10. Among all of the five current commissioners for these SMDs, only Brian Alcorn in 7D08 (formerly 6A08) is seeking re-election.
Here’s the lineup of the new SMDs formerly in Ward 6:
7D06 (formerly SMD 6A07) – current Commissioner Sondra Phillips-Gilbert
7D07 (a new SMD created between the former ANC6A07 and ANC 6A08)
7D08 (formerly 6A08) – current Commissioner Brian Alcorn
7D09 (formerly 6B10) – current Commissioner Denise Krepp
(If you are not sure if redistricting changed which single member district you’re in, go here: https://bit.ly/3V3002Z )
Here are the candidate profiles for the SMDs formerly in Ward 6:
7D06 MARC FRIEND. My name is Marc Friend and I would like to be your Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for 7D06. My wife and I have lived in the Rosedale Community since 2017 and recently welcomed a new baby to our family. My priorities serving as your Commissioner are to be an advocate for the community to the District Government, to advocate and support more youth programming, and to organize more community events to bring us together. I have been a community member of ANC 6A (our ANC prior to redistricting) Community Outreach Committee, where I organized a number of forums including one that highlighted local non-profits and one looking at the root causes of gun-violence. I also am the treasurer of the Rosedale Library Friends group and volunteer with a few local non-profits including Serve Your City. Overall, I am here to listen to you – especially our community members who have been here for decades, if not for generations. I hope to learn from this strong community and lift up my neighbors voices. What makes the Rosedale community so special is the history, the vibrancy, and the people – and I hope to be your voice on the ANC.
7D07 No one filed to run for the seat. Two Write-In candidates have emerged, as follows:
7D07 BRETT ASTMANN. Neighbors – ANC7D07 does not have a candidate on the ballot. As our neighborhood transitions to Ward 7 there will be challenges and opportunities. I want to ensure that our ANC/SMD has a strong voice advocating for the important issues and projects that will affect us over the next several years. I’m running as a write-in candidate on November 8th. I’ll prioritize maximizing lines of communication with the residents, ensuring transparency and opportunities for engagement. My top Priorities: public safety, street and sidewalk safety, and land use. About me: A career civil servant and although new to local government I’ve been active in the community through the schools, Sports on the Hill (SOTH) and with non-profit organizations. My two children, “almost” 11 and “almost” 13, attended Maury Elementary and now Eliot-Hine and Washington Latin. I’ve been a Capitol Hill resident for the past 18+ years, and I love everything about this community and Capitol Hill. I’m excited about the opportunity to give back.
7D07 MICHAEL LEDERMAN: Michael Lederman has been a resident of ANC7D, specifically, for the past 8+ years. He is a parent of two, a former DCPS teacher, and now owns a local real estate team focused specifically on serving Rosedale, Kingman Park, and Hill East. As such, he is intimately familiar with the issues facing 7D07 on a block-to-block basis, brings expertise in navigating land use challenges, and cares deeply about the people living here. Michael’s priorities include traffic safety (particularly speed bumps and monitoring the impact the C Street, NE, Implementation Project will have on adjacent and cross streets), clean and well-maintained public spaces, and building a sense of community through opportunities to come together and engage: block parties, joint yard sales, neighborhood clean-ups, community gardens, etc. Michael’s business requires him to communicate constantly and solve problems quickly, and he intends to carry over these habits and skills as an ANC representative.
7D08 BRIAN ALCORN. As a two-term ANC Commissioner in ANC 6A and a longtime Capitol Hill resident, I have seen the neighborhood benefits that can come from active community participation in outreach in the unique micro-governments that are DC’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions. I have been pleased to contribute to and support efforts that have improved our neighborhood transportation infrastructure and safety, encouraged development and brought our municipal government closer to citizens. I am running for a new Single Member District created in the redistricting from the 2020 Census that is the far western end of a much expanded ANC 7D. While I will continue to focus my day to day efforts on supporting my immediate community in Hill East I also look forward to collaborating and problem solving with all Commissioners in the new ANC7D. As the new 7D roughly covers a geographical area equal to the size of all of Ward 1 and includes the nonresidential Fields at RFK, Kingman Island, the Pepco service yard, the Anacostia River trail and Anacostia park, and Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, the community will have a lot to focus on! But I also plan to maintain close ties with the other, much smaller adjacent Capitol Hill ANCs such as 6A and 6B as the 7D Hill East community will also need to work on common issues closer to home.
7D09 ASHLEY SCHAPITL. I have lived and worked on Capitol Hill – in the Senate and House – for 14 years. This is my home, and I want to make it an even better place to live. My top priorities would be improving public safety and combating gun violence, building more housing, improving city services, increasing pedestrian safety, restoring the reliability of public transportation, and ensuring the redevelopment of Reservation 13 meets the needs of our community. As I have knocked on hundreds of doors in the district, the number one issue neighbors have raised with me is concerns about public safety. As an ANC Commissioner, I think it’s critically important to focus on where I could make a tangible difference for my neighbors. My top priorities related to public safety are to: facilitate better communication between law enforcement and constituents; track the status of cases in our neighborhood and write community impact statements in coordination with neighbors who are victims of crime; advocate for a more permanent MPD presence at hot spots like 15th and Independence, SE, where there were multiple shootings in October; push for additional CCTV cameras; and increase awareness of the District’s security camera rebate program. Learn more at www.ashleyschapitl.com
7D09 SHANE SEGER. My passion for local government started as an LGBTQ advocate and member of the city council in Ithaca, New York. Since then, I’ve held a number of positions in constituent service and communications. I currently work at the George Washington University where I support communications for the university’s research community. Prior to moving to Hill East, I served as a resident-member of the ANC 2F Alcohol Policy Committee (Logan Circle). And I have been a longtime volunteer tax preparer with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. I want to create opportunities for the Hill East community to come together, share ideas, and collaborate to improve the quality of life in our neighborhood. I am committed to safer streets and sidewalks, improving public transportation, enhanced greenspaces and neighborhood amenities, and making sure Hill East residents have a voice in the development at Reservation 13 and the RFK campus. I am proud to have the support of former ANC 6B Commissioners Alison Horn and Francis Campbell, and neighbors Nkosi Bradley and Andria Thomas, among others. I have also been endorsed by DC Voters for Animals and the LGBTQ Victory Fund. For more, visit www.ShaneSeger.com.
7D10 No one filed to run for the seat. Write in if any. (CHC has not heard of a declared write in candidate.) See below:
From DC Board of Elections: “Write-In Candidate is someone whose printed name does not appear on the ballot, but whose name was written in by voters. Write-In votes are counted equally as if the person was formally listed on the ballot. If a Write-In Candidate wishes to declare their candidacy, similar to a Candidate’s Declaration of Candidacy, a Write-in Candidate must file an Affirmation of Write-In Candidacy. This form must be filed with the Board on or before the third day after a Primary Election, or on or before the seventh day after a General or Special Election.”
Early voting began on October 31 and will continue through November 6, 2022. Here’s a link to early voting sites: https://earlyvoting.dcboe.org/
Restrauteur Spiro Goldasis hopes to open Pacci’s Trattoria on Lincoln Park at 106 13th Street, SE, by the end of November. Seating will be expanded to the second floor and the cellar – increasing the 50 person occupancy to 130. The building formerly housed the Park Café, Ninnella, and the Lincoln Park Kitchen and Wine Bar in succession. Goldasis has another Pacci’s Trattoria in Silver Spring, Maryland. You can check out that menu here: https://www.paccistrattoria.com/
Here’s a look at progress inside on the first floor.
Last Wednesday, Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee held its first in-person meeting since the pandemic started and elected officers: Chuck Burger, Chair; Susan Oursler, Vice Chair; Monte Edwards, Secretary and Tom Kuchenberg, Treasurer and community representative. The committee discussed a proposal to hold an “Open Street Event” on 8th Street from Florida Avenue NE, to M Street, SE, which would involve closing 8th Street to traffic on most of a Saturday next spring. The committee’s concern relates to the impact on Eastern Market. The ANC6B Transportation Committee will continue its consideration of the proposal on Wednesday – see below.
In other business, EMCAC formally installed committee member Jacki Krieger as Mayor Bowser’s representative to EMCAC. She joins CM Charles Allen’s representative Brian Pate who was installed last month to round out the EMCAC membership.
A CBD outlet is headed for Barracks Row – Mother Blossom space is under construction at 406 8th Street, SE. Their website lists CBD, Delta 8, and Hemp CBD products. Some of these types of establishment are involved in the “gifting” cannabis trade.
DPR and DGS are hosting a community meeting on the development of Spielberg Park next Wednesday. See below for a link.
CM Elissa Silverman (I) was soliciting votes for her bid for reelection as a Member at Large Councilmember on Saturday afternoon at Eastern Market.
The Week Ahead & Some Photos from the Past Week
By Larry Janezich
Posted October 30, 2022
The Week Ahead…
Tuesday, November 1
ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
1320 E Street, SE. Historic Preservation Application. Peterbug Shoe Academy Landmark Nomination.
Review and comments on Draft Environmental Impact Study of land transfers at Washington Navy Yard. Concept plan to create potential for 2 million square feet of residential, retail, office, and parking use ~1300 at 11th and O Streets, SE.
Wednesday, November 2
ANC6B Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
as you are, 500 8th Street, SE. Class “C” Tavern License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Live Entertainment & Sidewalk Café – on Consent Calendar for November 9, 2022.
Kaiju Ramen Bar, 525 8th Street, SE. Class “C” Tavern License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Summer Garden.
Rose’s at Home, 721 8th Street, SE. Class “C” Restaurant License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Sidewalk Café. – Amendment to the current Settlement Agreement
Trusty’s Bar, 1420 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Class “C” Tavern License: ENDORSEMENT(S): Summer Garden, Live Entertainment & Sidewalk Café.
Map showing the new ANC6D and Single Member District boundaries post 2022 redistricting. These new ANC and SMD boundaries will take effect on January 1, 2023.
Map showing current ANC6D and Single Member District boundaries.
ANC6D Election: One “No Candidate,” One Contest and Six “No Contests”
by Larry Janezich
Posted October 27, 2022
This is the fourth in a series of profiles of ANC candidates from Single Member Districts on or near Capitol Hill.
Redistricting reduced the area of ANC6D by moving the Navy Yard and Capitol Riverfront into Ward 8 but a population explosion resulted in adding one more seat (from 7 to 8) to the Commission which has Nats Park and The Wharf at its heart.
This move of residents to Ward 8 comprised everything east of South Capitol Street and south of the Freeway including the entire Single Member District of ANC6D’s forceful Chair, Edward Daniels. His retirement from the Commission was involuntary but three other sitting commissioners voluntarily decided not to seek reelection: Marjorie Lightman, D01; Jared Weiss, D02; and Andy Litsky, D04. Some city agencies – especially DDOT – and some developers must have breathed a sigh of relief at the long-serving Litsky’s retirement, given his strenuous efforts to hold agencies accountable and to pressure developers for more affordable housing.
The seat held incumbent by Ron Collins whose single member district includes Greenleaf Gardens is being contested by Tom Seidman. The seat for 6D04 has no candidate and is up for grabs via a write in campaign. The remaining six seats are uncontested.
Several of the candidates were unresponsive to requests for profiles, but those who did respond are listed below. The three candidates who are incumbents are marked with an asterisk.
If you are not sure if redistricting changed which single member district you’re in, go here: https://bit.ly/3V3002Z
6D01 BOB LINK. “I am running to represent the residents of the new 6D01 SMD which is geographically centered around The Wharf. I have lived in SWDC since 2016 and love the diversity of our residents and neighborhoods. As a member of the Gangplank Slipholders Association (GPSA) Board for 5 years, I have been persistently engaged in and become knowledgeable of the LOCAL issues and challenges which are important to 6D01 residents. I am a problem-solver who listens first, processes the facts and then attacks the issues that impact many in a logical, linear manner. I bring few preconceived agenda items to my proposed service as the ANC 6D01 commissioner and am most passionate about public policy that relates to how infrastructure is built and development is accomplished which serves the needs of many and not the gains of a few. The entirety of our district has committed to and sacrificed for the long-running, ongoing re-development of the Southwest Waterfront at The Wharf and Buzzard Point. I truly believe this commitment was made with the mindset to “pay it forward” and as the ANC 6D01 representative I pledge to focus on how we ensure that the entirety of this district reaps the full benefits of what the residents, businesses and community organizations have invested in.”
*6D02 RONALD COLLINS (Did not respond to requests for profile information.)
6D02 TOM SEIDMAN. “Rising housing costs is the number one challenge facing the neighborhood. Applying inclusionary zoning principles, and, while controversial, promoting greater housing density are the tools available to the ANC. It bears mention that my neighbors are exasperated by issues such as porch pirates, vandalism of vehicles, carjacking, and gun violence. I’ll do all I can to support enhanced public safety. I suppose that anybody filing to run for office should be prepared to answer a “Why are you running?” question. In my case, I was not happy that nobody stood for the ANC6D02 position two years ago. I want my neighbors’ voices heard. I vowed that would not be the case next time. Due to redistricting, our current commissioner will soon live in Ward 8. The incumbent in neighboring district 6D03 will now live in 6D02. For voters in 6D02, it’s an embarrassment of riches this time around. You have a choice. Consider supporting my candidacy. Whomever you choose, choose to vote in the General Election. It is an important and meaningful right to exercise.
6D03 GAIL FAST. “Gail Fast is running again in a newly formed SMD, after a two-year hiatus. Issues such as affordable housing and multi-modal transportation and safety will continue to be her priorities. During her previous tenure on the ANC, Fast served as Secretary and ANC Chair. Projects included working with residents on the Shakespeare Theatre development at 501 I Street, SW; petitioned and lobbied to bring back the Circulator and extend the 74 bus to include Buzzard Point; was a member of 6D’s Wharf Phase II negotiation team; provided oversight on DPR’s renovation of the Southwest Duck Pond; was a member of the Jefferson Middle School modernization team; and lobbied to finally get a bus shelter in front of the school. She looks forward to working with new Commissioners and feels that she can bring a historical perspective to the Commission.
6D04 Write in, if any.
6D05 ASHTON ROHMER. “Since moving to Southwest, Ashton’s active involvement in the community has given her an opportunity to learn about the issues her neighbors care about. Through coordinating public engagement efforts for a proposed community center, leading a local story-sharing initiative, and joining with other residents to advocate for walking and biking infrastructure, she has talked with dozens of fellow residents about their concerns, hopes, and ideas for Southwest. These conversations have shown her the impacts (good and bad) development has had on the community and given her an appreciation for how the built environment – our parks, our homes, our streets, our civic spaces – can influence our ability to connect with our neighbors and access opportunities for our families. Using her training as an urban planner and her work as a PhD student in peace and conflict resolution, Ashton will continue to learn from her constituents, will seek opportunities for collaboration and community-building, and will advocate for high-quality affordable housing, improved public spaces, and safer streets.
6D06 BRUCE LEVINE (Did not respond to requests for profile info.)
*6D07 FREDRICA “RIKKI” KRAMER. “Fredrica (“Rikki”) Kramer has lived in SW for over 40 years, and been an activist and advocate for the community for most of that time, with particular concern for maintaining the social diversity in all its dimensions that makes Southwest unique. On ANC 6D since 2020, she has injected that perspective in negotiations to increase affordable housing and other design features in redevelopment projects, to reflect Southwest’s historic heritage in new development, and to ensure that “Build First” keeps our public housing residents in Southwest as that housing is rehabilitated or redeveloped. Her work overall has focused on poverty and social welfare policy and remedial programs for vulnerable populations, and on urban policy and its effects on equity and diversity. She understands policy and implementation at federal and local levels, which provides a basis for understanding the opportunities and constraints we face as an ANC in weighing in effectively on the problems we confront. She looks forward to expanding our toolbox to increase affordable housing for a range of income levels and household types, to support locally-based and neighborhood-serving amenities, to maintain our open and common spaces, and to confront our increasing problems with traffic management as redevelopment continues.”
*6D08 RHONDA NATALIE HAMILTON (Did not respond to requests for profile info.)
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Lime Electric Vehicles Responds to Complaint on Scooter Parking
by Larry Janezich
Posted October 26, 2022
On Monday, Hill East resident Mark Ugoretz – with support from ANC6A Transportation Committee Chair Maura Dundon – raised concerns regarding the parking for pickup of the company’s electric scooters in ways that disregard public safety. Late morning on Tuesday, Erika Duthely, Director of Government Relations at Lime, issued following statement:
“Lime takes pride in providing top quality service to the District and its residents and will immediately rectify this issue moving forward. We thank the community members for bringing it to our attention and will work with our city and community partners as we always do to keep improving our service. We train our team to deploy our vehicles in the best spots for all residents, out of the way of pedestrians and especially out of accessible rights of way, and we will double down to ensure that model is observed moving forward.”
The company’s communication representative added that they would appreciate the statement being added to the CHC story.
The other issue which remains unaddressed is the lack of enforcement of scooter parking regulations which apply to users – DDOT’s purview. That concern may not receive such a prompt response. DDOT has long been viewed my some ANCs as one of the agencies least responsive to community, resident, and ANC concerns. Many of those complaints concern lack of parking enforcement: parking in bike lanes, parking in bus lanes, parking in crosswalks, double parking of delivery trucks, parking in alleys, and parking for construction workers. All of these come up regularly in ANC meetings with DDOT officials. The DDOT default position is to pledge to respond to public complaints, but as many ANC commissioners who have tried doing just that can testify this has been an empty promise. This is a big issue and one not confined to Capitol Hill. Its resolution will require a concerted city-wide effort to exert community pressure on DDOT.
(On a related matter, a new parking issue will be aired on Friday, when the City Council Transportation and Environment Committee will hold a hearing to make Residential Parking Permits specific to an ANC rather than to a Ward. For more on that, go to the committee’s schedule here: https://bit.ly/3SFwqOP )
The location is 11th & East Capitol and the photo was taken at 10:08:50 on October 24, 2022. It seems unlikely that three scooters were placed by riders in exactly the formation, each an equidistant space apart and wheels facing in the same direction. They were placed in both ramps such a way as to force the many pedestrians who use that busy intersection to walk in the street at night and at morning rush hour in order to get past the scooters. Photo and text: Mark Ugoretz.
ANC6A Transportation Chair Maura Dundon followed up with a photo from October 5.
Lime Vehicles Company/DDOT Faulted for Disregard of Public Safety
By Larry Janezich
Posted October 25, 2022
Some Hill East residents have had enough with Electric Vehicles Company distributors casually disregarding public safety by parking scooters for pick up on sidewalks and – shockingly – in handicapped pedestrian ramps.
DC law requires scooter riders to lock electric scooters to bike racks, scooter corrals, or signposts after use and has rules for how companies can distribute vehicles.
Shared Fleet Device Parking Area: the following areas where shared fleet devices may be parked, provided that a minimum 3-foot clear zone for pedestrians is maintained at all times:
On a public sidewalk;
In the public right-of-way between the sidewalk and the curb; and
At a bike rack, if the bike rack is located in the public right-of-way but somewhere other than a public sidewalk, or the public right-of-way between the sidewalk and the curb.
Neither the law nor the regulations appear to be enforced against the company or users.
Hill East resident Mark Ugoretz called attention to this transgression by posting the above photo taken last night in an email distributed to CM Charles Allen and others.
Ugoretz’s suggestion is that the “The District should levy a $500 fine against the scooter and/or bicycle company for any scooter or bicycle left on the sidewalk in such a way as to hinder pedestrian passage. Moreover, the District should pick up scooters left unlawfully in the sidewalk and not return the scooters until the fine has been paid….The rule would apply to all scooter and bicycle rental companies.”
While appealing, a solution along the lines suggested above may not be that easy. The problem is that the China-made scooters cost much less than the suggested fine. https://bit.ly/3N5Bnz8
CM Allen responded, thanking Ugoretz and agreeing that “this is not allowed and is extremely dangerous/hazardous for anyone needing use of that ramp. And I think you’re also right, given the neat line up, this wasn’t a coincidence of riders arriving at the same location, but they were placed there by someone relocating scooters…DDOT is supposed to be responsible for monitoring the permits of all scooter companies and enforce when an operator is acting out of compliance – which includes financial penalties or impacts on their permit applications. I’ve added Mr. Diallo [Ward 6 DOT rep] from DDOT, as well as the general mailbox for dockless scooters at DDOT, to this email. Through this, and your note, I’d ask that they report this through their channels for follow-up and enforcement of the infractions noted in your email.”
a suggestion by Ugoretz that Allen be further engaged because “he’s in charge,” Allen responded:
“…I definitely appreciate the sentiment, but sadly I am not in charge of scooters. The Mayor and Department of Transportation are in charge of enforcing the rules put in place by the Council. The Council set forth many requirements – none of which seem to be adhered to in the picture you sent and in my mind represent a serious violation. The Council also set up a structure to levy fines to the company when not adhered to, but DDOT must issue them. DDOT has set up a mechanism to report violations like this for their follow-up, which is who I added to those earlier emails. I saw your note Mark referring to “channels”, but I’m not clear what you mean. DDOT is in charge of enforcement, citing, and holding any company accountable. I do not have any mechanism to levy fines or citations myself. That’s why I included the DDOT representatives on the email and I’ll continue to press them to do the job they’ve been tasked with when you, I, or any neighbor sees a violation like this. Thanks and let’s try to work for some collaboration on improving this.”
And here’s the email of the Mayor’s Ward 6 DDOT representative, referenced above: abraham.diallo@dc.gov
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 