CAPITOL HILL CORNER

Khaliyl Nubian plays guitar weekends, 9:00am – 6:00pm at Baked and Wired in Georgetown. http://bakedandwired.com/ Last week found him at Eastern Market, 7th and C Streets. His card reads, “Have Guitar, Will Travel.” I Want 2 Play 4 U. Khaliyl999@hotmail.com

The Week Ahead……The ANCs Are Busy

Monday, April 7

CHRS Historic Preservation Committee meets at 6:30pm, at Kirby House, 420 10th Street, SE.

Tuesday, April 8

ANC6B meets at 7:00pm, Hill Center.

Among the items on the agenda:

Presentation on 11th Street Bridge Park Project: Scott Kratz, Director

Presenttion on The Homeless Children’s Playtime Project: Joel Schwarz, Development Manager

Vacant Building at 531 8th Street SE, concept/storefront alterations/rooftop addition

Tandoor Grill 419 8th Street SE, second story addition

Letter to Office of Planning regarding Barney Circle/Southeast Boulevard Planning Scope of Work

Wednesday, April 9

ANC 6B Hill East Task Force Meeting at 6:30pm at St. Coletta’s, the first of two community meetings this month (the second, on April 30) to determine community priorities for the development of the Eastern Branch Building.  The now vacant building at 261 17th Street, SE, was formerly the Boys and Girls Club.  The city owns the building and is prepared to lease it to a developer.  A special task for chaired by Chuck Burger recommended uses for the building related to community needs, including daycare, aging and senior services, wellness and fitness and recreation.

Wednesday, April 9

ANC 6C meets at 7:00pm at the Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.  Among items on the agenda:

Update on the Insight Properties Group Apollo Project – the planned high-end mixed-use community that would include approximately 321 residential units and 23,000 square feet of retail space in the 600 block of H Street, NE.

Presentation on a new establishment at 400 H Street, NE, the site of the former TruOrleans, shut down by DC Department of Revenue last year for failure to pay taxes.

Thursday, April 10

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

Among items on the agenda:

Community Presentation: Commander Dierdre Porter, MPD Fifth (5th) District

Conditional support of a bike rack in public space outside of Chupacabra, 822 H Street, NE

Conditional withdrawal of opposition to sidewalk café application by Nomad Hookah Bar, 1200 H Street, NE

Request that the Zoning Administrator investigate density and parking issues surrounding a proposed 18 unit condo project at 1511 A Street, NE.  (The height and mass of the project has neighbors livid over what they see as a violation of the spirit of what the Zoning Regulations intend and the developer and real estate broker taking advantage of an anomaly in the regulations which would give the developer the right to proceed  as a matter of right.)

Request that the Office of Planning upzone the remainder of the block containing the above project to R-4, with the exception of those properties on the south side of the block that front on East Capitol Street.

Thursday, April 10

CHRS Zoning Committee meets at 7:30pm, at Kirby House, 420 10th Street, SE

The Entrance to Eastern Market Pottery is Down the Stairs at the 7th and C Streets Corner of Eastern Market

Enter

Eastern Market Pottery’s 1100 Square Foot Studio and Display Space

For Sale

For Sale

For Sale

For Sale

One of the Studio’s Two Electric Kilns

Instructor Lynn Murphy at the Potter’s Wheel Last Sunday

Eastern Market Pottery – Photo Essay

by Larry Janezich

Eastern Market Pottery has been a fixture of Eastern Market since 1968.  After the April 2007 fire, the studio was relocated from the tower at the rear of the market to market’s south end lower level, entrance at 7^th and C Streets.

In addition to selling pottery inside the studio, Eastern Market Pottery offers classes in pottery making four nights a week and on Thursday mornings.  Classes are taught by skilled potters and instruction is individualized to meet the needs of students at all skill levels.

Eastern Market Pottery was established in 1968 by Harold Guilland in Eastern Market to help cover living expenses while he finished writing Early American Folk Pottery, published in 1971.  Current owner Chuck Brome purchased the business in 1974 after working as an instructor and studio manager.

The staff includes owner, Chuck Brome; studio manager and instructor, Susan Jacobs, and instructors Ellen Jaffe, Audrey Jones, and Lynn Murphy.

For more information see here:  http://www.easternmarketpottery.com/ or call (202)544-6669.

View to the East of Phase 1, 1333 M Street

Cohen Companies Rep Leila Batties Briefs ANC6B on Phase 1 of the Proposed M Street Project

“We regard this as the beginning of the discussion with the ANC.”

ANC6B Considers Major Residential/Retail Project on M Street, SE

Ten Story 673 Residential Unit To Front On Anacostia River

by Larry Janezich

Last night, ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee heard a presentation from representatives of Cohen Companies, the developers of a proposed three building ten story mixed use project at 1333 M Street, SE.

Because of its scale and importance to the neighborhood, ANC Commissioner Francis Campbell’s Planning and Zoning Committee has authorized the creation of a subcommittee chaired by ANC6b06 Commissioner Nichole Opkins, to oversee the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process before the DC Zoning Commission.  The subcommittee has not been formed yet, but according to Campbell, will comprise both commissioners, residents and other community stakeholders – much as the subcommittee that considered the PUD for the Hine project.

When first proposed in 2010, the project was envisioned as office, hotel, retail and commercial, but the glut of office space in DC resulted in conversion of the project to mostly residential with some ground floor retail

The project will be built in four phases, resulting in three buildings – it will appear to be four structures, but two of them will be connected.   Cohen Companies explained the first phase – a ten story 218 residential unit building – last night.

When finished, the project will include 673 units – including affordable housing units, seven retail spaces totaling about 10,000 square feet, and 214 below grade parking spaces.

The project has not been without controversy; the National Capital Planning Commission expressed concern over the required closure of streets which existed as part of the L’Enfant Plan but which were currently unused.  The City Council eventually agreed to the closing of the streets in 2010.

Cohen Companies says that the project will provide $7.9 million in revenues to the city.  The company hopes for an initial hearing before the Zoning Commission (ZC) in June or July of this year.  The company will bring three requests before the ZC – rezoning for the entire property, preliminary approval of the project including use of property and density, and approval of Phase 1.  ANC6B will represent the community at each stage of the process.

Cohen Companies is one of the major players among District developers, and was named in the NPR/WAMU Series “Deals for Developers” in May of last year (see here: http://apps.npr.org/deals-for-developers-wamu/).  In that series, NPR/WAMU stated that Cohen Companies had received at $8,800,000 subsidy in the form of an LDA on this project, and had contributed $62,250 to District politicians over the past ten years.

830pm. Charles Allen Supporters Await Election Returns at Molly Malone’s on Barracks Row

Meanwhile, Darrel Thompson Supporters Rallied at Barracks Row Chesapeake Room

Allen Wins Ward Six City Council Seat

by Larry Janezich

In an election marked by a low turnout, Charles Allen won the Democratic nomination for Ward Six Councilmember in the general election next fall – in the District, tantamount to winning the election.  He will succeed is boss, Tommy Wells who trailed a distant third  with 12.5% in the race for the Democratic nomination for Mayor, behind Mayor Gray with 32% and winner Muriel Bowser with 44%. .

Senate staffer Darrel Thompson was unable to overcome Allen’s deeply entrenched support in Ward Six resulting from Allen’s years of experience as Councilmember Wells’ chief of staff.

At 1:40am, Allen led by 58% to Thompson’s 42%, a margin which Thompson appeared unlikely to overcome.

Anita Bonds won the nomination for At Large Councilmember convincingly, with 52% of the vote.

For full election results, see here:  http://bit.ly/1gNwp6G

Light Voter Turnout? Last Thursday Afternoon at 2:30pm,  Sherwood Recreation Center. The Number of Early Voters that Day Stood at 24.  Candidate Signs Outnumbered the Voters.

The Week Ahead….

by Larry Janezich

Monday, March 31

ANC 6B Transportation Committee meets at 6:30pm in Hill Center.

On the agenda:

Office of Planning’s Rapid Response Planning effort regarding Southeast Boulevard

Issues for Transportation Committee in 2014

Tuesday, April 1

Primary Election Day.  Polls opem from 7:00am until 8:00pm.  To find your polling place, see here: https://www.vote4dc.com/Voter/Home/SearchMain

Wednesday, April 2

ANC 6B Planning & Zoning Committee meets at 7:00pm, St.  Coletta of Greater Washington,

On the agenda:

Historic Preservation applications for: rear addition at 819 E Street, SE; 909 East Capitol Street, SE, roof deck; 603 A Street, SE, rear addition and roof deck; 712 5^th Street, SE, new garage.

Also:

The troubled property formerly the home of Today’s Pizza at 531 8th Street SE, once again appears before ANC6B with a concept/storefront alterations/rooftop addition.  A recent historic preservation application for the property was viewed by the Planning and Zoning Committee with skepticism for lack of detail and planning.

Also:

Informal presentation (no action required) by Eric Siegel on phase one of a Cohen Companies proposal for a 673 residential unit building at 1333 M Street, SE.  The first phase will be a 10-story, 218 unit residential building.

Thursday, April 3

ANC6B ABC Committee Meeting has been CANCELLED

LITERARY HILL BOOKFEST CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS!

The fourth Literary Hill BookFest is scheduled for Sunday, May 4th, in the North Hall of Eastern Market from 11:00am – 3:00pm.  An afternoon of discussions, readings, and signings with Capitol Hill’s best writers of memoirs and fiction, politics and poetry, history and sports, and food and fantasy. See the website at http://www.literaryhillbookfest.org/ for a listing of this year’s authors and exhibitors, as well as photos from last year.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact:

Abby Yochelson

Volunteer Coordinator

Literary Hill BookFest 2014

ayochelson@hotmail.com

202-547-5452202-547-5452 (home)

202-707-2138202-707-2138 (office)

202-716-5452202-716-5452 (cell)

The Week Ahead….and Goodbye to Hello Cupcake – and Kraze Burger?

by Larry Janezich

Alia Khan posts on Newhilleast that the owner of Hello Cupcake is pulling the plug on the Barracks Row shop because “the numbers weren’t working out for them.”  The shop opened in May of 2011.  On Twitter, ANC6b Commissioner Phil Peisch, responding to a query from JD Land,  speculates that Kraze Burger on Barracks Row is going out of business. The restaurant’s door features a “Closed Until Further Notice” sign.  The restaurant opened its doors October 17, 2013.

Monday, March 24 – Saturday, March 29

Early voting.  For Ward 6, Sherwood Recreation Center at 640 10th Street, NE, will be open from 8:30am through 7:00pm Monday, March 24, through Saturday, March 29. On Primary Election Day, Tuesday, April 1, all 143 precinct polling places will be open from 7:00am until 8:00pm.

Tuesday, March 25

ANC6b Executive Committee meets at 7:00pm in Hill Center to set the agenda for next month’s full ANC6b meeting.

Wednesday, March 26

Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee meets at 7:00pm, North Hall, Eastern Markket

Thursday, March 27

CHRS spring members’ forum – “Boating and Preserving the Anacostia” with guest presenters from the Anacostia Watershed Society and the Anacostia Community Boathouse.  6:45pm membership meeting.  7:00pm – 8:30pm, Forum.  Northeast Library, 330 7^th Street, NE.  This event is open to the public.

Host Families Needed for English/Spanish Language Emersion Program in July

USA Connection, a family-run student exchange program focused on English/Spanish language emersion programs, is currently seeking host families in the DC Metro region who are willing to house students, ages 13 – 17, during the month of July. Students do not need to be enrolled in school, but rather need to be treated as part of your family. For more details, please visit our website at: http://www.usaconnection.org, or contact Christine McCoy, Program Coordintor, USA Connection,christinemccoy3@gmail.com, or 202.246.0163.

When ANC Commissioners Endorse Political Candidates….

Editorial by Larry Janezich

Non-partisan, elected ANC commissioners are exempt from the Hatch Act – the federal law proscribing the political activity of civil servants – which means they are NOT prohibited from posting “a comment to a blog or a social media site that advocates for or against a partisan political party, candidate for partisan political office, or partisan political group.”

Still, the guiding principle of the Hatch Act is an important one: the normal offices and services of government should not be politicized.  There are good reasons why neighborhood representatives should refrain from turning components of their formal office – especially their email lists – into political agents.  While their email lists are private and to some degree personal, their subscription and audience would not be what they are were it not for their position as an ANC Commissioner.  Those lists have the reach they do because of the office any given commissioner holds.

Also worth nothing is the fact that the political unit in question is so small – some 2,000 residents in a commissioner’s constituency.  It is understandable how residents who support one candidate can be made uncomfortable when their commissioner endorses another, especially if a resident places a sign or becomes vocal about their support. These things will be noticed, and perhaps noted.  Have some neighbors refrained from being more vocal about their political views because they do not want to tarnish their relationship with their commissioner?  How can a politically active resident have confidence that his/her concerns will be addressed if their political views differ from those of a commissioner?  If a commissioner has shown a willingness to politicize one component of their formal office, how can a resident have confidence that they will not do so in other areas, even if that “politicization” takes the form of a slow or lazy response to a resident’s concerns?

As a commissioner, it is tempting to endorse a candidate who one has worked with, or with whom one has a personal relationship – or even to curry favor with a likely winner.  Yet is also important to keep in mind that ANCs have been criticized throughout the city as being nothing more than cogs in the local neighborhood political machine.  When commissioners use the influence of their office to advance a partisan agenda, they validate that criticism.  ANC commissioners are our neighborhood representatives, not our political agents.