Councilmember Tommy Wells Addresses Crowd at Eastern High
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ANC6B09 Commissioner Flahaven Calls for Rally To Save Ward 6
ANC6B09 Commissioner Flahaven Calls for Rally To Save Ward 6
The following announcement was released Saturday by Flahaven.
For many years, our Capitol Hill community has united in an effort to grow, and has succeeded — developing from a few blocks in the shadow of the Capitol into a vibrant, productive neighborhood. Today, the Hill not only encompasses the foundations of our nation’s history, but also includes Eastern Market, many bustling restaurants and businesses, successful schools, and beautiful parks… stretching all the way to the Hill East Waterfront. Now, the DC Council’s redistricting plan is threatening to erase all of this hard work — by moving a significant portion of Hill East and its Waterfront into Ward 7.
WHAT CAN YOU DO TO SAVE WARD 6?
Join your friends and neighbors for the Rally to Keep Capitol Hill Together Tuesday, May 24, 2011. 5:45 p.m. — meet at Lincoln Park (plaza at 13th & East Capitol Sts. SE). Be ready to march to the Rally for Ward 6!
Contact DC Councilmembers on the Redistricting Subcommittee by Wed, May 25, 2011. Call or email the Councilmembers below to let them know your concerns:
• The schools, businesses, and community organizations on the Hill are tied together. Ward 7’s distinct neighborhoods have different priorities and interests.
• After all the work we have poured into improving schools (like Eastern High School), they will fall into the hands of a Councilmember who will struggle to represent them from across the river.
• Don’t let us become a community divided. If “contiguous” and “compact” are keywords to redistricting, Capitol Hill and Hill East fit the bill — keeping neighborhoods like ours intact should be a key part of the process.
Michael Brown (I-At-Large), Co-Chair Jack Evans (D-Ward 2), Co-Chair. Phone: 202-724-8105 Phone: 202-724-8058 Email: mbrown@dccouncil.us Email: jackevans@dccouncil.us
Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large) Phone: 202-724-8064 Email: pmendelson@dccouncil.us
If you have questions, contact Brian Flahaven, ANC 6B09 Commissioner, at brianf6b09@anc6b.org or 202-658-9447.
To learn more about the redistricting issue, visit DC Council’s redistricting website for additional information on the process: http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/redistricting2011info. Keep Hill East united with the rest of Capitol Hill in Ward 6
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CHRS Board Moves to Help Establish New Historic Districts in Hill East – Will Consider Spending $25,000 to Complete “Beyond the Boundaries” Project
CHRS Board Moves to Help Establish New Historic Districts in Hill East
Will Consider Spending $25,000 to Complete “Beyond the Boundaries” Project
by Larry Janezich
At Tuesday night’s Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) Board meeting, the body agreed to a motion to consider adding to its 2011 budget, an amount up to $25,000 for a contextual study of the area south of H Street, NE, and east of 13th Street, down to the Anacostia River. This is the Hill East area lying outside of the Capitol Hill Historic District. The motion passed unanimously, by voice vote, with one board member, realtor Chuck Burger, abstaining.
This “context statement” would be the last step necessary to complete the CHRS “Beyond the Boundaries” project. Volunteers have completed a survey of the area, compiling a huge amount of information including pictures and descriptions of every building in over 100 squares (square blocks). EHT Traceries, the architectural history firm, was contracted to add archival information to the survey results and create a database of the information.
The process going forward involves hiring an architectural historian from a list maintained by the Historical Preservation Office, (Traceries?) who will pull together the cultural, demographic, religious, etc., data and write a “context statement” documenting how this neighborhood – or neighborhoods within the area – came about. The estimated cost to produce the context statement is $20,000.
Once this is complete, any organization such as an ANC or a civic organization within the area which desires to set up a historic district can come to the CHRS and have, as Chair Beth Purcell put it, “a historic district in a box.”
Nomination for historic district status requires submitting extensive documentation to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). CHRS will have the information needed, and while it will all be “in a box,” it will have to be reassembled in the form required for consideration by the HPRB.
The effect of agreeing to the motion will be to bring the proposed $25,000 expenditure before the board when it formulates its budget for 2011 in July. The board will have to vote again on whether to recommend the expenditure to the full CHRS membership for approval at the September CHRS membership meeting. The 2011fiscal year will begin October 1, 2010.
Earlier this year, Traceries recommended that an area in near-Northeast adjacent to the H Street commercial corridor, roughly between 2nd and 15th Streets, and from H to F Streets, NE, become part of the Capitol Hill Historic District. (See 2/16/2011 posting below). It seemed to be the consensus of the CHRS board on Tuesday night that it does not expect neighborhoods in the “Beyond the Boundaries” area to join the Capitol Hill Historic District, but rather, to form their own historic districts. A majority of those within a neighborhood must support historic status for that area. In 2010, the Barney Circle neighborhood seemed well on its way to becoming a historic district. This became a campaign issue in ANC6B09, and when an ANC candidate who opposed historic district status for Barney Circle was elected by a large margin last November, the historic district nomination was put on indefinite hold by the HPRB.
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City Council’s Redistricting Committee to Vote on New Plan May 26 – Plan “Probably” To Be Made Public May 25
Redisticting Committee Members Phil Mendelson and Jack Evans Meet with Near SE/Navy Yard Residents Monday NightNear SE/Navy Yard Residents Meet with Councilmembers on Redistricting
ANC6B09 Commissioner Brain Flahaven (rear) at Monday night's meeting
City Council’s Redistricting Committee to Vote on New Plan May 26
Plan “Probably” To Be Made Public May 25
by Larry Janezich
Councilmember and Redistricting Committee member Phil Mendelson announced the schedule for consideration and voting on the new DC redistricting plan to about 80 residents of Ward Six Monday night.
The Redistricting Committee will meet on Thursday May 26. Mendelson said, “at that point, there will be a plan the Committee can adopt. Asked when the plan would be available to the public, Mendelson said, “probably on the evening of May 25.” The three-member committee will vote to approve the plan. That vote will be followed by a public hearing on Thursday, June 2, where public input will be solicited. That testimony will be taken into consideration on Tuesday, June 7, when the City Council’s Committee on the Whole will vote on the proposal. The City Council’s final vote on the plan will likely come on June 21, but could possibly come during the Council’s July session on July 14,
The Redistricting Committee is comprised of Councilmembers Michael Brown, Jack Evans and Phil Mendelson. Mendelson, for the most part, repeated remarks he has made before in other Ward Six redistricting meetings. He reiterated that the change is a change in political boundaries, with minimum effect on parking, no effect on school or historic districts, and no likely effect on city services. Despite the crowd’s adamant opposition to changes in Ward Six, Mendelson stated, that “east of the river has to be moved to west of the river,” that is, part of Ward 6 has to become part of Ward 8. The options are Rosedale, Near Southeast/Navy Yard, or Southwest. Both Councilmembers emphasized that they are still mulling the options and they are not inclined toward any of them at this point.
Councilmember Jack Evans, also attending the meeting, explained that once the Ward map is redrawn, each councilmember sets up a Ward District Committee to get people in the ward together to redraw ANC single member districts. The districts will be based on the 2010 census figures and contain about 2,000 voters each. The wards will report back to the Redistricting Committee by October, and a final vote on ANC redistricting will occur by the end of the year.
Tonight’s meeting was held the Capper Seniors Building, south of Southeast Freeway. Councilmember Michael Brown, co-chair of the DC Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting, will attend another meeting on redistricting in Hill East, Wednesday, May 18, at 6:00pm. The meeting will take place on the DC General/Reservation 13 site at Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA), Karrick Hall (Building 17), 1900 Massachusetts Avenue, SE. Karrick Hall is the tall building. The closest Metro station is Stadium-Armory; use the south exit between C Street, SE and Burke Street, SE. This meeting came about as the results of the efforts of ANC Commissioner Brian Flahaven and a group of Hill East Residents who visited Councilmembers last week to oppose moving any part of Hill East out of Ward Six.
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The Week Ahead
Tuesday, May 17.
Capitol Hill Restoration Society Board of Directors Meeting. Capitol Hill Townhomes, 750 6th Street, SE, second floor. 6:30pm
Watch for emmcablog report on Wednesday morning.
Comments Off on The Week Ahead
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Scenes from Sunday’s Literary Hill Bookfest – Eastern Market
Mid-day crowd of browsers fill the North Hall
More of the scene
Capitol Hill author Louis Bayard signs a copy of The School of Night
Bonny Wolf, author of Talking With My Mouth Full
Spike Mendelsohn, Capitol Hill chef and author
Diana McLellan, author of The Girls: Sappho Goes to Hollywood
Diana McLellan addresses Literary Hill Bookfest audience on her recent work - at right, Maggie Hall, Bookfest organizer
Inspired? Join Capitol Hill Writers Group. Send your name, genre, writing background, and what you hope to get out of the group to: writeonthehill@yahoo.com
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The Fact of the Matter Is This – More ANC6B News
Commissioners Confer Before Meeting (L-R) Commissioner Campbell, ANC6B Chair Neil Glick, Commissioner Flahaven, Commissioner Green. Foreground: Commissioner Frischberg. Rear: Commissioner Garrison
More ANC6B News
by Larry Janezich
ANC6B Commission Grants Liquor License to DC-3
Patrons who have been grumbling that they need a beer to wash down the premium hot dogs served at DC-3 on Barracks Row will only have to wait a week or two for relief. ANC6b voted to support DC-3’s application for a license to sell wine and beer by a vote of 8 – 0 with Chairman Neil Glick abstaining. DC-3 will only serve beer, though the license allows wine.
Fusion Grill To Expand Outdoor Café Into Shakespeare Theater Space
ANC6B approved the addition of 12 tables to Fusion Grill’s outdoor café. The tables will be located in the space in front of the Shakespeare Rehearsal Theater, adjacent to the restaurant.
Antennas on Hanes Building at 8th and Pennsylvania Avenue
The Commission requested HPRB to delay consideration of Verizon’s application for installation of 15 telecommunication antennas on the building until June because HPO failed to notify the Commission of the request in time for them to act on it.
Special Call Meeting Likely on New Eastern Market Governing Authority
ANC6b will likely sponsor a special call meeting with Eastern Market Community Advisory Committee (EMCAC) to deal with legislation to create a new governing authority for Eastern Market. Councilmember Tommy Well’s office hoped the new legislation would be available by the end of April, but it appears to be behind schedule.
ANC6B to Move Offices to Hill Center
The Commission hopes to move its offices into The Hill Center in early July. ANC Chair Neil Glick has toured the new facility and surveyed the available office space. The management of the new facility expects to take delivery of the building from the contractor by June 23.
ANC6B Transportation Committee Gets Geared Up
Chair Oldenburg of the new Transportation announced that Commissioner Garrison has agreed to be Vice Chair of the Committee. The first meeting will be at the Southeast Library on May 31 at a time to be announced. The second meeting of the committee has been scheduled for June 16, also at the Library. Oldenburg said that the agenda for the May 31 meeting will be available by May 24.
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National Community Church to Open Movie Theater on Barracks Row – The Peoples’ Church Sold
Lead Pastor Mark Batterson of National Community Church Tells ANC6B Commissioners of Theater Coming to Barracks Row
National Community Church to Open Movie Theater on Barracks Row – The Peoples’ Chuch Sold
by Larry Janezich
Lead Pastor Mark Batterson of National Community Church (NCC) announced to ANC6B Commissioners Tuesday night, that the NCC had purchased The People’s Church at 535 8th Street, SE, and will take possession on June 1.
In the spirit of being a good neighbor and adding something to Barracks Row, Batterson said NCC will turn the space back into the theater it once was from 1910 until 1960. The Church has seven other locations in the DC area; church members meet in theaters in six of them. Services will be held Sundays, but at other times it will be an entertainment venue.
Upon taking possession, the Church will begin transforming the property immediately. Batterson noted that the first movie was screened there on October 10, 1910 – and that “if we get to that point, it would be fun to show a film on the same date” more than 101 years later. The façade and interior will be renovated to reflect the theatrical theme and, he said, the NCC is “committed to doing it right.”
The intent is to build it out to be a live performance space with lights, sound, and acoustics that can accommodate other types of entertainment. There will be concessions to contribute to the theater atmosphere, though the concession area might have to be in the basement since it is not possible to increase the size of the lobby.
The genres of film the theater might screen include family, classic, and first run films. Batterson is actively soliciting suggestions from the community and asks that any ideas be emailed to him at mark@theaterchurch.com
The purchase price for The Peoples’ Church was $3 million. Batterson said they were willing to pay top dollar because it would help The Peoples’ Church move to Maryland where the majority of their congregation is. Most of the National Community Church congregation lives on Capitol Hill. According to Wikipedia, NCC is focused on reaching emerging generations – about 70% of NCCers are single adults in their twenties.
Asked by Commissioner Brian Pate if this purchase would affect NCC’s plans south of the freeway, Batterson said it would – “We didn’t see this coming.” NCC has purchased three parcels of land below the freeway, including the Miles Glass Company property. The plan was to build the theater there and anchor the area with an Ebenezer’s Coffee House on 8th Street. He said that a day care center and retail had also been planned. Now, “we’re in a spin cycle” and have to rethink what to do there.
According to Wikipedia, NCC was recognized as one of the Most Innovative and Most Influential Churches in America by Outreach Magazine in 2008. Batterson and the NCC staff are known for their use of new media – since 2005, sermons have been available via podcast.
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The Fact of the Matter Is …
The Fact of the Matter Is …
by Larry Janezich
Telecom Antennas for Hanes Building?
CHRS is reviewing the historical preservation application from a major telecommunications company to install 15 telecommunications antennas and a backup generator on the roof of the Hanes Building at 801 Pennsylvania Avenue. The request will subsequently go to ANC6b Planning and Zoning Committee.
Eastern Market Metro Info Hub and Landscaping Update
The process for completing the final drawings for the Info Hub project for Eastern Market Metro Plaza has begun. Additional features for landscaping being discussed include a rain garden watered by runoff from the Info Hub roof, installation of a number of half benches, consolidation of the news vending machines under a shelter, and possibly a new and expanded shelter for personal bikes storage. Certain areas are being targeted for replanting with appropriate decorative plantings in demarcated beds. The goal will be to make the Plaza a welcoming gate to the community for those arriving at Eastern Market Metro.
The Info Hub itself might include an ATM machine and interactive electronic information outlets allowing users to ask questions, call police, or hail a cab.
Part of the annual maintenance costs of approximately $15,000 a year may come from the sale of tee shirts and coffee mugs at the Info Hub.
In conjunction with the landscaping DDOT is considering expanding the bike share program with a larger bike rack and possible relocation to the east side of 8th Street. DDOT is holding a public meeting to solicit input on expansion of the bikeshare program.
Date: Wednesday, May 25, 6-8pm
441 4th Street, NW, Room 1107
More information is available here: ddot.dc.gov/capitalbikeshare
Top Chef Tour Coming to Eastern Market
An event designed to promote Eastern Market will feature a competition between contestants from Bravo TV’s Top Chef Tour. The date has been set for Saturday, May 28, according the the show’s website. More information can be found at: http://www.bravotv.com/thetour
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Councilmember Phil Mendelson Hints Redistricting Will Come at Expense of Ward Six – Penn Quarter Deal Seems Less Likely
- Ward Six Democrats Turn Out on Redistriciting Issue
Councilmember Wells at Thursday Night's MeetingCouncilmember Mendelson Takes Questions from Ward Six Democrats
Councilmember Phil Mendelson Hints Redistricting Will Come at Expense of Ward Six
by Larry Janezich
DC Redistricting Committee Member and Councilmember At Large Phil Mendelson told a crowd of over 250 Ward Six Democrats Thursday night that “it’s impossible to do redistricting without making some people unhappy.” He went on to note that reducing the size of Wards Two and Six would upset the fewest number of people.
He said the Redistricting Committee is faced with either equalizing the ward populations or achieving redistricting with the least amount of disruption. He said his goal was to “equalize the populations, but that doesn’t mean change will be radical enough to accomplish that.”
Under federal law, wards must be redrawn every ten years. The goals are that they be compact and contiguous and approximately equal in size within plus or minus 5%
The 2010 Census revealed that Ward 2 has to come down at least 939, Ward Seven has to come up at least 387, and Ward 8 has to come up at least 743. Technically, Ward Six is within 5% of the average and – all things being equal – would not have to change. But it has population to spare and is next to wards seven and eight which need population.
The City Council has until July 2011 to produce a new Ward boundary map and has until the end of 2011 to approve new Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and Single Member District (SMD) boundary maps.
The Redistricting Committee, comprised of Councilmembers Michael Brown, Jack Evans and Phil Mendelson, will propose a new ward map in the next few weeks – maybe by the end of May. The Committee will hold a hearing on the new map and the Council will vote sometime in June to make any changes to the committee plan, with a final vote in late June or early July.
Thursday night’s meeting at Friendship Public Charter School was hosted by Ward Six Democrats to allow residents to voice their concerns on the redistricting issue. The meeting’s organizers invited the three members of the Redistricting Committee and Councilmember Tommy Wells. Only Mendelson and Wells appeared.
Wells told those attending that the guiding principle for redistricting is that “we have to keep contiguous neighborhoods together.” He told this reporter that “Penn Quarter is on the table,” but he would otherwise “absolutely” vote against any legislation to reduce the size of Ward Six. Wells would like to broker a deal and give Ward Six’s portion of Penn Quarter to Ward 2, setting up a domino effect that would subsequently increase the size of Wards 5, 7, and 8, leaving all wards with the right numbers.
He told the crowd that “this is not about parking stickers or personalities, but why one ward is working so well.” He cited Ward Six’s renaissance in schools, its highly effective ANC’s, the amount of development, the families working together, and the ward’s broad diversity. Regarding development, he noted “you can’t have remote ANC’s making decisions affecting” the heart of Ward Six. “That’s another reason we can’t be Balkanized.”
He told the crowd, “[y]ou have power – beyond phone calls and email. Make sure – especially the at large members – know how you feel and why.” The at large councilmembers are Redistricting Committee members Michael Brown and Phil Mendelson and Councilmembers David Catania and Vincent Orange.
Questions from the audience revealed concerns about the impact of redistricting on schools, the historic district, and parking. Mendelson said that school and historic districts would be unaffected by any changes. Regarding parking, he said he will propose to the Chair of the Transportation Committee Chair Tommy Wells, that current parking zones be maintained regardless of any ward changes brought about by redistricting.
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CAPITOL HILL CORNER 