CAPITOL HILL CORNER

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 20, 2024

Editorial:  What’s Behind the “Recall Charles Allen” Campaign?

Last December, several well-connected political professionals who live on Capitol Hill launched an effort to recall Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen from office, citing Allen’s role in creating policies which they say resulted in a significant increase in crime in DC during 2023. 

If the recall organizers succeed in getting 7,500 registered voters in Ward 6 to sign the recall petition by August 12, 2024, that recall question will appear on the ballot on November 5, 2024.

The founders of the recall campaign are Jennifer Squires, former DOD and Booz Allen analyst and now a consultant, and her husband Ned Ertel, former President and CEO of the data processing company RegScan and former treasurer for Chander for Council.  Others close to the leadership who are volunteering their time and effort include recall campaign treasurer April Brown, a realtor; Tonya Fulkerson, a Democratic fundraiser; Moses Mercado, a lobbyist with Ogilvy Government Relations; Rich Masters, a VP for Public Relations, BIO; Michael Hacker, an in-house lobbyist for TikTok and a former House Democratic leadership aide to Rep. James Clyburn; and Mitchell Rivard, chief of staff for Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.).

The recall proponents’ focus has been on five positions Allen supported while serving as chair of the DC City Council’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee: 

• The Revised Criminal Code Act passed by the DC Council in 2022, which modernized the District’s criminal laws.  The bill was overturned by Congress and that nullification was sustained by President Biden after he initially threatened to veto the Congressional override.   

One of the most frequently cited objections to the revision was that it would have lowered penalties for carjackings and other crimes.  (The bill’s supporters said the changes brought the penalties in line with actual sentencing practices.)  Regardless, the bill never became law.  As a result, the recent spike in carjackings has taken place during a time when the District has some of the harshest penalties anywhere for carjacking already on the books.

A recent community meeting on the spate of carjackings on the Hill https://bit.ly/3VnAhVH discussed at length the difficulty involved in apprehension and prosecution for this particular crime.  In that light, it is worth noting that the proposed-but-never-passed Criminal Code revision broke the crime of carjacking down into several grades based on seriousness of the crime, to better align sentencing with the degree of harm inflicted and to supply achievable thresholds of evidence for each grade to facilitate prosecution.  A U.S. Attorney confronted with a lesser grade of carjacking who might be reluctant to charge under the current, harsh law might be willing to do so under a charging scheme that better reflected the particulars of the crime in question.  As it stands, carjacking remains a difficult crime to prosecute in the District.

• An expansion of eligibility for the Youth Rehabilitation Act, from those under the age of 22 years to include those under the age of 25, except in cases of rape, murder and sexual abuse.  In order to fall under the provisions of the YRA, offenders must plead guilty and the prosecutor must be charging them as an adult.  It is always the decision of a federal judge whether to sentence under the YRA or not. 

One benefit of the YRA is the ability to seal the record of a conviction following successful completion of a sentence.  Research conducted by the independent Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of Washington DC demonstrates that juvenile offenders unable to seal their convictions are three-times more likely to re-offend.  Another benefit of the YRA gives the court flexibility to sentence an offender under the age of 25 below the mandatory minimum, provided the court takes certain factors under consideration and provides a written reasoning if the decision is to sentence under the YRA.  Research demonstrates https://bit.ly/4apfrcP that increasing the length of a sentence has no deterrent effect on crime.  Nor does it affect recidivism:  when looking at the YRA, the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council also found that being sentenced or not being sentenced under the Youth Rehabilitation Act had no effect on the likelihood of that offender to commit a crime following release.

• Expanded the Second Look Act to promote sentence reduction mandates for violent offenders under the age of 25.

Once again, research has shown that increasing the length of a sentence does nothing to deter crime.  https://bit.ly/4apfrcP Sentence reduction programs have been examined by the independent and non-partisan Council on Criminal Justice and found to have no effect on re-arrest for violent or serious crime, mostly because whether someone has benefited from the program or not, most people returning to their communities have “aged out” of criminal offending after serving a substantial sentence. https://bit.ly/498ux5c

While no one can claim sentence reduction actually reduces crime (as opposed to sealing convictions for juveniles, which does), no one can claim that it increases crime either. 

• A 2020 $15 million reduction in the increase in the mayor’s proposed FY 2021 budget for MPD which redirected most of that cut ($9.6 million) to violence preventers – community-based criminal justice related services.  $6.1 million of the cut was to reduce the size of the police force – which, along with the Mayor’s proposed $44 million in “vacancy savings” (preventing the filling of vacant positions) resulted in a one-year hiring freeze for fiscal year 2021.  Recruits dropped that fiscal year from over 200 to 37, and though the number of recruits rose again in FY 2022, they continued a decline which began in fiscal year 2019, falling from the recruitment high of 261 in fiscal year 2018.  This decline in new recruits began well before the Council passed the $6.1 million reduction – a reduction which paled in comparison with the Mayor’s own cuts – and it continues despite the Council’s strong efforts to incentivize hiring.  https://bit.ly/3IwFWB2 

On October 12, 2023, Chairman of the DC Police Union Gregg Pemberton testified at a House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee.  Pemberton claimed that, as the direct result of the actions and rhetoric of the DC City Council, “the MPD has lost 1,329 officers, more than one-third of the department.  501 of these separations, nearly 40%, were resignations; employees who just walked away from a career with MPD.”  The figures cited by Pemberton are misleading, at best.  There were 101 resignations in FY 2018 and 103 resignations in FY 2019, before the budget cuts passed in 2020.  Resignations from the MPD for FYs 2020 – 2023 amounted to an additional average of 27 officers per year above the 100 or so for each of the two previous fiscal years.  Regarding the pandemic-era addition of about 27 officers to the preexisting exodus of officers from MPD, DCist reported in October 2023 https://bit.ly/3TFZCJ3 that many factors were at work, including the pandemic itself as well as increased scrutiny of police, but that many officers “ultimately left because they said they were profoundly overworked and felt disrespected by MPD managers,” particularly mandatory overtime, a finding confirmed in a study conducted by the independent Police Executive Research Forum.

Most important, the police staffing shortfalls appear to be not the resignations, but the inability to hire recruits to replace officers who resigned, retired (including those who moved on to neighboring jurisdictions which pay more) or were terminated.  The average hiring rate for FYs 2018 and 2019 was 248 hires each year.  The average for FYs 2020 – 2023 was 138 a year.  See MPD staffing report here:  https://bit.ly/3IwFWB2  Other cities across the country have also experienced recruiting problems; the Justice Department released a report on the nationwide recruitment crisis in law enforcement in October 2023.   

Like others on the Council and the Mayor herself, Allen supports aggressive measures to recruit new police officers to the MPD. 

• The Comprehensive Policing and Justice Reform Amendment Act of 2022, made it easier to fire officers for misconduct, prohibited the hiring of officers with prior misconduct, required the release of names and body camera recordings of officers involved in deaths, and banned chokeholds.  President Biden vetoed the Congressional override of the law, noting that enhancing public trust in the police improved public safety. https://bit.ly/3x0ujjs (Crucially, the Police Accountability Act included two provisions vehemently opposed by the DC Police Union:  a provision which required the creation of a public-accessible data base of police discipline files and another provision which takes discipline out of collective bargaining.) 

There is little in the 2022 Policing Reform Act that is new.  Bans on chokeholds, increased transparency for police misconduct, and making it easier for the Chief of Police to fire officers for cause are all fairly commonplace.  Many jurisdictions ask even more from police when it comes to use of force or explaining their actions. https://bit.ly/494oWgp

Taken together, the features of Allen’s legislative record which the recall leaders claim drove crime higher in DC actually show that Allen has implemented evidence-based criminal justice policy, endorsed basic police accountability measures, and served as a member of a Council that has taken steps to assist in police recruitment and retention that seem modest compared to what the Mayor might achieve in boosting MPD morale by insisting on better police management. 

The recall proponents say they want to send a message to the City Council which has supported progressive criminal justice policies by marginally cutting back funding for policing and increasing funding for community groups involved in criminal justice.  In not offering policy alternatives, their message implicitly endorses less accountability for police and more severe punishment, without acknowledging that such an approach must itself be measured for effectiveness.    

That evaluation would not go favorably for recall supporters.  One of the most consistent research findings in criminal justice https://bit.ly/4apfrcP is that certainty of apprehension deters crime, but increasing the severity of punishment does not.  And, given that questions remain about how best to design and implement police accountability, no serious person can suggest that poor police accountability serves the public interest.

From CHC’s coverage of many community crime meetings, it is clear to me that real debates exist on questions of policing and crime reduction.  The recall effort contributes nothing to any of them.  Setting aside the broader, mostly economic factors that drive crime, the two “local” criminal justice factors cited by experts as affecting crime in the District are 1) the fact that the US Attorneys who work for the federal Department of Justice and are tasked with charging adults in the District actually have one of the lowest charging rates in the country (recently, the Office of USAG has increased the number of prosecutions); and 2) the probably-related appalling state of the DC Department of Forensic Science, aka our “crime lab,” https://wapo.st/3TJGqKl which only recently has won back accreditation and the ability to process evidence.  Stepping back from just criminal justice policy but still focused on local factors, DC’s current chronic school absenteeism and truancy rate https://wapo.st/3PwCLxc is scandalous and clearly bears a relation to crimes committed by school-age young people. 

If you follow the evidence, care about criminal reduction and review the record, it makes more sense to recall the Mayor – but even that would founder for lack of substantive justification.  Or it might make more sense to support DC statehood and sovereignty over those who serve as our District Attorneys so that the office could properly be staffed and supervised with DC priorities in mind.  What would make the most sense of all, according to the independent and non-partisan Council on Criminal Justice, is to urge an intergrated, whole-of-government approach to crime reduction consisting of evidence-based policies.  https://bit.ly/3INeH5o

Something Charles Allen has done.  https://bit.ly/43tV4Ji

As a criminal justice intervention, the recall of Charles Allen makes no sense.  Then how should we view it?  I discuss this in Part II of this editorial: Who’s Behind the “Recall Charles Allen” Campaign?

R.I.P.  Tom Johnson of Hill Restaurant Group

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 18, 2024

Tom Johnson, Managing Partner of the Hill Restaurant Group – a Washington DC based hospitality firm that currently operates six restaurants in Capitol Hill neighborhoods died last Sunday, March 10.  He was in his mid-fifties.  He was found in the driveway of his home in Hillcrest with an injury consistent with a fall, though no cause of death has been announced.  The Hill Restaurant Group is owned by William Sport, President at Pinnacle Investment Properties Inc., of Miami, Florida. 

His death came as the Hill Restaurant Group was considering closing some of its Barracks Row venues in the wake of shrinking revenues and lack of foot traffic.  Stadium Sports Bar and Smokehouse, the group’s sports bar in Navy Yard, closed last month.  WBJ reports that other outlets could follow as their leases expire.  Those currently open include those on Barracks Row – Lola’s, Playa Ocho, and Opheila’s Fish House; The Hawk and Dove on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; and Boxcar across from Eastern Market. 

From the HRG website:  “With over 30 years of experience as a successful restaurant operator, Tom joined his friend and investor William Sport in 2018 to breathe new life into some of the Hill’s most historic and beloved establishments, including Hawk ‘n’ Dove, Lola’s, Boxcar Tavern, Ophelia’s Fish House, Tortuga, and Stadium Sports by Nationals Park.”

He was remembered by Barracks Row neighbors and benefactors https://bit.ly/49VeZDi Karl and Carrol Kindle.

“Tom Johnson was a good friend.  We met him almost literally the day he arrived in DC to take over general management of the (then failing) Hill Restaurant Group.

Tom was a knowledgeable, honest, straightforward, fun, interesting, generous, entertaining, opinionated individualist, a very good friend, raconteur, hard-working person, who had high expectations of those around him as well as for himself.

From nearly day one in DC, he professed to “hate” DC, but if the maxim, “Actions speak louder than words” is true, he was a true supporter of DC:  He always lived in DC proper, finally buying a house for himself in Hillcrest, becoming Commander of a local Anacostia Boating Club and saving it from disappearing, strongly and vocally supporting local businesses in DC, always finding ways to improve the Barracks Row neighborhood and always the first to volunteer his support and help in any endeavor for neighborhood improvement.  He participated actively in the actions of the ANCs and the City Council and City government, making them all better and more effective.

Tom could be a tough negotiator and taskmaster, but he always recognized hard work and the success of others.  He was kind to a fault.  He was always the first to welcome new businesses and business people to Barrack’s Row, even those in direct competition with his businesses.   He was free with his ideas and suggestions for improving a given business or the community, and followed through with actions where it was appropriate.

He made great efforts to know the neighbors, the business owners, the police, the politicians, his customers and activists in order to further their possibilities for success.

He may have said that he “hated” DC, but his actions showed that he did everything he could to make the city and the neighborhood more successful, and he walked the walk, by living in and supporting DC.

Tom will be sorely missed by the community and all who knew him.”

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 17, 2024

The gentrification of weed.  Washington DC Cannabis & Marijuana Lawyers at 413 East Captiol Street, SE. 

SE Library Modernization Construction Update:  Here’s a photo of the current state of the main reading room in SE Library with ceiling stripped and terracotta and brick exposed on the interior walls.  For more information and additional photos, go here:   https://bit.ly/3TG11Q3

Last month, Mayor Bowser opened DC first safe commercial corridor Hub in Chinatown at 675 H Street NW.  The Safe Commercial Corridor Hubs will connect residents to a range of city services in priority areas, with a specific focus on working across government to keep corridors safe and clean. The hubs are staffed  be staffed by outreach teams from multiple public safety and human services agencies including Metropolitan Police Department, Mayor’s Office of Community Relations and Services, Mayor’s Office of Nightline and Culture, Mayor’s Office of Asian Pacific Islander Affairs, the Department of Human Services, and the Department of Behavioral Health. 

CHC was permitted to take a photo inside on the condition that none of the clients present in the office was included.  Friday afternoon, the staff included Calvin Woodward, pictured at right.

Calling out Colon Cancer:  These 27,400 blue flags on the National Mall were installed on March 19 as a visual representation of more that 27,400 people under 50 estimated to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2030.  The display will be up until March 22.  For more info and to donate, go here:  https://fightcolorectalcancer.org/united-in-blue/

The Future of Orchids: Conservation and Collaboration features 200 hundred varieties of orchids displayed in the Robert and Arlene Kogod Courtyard.  Smithsonian American Art Museum.  January 27, 2024 – April 28, 2024.  Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m  Free.  For more, go here:  https://s.si.edu/3PpuA5C

The Week Ahead….

Monday, March 18

7:00 pm

ANC6A Transportation & Public Space Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.  

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda: 

• Florida Avenue NE Streetscape Project Update. The Florida Avenue NE Streetscape Project outreach team will provide project updates and address community safety concerns with related contractor work.
• West Virginia Avenue NE Traffic Safety. Commissioner Chatterjee will provide an update on community input and DDOT responses to traffic safety issues on the 800- block of West Virginia Avenue NE.
• National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. Tasin Malik, DDOT Transportation Planner, will present updates to DDOT’s Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Deployment Plan.
• DPW Public Restrooms Pilot Program. DPW has financed a pilot consisting of five standalone public restrooms under contract with Throne Labs, including one at the corner of 8th and H Streets NE. Jessica Heinzelman, co-Founder and COO of Throne Labs, will present the company’s plans for installing “The H Street Throne.”

Tuesday, March 19

ANC6D Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://www.anc6d.org/anc6d-transportation-committee/

Agenda:  TBA

Wednesday, March 20

ANC6A Economic Development and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

• For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/
• 216 11th Street, NE: To construct a new two-story and basement rear addition to an existing two-story rowhouse.
• 1127 G Street, NE: To construct a new detached, two-story, accessory garage with second story dwelling unit to an existing, attached, two-story principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
• 235 10th Street NE: To construct a two-story with cellar, rear addition, to an existing, attached, three-story, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.

Thursday, March 21

ANC6D ABC Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://www.anc6d.org/abc-committee/

Agenda:  TBA

Southeast Library Taskforce will hold an in person and virtual meeting at 6:30pm. 

The in person/virtual meeting will be held at Arthur Capper Recreation Center Interim SE Library Service Center.  1000 5^th Street, SE. 

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Agenda:  TBA

Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:

Library of Congress Cherry Blossum Festival https://bit.ly/3TGm8Bq

• The Library of Congress will host its annual Japanese Culture Day in celebration of the 2024 National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual commemoration of Japan’s 1912 gift to the U.S. of 3,020 cherry trees.  Japanese Culture Day will take place at the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building on Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring family activities, including Japanese drum and traditional dance performances, a book talk with a featured author, storytelling, and arts and crafts from Japan. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are available at loc.gov/events.

CHRS Walking Tour

The Capitol Hill Restoration Society is offering guided outdoor walking tours on Saturday, March 23 and Sunday, March 24 at 1 pm both days. Tickets ($15) now on sale through Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/march-walking-tours-tickets-853186502797?aff=oddtdtcreator

• The Civil War and Before – (learn about early residents of Capitol Hill, their homes, work, and community).  Saturday, March 23.
• A History of Capitol Hill in One block (rich in information but a very short walk). Sunday, March 24.
• Notable People – (sites associated with many of the historically significant people who have made Capitol Hill their home). Sunday, March 24

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 10, 2024

Joint Library Book Sale a Smashing Success:  Saturday, Friends of SE and NE Libraries held a joint booksale at NE Library which – despite the unforgiving weather – turned out droves of bibliophiles. The joint effort was occasioned by the two year closure of SE Library for renovation.  The sale garnered in excess of $2,500 – which goes to support library programs.  Organizers have announced that they plan to do it all over again on the second Saturday of April (April 13). Volunteers are welcome to help with setting up and taking down the sales.  Photo:  Jay Adelstein

A note from Capitol Hill Village – How to get those sidewalk hazards fixed:   This chart shows how the number of Ward 6 complaints to 311 about sidewalk hazards has more than DOUBLED in the past year.  As always, if you don’t have time to file your own 311 report of a sidewalk hazard, you can send a picture of the problem with the address of the problem to chvpedestriansafety@gmail.com and someone at CHV will file the 311 report for you.  While our DC government still expects to address each tripping hazard in 270 business days – more than one year – the first step is filing the 311 request. 

Another Safety Walk:  Last Monday, ANC Chair Edward Ryder organized a community safety walk which started at 13^th and I Streets, SE, and proceeded along L Street adjacent to the highway and ended at the McDonald’s on Pennsyvania Avenue.  CM Charles Allen, MPD, and a representative of the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations participated.  These walks do more than providing an opportunity for residents to engage with the Councilmember and MPD.  They provide an opportunity to bring officials’ attention to a broad array of quality of life issues – some of which can be scheduled for immediate remedy.  The walk ended with an extended sidewalk discussion at the McDonalds.  On the way back to the starting point, CHC was surprised at the extent of multi-unit residential development on K Street in this out-of-the-way neighborhood.  Above, to CM Allen’s left is MPD 1^st District Commander Colin Hall, then ANC6B Chair Ryder.  To Allen’s right is Kelly Waud, Ryder’s predecessor as 6B Commissioner, who currently is an alternate on ANC6B’s Public Safety Committee. 

Thursday Night’s Public Meeting on Understanding Adult Supervised Release.  The Criminal Justice Coordination Council (CJCC) is a federal independent agency providing a platform for collaboration among federal and local agencies related to the criminal justice system.  Thursday night in the North Hall of Eastern Market, two agencies participated in a panel discussion to further community understanding of adult supervision pre-and-post conviction in the District of Columbia.  The meeting was hybrid – in person and viewable on line. 

Kristy Love, Executive Director of CJCC moderated the discussion.  On the right is Victor Davis, Assistant Director, Defendant Engagement and System Support, Pretrial Services Agency and on the left, Marcus Hodges, Associate Director, Office of Community Supervision & Intervention Services, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA).  In the midst of a debate over criminal justice in the city, the public engagement serves to explain the agencies’ roles and defend their record – which they say is very good. 

More Books:  Capitol Hill Books may be the only retail outlet which maintains the from-long-ago Capitol Hill Second Saturday wine and cheese party tradition.  Despite the rainstorm a crowd turned out for the event to browse, meet other book lovers, and to take advantage of the featured 10% discount.  Capitol Hill Books has a clever X feed and you can follow it here:  https://twitter.com/chbooksdc

Eastern Market, circa 6:00pm, Saturday night. 

The Week Ahead…

Highlight:  CM Charles Allen comes before ANC6A Thursday night. 

Monday, March 10, 2024

ANC6D will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here: https://www.anc6d.org/virtual-meetings/

Among items on the draft agenda: 

• Community Announcements.
• Community Concerns.
• Pepco Multi-Year Rate Plan.
• Project Pipes.
• DCPS Chancellor Ferebee or Designate (invited).
• Review, Comments on 2024 TOPP.
• Race for Hope Run.
• Marine Corps Marathon.
• Transportation Committee Report.
• Transportation and ABC Committee Appointments.
• Good Company – License Application.
• Hen Quarter – CA Modification.
• Chair’s Report.
• Treasurer’s Report QFR.
• Funds for IT Website Assistance.

Tuesday, March 11

ANC7D will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://7d0761.wixsite.com/anc7d-1

Among items on the draft agenda:

Community Speaker

• TBD 40 minutes w/Q&A.

DC Government Updates/Presentations.

• Lawrence Davlin, Mayor’s Office of Community Relations & Services (MOCRS) Ward 7 Representative.
• Francis Campbell, Office of Ward 7 Councilmember Vincent Gray.

New Business

• Nomination and Confirmation of New Committee Members.
• Public Safety Committee Meeting Update.
• Economic Development, Housing Justice, Zoning and Alcoholic Beverage Committee Meeting Update.
• Transportation & Public Space Committee Meeting Update.
• Letter to Events DC Concerning Community Support and Coordination During RFK Spring Festival Season.
• Letter to DDOT in support of Bikeshare Station in the 1500 Block of North Carolina Avenue, NE.

ANC6B will hold a hybrid public/virtual meeting at 7:00pm at 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE, First Floor (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).

For info on how to join, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Among items on the draft agenda:

Consent Agenda:

• February Minutes.
• Appointment of Resident Members.
• Amendment to Bylaws to Address Vendors Paid by Debit Card.
• Amendment to Bylaws to Address Committee Chair Vacancies.
• Transportation Committee Consent Items.
• Resolution on Dedicated Funding for Metro.
• Letters to DDOT Re: 2024 Q2 TSI Prioritization Locations in ANC 6B.
• Letter to DDOT Re: No Parking Sign on Ives Place, SE.
• Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee: Update on pending medical cannabis retailer applications: No Kids Allowed, 637B Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; DC Dash; 727 8th Street ,SE; UpnSmoke, 427 8th Street, SE.

Plenary Session: 

• 633 E Street, SE Rear Project.  Historic Preservation Application. To construct a second story addition, and convert to a principal dwelling unit.
• 633 E Street, SE Rear Project: Zoning Adjustment Application.  To construct a second story addition, and convert to a principal dwelling unit, an existing, semi-detached, commercial building.
• Consideration of CBA for Alley Closing in Square 762, 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, former Capitol Lounge, rear. 
• Discussion Regarding HPRB and BZA Notification Processes.
• Upcoming March Hearing on DOB Fees for Historic District Violations.
• Report for Committees and Taskforces.

Wednesday, March 13

ANC6C will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/

Agenda: 

Consent Calendar

• TOPS#: 439867 – 420 H St NE – Public Space Improvement’
• 638 I (Eye) St. NE – Proposed BZA appeal of permit B2308873 (alteration of rooftop architectural element)

Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee

• Union Pub (substantial change—outdoor seating)

Transportation and Public Space Committee (Michael Upright, Chair)

• S.O. 24-00310 Public Alley Closure, C Street NE

Thursday, March 14

ANC6A will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda:

Community Presentations:  Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen.

Consent Agenda:

• Motion that ANC6A approve a grant to Celebrate Capitol Hill, Inc. in the amount of $1,370.00 for the purpose of engaging neighborhood youth in beautifyingactivities/public art.
• Letter of support to BZA for Special Exception to construct a two-story rear addition to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit at 1432 F Street, NE.
• Letter of support to BZA for Special Exception to construct a third story and rear addition to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit at 808 I Street, NE.

Plenary Session: 

• Officer Reports.
• Standing Committee Reports.
• Letter of support to BZA for: Request an AreaVariance to construct two new, attached, three-story with basements, principal dwelling units at 257 Warren Street, NE.
• New Business – motions to approve members of Standing Committees:
• Becca Beuthe (6A03) as a member of the Economic Development and Zoning (EDZ) Committee.
• Patrick Bloomstine (6A01) as a member of theTransportation and Public Space Committee.

Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about: 

Tuesday, March 12^th at 7:30pm, Folger Library.

• Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, with a reading from this year’s judge, Linda Gregerson, and this year’s winner Hannah Louise Poston. In person at the Folger Shakespeare Library. 201 East Capitol Street, SE.  Tickets $20. Duration 60 minutes.  Go here for more info:  https://www.folger.edu/whats-on/anthony-hecht-poetry-prize-2024/

Thursday, March 14th at 7:00pm at Hill Center

• Hill Center Event: The Life of a Poet: Sandra Beasley.  East City Bookshop partners with Hill Center for The Life of a Poet series, which is a quarterly series of in-depth literary conversations. The series offers a rare opportunity to consider a writer’s entire career and explore the major events that have shaped their work. This event will feature local poet Sandra Beasley. In-person at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital. 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  Go here for more info:  https://www.hillcenterdc.org/event/the-life-of-a-poet-featuring-celebrated-poet-sandra-beasley-in-conversation-with-kyle-dargan/

Crime Update in MPD 1st District with Commander Colin Hall

By Larry Janezich

Posted March 6, 2024

Last night, MPD 1^st District Commander Colin Hall updated the community on crime issues at the monthly virtual meeting of the Citizens Advisory Council (CAC).  https://1dcac.com/

He said that compared with the first two months of 2023, there has been an over-all decrease in crime of 4% and a double digit decrease in homicides, robberies and stolen autos.  He expects a tic-up in crime will come in the spring with warmer weather and more people moving around.  2023 saw crime increase in March, April, May and June.

Here are some other takeaways.  MPD:  

• Remains focused on gun violence and has seen an up-tic in SW areas and around 15th and 17th Streets, and Independence Avenue, SE.
• Has increased resources in those areas and has partnered with DC Department of Housing Police in response to shootings around Potomac Gardens resulting from neighborhood disputes.
• Is adding more bike patrols to H Street, NE. 
• Has increased patrolling in alleys in the commercial corridors in response to burglaries.
• Has partnered with Metro Transit Police in patrols around Metro stops.

(A wealth of information on crime in the city is available on the MPD Crime Card website, here:  https://crimecards.dc.gov/ For example you can find a detailed map of the crimes which have occurred within 1,000 feet of your home address.)

Hall said MPD has seen a “big difference in Chinatown – it has a different feel to it” and noted the Mayor’s HUB facility there is showing results.  The HUB is a pilot project which locates an office in a crime hotspot which provides access to MPD, the Department of Human Services (homeless and youth services), Behavioral Health, and the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations.  Two more HUBs are scheduled to launch in the near future – one in Ward 1 at 14th and U Streets, and one in Ward 8 in Anacostia. 

ANC6A Chair Amber Gove, who is a regular promoter of and presence at the CAC meetings, asked Hall how to get a HUB for 8th Street, NE.  He replied that the Mayor is spearheading the HUB project and her office is deciding where they go.  The pilot program is engaged in a process of ironing out the kinks before deciding on future expansion.

Gove continued to urge residents to attend the monthly virtual meetings of the CAC – which has the widest array of personnel available – as the best place to interact and ask questions of the MPD and the US Attorney General’s Office, as well as other representatives of city agencies including the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations. 

Another venue will be available on tomorrow (Thursday) night, when the Spring Public Forum on Understanding Adult Supervised Release will take place.  The Criminal Justice Coordination Council (CJCC) will hold the public meeting on Understanding Adult Supervision in the District of Columbia at 6:00pm at Eastern Market North Hall, 225 7th Street, SE.

Featured:  A panel discussion on adult community supervision pre-and-post conviction in the District of Columbia.

• Moderator Kristy Love, Executive Director, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.
• Panelists Victor Davis, Assistant Director, Defendant Engagement and System Support, Pretrial Services Agency.
• Marcus Hodges, Associate Director, Office of Community Supervision & Intervention Services, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency.
• Watch Live: tinyurl.com/CJCC-Meeting (see here)   https://bit.ly/3wwXF8E

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted March 3, 2024

SE/NE Library Book Sale This Saturday.  March sees the return of the Library Book Sale – this one a joint effort by Friends of the Southeast and Northeast Libraries.  Out of necessity, the sale will be at the Northeast Library – 330 7^th Street, NE, on Saturday, March 9, from 10am until 3:00pm. 

No Billionaire‘s Playground:  A new sign appeared in the neighborhood last week.  This one sponsored by the Fair Budget Coalition opposing a new stadium on the RFK Campus.  The advocacy group favors recreational opportunities and affordable housing instead.  For more, go here:https://bit.ly/3P0zSUT

Upcoming Special Events at Eastern Market:  Thursday night, Eastern Market MainStreet held a reception for members and guests at its Annual Meeting.  The mission of the non-profit organization includes preserving the 7th Street Historic Corridor and supporting its small businesses.  Their marketing plan focuses on platforming the attractions of Eastern Market and surrounding businesses.  As part of the ongoing celebration of Eastern Market’s 150th anniversary year, “Blossoms at the Market” will feature an XR installation by Artechouse (https://www.artechouse.com/location/dc/) and an April 12th fundraiser party.  “Blossoms and Starlight” will be an all-ages dance party featuring a Taylor Swift-themed playlist. There will be 21+ beverage tickets as well as other food and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. All funds from the event’s ticket and beverage ticket sales go to the Eastern Market 150th Anniversary fund. Tickets will go on sale mid-March.  Pictured above:  Brian Ready, Executive Director of Barracks Row MainStreet and Judy Thomas, Program Manager for Eastern Market MainStreet.  The two organizations share an office at 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. 

Safety Walks:  Last Thursday, ANC6B Commissioner Frank D’Andrea organized a safety walk in his Single Member District along South Carolina Avenue, SE.  CM Charles Allen was scheduled to attend but got stuck chairing a late-running city council oversight committee.  MPD 1^st District Commander Colin Hall was there to answer questions on neighborhood crime issues.  He said that crime is trending downward in 2024 compared with the first two months of 2023.  There’s another safety walk coming up Monday night, organized by ANC6B Chair and 6B08 Commissioner Edward Ryder which will meet at 13th and I Streets, SE at 5:00pm.  Pictured above with Commander Powell:  Commissioner Frank D’Andrea, far right, and next to him, ANC6B Public Safety Committee alternate member Jody Kent Lavy. 

This weekend saw the return to 7th Street of Mike Berman’s Flea Market at Eastern Market. The vendors take off during January and February, though a reduced number of craft vendors keep operating outside the Market and a few flea market vendors keep a presence on C Street. Sunday’s splendid weather brought crowds to welcome the return of the vendors and to celebrate early the arrival of the spring equinox March 19.

Miner/Maury Pairing.  Last Monday, the ANC6A Community Outreach Committee sponsored an in-person meeting at Miner Elementary School, to gather input on implementing the Deputy Mayor for Education’s proposal which was originally to pair Maury and Miner Elementary Schools.  Update: As of February 23, 2024, the original Boundary and Student Assignment Study was revised and new recommondations were issued.  These included the recommendations:

• DCPS should consider using the policy of”pairing” adjacent elementary shcoolswith extreme differences …when doing so would both support socioeconomic intergration and manage enrollment, capacity, and utilization challenges….
• DCPS should launch a Maury-Miner CommunityWorking Group of a diverse body of PTO, LSAT, and community members no earlierthan SY206-27 help facilitate whether it is feasible to implement this policy at these two schools….
• DCPS shall implement the at risk set asie at Maury ES … to helpsupport socioeconomic integration at the school…. 

The report from Monday night’s meeting will be submitted for consideration to the team preparing the Deputy Mayor’s Boundary and Student Assignment Study Report.  On February 14, the Washington Post published a front page article regarding some of the challenges facing the plan:  https://wapo.st/49F2taW 

Featured above is ANC6B Community Outreach Chair Paul Spires (standing far right), and ANC6B Chair Amber Gove (seated at right in yellow sweater). 

Here’s the twilight view from the 7^th floor of 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE on Thursday evening.   

The Week Ahead…

Monday, March 4

ANC6C Alcoholic Beverage Licensing Committee Meeting will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

For info on how to join, go here:  https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/

Agenda: 

Union Pub, 201 Massachusetts Avenue, NE.  Retailer’s Class “C” Tavern, Substantial Change – Request for an Increase in seating capacity outside on the existing Sidewalk Café from 56 seats to 84 seats.

Update on Outstanding Licenses

ANC6D will hold a virtual Administrative Meeting at 7:00pm.

Contact the ANC6D office at 6d@anc.dc.gov  if you wish to have a link to monitor the meeting.

Safety Walk.  ANC6B Chair and Commissioner Edward Ryder has organized at Safety Walk starting at 5:00pm.  Meet at 13^th and I Streets, SE. 

Tuesday, March 5, 2024

ANC6B ABC Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm.  

Physical location will be 700 Pennsylvania Ave SE; Second Floor (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s)

For info on joining the virtual meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Review Settlement Agreement for No Kids Allowed; 637B Pennsylvania Avenue SE; New Medical Cannabis Retailer.
• Review Settlement Agreement for DC Dash; 727 8th Street, SE; New Medical Cannabis Retailer.
• Review Settlement Agreement for UpnSmoke; 427 8^th Street, SE; New Medical Cannabis Retailer. 
• Discussion: Testimony at March 7 hearing on permanent legislation regarding medical marijuana dispensaries.

Tuesday, March 5

MPD 1D CAC meeting, 6:00 – 7:15pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://1dcac.com/

Agenda:

• Navy Yard and M Street, SE crime issues
• Wharf Juvenine crime issues
• Burglaries, car jackings and homicide – follow up
• Status of policing on 14^th Place, 15^th Street, Independence and Constitution, NE, 200 9^th Street and other concerns.    
• Chinatown drug and vagrancy issues.

Wednesday, March 6  

ANC6B Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

For info on joining thevirtual meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Agenda:

• Presentation on DDOT DC Smart Street Lighting Project.
• Request to Support DC Streetcar Extension.
• Resolution on Dedicated Funding for Metro.
• Letters to DDOT Re: 2024 Q2 TSI Prioritization Locations in ANC6B.
• Letter to DDOT Re: No Parking Sign on Ives Place, SE.

Middle School Principals’ Panel Discussion, March 6, 7 pm.

The Ward 6 Public Schools Parent Organization will host a virtual Middle School Principals’ Panel Discussion on March 6, at 7:00pm. Principals from Capitol Hill Montessori@Logan, Eliot-Hine Middle School, Jefferson Academy and Stuart Hobson Middle School will participate.  Principal Miller from Eastern High School will also participate.  The discussion will be moderated by Claudia Lujan, Chief of Staff at the Education Trust.  Register for the panel discussion here.  https://bit.ly/3SZnuWt    

ANC6C Committee on Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm. 

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/

Agenda: 

638 I (Eye) St. NE – Discussion of proposed BZA appeal of permit B2308873 for violation of
section E-204 (alteration of rooftop architectural elements).

Thursday, March 7

ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/calendar/

Agenda:

• Election of Vice Chair for P&Z Committee.
• 633 E Street, SE Rear Project.  Historic Preservation Application to construct a second story addition, and convert to a principal dwelling unit, an existing, semi-detached, commercial building in the RF-1 zone.
• 633 E Street, SE Rear Project: To construct a second story addition, and convert to a principal dwelling unit, an existing, semi-detached, commercial building in the RF-1 zone.
• Consideration of Community Benefits Agreememt for Alley Closing in Square 762 (behind the former Capitol Lounge in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE).
• Discussion Regarding HPRB and BZA Notification Processes. 
• Upcoming March Hearing on Department of Building fines for Historic District Building Permit Violations. 

ANC6C Transportation & Public Space Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:   https://anc6c.org/hot-topics/

Agemda:  TBA. 

Public Meeting on Understanding Adult Supervised Release.  The Criminal Justice Coordination Council (CJCC) will hold a Public Meeting on Understanding Adult Supervision in the District of Columbia at 6:00pm at Eastern Market North Hall, 225 7th Street, SE.

• Featured:  A panel discussion on adult community supervision pre-and-post conviction in the District of Columbia. 
• Moderator Kristy Love, Executive Director, Criminal Justice Coordinating Council. 
• Panelists Victor Davis, Assistant Director, Defendant Engagement and System Support, Pretrial Services Agency.
• Marcus Hodges, Associate Director, Office of Community Supervision & Intervention Services, Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency.

Watch Live: tinyurl.com/CJCC-Meeting (see here)   https://bit.ly/3wwXF8E

Saturday, March 9

Friends of SE and NE Libraries will hold a used book sale at NE Library from 10am until 3pm.  330 7^th Street, NE. 

Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:

Lincoln Park neighborhood Orange Hat Patrol.  The patrol meets twice weekly, Wednesday from 9pm  to 10pm and Friday from 10pm to 11pm, at the the corner park at Kentucky Avenue and Independence Avenue.  MPD officer(s) usually joins the group. 

Tuesday, March 5th at 7:00pm at East City Book Shop.  Hybrid meeting.

Hybrid Event: Kristina Forest, The Partner Plot, with Andie J Christopher Kristina Forest discusses her sophomore romance novel, The Partner Plot, about two former high school sweethearts in a marriage of convenience. In conversation with local author Andie J. Christopher. Via Zoom and in-person at East City Bookshop.  https://bit.ly/49VRFon

Thursday, March 7th at 7:00pm at East City Book Shop.  Hybrid meeting.

Hybrid Event: Stuart Gibbs, Evil Spy School Graphic Novel New York Times bestselling author Stuart Gibbs discusses Evil Spy School Graphic Novel, as the series continues in graphic novel form with the third book. Ben gets kicked out of the CIA’s spy school and enrolls with the enemy. Via Zoom and in-person at East City Bookshop. https://bit.ly/49YdvYk

March Hill Center Event.  Concert:  Stone Room Concerts @ Hill Center Featuring Acclaimed Americana Duo Violet Bell Sunday, March 10 @ 4:30 pm – 6:00 pm $20.  https://bit.ly/3TltpGM

The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted February 25, 2024

Last Friday, CM Charles Allen met stakeholders on the 700 block of Barracks Row in response to concerns of businesses and residents who back up on the block’s sprawling alleys where there has been some criminal activity including break-ins and stolen cars. 

Allen brought in MPD and the Departments of Transportation and Health to the alley complex and it looks like a greater MPD presence, more lights from the DDOT lighting team and increased rodent control are in the offing.  Maybe more security cameras.  That’s MPD 1^st District Commander Colin Hall with Allen. 

Inside Solid State Books at 600 H Street, NE.  The swooping paper sculpture above the central checkout counter and work station was created by the design firm Spaeth Hill.  Bookstore owners Scott Abel and Jake Cumsky-Whitlock commissioned the piece when the store opened on H Street in 2018. 

For more on Solid State Books, go here:  https://www.solidstatebooksdc.com/   For more on Spaeth Hill, go here:  https://spaethhill.com/  (There’s a second Solid State Books on 14th Street, SW.)  

The rogue artist street art outside of Solid State Books has held up pretty well since its installation in November of 2022.  ICYMI WAPO had an article on Chicago artist Jim Bachor who contracts with individuals and organization to fill potholes with concrete topped with a mosaic.  This one, on H Street, NE, in front of Solid State Books, was commissioned by the #Relist/Wolves Campaign to re-list the Rocky Mountain Northern Wolf as an endangered species.  For more, go here:  http://bit.ly/3ANDGBO  

A few doors away – still at 600 H Street – the Wydown in the lobby of the Apollo Apartments, Malcolm serves up cappuccinos.  Here’s more on the Wydown, which is IN the Apollo but not WITH the Apollo:  https://thewydown.com/ CHC will bring more on H Street, NE, in the weeks ahead. 

Triple Candie’s latest “curatorial riddle” is on display in the space in the front of the former Li’l Pub at 655 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  This one is a little edgier than some, but you have to visit to see it up close and read the text. 

The Week Ahead… Some interesting items this week… 

Monday, February 26

ANC 6A Community Outreach Committee will hold an in-person meeting on the Deputy Mayor for Education (DME) proposal to pair Maury and Miner Elementary Schools at 6:00pm at Miner Elementary School, 601 15^th Street, NE. 

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Jenn Comey, Director of Planning and Analysis, Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, Paired School Model Implementation Questions
• Small Group Activity: Implementation Considerations for Maury-Miner Paired School Model – Marc Friend, 7D06 and Amber Gove, 6A04*
• Small Group Report Out
• Summary and Next Steps, (Paul Spires, Chair, COC)
• Grant Application, H Street Youth Art Project

*The Advisory Neighborhood Commissions of 7D and 6A include Miner Elementary School at 601 15th Street NE, (in ANC7D06) and Maury Elementary School at 1250 Constitution Avenue, (in ANC6A04).  Miner ES boundaries include Single Member Districts (SMDs) 6A02, 6A05, 6A06, 7D05, 7D06 and 7D07, while Maury’s include 6A04, 6A05, 6A07 and 7D08.  Until the 2022 redistricting, which moved the Ward 6/7 boundary from 19th to 15th Street NE, much of the Miner and Maury boundary areas were represented by ANC 6A, which held its meetings at Miner ES.  The purpose of this activity is to gather input from the 6A and 7D communities on implementation considerations regarding the DME proposal to pair Maury and Miner Elementary Schools, including from residents who are not currently part of either school community. The report from this meeting will be developed by the ANC 6A Community Outreach Committee and submitted for consideration to the team preparing the DME’s Boundary and Student Assignment Study Report.

ANC6B’s Public Safety Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm. 

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Among items on the agenda:

• Committee Updates
• Select date, identify agenda items for next meetings

Tuesday, February 27

CANCELLED ANC6A Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee has schedule a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

ANC6B Executive Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm. 

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Agenda:

• The Committee will meet to set the agenda for the March meeting of the full ANC on March 12. 

CHRS Preservation Café Virtual Presentation on Restoring and Reimagining Capitol Hill’s Southeast Library at 6:30pm. 

Agenda:

Jaspreet Pahwa, Director of Capital Planning and Construction, and Martha Saccocio, Director of Community Engagement, DC Public Library will present a virtual Preservation Café “Restoring and Reimagining Capitol Hill’s Southeast Library,”  Details: https://chrs.org/selibrary-renovation-pc/

Thursday, February 29

South Carolina Avenue Community Safety Walk with Councilmember Charles Allen and MPD will begin at 5:30pm at 9^th and South Carolina and will cover the South Carolina venue corridor from 9^th Street to the east. 

Saturday, March 2

ANC6B Planning and Zoning Subcommittee On Street And Alley Closings will hold a virtual meeting at 10:00am.  (Community benefits for alley closing on 300 block of PA Ave, SE)

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6b.org/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• Consideration of Finalized Community Benefits Agreement for the alley closing behind the former Capitol Lounge in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.  *
• Next Meeting/Steps
• *Note that the CBA will be posted publicly at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting.

Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:

Talk of the Hill with Bill Press Featuring Alex Prud’homme at Hill Center.

Tuesday, March 26 |7:00 pm | $10 | Register Here:  https://bit.ly/49tjODm

Veteran journalist Bill Press sits down for an in-depth conversation with acclaimed writer Alex Prud’homme, author of DINNER WITH THE PRESIDENT: Food, Politics, and a History of Breaking Bread at The White House. 

The Week Ahead … & Some Photos from the Past Week

by Larry Janezich

Posted February 19, 2024

Patriots Row Public Benefits Agreement on Alley Closing:  ANC6B Commissioner D’Andrea who chairs the ANC’s Subcommittee on Alley and Street Closings announced that an agreement in principle regarding public benefits has been reached with the representatives of the Conservative Partnership Institute.  The “Patriots Row” backers are seeking an alley closing behind the former Capitol Lounge in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue.  Details of the agreement are still being finalized, but will most likely be presented to the Planning and Zoning Committee in March. The agreement will be subject to public comment and a vote at both the P&Z Committee and the ANC. The next meeting of the P&Z Committee will be on March 7, and the full ANC meets on March 12.

SE Library Interim Services at Arthur Capper Community Center.  Here’s a photo of the new Interim Library at Arthur Capper Community Center established while SE Library is being renovated.  The facility has 13 computers, three of which are desktops, a scanner, a printer, a shelf for books ordered for pickup, and a dropbox for returns outside the Center.  The Interim Library is also giving away free covid tests – two per customer.  Pictured is Melissa Weiss, MLK Library staffer and Digital Navigator. 

Pupatella Pizza Stalls:  Last Wednesday, ANC6C02 Commissioner Leslie told ANC6C that Pupatella Pizza at 3^rd and Mass Avenue, NE hoped to open in February.  It doesn’t look like they’re going to make it judging from a visit to the site last Friday and the stop work order on the window regarding the high wooden fence under construction, the notice of a pending lawsuit for non-payment of rent, and the lack of progress on the buildout.  Pupatella announced in September 2021 they were opening a new pizza restaurant at 3rd and Massachusetts Avenue, NE, in the former Romeo & Juliet’s.  They have five outlets locally.  Here’s here’s a link to the Dupont Circle restaurant’s menu:  https://bit.ly/31mgIDy

SE Library Renovation: ANC6B’s SE Library Taskforce met Monday night to hear a presentation from MLK Library Staff on the status of the renovation of SE Library.  Selective demolition is proceeding on the main floor. Here’s an image of the ceiling removal in prograss. Photo: MLK Library.

And here’s a photo of on-going demolition on the lower level. Photo: MLK Library.

SE Library Safety measures:  The Taskforce also presented MLK staff and Whiting-Turner Construction with a list of proposals designed to improve public safety around the construction zone, including a protected pedestrian walk way on the edge of the construction site on South Carolina Avenue, removal as much as possible of the screens on the chain link fence which obstruct the view of oncoming traffic, speed bumps on South Carolina Avenue, and addressing crosswalk concerns on the D Street side of the library.  The Taskforce will next meet on March 21, at 6:30pm, at a place TBA for another status report from MLK staff and Whiting- Turner Construction. 

The Week Ahead …

by Larry Janezich

Posted February 19, 2024

Tuesday, February 21

ANC6D Transportation Committee is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

• Details TBA

Wednesday, February 21

ANC6A Economic Development & Zoning Committee is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.

For info on how to join the meeting, go here:  https://anc6a.org/community-calendar/

Among items on the draft agenda:

• 1432 F Street, NE.  Zoning Adjustment Application.  To construct a two-story rear addition to
• An existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.  Special exceptions: rear yard requirements and lot occupancy requirements.
• 257 Warren Street, NE.  Zoning Adjustment Application.  To construct two new, attached, three-story with basements, principal dwelling units in the RF-1 zone.  Area Variance to lot dimension requirements to construct a third story and rear addition to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.  Special Exceptions: The rear addition requirements of lot occupancy requirements.

Capitol Hill Corner would like you to know about:

Thursday, February 22

• National Margarita Day 10am – 10pm, Barracks Row
• On Thursday, February 22nd, and continuing into the weekend, Barracks Row will celebrate National Margarita Day. Guests will be able to enjoy margaritas/food specials at each participating establishment. This event will start on Thursday, February 22nd, and continue into the weekend.  Participating establishments:  Playa Ocho Cantina, As You Are, Taco City, Barracks Row Joey’s, Las Placitas, Matchbox, Chat’s, Extreme Pizza, Lola’s, I Egg You, The Brig, Ted’s Bulletin, Hawk & Dove, Ophelia’s, Box Car, and Classy Corks Wine and Spirits.
• See here for additional information:  https://www.barracksrow.org/

Hill Center Happenings for February. 

• See here:  https://bit.ly/42OlEMS and here:  https://bit.ly/48owlXm

Eastern Market Metro Plaza, Southwest Quadrant, Friday afternoon.

Missing sculptures: There are various reports about the status of “Loveful Hands,” (left) but no definitive reason why it has not been installed on the granite base that awaits it outside the entrance to Metro. The status of “Weavings,” (right) which was scheduled to be installed near the entrance to Trader Joe’s is even less certain. The third element of the public art commissioned for the plaza “Found You,” by Beth Nybeck, was installed on the Northeast quadrant near the playground in August of 2022.

Rethinking Eastern Market Metro Plaza

by Larry Janezich

Posted February 17, 2024

Last year, CM Charles Allen’s office secured a written Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) among five agencies regarding responsibilities for maintenance of Eastern Market Metro Plaza. 

Last Wednesday night, ANC6B unanimously agreed to send a follow up letter to the Councilmember urging the open design of the Southeast quadrant of the plaza with the Metro entrance be rethought to make it function as well as the Northeast quadrant with its children’s playground and splash pad.

The letter lists successes and failures of the current plaza and recommendations for expanding the scope of services of agencies responsible for its maintenance.  The letter was generated by the ANC’s Parks and Public Spaces Task Force chaired by Commissioner Jerry Sroufe. 

Sroufe told the ANC that in many ways the plaza has been a great success and in other ways it has been a disappointment.  The letter to the Councilmember lists these as well as some recommendations. 

Among the successes, the letter lists the evening concerts, the July Fourth ceremony, the community holiday tree lighting and the Saturday summer programs for children of all ages.  For younger children, it notes that the splash pad and play equipment on the Northeast quadrant have been popular and attractive additions.  The ANC says it looks forward to linking programs of the remodeled SE Library with the plaza. 

Among the concerns listed:

• The plaza remains incomplete.  Sculptures planned for the plaza or adjacent to it have not been installed.  These include the Jay Coleman’s “Loveful Hands” sculpture which is supposed to reside on the granite platform near the Metro entrance, and Hiroski Jacob’s “Weavings” which was to be sited near the entrance to Trader Joe’s. 
• The movable furniture that was an integral part of the plaza design near the Metro entrance has largely been removed and has not been replaced: a recent count revealed that there were only 13 tables remaining and only six chairs. Also, the landscaping program has been generally inadequate.
• Maintenance continues to be spotty. There are three light posts on the ground on the plaza near the Metro entrance. The problem of gravel spreading across the pavement with each rain has not been addressed.  Fencing necessary to protect the shrubs has not been provided.
• The plaza near the Metro entrance does not provide a safe, attractive environment.  It has attracted groups of unsupervised students and the homeless in sufficient numbers to discourage activities such as a quiet lunch or reading in the park. The Metro and MPD are frequently called to the plaza especially in the after-school hours.  (The letter does not mention that some observers allege illegal drug activity on the plaza.)  

Recommendations: 

First, that a group of community representatives be convened to determine if the best approach moving forward is to rethink the design components of the park (e.g., movable furniture, open design), or to suggest other changes or actions designed to make the Southwest side of the park work as well as the Northeast side. The group might include the Stakeholder’s Taskforce engaged in the original design of the park, among others.

Second, the roster of agencies contributing to the current MOA should be expanded, formally or informally, to include the MPD and the Board of Education.

Third, the MOA signatories be regarded as a continuing body and be re-convened on occasion to assess progress being made toward achieving the objectives of the MOA.

Fourth, the ANC urged the establishment of public restrooms on the Eastern Market Metro Park. 

The covered stained glass windows of the Church of God at 700 A Street, NE.

A view of the interior of the church from circa 2011.

Covering Stained Glass of Capitol Hill Church Prompts Neighbor Outrage

by Larry Janezich

Posted February 13, 2024

Neighbors of the World Mission Society, Inc. (Church of God), at 700 A Street, NE, are up in arms again over the issue of preservation of the stained glass windows of the Romanesque Revival Capitol Hill church at 700 A Street, NE. 

The backstory:  A tenet of the current owners of the Church of God is that they cannot worship in the presence of images such those in the church’s numerous stained glass windows.  To that end, they attempted to remove the windows in 2012, but were blocked by the city’s enforcement of the Historic Preservation Act. 

Recently, the church applied for a permit to install acrylic glass over the stained glass and staff in the Historic Preservation Office found that the regulations did not prohibit that and that a permit was not required for installation of storm windows.  The project description on the application says regarding the Exterior Alteration nature of the project:  “We would like to add acrylic glass to the exterior of the windows.”  The church cited options of differing opacity and stated their preference was a white option.  With no objection from the city, the church proceeded to install the opaque plastic over the stained glass, prompting neighbors to cry foul, accusing church officials of misrepresenting the installation and the Historic Preservation Office of not exercising due diligence to protect the historic structure.

Last Wednesday, ANC6C’s Planning and Zoning Committee, chaired by Mark Eckenweiler, met and heard from outraged nearby neighbors over the covering of the windows.

The committee considered and passed a motion by Eckenweiler to recommend that the full ANC send a letter to the Historic Preservation Office that would:

• Set forth the facts of the installation and ask for clarification from the Chief Building Officer (CBO) regarding the designation of the action as installation of storm windows, including an invitation to the meet on site with representatives of the ANC to discuss the decision;
• Express the committee’s concern about the adverse impact on the building;
• And to ask the CBO to provide a written explanation of why the CBO believes what has been installed qualifies as storm windows.

The motion was agreed to 5 – 0 and the recommendation will come before the full ANC at the meeting of the full commission on Wednesday, February 14.