Photos – Lincoln Park – 6pm Saturday – The Capitol Hillbillies’ Concert
By Larry Janezich
Posted September 17, 2023
The Capitol Hillbillies brought their music – 1920s era Blues and Jug band – to Lincoln Park Saturday night. The National Park Service hosted the event, reminiscent of programs held in the late 1960s as part of the “Summer in the Parks” program, which promoted racial harmony and use of outdoor space through music, reading, sports, and other activities. A Park Service Ranger told CHC this was the second concert sponsored by the NPS this year and anticipated additional concerts next year.
The Capitol Hillbillies, (S-R) Brendan Bailes, resonator guitar; Pearl Bailes, harmonica; Will Ward, guitar; Brent Meier, bass and tuba; Joel Bailes, piano and band leader.
Here’s part of a Blues standard by Robert Johnson, “Dust my Broom.” Johnson, an American Blues musician and songwriter was a master of the Delta blues style and according to Wiki, influenced generations of musicians, including Chuck Berry, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Keith Richards and Johnny Winter.
DCPS Chancellor Lewis Ferebee Talks School Safety with ANC7D
by Larry Janezich
Posted September 15, 2023
Last Tuesday night, Dr. Lewis Ferebee, Chancellor of DC Public Schools since 2018, visited ANC7D and answered questions from the commission on a wide ranging series of topics. His opening remarks summarized DCPS programs and performance.
ANC7D Chair Wendell Felder (7D03) posed a series of questions on behalf of the Commission to the Chancellor. Here are some of the questions and Ferebee’s responses, in some cases edited for brevity:
What sets us apart as a school system?
Universal Pre K 3 and Pre K 4.
What would you like the ANC to know about DCPS that they don’t know?
Families continue to choose DCPS as reflected in our growing enrollment. We prioritize equity through student support and funding.
What are the biggest challenges facing DCPS?
Recovering from the pandemic, lack of mastery in math, insuring equity is strong given we have some on the most significant socio-economic disparities in our city.
What unmet needs do you have?
We never have enough resources.
What other priorities other than equity do you have for the coming year?
New strategic plans regarding ways to bolster academic achievement.
Addressing students’ mental health issues including shortage of mental health staff.
Rethinking high schools: some high schools are developing focused agendas such as entrepreneurship, Afro-futures, and international work.
What is being done regarding new school boundaries in Hill East?
Boundaries have not been adjusted since 2014. There is a new study being conducted and Hill East is part of that. There will be town hall meetings on September 26 and 27. For more info, go here: https://dme.dc.gov/boundaries2023
Can you explain the current public safety resources being used to insure students and faculty security and safety inside our schools? As MPD school resource officers are being phased out how are you coordinating with safety officers such as using safety advocates or other coordinators and how is DCPS police used and what is DCPS’ purview in this matter?
“In summary, we all work together. DCPS relies on contract security that we have in schools, then we have armed DCPS police officers that support our schools, then we have MPD police officers which support schools. Within MPD we have our school resource officers assigned to schools based on need. There’s training for contract officers who work independently and in partnership with school communities as well. And training for DCPS police and MPD as well. We meet regularly to be proactive on any issue that our school community is facing. We also incorporate in those sessions – in add to MPD – we have Metro Transit Police, the Office of the Attorney General, and also the public safety team as well – and internal schools are also included in daily calls. This is an opportunity to insure we are at the top of the landscape in any potential threat to schools – and the DCPS police team is also monitoring schools across the District on a 24/7 shift rotation.”
Two schools in our ANC – Eastern High Schools and Caesar Chavez Public Charter School – were listed as participating in the Deputy Mayor’s Education’s Safe Passage Program. We regularly see the program in the morning and afternoon around Eastern High. Is this program having a positive impact? Is funding and deployment adequate or is more support needed?
“In general, I believe the Safe Passage strategy has served us well. From my view, when I talk with students they felt a sense of safety when were able to provide safe passage support to and from school. Obviously, in some places students like to see that presence in their neighborhood so we’re working with the public safety team to insure we see those supports. In terms of details and funding, I would have to defer to Deputy Mayor’s team. From my point of view, it’s a very strong resource for school communities.
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Last Thursday, Scott Kratz, head of the non-profit Building Bridges Across the River, updated ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee on the 11th Street Bridge Park Project. The 100% design for the project is due to be completed this year and a general contractor will be solicited. The time line anticipates a ground breaking in 4-6 months and a ribbon cutting on July 4, 2026. Project Goals:
Environment: Re-engage residents with the Anacostia River.
Health: Improve public health disparities.
Social: Reconnect long divided communities.
Economic: Serve as an anchor for equitable and inclusive growth.
The project will include an environmental education center, a kayak and canoe launch facility, public art, a performance space, a playground and a café/restaurant.
ANC6B’s SE Library Taskforce met Sunday afternoon in SE Library chaired by Commissioner David Sobelsohn. The latest info is that SE Library will close in late fall, preceded by six week’s notice and a community meeting. Outstanding questions yet to be answered include how long it will be after closing before interim services are available at the Arthur Capper Rec Center, how many days each week and hours each day will the interim facility be open, and whether a copier and scanner will be available at the interim facility and not just a printer. As far as the concerns of nearby neighbor regarding how they will be affected, two of those in close proximity to the library report being satisfied after a meeting with the contractor that their concerns would be addressed. The Taskforce will next meet at 6:30pm Monday, October 2, in SE Library.
Here’s one of six sculptures in a temporary exhibit on the National Mall entitled “Beyond Granit: Pulling Together.” This piece, by Native American Wendy Red Star “The Soil You See” represents the thumbprint by which Crow chiefs signed treaties with the U.S. Government. At seven feet tall, the glass sculpture features reds whorls between which are the names of all the signers of those treaties between the years 1825 and 1880. The exhibit runs through September 18. For more, go here: https://bit.ly/3PyL2Be and here: https://monumentlab.com/projects/national-mall-project
Mezeh Mediterranean Grill still hopes to open in September in the space formerly occupied by Roland’s in the 300 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, but it looks iffy, as the permitting process routinely takes longer than anticipated. As of now, the windows are all papered over with photos of offerings from Mezeh’s menu.
Lorenz A. Wheatley demonstrates his talent with single reeds and flutes at Eastern Market on Saturday. He offers solo and ensemble performances for all occasions. (202) 841 5249 Here’s a WIN TV video and interview on youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g604umEXNfg
Hill Center Opening Reception celebrating their newest Fall Solo Exhibitions, Wednesday, September 13th, from 6:30pm-8:30pm. 11 local artists have had their work chosen for the 2023 Fall Solo Exhibitions: Suzi Balamaci, Alan Braley, Barbara Brennan, Paula Cleggett, Jeffrey Felten-Green, Scot McKenzie, Isabella Merlos, Terence Nicholson, Rindy OBrien, Felicia Reed, & Naaz Sadri. The entire gallery will be both online and in-person as of September 11th. All art is available for purchase. The exhibition runs September 11, 2023 – January 7, 2024. FREE but register here: https://bit.ly/3r0m1Wb
The Week Ahead…& Some Recent Photos
by Larry Janezich
The Week Ahead…
Monday, September 11, 2023
CM Charles Allen leads a public safety walk at 7:30pm starting at 12th/13th and D/E Streets, SE near Watkins School, with MPD, the Council Chairman’s office, ANC leadership, Community Connections, and residents. The walk will include the blocks nearby the starting location and visit several nearby businesses.
Proposed Alley Renaming in Square 969 “Sladen’s Walk.”
223 8th Street, SE, Project. Zoning Adjustment Application. To construct a rear addition to an existing, semi-detached, three-story principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
116 5th Street, SE, Project. Historic Preservation Application. Addition of a third floor containing a bedroom and bathroom and enclosure of a second-floor rooftop deck to extend an existing bedroom.
744 13th Street, SE, Project. Zoning Adjustment Application. To construct a rear addition, to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 Zone.
Presentations
Director Everett Lott – Director, District Department of Transportation (DDOT).
Ashley Wells – DC Smart Street Lighting Project.
Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee
The Ugly Mug Dining Saloon/Valor Brew Pub; 723 8th Street, SE. Retailer’s Class “C” Restaurant License, Application for a Games of Skill Endorsement.
Dos Toros Taqueria. 215 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Retailer’s Class “C” Restaurant License, Application for new Class “C” Restaurant License.
Wine and Butter; Application for the renewal of a Retailers’ Class “B” liquor license with a tasting endorsement.
Transportation Committee
DDOT Presentation on 8th Street SE Bus Priority Project.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 7D will hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm.
Everett Lott, Director, District Department of Transportation.
Ashley Wells, DC Smart Street Lighting Project.
Consent Agenda
Recommendation: ANC 6A take no action with regard to the application of The People’s Kitchen at 816 H Street, NE, for a Class C Restaurant License, and that the Chair of the ABL Committee and the Chair and Vice Chair of the ANC represent the ANC in negotiating a settlement agreement with The People’s Kitchen.
Recommendation: ANC6A send a letter requesting that the District Department of Transportation, in a timely fashion, perform an evaluation of the 11th and F Street and 10th and F Street intersections, meet with the staff of School within Schools @ Goding to discuss traffic safety, and make a proposal for raised crosswalks and other traffic calming measure.
Recommendation: ANC6A send a letter to BZA in support of a request for a Special Exception to construct a side and rear addition, and permit a fast food establishment use, to an existing, attached, two-story commercial building at 1244/1246 H Street, NE.
Recommendation: ANC6A send a letter to BZA in support of a request for a Special Exception from the minimum vehicle parking requirements to construct a new, attached, six story with roof deck, 30-unit, mixed use building at 1371/1375 H Street, NE.
Economic Development and Zoning
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A send a letter to BZA in support in support of a request for a special exception to construct a two story with cellar, rear addition, to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit at 314 9th Street, NE.
New Business
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A send a letter to HSEMA in support of Eastern High School’s proposal for their annual homecoming parade on Friday, November 3, 2023.
Friday, September 15
MPD Community Walk, Fri Sep 15, 7 pm at Lincoln Park. With CM Charles Allen and MPD First District Officers. Meet at the Bethune statue.
MPD hosts showing of Spiderman: Across the Spiderverse on the center lawn at Lincoln Park, 8:00pm. Movie and popcorn by MPD. Lemonade by neighbors. Bring a blanket and picnic if you like.
Saturday, September 16
The H Street Festival is back in full force. Join neighbors from across the city and support local H Street Businesses. For details, go here: https://www.hstreetfestival.org/
National Park Service and Friends of Lincoln Park conduct a park cleanup from 10 am-noon. Later that evening, the Capitol Hillbillies perform from 5:00pm – 7:00pm
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ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee met with DOB Director Brian Hanlon and three members of his team last Thursday night.
Commercialization of Residential Properties –Dept of Buildings Chief Talks to ANC6B Committee
By Larry Janezich
Posted September 9, 2023
DOB Director Brian Hanlon joined the ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee on Thursday night to discuss the commercialization of residential buildings, particularly those near the US Capitol. (See CHC post here: https://bit.ly/44kb2oR )
Resident P&Z committee member Betsy Rutkowski, representing ANC Single Member District 6B01, told Hanlon that a lot of neighbors along New Jersey Avenue south of the Capitol were concerned about the commercialization of residential properties. She said that corporations blatantly listed their companies as owners of these residential properties on the tax rolls. Neighbors say these corporation-owned homes are vacant most of the time and are used for parties and fundraisers which leave trash bins on the curb outside the days of scheduled pickups. She said that the properties change the fabric of the community, affecting affordability as corporations pay high prices in cash, outbidding families and residential homeowners. Conversely, their presence lowers the value of homes used for residential purposes because corporations neglect their properties and demonstrate other behaviors inconsistent with being a good neighbor.
She told Hanlon, “We’ve identified these properties and sent you a list. What can we do to help your department work through these issues and concerns?”
Hanlon said that the list of addresses the concerned neighbors supplied was being uploaded to the DOB system and staff will be looking at all of them in preparation for an internal analysis of each property. The department has created a spreadsheet allowing consideration of the properties according to a whole variety of data points. “So,” he said, “I would say you are already doing it – you are our eyes and ears and you are alerting us to your concerns. We want to make sure the properties are in compliance and the first step is letting us know. It’s a bit of an ongoing process for us so I don’t have a neat and tidy answer regarding exactly what we’re going to do. It’s certainly on my radar – a conversation we’re having internally, and work that we’re doing. That’s the response for now.”
There was another issue related to DOB’s operation regarding oversight and enforcement of construction which was called to Hanlon’s attention. This concerns the “slap on the wrist” for serious violations of building permits. Sometimes, it appears that developers take advantage of the minimal fines involved by deliberately exceeding what has been authorized for demolition connected with renovation of a house in the Historic District, and then claiming that they had no choice but to demolish most or all of the entire structure for safety reasons. The maneuver allows a developer to build an entirely or mostly new structure and market it for much more, rather than trying to preserve elements of the building they agreed upon when they got approval for the renovation from the Historic Preservation Office.
ANC6B Commissioner Jerry Sroufe, who had brokered Hanlon’s appearance before the committee, said that he was concerned about the fines levied or not levied for violation of construction permits where renovation/demolition exceeds what is authorized and results in the entire removal of the building which was supposed to be improved.
(CHC has reported on two instances in Sroufe’s SMD of what might have been willful exceeding of permits for renovation which subsequently resulted in the claim that this then necessitated removing most or all of a historic structure.) https://bit.ly/43cnQwV and https://bit.ly/3lLBHtH
Sroufe said, “The fine for that is $5,000 – if collected – generally it is not…it is generally negotiated down, in one case, to $500.” He asked Hanlon if the fine is commensurate with the loss of a historic building, i.e., “does the fee structure reflect the loss of historic housing?”
Hanlon said he would get back to Sroufe and asked that Sroufe detail the complete question in writing, and “we will dig in.”
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The shaded dog leg on the right is the dead-end alley the Conservative Partnership Institute proposes to privatize.
Thursday night’s meeting of the ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee
Update on Conservative Partnership’s Proposed Alley Closing in 200 Block PA Ave SE
by Larry Janezich
Posted September 8, 2023
At Thursday night’s ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee, Commissioner David Sobelsohn updated on the status of the Subcommittee on Alley and Street Closings’ consideration of the Conservative Partnership Institute’s application to close a portion of the alley behind the former Capitol Lounge.
The Conservative Partnership wants to close the alley behind the legendary bar to create what will likely become event space for the organization’s new headquarters comprised of several buildings in the 200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. The Partnership is led by former South Carolina Senator Jim Demint, Chairman; and former White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, Senior Partner.
Commissioner David Sobelsohn reported that on August 24th, members of the Subcommittee toured the alley with representatives of the applicant. Here are the main takeaways from that tour and the subsequent discussion at the subcommittee meeting:
The applicant owns all of the buildings (with exception of a building owned by the Heritage Foundation) bordering the proposed courtyard which the closing would enable.
The applicants eventually hope to reopen a restaurant in the former Capitol Lounge space.
The applicants have submitted a legal memo to the Subcommittee in support of their right to close the alley.
What’s at stake is not who owns the land (the Partnership) but an easement held by the city for public access to the space.
Determining if any of the nearby residents use the alley or the area around it is a priority for the Subcommittee, since that would be a primary reason to object to the alley’s closure. So far, the Subcommittee has not found any resident who uses the relevant portion of the alley.
The Mayor can send a bill to close the alley to the city council, but it must be passed by the council, signed by the Mayor and reviewed by Congress.
The City Council is likely to defer to the wishes of Ward 6 CM Charles Allen regarding council consideration of the matter.
The City Council is unlikely to accelerate consideration of legislation related to the application, meaning that legislation is unlikely to pass before December 2024, after which Congress would have to review it.
The Subcommittee discussed both their available options and pursuing community benefits in exchange for the loss of public space. The consensus was that seeking community benefits would necessarily be coupled with the ANC’s support for the application and would be realized only if the city council approves the alley closure, that CM Charles Allen’s support for the closure was essential but that support – according to Commissioner Chander Jayaraman – seems to be conditioned on the support of ANC6B.
The Subcommittee will meet on Wednesday, September 19th at 5:45pm in SE Library to discuss a possible list of community benefits. The current thinking of Subcommittee members seems to be that an appropriate community benefit would be a cash contribution to a community non-profit. Sobelsohn acknowledged that this could be a “tricky situation,” citing the reaction of the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, who – despite their need for money to make the building ADA compliant – decided they would rather not accept a benefit from the Conservative Partnership Institute.
8th and Pennsylvania Avenue, Thursday, September 7, circa 4:30pm.
8th Street SE Bus Priority Plan Gets Chilly Reception from ANC6B Transportation Committee
By Larry Janezich
Posted September 7, 2023
Last night, ANC6B’s Transportation Committee got the first look at DDOT’s plan to install the southern portion (East Capitol to M Street, SE) of the 8th Street SE Bus Priority Project. It’s fair to say it was not well received either by the ANC or by a number of vocal residents, some who spoke in favor of preserving a car-centric transportation model for the immediate community.
Andrew Grinberg, DDOT Transportation Planner Project Manager, introduced the project to the community. The timeline anticipates incorporating feedback, refining and finalizing the concept, with the goal of having a final design by summer of 2024 and construction beginning by the fall of 2024.
The concept presented to the Committee last night aims to address issues defined in the needs assessment and advance project goals of improved bus service, safety and access. The project is in accordance with the Mayor and City Council’s desire to move commuters and other drivers from the roads on to public transportation or other modes of travel including bikes.
The key findings of the needs assessment for the project are:
Improve bus performance by addressing:
Barracks Row’s overall slow speed
Congestion hot spot at 8th between Pennsylvania Avenue and E Street, in both directions
Slow speed of buses on Barracks Row
Bus stops often blocked
Safety issues for the pedestrian/bike environment
Commercial and drop off double parking
Angled parking hazards
Inadequate visibility at intersections
Some of the main proposed solutions are:
An offset bus lane from D Street to L Street for southbound busses on Barracks Row
Convert angled parking on Barracks Row to parallel parking
Establish a northbound curbside bus lane on Barracks Row
Reverse the one way traffic on D Streets both segments, north and south of Pennsylvania Avenue
Add contraflow bike lane on D Street north of Pennsylvania Avenue, modify cross walks, loading zones and short term parking
(No change is anticipated regarding Barracks Row streateries)
What raised the ire of the Committee was the proposal to reverse the flow of traffic on D Streets. The Committee had come out solidly opposed to the same proposal floated by DGS in 2015 in connection with reconfiguring the traffic flow around the Eastern Market Metro Station in connection with its $21 million renovation. The ANC’s opposition killed that proposal then. One Committee member remarked that he was surprised to see this come up again given the ANC’s previous reception of the proposal and urged DDOT to think harder and more creatively on this. The plan was also criticized for being too optimistic that short term illegal parkers would be ticketed out of this behavior by a new bus camera ticketing program launching next month.
What raised the hackles of the Barracks Row businesses and some residents was the reduction in the number of parking spaces on Barracks Row and 8th Street, amounting to 8% of 660 available spots – about 52 spaces. Concerns included lack of parking not only for patrons, but also for workers.
Then there were the objections from the car-centric crowd who loudly and angrily proclaimed that the plan would only make traffic and congestion on Barracks Row worse…wasting the taxpayers’ money…a “liberal” plan that would end up creating gridlock, and an assertion that “people are not giving up cars and you better start planning for that.”
Grinberg took the heat, replying, “Anytime you’ve got cars you have the cost of them which are congestion, traffic and pollution. So what we’re trying to do is mitigate that with the primary goal of improving bus service and along with that the walking and livability environment.
Grinberg will come back next Tuesday to make a presentation to the full ANC6B Commission at its regular September meeting.
Dos Toros Taqueria is opening at 215 Pennsylvania Avenue – formerly Firehook Bakery. Earlier this year, Dos Toros Taqueria – a San Francisco-style taqueria – announced the opening of three outlets in DC. One of them is on Capitol Hill. The enterprise has a dozen locations in NYC. Their liquor license application comes up tonight in ANC6B’s Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Committee. Here’s a link to the restaurant’s menu at the NYC outlets: https://www.dostoros.com/menu
Firehook closed in March of 2021 after a nearly ten year run. The space has been mostly vacant since then except for a pottery making pop-up.
On Wednesday, Peregrine Espresso will mark its 15th anniversary at 660 Pennsylvania Avenue near Eastern Market. Here’s a photo from Tuesday morning, featuring part of the early morning crowd of patio regulars who convene daily (mostly) regardless of weather conditions.
Founded by Ryan and Jill Jensen in 2008, the outlet has a reputation for quality coffees and a superb cappuccino. Peregrine is also distinguished by a transparent and education-driven wage chart for all employees. Their baristas have competed at regional and national Barista or Brewers Cup competitions to continue their coffee education. Another priority is implementing some environmental sustainability efforts including composting & recycling, using wind power and reusable glass milk bottles. The space has been a coffee shop for a couple of decades – before Peregrine it was Murky which painted over the mural of Eastern Market installed by Stompin Grounds. Before that, it was Roasters who roasted their coffee on site, leaving you smelling coffee the rest of the day after stopping by for a cup.
While I Egg You’s application for a liquor license wends its way through the licensing bureaucracy, the owners move forward with the confidence that the application will be granted. There’s a new sign up – The Shell – naming the event space for the venue, to go along with the suggested list of possibilities for which the space could be used: private events, birthday parties, fundraisers, receptions, weddings and corporate events.
Here’s a look at an exhibit hall in the National Museum of the American Indian that’s dedicated to depicting ways Native American imagery and nomenclature have been reflected in the promotion of commercial products. Signage asks, “What if (the images or nomenclature) are not trivial? What if … they … reveal a buried history – and a country forever fascinated, conflicted, and shaped by its relationship with American Indians?”
The Week Ahead…& Some Photos from the Past Week
By Larry Janezich
Posted September 5, 2023
Highlights:
Tuesday:
ANC6B ABC Committee discussion of Cannabis retailer licensing
MPD First District CAC crime discussion
Thursday:
ANC6B P&Z Committee discussion on commercial use of residential properties with Acting Department of Buildings (DOB) Director Brian Hanlon.
Tuesday, September 5
ANC6B Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
The Ugly Mug Dining Saloon/Valor Brew Pub, 723 8th Street, SE. Application for a Games of Skill Endorsement for their Restaurant Class C Liquor license.
Dos Toros Taqueria, 215 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. Application for new Class “C” Restaurant License.
Wine and Butter, 11th and East Capitol Street. Application for the renewal of a Retailers’ Class “B” liquor license with a tasting endorsement.
Discussion Item: Notice to cure for establishments on Barracks Row.
Discussion Item: I Egg You Protest wrap up and lessons learned.
Discussion Item: ABCA law update coming this fall.
*Discussion Item: Cannabis retailer licensing.
*MPD First District Citizens Advisory Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 6:00pm.
Hill Center: Author presentation: Writing for Their Lives: America’s Pioneering Female Science Journalists. 7:00pm – 9:00pm. $10.00. In-person event. Purchase tickets here: https://bit.ly/3PeHtzZ
Capitol Hill resident and historian Marcel Chotkowski LaFollette discusses her new book in conversation with Elizabeth Quill, Science News Executive Editor.
“Writing for Their Lives tells the stories of women who pioneered the nascent profession of science journalism from the 1920s through the 1950s. Like the “hidden figures” of science, such as Dorothy Vaughan and Katherine Johnson, these women journalists … were also overlooked in traditional histories of science and journalism. But, at a time when science, medicine, and the mass media were expanding dramatically, Emma Reh, Jane Stafford, Marjorie Van de Water, and many others were explaining theories, discoveries, and medical advances to millions of readers via syndicated news stories, weekly columns, weekend features, and books—and they deserve the recognition they have long been denied.”
Thursday, September 7
ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee Meeting
Among items on the draft agenda:
*Discussion on Commercial Use of Residential Properties with Acting Department of Buildings (DOB) Director Brian Hanlon
Proposed Alley Renaming in Square 969 “Sladen’s Walk” Project: Rename an unofficially named
223 8th Street, SE, Project: To construct a rear addition to an existing, semi-detached, three-story principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
116 5th Street, SE, Project: Addition of a third floor containing a bedroom and bathroom and enclosure of a second-floor rooftop deck to extend an existing bedroom
744 13th Street, SE, Project: To construct a rear addition, to an existing, attached, two-story with cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone
Update on Alley Closing in Square 762 (Block between 2nd and 3rd Streets, SE, and Pennsylvania Avenue, and C Street, SE.)
Discussion on Fines for Violating Historic Preservation and Unauthorized Work
ANC6C Transportation and Public Space Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm..
CM Brooke Pinto, Chair of the City Council’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee
Michelle Chappell, Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action DC
Rev. Judie Shepherd-Gore Executive Director & Founder of InnerCity Collaborative CDC.
ANC6B Special Committee on Public Safety Hears CM Brooke Pinto on Crime
by Larry Janezich
Posted August 29, 2023
Monday night, ANC6B Public Safety Committee, chaired by Resident Member Lisa Matsumoto, held the latest in a series of meetings on crime in ANC6B. Last night’s hearing featured CM Brooke Pinto, Chair of the City Council’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee; Michelle Chappell, Legislative Lead for Moms Demand Action DC; and Rev. Judie Shepherd-Gore Executive Director & Founder of InnerCity Collaborative CDC.
CM Pinto:
Office of Unified Command (OUC) – 911. Cited the recent District Dogs incident as an example of many stories of loss of life and tragedy which she ermed “unacceptable.” Pinto pointed to an Emergency Transparency Bill for OUC which passed on July 11 which requires the office to track errors, the cause of errors, the number of employee shifts, the number of dropped and missed calls and the number of calls directed to other response teams. Pinto says she is urging response agencies to step up hiring. She said the Mayor did not sign the bill but it will go into effect for 90 days this week.
Former ANC6B Commissioner Kelly Waud asked how Pinto will address retention of staff at OUC. Pinto said she would seek solutions in pay, bonuses, part time employees, and pension access to make it more attractive for people to stay instead of retire.
Pinto said the Council’s Judiciary and Public Safety Committee has a five prong approach to reduce violence:
Prevention
Support MPD
Ensure accountability
End the cycle of violence
Ensure collaboration and coordination among city agencies and federal partners
To some of those ends, other emergency crime bills passed in July would:
Expand camera rebates
Establish a new standards for strangulation and discharge of firearms in public
Expand pretrial detention
Make sure MPD can pursue vehicles in circumstances where public safety is at risk.
Pinto said she was also working to strengthen the Victims Protection Act and finding ways to support young people by increasing funding for after school activities. She also pointed to an Eyes on the Street pilot program slated to start on October 1 in Downtown, Shaw, and Adams Morgan. The program would provide Public Safety Program grants to commercial corridors to use as they see fit to address crime issues.
The Judiciary and Public Safety Committee will hold a hearing this fall on permanent versions of the bills. Pinto also said the Committee would hold a Round Table at the end of Sept with Acting Chief of Police, Pamela Smith.
Michelle Chappell, Legislative Lead at DC Moms Demand Action:
Chappell provided background on the Moms Demand Action – a grassroots movement advocating for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. The organization is nationwide, with chapters in all 50 states and hundreds of local groups within those chapters.
She addressed MDA’s support for CM Robert White’s amendment to emergency legislation passed in July that requires tracing crime guns to the last known point of sale or loss. This provides a way to hold gun stores who allow “straw purchases” – buyers who buy not for self but with the intention of reselling guns – accountable. She said a small number of stores turn a blind eye to straw purchases.
Chappell also pointed to some things not contemplated in the emergency legislation passed this summer but which came up in a community meeting she attended in Ward 5 as root causes of violence:
Income inequality
Lack of conflict resolution
Food security
The role of social media in escalating conflict
Finally she cited a recent study in Brooklyn, NYC, which found that a primary motivator for youths carrying guns is fear of dying or fear of harm to family members. She said she would not be surprised to find a similar result if a survey was taken in DC. https://momsdemandaction.org/about/
Rev. Judie Shepherd-Gore, Executive Director & Founder of InnerCity Collaborative CDC (ICCCDC):
InnerCity Collaborative CDC is a nonprofit that operates as a community development program focusing on assisting disadvantaged youth and families through mentoring, high risk strategic interventions, housing assistance, counseling, and other social service referrals. It is supported by grants from Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE) and partners with city organization such as Credible Messengers, Cure the Streets, and the Safe Passage program among others, to provide administrative support and case work.
ICCCDC also works to increase collaboration with MPD to create a new policy approach toward the community rather than the continuing an older adversarial model. Shepherd-Gore is currently pressing for restoration in cuts in funding for the Safe Passage Program. In response to a question from Special Committee Vice Chair Jody Kent Lavy, Shepherd-Gore said that Credible Messengers are paid $50,000 a year for high risk work often involving far more than a 40 hour work week. InnerCity Collaborative employs a significant number of returning citizens who help do this work.
Asked what the Special Committee could do to lend support, she replied – “have conversations like this.” In addition, she listed some of the kinds of contributions such as clothing, shoes, and toiletries that would help InnerCity continue its work. https://www.innercitycdc.org/about-us/our-leadership-team/
The Week Ahead…. Public Safety, Jazz, and Back to School Bike Ride
by Larry Janezich
Posted August 27, 2023
Saturday was Serve Your City/Ward 6 Mutual Aid’s Back to School Bash and Youth Festival on Eastern Market’s Metro Plaza. Serve Your City is a Washington, DC-based non-profit that serves as the Ward 6 hub for #DCMutualAid. The event brings organization members, community partners, and community members together to celebrate the start of the new school year. Students and their families have the opportunity to pick up a brand-new backpack filled with comprehensive school supplies and a digital device, learn about and sign-up for SYC/W6MA Tutoring and Youth Enrichment Programs, get assistance in filling out required paperwork for school and get required immunizations, including the COVID-19 vaccine.
SYC/W6MA and its partners gave out 2000 Adidas back packs with school supplies for those who had registered – and 500 of them contained laptops.
SYC/W6MA volunteers Jahaira Mejia and Jewel Conrad were part of the distribution team.
Maurice Cook is the founder and Executive Director of Serve Your City and Lead Organizer with Ward 6 Mutual Aid. Cook created SYC in 2009 and stepped up as leader with Ward 6 Mutual Aid when the pandemic struck in March 2020. Since March 2020, SYC has served as the infrastructure hub for Ward 6 Mutual Aid, a partnership of more than three dozen organizations—many of them hyper-local, Black- or Brown-led groups—that came together to share resources and save lives after the COVID-19 pandemic struck the District. Cook lives on Capitol Hill with his wife, Jackie. For more info, go here: https://serveyourcitydc.org/
ANC6B Task Force on Southeast Library. (Stock photo from July 30 meeting.)
Southeast Library Update: ANC6B’s Southeast Library Task Force met on Monday, August 21. According to Chair David Sobelsohn, the meeting featured the insights of Robin Diener, director of the DC Library Renaissance Project and president of the Friends of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library. The group discussed the news that the library plans to close in November or December this year, has promised a community meeting six weeks before the closure, and has committed to provide library-book pick-up and drop-off services at Arthur Capper when the Southeast branch is closed for renovations.
Nearby neighbors of the library were in attendance and reported on a recent meeting between library staff and the project construction company regarding issues which will arise during renovation. Protecting the interests of the close-in neighbors was an important reason for the formation of our taskforce. The library has scheduled another meeting with nearby neighbors for early September.
The Taskforce has scheduled the next meeting for 3:00pm on Sunday, September 10, at the library, 403 7th Street, SE.
Triple Candie’s latest “curatorial riddle” (Riddle # 18) is on display in the space in the front of the former Li’l Pub at 655 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
From the website: “Founded in 2001, Triple Candie is a research-oriented, independent curatorial agency — run by two art historians — that produces exhibitions about art but largely devoid of it. Its primary purpose since late 2005 has been to explore the possibilities of exhibition-making as a truly alternative, critical practice.” For more see here: http://www.triplecandie.org/
The Week Ahead…. Public Safety, Jazz, and Back to School Bike Ride
by Larry Janezich
Posted August 27, 2023
The Week Ahead…
Monday, August 28
ANC6B’s Special Committee on Public Safety holds a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM – Watkins Splash Pad and Athletic Fields
Hill Family Biking rides to many of the DCPS schools on the Hill. Either join at Maury Elementary at the start of the ride or hop on the ride at the school of your choice. Younger riders and their families are encouraged to join at Peabody Elementary (the halfway mark). The ride will end at the Watkins splash pad and athletic fields to cool off after the ride and play some games.
If bikes need some TLC, please come 30 minutes early to get some assistance – bike maintenance tools will be available, with some experienced amateur bike mechanics on hand to assist.
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Update on Proposed Alley Closing behind the former Capitol Lounge. ANC6B’s Planning and Zoning Committee’s Subcommittee on Alley and Street Closings met last Tuesday night. According to Commissioner Jerry Sroufe, the Subcommittee discussed their interactions with CM Charles Allen where they learned that the CM had not yet heard from the Conservative Partnership Institute, the alley-closing applicants. Since the alley closing will require approval by the City Council, and the closing is in Ward 6, it will fall to Allen to sponsor legislation to authorize the privatization of public space. The subcommittee determined that additional efforts should be made to talk with residents who will be affected by the proposed closing. In addition, plans are being made for a walk-through with the owners and Commissioners but no date was set. A of the Subcommittee is planned for September to discuss possible community benefits to be sought in exchange for the potential transfer of public space to private hands.
The current exhibition at the Renwick Gallery This Present Moment: Crafting a Better World employs traditional craft media including neon, fiber, metal, glass, and wood to ask questions about the relationship between craft and space and craft and time. One of the ways the exhibit is important is that it “highlights craft’s ability to spark essential conversations about race, gender and representation.”
“This neon sign cycles through the statements “This present moment used to be the unimaginable future” and “This moment used to be the future” before turning off completely for a short time. The text is a quote by Stewart Brand, an American writer who is best known as the editor of the Whole Earth Catalogue.”
“Sculptor Alicia Eggert creates immersive experiences of time. This neon billboard casts a brilliant pink light throughout the Renwick’s Octagon Room, prompting us to become more present in this very moment. Eggert illuminates a quote by revolutionary futurist Stewart Brand, from his book The Clock of the Long Now (1999), a manifesto for living intentionally with a ten-thousand-year-old clock in mind. The pink is a call out to the Me Too movement of 2017, a once unimaginable social reckoning that empowered people to share past stories of sexual harassment and assault, demand accountability, and make possible safer conditions for all.”
Bisa Butler. Don’t Tread on Me, God Damn, Let’s Go! – The Harlem Hellfighters
Pieced, appliquéd, and stuffed cotton, silk, wool, and velvet.
”In this monumental (11 foot) quilt, Butler brings to life the history and emotions of nine members of the 369th Infantry Regiment known as the Harlem Hellfighters, a segregated unit of the American Expeditionary Force in World War One. Drawing from the wellsprings of African American quilting traditions…Butler pieced together dazzling textiles to connect this present moment to the past.”
“I look to their example to see for myself that the triumphs we experience today will outlast tyrants and that nothing can ever erase them—not time, not death. These protectors of our nation fought and put their very bodies and their lives on the line. My work is to continue to lift them up in history so they can be seen in public spaces, where their heroic sacrifices become part of the American quest to fight against oppression and for freedom.” —Bisa Butler
Discussion of application by The People’s Kitchen at 816 H Street, NE, First Floor for a Class C Restaurant License.
Discussion of application of Bloom at 1402 H Street, NE, Suite C-1,for a Class C Tavern License.
Discussion with Mr. Luke Casey regarding a request for the ANC’s support for a stipulated license for the re-opening of Dirty Water at 816 H Street, NE under new ownership.
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CAPITOL HILL CORNER 