The annual Capitol Hill House & Garden Tour will be held on Mother’s Day weekend, May 9-10. This year the focus of the tour will be the Southeast Capitol Hill. The tour is a two-day event: Saturday May 9 from 4pm-7pm and Sunday May 10 from 1pm-5pm.
The 2026 tour will include eight homes, three semi-public buildings and a newly installed native plant garden. Some homes have been part of the tour before but now have had fresh and unique updates. Go here for tickets: https://bit.ly/4nc7hvU
CHRS members will receive a discount code to purchase tickets for $30 each. The regular advance non-member price is $40, and the price increases to $50 on the weekend of the tour.
Refreshments from local DC vendors will be offered in the lobby of 507 8th Street SE on Barracks Row, which will also operate as tour headquarters. “The 507,” as it is known, serves as an event venue and also the offices of Taoti Creative.
Homes on the tour feature both historic and more modern layouts and interiors. A few of the homes are on lightly used streets. Some are homes you may have always wondered about due unusual exterior shapes or paint colors. There are standalones, corner lots, clapboards, and former boarding houses. There’s an infamous alley, an infamous business and one with some curious collections.
Also featured are stately and well-behaved stops, such as the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church and the Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, both of which have graciously offered their locations as rest stops and will also offer tours of their buildings. The church is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture with impressive stained glass windows, and the Hill Center has made a few changes to its outdoor garden.
The tour, as always, is pedestrian-friendly. This year’s map will take participants through some of the beautiful parks south of Pennsylvania Avenue, and CHRS will provide information about them in the tour catalog.
Interested in volunteering as a docent? No experience is necessary and training will be provided. All docents who sign up for a minimum of a two-hour shift will be given a free ticket to visit the other tour stops. Contact the CHRS House Tour Committee at caphillhousetour@gmail.com for more information.
Councilmember Charles Allen met with constituents and held community office hours on Friday morning at The Roost on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
Fairy Godmother at 319 7th Street, SE, near Eastern Market is closing its doors on Monday after 42 years on the block. Owner Roberta Blanchard says the store has been purchased by a couple who lives on Capitol Hill who have plans for a new shop with a similar business model.
Here’s a photo from Friday as Fairy Godmother’s signage comes down. Photo credit: Maggie Hall.
Update on Streets Market coming to 15th and Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. A cut above the usual convenience store, Streets Market will offer organic and natural foods, some prepared foods, and beer and wine.
The new market at 1442 Pennsylvania Avenue continues its buildout. Streets Market in a local chain operation with outlets in Baltimore and close-in Virginia, and 10 stores open or about to open in DC.
Friday afternoon also saw the unveiling of “Loveful Hands” on Eastern Market Metro Plaza. CM Charles Allen who got funding to redesign the Plaza, said, “One of the things that we wanted was to make sure that public art is a part of our public parks and I’m really grateful for the group of neighbors that came together … Eastern Market Main Street, Barracks Row Main Street. EMCAC, our Advisory Neighborhood Commission, Nicky Cymrot, and Donna Sheeder – who unfortunately is no longer with us – all really worked hard and came together to think about what we wanted this space to look like, and decided that art is going to be at the center.”
Sculptor, Jay Coleman (center) helped the city officials present which included (left to right) ANC6B Commissioner David Sobelsohn, Coleman, CM Allen, DPR Director Thennie Freeman, and DGS Director Delano Hunter unveil the piece.
And here it stands.
The Week Ahead…
Monday, April 6
ANC6B Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
Little Engine – Placard Notice New Class “D” fast-casual Restaurant. Applying to serve canned beer and wine. An ANC letter supporting a stipulated license was approved and received by ABCA in March.
Protests/Other Updates
Final approval of CIVIC on Eighth Settlement Agreement.
Special Election for ANC 6A06: Saturday April 11, 2026 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm
Per DC Statute ANC 6A will host an in-person special election for the 6A06 seat on Saturday April 11 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at 1300 H Street NE in the space formerly occupied by Ephemeral Tattoo. All registered voters who are residents of 6A06 are encouraged to vote.
Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the application for a substantial change request toa license to change hours of operation and alcoholic beverage sales, service, and consumption, and hours of live entertainment, for Transmission, 1353 H Street NE. unless a settlement agreement is reached. ANC 6A authorizes the ANC Chair or the Chair of the ABC Committee, or their designee, to negotiate the settlement agreement.
Transportation and Public Space
Recommendation: ANC 6A file a complaint/protest in TOPS for DDOT PSRA Permit concerning the 1000 block of H Street NE (north side).
Economic Development and Zoning (EDZ)
Recommendation: 1350 East Capitol Street, NE. To construct a two-story plus cellar rear addition and a one-story plus cellar sideaddition, to an existing, attached, two-story plus cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone.
Officer Reports
Accept Treasurer’s Report
Standing Committee Reports:
Community Outreach Committee (COC)
Accept March 2026 Report.
Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis (ABC)
Accept March 2026 Report.
Recommendation: ANC 6A protest the medical cannabis retailer license application for DC Dank, 712 15th Street NE unless a measurement is taken by ABCA that confirms the establishment is located greater than 400 feet from Miner Elementary School. If this measurement confirms that the establishment is greater than 400 feet away from Miner, ANC 6A shall protest the application unless a settlement agreement is reached. In this case, ANC 6A authorizes the ANC Chair or the Chair of the ABC Committee, or their designee, to negotiate the settlement agreement.
Recommendation: The application for a substantial change to a license for Allure Lounge, 711 H Street NE to add (3) Sports Wagering betting kiosks inside premises on the main floor and in the bar area be forwarded to ANC 6A for further discussion by the full ANC during its April 9, 2026 meeting.
Transportation and Public Space
Accept March 2026 Report.
Economic Development and Zoning (EDZ)
Accept March 2026 Report.
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A amend its September 25 , 2025 letter to BZA insupport of a special exception to construct a new, detached, two-story,accessory dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone at 628 15th Street NE; to include acknowledgement that the 10-foot public alleyway is nonconforming.
New Business
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A send a letter of support regarding an after-hours permit toinstall the playground equipment and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) at Goding Elementary School located at 920 F Street NE, if needed, on Sunday April 12. 2026 andApril 19, 2026 within the hours of 7:00 am and 7:00pm.
Suggested Motion: ANC 6A send a resolution opposing Federal attempts to remove protected Bicycle facilities in Washington, DC.
Single Member District reports (1 minute each)
Community Comments (2 minutes each)
ANC6C Transportation and Public Space Committee has scheduled a virtual meeting for 7:00pm.
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
FREEDC EVENTS for April
Go here to see a list of upcoming events for this week and to sign up to join FreeDC: https://freedcproject.org/
150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Memorial at Lincoln Park
Location: Lincoln Park is at the junction of 11th Street NE/SE and East Capitol Street NE/SE.
Date: Saturday, April 11, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM
Duration: 5 hours
Join the National Park Service as we reflect on a living symbol of America’s 250‑year journey toward full freedom by observing the 150th anniversary of the dedication and unveiling of the Emancipation Memorial in Lincoln Park.
The Life of a Poet featuring Brian Gilmore, author of No More Worlds to Conquer: The Black Poet in Washington, DC in Conversation with Poet/Editor Kyle Dargan
In-person
Thursday, April 9 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – $12.00
A history of Black poets in Washington, DC, reveals how they have reflected and transformed American cultural discourse
The discussion will feature poet Teri Ellen Cross Davis, Folger Poetry Manager and eminent DC Poet, Karl Carter
In No More Worlds to Conquer, local poet Brian Gilmore uncovers the buried legacy of Black poets in Washington. He traces the literary life and politics of Black poets in the nation’s capital since Paul Laurence Dunbar, showing how well-known American poets, such as Sterling Brown and Jean Toomer, were mentored in DC by poets like May Miller and Georgia Douglas Johnson and making the case for the city as a center of American literature.
April 7, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 301 A Street, SE. Lively Cajun French music from southwestern Louisiana. Dance to two steps and waltzes played by the Capitol Hill Cajun Orchestra (led by members of the Capitol Hillbillies). All ages welcome; free admission
Capitol Hill Perception Survey 2026
This quick and easy survey is a great way to support your neighborhood by sharing how you as a member, resident, worker, or visitor experience Capitol Hill and our services. Your feedback directly helps improve programs and amenities that benefit the community.
As a thank you, you can enter to win a $50 gift card to one of our supporting local businesses including Ambar, Mr. Henry’s, Hill’s Kitchen and Labyrinth Games & Puzzles.
First Look at Congressional Cemetery’s Gate House Renovation
by Larry Janezich
Posted Saturday, February 7, 2026
At ANC6B’s Thursday night meeting of the Planning and Zoning Committee, Mark Hudson, Executive Director of Congressional Cemetery, (bottom, center) introduced Hartman-Cox Architects to present concept designs for the renovation of the cemetery’s gatehouse, garage, kiosk and pergola. The cemetery’s current vision is to be more community focused with more space for education and community engagement facilities.
Here’s a view of the proposal from the west side of the building. The existing porch and garage will be removed. A new structure on the garage footprint will have restrooms, an interpretive display, a kitchen, and multipurpose space. The entrance to the new structure will be in the middle. A terrace in front will will be a launchpad for groups visiting the cemetery.
Here’s a view looking at the south end of the building showing the terrace.
And the proposed first floor plan. The second story of the main building will be extended over the one story south end of the original building to create more administrative space on the main building’s second floor. The current E Street entrance to the building will remain funeral-focused to separate that function of the gatehouse from the more public event space.
Here’s a view of the new kiosk which will be an orientation point for the cemetery and have a fulltime staff member to take check-ins for the local canine group and possibly a gift shop and pamphlets for self-guided tours. There will also be lockers for docents who do volunteer tours at the site. The pergola will be a shade structure for the golf cart used to navigate the site and help people with limited mobility.
Regarding a timeline, Hudson says, “We’re looking at this calendar year for design work and we’re still raising funds which to some extent is driving the process – and then completing construction in 3 to 4 years.” Hartman-Cox is looking to get concept approval from Historic Preservation this year, but does not anticipate ground breaking in 2026.
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Site of the former Harris Teeter at 1350 Potomac Avenue, SE
Harris Teeter Will Terminate Lease on Potomac Ave Space
by Larry Janezich
Posted January 15, 2026
The main obstacle to leasing the former Harris Teeter at 1350 Potomac Avenue SE is that the company has continued to hold their lease on the unoccupied space. That’s about to change according to an announcement in an email from Danna Robinson, Director, Corporate Affairs and Customer Relations for Harris Teeter. Robinson announced today that the company has “a fully executed termination agreement for this location. Negotiations required to reach this agreement took time, but they were necessary to ensure an appropriate resolution.”
Asked to comment on the announcement, ANC6B09 Commissioner Karen Hughes – in whose single member district the site lies – said, “I hope another grocery goes into the space as a matter of food equity. The Potomac Avenue transit plaza is an important hub for Ward 7, which has very few grocery stores. I’m also looking forward to more competition in the neighborhood, as prices at the Safeway are quite high. Streets Market is already opening at 15th and Penn, and having another food vendor in the Harris Teeter space would be huge progress for food access on the east side of the city.”
Also weighing in on the announcement was Marc Levinson who is a board member on the Jenkins Row Unit Owners Association and also president of the building’s REA Board which governs shared property rights.
The commercial properties on the ground level of the building are owned by EDENS Properties who was Harris Teeters’ landlord. Levinson said, “Harris Teeter moved out of the store four years ago this month but continued to maintain the lease on the property and did not allow EDENS to show the property until last year.
I know the building has shown the space to a number of potential tenants, but no takers yet. Any new tenant will need to re-fit the interior space to suit their needs. So I’m sure we’re still looking at 1-plus years till something moves in, but that’s much better than having to run out the lease. I still don’t know a date at which the lease is going to be terminated. This…letter did not specify that…people should not be expecting a new grocer to come into that space next week. It’s going to take a lot more time than that for any new tenant to move into the space.”
The new HQ of GraceWay Baptist Church at 228 7th Street, SE
Politically Active Church Buys $5.5 million Building at Eastern Market
by Larry Janezich
Posted January 11, 2026
(A previous version of this post stated that the purchase price was $8 million. Although the listed price was $8 million, the actual sales price was $5.5 million.)
GraceWay Baptist Church has purchased the 25,000 square foot former Health Home Care and Hospice Association building at 228 7th Street, SE, across from Eastern Market. The church was established by Pastor Brad Wells in DC in 2016.
GraceWay has been meeting at Hill Center for some 10 years while searching for its own building. Last year, the church’s website says it raised $2 million toward a down payment on a church near Dupont Circle at 1611 16th Street, NW, which was ultimately was sold to Union City Church.
GraceWay then turned its attention to the 7th Street building. The church’s fundraising website refers to having obtained a loan for the purchase of 228 7th Street in November 2025 and closing on the sale in December 2025. The reported purchase price was $5.5 million.
The church is candid about its connection to political power. From the church’s mission statement: “GraceWay has a vision of reaching Washington, D.C., for Christ. Not only do we want to reach out to the leaders in government, but we also want to connect with staffers, lobbyists, and interns on all levels of government.”
While personally avoiding political endorsements, Wells has praised U.S. House Speaker Johnson on X and has platformed X posts of members of Congress who have praised administration cabinet appointments.
The church emphasizes voting as a religious duty, and has gathered for a Saturday night prayer service in front of the Supreme Court for a decade.
According to a Bloomberg News article of May 9, 2025, Pastor Wells appears outside the US House of Representatives “nearly every day” the House is in session, sponsored by an unnamed member of Congress. His purpose, the article says, is to be available for prayer and spiritual guidance.
After graduating high school, Wells joined his parents in Papua New Guinea, where they served as missionaries. He subsequently graduated from the Treasure Valley Baptist Bible Institute in Meridian, Idaho, with a Bachelor of Divinity in Theology before returning to Papua New Guinea. After 16 years of service abroad, Wells felt called to DC to minister to officials and residents. GraceWay held its first service in its new headquarters on Sunday, January 4, on the building’s lower (basement) level. The first floor of 228 Seventh Street, SE is home to the MedStar Urgent Care Center which is reported to be in the middle of a 20 year lease. GraceWay’s plan – according to the church’s fundraising website – is to create a 250 seat auditorium on the building’s second floor and to reconfigure the third floor into classrooms and offices.
Vince Morris, Candidate for DC Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives
DC Delegate Norton Challenger Emerges from Ward Six
by Larry Janezich
Posted December 18, 2025
Ward Six resident Vince Morris says he is uniquely qualified to succeed DC’s Congressional Delegate Eleanor Holms Norton. He says he is the only candidate to have worked on key Congressional Committees – both the House Rules and the Senate Appropriations Committees. He was appointed to serve on DC Sports Entertainment Commission by Mayor Adrian Fenty and the DC Public Library Board of Trustees by Mayor Vincent Gray. More local volunteer work in the city included president of the PTA, the LSAT, and Friends of NE Library – the latter for the past 16 years.
He worked for DC Mayor Tony Williams as spokesperson and Communications Director. Over a decade of working for Congress he served as either spokesperson or communication director for members, including Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Barbara Mikulski, and Senators Jay Rockefeller and John Kerry.
Prior to working in government, Morris was a newspaper reporter for 15 years – many of them covering Congress. Since leaving government Morris has been in public affairs and media relations.
This is his first run for political office. Asked why, Morris said that he had needed to balance his work load with his role of being a father to three kids and wanting to be present for them – that he had always been wary of time committed to activities that would pull him away from them. He says, “Now I have bandwidth because all my children are grown up – they’re all in college or out of college and I have time to really devote to something like this.”
So, why is he running? He says it’s frustration with our representation in Congress… he has respect for what Eleanor Holmes Norton accomplished early in her career, but he’s been disappointed because of missed opportunities: “We’ve allowed our relationship with other members of Congress and with the Congress generally to decline and wither and I’ve watched that happen in real time… our relationship now is worse than it’s ever been, so clearly what has been happening in the past is not working and I have ideas for how it can get better. It it would start with developing relationships and ntroducing members of Congress to the community and just educating people on what this city stands for… As the only candidate who has worked both for the District government and for Congress … I really feel like I bring to the table a close understanding of how the process works … so I know how things get done.”
Morris adds that listening to the way the other candidates talk about this campaign, “I know my approach is going to be very different. It’s going to be about building bridges – building relationships and then nurturing those relationships so that when we do have someone else in the White House and when the makeup of the Congress changes we will have more allies who will stand by the city and we can work towards statehood.”
Morris’ first hurdle will be collecting 2,000 signatures on a nominating petition to get on the primary ballot. He says, “We can’t start collecting signatures till January 26th – that’s when the petitions become available … I will be all out on 4th week in January. I’m fortunate in that because I’ve lived on Capitol Hill here in Ward 6 since 2000 and have been very active in the community through volunteer work and I easily know 2000 people right here in Ward 6 but I’m going to – of course – work around the city to get petitions signed by residents from all 8 wards.”
Looking forward to the social media battle, and asked if he has a thick skin, Morris says, “I do have a thick skin. One of the things that you gain when you work in the news businesses, you get used to editors telling you what you wrote is terrible … I have worked I worked in Congress for members of the leadership and you very quickly get adjusted to subsuming your ego for their needs…if you take things personally you don’t survive very long on the hill … I think I can handle anything that everyone says and I actually would love the opportunity to talk to people and have them ask tough questions.”
Morris says, “I look forward to that process and I think that’s really how you separate the wheat from the chaff – the other thing I’ll say on that you know, I was a Division One football player and if you’re an athlete at a very high level you get very used to not having an ego because it’s all about the team and you have to sacrifice for the greater good of your teammates and I feel like a big part of my personality was shaped by that experience. It’s also a bonding experience but the main thing is it’s a reminder that the team can’t succeed if one person is doing their own thing and so you need to work together towards a common goal. That’s been my philosophy for a lot of things in life and I would apply some of those same lessons to this challenge.”
During the interview for this article, CHC asked Morris about how he thought DC had changed under President Trump. He answered and later elaborated on the answer in a video posted to his campaign site on Facebook – see here: https://bit.ly/4j8jyzs
Photo Essay: Wreaths Across America at Congressional Cemetery Honors Veterans
by Larry Janezich
Posted December 15, 2025
It was cold Saturday morning, but some 200 community members turned out to pay tribute to the 1700 plus veterans – some dating to the Revolutionary War – interred at Congressional Cemetery. The volunteers also served to place wreaths purchased by the community through donations to Wreaths Across America on the graves of veterans whose remains are buried here.
The Presentation of Colors by members of the DC National Guard.
SGT Vicky Golding (vocalist) sings The National Anthem.
Mark Hudson, Executive Director of Congressional Cemetery, reminded those attending that at its core, Congressional Cemetery is a historic and active burial ground “and all of our efforts support the mission to preserve and protect these hallowed grounds while we respectfully celebrate the lives of those whose remains lie in eternal rest here.”
Hudson’s remarks were followed by Colonel Vincent A. Cummings, Command Chaplain for DC National Guard who stood in as keynote speaker for DC National Guard Commander Brigadier General Leland Blanchard II. In his remarks, he said, “Our support of Wreaths Across American reinforces the unique role the National Guard plays in our community. We’re part of the society we serve and those relationships build trust, strengthen connections, and ensure we remain ready and always there for the people of DC….
Congressional Cemetery’s Program Director A.J. Orlokoff called each service to step forward and place a commutative wreath to those assembled.
Volunteers receive wreaths to place on graves.
A member of the National Guard speaks the name and salutes the memory of a veteran after placing the wreath.
Wreaths Across America is a nonprofit founded to continue and expand the annual wreath laying at Arlington as well as at thousands of veterans’ cemeteries and across the country and abroad.
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Update on Spotify’s Purchase of 440 New Jersey Avenue, SE
by Larry Janezich
Posted November 19, 2025
Last week, ANC6B discussed the Historic Preservation Application by the $137 billion Spotify Corporation (headquartered in Stockholm but operating in the US through one of its subsidiaries, Spotify USA). The company recently purchased the residence at 440 New Jersey Avenue, SE, along with the adjoining garage/carriage house at 435 1st St SE. The company plans to renovate the property.
According to ANC6B Planning and Zoning Committee Chair Vince Marino, “…the renovations themselves are minor and clearly designed to respect the property’s history, so no one on the ANC objects to them as such.”
Some members of the Committee, however, are concerned about Spotify’s claim that it does not need an exemption from zoning regulations for the residential property, because they fear Spotify will use the property for commercial purposes at the expense of the residential fabric of the neighborhood – as has happened with other residential properties on the block.
Marino says, “One may suspect that Spotify might succumb to the temptation to use the home as an employee hotel, or as a lobbying office. Spotify denies that it will. But that’s certainly what we seem to be seeing with many other Capitol Hill homes owned by corporations and advocacy groups. … We need to have a neighborhood-wide conversation about whether more areas should be upzoned for mixed use and/or higher density.
ANC6B went on to unanimously approve a proposal to designate ANC6B Commissioner Tyler Wolanin – in whose single member district 440 New Jersey is located – to attempt to reach a settlement agreement with Spotify.
Marino says, “We hope that such a settlement agreement would confirm that Spotify will indeed use 440 New Jersey Avenue SE as a residence rather than as a hotel or office. This would provide Spotify with the reassurance that we are not trying to evict them, and it would provide the neighbors with the reassurance that ANC6B is trying to contain the situation, one home at a time, while the BZA and the City Council work on a broader solution to the tight property market.”
The Week Ahead…& Some Day of the Dead Photos from the Past Week
By Larry Janezich
Posted November 2, 2025
The National Community Church (NCC) will launch $5M renovation of historic Navy Yard Car Barn – according to a story by Daniel Sernovits in the Washington Business Journal. NCC Pastor Mark Batterson plans on turning the “Capitol Turnaround” – formerly and informally named “The Blue Castle” at 8th and M Streets, SE, into an event space with a coffee shop. CHC talked to events staff who said that the 8th Street and M Street sides of the building will be renovated to provide event space. Another venture owned by NCC – “Ebenezers Coffeehouse” – will be located inside the main entrance at the corner of 8th and M Streets. The original Ebenezers, founded in 2006, is at 201 F Street, NE.
Here’s the space inside the main entrace at 8th and M Street, SE, which will be the future home of Ebenezers Coffee House.
Día de los Muertos at Congressional Cemetery. This day is a tradition that honors loved ones who have passed, celebrating the ongoing bond between the living and the dead. Millions in Mexico, Latin America, and beyond celebrate by creating colorful ofrendas (altars) to welcome spirits back to the earthly world.
Sunday, November 2, was the cemetery’s second celebration of Día de los Muertos, where the chapel in the center of the cemetery was transformed into a place of learning, remembrance, community gathering, and celebration of the “Day of the Dead.”
The ofrenda alter is traditionally set up in the home to honor decease loved ones and decorated with marigolds, photographs of the deceased, candles, and offerings like sugar skulls, favorite foods, drinks, mementos and religious symbols. Key elements often include references to the four elements: water, aid, earth and fire. The paper banners (papel picado) represent air.
Here’s a detail photo of the main altar.
Visitors decorate traditional sugar skulls and craft paper flowers.
A festival atmosphere dominates Dios de los Muertos as relatives and friends celebrate those who have gone before them and joyfully welcome their spiritual return.
This free community event is made possible by the Congressional Cemetery’s nonprofit, The Association for the Preservation of Historic Congressional Cemetery.
The Week Ahead…
Highlight: Tuesday: First District MPD Community Advisory Committee Meeting. Discussion: The Wharf and Navy Yard Juvenile Safety Concerns. See below.
Highlight: Thursday. Free John Philip Sousa Birthday Concert at Congressional Cemetery. See below under “Capitol Hill Cornor Would Also Like You to Know About:”
Monday, November 3
ANC6C ABC Committee is scheduled to hold a meeting at 7:00pm, but has not posted an agenda.
Presentation by DC Sentencing Commission on Homicide and Car Jacking Convictions
The Wharf and Navy Yard Juvenile Safety Concerns
3rd – 14th Streets NE Safety concerns
G-K Streets NE Safety Concerns
Burglaries, Carjacking/Stolen Autos and Homicide Reports
Policing 14th Place and 15th Street, NE
Policing North Capitol Street, NE/NW
ANC6B Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Committee will hold a hybrid meeting at 7:00pm.
Meeting location will be 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE; Second Floor, Conference Room 1 (entry adjacent to Trader Joe’s).
For info on how to join the virtual meeting, go here: https://anc6b.org/
Among items on the draft agenda:
ABC Renewals
Hawk N’ Dove – 329 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Renewal of Class “C” Tavern License with Cover Charge, Dancing, Entertainment, and Sidewalk Café Endorsements.
Dos Toros Taqueria – 215 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Renewal of Class “C” Restaurant License with Sidewalk Café Endorsements.
Kaiju Ramen – 525 8th Street SE. Renewal of Class “C” Tavern License with Sidewalk Café and Summer Garden Endorsements.
Lola’s – 711 8th Street SE. Renewal of Class “C” Tavern License with Entertainment and Sidewalk Café Endorsements.
Hill East Burger – 1432 Pennsylvania Avenue SE. Renewal of Class “C” Tavern License with Entertainment and Sidewalk Café Endorsements.
Protests & Other Updates
Ambar – 523 8th Street SE. Ongoing negotiation regarding settlement agreement and protest hearing. Parties have requested continuance while discussions proceed.
ALOHA – Medical Cannabis Retailer (Second Application) – 539 8th Street SE. Second application for medical cannabis retailer license, including Delivery Endorsement. ANC6B has retained legal counsel (Kerry Verdi) to assist with protest. (Roll Call Hearing 11/03/25)
Continue Discussion for “Vision for Barracks Row”/Roundtable Planning
Consideration of Letter Regarding Cannabis Licensees
Wednesday, November 5
ANC6B Transportation Committee will hold a virtual meeting at 7:00pm.
For info on how to join the virtual meeting, go here: https://anc6b.org/
Among items on the draft agenda:
DDOT Update on Penn/Potomac Intersection Redesign Project
Calming Measures at 6th & G SE
Issues at Capitol South Metro
Speeding in Barracks Row Alleys
Automated Curb Management
ANC6C Planning, Zoning and Economic Development Committee is scheduled to hold a virtual meeting at 6:30pm.
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
Congressional Cemetery Event:
Thursday, November 6, 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm. Free, but please register here: https://bit.ly/47vGNzr
John Philip Sousa Birthday Concert 2025. Please join Congressional Cemetery and the Marine Band, “The President’s Own,” for a celebration of the life and legacy of John Philip Sousa. The Marine Band plays the music the “March King” composed at his graveside every year on his birthday and the public is welcome and encouraged to attend, for free!
Congressional Cemetery will start the program at 12:30 pm with a short awards ceremony, followed by a brief lecture by a John Philip Sousa impersonator.
The Marine Corps band will enter through the 17th Street gate at precisely 1:00 PM for a 25 minute concert at the grave site, located near the chapel.
Folger Library Event.
Friday, Nov 7–9. Virtuosos of Violin and Verse. Tickets start at $20.
Folger Consort, in a special collaboration with the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, will open its 2025-2026 season of “exquisitely played programs”
L-R, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb; Commissioner Brian Gorman, Chair, ANC6B Public Safety Committee; Commissioner Sam Pastore.
Office of DC Attorney General Under Seige, AG Schwalb Tells ANC Committee
by Larry Janezich
Posted October 28, 2025
DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb attended ANC6B’s Public Safety Committee meeting Monday night. He summarized what his office does for the city: serving as its law firm, serving as a public advocate defending and protecting the public interest, and protecting public safety – which he said was broader than prosecuting crime.
He defended the independence of the Attorney General’s Office noting that “our Mayor has never been a fan of an independent Attorney General” but it’s a necessary check on executive power. Currently, he said, his office was very much under siege and an attack from the federal government. For example, after filing lawsuits against the federal government for taking over the MPD and deploying out-of-state National Guard in the city, Schwalb said a member of congress introduced a bill – in collaboration with the White House – to change the independent elected DC attorney general to a presidential appointed attorney general with no Senate confirmation. The proposed law would make the attorney general accountable to the President – which allows for the office to be weaponized. The bill has passed the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform and will come up on the House floor at the discretion of the Speaker of the House.
He cited another bill which reflects the administration’s hostility to the District – supposedly in the interest of public safety which Schwalb termed a “ruse” used to attack home rule – the Judicial Nominations Reform Act which would abolish the District’s Judicial Nomination Commission which currently vets and recommends candidates for DC’s local courts. The bill would shift shift this power to the President with confirmation by the Senate.
He also pointed to the House of Representatives’ passage of the Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act that would – at the discretion of the US Attorney General – lower the age from 16 to 14 for prosecution of District juveniles as adults for some violent crimes, including murder, first-degree sexual assault, first-degree burglary, and robbery while armed or assault with intent to commit any of these offenses.
Schwalb criticized the District’s bifurcated criminal justice system which provides for the prosecution of adults by the District’s US Attorney and juveniles by the DC Attorney General. He says we need a local prosecutor accountable to the people of the District.
He said that there are 16 bills* before Congress that would change the way home rule operates in the District and debate on all of them is on-going. He urged residents to support home rule.
Appearing under a time constraint, Schwalb took several questions from members of the public and the Public Safety Committee. On the issue of enforcement against reckless moped drivers, he offered criminal prosecution where warranted and a potential investigation of the questionable operation of problematic third party providers – neither suggestion provided much satisfaction to the father of a child who had received a concussion from a recklessly operated food delivery moped. (See CHC post here: http://bit.ly/3WtcTW0 ) Similarly, he could not offer much insight with respect to a question about the performance of Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services owing to the “difficulty in measuring recidivism,” or much hope with respect to a question of progress on renovating the DC Jail, noting “it’s in our interest to get jail repaired – but not easy with tight dollars.”
*In addition to the bills affecting home rule mentioned by Schwalb, some of the other 16 bills pending in Congress which would affect DC home rule include:
Repeal of policing legislation: Overturns police reform legislation the D.C. Council passed after the murder of George Floyd.
D.C. Policing Protection Act: Expands the circumstances under which police officers are allowed to engage in vehicular pursuits.
Amendments to the Youth Rehabilitation Amendment Act: Would eliminate judicial discretion to sentence eligible youth offenders below a mandatory minimum and restrict youth offender status for individuals convicted of certain crimes.
Repeal of the Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act: Nullifies a D.C. law that allows juveniles to petition for early release after serving 15 years.
Bail system overhaul: Requires pretrial detention for anyone charged with a “violent or dangerous offense,” including some felony drug charges, and brings back the use of cash bail for certain crimes.
Criminalizing homelessness: Makes it illegal to sleep in public places, including in a car.
CAPITOL HILL CORNER 