East Capitol Weed Shop Proposal Runs Aground on City Regs
by Larry Janezich
Posted June 9, 2025
East Capitol Weed Shop Proposal Runs Aground on City Regs
by Larry Janezich
Posted June 9, 2025
Well, this didn’t take long. After receiving more than 50 emails since yesterday, this morning CM Charles Allen updated constituents on the proposed weed shop on East Capitol. The update came, he said, after a conversation with Fred Moosally, the head of DC’s Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA).
The bottom line is that ABCA confirmed:
“There has been no cannabis retailer application filed for this address. Any sales taking place would be illegal and ABCA will have investigators looking into this.
The signage (in particular, the cartoon marijuana leaf with a rolled joint) is not allowed with our laws for cannabis retailer advertising. ABCA will be following up on that.
Even if there was a license application and the signs were lawful, this location and property is zoned residential, so DC law does not allow a cannabis retailer here anyway. They will not be allowed to open as a legal and lawful business. And if they try to operate as an illegal business, ABCA has the tools necessary to close them down and even padlock the doors.”
Allen also said that ABCA has not approved the request to renew the retail liquor license and the Board will be apprised of the issue and the findings of the ABCA investigation before considering the renewal. He credited ANC6B Commissioner, Jerry Sroufe, for being active on this and for pushing ABCA to recognize the potential change in this store from their previous presentation and commitments to the ANC.
Allen added, “What we’ve seen is a clear departure from what this business proposed to the ANC, ABCA, and to the community. It’s bad faith and I will work to make sure that ABCA and the Executive agencies follow through on their commitments to us.”
Photo Essay: The Mayor’s Hill East Town Hall on the RFK Development
by Larry Janezich
Posted May 23, 2025
Here’s a conceptual rendering of what the proposed new stadium for the Washington Commanders would look like.
Thursday night, Mayor Bowser brought a Town Hall Meeting on development of the RFK Site to the communities most affected by it – Ward 7’s Hill East and Kingman Park. Some 350 residents turned out for the meeting near the stadium in the gymnasium of St. Coletta’s School.
A panel comprised of Mayor Bowser, Ward 7 CM Wendell Felder, CM At-Large Kenyan McDuffie and Deputy Mayor for Planning and Development Nina Albert made presentations and took questions. The Mayor supported the current plan for a $3.7 billion development of the 65,000 seat covered stadium and the beginning of a new neighborhood on the Anacostia River. She told the attendees that the 174 acre site could hold four Wharfs. The Commanders will contribute $2.7 billion to the project for vertical construction and the DC government will pay $1 billion for infrastructure and parking.
ANC7D08 Chair Brian Alcorn (far left), whose ANC encompasses the RFK site, commented after the meeting: “I’m pleased that Councilmember Felder is appropriately focused on ensuring development at the RFK site would be consistent with the community’s wishes as well as having a positive financial impact for neighbors and the District. I also appreciate Mayor Bowser’s acknowledgement that the project is in the very early stages and community-driven modifications are both possible and expected. As ANC7D hosts nearly 75% of the overall RFK campus, our Commission and residents look to closely coordinate with officials from the District, the Commanders, WMATA and all other stakeholders to ensure that the results, whatever they may be, support and enhance our many neighborhoods.
ANC7D05 Commissioner Ebony Payne (seated behind Alcorn), whose Single Member District borders the north edge of the RFK Campus commented: “I am encouraged that we finally have a firm commitment from the Mayor that the Fields at RFK will be maintained – the number one concern I am hearing now from my constituents is about the two massive parking garages planned for Oklahoma Avenue. This is the main thoroughfare to our community and people want to see a new map that does not burden Kingman Park with the bulk of the heavy traffic.
Here’s the site plan for dividing the development into six districts. The Commanders will oversee the development of the Plaza District, the Stadium District, and the Riverfront District, while the city will take charge of development of the Kingman Park District, the Recreational District and the Anacostia Commons. The city will also fund a $89 million SportsPlex providing indoor track and gymnastic facilities not available in other District recreation centers.
The vision includes 6,000 new homes – 30% affordable housing – for 10,000 new residents.
The crowd was mostly supportive of the development, but the occasion fell short of exuberant enthusiasm, perhaps over concerns about how the proposed development would change the community. Questions from the audience reflected worries about parking, traffic, public safety, jobs for community members, funding for education, property taxes, and community benefits.
There were caps and signs for residents to indicate support the new development – the caps went pretty fast.
Here’s an image reflecting the timeline for the project. The Mayor is hoping for the City Council approval this summer, groundbreaking for the new stadium in late 2006, and opening of the stadium in the fall of 2030.
While many in Ward 7 have reservations about the effects of the proposed development, the focus now – in the face of a full court press by the Mayor’s office and public support for a new stadium – seems to by focusing on addressing concerns of the nearby residents and getting the best deal possible for the city. And despite the aggressive promotion, the Mayor and her supporters have not addressed the well-documented assertions of respected economic analysts that sports stadiums are not economic generators for a city. The Mayor points to potential some 200 events annually, including 20-30 major events. Perhaps, but how many Beyoncé or Taylor Swifts are there who can fill a 65,000 seat stadium? It’s uncertain whether the city will make money from the new stadium – it’s more certain that the developers will.
How to follow Capitol Hill Corner. To receive an email when an article is posted on CHC go to the homepage here: https://capitolhillcorner.org/ On the right hand side of the page there is a column below “Blog Stats.” Scroll down to the bottom of the Archives and click on the blue tab that says “Follow Capitol Hill Corner.” You will automatically be notified as soon as anything is posted. To stop following CHC go to the same blue tab which will now say “Following,” and click it again.
Councilmember Charles Allen at Wednesday nights ANC6C meeting.
CM Allen Says He Will Work to Change a Bad Stadium Deal
by Larry Janezich
Posted: May 16, 2025
CM Charles Allen told ANC6C Wednesday night in his presentation on the DC budget that the city will spend over a billion dollars to build a new stadium on the RFK campus.
Allen said, “Right now a majority of the council does not support the proposal…I think actually a good number of my colleagues want to get to a yes but they are not there yet…A majority is absolutely opposed to the deal as is because it’s not a good deal for the city and it’s not a good deal for the taxpayer.” Allen said that for more than a decade he has been consistent in pointing out that NFL stadiums are not economic generators.
(More than a half dozen prominent economists and the St. Louis Fed point to data showing that using public funds for new stadiums is a poor investment.)
Allen cited one example out of what he said is many regarding why this is a bad deal. He said that the proposal as it now stands is that DC would build, fund, own, and maintain parking garages for 8,000 spots. The two parking garages at Nats Ballpark provide 1250 spaces for a 45,000 seat venue. For the 65,000 seat stadium, the Commanders want 8,000 spaces. “That,” Allen said, “would create a wall of parking garages right next to the fields and block off the fields from the community.”
“I think it’s a really bad idea to build that much parking … also that we all need to foot the bill and on top of that…we get no parking tax revenue so we will own, build, maintain, and operate parking garages and then we get zero revenue from it.”
Allen said that there is no money in the proposal for another Metro to serve the site, and “that makes no sense if we’re going to be building a stadium and provide for 15,000 new people … as we build 6000 homes.”
ANC6C Commissioner Mark Eckenweiler asked Allen if the proposed deal includes “sweeteners” for the city as is sometimes the case for municipalities providing subsides for sports arenas.
Allen said that right now there’s no revenue sharing from things like naming rights. The Commanders are also tax free on things like concessions and sales – not just on the stadium – but entire RFK campus…”and so the commanders will get all of that for a dollar a year and build everything on it…we will not get property tax, we will give up all parking revenue tax and sales tax….If you look at Nats Park the way that that works right now is that the District and the Nationals split 50/50 parking revenue on large scale events that are 5000 or more. So why would we treat one stadium very differently than the other?”
Allen said it makes no sense that we’re just giving it all away “so that’s what I mean that this is a bad deal. If it’s going to pass we’ve got to make a lot of changes to it.”
Allen’s position seems to be that in the event the city council passes the bill, it will need to be a better deal – that being the case, he did not say that even with major changes he could support the bill.
CM At-Large Kenyan McDuffie at Mr. Henry’s last night.
CM Kenyan McDuffie on His Support for a New Stadium at RFK
by Larry Janezich
Posted, May 14, 2025
Last night, CM At-Large Kenyan McDuffie appeared before a group of Ward Six Democrats upstairs at Mr. Henry’s on Pennsylvania Avenue, SE.
In remarks, McDuffie expressed frustration on how long it’s taking to produce a budget owing to Congressional inaction to authorize DC to spend its own funds for the current FY. He also expressed concern over the expected loss of $1 billion in city revenue over the next three FYs because of reductions in the federal workforce.
Afterward, he made himself available for informal discussions with attendees.
An audience member questioned McDuffie’s support for Mayor’s proposal to build a new NFL stadium to replace RFK, asking him if he is aware of any empirical evidence that a new stadium would provide new revenue or economic benefit for the city in light of economists’ assessment that there is none. (Mayor Bowser wants the city council to approve spending $850 million in public funds for infrastructure to support a new stadium with the Washington Commanders covering the cost of building the stadium.)
McDuffie responded, “I guess my evidence that a stadium is good for DC would be what we see at Nats Stadium, what we see at Audi Field, what we see at Capital One Arena.”
In a follow-up, he was asked, “So, you can point to (those developments) as maybe a catalyst for supporting that sort of investment. What are you seeing at RFK that indicates that’s a similar situation?”
McDuffie replied, “What I’m seeing at RFK is 180 acres of dormant land that has been sitting idle for decades. I’m seeing a lot of asphalt that’s collecting dust and it’s in extreme disrepair. What I saw as a child growing up in the city were areas around SE and the Navy Yard and the Waterfront that needed investment. What I saw in the areas around SW was my friends who went to high school with me at Woodrow Wilson were communities that were starving for community service amenities that other parts of the city had. What we have today (in those areas) that didn’t exist before are events coming out of those facilities that are supporting a lot of businesses around it that are giving job opportunities to residents and for small businesses the opportunity to service what is happening in and those neighborhoods. “
The Ward 6 Democrats website carries a notice inviting neighbors to a Fireside Chat on the Future of RFK: Monday, June 2, at The Strand Restaurant, 131 Nannie Helen Burroughs Avenue, NE. The event is sponsored by: The Hill Rag and East of the River Newspapers, The Ward 6 Democrats, and The Ward 7 Democrats.
CM Charles Allen briefing ANC6B last night on the DC Budget.
CM Charles Allen on Monday morning in Spirit of Justice Park behind the Longworth House Office Building where FreeDC volunteers gathered before heading inside to lobby Members of Congress. On Allen’s left are LaJoy Johnson-Law, Ward 8 State Board of Education member and Jacque Patterson, President of the State Board of Education.
CM Allen Says City Faces Tough Economic Choices
by Larry Janezich
Posted April 9, 2025
Tuesday night, Council Member Charles Allen gave ANC6B a sobering report on the current economic situation facing the city.
The city is facing two pressure points: The inability of the US House of Representatives to fix their mistake in forgetting to authorize DC to spend $1 billion of its own to fund its operational budget for personnel and city services. (If DC just went ahead and spent the money which has not been authorized it would be breaking the law.) Second, the projected $1 billion shortfall in revenues over the next three years resulting from the thousands of residents who have lost their federal jobs and the economic fallout therefrom as the result of the administration’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal government.
With respect to the first pressure point, Allen says he does not foresee the House acting to fix their mistake before it leaves for a two week recess at the close of business on Thursday. Cuts in personnel and services will not start immediately but the undetermined date is fast approaching when the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) will inform the Mayor that she has to start making cuts. The Mayor will have to submit a Supplemental Budget to the city council recommending those cuts. Allen says, “To cut $1 billion from a $17 billion budget will be devastating…it will mean furloughs, personnel cuts, cuts in city operations and bus and Metro service.” The police and fire departments will suffer hiring freezes – first responders could be furloughed. Public and charter schools will be subject to staff and operational cuts – an extreme example is that the school week could be cut to 3 or four days.
On Monday, Allen was part of the local advocacy group FreeDC’s call to action to lobby members of the House to pass the Senate-passed bill to fix the spending glitch which has been held for some three weeks at the Speaker’s desk. This means under House Rules, it will take a two-thirds vote of the House (288) to take it up for consideration, and a simple majority of the House to pass it. Though the bill has the support of the President and – reportedly – the chair of the House Appropriations Committee – it appears to be stalled by members of the Freedom Caucus. Some speculate that some House members want to place conditions on DC as part of an agreement to move the bill forward.
Allen’s team visited five Congressional offices. He said the Republican offices were polite but he did not detect a sense of urgency. He said he got a “warmer response from Democratic offices, but none of them felt like their hair was on fire about how this was a crushing and urgent problem”. By the end of the day, FreeDC volunteers had visited 283 members’ offices.
Regarding the second pressure point, Allen noted that the FY 2026 Budget process – which should have launched at the beginning of April – has not, because the Mayor is waiting on a resolution regarding the $1 billion being held up in the House which otherwise will have to be taken into consideration in the budget for the next fiscal year.
Assuming that gets resolved and the 2026 FY Budget process moves forward, it will have to take into account the CFO’s projection of $1 billion in lower revenue over the next three years resulting from a reduction in the federal workforce. That will amount to a cut of around $300 million in each of the next three fiscal years. Those cuts will come in the face of increasing costs. Allen said, “We are facing a difficult budgeting…..We will be reducing city services and I don’t like doing that….But if the budget is balanced on the most vulnerable it is not a budget I can support. There will be a reduction in services and benefits and every part of the city will have to be a part of what this tough moment will realize.”
On Wednesday, April 3, 1st Street and the sidewalk in front of the Supreme Court were occupied by rival activists – supporters and opponents of Planned Parenthood. The Court was scheduled to hear a case on funding for Planned Parenthood. Here’s a photo of demonstrators supporting defunding Planned Parenthood.
Those supporting Planned Parenthood, shown here, appeared to outnumber those opposed by about 6 to 1. Later that day, AP reported that the Supreme Court appeared divided over whether states should be able to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.
In June of 2022, CHC reported the closing for good of Congress Market at 421 East Capitol Street. The move came with the retirement of the owner. Now new life is being breathed back into the Market and a new owner told ANC6B Commissioner Jerry Sroufe that the store will reopen “soon.”
Shelves are being stocked, and it’s possible the store will open before it gets its liquor license – the ABCA placard says the hearing on the license application isn’t scheduled until June 9.
Stormy skies provided a backdrop for a photo op of the Southeast Library the last week of March.
Here’s another angle.
Here’s Triple Candies’ extension of last month’s installation featuring The Raft of the Medusa in the exhibit space of the former Li’l Pub, at 655 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE. CHC has unpacked it for your convenience:
Moechella (lower left) is a DC concert series inspired by the Cochella Festival, which according to Wiki, is an annual music and arts festival held in Indio, California, in the Colorado Desert’s Coachella Valley. The event features musical artists from many genres of music, including rock, pop, indie, hip hop and electronic dance music, as well as art installations and sculptures.
We. Construct. Marvels. Between. Monuments. (upper right) “An exhibition series held at the Portland Art Museum (2017 – 2019) encouraging audiences to think critically about how museums have traditionally granted access to art and knowledge, and what the future of the institution could look like.” Libby Werbel
La beauté est dans la rue. (lower right) “Beauty is in the Street” is a slogan from France, May of 1968. The poster depicts a young woman throwing a paving stone. Wiki.
The Week Ahead.
Highlights:
Monday – FreeDC volunteers lobby Congress on passage of bill to allow DC government funding for the rest of the fiscal year. (See “Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:” below.)
Tuesday – CM Charles Allen is scheduled to brief ANC6B on the upcoming FY Budget.
Thursday – CM Charles Allen is scheduled to brief ANC6A on the upcoming FY Budget.
Monday, April 7
ANC6B Southeast Library Task Force will hold a hybrid meeting at 6:30pm.
The meeting will be held on the second floor of 700 Pennsylvania Ave., SE. Entrance is next door to Trader Joe’s.
Union Pub, Ethiopic Restaurant, Cane, Boiling Crab, Indigo, The 116 Club,
application renewals
Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee (Mark Eckenwiler, Chair)
313 2nd Street NE. Historic Preservation Application of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church for concept approval, renovation and expansion of carriage house, razing two structures, landscaping.
Community Presentations DC Budget and other Ward 6 Topics of Interest
Councilmember Charles Allen.
Consent Agenda.
Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Committee.
Recommendation: ANC 6A take no action on the renewal application of a Class C restaurant license with entertainment and summer garden endorsements at Granville Moore’s, 1238 H Street, NE .
Recommendation: ANC 6A take no action on the application for a new Class C Restaurant license with extended holiday hours, carry out and delivery endorsements at Tapori, 600 H Street, NE.
Community Outreach.
Recommendation: ANC 6A approve the revisions to the ANC’s Grant Application form, including ANC 6A coversheet, project report form, and closeout form to conform with the OANC guidelines for applications.
Economic Development and Zoning (EDZ)
Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter to BZA to support special exceptions to combine five lots (2 facing H Street NE, 3 facing alley) and convert to a retail and eating and drinking establishment use an existing, semi-detached, mixed use at 355-1359 H Street, NE.
Recommendation: ANC 6A send a letter to BZA to support a special exception to construct a second story addition to a detached garage, in the rear of an existing, attached, two-story plus cellar, principal dwelling unit in the RF-1 zone at 917 Constitution Avenue.
Capitol Hill Corner would also like you to know about:
Monday, April 7
FreeDC Sponsored Event: 9:30am – 3:30pm.
Meet at the Spirit of Justice Park (South side of Rayburn House Office Building) at South Capitol and C Streets, SE.
Teams will visit offices of Members of the US House of Representatives to urge passage of the DC Local Funds Act being held at the Speaker’s Desk since March 18. The Bill has passed the Senate and is awaiting action by the House. The Bill would authorize DC to spend its ownrevenues for the rest of the fiscal year. It includes funding for schools, first responders, Metro, buses, etc.
Global Sounds on the Hill featuring Ethiopian Funk with Afro-Zen Allstars. “Their music exists at the place where African musical tradition connects with Jazz & Jam.”
An Anti-Trump “Hands Off” rallies occurred in all 50 states on Saturday. The “Hands Off” rally on the National Mall was centered at the Sylvan Theater but much of the Mall and the grounds of the Washington Monument was occupied by demonstrators. At 2:00pm the rally was scheduled to end and the crowd had begun to thin a little. Organizers had said it might go a bit longer.
There were streams of departing participants lining up to board the Metro at the Smithsonian stop and on Independence Avenue hundreds of people were headed for the Metro. But there was a sea of people still on the grounds of the Washington Monument and speakers were still addressing the crowd.
The crowd in front of the Sylvan Theater was so dense that organizers were stationed to direct people pressing toward the stage that it was too crowded and asked people who were approaching the stage to go back the way they came and climb the hill toward the Monument for a view of the theater.
From the base of the Washington Monument, one could see that the crowd extended toward the Capitol Building.
The crowd was multi-generational and the mood was friendly as people seemed reassured by the willingness of such a large number of protesters to turn out – a crowd much larger than anticipated by organizers. Originally, the number of estimated attendees was 20,000 – projected from the number of responses to organizers’ request that participants register. Later, organizers said the number of attendees was five times the expected number. It was apparent from the large numbers of people still on the Mall at 2:00pm that the expected number had been vastly exceeded.
Some wore costumes – including Abe Lincoln and the Statue of Liberty – or carried protest signs and banners and flew the United States flag as a distress signal.
There were individuals, couples, families, and groups of friends. There were a few people with dogs and a few couples with infants in baby carriages. There were small individual demonstrations everywhere throughout the crowd. Here’s some video of one of them.
MPD 1st District’s Community Advisory Committee met Tuesday night.
MPD’s First District. Blue dots locate the U.S. Capitol and RFK Stadium, respectively.
Crime Report: MPD Commander Colin Hall Reports on District 1
by Larry Janezich
Posted April 3, 2025
MPD 1st District Commander Colin Hall delivered the monthly crime report to the 1st District’s Community Advisory Committee Tuesday night:
He cited several high profile arrests MPD made in the past few weeks.
The 2023 homicide at the Cru Nightclub in 1300 block of H Street, NE, was closed with two arrests.
The ongoing investigation of the flagrant shooting last October at 1900 One-half Street, SW near the Watermark Buzzard Point apartments resulted in a recent arrest. The incident involved adults and juveniles and the expenditure of nearly 100 rounds. Hall said other suspects are being sought. A stray bullet from this incident wounded a pedestrian on Potomac Avenue, SE.
A second arrest was made in Eastern High School shooting of a student last November, closing out the case.
He also reported :
We’re seeing a 31% decrease in violent crime in the first quarter across the city and a 35% decrease in violent crime in the 1st District – that’s over the 15% drop ending 2024.
We continue pushing down robberies – there was a 38% decline in the first quarter in the 1st District, on top of a 47% drop ending 2024.
We had 20 burglaries in the 1st District so far this year – that’s plus 3 over last year. We follow up after every burglary with our outreach team to talk to businesses about cameras and alarms.
We shut down a crew linked to 21 burglaries throughout the city.
Theft from autos is down but increasing with the warm weather.
We are still seeing thefts of unattended vehicles. That was a problem in the cold but we’re still seeing it in warm weather. We urge using wheel locks and air tags.
We’re seeing tire thefts throughout the city and urge residents to be alert and call MPD to report suspicious activity.
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Chuck Gregory, a native Washingtonian, died in San Francisco on February 22 after a long struggle with cancer. He was 49. The son of Janice and Neal Gregory, Chuck was born at Georgetown Hospital on January 8, 1976, and grew up on Capitol Hill. His formal name was Chellis O’Neal Gregory III, but he was always known as Chuck.
A service of remembrance and a celebration of his life will be held at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church at 1:30 pm on Sunday, March 30.
Chuck was an acolyte at St. Mark’s, a member of the Boy Scouts and a star soccer player for his Soccer on the Hill championship team. A lifelong interest in public policy and politics began during the summers when he was a page for the U.S. House of Representatives. He attended Peabody and John Easton Public Schools, St. Anselm’s Abbey School, and graduated from Edmond Burke High School.
He received a degree in communications and film from Tulane University, where he was a member of SAE fraternity. He worked as a desk editor in the Washington Bureau of ABC Television News, later joining the staff of the Vancouver International Film Festival in Canada, working in promotion and development. He met Akiko Kano – who became his wife – in Vancouver while they were both teaching English as a foreign language.
He earned a master’s degree in international relations at the University of British Columbia and was a development officer for UBC’s Sauder School of Business. Ten years ago, he moved to San Francisco as a development officer for Sutter Health, which operates 24 hospitals and over 200 clinics in Northern California.
Chuck had a dry wit and was always smiling. His fellow students and coworkers delighted in his storytelling talents. He had an uncanny ability to adopt the accents and mannerisms as he related tales from a wide variety of characters. He could imitate Louisiana Cajuns, Southerners, Texans, New Jersey mafia, Boston Irish and variety of other groups with comic accuracy.
In addition to his parents, Neal and Janice Gregory, Chuck is survived by his wife Akiko Kano and their 11-year-old daughter Sara Gregory of San Francisco; and two sisters, Jennifer Cross of Santa Cruz, CA, and Kate Stark of Scotts Valley, CA.
More than 100 residents turned out for Wednesday night’s community meeting on the Rumsey Renovation plans which was held in the North Hall of Eastern Market.
City Scales Back Rumsey Aquatic Center Plan
by Larry Janezich
Posted March 13, 2025
Thursday night, DPR and DGS presented design options for renovation of the Rumsey Aquatic Center which were substantially different from the more ambitious plans of CM Charles Allen, who secured additional funding for the project based on those plans.
The boost in $15 million in funds for the Rumsey renovation was intended to support a new second story with community amenities like a senior center with a tech lounge, a business incubator space, and an indoor fitness center. These were in addition to the DPR’s initial budget ($20 million) to expand and renovate the swimming pool which would occupy the first floor of the new building.
That’s not what the designers brought back to the community.
Instead, developers presented to the community three slightly different proposals, all of them without a build-out on the second floor, as well as a host of reasons why the original vision could not be realized. In addition to what they characterized as a limited overall budget of $35 million, the designers cited the cost of LEED/net zero certification as a significant constraint.
Here’s Allen’s reaction:
“Two years ago, I asked DPR and DGS leaders what it would cost to build a second floor to expand services and programs while modernizing Rumsey pool. They gave me an exact number, and I found that exact money – that’s the budget we have. It’s clear from tonight’s meeting there’s not enough space on one floor to meet the needs of the community here, and I’m frustrated how quickly they’re trying to walk away from the fully funded second floor. I will work to get them back on track and believe we will find a solution to deliver the generational project everyone wants.”
ANC6B Commissioner Jerry Sroufe, in whose single member district the Rumsey Center falls, said “if you only have three options and no second story that’s a bitter pill to swallow. I didn’t think they were very responsive to the concerns raised and I don’t think that the things they said they couldn’t do because of various restrictions are true. I am sure they could do things differently if they wanted to – exceptions can be made and they didn’t make any. I didn’t like any of the options in particular. It seems they wanted one story.”
Two polls taken during the meeting to which there were 66 respondents showed a clear preference for bigger and better pool space and fewer amenities. Regarding the possible amenities squeezed into the first floor – a hot tub, a yoga studio, and a fitness studio – a 40% plurality chose “none of the above.”
Roy Philips, a neighbor and frequent user of Rumsey Pool who attended last night’s meeting, said that “the presenters didn’t provide options that capture what the community is looking for. In building options they have lots of constraints …. Due to the constraints they said all they can do is build a new structure that is roughly the size and footprint as the current building. They can make the pool about 12 feet wider to accommodate 2 more swimming lanes. There were no options to extend the building into the plaza or with a second floor…It seems like they are focused on all the impediments rather than a vision of what the community really wants.”
