We periodically share updates from your ANC commissioners, edited for brevity and clarity. Although these are most pertinent to particular single member districts (SMDs), we feel the information shared can be of interest to the whole Capitol Hill community. Are you an ANC commissioner who shares regular updates? Add thehillishome@gmail.com to your distribution list, please! –María Helena Carey
From Denise Krepp, ANC 6B10
Reservation 13 Community Meeting – February 24th
The Hill East Taskforce meeting is hosting a community meeting on Monday, February 24 at 7 p.m. on Reservation 13. The meeting will be held at St. Coletta of Greater Washington (1900 Independence Ave SE).
The purpose of the meeting is to receive an update on construction of the F-1 and G-1 parcels, the future of the DC Jail, the deconstruction of DC General, and the deconstruction of the Harriet Tubman women’s shelter. Additional questions will also be raised about construction of the surrounding roads and the contracts that will be entered into regarding the construction and deconstruction.
(Note: As of publish date and time, the only confirmed attendee from any DC Government agency is someone from the Metropolitan Police Department, despite several emails from commissioner Krepp, in which we were copied)
Stoplight at 16th and Independence Ave SE
DDOT told the ANC6B Transportation Committee last week that a stoplight at the intersection of 16th and Independence Ave wasn’t needed. This assertion was based on a study commissioned by DDOT. DDOT refused to share the study at the meeting. They refused to share it the next day stating that I had to FOIA them for it so I did. DDOT has 15 days to share the study and the clock started a week ago.
ANC6B voted Tuesday to send a letter asking DDOT to add a light at the intersection. I asked my fellow Commissioners to limit the request to a light as adding other possibilities would enable DDOT to continue to drag their heels on the intersection.
Crime Data
I’ve attached the latest crime data. I FOIAed DOJ six months ago for the matching prosecution data. Still waiting for a response. I FOIAed MPD three months ago for an update and still waiting for a response.
Veteran Military Sexual Trauma
I organized a letter to the VA asking Secretary Wilkie to provide an update on the 314 military sexual trauma claims filed by DC veterans in the past 10 years. We asked him to divide the info by race and gender.
When organizing the letter, I invited all members of the DC Council to sign it. None did.
Women’s Right to Vote (Except in DC0
This year is the 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote. Women could vote for president if they lived in a state. DC women and men had to wait until 1964. I’m writing a resolution commemorating the two milestones and I was hoping to talk with a female DC resident who voted in ’64. If you know of someone who did, please share my contact information with them.
From Kirsten Oldenburg, ANC 6B04
WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE?
There is a lot going on in an area of ANC6B that is probably off the beaten path of most residents. The area is triangle shaped and sort of bounded by L Street SE on the North, 11th Street SE on the West, and the Anacostia River on the East and South. Here are some of the pending projects and activity.
A Planned Unit Development for 1333 M Street SE. This project will come before the ANC in March. It’s a re-do of a PUD that the ANC approved 4-5 years ago but whose time ran out even after we granted a 2-year extension. Now the property ownership has changed. The original plan was a complex of several apartment buildings with a walkway down to the waterfront.
Humane Rescue Alliance has plans to build its headquarters at 11th and M Street SE. This project has been bubbling for a number of years but the site has recently been cleared and banners hung on the surrounding fences. Hopefully, this is a good sign. Last I heard, HRA was working on the plans and fund raising for the building.
Virginia Avenue Park, located between 9th and 11th Streets SE, is being (slowly) renewed. The dog park section is fully in use, as is the Community Garden. But the large middle section will undergo renovations planned to start in Spring 2020. Dettails as available will be here
The ANC and community have been working toward replacing the current high speed “freeway lanes” from 11th to Barney Circle since early 2013. The last we had an opportunity to opine on plans for this SE Boulevard and Barney Circle project was at a community meeting in December 2017. (The ANC letter of January 2018 is here.) Since then DDOT’s draft Environmental Assessment has been languishing under review in the Federal Department of Highways. The ANC this February asked that DDOT allocate funds for the project’s engineering design work with the hope that this would pry the draft EA out of FHWA for community review.
At its meeting in February, the ANC also voted to ask DDOT to eliminate longstanding plans to widening the I-695 eastbound exit (D4) onto 11th Street SE from the current 3 lanes to five. Among the reasons: the needs assessment had been done 15 years ago as part of the 11th Street Bridges project, it would take away land that might be available to Virginia Avenue Park, adding more volume of traffic isn’t consistent with current DC policy on vehicle uses, and it doesn’t seem to be coordinated with the SE Boulevard project. Downside: eliminating the project also kills design and funds for the extension of the Ped/Bike trail between 9th and 11th Street SE.
In March, the ANC and HPRB will review a Historic Landmark application for Washington Yacht Club, one of the clubs in Boathouse Row. HPRB will hear the application on March 26.
ANC6B has applied to the Zoning Commission to change the zoning of several parcels in the area near the waterfront from an industrial category to multi-use zoning to encourage the development of more housing and parks. Details of the proposal and a map are on Commissioner Holman’s website here
CRIME REPORTS: JANUARY 2020
The total number of reports in all three PSAs and within ANC6B declined in January compared with December 2019. Most dramatically, reports in PSA 106 fell from 113 in December to 64 in January or almost by half.
Violent crimes reported within ANC6B (SE Capitol Hill) rose however from 7 in December to 10 in January with 2 additional ADWs and a sex abuse case. Both ADWs involved guns as did 4 of the 7 reported robberies. That’s more guns in use in this area than usual. You can compare 2019 and 2020 CH violent crimes at the CH VCs 2019-20 tab on my excel file here along with all the data for your own analysis.
PSA boundaries within the First District are shown on a map here. PSA 106—While the major reduction in PSA 106 occurred because of fewer thefts (49 vs 37) and thefts from auto (48 vs 15), burglaries and stolen autos also declined from 6 reports each in December vs 3 and 2, respectively, in January. There were, however, a few more violent crimes reported in January than in December. And, 3 more guns were involved than were in December. PSA 106 Meeting: March 24, 630pm. Community Center at 5th & L Streets SE
PSA 107—Total January crime reports in PSA 107 were 10 fewer than in December and occurred because of lower thefts and thefts from auto. Total violent crime, though, rose from 5 reports in December to 8 in January. This included increased gun use during 3 robberies and 1 linked to an ADW.
PSA 108—Not much change here with 40 reports in December vs 38 in January. Among the violent crimes (3 each month), none involved guns.
ANC6B—Thirty-two fewer crimes were reported within the boundaries of the ANC in January than were in December, bringing January’s total to 98. Again, the decline is due to a reduction in theft (72 vs 59) and thefts from auto (41 vs 23) reports. As mentioned above, four robberies involved guns as did 2 ADWs. This compares with only 2 robberies with gun in December.
Stabbing on Feb 5 on 400 Block of 8th SE May Not Have Occurred There
Details from Captain Pulliam’s email 2/10:
“In this case we located an individual on the metro platform who had sustained puncture wounds to their back. While there was some amount of blood on the platform, we are not sure that the actual offense occurred on the platform. The complainant has stated that they left a business in the 400 block of 8th Street SE and somewhere between there and the metro felt a pain to their back, but we have been unable to locate a crime scene or any witnesses to this offense.
We are still trying to verify important basic details of their reporting of the offense at this time. As you definitely know, 8th Street is extremely busy at 4pm on a weekday and had the complainant been assaulted in the 400 block of 8th St SE or walking to metro from there, we would expect to have at least one person who would have witnessed at least some sort of altercation. At this point we have no reason to believe that there is any enhanced danger to the general public.”
ANC6B FEBRUARY MEETING SUMMARY
It was a long one; running from 7pm to almost 1030pm. Part of the problem was that so many issues reviewed at committees did not get onto the Consent agenda so had to be discussed again prior to individual votes.
As per usual, all Consent items received a unanimous vote in favor. Included were a historic preservation application for 411 New Jersey Avenue SE and a zoning one for 1249 South Carolina Avenue SE; the Capitol Hill Classic; 6B support for the Capitol Hill Village CompPlan comments and those on the Transportation Chapter; and a letter to DDOT supporting the removal of the AM rush lane on the 900 block of I Street SE. If you want more information on any of the first 4 items, check out the P&Z Committee Report, and the Transportation Committee Report for the latter two. Both documents are posted at www.anc6b.org and the TC one is also here.
Two Presentations were on the agenda. First Katherine Whitehouse, Senior Legislative Assistant to Councilmember Robert White detailed ways in which his Facilities & Procurement Committee is trying to help the ANCs. She got a bit of a blast from several Commissioners on how agencies tend to disregard the “Great Weight” they are supposed to grant ANC positions and other ways ANCs are ignored.
Next was a very lengthy discussion on DC’s encampments, of which there are 30 around the city. Presenting were Jessica Smith and Monica Merk from the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health & Human Services. The Hill Rag has published a thorough article on the presentation and subsequent Q&As so I needn’t bother recapping it. The whole discussion was very informative; it’s a major problem for cities nationwide. There are strong, opposing views on the issue and how cities can/should react. Go to the DMHHS page on encampments for further information
During Speak Out: Commissioner Kasie Clark 6B09 announced that she would be resigning from the Commission because she is moving out of the District. This opens up a Special Election for the seat. The timing of the election will depend on the date of her formal resignation letter. If you live in 6B09 and want to consider running, I suggest you talk with Kasie about her experiences and the single member district. Her email is 6b09@anc.dc.gov. Ultimately, details about the election will be on the Board of Elections website.
Julia Strusienski, Branch Manager, of the SE Library announced that there will be a Community Meeting on the Library’s planned renovation project on March 3 at 7pm at Eastern Market North Hall. Meanwhile she urged participation in a survey collecting community ideas for the new spaces. Info on the renovation project is here with a link to the survey.
Tyler Williams, the Ward 6 MOCR announced that the Mayor will be formally opening The Aya, the Ward 6 Short-Term Family Housing Program, on February 21 at 1130am. The building is located at 850 Delaware Avenue SW and is expected to serve up to 50 families experiencing homelessness. Info here
From the ABC Committee, substantial changes for Tortuga (514 8th SE) and Finn McCool’s (713 8th SE) were both approved, unanimously. In each case, the applicant has signed an Amendment to its Settlement Agreement that was hammered out at the ABC meeting on February 6. The active engagement of neighbors at the meeting had a major impact on the language of the SAs.
From the P&Z Committee, the ANC supported the Committee’s recommendation to approve zoning relief for 1624 E Street SE and, after a short presentation, approved the historic preservation application for 710 E Street SE. Next came some lengthy discussions on 6B Comments on various portions of the Comprehensive Plan. Unanimous or near unanimous votes ultimately approved several comments including on the 15th Street Commercial Corridor and an addition to the overall Working Groups comments. The Environment Chapter comments got a 6-2-1 vote in favor. Harder fought were the 6B comments on the SE Boulevard but it ultimately was passed without amendments by a 5-2-3 vote.
From the Transportation Committee, the committee recommendation was amended to support just a traffic signal at 16th & Independence (8-1-1 vote), rather than also support an alternative. After some discussion, proposed comments on DDOT’s current State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) were passed 8-1-1 after the addition of a request for funding for a study of the pedestrian safety issues along 11th Street SE between K and M Streets SE. Two other items in our STIP comments are mentioned above. DDOT’s Projects Forecast is posted here
FINALLY, at the very end of the meeting, we quickly elected 2020 Chairs for Standing Committees and re-established Task Forces and elected Chairs to those bodies. There is no change among Committee Chairs (Commissioner Holman/Planning & Zoning, Commissioner Oldenburg/Transportation, and Commissioner Jayaraman/ABC). The Hill East and Livable Communities Task Forces were re-established with Commissioner Krepp and Commissioner Holtzman as Chairs, respectively. The Working Group on Barracks Row was set up with Commissioner Jayaraman as Chair. All votes were 9-0-0. We also appointed Commissioner Sroufe as the 6B Representative to the Eastern Market CAC.
Then, there was another quick vote (9-0-0) on the appointment of 22 Resident Members to various committees and task forces in 2020. Most, but not all, are returnees. See the February agenda at www.anc6b.org for the list of names, SMDs, and assignments.
UDC FOUNDERS DAY CONVOCATION
Thu 20 Feb, 10am; Theater of the Arts Auditorium, 4200 Connecticut Ave NW
Grand Opening of the Smithsonian Exhibition “Twelve Years that Shook and Shaped Washington: 1963-1975” at 1145am.
MAYOR’S FY21 POCKET BUDGET GUIDE
To get a copy of the Guide, comment on the proposed budget, or find dates of the Mayor’s budget forums, go here
METRO BUDGET COMMENTS DUE MARCH 2, 5pm
Everything you need to know about the budget is here
Includes link to a survey, hearing dates, Metro rail and bus proposed changes in fares and schedules, … NOTE: changes are proposed in the “30” buses that run along Pennsylvania Avenue on Capitol Hill and one 92 route is to be eliminated.
The Public Hearing at Metro HQ (600 5th Street NW) is Wed 26 Feb, 430pm.
NATIONAL CAPITOL PLANNING COMMISSION
NCPC is the central planning agency for the federal government in the National Capital Region. Its 2019 Year in Review Report is here
Thinking ahead …
ANACOSTIA RIVER FESTIVAL
Sun 5 Apr, 1pm to 4pm; Anacostia Park
https://bbardc.org/ARF/
BROCCOLI CITY FESTIVAL
Sat 9 May, RFK Campus
Tickets and Info here