ANC meetings are the best way to stay up to date with what is happening in your part of the neighborhood, but few of us are able to spend three hours or more on a weekday evening. Thankfully, those who do have the time (Voice of the Hill and JD Land) are always kind enough to summarize the important points for us:
- ANC6A – Despite efforts by neighbors and the commission, the ANC seems to have lost their battle to prevent the AppleTree Institute charter school from opening in a 12th Street NE row house (a longer article on this issue can be read here); commissioner Mary Beatty shared information from meetings with local police and Tommy Wells regarding the recent carjackings; commissioner Bill Schultheiss talked about his recent effort to follow up with the D.C. Housing Authority on its promises to develop its vacant properties; and more. A full summary from The Voice of the Hill can be found here.
- ANC6B – After neighborhood issues with the handling of street closures for the National Marathon last year, the commission voted to opposed the plans for this year’s race and will schedule a meeting with bordering advisory neighborhood commissions and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Office of Special Operations to voice its concerns; voted to support the conversion and renovation of 1215 D St. SE, from warehouse into two residential units with two two-car garages. A full summary from The Voice of the Hill can be found here.
- ANC6C – While the commission was unable to prevent Oasis Liquor from reopening, the committee drafted a voluntary agreement with the business to change its name to “Oasis Market,” remove its pay phone, remove billboards on the building and prohibit employees from parking in public space; the commission voted to send a letter to the District Department of Transportation requesting that it change the one-way direction of traffic on Morris Place NE; commissioner Tony Richardson announced that Ethiopic Restaurant at 401 H St. NE drafted an acceptable voluntary agreement and the commission is awaiting its approval from the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration. A full summary from The Voice of the Hill can be found here.
- ANC6D – The commission voted to approve a liquor license application for the new Justin’s Cafe, which will open on the ground floor of the Velocity condo building at First and L Streets, SE; the ANC will soon be moving to a new meeting space at the waterfront in a new development about to open at the old Waterside Mall site at Fourth and M Streets, SW. JDLand’s summary can be read here.
- Additional news tidbits that cover multiple ANC boundries: The D.C. Office of Historic Preservation recently streamlines the review process for modifying historic structures which will allow homeowners of historic buildings to contact preservation staff directly to receive permits more quickly for projects such as replacing windows; and the Marines from the 8th and I Barracks will host an open house on January 27 from 5 pm to 8 pm in Eastern Market’s North Hall to present their “Community Integrated Master Plan.” The initiative is intended to create services like fire stations, businesses, gyms and mixed-use buildings that would be available to the community, the Barracks on 8th Street and the Navy Yard. Four workshops will also be scheduled over the next four months to develop land-use plans, mostly for south of the I-395 overpass.