ANC 5A held a special public meeting on August 31, 2022.
Commissioners present: Damion McDuffie (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Secretary; Diego Rojas (5A04); Ronnie Edwards (5A05) – Chair; Sandi Washington (5A07) – Treasurer; Gordon Fletcher (5A08) – Vice Chair.
At the top of the meeting, the commissioners removed discussion of the Riggs Road NE cycletrack from the agenda and replaced that item with discussion of a new school zone parking program. The cycletrack will be on the agenda for ANC 5A’s public meeting in September.
ANC 5A Public Safety Task Force Draft Budget
Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) presented a proposed budget for ANC 5A’s public safety task force (public safety committee). The request is to spend a little over $2,000 for reflective safety vests, flashlights, batteries, and whistles. My understanding is that this budget request is just a starting point for discussion. Robert Oliver, a resident in Commissioner Fletcher’s SMD who apparently is chairing the committee, said the idea is for residents to be able to walk around their neighborhoods to report safety concerns or things that need to be addressed by District government, such as sidewalks that pose a tripping hazard. Previously, Commissioner Fletcher talked a lot about bringing back the “Orange Hats.” Mr. Oliver said he does not expect that people will want to do exactly what the orange hats did in the past as far as walking the neighborhood during all times of day including late night hours, but they might be willing to do occasional walks to report things that need city attention. Unclear if the expectation is that ANC 5A residents will simply borrow the items. Right now, Commissioner Fletcher anticipates that the items will be housed in what he calls the ANC’s satellite office at The Modern at 402 Galloway Street NE. (The Ward 5 Mutual Aid group has been operating out of the ANC’s office for several months so there will need to be some discussion about how that group will continue operating out of the space).
The ANC voted to form a public safety committee a couple of years ago, but there always seems to be confusion about what exactly the committee is doing. In response to feedback, Commissioner Fletcher stated that he will work on developing goals and priorities for the public safety committee in order to align spending with those priorities. He plans to have a meeting on September 14, 2022, to discuss the issue.
Trinity Social Bar & Grill ABRA Application (5A05)
The owner of Trinity Social Bar & Grill, located at 200 Michigan Avenue NE, is now requesting a Class C alcohol license in order to have outdoor seating (what is known as a “summer garden” endorsement). Previously the owner was seeking a Class B alcohol license (originally covered in this post). The plans call for approximately 5 to 6 two-seater tables along the walkway outside the restaurant. There was some discussion about making sure there was enough space to be ADA compliant. Also, the owner will need to get a public space permit from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT).
According to the hearing notice, the applicant is also requesting an entertainment endorsement for indoor live entertainment.
The petition deadline was September 6, 2022. The ANC voted to support the application with no comment on the summer garden endorsement. Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) abstained.
DDOT School Zone Parking Program – Bridges Public Charter School Application (5A07)
DDOT has rolled out a new school zone parking program in response to DC Council legislation. The program allows schools to request school zone parking permits for purchase by school employees to park on RPP blocks near the school so that those employees do not get parking tickets. ANCs can pass a resolution in support of a school’s application in order to expedite the process, but schools can also get school zone permits without ANC support. The ANC just has to be notified. The program website has a handy guide outlining program requirements (school transportation coordinator, school commuter survey, and a school sustainable transportation plan) and a list of FAQs.
Haley Peckett, DDOT’s director of cubside management, explained that the program is new and the idea is that perhaps some residents will use their cars during the day, freeing up on street parking for school employees to park. (Admittedly, I do not understand that reasoning at all because city officials are also encouraging people to use alternatives to driving and certainly many residents take public transportation to work during regular business hours). DDOT will determine the number of permits the school receives based on a formula. Schools will receive permits for the ANC in which they are located. Schools located near an ANC border may receive permits for more than one ANC.
The discussion was prompted by an application for parking on RPP blocks by Bridges Public Charter School (PCS), located at 100 Gallatin Street NE near Fort Totten Metro station. Bridges is just one in a cluster of public charter schools in that location, along with Mary’s Center Fort Totten location. With the nearby apartments, condo buildings, and rowhouses, there is already a lot of demand for on-street parking for cars in that area.
Ms. Peckett said that DDOT welcomes feedback from ANCs about how the program is working. For example, Commissioner Sandi Washington (5A07), in whose single member district Bridges sits, asked whether the application process could include requiring the school applicant to explore other parking options first before requesting parking permits for RPP blocks. She noted that DC Bilingual PCS, which recently expanded, and Briya PCS, are both located near Bridges PCS and those schools are renting parking spaces in nearby off-street parking lots. (The application does ask what parking the school already provides, such as in commercial garages or remote lots, but it does not specifically ask whether the school has sought out other nearby parking options before submitting the application).
There were some questions about why school employees get what is seen as a special privilege as opposed to other DC government employees. (I can understand why there may be some sympathy from District officials for teachers, in particular, who might want to drive to their school sometimes. They often have to schlep a lot of items to their classroom and can sometimes work well into the evening hours). In response to a question, Ms. Peckett did note that school employees in DC are eligible for free Capital bikeshare memberships and they are also eligible for a small subsidy towards the purchase of a bike. A resident noted that it would be useful to have bikeshare stations and bike parking by school campuses so that school employees can more easily use personal bikes or bikeshare to get to their school campus. Also the school zone program is designed to nudge schools towards reducing reliance on car trips by school employees by gradually reducing the number of approved school zone permits over time.
Bridges PCS and DDOT will return to the ANC’s regularly scheduled September meeting to discuss the application from Bridges more. In the interim, Commissioner Washington will continue talking with the leadership of Bridges about their plan.
Next Stop...Riggs Park 