ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on February 23, 2022. All commissioners were present: Damion McDuffie (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Secretary; Diego Rojas (5A04); Ronnie Edwards (5A05) – Chair; Derrick Holloway (5A06); Sandi Washington (5A07) – Treasurer; Gordon Fletcher (5A08) – Vice Chair.

This was another long meeting, ending well after 9:00 pm, so I am sure I am forgetting something.

ANC Business

The ABRA application for Trinity Grill was removed from the agenda.

Before moving to approve the ANC’s January 2022 meeting minutes, Chair Ronnie Edwards (5A04) moved to revise them to say that the ANC has never published an annual report due to circumstances beyond their control (including due to COVID), rather than saying the ANC has not produced one because it was not required. As we know, the annual report is required. Still unclear whether the ANC will publish one.

There is a North Capitol Street corridor study underway. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has asked ANCs to designate representatives for an advisory group. The ANC decided to designate Commissioner Sandi Washington (5A07).

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie Report (Silas Grant, Senior Advisor)

The Council is wrapping up District agency performance oversight hearings. Budget hearings are coming up. See the schedule at https://dccouncil.us/2021-2022-performance-oversight-fy-2023-budget-schedules. Residents are encouraged to sign up to testify or to submit written testimony in support of budget requests.

Councilmember McDuffie is aware that the Ward 5 ANC redistricting task force website needs to be updated and that the task force needs to make progress towards drawing maps. The task force divided itself into subgroups to draw proposed maps for different ANC/SMDs within the ward. The task force previously received a question about whether the District’s open meeting laws apply to each subcommittee’s meetings. Mr. Grant said they received advice that the subgroup meetings are not subject to the open meeting requirements, so they do not have to be open to the public.

Someone raised a question about the recent resignation of Del McFadden, who headed up the Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement (ONSE). That office was created as a key component of the Neighborhood Engagement Achieves Results Act (NEAR Act), legislation drafted by Councilmember McDuffie. Mr. Grant said that Councilmember McDuffie has been clear that new leadership of ONSE will need to have an appreciation of the NEAR Act in its entirety.

National Park Service (Kym Elder and Nick Bartolomeo)

Brian Joyner is the new superintendent for Rock Creek Park for the National Park Service (NPS). He can be reached at bjoyner@nps.gov.

Kym Elder, Program Manager for the Civil War Defenses of Washington for NPS, said that NPS has been in contact with Councilmember McDuffie’s office and ANC 5A regarding the ordnance found in Fort Totten Park during construction of the pedestrian trail between Gallatin Street and Galloway Street NE. NPS sent them three reports on February 15, 2022. (Note: After the ANC meeting, Ms. Elder forwarded those reports to me. A document dated January 2018 outlines the community engagement that was done regarding testing of soil on the western side of the park where WMATA brought in fill dirt from Spring Valley to rehabilitate the parkland used by WMATA for staging during construction of the green line a few decades ago. A document dated April 2019 contains the preliminary testing results for that staging area. A document dated August 2021 is the soil study of the area on the eastern side of the park where the unexploded WWI ordnance was found during construction of the pedestrian trail).

Nick Bartolomeo, Chief of Resource Management for Rock Creek Park, said that the ordnance found during trail construction was empty. He said that testing found no evidence of any other unexploded ordnances nearby and found no contamination of the soil beyond that expected of parks in urban areas. (You can read the reports yourself). He said NPS will do more test kits and monitor the area. They had a meeting scheduled with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, US Army Corps on Engineers, and WMATA on February 28, 2022. (Note: See my report of that meeting here).

Mr. Bartolomeo said they are fairly certain that there will not need to be a huge realignment of the pedestrian trail and that it will probably just need to shift slightly further east. But he also reiterated that the study is still ongoing and they are waiting for final results.

I asked (again) whether they are sure that they will not encounter similar issues (either with ordnances or interference with the green line tunnel) when a sidewalk is built on the south side of Galloway between South Dakota Avenue and 4th Street NE. Mr. Bartolomeo said they are pretty confident they will not have a problem and that again they have hired a contractor to continue to monitor the area. The good news is that he said that that sidewalk design project is starting up again (at least we now have acknowledgement that it has pretty much been sitting in a black hole for a while).

MPD Police Report (Derek Staten, citywide outreach coordinator)

Derek Staten represented the police department because all officers were assisting with coordination regarding the expected truck convoy in the area. No other updates provided.

DDOT Traffic Safety Investigation Process (Dalando Baker, DDOT Ward 5 Liaison)

DDOT was not on the agenda, but DDOT’s Ward 5 liaison Dalando Baker joined the meeting to present on the agency’s traffic safety investigation (TSI) process (previously known as traffic safety assessment). He shared a one page document summarizing the process. This took up a lot of time. A few highlights:

• Mr. Baker said when residents request a TSI, they should state what the safety concern is, not just what they want. For example, if residents know they want speed humps on their street, on the TSI form they should say the concern is speeding on local roads and not just put on the form that they want speed humps. Also, submitting photos of the issue with the service request is always helpful.
• DDOT policy is to evaluate traffic safety issues within 130 days. If DDOT determines that work is not warranted, DDOT will share findings about why work is not warranted. If work is warranted, DDOT will issue a notice of intent (NOI) to perform the work. Under DDOT’s policy, the work should be done in the next calendar quarter following completion of the investigation.
• Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) raised the longstanding issue of a blind resident having difficulty crossing South Dakota Avenue at 8th Street NE. In response, Mr. Baker said DDOT continues to work on the issue and that there probably is not a need to meet with the resident at that location. Mr. Baker said that DDOT had considered installing a hawk signal (similar to what is at South Dakota Avenue and Ingraham Street NE), but he said that residents near that area objected, so DDOT is looking at other ways to address the issue. (Note: At Commissioner McDuffie’s SMD meeting on February 15, 2022, Mr. Baker said the same thing about objection to a hawk signal from residents in that area. Sounded like there is some disagreement about what residents are actually objecting to).
• Commissioner Sandi Washington (5A07) said she wants to take up with the Council’s transportation committee that it is taking DDOT too long to investigate issues. Sometimes investigations take more than 130 days. It can take a lot more time once the investigation is complete to actually do any work that is warranted. Mr. Baker said that DDOT simply does not have the capacity to work faster.
• Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) noted that sometimes DDOT will investigate an issue at a time of day when there is not a problem. For example, someone might say there’s a problem with speeding at morning rush hour and DDOT will come out after morning rush to investigate. DDOT will not observe the problem when it is occurring and then say there is not a problem and close the request. Mr. Baker noted that that is a legitimate concern and that he would take it back to the agency.
• Commissioner Lucio also asked for clarification about how requests for multiple blocks should be handled. For example, for requests for speed humps in a five-block area, she has alternately been told that she needs to submit requests for each block individually and that she needs to submit one single request for the entire area. Mr. Baker said she should request each one individually. In some cases, DDOT will combine requests to do a corridor study.
• Commissioner Diego Rojas (5A04) asked how decisions are made about expediting requests. Mr. Baker said there is not really an official policy about expediting requests. Certainly incidences involving fatalities or serious injuries will get attention immediately. And Mr. Baker said his job is to assist ANC commissioners and residents with their requests, to make sure they get addressed. (Note: This answer is consistent with the answer he gave when I asked the same question at Commissioner McDuffie’s SMD meeting on February 15).
• In response to a question about whether residents or commissioners need to resubmit unresolved requests that were submitted prior to DDOT’s new TSI process, Mr. Baker said that if the request is very old (say more than 6 months or a year old and it is not showing up on the TSI dashboard), then they should go ahead and submit a new one. But he said they should reach out to him for assistance because it might not be the case that DDOT will have to restart the 130 day clock.

In all, there were a lot of complaints from the commissioners and the commissioners really felt a way that DDOT Director Everett Lott never came out to an ANC meeting after telling them for months that he would. He eventually sent his deputy who was new to the job. I noted in the chat that the ANC could always send a letter to Director Lott with their outstanding, years-long requests (and also they could have submitted a letter for the recent performance oversight hearing). Commissioner Fletcher moved and the commission approved sending a letter with requests organized by SMD to Director Lott and to Councilmember Mary Cheh, who chairs the Council’s transportation committee. Chair Edwards said he wanted to get the letter out by March 3.

Ward 5 Mayor’s Office Report (Nokomis Hunter, Ward 5 MOCR)

DC’s indoor mask requirement ends March 1, 2022. Businesses can still require masks to be worn indoors, and masks will still be required at certain facilities, such as District government buildings, schools/daycares/libraries, congregate settings, public transit and rideshare, and healthcare settings.

The mayor’s office announced an MPD partnership with local and federal agencies and partners to provide year-round assistance to areas in DC experiencing the most violent crimes.

EYA Michigan Park Townhome Project – Historic Designation Application for the Josephites Seminary & Grounds

Jason Sereno, Vice President for Development at EYA, presented on the application for historic designation of the St. Joseph’s Seminary and grounds, in association with an approved planned unit development (PUD) for the Townhomes at Michigan Park (Zoning Commission case number 16-17). This is the townhome project currently under construction across from Providence Hospital. The first move-ins are expected at the end of this month. A condition of the PUD is for EYA to assist the Josephites with the historic preservation review process. Most of the seminary building was constructed in 1929. It is one of the many Catholic institutions that shaped the development of this part of Northeast DC. Mr. Sereno said that the building has historic signficance not just for its Georgian style, but also because it is an important work of the noted Maginnis firm. An historic preservation hearing is scheduled for April 28, 2022. The ANC voted to support the historic designation application, with Commissioner Charles Lockett (5A02) opposing.

With historic preservation, certain modifications to the seminary building and grounds can be made only with the approval of DC’s Historic Preservation Office. It leaves the grounds open for public access in perpetuity and ensures the building cannot be torn down for redevelopment in the future. There were some questions from a resident and Commissioner Lockett about the limits of historic designation. For example, if the Josephites decide they do not want the building anymore, can it be sold and converted into multifamily housing so long as the facade is preserved. Mr. Sereno said that while historic designation does not necessarily set the use for the building, the approved PUD sets the residential density for the entire site (the total area covering the townhomes, seminary building, and seminary grounds as I understand it), so trying to put more housing on the site would likely be an uphill climb. (Aside: The seminary building is already used for housing).

In response to a question, Mr. Sereno noted there are 10 below market rate homes (called inclusionary zoning or IZ units) in the development. EYA is going through the process now to market those homes, which will likely sell in the $200,000 to $300,000 price range. The IZ process (price of the homes, qualifications for buyers, etc.) is controlled by the District.

Finally, the playground (visible from the 12th Street side of the property) is almost ready. EYA needs to install an accessible swing and fencing around the playground. They expect that to be done in April.

ANC 5A Monthly Public Meeting
February 23, 2022
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84468779532?pwd=VGJCRGhlQUxTdldqbDU2RXVEd2ZUUT09

Meeting ID:  844 6877 9532   Passcode: 097050

Dial In: 301 715 8592

All residents will be muted.  Individuals will be called on once acknowledged by the Chair.

Agenda Items

• Commission Business
  • ABRA-120254 Licensee: Trinity Grill & Social Marketplace, LLC (5A05)
•   Community Updates
  • MPD 
  • Mayor’s Office
  • Councilmember McDuffie’s office  
•  Reports & Presentations
  • EYA Historic Preservation Application. Requesting Letter of support (5A03)
  • National Park Service- Fort Totten Site update (5A08)

From ANC Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01)

Topic: SMD 5A01 Meeting
Time: Feb 15, 2022 06:30 PM Eastern Time 

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 871 2125 9356
Passcode: 505939
 
Dial by your location:  301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
        
AGENDA 

1. Welcome & Opening Remarks
2. Fourth District Metropolitan Police Department Update
3. Councilmember McDuffie’s Office Update
4. The Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM) Update
5. D.C. Department of Transportation Update
6. Community Q & A
7. Closing Remarks

*Please make sure you are on the call in plenty of time for your presentation.

*To stay within an hour, please try to limit your questions so everyone can be heard. Any unanswered concerns can be forwarded to 5A01@anc.dc.gov

DC Attorney General Karl Racine announced that his office has filed a lawsuit against the owners and developers of several apartment buildings on Hawaii Avenue NE and Webster Street NE in ANC single member district (SMD) 5A06 that are proposed for redevelopment as condos (known as the 95 Hawaii Avenue NE project, BZA case number 20507). The complaint alleges that the developers neglected the buildings as a way to push out the tenants to make way for redevelopment. Attorney General Racine is requesting that the court appoint a receiver to make repairs to the buildings. Read the press release here and the complaint here.

We covered the proposed condo conversion project in these posts. Recall that ANC 5A submitted a resolution in support of the project to the DC Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) after a few contentious meetings in which ANC Commissioner Derrick Holloway (5A06) did not present much for the ANC to consider. He insisted that he held SMD meetings and that the residents supported the project. Recall also that the ANC received a FOIA request regarding this project.

Listening to the BZA hearing on the project a few months ago, it was quite clear that many tenants were concerned about the project and the actions of the developer as well as the actions of Commissioner Holloway. I think it is safe to say that the BZA members were quite concerned about what they were hearing. At the request of the BZA, the developer submitted a “tenant equity plan” to address some of the tenants’ issues, such as lack of cleaning, trash, vermin, mold, lack of notification of tenant rights, and displacement.

The attorney general’s lawsuit follows the transfer of the OAG’s responsibilities as counsel for the DC Zoning Commission and BZA in October 2021. In December 2021, Attorney General Racine announced that his office would focus on “advocating for affordable housing, racial equity, and environmental justice in the zoning, land use, and related development processes.”

ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on January 26, 2022. All commissioners were present.

The meeting was (unnecessarily) long clocking in at almost three hours, so I might be forgetting some things.

ANC Business

The commissioners elected the same ANC officers by acclamation for the new year:

• Chair – Commissioner Ronnie Edwards (5A05)
• Vice Chair – Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08)
• Secretary – Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio (5A03)
• Treasurer – Commissioner Sandi Washington (5A07)

Anthony Hood did the honors in swearing in the officers.

Commissioner Diego Rojas (5A04), the new commissioner representing the Catholic University area, joined the ANC for his first official ANC meeting. Commissioner Rojas was installed in December 2021. He is a first-year undergraduate student at Catholic. He is majoring in business, plays golf, and has family in the DC area. With Commissioner Rojas, the ANC once again has a full commission with no vacancies.

The ANC approved participation in the ANC security fund, approved the quarterly financial report, and approved the November 2021 meeting minutes. The ANC also approved meeting dates for calendar year 2022 after some protracted back-and-forth about when the November meeting will take place.

The ANC might or might not publish an annual report. Apparently, the ANC has never published an annual report. The commissioners have talked about drafting one in the past and even started drafting one one year, but Commissioner Edwards said the ANC has never actually completed one. (Note: The annual report is required under the DC Code, §1-309.10(n-1). The ANC is supposed to “publish an annual report or newsletter that summarizes the activities of the Commission in service to the community over the preceding 12 months, including a highlighting of key issues voted upon, comments submitted to District agencies, and issuance of community grants.” It sounded like some of the commissioners were not aware of this requirement).

Catholic University

Cheyenne Range, a Brookland resident, is the new Associate Director of Government and Community Relations for Catholic University. She will act as university liaison with District agencies and residents, so we will likely see her at future ANC meetings. She started in December 2021.

Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA) Trail Ranger Program

WABA representative Ursula Sandstrom reported that the WABA trail ranger program is fully staffed. The trail rangers will now be on the trails year round. Ms. Sandstrom said that the lights on the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) will be wired into the street grid instead of operating by solar energy, so they should operate better once that is done. She also stated that the trail rangers will be riding the Brookland-Fort Totten extension of the MBT once that section is completed, which hopefully will be sometime in February.

MPD Police Report (MPD 4D Commander Carlos Heraud)

New MPD 4th District (4D) Commander Carlos Heraud introduced himself to the ANC and residents. Commander Heraud has worked in a few other police districts in DC, including 3D, 5D, and 7D. There was some discussion about community engagement – having police officers get out of cars and speak with residents and having community events in Northeast DC neighborhoods as well as Northwest DC neighborhoods in the 4th District. Commander Heraud said he is aiming to have one additional officer join MPD 4D’s community liaison Officer Robert Hamrick. He is also asking that Derek Staten, the previous MPD 4D community liaison, help with 4D’s community engagement. He said that Mr. Staten was given the choice to join MPD’s central administration or stay at 4D and Mr. Staten decided to centralize his role at MPD headquarters.

I did not quite follow a discussion between Commander Heraud and Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01) regarding patrols in known hot spots in Riggs Park. It sounded like Commander Heraud was saying that he cannot (or will not) have dedicated officers or patrols in known hot spots because that will reduce the availability of officers in the rest of the police district. I could be getting that completely wrong though so if you have questions about this, reach out to Commissioner McDuffie.

A commissioner asked Commander Heraud about reports that individuals arrested for crimes in DC are not being charged or that they are being released by the courts due to backlog. Commander Heraud stated that there are lots of theories floating around about the increase in violence in DC these days. He mentioned that one frustrating thing for MPD right now is that he believes that the US Attorney’s Office (USAO) for DC is maybe overly relying on police body worn cameras (Note: I’m paraphrasing his remarks). He said that if a police officer records an observation in an incident and if that observation is not supported by body worn camera footage (or some other footage I imagine), then the USAO will essentially dismiss the officer’s observation. Commander Heraud said this practice by the USAO is problematic because the body worn camera is fixed to the torso and records what is in front of the camera, whereas officers can move their heads, “swivel” left and right, and look behind, and therefore officers can observe individuals/actions that would not be in the field of the camera. Commander Heraud did not offer any data on the number of incidents affected by this alleged practice by the USAO.

Commander Heraud can be reached at carlos.heraud@dc.gov.

Lamond-Riggs Library Construction (Robert Oliver)

Completion of the Lamond-Riggs Library is anticipated in late spring this year.

Lamond-Riggs Library Renaming Proposal (Rodney Foxworth)

A last minute addition to the agenda came from Rodney Foxworth, who (with former ANC 5A Commissioner Frank Wilds) is lobbying to have the Lamond-Riggs Neighborhood Library named after Lillian Huff. Mrs. Huff was a Ward 5 Riggs Park resident who is largely credited with advocating for getting the neighborhood library built in Riggs Park in 1983. She was also a strong DC statehood advocate and held a number of positions in political organizations around DC. She enjoyed relationships with elected officials all the way up to the White House. It is unclear if the ANC received documents from the group of residents in support of this request; if so, they were not shared with residents.

Robert Oliver, president of the Lamond-Riggs Library Friends, noted that there is at least one other naming proposal out there (for brothers Charles and Robert Bryant, architects of the original library), and he recommended that the ANC table its vote so that the ANC could consider both proposals. Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01), who represents the area in which the library sits, said that he had not received a proposal regarding the Bryant brothers and that it was up to supporters of that proposal to submit something to the ANC for support.

The ANC voted unanimously to support renaming the Lamond-Riggs Library in honor of Lillian Huff.

(Note: For reference, see DC Public Library’s building naming policy here).

Ward 5 Mayor’s Office Report (Ward 5 MOCR Nokomis Hunter)

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced the opening of COVID centers in each ward to provide a one-stop shop for free vaccinations and boosters, PCR and at-home tests, and KN95 masks. The Ward 5 COVID center is located at 2300 Washington Place NE at Rhode Island Row. (Note: The full list of COVID centers is available at https://coronavirus.dc.gov/covidcenters. The site has a live dashboard with how many masks are available at each center. The Ward 4 COVID center recently opened at 4704 13th Street NW inside People’s Congregational Church).

The U.S. Postal Service is delivering free COVID home tests to individuals who sign up at https://special.usps.com/testkits.

Mayor Bowser announced a pilot direct cash assistance program in partnership with Martha’s Table. The program will provide roughly $900/month for one year to 132 new and expecting mothers in Wards 5, 7, and 8.

Ward 5 MOCR Nokomis Hunter can be reached at nokomis.hunter@dc.gov or (202) 251-5049.

District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Issues

I do not know if DDOT was officially on the agenda, but DDOT’s Ward 5 liaison, Dalando Baker, was on the meeting so Commissioner Charles Lockett (5A02) took an opportunity to advocate again for a few residents in North Michigan Park who have requested removal of the raised stop bars at Sargent Road and Emerson Street NE. Residents who live near the intersection say that large trucks and buses traveling over the stop bars cause their homes to shake. The raised stop bars were installed several years ago after a child was killed by a driver. So far, DDOT has stated that the agency will not remove the bars and that they will continue to work with residents regarding speeding on Sargent. Mr. Baker can be reached at dalando.baker@dc.gov.

ANC Grant Policy

The ANC approved an ANC grant policy, which permits grant awards up to $2,500.

Miscellaneous

Commissioner Lucio (5A03) is having a single member district meeting on February 3, 2022.

ANC 5A Monthly Public Meeting
January 26, 2022
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84468779532?pwd=VGJCRGhlQUxTdldqbDU2RXVEd2ZUUT09

Meeting ID:  844 6877 9532   Passcode: 097050

Dial In: 301 715 8592

Agenda Items

• Commission Business
  • New Commissioner Orientation
  • Q1 FY22 Quarterly Financial Report
  • ANC Security Fund
  • 2020-2021 Annual Report
  • Grant Guidelines Update
•   Community Updates
  • MPD Carlos T. Heraud- Commander, Fourth District Introduction
  • Mayor’s Office
  • Councilmember McDuffie’s office  
•  Reports & Presentations
  • CUA Introduction of new Associate Director of Government and Community Relations
  • DC Trail Rangers – WABA
  • Lamond-Riggs Library construction update – Robert Oliver

ANC 5A held a special public meeting on December 2, 2021. Commissioners present: Damion McDuffie (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Secretary; Ronnie Edwards (5A05) – Chair; Sandi Washington (5A07) – Treasurer.

Note: District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Acting Director Everett Lott was scheduled to attend this special meeting. Getting DDOT to a meeting was the reason the ANC was having a special meeting in the first place, but Director Lott had to cancel again. The ANC notified residents on November 30 that DDOT Deputy Director Sharon Kershbaum would attend to represent DDOT.

ANC Business

Catholic University first-year undergraduate student Diego Rojas has met the requirements to be ANC Commissioner. Once he is sworn in, he will officially join the Commission to represent single member district (SMD) 5A04.

DDOT

Former DDOT Ward 5 Community Engagement Specialist Kelly Jeong-Olson is now DDOT’s Community Engagement Manager, overseeing all of DDOT’s ward liaisons. The new Ward 5 liaison is Dalando Baker. He can be reached at dalando.baker@dc.gov.

DDOT Deputy Director Sharon Kershbaum, who is only five weeks into her job at DDOT, did her best to answer questions. She highlighted DDOT’s new dashboard for traffic safety investigations, available at https://ddot.dc.gov/featured-content/traffic-safety-investigation-tsi-dashboard. You can search the dashboard by ANC area and find out the status of various requests.

Because of Ms. Kershabum’s limited DDOT experience, the meeting ended up turning into the ANC Commissioners spelling out a list of issues in their respective areas. If you have attended a few ANC meetings, the issues should be familiar.

• Oversize trucks improperly using neighborhood roads
• Speeding along the South Dakota Avenue NE corridor
• Difficulty crossing South Dakota Avenue and Decatur Street NE
• House vibrations when vehicles cross the raised stop bar at Sargent Road and Emerson Street NE
• Installation of 5G cell towers on residential streets (Note: Verizon just installed one on Galloway Street NE and one on Hamilton Street NE last week).

Catholic University General Counsel Matthew Dolan also chimed in to ask for something to be done about speeding on the streets surrounding Catholic University.

A couple of residents complained about bike lanes and reducing vehicle travel lanes and parking. One resident said all of the flexiposts popping up across the city can be confusing for elderly drivers.

A couple of commissioners and residents raised process questions. For example, if DDOT closes a matter stating that no work is warranted, even though work clearly is warranted, what happens next. There should be some way to request reconsideration of that decision. And in order to do so, DDOT should have to provide the reasoning for its initial decision. Another example: DDOT is seeking to streamline requests with the new traffic investigation process. Part of that involves reducing the number of circumstances in which ANC support and lots of documentation are necessary. But Commissioner Lucio stated that there may be some instances in which the ANC would want to be involved, such as when residents on a block disagree about installing a sidewalk where there is none. In that case, Commissioner Lucio said she would want the ANC Commissioner to be notified and involved, understanding that DDOT would ultimately determine whether a sidewalk is installed.

All that said, DDOT’s processes and policies are still unclear to me. Ms. Jeong-Olson stated that DDOT will be releasing a simple one-pager about the traffic safety investigation process in the next week or so.

MPD Police Report (MPD 4D Commander Randy Griffin)

MPD Fourth District Commander Randy Griffin made an appearance to let residents know about MPD’s reward program for tips on illegal gun possession. Individuals may be eligible for a cash reward for tips leading to arrest and seizure of an illegal gun. Through a partnership with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), an additional cash reward may be available for recovery of a ghost gun or gun with a conversion device. Call (202) 727-9099 to make an anonymous report or text anonymously to 50411.

Mayor’s Office Report (Ward 5 MOCR Nokomis Hunter)

Mayor Bowser will be holding a Senior Holiday Celebration on December 15, 2021, at the Convention Center. Registration, proof of COVID-19 vaccination, and masks are required.

DMV’s ticket amnesty program ends December 31, 2021.

The next ANC 5A meeting is scheduled for January 2022.

Updated: Acting Dir. Lott will not be in attendance. Instead Dep. Dir. Sharon Kershbaum will attend to represent DDOT.

ANC 5A Special Public Meeting
December 2, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89195458896pwd=Q3M4ZTV3N3g2RTBHOHkvd213dEZHQT09

Meeting ID: 891 9545 8896    
Passcode: 053154
Dial In: 301 715 8592

Agenda

District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Acting Director Everett Lott Deputy Director Sharon Kershbaum

ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on November 17, 2021, a week earlier than usual due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Commissioners present: Damion McDuffie (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Secretary; Ronnie Edwards (5A05) – Chair; Derrick Holloway (5A06); Sandi Washington (5A07) – Treasurer; Gordon Fletcher (5A08) – Vice Chair. ANC single member district (SMD) 5A04 covering Catholic University is vacant.

Note: District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Acting Director Everett Lott was scheduled to attend, but he cancelled. The ANC will look to reschedule his attendance at the next ANC meeting.

Also, this meeting turned out to be super long, almost three hours, so I might be forgetting something.

Request for one-way streets in ANC SMD 5A07

Commissioner Sandi Washington (5A07) requested the ANC’s support for her request to convert four two-way streets into one-way streets.

• Unit block of Buchanan Street NE for one-way travel westbound
• Unit block of Crittenden Street NE for one-way travel eastbound
• 4900 block of Rock Creek Church Road NE for one-way travel northbound
• Unit block of Farragut Street NE for one-way travel eastbound

Commissioner Washington noted that DDOT has changed the requirements for submitting traffic safety investigation requests and she still has questions about the process. Commissioner Washington said she is requesting these one-way conversions to address traffic congestion on these narrow streets and to address incidences of car mirrors getting knocked off. She said residents in the area support this request, and one resident chimed in to offer her support as well. The commission voted unanimously to support the request. DDOT will need to conduct a traffic study before approving any of the conversions.

Student nominee for vacant ANC 5A04 seat

As noted in a previous recap, Catholic University first-year undergraduate student Diego Rojas has submitted paperwork to fill the vacant ANC 5A04 seat covering Catholic University. The ANC anticipates that Mr. Rojas will be able to formally join the commission by the next ANC meeting.

MPD Police Report (Lt. Patrick Schaut)

MPD Fourth District Lt. Patrick Schaut stated he had no further information regarding a homicide that took place on Taussig Place NE.

MPD continues to see theft of vehicles that are left running. In addition, individuals sitting inside unlocked cars with the car running are being robbed of the car keys. Lock your car doors if you are sitting in your vehicle and do not leave your vehicles running unattended.

Lt. Schaut said there has been a significant increase in package thefts in the Sligo Mill NE area. There has also been an increase in burglaries in that area as well. As a reminder, the holiday season is a season of package thefts and thefts from autos. Lt. Schaut recommended that if you are going out of town and traveling with suitcases, try not to get a ride hail directly in front of your home. Individuals may be casing your home and see that you will be away for a period of time. If you are traveling for the holidays, you can let MPD Fourth District know and they can put your home on a “special attention” list. Also, you should alert your alarm company to immediately call police if your house alarm goes off so that the alarm company does not spend time trying to call you while you are out of town.

There has been an increase in thefts of vehicle parts such as airbags around the Varnum Street NE area.

Lt. Schaut stated if you know someone who is having mental health issues, reach out to DC’s Department of Behavior Health (DBH). Also, if you know someone who is having issues with animals, reach out to DC’s Animal Control. Best to reach out before more episodes arise so that police are not the ones being called on to assist residents in need.

If you have video evidence of possible crimes that you would like to share with MPD, Lt. Schaut said it is best to send it from a desktop to him. His email address is patrick.schaut@dc.gov.

Ward 5 Mutual Aid grant request

There was another long discussion about the grant request from the Ward 5 Mutual Aid group. There are now three commissioners involved with this grant request (Commissioners Holloway, Fletcher, and Lucio), plus the ANC’s treasurer Commissioner Washington. The commissioners will have a meeting with the group to figure all of this out. (Commentary: I do not know why this is so hard. This group has been trying to figure out how to request grant money for over two years now, and the ANC just cannot get it together. It is as if the commissioners are not looking at the ANC website that the ANC has once again paid a bunch of money to someone to update. So they do not know what their own guidelines say or what they are supposed to say. They only updated the website with the correct grant application at the beginning of this month after an exchange of a bunch of emails between myself and the commissioners. It is very strange.)

Art Place at Fort Totten Block B Modification

Representatives for the Cafritz Foundation returned to provide additional updates regarding the modification for Block B (the second phase) of Art Place at Fort Totten. Recall the Zoning Commission requested that the modification be processed as a Modification of Significance requiring a public hearing. The hearing is scheduled for December 13, 2021 (case number 06-10G). The modifications were previously described in these four posts. One of the modifications is the addition of 23 housing units to Block B for a total of 294 housing units. DC’s Office of Planning requested that the developer consider making some of the additional 23 units below market-rate, even though the developer is not legally required to do so. In response, the developer is proposing to make three of the additional 23 units below market-rate units (inclusionary zoning units). This is in addition to the 30 affordable artist housing units that were already planned for Block B.

The development also stated that with respect to connecting the road on 3rd Street NE, DDOT has agreed to put up school zone signs and to lower the speed limit to 15 miles per hour.

Commissioner Lockett again raised the issue of a lack of a grocery store or sit-down restaurants in the project to date. An Aldi grocery store is planned for Block B. According to the development team, if everything proceeds smoothly at the December 2021 hearing, they anticipate construction will begin after the new year and the grocery store will open sometime in 2024. Mr. Lockett suggested having a sit-down restaurant or food vendors in Building A, which still has a lot of vacant retail space. The development team said they have been looking at putting fresh fruit/vegetable vendors in a vacant space there. A resident raised the point that UDC’s Bertie Backus Hub across the street hosted a farmstand (a couple of summers ago) and recommended that the development team work with the food hub.

The ANC voted unanimously to support the modification.

Catholic University Solar Project

There was another long discussion about Catholic University’s plan to install a solar farm on their west campus. A hearing on the project is scheduled for January 6, 2022. Catholic presented on the plan last month and the ANC told them to come back this month in order to give the commissioners time to get a resolution prepared for a vote. Commissioner Holloway talked about parking issues with respect to Catholic University events and requested that there be a special meeting about the solar project. Commissioner Washington reminded her colleagues that they told Catholic they would be prepared to vote on the project at this meeting and suggested proceeding with a vote. She recommended keeping the event parking issues separate from consideration of this solar project.

Commissioner Lockett again raised a point about the energy being produced being sold back to the market and stated that he believed neighborhood residents should benefit from that energy production. Catholic University representative Matthew Dolan explained that residents are able to purchase energy at a lower rate. Mr. Dolan stated that this project specifically is a way for the university to reduce its utility costs and use the savings to support the university’s mission.

Commissioner McDuffie reiterated concerns about job training opportunities and specific scholarship opportunities for ANC 5A students. Then Commissioner Holloway said he too wanted to hear more about opportunities for DC residents. Mr. Dolan stated the university will talk to their general contractors to make sure they are communicating with the ANC about job training and job fairs. They will give the ANC information to be placed on the ANC’s website. He also highlighted the university’s various scholarship programs, including one that is exclusive to Ward 5 students. The ANC voted to support the solar project, with Commissioner Holloway voting to support with (undetermined) conditions and Commissioner Lockett voting no.

Ward 5 Mayor’s Office Report (Ward 5 MOCR Nokomis Hunter)

Commissioners Lucio and Washington expressed their concern about Mayor Bowser’s decision to lift the mask mandate. The commissioners asked what was the basis for the decision. Mr. Hunter did not have a response.

Ward 5 Council Report (Senior Advisor Silas Grant)

Silas Grant, Senior Advisor to Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, stated that while the ANC meeting was happening, the majority of the DC Council signed onto a letter by Council Chair Phil Mendelson with concerns about the mayor’s decision to lift the mask mandate.

Mr. Grant noted again the Council’s support of Councilmember McDuffie’s baby bonds bill. The goal of the initiative is to decrease the racial wealth gap.

DDOT Urban Forestry

Although DDOT Acting Director Lott could not make the meeting, a DDOT Urban Forestry representative stayed on the meeting to address street tree issues. Commissioner Holloway had a lot to say about Robert Corletta, a supervisor within the urban forestry division, and wants him to come to an ANC meeting to address impact of trees on plumbing in residents’ homes. Commissioner Lockett mentioned there are a lot of street trees that were planted years ago that are too big for the space where they were planted and he suggested that DDOT do a hard pruning of trees that overhanging peoples’ homes. Commissioner Washington requested an update regarding her 311 requests for street trees. Commissioner Lucio brought up the trees planted along Puerto Rico Avenue NE that are supposed to act as a sound barrier. Commissioner Lucio noted that the trees are dying and the grass in the area is always overgrown. She said that Mr. Corletta told her that there is not regular maintenance of the grass in that area. It appears there should be though, so Commissioner Lucio asked for the team to do regular maintenance of the grass and to also conduct regular review of tree growth in public spaces.

Stay tuned for the next ANC meeting date.

ANC 5A Public Meeting
November 17, 2021
6:45 pm

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Agenda Items

1. Special Guest: District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Acting Director Everett Lott
2. Art Place at Fort Totten
3. Catholic University- West Campus Solar Project

Updated 11/10/2021 with information about MPD public safety meeting

ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) held a single member district meeting on November 4, 2021. This one was pretty short, roughly 35 minutes.

Commissioner Fletcher stated MPD Chief Robert Contee will be having a public safety meeting on November 20, 2021, at 10:00 am. You can send questions to Commissioner Fletcher at 5a08@anc.dc.gov.

National Park Service Update on Pedestrian Path

As noted previously, the National Park Service (NPS) had to stop construction on a path planned between Gallatin and Galloway streets NE in Fort Totten Park after the construction team uncovered the top of Metro’s green line tunnel during construction. NPS representatives Nick Bartolomeo and Kym Elder stated that the agency has now hired a contractor to survey the area to determine exactly where all of Metro’s infrastructure is located and to determine the best location for the path. The survey report is expected to take several weeks to complete. NPS will update the ANC likely around January 2022. The area will be fenced off again on both sides and the detour will remain in place. NPS does not want people walking through the area because it is still considered a construction zone. Agency officials reminded residents that the park closes at dark and stated several times that residents should exercise good judgment, so that means residents should take the long way around using South Dakota Avenue NE at night.

Art Place at Fort Totten Block B

A limited scope hearing for Art Place at Fort Totten Block B is scheduled for December 13, 2021, regarding proposed changes for the second phase (Zoning case number 06-10G). The developer, Cafritz Foundation, originally submitted a Modification of Consequence application for the changes to the Zoning Commission. The Zoning Commission determined that the changes should be handled through the Modification of Significance process, so the team resubmitted the same changes in a Modification of Significance application. (Note: I discussed the changes in these posts).

The development team also shared updates about plans to connect 3rd Street NE between Ingraham and Kennedy streets NE. Recall the Zoning order required the developer to install bike lanes and sidewalks for pedestrians in this area. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has instead requested the developer to extend the road so that it is open to vehicles. The Lamond-Riggs Citizens Association (LRCA) requested more information about this plan and a rendering showing safety features that will be installed before the road is open to vehicles. The road will have two travel lanes, one in each direction, and sidewalks on each side. The road will have sharrows (indicating that bikes can use the same travel lanes as vehicles), a 20 mile per hour speed limit sign, and signs to indicate that road users should share the road. The team mentioned wanting to get DDOT to reduce the speed limit here to maybe 15 miles per hour given that this area is right next to schools. There is not enough room for protected bike lanes as ANC 5A requested in its resolution. Residents noted that people walk their dogs in that area, so the team plans to speak with Greystar, which owns the Aventine apartments, about having doggie bag receptacles in that location.

The team continues to work on a traffic study.

Also, a resident asked whether the street/campus in front of Social Justice School would be beautified. The Cafritz representatives stated that the schools do plan to work on that with the spring and that they plan to have planting sessions with the students.

Miscellaneous

Speed humps were installed in a few locations in the SMD.

ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on October 27, 2021. Commissioners present: Damion McDuffie (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Emily Singer Lucio (5A03) – Secretary; Ronnie Edwards (5A05) – Chair; Sandi Washington (5A07) – Treasurer; Gordon Fletcher (5A08) – Vice Chair. ANC single member district 5A04 covering Catholic University is vacant.

MPD Police Report

MPD 4D Captain Terry Porter said there has been an increase in theft of autos. He said MPD is working with District agencies in the Fort Totten neighborhood (the neighborhood west of Fort Totten Park) to deal with a spate of recent shootings in that area. Captain Porter can be reached at john.terry@dc.gov or (202) 578-1873.

Faith United Church of Christ Council Resolution

Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio presented Faith United Church of Christ with a DC Council Resolution recognizing their work in the North Michigan Park neighborhood. The church hosts a free mobile food market on Thursdays and does other work in the community. The church is located at 4900 10th Street NE.

Onelife Fitness

Onelife Fitness will be opening at 5198 South Dakota Avenue NE in Art Place at Fort Totten in the coming months. There are three membership tiers, with rates starting at $39.99 for basic membership. Free three hour parking comes with membership as well as a complimentary personal training session. In response to questions, the representative for the gym stated the following:

• Current plans do not include onsite childcare, but this question has been raised a lot so they are looking at additional space next to the gym and discussing possible options with Love & Care Child Develpment Center, which is also located at Art Place.
• There will be several employment opportunities, such as front desk, sales, housekeeping.
• There are not specific discounts for seniors. Groups can request information about group membership rates.
• Swimming lessons, individual and family, will be offered for an additional fee

Find more details about the gym, rates, and amenities at https://www.onelifefitness.com/gyms/fort-totten.

Catholic University

Catholic University has a new general counsel, Matthew Dolan, who will be representing Catholic at ANC meetings. The university intends to put forward a student, Diego Rojas, for the vacant ANC 5A04 seat. The university will be applying for a liquor license soon.

Catholic is seeking the ANC’s support for a solar farm on the university’s west campus. It will cover about 25 acres and will have a life span of 15 to 25 years. It will not be located close to any residences. The university will plant wildflowers around the site. Catholic plans this to be an interim use. One resident, former ANC commissioner Joe Bowser, asked Catholic about scholarships for local students and recommended that the ANC get a commitment from the university about providing scholarships for students in ANC 5A before supporting the project. Mr. Dolan stated that the university has a number of scholarship programs that are open to DC students. ANC Commissioner Damion McDuffie (5A01) asked about employment opportunities on the project. University representatives stated that the farm itself will be pretty self-sustaining once it is constructed and that maintenance will be done primarily remotely. There was some protracted discussion about benefits of this project for the community. The Zoning Commission hearing is not until January 2022, so the ANC will take time to work with Catholic on a resolution and vote on the resolution at the November meeting.

Ward 5 Mayor’s Office Report

Ward 5 MOCR Nokomis Hunter stated that all DC teachers must be vaccinated; there is no longer a testing option.

Industrial Bank has a grant program for homeowners and business owners affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, visit https://www.industrial-bank.com/home/dmped.

Ward 5 Council Report

Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie’s Constituent Services Director Kelley Cislo stated that if you are a Ward 5 resident having trouble with getting unemployment insurance claims process, please reach out to the Councilmember’s office for assistance at (202) 724-8028.

Director of Community Engagement Jonathan McNair is taking the lead on redistricting for the Councilmember’s office. He can be reached at jmcnair@dccouncil.us.

Send traffic safety issues to Ms. Cislo at kcislo@dccouncil.us.

SMD Reports/Miscellaneous

ANC Commissioner Gordon Fletcher (5A08) mentioned that the Cafritz Foundation filed a Modification of Significance for Art Place at Fort Totten Block B. (Note: I discussed that submission in this post).

The Ward 5 Mutual Aid group asked again about how to apply for an ANC grant. Commissioner Fletcher stated he will work with the group to get the application together and have it addressed at the November meeting. (Note: It looks like the ANC has updated the ANC website with the correct grant application).

A FOIA request was sent to the ANC regarding the Hawaii Avenue/Webster Street project in SMD 5A06. The ANC will work with ANC Commissioner Derrick Holloway (5A06) to respond to that request.

Commissioners Lucio, Fletcher, and McDuffie will all have single member district meetings in the coming weeks. (Note: Commissioners Lucio and Fletcher held their meetings on November 4).

The next ANC 5A meeting will be November 17, 2021, due to the Thanksgiving holiday.

From ANC Commissioner Emily Lucio (5A03)

SMD 5A03 Quarterly Meeting
Thursday, November 4, 2021 at 7:00 pm

On the agenda are:

• EYA Update
• DDOT Discussion about 10th Street/Varnum St Area and New Town/University Park
• MPD Update
• Kennedy School Project

Emily Lucio is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: SMD 5A03 Quarterly Meeting
Time: Nov 4, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
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ANC 5A08 Special Single Member District (SMD) Meeting
November 4, 2021
6:30 pm-8:00 pm

Agenda

1. Update on NPS on the Fort Totten Pedestrian Trail
2. Update on Art Place at Fort Totten Development
3. Transportation Safety Update – Installation of Speed Bumps
4. Community Concerns

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ANC 5A Public Meeting
October 27, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84404462291?pwd=MkpjeWRTT1ZHQkk0NFcrTGk5SEdIZz09

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Agenda Items

1. One Life Fitness Fort Totten – Chris Barrett

2. Catholic University – West Campus Solar Project

3. BZA 20507 65-97 Hawaii Ave NE and 66 and 98 Webster St NE

ANC 5A has cancelled tonight’s special meeting regarding 230 Webster NE.

From ANC 5A

ANC 5A  Meeting
 Wednesday, October 13, 2021 at 6:45 pm

THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED

AGENDA ITEMS
BZA Application 20533 for 230 Webster Street NE- APPLICATION APPROVAL WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR A LATER DATE

(Note: I am super late in getting this post up. The meeting was unnecessarily over 3 hours long and was a bit of a mess. I’m sure I’m forgetting something.)

ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting on September 22, 2021. Commissioners present: Damion McDuffie (5A01); Charles Lockett (5A02); Ronnie Edwards – Chair (5A05); Derrick Holloway (5A06); Sandi Washington – Treasurer (5A07); Gordon Fletcher – Vice Chair (5A08). ANC 5A04 is vacant.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC)

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton appeared at the top of the meeting. Usually her visits to public meetings can take a good portion of the meeting, but she had few remarks, mostly highlighting some wins she got for DC.

• Franklin Park downtown received a big renovation thanks to a partnership with businesses, District government, federal government
• New Frederick Douglass bridge opening thanks in part to funding secured by Congresswoman Norton
• There is more support for DC statehood in Congress

With respect to the Gallatin/Galloway pedestrian path, Congresswoman Norton said it has been delayed too long.

I asked Congresswoman Norton about the best way to approach getting an MOU and funding in place for Fort Circle Park at South Dakota Avenue and Galloway Street NE similar to that for Franklin Park. She responded that she will get back to the ANC on this and that the Franklin Park MOU/renovation was something the businesses downtown really wanted.

MPD Police Report

Derek Staten, the former community liaison for MPD’s 4th District (which covers most of ANC 5A), has moved on to MPD headquarters for a broader outreach role within MPD. (Note: The new 4th District community liaison is Officer Robert Hamrick. His email is robert.hamrick@dc.gov. His phone number is (202) 744-0822. Interesting to me that the new community liaison is a police officer).

There was a shooting somewhere near Fort Totten Drive NE and 2nd Street NE. No other information provided about that.

Armed Forces Retirement Home

The development team for the Armed Forces Retirement Home is making the rounds of ANC meetings for affected ANCs. This will be a huge project. More information can be found on the project website at https://www.afrh.gov/aboutus/propertydevelopment and at https://www.ncpc.gov/projects/MP060.

Below are some screenshots from the presentation, which is not yet available on the ANC’s website.

Proposed Condo Conversion 65-97 Hawaii Avenue NE, 66 & 98 Webster Street NE (5A06)
BZA case number 20507

This is where the meeting went off the rails. I noted in my recap of the ANC’s June 2021 meeting that there were two projects in SMD 5A06. ANC Commissioner Derrick Holloway (5A06) missed that there are two different projects in his SMD. Anyhow, a lot of time was spent on the proposed condo conversion at 65-97 Hawaii Avenue NE because this will be a big project and there are a lot of issues. Chair Edwards likes to say that the commission cannot vote on anything unless there is a written document indicating exactly what the ANC is voting on. Well, the commissioners can be forgiven for not knowing exactly what relief they were being asked to vote on or what they were being asked to support because there was not a presentation (there was one at the June meeting) and Commissioner Holloway did not do a great job of explaining what a resolution to the BZA would say. (Note: This is why I have previously asked the ANC if they can circulate draft resolutions prior to the ANC meeting so that residents can know what they are voting on. How can residents know if the commissioners themselves do not even know, but I digress). Also, the ANC decided to forego a special meeting to discuss this project and turns out they probably could have benefited from some time devoted to just this project as we all got to witness the effect of not meeting on this project. Commissioner McDuffie recommended tabling a vote to discuss the issues more, but Commissioner Holloway was adamant about taking a vote. In the end, Commissioners McDuffie (5A01), Edwards (5A05), Holloway (5A06), and Fletcher (5A08) voted “yes” to support the project. Commissioner Washington (5A08) voted “yes with conditions” and Commissioner Lockett changed his original “no” vote to “yes with conditions” to follow Commissioner Washington.

On to the specifics, much of which we heard back in June:

Mark Mlakar with M Squared bought the property in October of 2020. He said he was surprised at the condition of property and said there was a huge squatter problem, no accountability with the people living there, property is being used as a dumping ground, and that he was doing his best to deal with the trash. He said he has frequent trash pickups, a team of residents sends him pictures whenever people dump trash, and the trash is picked up the same day or the next day. He said the proposed development will fix this issue by creating homeownership opportunities for each building. Each building will have dedicated, secure trash facilities so that no dumping is possible and there will be security cameras throughout the property. He said that the project will add 54 parking spaces that do not exist right now. He also proposes installing stormwater systems to deal with heavy rains. He said the biggest benefit of the project is providing good, safe, decent, affordable housing in buildings that have been neglected for the last 25 years. He said the buildings are beyond their useful life and that they have to be renovated. There will be 14 below-market inclusionary zoning, but he said market rate is actually below IZ limits, so the entire project will consist of affordable units.

Commissioner Holloway said the team has been moving people to other locations. He said the transformations have been good, the buildings have become a problem, there are MS-13 gang members living there (or something like that), and that he is taking care of his seniors. He said the development team is working with housing counselors and attorneys to assist individuals with limited English proficiency to help them relocate and explain their rights.

Commissioner Washington, whose SMD abuts the project, asked if Commissioner Holloway took a vote of the residents in support of or against the project. Commissioner Holloway stated he did not take a vote, but stated he held two SMD meetings. He said there were about 36 people signed into the meeting and there was no opposition expressed at the meeting. Commissioner Washington continued to express concern about the level of outreach done regarding the project and whether the ANC was addressing all of the concerns about the project.

Commissioner Lockett asked if the property owner had done mold remediation; Mr. Mlakar stated he did. Mr. Mlakar also repeated statements previously made by the developement team that the root cause of the mold needs to be addressed. In Mr. Mlakar’s view the root cause is what he says is an excessive number of people living in a one bedroom apartment that exceeds the housing code. Commissioner Holloway stated he contacted the DC Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) about the mold issue and that DCRA worked with the owner to close down one of the buildings with the mold issues and relocate the residents.

(Note: The BZA hearing was on October 6, 2021. Looks like there will be a limited scope continued hearing on November 17, 2021. And just from briefly looking at the record in this matter, looks like there are some meaty issues here. The ANC filed two reports. I do not know that I would describe the conditions in either report as real conditions, but they are there for people to read).

Art Place at Fort Totten Phase 2 Proposed Modifications

The development team for Art Place at Fort Totten presented before the full ANC on proposed modifications to Phase 2, otherwise known as Block B. The team gave the same presentation the day before at Commissioner Fletcher’s SMD meeting. I covered this topic separately in these posts, so I will not recount the details here.

Commissioner Lockett asked about sit-down restaurants, to which the team responded they are excited about the food hall proposed for Block B.

Commissioner Fletcher moved to support the proposed modifications with the condition that there be protected bike lanes on 3rd Street. The commissioners present voted unanimously to support the motion.

Pepco DC PLUG Initiative

The DC PLUG initiative is a reliability/resilience project to underground power lines by putting primary feeders underground. Secondary/communications lines will remain above ground. The project is being funded by both Pepco & DC. The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is responsible for all civil design/engineering. Pepco is responsible for electrical design/engineering. The project is currently in the design phase for a feeder that serves neighborhoods in ANC 5A. Once design is done, there will be open houses to share information about timeline and where the team will be working. Note, this is a different project from Pepco’s Capital Grid project. For DC PLUG related concerns, please visit www.dcpluginfo.com, email Pepco at questions@dcpluginfo.com, or email Laisha Dougherty at Laisha.Dougherty@exeloncorp.com

230 Webster Street (5A06)
BZA case number 20533

This is the second project in SMD 5A06. Commissioner Holloway was not prepared to discuss this project because he thought it was the same as the condo conversion project at 65-97 Hawaii Avenue NE. The 230 Webster project seeks to convert an existing two-unit semi-detached building into a three-unit building. There is currently one level on the top floor of the building. The second unit is actually two levels, so the developer is proposing to separate the two-level unit into separate units. The third unit unit will be located in the cellar level. The building slopes down towards the back of the property, so there is sunlight and it is a habitable space according to the developer.

The developer will make landscaping upgrades and renovate the property. The developer is not planning to make other changes to the home itself; they are not planning to add a floor to the existing structure.

The developer is seeking special exception relief to add the one unit in the cellar level.

The ANC will have a special meeting on the second Wednesday in October to discuss this project. The Board of Zoning Adjustment hearing is scheduled for October 27, 2021.

ANC Budget

ANC 5A has lots of money in the bank. Commissioner Washington, ANC 5A treasurer, presented a proposed fiscal year 2022 budget. The budget looked the same as it usually does year to year. The ANC’s original proposed budget breakdown:

• $10,000 for communications
• $8,500 for office supplies and equipment printing
• $1,000 for purchase of services
• $100 for bank charges
• $500 for miscellaneous items such as the ANC security fund.
• The original proposed budget also listed $5,000 for grants. The ANC voted to raise the amount for grants to $15,000, with Commissioner Lockett voting no.

Previously Commissioner Washington stated that the ANC was suspending grant disbursements until the DC Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (OANC) could provide grant guidelines applicable to all ANCs citywide. Commissioner Washington stated at this meeting that OANC has provided those guidelines. It is not clear if ANC 5A’s website has the updated grant guidelines on the website. The current guidelines on the ANC’s website state that ANC 5A will not award more than $2,000 to an organization in a single fiscal year. Just perusing other ANC websites, it looks like some ANCs have guidelines with a higher maximum amount, so it is not clear if OANC or the individual ANCs set their own grant amounts. In any case, if you have questions about the grantmaking process for ANC 5A, email Commissioner Washington at 5A07@anc.dc.gov and the ANC commissioner for your area.

Miscellaneous

A resident inquired about the 5G cell towers that Verizon is planning to install in North Michigan Park near Sargent Road and Emerson Street NE (in ANC 5A02). The resident expressed health concerns about these small cell towers, and requested to meet with Chair Edwards. This topic comes up from time to time. This particular location is in Commissioner Lockett’s SMD, but the resident specifically requested to meet with Chair Edwards.

Commissioner Emily Singer Lucio was not present at the meeting, but she provided the commissioners with an ANC website update prior to the meeting. She stated that the ANC’s website development is on track on and on budget. I noted that it appears that some work still needs to be done. It is not clear when the website will be completed, but it is live and some of the pages are being updated. The ANC’s website is https://anc5a.org.

ANC 5A Special Meeting
October 13, 2021
6:45 pm

Join Zoom Meeting:
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Meeting ID: 849 2702 7846
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Dial In: 301 715 8592

Agenda Items

1. BZA Application 20533 for 230 Webster Street NE