Tag Archives: ANC 5A

ANC 5A April 25, 2016 Meeting Recap

Posted by nextstoprp in ANC 5A and tagged with , , ,

Guest Post

On Wednesday, April 25, 2016, ANC 5A held its monthly public meeting.

Commissioners Present: Angel Alston (5A08), Isaiah Burroughs (5A04), Ronnie Edwards (5A05), Grace Lewis (5A02), Adrian Jordan (5A03), Jasmine White (5A06), and Frank Wilds (5A01)

REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

DC Water Green Infrastructure Briefing

Meghan Hazer, Green Infrastructure Coordinator, DC Water and Sewer Authority (DC Water), discussed the Clean Rivers Project. She explained that DC has a single system to handle both sewage and storm water. But during heavy rains, the system overflows and releases raw sewage into our rivers. To manage the overflow, DC Water is implementing a Green Infrastructure (GI) program, which the nearby Rock Creek Project A represents. DC Water is conducting a neighborhood survey for this project area.

Ms. Hazer said the GI program’s goal is to reduce storm water runoff using various technologies such as bioretention curbs and planters and permeable pavement. Each captures and slows storm water runoff by design.

In response to questions, the DC Water team said:

  • A National Green Infrastructure Certification training program will be available to DC residents;
  • CBE requirements are included in the DC Water contract;
  • DC Water will provide a sewage cleaning schedule; and
  • The GI program cost is covered by a portion of your DC Water bill.

Catholic University of America (CUA)

Mr. Lawrence Morris, CUA General Counsel, informed the community of the latest CUA campus issues. He covered the university’s interest in a new business school and residence hall, a student bar on campus, and work on CUA’s walls facing Michigan Avenue, NE. In response to questions, he said CUA owns the land supporting the development on Monroe Street, NE. However, CUA is not affiliated with either the hotel on Michigan Avenue and Irving Street NE, nor Chancellor’s Row on Seventh Street NE.

District Department of Transportation (DDOT) State Rail Plan

Ryan Westrom, DDOT Senior Transportation Planner/Engineer, discussed DC’s State Rail Plan. He said that Federal Railroad Administration standards require all states to develop a State Rail Plan. (DC receives state treatment regarding transportation matters). The plan covers the 22 miles of DC commercial and passenger railway, but not Metro. According to Mr. Westrom, DDOT will host a public meeting on the State Rail Plan in June at Eastern Market.  He is also aware of the train vibrations affecting housing along Puerto Rico Avenue, NE.

University of the District of Columbia: Urban Food Systems

Dwane Jones, Ph.D., is the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at UDC. Dr. Jones discussed DC’s goal to grow its own food, and how UDC can assist.  He cited three proposed training programs UDC plans to offer: aquaponics, business kitchen incubation and even, a food truck.  Entrepreneurs will raise fish for sale via aquaponics, apply business concepts in the incubator kitchen space, or manage a food truck.  According to Dr. Jones, UDC is still refining the details of each program.

Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) PSA 405

Lieutenant Ashley Rosenthal introduced Captain Brian Bray to everyone. He is responsible for PSA 403, 404 and 405.  Lt. Rosenthal said robbery and theft are still a problem, and she cited the theft of an ATM from the Providence Hospital lobby.  She asked everyone to not leave anything in their cars and to secure car doors and windows.

DC Council Update

Ronan Gulstone, Chief of Staff for Ward 5 Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie, covered the councilman’s latest bills: “Financial Exploitation of Vulnerable Adults and the Elderly Amendment Act of 2016” and “Fair Criminal Record Screening for Housing Act of 2016.” The former protects seniors from financial exploitation, while the latter bans a housing provider from making criminal history inquiries until a housing offer is conditionally extended. Owner-occupied residences and residences with three or less units are exempted.

Old Business

EYA gave a briefing on its development plans to ANC 5A’s Committee of the Whole, and no decisions or agreements were made.

Commissioner Jordan wants an economic development Survey. He proposed revising the North Capitol Main Street Survey for use by the ANC within 90 days. Also, he suggests that each SMD select a community volunteer to assist.

The Commissioners are reviewing “The Advisory Neighborhood Commission Omnibus Amendment Act of 2016” sponsored by CM Bonds.

The March minutes were approved.

Adjournment: 8:50 p.m.

Recap of ANC 5A meeting: Zoning, Library, Fort Totten metro station

Posted by nextstoprp in Fort Totten Metro Development, Lamond Riggs Library, Neighborhood Development, Transportation and tagged with , , ,

Highlights from the January 29th ANC 5A public meeting:

Miscellaneous items

  • The commission elected the same slate of officers.
  • The commission is looking for an office assistant available to work around 20 hours per week.  Direct inquiries and leads to your commissioner.
  • Ward 5 Councilmember McDuffie said that the Ward 5 Industrial Land Transformation report is still under review, but he hopes that the task force can have that out to the public in the next couple of months.
  • Art Place at Fort Totten:  The Cafritz team will likely have to file for a PUD extension.
  • Path between Gallatin & Galloway Street NE:  Expect notice of a meeting for SMD 5A08 regarding the National Park Service environment study.
  • Hotel:  Developers presented on a new Marriott brand hotel proposed for a site at Michigan Avenue NE and Irving Street NE.  A parking lot currently sits at this site.  The area was part of ANC 5C prior to revision of the ANC boundaries.  Now it is in ANC 5A.  The developers believe the area, with several hospitals and universities, will be well-served by a hotel and they plan to provide discounted community rates on rooms and hotel facilities.  They also emphasized the importance of hiring from the community.
  • McMillan Sand Filtration Site:  The commission plans to draft a resolution in support of ANC 5E’s resolution on the first phase of the McMillan project.

Zoning

The ANC plans to draft a resolution requesting more time to review the zoning update.  The Ward 5 hearing on the zoning update is 9:00 am on Saturday, February 8, 2014, at Dunbar High School.  The Ward 4 hearing is at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, February 11, 2014, at Wilson High School.  The Office of Zoning will accept written testimony after today’s deadline for written submission, but might not have time to review it before scheduled hearings.  Individuals can also testify in person.  Early sign up is encouraged since testimony will take place on a first come, first serve basis.  Instructions and more information are available on Zoning’s site.

Lamond Riggs Library

The ANC plans to draft a resolution requesting the full modernization and renovation of Lamond Riggs Library at its current location.  Recall that the Cafritz project potentially includes a new, state-of-the art neighborhood library in a later phase of the development.  However, since there is no indication of when the project will actually break ground on the first phase, the ANC believes it does not make sense to make the update of the library contingent on the Cafritz project.  Recall from this post that the FY 2014 budget included zero funding for renovating the library, but there is proposed funding for FY 2015 & 2016.  The budget summary noted that DC’s chief librarian was in communication with the Cafritz team about the libary.  We look forward to seeing the resolution the commission draws up at a future meeting.    

WMATA Joint Development for Fort Totten Metro Station

Stan Wall, WMATA’s real estate development director, presented on WMATA’s joint soliciation for proposed development of the park-and-ride lot (west parcel) at Fort Totten metro station.  As mentioned in previous posts, WMATA anticipates that this project will be all or primarily residential, with possibly a very small retail component.  Below is a 4 pager that was distributed at the meeting showing conceptual designs of circulation pattern, massing, potential development concepts, and a timeline for the project.  A developer can propose a concept not shown as long as it meets the requirements in the solicitation. 

Mr. Wall said that WMATA’s chief concerns with this project are that it enhance the community and have good placemaking and design elements.  He noted that Aventine Fort Totten (and even Rhode Island Row), while transit-oriented in the sense that they abut a metro station, are not so great in terms of looking like they fit, enhancing the community, or having good placemaking elements.  In addition, with this project, they hope to add more eyes to the street around First Place NE, thereby making it safer for those accessing the station from west of the tracks. 

WMATA plans to hold community meetings after proposals have been submitted.  They plan to have boards for each proposal so that residents can say which elements of each they like.  That way, WMATA can work with the developer they ultimately select to incorporate certain things the community found favorable even if those elements were not originally in the proposal.  

Submissions are due March 7, 2014.  The total time for selection of a developer and negotiating an agreement is expected to be one year.  If the project needs to go through the planned unit development (PUD) process (for example if the developer wants to do something not currently permitted under zoning laws), then expect additional time.  All told, the project is expected to be completed in the 2017-2018 timeframe. 

For those interested in learning more about the project before the community forums begin, it’s worth taking a look at the 13 pages from the solicitation pertaining just to Fort Totten station: Full WMATA Fort Totten Development Section (source:  WMATA Joint Development Solicition November 2013 (pdf)).