Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D

Business Meeting

St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church

April 13, 2009

Andy Litsky, Chairman

 

Minutes

 

As approved by ANC 6D May 11, 2009

 

Chairman Andy Litsky called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.

 

Present: Commissioners Hamilton, Jorgensen, Litsky, McBee, Moffatt, Siegel, Sobelsohn.

 

1.  Agenda.

 

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to approve the agenda proposed by the Chairman.  The motion passed 4-0.  Commissioners Hamilton, McBee, and Siegel did not vote.

 

2.  Announcement of May meeting.

 

Chairman Litsky announced that the ANC will hold its regular May business meeting starting 7 p.m. Monday May 11 at either St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 600 M St., SW or 1st district police headquarters, 101 M St., SW.

 

3.  Community Concerns.

 

ANC 6D resident Gene Solon read from his memorandum to the DC Office of Planning (OP).

 

On behalf of the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly’s Callbox Project, Lida Holland Churchville invited everyone to the May 17 dedication, on the 1st and G Street traffic circle, of a callbox in honor of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

 

4.  March minutes.

 

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner McBee seconded to approve the Secretary’s proposed March 9, 2009 minutes.  The motion passed 6-0.  Commissioner Siegel did not vote.

 

5.  Action items.

 

     a.  Development.

 

          1)  Capper/Carrollsburg Hope VI.

 

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded to authorize Commissioners McBee and Siegel to represent ANC 6D at a Zoning Commission meeting April 27 on the Capper/Carrollsburg Hope VI project.  Com­missioner Moffatt moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to amend the motion to add ANC 6D endorse­ment of a letter about the project, signed by Commissioners McBee and Siegel, and FAXed to the Zoning Com­mission April 13, 2009.  A copy of that April 13 letter is attached to these minutes.  The motion to amend passed, 6-1, with Commissioner Sobelsohn opposed. The main motion, as amended, passed 7-0.

 

 

          2)  Arena Stage.

 

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded to send a letter to the DC Department of Trans­portation's Public Space Committee supporting Arena Stage’s current permit application (Permit Tracking #44735) before that committee.  The application relates to perimeter paving and landscaping around Arena’s theaters, to include sidewalks, ramps, gutters, curbs, driveways, benches, grass, and trees.  Commissioner Jorgensen moved/­Commissioner Siegel seconded to amend the motion to condition ANC 6D support on Arena Stage’s pledge to work with the DC landscape architect to maximize the number of trees on 6th Street and Maine Avenue, SW.  The motion to amend passed 7-0.  The main motion, as amended, passed 6-1, with Commissioner Moffatt in opposition.

 

     b.  Committee recommendations.

 

          1)  Community Outreach Committee.

 

Commissioner Siegel moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded to appropriate $485, to purchase four  lightweight plastic utility tables to give to the Greenleaf Gardens Mid-Rise Resident Council for use in its office at 203 N St., SW, conditioned on the ANC’s receiving a formal recommendation to that effect from the Community Outreach Committee.  The motion passed 6-0, with Commissioner Sobelsohn abstaining.

 

          2)  Alcohol Beverage Control Committee.

 

Fairgrounds LLC, trading as the Bullpen, proposes to open a 14,400-square-foot open-air “Festival Park” on Half Street, SE, across N Street from Nationals Park’s centerfield gate.  At the April meeting, Bo Blair of georgetown events, one of the project’s partners, promised that Festival Park would include food and drink vendors, live music, and activities for children; and that he and his partners would permit alcohol sales only in a tented area, comprising no more than one-third of Festival Park, and limited to people over 21 years old and others accompanying them.  Committee chair Coralie Farlee reported the unanimous recommendation of the ANC 6D Alcohol Beverage Control Committee that ANC 6D support a stipulated tavern liquor license for Festival Park, conditioned on inclusion in the license of the proposed voluntary agreement (VA) attached to these minutes.  Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/­Commissioner Hamilton seconded to support the stipulated tavern liquor license, conditioned on inclusion in the license of the proposed VA, with the following amendments to that VA:

 

(a) Regarding street closings, Festival Park operators will not oppose petitions by the Washington Nationals to close streets near the ballpark; and, whenever Festival Park’s operators want to close a nearby street (para­graph 6 in the draft VA), they will cause a copy of their street-closing permit to be received by ANC 6D at least 48 hours before the permit’s effective date.

 

(b) The applicants will advertise in the Southwester soliciting Festival Park job applicants, and (as to those jobs) institute and provide a tie-breaking preference for ANC 6D residents (draft VA paragraph 12).

 

(c) Festival Park operators will make sure on-site managers, when on-site, always bear obvious identification, such as a badge or a shirt, identifying them as the on-site manager.

 

(d) Festival Park operators will obtain and use card-reading equipment designed to ferret out false, forged, or fraudulent identification.

 

(e) Festival Park will sell no alcohol other than beer and wine.

 

(f) Festival Park will cease operations, each year, on the day after the baseball season ends for the Nationals.

 

(g) The VA will incorporate all additional stipulations deemed necessary for public safety by First District Metropolitan Police Commander David Kamperin.

 

Commissioner Siegel moved to amend part (a) of the motion so that, whenever Festival Park’s operators want to close a nearby street, they must cause a copy of their street-closing permit to be received by ANC 6D at least one (1) week before the permit’s effective date.  Without second or objection, the motion was so amended.

 

Commissioner Jorgensen moved/Commissioner McBee seconded to amend part (e) of the motion so that under it Festival Park will limit its alcohol sales to beer, wine, and alcoholic “frozen drinks.”  The motion to amend passed 6-1, with Commissioner Sobelsohn opposed.  The main motion passed 7-0.

 

6.  Reports and presentations.

 

     a.  Reports.

 

          1)  Alcohol Beverage Control Committee.

 

Committee chair Coralie Farlee reported that (a) the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board has revoked H2O’s liquor license and (on March 18) approved a stipulated license (on the same premises) for Hogate’s; (b) the ABC Board has ruled that the new ban on single sales of beer and wine also bans sales of liquor or spirits sold in half-pint (or smaller) bottles, however many bottles are sold at the same time or packaged together; (c) the committee has asked the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) for advice on special boat charters that feature alcohol tastings; (d) along with the Attorney General, the committee is seeking ABRA intervention regarding trash related to events at Zanzibar on the Waterfront.  From the audience, Zanzibar co-owner Michel Daley of Zanzibar claimed that not Zanzibar, but only outside promoters, distribute handbills in the neighborhood, and that such distribution violates Zanzibar’s contracts with promoters.  But he rejected any method of enforcing such contract provisions besides refusing to let those promoters use Zanzibar again.

 

          2)  Development.

 

               a)  Squares 494 & 495 (Firehouse Project).

 

Regarding redevelopment of two lots (Squares 494 and 495) on E Street, SW (the “Firehouse Project”), Commissioner Jorgensen reported that the Deputy Mayor has followed the ANC’s unanimous recommendation and chosen the E Street Development team.

 

               b)  Rezoning plans.

 

In March, OP’s Melissa Bird reported plans for comprehensive rezoning of Southwest’s “residential core.”  At the April meeting, Commissioner Litsky reported that OP has changed its plans and that it expects only to

rezone certain blocks in Southwest.

 

          3)  Officer reports.

 

               a)  Treasurer.

 

Commissioner Jorgensen reported the receipt of ANC 6D’s quarterly allotment from the city, its purchase of a computer, and its evacuation of space at U-Haul.  The treasurer’s report is attached to these minutes.  Commis­sioner Siegel moved/Commissioner Moffatt seconded to approve the treasurer’s report.  The motion passed 7-0.

 

               b)  Chairman.

 

Commissioner Litsky reported the ANC’s receipt of a letter, from the DC Department of Transportation, announc­ing the creation of a bike lane on I St., SW.

 

     b.  Presentations.

 

          1)  Census.

 

Lori Anderson, from the Philadelphia Regional Census Center, made a presentation on the 2010 US Census.  The count determines both political representation and allocation of government funds.  Forms are due to the Census on April 1, 2010.

 

          2)  Urban Forestry.

 

Simoun Banua, one of two Ward Six arborists with the DC Government’s Urban Forestry Administration, informed the ANC that his agency gets development proposals requiring a Planned Unit Development (PUD) only after PUD approval by the Zoning Commission, and that by then Urban Forestry has limited power regarding a project’s tree plans.  He also reported Sharon Dendy’s appointment as the city’s landscape architect.

 

7.  Audience Time.

 

ANC 6D resident Nancy Masterson asked about LEED status for the Capper/Carrollsburg Hope VI development and for Arena Stage’s new building.  ANC 6D resident Gene Solon asked other questions about Arena Stage’s ren­o­vations.

 

8.  Adjournment.

 

Earlier in the meeting, Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded to extend the meeting to 10:15 p.m.  That motion passed 7-0.

 

At 10:15, Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to adjourn.  The motion passed 7-0.  The meeting adjourned at 10:15 p.m.

===================================================  

 

ANC 6D Treasurer's Report-March 2009                                                                                  

                                                                                    Opening             Reconciliation

Checking:                                                                     $32,771.83        $32,771.83

c          446       2/9/2009           Roberta Weiner             $775.74             $31,996.09        $31,996.09

c          447       2/9/2009           Robert Siegel                $161.99             $31,834.10        $31,834.10

c          448       2/9/2009           St. Augustine's              $170.00             $31,664.10        $31,664.10

c          449       2/9/2009           Syphax Gardens Resid  $400.00             $31,264.10        $31,264.10

c          450       2/9/2009           Verizon                                    $42.99              $31,221.11        $31,221.11

c          451       2/9/2009           Roberta Weiner             $30.00             $31,191.11               $31,191.11

                                                                                   

Savings Account Activity:                                             Interest:            $0.40            Date:    2/28/2009

                                                                                                                                               

Petty Cash Disbursements:                                            Opening:          $106.98            Closing: $106.98

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                                                                   

                                    Checking Balance:        $31,191.11                             

                                    Savings Balance:          $5,167.39                               

                                    Petty Cash Balance:      $106.98                                   

                                    Total Current Funds:     $36,465.48                  3/9/2009           

                                                                                   

Expenses Submitted for Approval:                                                                                

            452       3/9/2009           Roberta Weiner Admin. Salary               $761.89            

            453       3/9/2009           Robert Siegel    Office Supplies             $58.07

            454       3/9/2009           St. Augustine's  Space Rental                 $170.00            

            455       3/9/2009           Syphax Gardens Resid Office Space     $400.00            

            456       3/9/2009           Verizon                        Telephone                     $42.99

            457       3/9/2009           Roberta Weiner Petty Cash Replenish    $43.02

            458       3/9/2009           US Treasury     Federal Withholding      $374.08            

            459       3/9/2009           DC Treasurer    State Withholding         $36.68

                                                                                   

                                                                                                TOTAL            $1,886.73