Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D

Ron McBee, Chair

March 8, 2010

Business Meeting

Courtyard by Marriott

March Minutes
As Approved by ANC 6D April 12, 2010

Commissioner McBee called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.

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

1.  Agenda.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded to approve the agenda as presented.  The motion passed 6-0.  Commissioner Hamilton did not vote.

2.  February Minutes.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded to approve the proposed February 25, 2010 minutes.  The motion passed 6-1, with Commissioner Moffatt opposed.

3.  Public-Space Permits.

Three race proponents presented plans.  Nicola Beddow presented the Race for Hope 5K, May 2, to benefit the Brain Tumor Society.  Marlo Arredondo presented the National Police Week 5K, May 8, to benefit Concerns of Police Survivors, a group that helps surviving families and co-workers of law-enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.  Isabelle Thompson and Brad Schmidt presented the Marine Corps Marathon, October 31, to benefit 72 charities they did not identify.  Each of the proposed race-route maps is attached to these minutes.  None of the race organizers proposed to bring a race south of I-395 or reported having received complaints from ANC 6D residents for prior races within the past five years.  Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Litsky seconded to send ANC 6D letters supporting all three races.  The motion passed 7-0.

4.  Announcements and Presentations.

a.  Development.

        1)  Waterfront Station.

Waterfront Associates’ Gordon Fraley and David Smith provided an update regarding two new buildings to open Monday, March 15, on 4th St. between K and M Streets, SW.  On March 15 4th St. will also reopen to pedestrians, then to motor vehicles by March 31.  Smith reported that the two new buildings have 85,000 square feet for retail tenants, including space reserved for a bank.

        2)  Safeway Supermarket.

Safeway Public Affairs Manager Craig Muckle introduced Safeway’s Eastern Division district manager Donna Maxwell, the new Southwest market’s general manager Mike Bigelow, and assistant managers Michelle Gayard and India Lawal.  Starting Tuesday, March 23, Southwest Safeway will hold a 30%-off sale on everything left in stock.  Maxwell promised to keep the market stocked through April 6 with both “perishables” and items on the list of the top 600 grocery items sold at Safeway.  At 6 p.m. Tuesday, April 6, the current Safeway will close.  For nine days Southwest will have no supermarket.  Then, from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, April 15, the new Safeway will open with a “Preview Party,” including access to purchase in-stock items at a 10% discount.  After the party, Bigelow promised, he or one of his assistant managers will regularly attend meetings of the ANC 6D Southwest Safeway Task Force.

b.  Flood Map.

Tim Karikari and Phetmano Phannavong, both ot the District Department of the Environment, announced that the Army Corps of Engineers now has the money to build a levee, on 17th St., NW.  The levee will make unnecessary the aspects of a previously proposed new flood map that would have forced many Southwest residents to buy flood insurance.

c.  ANC 6D ABC Committee.

DC law authorizes the Alcoholic Beverage Control Board (ABC Board) to approve exceptions to the Ward Six ban on store’s selling single containers of beer, malt liquor, or ale.  ANC 6D Alcohol Beverage Control Committee Chair Coralie Farlee reported that the ABC Board has granted exceptions, through the expiration of their liquor licenses in 2012, to Cap Liquors, 1301 S. Capitol St., SW; Shulman Liquors, 1550 1st St., SW; and Friendly Food Market, 1339 Half St., SW.

    d.  Councilmember Tommy Wells.

City Council staffperson Naomi Mitchell reported on Councilmember Tommy Wells’ upcoming Southwest office hours; an upcoming town meeting regarding his “Complete Streets” proposal for M St., SW & SE; the installation of speed bumps and a four-way stop sign near the King Greenleaf Recreation Center; and the installation of dozens of new streetlights in Southwest.

e.  Report of the Chair.

Commissioner McBee announced that, on April 5, ANC 6D’s offices will move to Waterfront Station; that ANC 6D’s next public business meeting will start 7 p.m. Monday, April 12, at St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 600 M St., SW; and that, on April 23, the Washington Nationals will host Nationals Neighborhood Night, for which ANC 6D will distribute free ballgame tickets to ANC 6D residents.

f.  Audience Announcements.

        1)  Forensics Lab.  On behalf of Whiting-Turner Contracting Company--general contractor for the planned Forensics Lab at 4th and E Streets, SW--Capital City Associates’ Donald Bert announced a community update meeting 6:30-8:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 23 at the Metropolitan Police Department 1st District Headquarters, 101 M St., SW.

2)  Cherry Blossom Festival.  Barbara Ehrlich, of the Washington Waterfront Association and the National Cherry Blossom Festival (March 27-April 11, 2010) spoke about the Festival’s “Prelude to the Fireworks,” followed by fireworks, at the Gangplank Marina, 600 Water St., SW, Saturday April 3, starting 5 p.m.

5.  Adjournment.

Commissioner Siegel moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded to adjourn.  The motion passed 7-0.  The March meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m.