Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D

Minutes

St. Augustine’s Church

October 20, 2008

Roger Moffatt, Chair

 

The meeting was called to order by Chair Roger Moffatt at 7:05 p.m.
Present: Commissioners Hamilton, Litsky, Moffatt, Siegel, Skolnik, Sobelsohn.  Commissioner McBee arrived at

1.     Agenda

 

Commissioner Siegel asked to have discussion of a curb cut for 900 5th Street SE added to New Business.  Commissioner Sobelsohn requested that there be a report on the Safeway Task Force added to Committee Reports and an update on the Corcoran Gallery/Randall School be added after Committee Reports.  Commissioner Skolnik requested that the discussion of the Kid Power grant be moved up on the agenda to number VI A.  Motion: Commissioner Litsky moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded a motion to approve the agenda as amended.  The motion passed 6-0.

 

Motion: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Litsky seconded a motion to extend the meeting ten minutes, to 10:30.  The motion passed 6-0.

 

2.     Community Concerns

 

Peter Atlee announced the SWNA meeting for next Monday night, and that a half hour would be devoted to giving the ANC candidates an opportunity to speak.

 

Susie Humphries outlined her concerns about the potential replacement of St. Augustine’s church with a large building.  Subsequently, Deputy Church Warden Kwasi Holman said that the church was in a process of discernment as to its future, and no decisions had been reached.

 

Gene Solon complimented Commissioner Skolnik on his service to the ANC.

 

3.     Public Safety

 

Commander David Kamperin of the 1st District reported on the current crime statistics.  He also spoke about the recent spate of crimes by youth in the community, and of various youth initiatives MPD is undertaking.  He reported that the 1st District would complete its move to Bowen School after the presidential inauguration in January.

 

4.     Grant to Kid Power

 

Motion: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Litsky seconded a motion to grant $1000 to Kid Power, Inc. toward its Citizenship Project for elementary and middle school students.  The motion passed 5-0-1, with Commissioner Skolnik recusing himself.

 

5.     Community Benefits Coordinating Coalition

 

Rev. Ruth Hamilton, co-chair of the Community Benefits Coordinating Coalition (CBCC) presented an update on the work of the coalition in developing the organization’s by-laws, incorporating, and moving forward with the organization’s goals, as defined by the community last year.  She reported that they are working with LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corp.) on organizing, that and that they should have a decision from the Internal Revenue Service on what type of non-profit status they will have by the beginning of 2009.

 

6.     Waterfront Station (Waterside Mall)

 

Gordon Fraley, of Vornado, one of the partners developing Waterfront Station, formerly Waterfront Mall, updated the ANC on current activity: both Safeway and CVS have signed leases, Bank of America is still negotiating; the project is on schedule, with the first two buildings scheduled for completion in March 2010; the parking lots, except for the one on the east side at the Safeway will be inaccessible until the buildings open; and the developers have paid their share of the Shuttle Bug, and it is now up to the District to get it running.

 

(Commissioner McBee arrived at 8:15; Commissioner Litsky left at 8:20)

 

7.     New Business

 

900 New Jersey Avenue SE Public Space Application

 

This is a request for support for a public space application for a “monument” address sign in front of a matter-of-right building at 900 New Jersey Avenue SE.  The Public Space Committee meeting will be held on October 23rd.  Robbie Brooks, representing the developer, JPI Realty made a presentation on the placement of the sign. The sign will be surrounded by a “grand stairway” leading to the front door of the building on its second floor.  The stairway is also located on public space, and an application for its installation, as well as for the hardscape and streetscape, was never presented to the ANC.  Motion: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded a motion to protest the public space permit application because of the lack of notification of the previous public space application for encroachment on the sidewalk on the east side of the building; and to request a 30-day postponement of consideration of the current application so that the problems with the earlier application can be resolved.  The motion passed 4-0-2, with Commissioners Skolnik and Hamilton abstaining.

 

Hope VI (Capper/Carrollsburg) Trash Enclosures Public Space Application

This is a request for support of a public space application for brick walls to be used as trash enclosures on nine corner three-story townhouses in Capitol Quarter, a mixed income development that is Phase 1 of the Hope VI redevelopment of Capper/Carrollsburg Houses.  Adam Hayes, of EYA, and David Corielle, of the DC Housing Authority (project developers), presented drawings of the enclosures, which are needed because the nine corner lots have no alley space for trash receptacles.  They explained that the each of the nine buildings will have three apartments that will be rented to low-income residents.  Motion: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded a motion to oppose this public space permit because the design will mark the corner units as public housing, contrary to our view that the public housing units within the development should be indistinguishable from the workforce- and market-rate units. The developers asked for a delay in Commission action so that changes could be made in the design of the enclosures.  Amendment: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner McBee seconded a motion to amend the original motion to include a request for a 30-day postponement of consideration of the application by the Public Space Committee. The amendment passed 6-0.  The motion, as amended, passed 6-0.

Fannie Mae Walk for the Homeless

Betty Sayler, representing the Fannie Mae Walk for the Homeless, to be held on Saturday, November 22, requested support from the ANC for an application for the walk filed with the Emergency Management Task Force.  The walk, which will have rolling closures, will utilize streets on Independence Avenue SW.  Motion: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner McBee seconded a motion to support the application of the Fannie Mae Walk for the Homeless.  The motion passed 6-0.

900 5th Street SE

Commissioner Siegel requested support for a letter to DDOT requesting a curb cut in front of the senior building that is part of the Hope VI project, located at 900 5th Street SE.  Motion: Commissioner Siegel moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded a motion that the ANC send a letter to DDOT requesting that a curb cut be installed at the main entrance of 900 5th Street SE.  Amendment: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded a motion that the motion be amended instead to ask DDOT for an engineering study to explore ways of providing mid-block disabled access at 900 5th Street SE.  The amendment passed 6-0.  The original motion, as amended, passed 6-0.

TOPP and Southwest Parking Plans

Commissioner McBee reported that Damon Harvey, of DDOT, would not be at the meeting, but that he was working on a meeting to discuss these issues, including Councilmember Wells and representatives of ANC 6B, for the second week in November.

8.     Committees

 

Safeway Task Force

 

Robert Sockwell, Chair of the Safeway Task Force reported that the committee had met and had begun to discuss the issue of concern to the community.  He said that the market has a new manager, and that a walk-through of the Market is being scheduled with Councilmember Wells in early November.

 

Alcoholic Beverage and Licensing

 

Committee Chair Coralie Farlee reported that the City Council has passed a bill allowing restaurant patrons to take home already opened bottles of wine, if the bag is sealed; that there is a problem, being corrected, with notifying establishments about the Ward 6 single sales moratorium; that she is working on voluntary agreements with two local Class B establishments; that the ABC is still hearing complaints on Zanzibar; that Vie de France was granted authorization for an enclosed patio; and that H2O has withdrawn its liquor license and appears to be moving out.

 

9.     Corcoran/Randall School

 

Commissioner Sobelsohn reported that there had been a response from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to the ANC’s letter asking whether it had any legal recourse to the Corcoran’s decision to delay certain community benefits for at least five years, a decision the Zoning Commission approved effective September 26.  The OAG only responded that the legal ANC cannot bring legal action as a Commission but that individual commissioners can sue as citizens.  The OAG refused to provide guidance on the merits of the lawsuit. Commissioner Sobelsohn also reported that Monument Realty has withdrawn as the developer of the project, and that the Corcoran is seeking a new developer. The Corcoran still plans to move it College of Art and Design to the Randal School Building in 2010.

 

10.  September Minutes

 

Motion: Commissioner Hamilton moved/Commissioner Siegel moved to table the minutes until the November meeting.  The motion passed 6-0.

 

11.  Treasurer’s Report

 

Commissioner Skolnik presented the Treasurer’s Report.  The opening balance in the checking account was $39,033.62.  The opening balance in the savings account was $5,162.25.  There was an interest payment of $.95, for a closing balance of $5,163.20.  There was an allotment from the District of Columbia of $5,062.40.  Checks were written in the amount of $761.89 to Roberta Weiner for salary (Check #407); $692.63 to Roberta Weiner for salary (Check #408); $90 to St. Augustine’s Church for meeting space rental (Check #409); $144.95 to U-Haul for storage space rental (Check #410); $400 to Syphax Garden Residents Council for rent (Check #411); $2,685.17 to Commissioner Ron McBee for reimbursement for the purchase of school supplies (Check #412); $111.29 to Commissioner Siegel for office equipment (Check #413); and $800 to the Southwest Neighborhood Assembly for a grant (Check #414).  The closing balance of the checking account was $38,410.09.  Motion:  Commissioner Skolnik moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded a motion to approve the October Treasurer’s Report.  The motion passed 6-0.

 

Motion: Commissioner Skolnik moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded a motion to approve the Quarterly Report for the 4th Quarter of FY08. The motion passed 6-0.

Commissioner Skolnik presented a proposed budget for the next fiscal year.  He reported that there would probably be at least a 5% cut in ANC funds next year.  The proposed budget was withdrawn until the November meeting.

Motion: Commissioner McBee moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded a motion to allocate $1700 for the purchase of a computer for the ANC office.  The motion passed 5-0-1, with Commissioner Hamilton abstaining.

12.  Adjournment

 

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Siegel seconded a motion to adjourn the meeting.  The motion passed 6-0.  The meeting was adjourned at 10:30 pm.