Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6D

Ron McBee, Chair

September 13, 2010

Business Meeting

St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church

Minutes

As approved by ANC 6D by a vote 5 to 0.

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

Absent: Commissioners Litsky and Siegel.

Commissioner McBee called the meeting to order at 7:16 p.m.

1. Agenda.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to approve the agenda as proposed.  Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner McBee seconded to amend the proposed agenda to add a presentation by Leigh Rogers of the American Diabetes Association.  Without objection, the motion to amend passed.  The motion to approve the agenda, as amended, passed, 4-0.  Commissioner Hamilton did not vote.

2. July Minutes.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to approve the proposed July 12, 2010 minutes.  The motion passed 3-0.  Commissioner Moffatt abstained.  Commissioner Hamilton did not vote.

3. Action Items.

   a. Development and Zoning.

      1) 250 M at Canal Park.

Kyrus Freeman of Holland & Knight and J. Matthew Ritz of William C. Smith & Co. made a presentation about a proposed office building at 250 M St., SE, jointly planned by Square 769, LLC and the DC Housing Authority, and recently rebranded “250 M at Canal Park.”  The approved Planned Unit Development requires that Square 769 and DCHA apply for a building permit by September 26, 2010.  Square 769 and DCHA have applied for a two-year extension, to require applying for a building permit by September 26, 2012.  Ritz pledged the building would obtain LEED-Gold certification.  Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to support the extension application.  The motion passed 5-0.

      2) Renaming Metrorail Stations.

         a) Navy Yard.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to urge the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to add “Capitol Riverfront” to the name of
the Metrorail station currently known as “Navy Yard,” but after the phrase “Navy Yard,” for the following reasons:

1-- Adding “Capitol Riverfront” to the name of the Metrorail station currently called “Navy Yard” will more accurately describe the area immediately served by that Metrorail station and encourage patronage of the Capitol Riverfront.

2-- Keeping the phrase “Navy Yard” first in the station’s name will reflect the historic status of the Navy Yard area and generate less confusion than putting the phrase “Navy Yard” last.

The motion passed 4-1, with Commissioner McBee opposed.

         b) Waterfront/Southeastern University.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to urge DDOT and WMATA to add “Arena Stage” to the name of the Metrorail station currently called “Waterfront-Southeastern University.”  Commissioner
Sobelsohn moved to amend the motion to add a recommendation that DDOT and WMATA remove “Southeastern University” from the name of the station. Commissioner Sobelsohn then withdrew his motion to amend. Commissioner
Moffatt moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded to amend the motion to add a recommendation that DDOT and WMATA leave “Waterfront” as the first word of the name of the Metrorail station currently called “Waterfront-Southeastern University.”  The  motion to amend failed, 2-2, with Commissioners Hamilton and Moffatt in support, Commissioners
Jorgensen and Sobelsohn opposed, and Commissioner McBee abstaining.  The motion to urge adding the phrase “Arena Stage” to the station’s name passed 5-0.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Moffatt moved to urge DDOT and WMATA to drop “Southeastern University” from the name of the Metrorail station currently called “Waterfront-Southeastern University,” because
Southeastern University is now defunct and the owner of the building that once housed the university has delayed deciding the building’s future.

The motion failed 3-2, with Commissioners Moffatt and Sobelsohn voting in
support.

      3) New Jersey Avenue Underpass.

The Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District (BID) has budgeted $25,000 to install two artworks on New Jersey Avenue, SE, under the Southeast-Southwest Freeway.  The BID calls the two pieces of art “Overhead Waves” and “Water Pylons” and hopes to complete installing them by September 30, 2011.  But they would cost $50-75,000 (for “Waves”) and
$45-65,000 plus lighting costs (for “Pylons”).  The BID is applying for a $25,000 Public Arts Building Community (PABC) matching grant from the DC Arts Commission (DCAC).  Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to send a letter to DCAC recommending approval of a $25,000 PABC matching grant to install “Overhead Waves” or “Water Pylons” or both on New Jersey Avenue, SE, below the Southeast-Southwest Freeway.

The motion passed 5-0.

      4) Fast-Food Zoning.

Under title 11, chapter 17, of the DC Municipal Regulations, in the Downtown Development Overlay (Retail Core), certain uses cannot occupy more than 20% of the “required gross floor area” on the ground floor.  On October 14, in case no. 10-18, the Zoning Commission will consider an amendment to eliminate, for Square 375, the 20% limit to the extent it applies to fast-food establishments and prepared-food shops. In Square 375, such uses would have no maximum.  Commissioner McBee moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded to write the Zoning Commission to ask that the Commission keep the record open in case no. 10-18 for 10 days after its October 14 hearing to receive comments from ANC 6D.  

The motion passed 3-0.  Commissioner Jorgensen abstained.  Commissioner Hamilton did not vote.

   b. Public Space: Street Closures.

      1) National Memory Walk.

For its National Memory Walk, the Alzheimer’s Association proposes to close Half and N Streets, SE, from 4 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, October 2. A map showing the streets to be closed is attached to these minutes.  The Association’s Danielle Otsuka pledged that the Alzheimer’s Association would take responsibility for cleaning up wherever the Memory Walk goes. Commissioner McBee moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded to prepare a letter to support closing N and Half Streets, SE, from 4 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday, October 2 for the Alzheimer’s Association’s Memory Walk.  

The motion passed 5-0.

      2) AIDS Walk.

For its annual AIDS Walk, the Whitman-Walker Clinic proposes to close ANC 6D streets north of the Southeast-Southwest Freeway on Saturday, October 2, between 8:30 and 11 a.m.  The AIDS Walk will not come into residential sections of ANC 6D.  Previous AIDS Walks have generated no complaints from ANC 6D residents.  A map of the Walk route is attached to these minutes. Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Moffatt seconded to send a letter to Larry Evans, Logistics Manager for AIDS Walk Washington 2010, expressing support, based on its proposed route, for closing streets in ANC 6D for AIDS Walk Washington 2010.  

The motion passed 5-0.

      3) Best Buddies Bike Ride.

The Best Buddies Special Olympics Eunice Kennedy Shriver (EKS) Challenge plans a 21-mile bike ride Saturday, October 23, to promote Best Buddies International, a nonprofit devoted to helping people with intellectual disabilities.  The organizers expect the bike ride to attract 300-500 participants.  For up to an hour, starting at 7:30 that morning, the bike
ride will require closing parts of several residential ANC 6D streets, including I, M, P, and 4th Streets, SW; Maine Ave., SW; and 1st St. and Potomac Ave., SE.  Each street will reopen after all the bicyclists pass that street.  A copy of the proposed route is attached to these minutes. The same morning as the bike ride, Arena Stage plans its grand reopening
celebration, which will require closing a portion of 6th St., SW, near Maine Ave. and M St., SW.  Representing Best Buddies, Julie Hanson reported that she didn’t know if the bike ride would require closing entire streets or only one lane on each street, or if it would require closing the Southeast- Southwest Freeway ramps on South Capitol St.  She also reported that she had contacted neither Arena Stage nor any of the housing complexes for which closing residential streets might deprive their residents’ cars of street access.  She promised that all ANC 6D streets her ride needs closed
would reopen by 8:30 that morning; that she would contact Arena Stage on September 14; and that she would contact management for the Capitol Park apartment buildings and Capitol Park IV condominiums.  Commissioner Jorgensen moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded to send a letter to the Mayor’s Emergency Task Force supporting the EKS Challenge Ride on October 23.  Commissioner McBee moved to amend the motion to condition ANC support for the Challenge Ride on Best Buddies’ contacting Arena Stage.  The motion to amend failed for want of a second.  

The motion to support the ride passed, 3-2, with Commissioners Moffatt and Sobelsohn opposed.

      4) Diabetes Step-Out Walk.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) proposes to close Half St., SE, between M & N Streets, SE, from 5 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, October 23, for its Step-Out Walk.  Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner McBee seconded to send a letter to the ADA’s Leigh Rogers to support the closing of Half St. between M & N Streets, SE, from 5 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday October 23 for the ADA’s Step-Out Walk.  

The motion passed 5-0.

      5) Heart Walk.

For its 2010 Start! Heart Walk, the American Heart Association proposes, on Saturday, November 6, to close parts of several streets in the Southeast portion of ANC 6D, including Potomac Ave. and Half, 1st, 3d, and N Streets.  The Walk would require closing Half St. from midnight to 4 p.m. and the other streets from 9:30 a.m. to between 11 and 11:45 a.m.
(approximately).  A map of the Walk route, and a list of the closed streets and approximate closing times are attached to these minutes. Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded to send a letter to Lisa Marie Czop, Director of Special Events for Brotman-Winter-Fried Communications, expressing support for the proposed November 6 street closures.  

The motion passed 5-0.

   c. Liquor Licenses.

      1) Arena Stage.

Arena Stage has applied to bring, out of safekeeping, a Retailer’s Class CX multipurpose liquor license for its theater at 1101 6th St., SW. Commissioner McBee moved/Commissioner Jorgensen seconded to recommend, to the Alcohol Beverage Control (ABC) Board, that it approve the license’s removal from safekeeping, conditioned upon Arena Stage’s acceptance of a voluntary agreement, a copy of which is attached to these minutes.  

The motion passed, 4-1, with Commissioner Sobelsohn opposed.

      2) Bullpen.

Commissioner McBee moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded to recommend, to the ABC Board, conditional renewal of a liquor license for Fairgrounds LLC, operating as an open-air beer garden called the Bullpen on Half St., SE, across N St. from Nationals Park’s centerfield gate.  The renewal recommendation is conditioned on the incorporation of two changes to the existing voluntary agreement between this ANC and the Bullpen.  These changes would add requirements that the licensee (1) “ensure that no persons who appear to be intoxicated will be permitted to enter the establishment,” and (2) “add a sufficient number of security cameras to cover the entry area as well as the area in which alcohol is served,” each camera to “have the capability of retaining recordings for at least 30 days.”  

The motion passed 4-0.  Commissioner Hamilton did not vote.

      3) Ziegfeld’s/Secrets.

Commissioner McBee moved/Commissioner Moffatt seconded to recommend, to the ABC Board, renewal of a CN liquor license for Ziegfeld’s/Secrets, a bar at 1824 Half St., SW, “because of improved screening and training, regular monitoring for over-serving, judicious offering of cool-down room and breathalyzer, and no recent incidents.”  

The motion passed 5-0.

      4) Zanzibar on the Waterfront.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded to protest the liquor license-renewal application for Zanzibar on the Waterfront, 700 Water St., SW, because of 16 incidents since August 2008—including assault with a deadly weapon--requiring investigation by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration; and also because of inadequate information about the establishment’s future ownership and management.

The motion passed 5-0.

4. ANC Treasury.

Commissioner Jorgensen moved/Commissioner McBee seconded to transfer, to the ANC checking account, $147.00 in petty cash and $5,175.16 from the ANC savings account, closing out both ANC petty cash and the ANC savings
account.  

The motion passed 4-0.  Commissioner Hamilton did not vote.

5. Presentations and Announcements.

   a. Presentation.

Representing Forest City Washington, Alex Nyhan and attorney Phil T. Feola gave a presentation about Forest City’s “Parcel D” site, between M and Tingey Streets, SE, in the Southeast Federal Center Overlay District. Feola expects Zoning Commission review no earlier than Thursday, November 18.  He and Nyhan promised to tell us before then precisely how much on-site space Forest City expects to devote to retail, and how many on-site bicycle-parking spots Forest City expects to have.  Forest City expects groundbreaking in January 2012, and a project opening in late 2013.

   b. Announcements.

      1) New Committee Appointment.

Commissioner Jorgensen announced her appointment of Zen McManus to the ANC 6D Alcohol Beverage Control Committee.

      2) Next ANC Meeting.

Commissioner McBee announced ANC 6D’s next business meeting Monday, October 18, starting 7 p.m., in the sanctuary of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church, 600 M St., SW.

6. Adjournment.

Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner McBee seconded to adjourn.  The motion passed 4-0.  Commissioner Hamilton did not vote.  The September meeting adjourned at 11:05 p.m.