Advisory Neighborhood Commission
6D
Present: Commissioners
Hamilton, McBee, Moffatt, Siegel, Skolnik, and Sobelsohn. (Mr. Siegel arrived
at 8:15 pm)
Absent: Commissioner Litsky
The meeting was convened at 7:04
p.m.
Commission Chair Moffatt opened
the meeting with an announcement of meetings to be held by PEPCO on impending
rate increases.
1. Agenda
Commissioner
Skolnik, because he had t o leave the meeting early, asked to move discussion
of the Treasurer’s Report before the Committee reports. The agenda was approved
as amended
2.
Community Concerns
Gene Solon, of Harbor
Square, made remarks
3.
Public
Safety Report
There was no Public Safety Report
4.
Old Business
Waterfront/Waterside
Mall
Commissioner
Skolnik reported on his testimony for the ANC at the Zoning Commission on
June14th. He outlined several areas of
agreement, and discussed several areas of continuing concern for the ANC,
including a fully-articulated north-south crossing at the intersection of M and
4th Streets SW; a concern about the proposed density of the project;
the setback of the M Street facades of the project; the maintaining of retail
space if space currently slated for residential use is changed to office space;
the amount of space allotted for community use, and the 10-year limit on the
availability of the space/ and the creation of a sense of place that provides a
center for the neighborhood and reflects the surrounding neighborhood.
Randall
School/Corcoran Project
Commissioner
McBee reported on his testimony representing the ANC before the Mayor’s Agent
in opposition to the razing of several of the component buildings of the
Randall School. He reported that the
ANC was the only group speaking against the demolition, and focused his
testimony on the massing and scale of the proposed project, and on the closing
of H Street. H said that the PUD for
the building will be heard by the Zoning Commission in September. He announced that the Corcoran would hold a
community meeting on August 1st.
Motion: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/ Commissioner Skolnik
seconded a motion that the ANC appoint a negotiating team to work with the
Corcoran on community benefits and other issues. The committee will be comprised of Commissioners Sobelsohn, McBee
and Moffatt. It passed without
objection.
5.
New Business
Southeast
Federal Center/The Yards- Parking Lots
Kamilah
Parker McAfee, representing Forest City Washington, presented their proposal to
build four temporary (five years) public parking lots in what is now the
Southeast Federal Center, prior to their replacement by four discreet
buildings, each of which will have underground parking. There will be 945 spaces, which will be
rented by the hour, day or month by workers at the Navy Yard, US DOT and other
businesses, with all spaces being made available for use as parking for the
baseball stadium. The lots will be
located at 1st and N Streets, Tinguey and 3rd Streets,
and Tinguey and 4th Streets, will be built to environmentally sustainable
standards, with landscaping and storm water management systems. These lots have been included in the stadium
traffic study, and those assigned to the lots will be given rout directions. The lots will be adequately lit, will have
24-hour security and will be fenced. A
Zoning Commission hearing on the lots was scheduled for July 28th. Motion:
Commissioner Skolnik moved that the ANC oppose construction of the parking
lots. The motion did not receive a
second and no action was taken.
Douglass
Bridge Construction
Kathleen
Penney, DC DDOT Deputy Chief Engineer, along with Chris Delfs, Ward 6
Transportation Planner, Sayed Scharifi, Tom Burke and Alberta Paul, presented
an update on the construction of the Douglass Bridge. She said that the project, which had begun four days before the
meeting, was progressing smoothly, and without traffic incidents. She reported
that truck traffic was being rerouted down 4th Street, and signs had
been placed on 4th and P Streets, directing traffic to Buzzards
Point, and they had counted about 20 trucks a day using that route. She said that 1200 people had signed up for
the Bridge Bucks program, which provides $50 per month for public
transportation. She said the work hours are 4 a.m. to midnight, seven days a
week, and the demolition would be from 6 am. to 10 p.m. during the first two
weeks of the project.. She said that
there had been only two violations during the first days, and said that if
anyone had violations to report they should call Tom Burke at 989-DDOT (3368). She said that water trucks would be wetting
down the dust, which will be swept up, and reiterated that if there are
problems, call Tom Burke. The Labor Day
completion date is looking good. She
said a work day would take place in the spring, when the construction company
and DDOT staff would wash the houses and plant greenery along South Capitol
Street.
Coralee
Farlee asked about putting in speed bumps on P Street because, for one example,
a disabled woman at 325 P Street SW had serious problems crossing P Street in
her wheelchair.
6.
Treasurer’s
Report
Commissioner Skolnik presented the Treasurer's Report for June 11,
2007 to July 8, 2007... A copy of his
report is attached to these minutes.
ANC 6D has $37,144.97 in current funds.
The savings account has $5,137.82, including an interest payment of
$2.11. The report includes expenses
submitted for approval staff salary to Roberta Weiner, $664.92 (Check #326),
$94.58 to Verizon for telephone services (Check #327); $90 to St. Augustine’s
Church for space rental (Check #328); Motion: Commissioner Skolnik
made/Commissioner Hamilton seconded a motion to approve the July report and to
authorize payment of the expenses. The motion passed 4-0-1, with Commissioner
McBee not voting.
Motion: Commissioner Skolnik moved/Commissioner Hamilton seconded a motion
to approve the quarterly Report for April-June 2007. The motion passed 4-0-1,
with Commissioner Sobelsohn abstaining.
7. Committees
Community Outreach and Grants
Ken Fraser, a resident of the 1300 block
of South Capitol Street, spoke about a grant he had applied for on behalf of
the residents o the 1300 and 1400 blocks of South Capitol Street, adjacent to
the entry to South Capitol Street from the Douglass Bridge, that had been
rejected by the Community Outreach and Grants Committee because they felt it
did not meet the grant guidelines because it would be for the benefit of
private individuals and private property.
The grant is being requested to provide funds for improving the facades
and front gardens of the houses in those two blocks. The houses, Mr. Fraser said, are being damaged by the bridge
construction and the trucks, and the funds would fund an opportunity to provide
plantings and a pleasant view for people entering South Capitol Street from the
bridge. He said the houses had been
hidden by the bridge’s off ramp for thirty years. Ms. Monk reiterated that the proposal did not fall within the
ANC’s grant guidelines, and Commissioner Moffatt said that it is clearly
private property, and it would be setting a precedent if the ANC approved a
grant, but it is certainly a good project for which to seek private funds. Motion: Commissioner Sobelsohn moved/Commissioner McBee seconded a motion to send
a letter to DDOT urging the agency to immediately compensate homeowners for any
damage caused by the construction of the Douglass Bridge. It passed 4-0-1, with Commissioner Moffatt
abstaining.
Alcoholic Beverage and Licensing
Coralee Farlee, a member of the
Committee, reported that the Committee members had visited Jenny’s and Cantina
Marina to make sure their renewal notices were posted. She said that while it was thought that,
after several visits by ABRA, things were under control at Cantina. However, Karen Krueger, who represents Tiber
Island on the committee, reported that Tiber Island residents will be
protesting the license because of the noise.
She also reported that H2O’s license was
still under suspension because several violations were found when inspectors
visited the establishment since the last hearing, and there would be another
hearing on August 8th.
Me. Siegel reported that H2O was opening
another establishment on New York Avenue, and that there is a new Chairman of
the ABC, Mr. Feather.
8.
Minutes
Motion: Commissioner McBee moved/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded a motion
to accept the June minutes as amended by Commissioner Sobelsohn, so that they
could be included in the Quarterly Report.
The motion passed 3-1-1, with Commissioner Moffatt in opposition, and
Commissioner Sobelsohn abstaining. The amended June minutes are attached to
these minutes.
9.
Audience Comment
Nancy Masterson suggested that a community garden be included in
the list of proposed community benefits.
Vanessa Ruffin said that the community should be allowed to review
the proposed drainage systems of the parking lots to assess their impact on the
footings of houses in the area. She also commented on the conditions of people
living north of Delaware Avenue and the impact that construction and truck
traffic is having on their houses. Another
concern is the degradation of the streets being caused by the increased truck
traffic.
Ken Fraser reiterated his reasons for believing he and his
neighbors should be given an ANC grant.
Mary Williams said she was concerned about the traffic on South
Capitol St. below M, and that more than traffic for the 1300 and 1400
blocks. She said that on Friday, the
first day the bridge was closed, there was no police car stopping the traffic.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:16 pm.