Advisory
Neighborhood Commission 6D
65 I St., SW
Washington, DC
20024
September 12, 2005
Chair Andy Litsky called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m.
Present: Commissioners Assalaam, Litsky, Moffatt, Siegel,
Skolnik, Sobelsohn, and Williams
1.
Approval of agenda
Commissioner Sobelsohn made/Commissioner
Moffatt seconded a motion to approve the Chair's proposed agenda. Commissioner Williams made/Commissioner
Skolnik seconded a motion to amend the agenda to include discussion of the ANC
6D activities of Collaboration DC. The
motion failed, 1-3, with Commissioner Williams voting yes; Commissioners
Litsky, Siegel, and Sobelsohn voting no; Commissioners Moffatt and Skolnik
abstaining; and Commissioner Assalaam not voting. The proposed agenda was approved, 5-1, with Commissioner Williams
voting no and Commissioner Assalaam not present.
2.
Community concerns
On behalf of Town Center Tenants Association
president Afifa Klouj, Ron McBee thanked several individuals and St. Matthew's
Lutheran Church for helping with Town Center's condominium conversion, and
announced the Association's contribution of $2,000 to a Hurricane Katrina
victims' fund.
3.
Police report
New First District Commander Diane Groomes,
and new Police Service Area (PSA) 104 Lieutenant Juanita Mitchell, introduced
themselves. Commander Groomes
encouraged neighborhood residents to contact her at diane.groomes@dc.gov, (202) 345-4025
(cell), or (202) 996-3386 (pager).
Commander Groomes reported a drop in
overall crime for PSA 104 during August 2005, with an increase only in one
category: theft from autos. She also
reported a robbery on I St., SW, the weekend of September 10-11; ongoing
open-air gun and drug markets on Half St., SW; and a "total
deployment" weekend scheduled for the "end of September."
4.
Approval of July 11 minutes
Commissioner Moffatt made/Commissioner
Sobelsohn seconded a motion to approve the July 11 minutes, as presented. The motion passed 5-2, with Commissioners
Assalaam and Williams abstaining.
5.
Nassif Building
Timothy D. Jaroch, for the David Nassif
Co., presented plans for the Nassif Building, current headquarters of the Federal
Department of Transportation (DOT).
Kramer Consulting's Jeffrey J. Kramer assisted with Jaroch's
presentation. The Nassif Building
occupies the space between D and E, 6th and 7th Streets, SW. According to Jaroch, with 1.3 million square
feet, the building is Washington's largest privately owned office building, and
(for a privately owned office building) has the city's greatest number of
indoor parking spaces.
By June 30, 2007, DOT plans to move from
the Nassif Building to the Southeast Federal Center. Immediately thereafter, extensive building renovations, designed
by the SmithGroup, will commence.
Current security requirements for government tenants will require closing
an interior plaza to the public. Jaroch
expects renovations to produce no substantial change in car traffic, the number
of parking spots, or the amount of office space. Basic renovations will take about 30 months. During heavy demolition, contractors might
close the on-site L'Enfant Plaza Metro station entrance for up to four
weeks. Other station entrances will
remain open. The Nassif Co. will rename
the building the Constitution Center, and hopes new tenants will start moving
in by January 2010. On September 14,
2005, the company will make the first of several anticipated presentations
before the Commission on Fine Arts, which must approve the project.
6.
DC Preservation League
Hayden M. Wetzel chairs the DC Preservation
League's South Capitol Street Task Force.
He offered residents in and around Syphax Gardens and the James Creek
Housing Project--if they want it--the League's help in securing
historic-district designation for that area.
7.
Spirit Ships
On behalf of Spirit Ships, Sal Naso reported
that the company will soon launch a replacement "Spirit of
Washington." The new boat will
start sailing the first week of October.
8.
National Capital Revitalization Corporation
Commissioner Skolnik made/Commissioner
Sobelsohn seconded a motion to endorse a resolution concerning the National
Capital Revitalization Corporation (NCRC), with copies to go to members of
Congress, the mayor of Washington, and members of the DC City Council. An amended copy of the resolution is
attached to these minutes. Commissioner
Sobelsohn suggested amending the resolution to replace, in the first "WHEREAS"
paragraph, the word "flaunted" with the word
"flouted." Without objection,
the resolution was so amended.
Commissioner Williams made/Commissioner Siegel seconded a motion to
amend the resolution to add the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation. This motion to amend failed, 2-4, with
Commissioners Assalaam and Williams voting yes, and Commissioner Skolnik
abstaining. During debate on the main motion, NCRC's Sandra Fowler, a member of
the audience, promised to produce a copy of NCRC's budget if she receives a
written request citing the DC Freedom of Information Act. The motion to endorse the resolution, as
amended, passed 5-1, with Commissioner Williams voting no and Commissioner
Assalaam not voting.
9.
Street closings
a. AIDS Walk
Commissioner Sobelsohn made/Commissioner
Skolnik seconded a motion to send a letter endorsing partial closure of
Southwest streets 3d St., D St., 4th St., and Independence Ave., from 10:45
a.m.-12 noon, on Saturday, October 1, for the 19th annual AIDS Walk to benefit
Whitman-Walker. The motion passed
6-0. Commissioner Litsky abstained.
b. Fannie Mae Foundation Walk
Commissioner Sobelsohn made/Commissioner
Skolnik seconded a motion to send a letter endorsing partial closure of Southwest
streets Independence Ave. (including the Kutz Bridge), Raoul Wallenberg Pl.,
Ohio Dr., and West Basin Dr., from 9-10:45 a.m. on Saturday, November 19, for
the 18th annual Fannie Mae Foundation Walk for the Homeless. The motion passed 7-0.
10.
Public space permit application
Southeast Realty has applied for a public space
permit to remove five existing small caliper curb trees at 20 M St., SE, to be
replaced with five new trees after completion of current construction activity.
Commissioner Siegel made/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded a motion to send a
letter supporting this application. The
motion passed 7-0.
11.
Liquor licenses
a. H2O
At its July 11 business meeting, ANC 6D
voted to support the license-renewal application of H2O, 800 Water St., SW, in
exchange for H2O's execution of a specific voluntary agreement. Commissioner Skolnik reported that H2O has
rejected some parts of the voluntary agreement the ANC approved at its July
meeting. Commissioner Sobelsohn
made/Commissioner Litsky seconded a motion authorizing Commissioner Skolnik to
represent ANC 6D before the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board related to
H2O's pending application for liquor-license renewal. The motion passed 6-0, with Commissioner Williams not voting.
ANC 6D has learned of an expected or
pending H2O application for permission to close part of Water Street for a
private party on Saturday, October 22. According
to Commissioner Litsky, the Emergency Management Administration (EMA) failed to
notify ANC 6D of this application. Commissioner Sobelsohn made/Commissioner
Moffatt seconded a motion to send letters urging EMA and the ABC to reject
H2O's application. The motion passed
5-2, with Commissioners Assalaam and Williams abstaining.
b. Cantina Marina
Commissioner Skolnik reported that an
August ABC hearing on the license-renewal application for Cantina Marina, 600
Water St., SW, has been continued until October 12.
12.
Committee reports
Commissioner Skolnik proposed that
commissioners bring the names of their committee appointees to the ANC's
October business meeting.
Commissioner Williams reminded the ANC that, at
its July business meeting, the ANC voted to hold an administrative meeting by
July 25; and noted that this meeting never took place.
13.
Report of the Chair
Commission Chair Litsky reported that the
Mayor's Advisory Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect has requested
recommendations for appointment to the Committee. He also reported that ANC 6D can maintain its office and continue
holding meetings in 65 I St., SW, until December 2005, and perhaps until March
2006; and that he has explored the possibility of moving to the new
headquarters of the Department of Motor Vehicles, 95 M St., SW.
Commissioner Moffatt made/Commissioner
Sobelsohn seconded a motion to hold an administrative meeting starting at 6 p.m.,
September 22, to interview four additional candidates for the position of
Executive Assistant; to discuss and select a candidate for the position from
the candidates interviewed on that date and on March 3; and then to announce
the selection at an 8:30 p.m. public meeting for that sole purpose. The motion passed 6-0, with Commissioner
Williams abstaining.
14.
Treasurer's report
Commissioner Skolnik, as treasurer, reported
having filed ANC 6D's April-June quarterly report, which the ANC approved at
its July meeting. A copy is attached to the minutes of the July meeting.
Commissioner Skolnik also gave a treasurer's
report for July 11-September 12. A copy
is attached to these minutes. ANC 6D
has $41,392.69 in current funds. The
report includes expenses of $1,484.33, for staff salary ($886.56), ads for
staff assistant position ($143.50), telephone bill ($73.27), and web service
($381.00). Commissioner Skolnik noted
that the web-service item exceeds the $261.00 the ANC approved at its June 2005
meeting for a year of web service.
Commissioner Skolnik made/Commissioner Sobelsohn seconded a motion to
approve the July 11-September 12 report and to authorize payment of the
expenses. The motion passed 7-0.
15.
Adjournment
Commissioner Sobelsohn made/Commissioner Skolnik
seconded a motion to adjourn. Without
objection, the meeting adjourned at 9:19 p.m.