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807 Maine Avenue SW Unveiled – ANC 6D Report
tion for special-exception relief from the lot-occupancy requirements to construct a two-story garage at 632 Fifth St
NE. The project has support from adjacent neighbors. In addition, at Commissioner Kelty’s suggestion, the ANC will send a letter to the Zoning Commission (ZC) flagging an issue with ambiguity in zoning regulations about technical regulations. The area of a staircase landing is excluded from the building area and so from lot occupancy requirements. In recent months, Eckenwiler said, the ANC has seen multiple instances where applicants have insisted that substantial areas of what could be decks are instead staircase landings and therefore do not contribute to lot occupancy. • Support a BZA seeking special exception from penthouse height and setback requirements to construct a new penthouse on an existing attached four-story building. Applicant Hillsdale College submitted a HPA for the project in late 2021.
They have since revised plans and now seeks to construct a modest one-story (as opposed to two story) addition to the existing building. • Oppose an application to DDOT and
TPS for a construction permit for 202
K St. NE and instead request revisions to a previous design. The developer indicated an earlier design removed the retaining wall at Second and K Streets and made public space more accessible. • Write a letter to DC Council to support a NoMA BID request for funding to make improvements to the Third St
NoMA Metro Station entrance. The goal is to add a safer, more walkable entrance to NoMA Metro. The BID is requesting $50 million in FY2023. • TPS Committee Chair Michael Upright will participate in a Community Advisory Committee for the North Capitol Corridor Study. The study focuses on safety improvements from Massachusetts Avenue to Riggs Road.
Support for Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon
support of the March 22, 2022 Rock ’n’ Roll Marathon. The 2021 event was pushed to fall 2021, but now organizers will resume the regular spring schedule making the 2021 and 2022 events unusually close together. Attendance at the event is expected to be 11,000 down from a previous peak of 19,000 runners. The event will also now be a half, rather than full, marathon.
Organizers have promised they will clear the course and clean-up the next day; representative Diane Romo-Thomas offered her contact number to commissioners to help alleviate any issues. There is no loop in the course, such as in previous years, that would trap cars within the perimeter of the run.
807 Maine Avenue SW Unveiled
ANC 6D RepoRt by Andrew Lightman
Other Matters
Chair Karen Wirt (6C02) noted that ANC 6C has received permission to meet virtually through May 4. A second bill under consideration by DC Council would extend the ability to meet online through September 2022.
An appearance by representatives of National Park Service East on parks in ANC 6C has been deferred to the March meeting.
Grant Applications Welcomed
Commissioner Christine Healey (6C01) said that the Grants Committee has asked commissioners to promote the ANC’s ability to give out grants. The ANC 6C grants program awards grant funding to organizations that conduct programs which directly benefit the ANC 6C community. Grants typically range from $500 to $2,500. There are four annual application cycles. Learn more at anc6c.org/ committees/grants-committee/
Attending were Commissioners Christine Healey (6C01), Karen Wirt (6C02), Jay Adelstein (6C03), Mark Eckenwiler (6C04) and Drew Courtney (6C06) were in attendance. Joel Kelty (6C05) was not present.
ANC 6C generally meets on the second Wednesday of the month. The next meeting of ANC 6C is scheduled for Wednesday, 7 p.m. Mar. 9. Get the latest information on how to attend at anc6c.org/hot-topics/. u Mill Creek Residential, developers of the nearby Modern on M, briefed the commission on their plans for 807 Maine Ave. SW. The triangular parcel is the current side of the Disabled Veterans of America (DVA) headquarters, abutting Jefferson Middle School on its northern boundary. Between the school and the DVA office is an underground WMATA vault that powers the Green Line.
At the meeting, Mill Creek unveiled plans for an 11-story, triangular building, approximately 110 feet in height. The developer intends to build roughly 200 apartments and 5,600 square foot of ground floor retail on the south side. There will be a mix of studios and units as large as two bedrooms with dens; 15 percent of which will be affordable at 60 percent of AMI. Two may be rented at 50 percent of AMI. The mix will be dictated by the market, the developer’s representatives stated. Sixty-five to 70 underground parking spaces on two levels are planned,
The first floor is a cantilevered two-floor design intended to maintain setback that runs from Seventh to Ninth Street along Maine Avenue SW. The developer is filing a Planned Unit Development (PUD) with the Zon-
ing Commission by the end of February to change the parcel’s zoning to MU-10.
The property has a single, existing curb cut on Seventh Street SW just south of the driveway leading to the back of Je erson Academy. The developer does not plan to ask any others. Instead, they plan to build a loading dock on the northern side of the building along with the entrance to the parking garages. All loading will take place on the property, they told the commission.
“I think the height is too much,” stated Commissioner Litsky. Many of his colleagues concurred. Commissioner Collins also questioned the amount of parking, given the tremendous constraints on curbside in the adjoining neighborhood. He criticized the loading arrangements as insu cient, given the fact that packages are typically delivered through the main entry rather than over loading docks. The corner location of the building’s entrance could lead to double parked delivery vehicles blocking either the crosswalks or busy vehicular travel lanes.
All the commissioners decried the impact of potential building shadows on neighboring Je erson Academy. Commissioner Kramer termed the amount of a ordable housing “insufficient.” She also demanded a commitment to neighborhood serving retail. The commission did not vote on the plan.
Square 662 Update
MidAtlantic Realty Partners (MRP) is currently building the Verge, a 344-unit apartment building located at 1800 Half and S Street, SW. It is the rst phase of two million square feet of retail and residences on Square 663 directly adjacent to the new oval park at the base of the Frederick Douglass Bridge that will likely include a supermarket.
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Read her story
at CapitolHillHistory.org
Photo by Gayle Krughoff
Esther Woodfolk recalls many happy days living in southeast DC after her father took a job at the Navy Yard. But she also reflects on the less-than-happy reality that her family home and hundreds of other homes and shops no longer exist, destroyed to make way for the Southwest/Southeast Freeway. Read Esther Woodfolk’s oral history at CapitolHillHistory.org. Help preserve Capitol Hill history by becoming a volunteer.
AN INITIATIVE OF THE CAPITOL HILL COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
A rendering of Parcel 662’s temporary murals. Rendering: MRP.
The Zoning Commission and ANC 6D were both concerned about the blank northern facing facade on the project’s rst phase. At their behest, the developer plans to temporarily decorate these walls with public art until the second phase obscures them.
Commissioner requested the developer not incorporate any lighting or digital signage into the art project. They also asked that rst preference be given to neighborhood artists. Commissioner Litsky also pleaded with the developer to remove a legacy bill board on the phase two section facing the new oval as well.
The commission voted unanimously to send a letter in support of MRP’s plans.
Section of Lansburg Park Licensed to Developer
The District has licensed a section of Lansburgh Park, 1098 Delaware Ave. SW, for construction staging and crane swing space. The licensee, 60 EYESTREET, LLC, is a joint venture between Foulger-Pratt and Bethel Pentecostal Tabernacle Assembly to develop the church’s property at 60 I Street SW into a 197-unit residential building and a new 17,000 square foot sanctuary. Foulger-Pratt has already fenced o a small section on the northern end of the park, on which it plans to store construction materials, two trailers and a tower crane.
After a constituent inquired, Commissioner Weiss brought up the matter with the Department of General Services (DGS), the agreement’s licensor. He requested a copy of the agreement. DGS required he le a FOIA to obtain it. Weiss was outraged by both the licensing of a section of a public park to a private interest and DGS’s insistence of a FOIA.
Commissioner Kramer, who had inspected the site, reported that Foulger-Pratt had removed three mature trees from the licensed section of the park. A number of Weiss’ and Kramer’s colleagues also expressed their anger. The commissioners unanimously authorized a letter be sent to the Department of General Services protesting the license.
Other Matters
MPD First District Captain Darren Haskis briefed the commission on public safety. Compared to last year, robberies are up, he stated. There nine in last 30 days. MPD has closed half of these with arrests. Other crime types are trending identically to last year.
Ward 8 Redistricting Task Force Members Troy Prestwood and David Meadows briefed the commission on the group’s work to date. The task force expects to have three maps to show for discussion by March 14. The final one be chosen by majority vote at that meeting. The committee can be reached at RedistrictWard8ANC@gmail.com.
Ward 6 Task Force Member Gottlieb Simon raised the question of the area of the Navy Yard north of M Street SW that is slated to remain in Ward 6, known as “the notch.” The Ward 8 section of the Navy Yard has enough population for three Single Member Districts, he pointed out, while the notch has numbers for two more. The best solution would be a five-member commission shared between Wards 6 and 8. Chair Daniels and Treasurer Weiss, who live in the notch and represent the Navy Yard currently, were open to the suggestion. Creating such a commission would require intervention by both ward councilmembers, Simon stated.
Andy Galli gave an update on DC Water’s Clean Rivers Project, part of which is a tunnel, 18-foot in diameter, from Georgetown to the agency’s Blue Plains waste water treatment facility. The tunnel will divert waste water that is now dumped from six sewer outlets into the Potomac during storms. A utility duct to support the tunnel is now under construction along Ohio Drive and Independence Avenues SW. The construction is planned overnight to minimize traffic impact. Commissioners raised concerns about the impact on Cherry Blossom tourists. Galli assured them that pedestrian safety is paramount.
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is conducting a detailed assessment of the state of all District public housing. The commission voted unanimously to send HUD a letter detailing the maintenance issues facing all three Southwest public housing complexes as well as frustrations with the agency plans for the redevelopment of Greenleaf Gardens.
The commission unanimously to: • approve the amended February agenda; • support a Class C license for
Farm Bird, located at 1251 First
Street SE; • support the Race for Hope 5K; • authorize Commissioners Lightman or Kramer to testify at
DDOT Oversight Hearing on
Feb. 18; • send the District a letter regarding Buzzard Point flooding; • authorize for Kramer to testify in support of the historic designation of Buzzard Point Power
Plant at the Historic Preservation Review Board; • authorize for Collins or Kramer to testify at a hearing on housing issues relating to DC Housing Authority.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D met on Feb. 14 over Zoom. Commissioners Dr. Marjorie Lightman (6D01), Jared Weiss (6D02, secretary), Ronald Collins (6D03, treasurer), Andy Litsky (6D04), Fredrica (Rikki) Kramer (6D05, vice chair), and Edward Daniels (6D07, chair) were in attendance. Rhonda Hamilton (6D06) was absent. The meeting started with a moment of silence in memory of her mother Gloria Hamilton.
Chair Daniels introduced the commission’s new Executive Administrative Assistant Jein Park. The commission authorized her hiring with a salary not to exceed $14,000 for FY 22.
ANC 6D meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. The next meeting is March 14, 2022 via Zoom. For more information and links to join ANC meetings, visit www.anc6d.org. u
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 6A AMBER GOVE, CHAIR, 6A04@ANC.DC.GOV
Serving the Near Northeast, North Lincoln Park, Rosedale, and H Street communities
ANC 6A generally meets the second Thursday of the month, virtually on Zoom. www.anc6a.org
ALL ARE WELCOME
The Next meeting is 2nd Thursday, March 10, 7:00 p.m. Economic Development and Zoning Committee meeting 3rd Wednesday, March 16, 7:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom Transportation & Public Space Committee meeting 3rd Monday, March 21, 7:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee meeting 4th Tuesday, March 22, 7:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom Community Outreach Committee meeting 4th Monday, March 28, 7:00 p.m. Virtual Meeting via Zoom
Instructions for accessing the meeting via Zoom have been posted under Hot Topics at anc6a.org. Call in information will be posted under Community Calendar at anc6a.org 24 hours prior to the meeting. You will be able to enter the meeting no earlier than 15 minutes prior to its scheduled start time.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C
P.O. Box 77876 • Washington, D.C. 20013-7787 www.anc6c.org • (202) 547-7168
Next meeting Wednesday, March 9, 2022. Information will be posted on the ANC 6C website.
ANC usually meets the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 pm, 214 Massachusetts Ave, N.E. Please check the ANC 6C website for dates.
ANC 6C COMMISSIONERS
ANC 6C01
Christine Healey 6C01@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C02
Karen Wirt 6C02@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C03
Jay Adelstein 6C03@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C04
Mark Eckenwiler 6C04@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C05
Joel Kelty 6C05@anc.dc.gov
ANC 6C06
Drew Courtney drewcourtney.anc @gmail.com ANC 6C COMMITTEES
Alcoholic Beverage Licensing
First Monday, 7 pm Contact: anc6c.abl.committee@gmail.com
Grants
Last Thursday, 7 pm Contact: torylord@gmail.com Twitter: @ANC_6C_Grants
Environment, Parks, and Events
First Tuesday, 7 pm Contact: 6C06@anc.dc.gov
Transportation and Public Space
First Thursday, 7 pm Contact: anc6c.tps@gmail.com
Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development
First Wednesday, 6:30 pm Contact: 6C04@anc.dc.gov Twitter: @6C_PZE
