MINUTES*

[1] OF PUBLIC MEETING

January 27, 2010

5A ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION

5A ANC Office – Slowe Demountable Trailer

1322 Irving Street, NE

Washington, DC 20017

 

1.                  CALL TO ORDER AND QUORUM.  A regular monthly meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 5A was called to order at 6:05PM by Chair Angel Alston (5A03).  The meeting was held at the 5A ANC office located in the Slowe Demountable Trailer.

 

Finding all twelve (12) 5A commissioners present, including the recording secretary, a quorum was declared.  Commissioners present were: Sandi Washington (5A01), Patricia Roberts (5A02), Angel Alston (5A03), Herman Preston(5A04), Stephen McCoy (5A05), John Feeley (5A06), Carolyn Steptoe (5A07), Timothy Thomas (5A08), Shirley Rivens-Smith (5A09), Philip Blair (5A10), Janae Grant (5A11) and Robert King (5A12). 

 

2.                  ATTENDEES:  Approximately 13 members of the public signed in attendance of this meeting.

 

3.                  INVITED GUESTS:  Councilmember Harry Thomas, Ms. Janice Booker (Election Conductor), Ms. Deborah Crain-Kemp (DC Office of Planning), Mr. Charles Murn (President, Michigan Park Citizens’ Association),

 

4.                  AGENDA:  Chair Alston read the meeting agenda and moved to accept with any needed corrections or edits.  Motion seconded and the agenda was approved by unanimous voice vote. 

 

5.                  MINUTES:  Chair Alston presented the minutes of the November 18, 2009 monthly meeting.  Chair Alston moved approval of the minutes with any needed corrections or edits.  Motion seconded and the minutes were approved by unanimous voice vote. 

 

6.                  ELECTION OF 2010 EXECUTIVE OFFICERS:  Chair Alston relinquished floor to Election Conductor Ms. Janice Booker.  Declaring all seats vacant to host election, Chair Alston moved all executive seats in 5A vacant in order to host an election.  Motion seconded and approved by unanimous voice vote.

Ms. Booker announced vacant executive positions and opens nominations for election:

 

Chair:  

-          Commissioner Roberts moved nomination of Commissioner Grant; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner Thomas moved nomination of Commissioner Alston; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner King moved nominations be closed on said names; moved and seconded 

Commissioner Grant elected 8-4

 

Vice Chair:

-          Commissioner Steptoe moved nomination of Commissioner McCoy; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner Alston moved nomination of Commissioner Thomas; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner King moved nominations be closed on said names after hearing 3 times; moved and seconded 

Commissioner McCoy elected 7-4-1 (abstention, Commissioner Washington)

 

Recording Secretary:

-          Commissioner Roberts moved nomination of Commissioner Steptoe; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner King moved nominations be closed one said name and vote by acclamation; moved and seconded by vote acclamation. 

Commissioner Steptoe elected by unanimous vote

 

Treasurer:

-          Commissioner Grant moved nomination of Commissioner Rivens-Smith; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner King moved nominations be closed on one said name and vote by acclamation; moved and seconded by vote acclamation. 

Commissioner Rivens-Smith elected by unanimous vote

 

Corresponding Secretary:

-          Commissioner Grant moved nomination of Commissioner Feeley; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner King moved nominations be closed on one said name and vote by acclamation; moved and seconded by vote acclamation. 

Commissioner Feeley elected by unanimous vote

 

Parlimentarian:

-          Commissioner Rivens-Smith moved nomination of Commissioner King; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner Roberts moved nomination of Commissioner Preston; moved and seconded

-          Commissioner King moved nominations be closed on said names after hearing 3 times; moved and seconded. 

Commissioner Preston elected 8-4

 

7.                  COMMENDATION AND APPRECIATION TO OUTGOING OFFICERS: 

Chair-elect Grant extended appreciation to Election Conductor (Ms. Booker) and all 5A commissioners.  Discussion ensues among commissioners (King, Alston, Rivens-Smith and Grant) regarding swearing-in of new officers, concluding that meeting would follow agenda while awaiting arrival and swearing-in by Councilmember Thomas.  Commissioner Blair acknowledged outgoing officers for “their service in difficult times.”  Commissioner King extended appreciation to outgoing chair Chair Alston for her two years and noted Chair Alston’s “extreme service to 5A during very difficult times dealing with very difficult issues.”  Commissioner Thomas extended further accolades to Chair Alston reminding all that “we do not get paid for this job and people raise all the hell in the world but the next day, you get up and do the best you can.”  Chair-elect Grant acknowledged Chair Alston “deserves all the accolades.”  Commissioner Steptoe thanked everyone for voting for her as recording secretary.  She wanted everyone to be aware she is tape recording the meeting and asked everyone to speak up clearly and loudly “so we can get everything on our official record to try to have thorough records.”  Commissioner Thomas also acknowledged the” good job of outgoing recording secretary Commissioner Feeley as recording secretary.”  Commissioner Rivens-Smith acknowledged outgoing treasurer Commissioner Washington who “has been keeping our finances straight.”  Commissioner Blair noted the proof of Commissioner Washington’s success is “none of us are in jail.”

 

 

8.                  POLICE REPORT:  None.

 

9.                  HOSTING COMMISSIONERS PRESIDE/INTRODUCE PRESENTERS:  The hosting commissioners (Chair Alston, Commissioners Roberts and Washington) presided, extended welcome and introduced presenters.

 

10.              PRESENTATION:   Mr. Charles Murn, President of The Michigan Park Citizens’ Association (MPCA) for “The Friends of the Park Application” (12th & Michigan Avenue, NE)

 

            Background:  The Michigan Park Citizens Association, “The Friends of the Park” application was previous distributed to all commissioners at the last Committee of the Whole meeting.  Chair Alston was informed the application went through Commissioner Feeley’s single member district.  In a 5A06 SMD meeting, Mr. Murn asked for support of the Michigan Park Citizens’ Association.  Mr. Murn submitted to ANC via Commissioner Feeley; Commissioner Feeley forwarded to full ANC 5A body. 

 

Statements from Mr. Charles Murn.  Mr. Murn indicated The Michigan Park Citizens’ Association is applying for Friends of the Park partnership with Department of Parks and Recreation – at 12th Street, Shepherd Street and Michigan Avenue. 

 

“This park is one of six parks with the Michigan Park Citizens’ Association boundaries.  The MPCA has had a long relationship with this park in terms of what we have done.  The work level ebbs as flows through time, depending on the participation of members.  MPCA is seeking to establish a new agreement with DPR (Dept. of Parks and Recreation).  We want to put in our application for Plans for Improvements.  DPR does allow us to submit it after it is passed by the ANC and DPR itself separately.  You will be seeing an Improvement Plan maybe at next month’s meeting but, depends on how these things go.  We have, for decades, had a segregated garden fund that is applied to work with the parks that we have worked on and, over time, we have fund raisings as well.  This process takes about a month or a month and a half after we submit the application to DPR so, there will be a certain amount of time before it is finalized and we will be certain to let you know.  Any questions?”

 

11.              Q&A HIGHLIGHTS:  “FRIENDS OF THE PARK” APPLICATION:

 

v                  Commissioner Steptoe queried regarding MPCA’s historic boundaries including 6 parks.  What are those parks and what has MPCA done in each park?

MPCA Response:       

(1)  no evidence for Ft. Bunker Hill Park; is a national US park (MPCA boundaries go along Otis Street);

Other 5 parks along Michigan Avenue;  (2) westerly triangle park property includes Turkey Thicket; one off 10th Street by the gas station/MPCA previously did work; (3) one coming in this direction on same side of the street - pretty small - is actually a DDOT parcel; MPCA& Brookland CDC put up a “Brookland” sign; (Commissioner Blair interjected Garden Club erected); (4) on Michigan Avenue (12th & Shepherd) - in the 50s, had a granite cobblestone path put in; MPCA received a grant from DOA in 1998 and established a butterfly; everything inside the park not in the tree box MPCA planted.  As part of the 1998 grant, MPCA created a cobblestone patio and was pretty well maintained until a few years ago; had a cleanup in October and another in December. (5) another DDOT triangle park at 13th Place and Michigan.  MPCA maintained pretty steadily; also subject to a separate grant under another DDOT grant (Public Spaces Program).  MPCA received money from DDOT for that and park has been steadily maintained. (6) The last one is on Michigan Avenue, 18th Street and Bunker Hill Road.  The grant from the Department of Agriculture was also applied and where the second butterfly garden was established. 

 

v                  Commissioner Steptoe sought clarification about which park this application applies

MPCA Response:  Application is for the 12th & Shepherd and Michigan. 

 

v                  Commissioner Rivens-Smith queried about The Bunker Hill Park; who has that park?  The commissioner spoke with the Woodridge Civic Association (WCA).  WCA stated their boundaries come to Woodridge Avenue at 18th which includes that park.  Is that Woodridge because Michigan Park does not extend that.

MPCA Response:  There are neighborhood association overlaps. 

 

v                  Commissioner Rivens-Smith commented this application had not previously been presented to the full ANC. 

v                 Commissioner Feeley stated application was presented at his January 2010 single member district meeting.  The commissioner’s January 2010 SMD meeting was the same night as 5A’s January 2010 COW meeting.

 

v                  Commissioner McCoy asked what is the significance of getting a “Friends of the Park” designation? 

MPCA Response:  DPW prefers to have those relationships if persons are going to do significant improvements.  It also guarantees that the “Friends” party is required to make decisions with public input, solicit public input to get the whole community everyone a chance to comment.  It mostly benefits the public.  To a certain extent, it benefits MPCA in terms of putting an investment in the park.  It allows MPCA to make decisions after community input and such that DDOT will not make changes based on someone else.

 

v                 Commissioner Thomas extended his appreciation and support to Mr. Murn and MPCA.  The commissioner expounded on observations at various parks on Michigan Avenue in reference to regular maintenance.  Regular maintenance was bare minimum maintenance– cutting grass, no trimming.  The one at 10th & Michigan and 12th & Michigan routinely have overgrown weeds and become eyesores.  The city has just abandoned them.  Commissioner Thomas applauds MPCA for their Saturday beautification efforts. 

v                 Commissioner Feeley seconded Commissioner Thomas’ commendation.  It is great to see MPCA so involved again and plans to make an effort in the future to join their Saturday beautification.

 

Commissioner Feeley moved that 5A Commission support the application of Friends of the Park from Michigan Park Citizens Association.  Motion seconded

 

Mr. Murn noted that DPR regulation specifies the ANC designate the particular organization (MPCA) as the partner for that park.

 

Commissioner Feeley restated his motion and moved “that Commission 5A designate The Michigan Park Citizens Association as the organization to work with the park at 12th & Michigan Avenue, NE and that 5A supports their application as Friends of the Park.”

 

Chair elect Grant repeated motion on the floor.  Motion seconded.  Discussion (none).  Unanimous vote.  11-0-0. Motion passes on voice vote.

 

12.              TREASURER’S REPORT:  Chair-elect Grant indicated Commission should review and hopefully approve Treasurer’s while Commission has quorum.

 

v                  Discussion ensued:  Commissioner Washington stated since there is a new treasurer, the new treasurer must review the report before it is approved.  Commissioner Washington indicated she cannot sign the quarterly report for the first quarter.  Chair-elect Grant noted all commissioners received a copy and report should be discussed while Commissioner Washington and all commissioners are present in the hopes commission can move to accept the treasurer’s report.  Reiteration from Commissioner Washington she does not believe the commission should move to accept on her behalf because she is no longer the treasurer. Commissioner King suggested the Commission table the report until the COW.  Commissioner Rivens-Smith:  The treasurer’s report was done while Commissioner Washington was treasurer.  The commission must close that quarter out with Commissioner Washington as present treasurer and go forward because I cannot tell what the present treasurer had to deal with to get to that report.  Chair Alston recapped Commissioner Washington’s concern that she has passed on all records and receipts to the current chair and she does not want to sign off on it today.  Commissioner Washington reiterated she cannot sign off.

 

Commissioner Washington moved to approve the first quarter fiscal year 2010 quarterly report for ANC 5A.   Motion seconded. 

Chair Alston added a friendly amendment that the current treasurer will sign off on it.

Motion passes.  10-2

Support/10; Opposed/2; Abstentions/O Motion passes:  

 

Commissioners King and Preston commented that since new executive commissioners not yet sworn in, commission cannot legally conduct business.  Chair-elect Grant responded there are Roberts’ Rules and the executive commissioners do not have to be sworn in since we are just confirming this report.  Commissioner Preston made a motion table.  Commissioner King restated commission can reconsider report at COW. 

 

Commissioners agreed to move forward with meeting agenda.

 

13.                                      SMD REPORTS:

ü                  COMMISSIONER WASHINGTON (5A01)  No report.

ü                  COMMISSIONER ROBERTS (5A-02) – 3 streets that the commission approved for speed humps in the SMD have been completed.  Our first SMD meeting for 2010 will be March 18 at the Lamond-Riggs Library, 2nd floor.  All are invited.

ü                  COMMISSIONER ALSTON (5A03)– Only issue involves a Section 8 renter .  We have a resident who has been there for 30 years now and the person next door is a Section 8 renter.  There are about 13 people living in the house and she says she swears that the lady and her children follow her around the house and bang on her walls and jump off the couches.  We are trying to work with the Ft. Circle Park in 5A03 which is part of the Rock Creek to finalize that walkway which they have promised for some time now.  We are still getting speed humps - we have them on Buchanan, Delafield and Decatur but cannot get them on Crittenden. DDOT is doing something.

ü                  COMMISSIONER PRESTON (5A04) – Nothing to report

ü                  COMMISSIONER MCCOY (5A-05) – No SMD report.  However, would like to announce our quarterly SMD meeting will be held in February at Providence Hospital. 

ü                  COMMISSIONER FEELEY (5A-06) - At the January SMD meeting, Mr. Murn presented the Michigan Park Citizens Association Friends of the Park application and there was support for that.  Also received a complaint about people running the stop sign along 10th Street going to the rec center where kids and patrons are crossing.  My constituents would like to see more police presence there – a police car actually stopping people at the stop sign in the near future.  Continuing complaints about noise very early morning noise at the Penny trash site which abuts townhouses on Perry Place.  The commissioner was asked to make contact with the owner of that facility to see if the truck operations can be moved to the other side of the facility which is closer to the tracks.

ü                  COMMISSIONER STEPTOE (5A07) – We had our January meeting on January 20, the majority of the discussion centered around Col. Brooks project.  Our next SMD meeting will be the 3rd Wednesday of March.  In the meantime, if anyone is interested in looking at the preliminary drawings that are one year old that we rec’d from OP outlining schematically what is being proposed, I have extra copies here and one of  our community architects, Mr. Edward Johnson was also able to prepare a development summary.  It is a one pager.  If anyone is interested in seeing that, I also have a few extra copies.

ü                  COMMISSIONER THOMAS (5A-08) – Held meeting yesterday with Parks and Recreation at the park at 18th and Bunker Hill and Michigan Avenue.  Over 1500 fliers were passed out and about 40 people attended.  Parks and Rec presented designs about how they wanted to upgrade the park.  Our councilmember was nice enough to put some money in the budget in order to upgrade the park which has seemingly been idle for a couple of years.  We have had a hard time just getting the grass together.  So the councilmember put some money in the budget to fix it up.  He put $250,000 budget so we are in the process of sprucing up the park - putting in more new trees that have been dead for a long.  And that should not come under the $250,000, it should come under regular maintenance.  We found out in the process that a tree was cut down that should not have been cut down.  The people came to cut down a tree but cut the wrong tree.  There was one big tree that was taken away fortunately.  The neighbors came out with the city and Parks and Rec brought out two designs.  Concept one and Concept 2.  We saw some things negative and some things positive.  We will go back and look at it again.  It is a gorgeous park but it has been sitting idle and once again Parks and Rec has done a bad job keeping it up. And that is just one of many Ward 5 parks that is not maintained.  In terms of cutting the grass, that was not even done right.  Hopefully, this summer, we will make sure the grass is cut and when it is done, it should be done right. 

ü                  COMMISSIONER RIVENS-SMITH (5A09) – Our monthly meeting will be February 10.  We will have Mrs. Quattlebaum as our guest.  We will be bringing in The Friends of the Park (the park at 18th and Bunker Hill Road) which the DC/Carr Group (?) has as Friends of the Park.  We will be sharing with DC Parks and Recreation.  Commissioner Thomas had a meeting last night.  We have been sharing with everyone in the community and will be inviting everyone in the community to come out and see the plans.  On February 20 when they have the final meeting, we want to make sure everyone in the community has seen what it is and how it will impact the community.  Everyone is invited, including all the commissioners, 

ü                  COMMISSIONER BLAIR (5A10)  Our January meeting for our single member district will be the 2nd or 3rd Saturday of February, depending on what I can get from the Woodridge library.  The commissioner is having a couple of small meetings in the neighborhood on smaller issues like the zoning on 1510 Kearney Street.  In general we continue to have the problem of people being upset about uses of buildings for things like treatment centers based on the matter of right given the zoning that those places already have.  That always comes as a shock for people and it is difficult for people why it is that some uses like that which are matter or rights uses can come  with very little or any consultation with the community, and in a bad neighborly way.  Those problems tend to be concentrated for the commissioner on Rhode Island Avenue or just couple of yards off it.

ü                  COMMISSIONER GRANT (5A-11) – Had a single member district meeting on January 12.  Councilmember Muriel (Ward 4) attended to speak about her current legislation “The Neighborhood Preservation Amendment Act” as well as “The Blighted Properties Reform Act.”  The “Senior Citizens’ Housing Modernization Grant Fund” was also in discussion.  For background purposes, whenever there is a Planned Unit Development (PUD) that there will possibly be designated monies solely available to seniors to tap into the fund.  We also discussed the bridge which will be completed on April 30.  Quite a few people have inquired.  Our next single member community meeting is March 9, 2010.

Commissioner Grant also took this opportunity to go over the resolution for consideration. The commissioner sought to have 5A on record in support of the Senior Citizens’ Housing Modernization Grant Fund since it is money designated for them up to $5,000 is the amount for which they can apply.  The commissioner believes it is a noteworthy cause.  The Neighborhood Preservation Amendment Act is another piece of legislation.  Commissioner Grant believes 5A should support. 

Commissioner Grant made a motion for 5A to submit a resolution in support “The Senior Citizens’ Housing Modernization Grant Fund” and the “The Neighborhood Preservation Amendment Act” pieces of legislation.   Motion seconded by Commissioner Rivens-Smith. 

v                  Discussion ensued:  Commissioner Thomas sought clarification about the resolution.  Commissioner Grant indicted she sought a resolution from 5A to support “The Senior Citizens’ Housing Modernization  Grant Fund”  Chair Alston queried if this matter originated from Commissioner Grant’s SMD?  Commissioner Grant responded she wanted to broach these bills while she had the floor with SMD reports. Commissioner Thomas requested Commissioner Grant resend the information to colleagues so colleagues can review it.  Commissioner Grant noted she had previously emailed to colleagues. Commissioner King noted he understands the value of these bills but wonders, in absence of what appears many having not seen or read the document, maybe discuss should be tabled for COW. Commissioner Rivens-Smith indicated the commission has been talking about neighborhood preservation and leverage for the seniors.  The commissioner stated the legislation speaks to enhancing residents in our community, the seniors, not individual ANCs.  Commissioner Rivens-Smith noted this has nothing to do with individual single member districts - it has to do with what the commission said we support on behalf of our community from the city.  Chair Alston noted her agreement with Commissioner King.  Specifically, since this legislation will affect all commissioners’ single member district, not just an individual SMD.  Chair Alston concurred the commission should discuss fully in COW so all can then speak to how it will affect respective residents.  The resolution will come from 5A to impact all of 5A and all of 5A has not read it.  Commissioner Grant indicated she was fine if the commission drafts the wording at the COW meeting.  The current motion is to support the resolution but to draft the language at our COW meeting.  Seconded by Commissioners Rivens-Smith and Feeley. 
            However, Commissioner King indicated what the commission can do is vote to rescind the motion and then be willing to take action at the COW meeting.  Commissioner Blair suggested that the mover and seconder accept that language as a friendly amendment and that the commission vote on that.  It could be a friendly amendment to replace the resolution.

ü                  COMMISSIONER KING (5A12) – After 25 years traveling from Wisconsin Avenue to Ft. Lincoln; hopefully in spring 2010 Cosco, Shoppers Food and two sit-down restaurants will break ground in Ft. Lincoln. 

A personal acknowledgement to Rob Ransom.  Rob Ransom is the owner of the Brookland Cafe. I believe he left.  But back when we had the 23 inches of snow for the first time since 1968, and my daughter’s in a nursing home and the nurses could not get there, I saw Rob on the street with all that snow and asked him could he help.  Talk about a Good Samaritan –Rob took his truck and went down to Maryland and Washington, DC – everywhere and picked up all those nurses who would normally not have gotten to the nursing home.  Not just for my daughter but for all the patients.  And I really wanted commend him and let the community know how much I really appreciate his spirit.  I think he started out about 5 and got everyone there about 9.  That was really something going from one end of the city to another and I really wanted to thank you.   

Commissioner King also commented regarding the commission vote to have all the monthly 5A meetings here at the Slowe demountable.  The commissioner stated he wished and prayed the vote be thought.  He expounded that he understood commissioners may not have a school or somewhere to have their meetings but, thinks it is very important to rotate monthly meetings in each SMD, allowing all residents from each SMD opportunity to respond.  Commissioner King noted he did not believe this is the place where we should host each and every meeting – which he believed residents would not want to either.  The commissioner hopes the commission will be considerate of the other commissioners.  Many commissioners have senior citizens and this will pose tremendous hardship.  It is hard enough to get people in the single member district to come out.  In Ft. Lincoln, if the commissioner wanted to get his Ft. Lincoln residents to come out to a meeting from one end to the other, he would have to get buses.  Commissioner King asked the commission help raise money to get buses to transport seniors to the ANC office for meetings. 

Commissioner Thomas concurred with Commissioner King, further stating to have all meetings at the 5A office is not fair to the citizens in 5A.  In Commissioner King’s case, he is the only commissioner in the District of Columbia who hosts a meeting with 300 people.  Our commission cannot hold 300 people in its office.  Commissioner King is the only Commissioner who sponsors his residents to come to the meetings in his community.  For the commission to say we are not going up there to Ft. Lincoln is a disservice.  There is a voting precinct up there with registered voters.  We should be able to go out into the communities and every single member district commissioner should be able to find a place.  These are taxpayers and it is not fair.

Commissioner Rivens-Smith stated although she will not have my meetings here, if the commission voted, we can put it back on the table and vote again. 

 

14.              CITIZEN COMPLANT REGARDING LACK OF MEETING NOTICE AND NON-UPDATED WEBSITE:  Unidentified male citizen complained ANC website still not updated.  The citizen indicated he hated to sound like a broken (having raised the same complaint in November 2009) that November minutes had not been updated.  The citizen noted DC statutes obligate commissioners hold transparent meetings and suggested the minutes are a piece of that transparency.  “How are we to know the meeting was at this location and at the time because the website says it was November 28 at 7PM at this location.  The only information that you have unless your commissioner goes door to door  - in my district in Commissioner Washington’s district, she does not do that.  I am forced to go to the website which is fine and good. I would suggest that that is unfair and irresponsible to the taxpayers.” 

Commissioner Blair indicated he would discuss this issue during Councilmember. Mendelson’s scheduled ANC meeting. Commissioner Blair also stated the Office of the ANC Director, Gottlieb Simon’s office is responsible for maintaining our website.  The citizen responded these were exact statements stated to him in November.  Chair-elect Grant provided clarification that the commission did not have a December meeting and this meeting is the first meeting in which to approve the November minutes.  Chair Alston interjected her desire to speak to the citizen’s specific concern and provide comfort.  Chair Alston apologized to the citizen and stated that, as a commission, when we create a flier, the commissioner’s receive it and it is our responsibility to distribute the flier within our individual single member district which Chair Alston stated she knows the majority do.  Commissioner Blair asked how many attendees learned of the meeting from listserv? Email?  Telephone?  With a show of hands, majority received notice by telephone and email from commissioners.

 

15.              SWEARING-IN NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS:  Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas gives oath of office to 2010 elected officers.  Reminds 5A to complete ANC form with names of offices and send to Gottlieb Simon for official recordation.

 

16.              CHAIR GRANT COMMENDS CHAIR ALSTON:  It is now my opportunity to acknowledge Commissioner Angel Alston for all she has done for the past two years.  She has held us together and it has been much appreciated.  It has been good working with Angel and I look forward to continuing that working relationship.  And with the other newly elected officers, I look forward to building that camaraderie and to the remaining commissioners, I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and us working as best for the constituents of the single member district in which we represent.

 

17.              PRESENTATION:  Opening Statement from Councilmember Harry Thomas

(See attached Addendum for Verbatim Transcript Insert to Sections 17& 18)

·                     10th Street Residents:  First I want to acknowledge Commissioner Steptoe for the work she has done on behalf of the residents of 10th Street who I see here, and give them a public apology for the being unable to attend the meeting I scheduled with you.  As you turn on Channel 13 I was in an oversight hearing until the wee hours of the morning and that was the only reason I wasn’t there.  I will tell you - I talked informally to Mr. Strauss who is the attorney representing some of the neighbors.  I don’t know if all of you will be represented by Mr. Strauss but one neighbor has retained as counsel Paul Strauss.  I say this because I think Ms. Steptoe has been working very hard.  In many of our development projects, many of our neighbors have concerns that affect their everyday lives and I think when we look at our projects we must look at the smallest to largest impact they have.

 

·         Important issues facing our community. 

Budget Deficit:  a very troubling budget deficit which could be anywhere between 350M-600M.  What does that mean to you as residents?  It means that the legislature must assure that your quality of life is not impacted and you move forward in these discussions. 

Contracts:  We have the final meeting on the contracts.  What we did was save the city millions of dollars in fees had we not had the overnight.  Those that did not comply with the subpoenas will face revocation of their corporate status in the city.  So one of the individuals who did not show up today, we forwarded that information to and his contract will be revoked until he satisfies the community conduct issues that he should have done. 

Accomplishments: Construction Authority & Public Property Bill:  A number of things are accomplished which I think you should be aware of: (1) the avoidance of very anti deficiency issues by ensuring the money goes to the proper agency; (2) we put it in the construction fund – we need to manage our construction authority issue more carefully until they satisfy the community.  I want to thank the commission for supporting the public property bill.  It took over 3 years to get it through. 

Support local community businesses:  The last thing I will say is I want you to join in supporting me local business owner, like Janice Booker.  She has been trying to develop RI Avenue a long time.  What troubles me is when I sit at the council and we put forth all these tax breaks which benefit big businesses which are not community driven.  So what we try to do craft legislation which is community driven to make sure she stays as part of this mix.

Good Will Industries and Green Jobs:  Our initiative to work with the Good Will Industries and Green Jobs to get an additional $1.5M in green jobs initiative stimulus dollars.  We will be hiring 300 young adults all Ward 5 residents to be trained this summer. 

Acknowledgements:  The Councilmember acknowledged his staff (Mr. Neil Rodgers), another Ward 5er, Ms. Deborah Crain-Kemp and Ms. Humphries from Episcopal ministries.  Episcopal ministries partnered with the Councilmember to host a St. Valentine’s Day event for the seniors.  One request is for Ms. Senior DC (Commissioner Rivens-Smith) to appear at the event with her crown on the 12th at the Teamsters’ Union Hall to service our 400 young seniors.  We also have another one of our fine Ward 5 civic association leaders here, Mr. Charles Murn.

 

18.              Q&A HIGHLIGHTS (SUMMARY):  COUNCILMEMBER THOMAS:  The Councilmember received and responded to extensive commissioner and audience questions dealing with such concerns as: (a) Col. Brooks Development in SMD 5A07; (b) suggested communities strategies in anticipation of Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) in SMD 5A06 and throughout the ward; (c) zoning concerns; (d) OP’s Implementation items for the Brookland SAP; (e) community development issues, projects & projects and their impact upon residents.

v                 Commissioner Feeley:  I was very pleased that you welcomed our citizens in confronting this PUD that is coming up in Commissioner Steptoe’s SMD, and my SMD will be looking forward to PUDs in the coming months and years.  I was wondering if you have thoughts how we can work with some of the business interests, and development interests up front to make sure the source of serious problems that individual citizens are going to be facing when we see this big development comes our way.  For example, Commissioner Steptoe has 200 units coming next to the people who have been living over 40 years in their homes.  In my SMD, I have many people who are going to be in the same situation.  Any insights you have to offer commissioners how we can step up and get in there early to assure that we have friendly development coming our way and not an adversarial situation?

v                 Commissioner Steptoe:  I know that my constituents will speak to this – just in terms of the expediency of the PUD that is coming down the pike.  I don’t know if you have been notified but begrudgingly the development and all of the affiliates still have not shared anything with us definitively.  We have preliminary analysis but I will say this - they told me at the SMD meeting – and again, they did not initiate any contact with us.  We initiated it with them at the behest – the very disconcerting behest of the neighbors.  But we were told they were going to file their PUD in less than in less than three weeks.  And I am just saying from a zoning perspective in terms of the vision, can you also speak specifically to the neighbors about the level of community input that should be on the record prior to a PUD submission.  I know what that is but I want you to speak to that if you can because once we get the notification from zoning and you know that stuff is fast forwarded, and although communities can oppose it unfortunately once it’s on the table and if our councilmember does or does not put something in writing expressing and conveying the concerns of his constituents in this case, it is the 10th Street residents and the other ones, I just wanted to be clear that we have a three week window in which this PUD is going to be filed and the magnitude of that impact, again, once it is fast forwarded, their talking about breaking ground in 18 months. 

v                    Male citizen (Curtis Knight):  I live in the block of 10th and Lawrence Street and I live in 3400 10th Street and Col. Brooks’ place is at 901 Monroe Street.  At first, there were mostly homes in that block which are still homes, which Col. Brooks and a developer bought up 85 % of the block without community input.  One of the reasons we are upset is because they did not talk to us.  And this started in the late part of 2006.  These were private homes that they bought up.  And now they are talking about building 7 story apartments.  That changes the whole block  that they are just leaving these 6 houses here.  And they told us in a meeting that they had with us in December that they did not want our homes that they did not even want to buy our homes.  And yes, we are upset.  And we should be upset.  And how can a person come in and buy up homes and now tell us they are going to put up apartments.  Seems to me that does not make sense.  Seems to me the city should be going against that. 

v                    Commissioner Feeley:  The Councilmember knows how this commission stood on the Small Area Plan and the problems that many people in our single member districts face is when they made their very strenuous statements and concerns about buffering and the development around the metro station, our voice was not heard as well as the citizens.  The final product of the Small Area Plan does not reflect what was said at the community meetings.  That is why I asked you initially now that the Small Area Plan what advice you have for us.  Now that the Small Area Plan is put in place and that PUDs of a certain source will be looked at favorably, I think the one avenue we might have is to have an early discussion with someone before they bring their PUD before us.  Anything you can offer to encourage that kind of discussion in the community.  I know you have a lot of contact with the people who own the properties around the metro and throughout the Ward.  The point I would like to make tonight is the Small Area Plan is in place and yet perhaps we can work with developers to avoid the sorts of great difficulties residents are facing.

v                 Commissioner Rivens-Smith:  The property off of Sherman Avenue off of Barry Place.  They came through Sherman Avenue and Howard University and it wasn’t zoned for anything.  These were individual homes.  They weren’t zoned to be commercial.  Who changed the zoning for them and made it something different and zone if differently without coming back to the community.  No one knows how it came from being a house to five houses.  How did it get rezoned to something else?

 

19.              PRESENTATION:   Ms. Deborah Crain-Kemp, DC Office of Planning re Planning and Proposed Development Recommendation and Implementation Action Items 

 

Statement from Ms. Crain-Kemp:  I am not going to do the full extended presentation.  What I have prepared and given to the ANC commissioners is a pretty comprehensive package that deals with a lot with the planning and development discussion that we had talking about planned and proposed developments that is coming to this particular neighborhood as well as the entire ward. And what did happen in March of last years with the approval of the Small Area Plan for the Brookland/CUA metro station.  It has about 109 recommendation and implementation actions that I am responsible for managing.  What I am proposing to do is just get to the point is working with the ANC commission to set up a task force to look at immediately the short term action items which include: putting together this task force to talk about design review committee, and also the community benefits.  And it would be absolutely wonderful if we could get ahead of the curve before the Col. Brooks PUD becomes a reality that we could talk collectively about what would be appropriate benefits, what would be appropriate to ask.  We know that with Col. Brooks development, we know that with Jamal, we know WMATA.  We know quite a few that are still being talked about but have not become applications.  This is the fertile time.  Now we did miss the boat with CUA and ABDO.  The impending Col. Brooks PUD application should not preclude us sitting down discussing this.

 

20.              Q&A HIGHLIGHTS:  MS. CRAIN-KEMP (Office of Planning)

 

v                  Commission Feeley:  I am very happy to see these action plans.  Just want to clarify – is this action plan a result of the council’s notes in their approval of the small area plan?

v                 OP Response:  Yes.

 

v                  Commissioner Feeley:  This is something that we as a commission have been waiting for so I am very happy to see that the Office of Planning is responding to the Council’s notes.  While the Small Area Plan was approved, our commission had some questions about it and, in part, response to that.  I am hoping that, as I was asking the Councilman, what can we do to be work with the small area plan and also be up front? 

 

v                  Commissioner Steptoe:  Can you just tell me, given what we have experienced in our community, pre-application submission, do you know whether Office of Planning will take into consideration any responses or statements of position our SMD would have  about the handling, pre-application submission?

v                 OP Response:  Until the application is submitted there is no real action that can be taken, and it would be the Zoning commission; the Office of Planning staffs the zoning commission.  Ms. Crain Kemp stated her job is to be out here to be liaison, to be sure your voices and opinions are heard but until it is an application, it is not a real official action.

v                 Commissioner Blair – I just wanted to make sure the audience and my fellow commissioners understand that I think this is very late in the day to be meeting.  The DC Council Chair’s distinct recommendation before the Office of Planning that this be done much sooner than it was finally done.  That said, I am happy it is being finally done.  It was a tragedy to this community that we did let CUA/Abdo PUD go through with so little comment from us.  Of course, the railroad tracks serve as a barrier between 5A and 5C.  As far as I am concerned, that means that 5A and 5C have to collaborate on issues that deeply affect all of us.  I do not think a citizen should be very happy with the response “there’s a line” that can go straight through your living room.

v                 OP Response:  I think that is an excellent idea and even it commissioners want to encourage other commissioners in 5C or some of the most affected ones to participate on the task force as we go ahead and develop it.  But that is certainly your shot to call.

 

v                  Female citizen:  (Ever Dubose):  I have a statement that was presented to us about the Col. Brooks project.  They said you talked about the “continuity” of the Catholic University Plan over to 901 (Col. Brooks project) – which is basically continuing the campus over on this side.

v                 Commissioner Steptoe clarified and stated it is the “connectivity” blurb. 

v                 Ms. Dubose continued that 901 would basically be another dormitory Catholic University could use.

v                 OP Response:  Ms. Crain Kemp stated it would not be a dorm, it would be leased units.  We know that Catholic’s plan is to have all their students domiciled on the campus.

v                 Ms. Dubose stated they can say what they want.  They will be rentals, not condos.   Families do not rent junior one bedrooms.

 

v                  Female citizen (unnamed):   Can you show us on your planning website where we can go and see your PUD process and terminology. 

v                 OP Response:  Ms. Crain Kemp said go the zoning website.  The description of the PUD process is on the zoning website.  However, she is happy to speak or provide download copies from their website and forward to everyone.

 

v                  Female citizen (Ms. Janice Booker): When you have the community meeting that you are going to schedule in February or whenever, could you begin or have some portion of your initial presentation to tell us what is a Small Area Plan?  Out of what did it evolve?  Where has it worked well with community support?  Where has the city denied the application and the basis of that?  We are not given the baby steps and sometimes the adult finished product is given to present to us without our understanding how it grew.  I think that is very important for community participation. 

v                 Commissioner Blair:  Is there a place you’re talking about specifically?  I’m thinking Rhode Island Avenue.

v                 Ms. Booker:  No.  I’m talking in general.  People should understand the concept of a Small Area Plan regardless of where it is.

v                 OP Response:  Ms. Crain Kemp stated as clarification - the meeting that OP is planning it is up to the commission to decide whether this is a public meeting or just for the commission.  Ms. Crain Kemp stated she is prepared to do it either way.

v                 All commissioners agreed it should be done publicly since it benefits everyone.

 

v                  Male citizen (Daniel Wolkoff):  It seems like a lot of questions have been had about this particular requirement finally happening.  It was approved at the City Council.  They weren’t at the hearings.  They did not read the testimony submitted by people.  They probably know very little about the issues involved in Brookland yet they approved it unanimously.  Councilman Thomas attached a rider, or whatever you want to call it.  The rider said this approval held up, correct?  The approval of the city council is held up until the ANC and the Office of Planning has this meeting.

v                 Commissioner Blair:  That’s a little bit of a mistake.  I was present at that hearing.  The person who attached the conditions was Chairman Gray and he did not say this only takes effect when.  He strongly admonished the Office of Planning to have meetings with the ANCs on three particular issues which he then listed.

v                 Mr. Wolkoff:  Not Harry Thomas?

v                 Commissioner Blair:  No. 

v                 Mr. Wolkoff:  And it was to have the meeting on the three issues –

v                 Commissioner Blair:  to resolve the three issues –

v                 Mr. Wolkoff:  green space at the metro, transportation planning study and, what was the third one?

v                 Commissioner Steptoe:  Density.  Harriet Tregoning said in their final ruling – we disputed it but that’s what they wrote – that they satisfied all the issues.  The final report that came out of Harriet Tregoning and the council when the issued their final opinion.  They  actually went line for line about those 4 issues of which our ANC resolved that additional communication with Office of Planning was needed, the final decision was the city council specifically said, although we disputed it, said in writing that those conditions were met and not in terms of amending anything but in terms of a discussion was presented and that Office of Planning addressed them not to say that it had to be satisfied according to the community but just that the discussion occurred.  It was very frustrating.  Commissioner Feeley wrote a rebuttal about this.  Actually he and I both did.

v                 Commissioner Blair:  And I have complained personally to Chairman Gray.

v                 Mr. Wolkoff:  Just to be clear.  The meeting that Office of Planning is proposing for the ANC and community members – a task force – is directed by Councilmember Gray’s addition.

v                 OP Response:  There are more than 3 changes here.

v                 Mr. Wolkoff:  Bottom line – if OP does not want to change anything – regardless of what everyone says at this task force, no matter how many people repeat what is said, OP can still say, we are going to do it the way we propose which is how the Small Area Plan presents OP’s position.  I just want to make sure I understand that because it is almost like a revolving door where the same thing is happening over and over again.  I don’t see where we are getting anywhere with Harry Thomas either.  I just want to be sure I understand this.  Now the question is: is it going to be the same thing as the Small Area Plan that says it preserves neighborhood character.   But there is nothing in there.  I would like of list of the things in the neighborhood character that it preserves.  It says it is going to enhance park space and green space and preserve it. I would like a list of all the park and all green space it is preserving and enhancing.  If your office does not see on their own professional level what the ANC does, and they are not urban planners necessarily though Eddie Johnson is and Clarence Mobley is.  If your office does not see those things, you are lost. 

v                 OP Response:  Let me interject before you go off on a tangent.  In black and white, I do not have to defend the plan.  It lists the park.  It talks about 10th Street specifically in the open space.  It lists specific actions that we can take.

v                 Mr. Wolkoff:  Well what does it say?  Does it say the existing park space in this google photograph will be preserved  with the other aspects of the development?

v                 OP Response:  I know you have read it.  It speaks specifically with 10th Street.  We don’t talk about the entire metro area because that is WMATA joint development property.  And because of the Small Area Plan and what came out of the McMillan Plan, we do speak specifically about preserving that strip of green along 10th Street and we have committed ourselves.

 

v                  Commissioner McCoy:  As a general question, it seems the Small Area Plan is a door to open up PUDs in Brookland.  I am curious to know if residents want to see that door closed, is there a process to do it (close the PUD door)?

v                 OP Response:  Reasonable point for us doing the Small Area - the properties that are outlined in the subareas in this plan are private properties that were being discussed openly as having potential for development.  Our only goal was to provide framework and guidance as we hear about certain plans at the metro station and things happening on 12th Street and Monroe Street and we wanted to provide guidance and that is all this does and oversees development because in each and every case, whatever development occurs in our subareas has to go through a PUD process.

v                 Commissioner McCoy:  I appreciate that.  However, I am asking you – it appears to me that after the approval of the plan, all the PUDs now can just come on line.  If that’s the case, in my mind then this (SAP) is the vehicle by which to facilitate that.

v                 OP Response:  My point is they are coming anyway.  Simply what we are trying to do is provide a framework as to how that development should occur.

 

v                  Commissioner Feeley:  My joy is disappearing because you are telling us these development projects were openly being discussed prior to all of your outreach.  That is exactly the opposite of what the Office of Planning said during all that outreach.  You said there was no discussion between developers and the Office of Planning prior to that.

v                 OP Response:   Not us.  I am saying not out in the community like Douglas Jamal.

v                 Commissioner Feeley:  And the community kept telling them “no, no, no, no, no.”  What did the Office of Planning tell everybody at the outreach – “this is coming.”  What the community told Douglas Jamal when he wanted to put up an 8 story building behind their townhouses was “no, no, no, no, no.”  But the Office of Planning should have told Douglas Jamal during the outreach for the Small Area Plan was  “no, no, no, no, no.”  That’s what the community gave to everyone who was part of the development.

v                 OP Response:  If the city owned the property, that would be great and fine.

v                 Commissioner Feeley:  The city is very instrumental in changing the zoning.  And as has been said, the Small Area Plan is an opening of a door that says “put your PUDs out.”

v                 Commissioner Steptoe:   That’s really what’s happening.  Look at Col. Brooks.  It’s certainly the same thing that’s happening. 

 

v                  Female citizen (Mary Knight) :  We have lived in our house over 30 years at 9th and Lawrence and now will have a seven story apartment building with 221 units.  I think it is very unfair because, same as with the school across the street (Luke C. Moore) - all of a sudden it is 10th and Monroe and came down to tenth and Lawrence.  So now, when we look out of our bedroom window and look out the living room window and now with the apartment building going up we are surrounded by bricks.  And I could not understand how the city would take our block, which was all residential and then turn it into someone else.

v                 OP Response:  It is not the city approving it, it is the private developers.

v                 Mrs. Knight:  But someone has to approve it..  My question is – no one cares about the seniors.  They are concerned about Col. Brooks and what he wants.  And yet we are taxpayers and these people most of them do not even live here,

v                 OP Response:  We can do a truncated process.  We can diverse what you what to see, what kinds of planned unit developments you want to see. 

 

v                  Mr. Wolkoff:  A 30 unit building could be developed in the Col. Brooks area.  This is about maxing out.  What is wrong with making5 million dollars on a 30 unit development next to these wonderful people.  What is the problem?   I just do not understand how we can pay your salary and Harry Thomas’ salary and you’re playing games over and over continuously. 

 

v                  Commissioner Rivens-Smith:  But the monies go out and it does not benefit anybody.  We don’t get any jobs.  We don’t get anything.  It is not just Deborah or Harry.  We need to look at who we elect to do things and what their positions are and how we let them do what they do to us.

 

v                  Chair Grant:  I would implore everyone to adjust their schedules when we can finalize that date.  One of the questions I will ask Deborah Crain Kemp to make sure we have a full disclosure discussion on what are citizens’ recourse - that has been the underlying question throughout - What is our recourse?  If we chose not to be a part, what is our  recourse when they try to blindside us and say that we do not have to necessarily get a community benefits package because that will arm us with how we really will decide going forward. 

 

*          *          *

Chair Grant made motion to adjourn at 9:20PM.  Seconded. 

 

Chair Grant indicated the next scheduled meeting will be held at ANC office; 4th Wednesday in February.

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Commissioner Carolyn C. Steptoe (5A07)

Recording Secretary

 

 

5A ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ADDENDUM TO JANUARY 27, 2010 MINUTES

 

 

VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT INSERT

 

OF SECTIONS: 

 

17.       PRESENTATION: Opening Statement from Councilmember Harry Thomas

18.       Q&A With Councilmember Thomas

 

5A ADVISORY NEIGHBOR COMMISSION

ADDENDUM TO JANUARY 27, 2010 MINUTES

 

 

VERBATIM TRANSCRIPT INSERT TO SECTION:

 

17.       PRESENTATION:  Opening Statement from Councilmember Harry Thomas

 

Opening Remarks from Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas –

 

            First, I want to acknowledge Commissioner Steptoe for the work she has done on behalf of the residents of 10th Street who I see here, and give them a public apology for the being unable to attend the meeting I scheduled with you.  As you turn on Channel 13, I was in an Oversight Hearing until the wee hours of the morning and that was the only reason I wasn’t there.  I will tell you - I talked informally to Mr. Strauss, who is the attorney representing some of the neighbors.  I don’t know if all of you will be represented by Mr. Strauss but one neighbor has retained as counsel Paul Strauss. 

I say this because I think Ms. Steptoe has been working very hard.  In many of our development projects, many of our neighbors have concerns that affect their everyday lives and I think when we look at our projects we must look at the smallest to largest impact they have. 

I really just wanted to come in and say to this commission thank you for your work.  This is where I got my start.  I will give you a reminder however.  When I say this is where I got my start, as you have one of the longest serving commissioner.  I will remind everybody and this is how I go down to the council, the institution is always great with the individuals.  That is what I say everyday when I walk in the District building.  I am the fourth councilmember from Ward 5 and there will be another councilmember one day.  And the type of legacy you want to leave for the next person or next custodian is the kind of leadership you want them to have. 

There are a number of important issues that are facing our community.  Most importantly I think for me to look at a very troubling budget deficit which could be anywhere between $350M-$600M.  What does that mean to you as residents?  It means that the legislature must assure that your quality of life is not impacted and you move forward in these discussions.

            Prime example, one of the areas where we had to spend a lot of money is with special needs children where we send them all over the place.  And pay enough money per family to buy them a car in transportation costs.  That is where I was before I came here at one of our special needs schools in Commissioner Washington’s SMD.  We have to bring those kinds of services back to the city to save money for you taxpayers.

            We have the final meeting on the contracts.  What we did was save the city millions of dollars in fees had we not had the overnight.  Thirdly, those that did not comply with the subpoenas will face revocation of their corporate status in the city.  So one of individual who did not show up today, we forwarded that information to and he will be revoked until he satisfies the community conduct issues that he should have done.

            Why that was important was because there is relevant information as to payout and discrepancies on the record that they could have easily been handle if they had decided to testify.

            Lot of people through up their hands and ask why are we doing this?  A number of things are accomplished which I think you should be aware of – the avoidance of very anti deficiency issues by ensuring the money goes to the proper agency; (2)  we put it in the construction fund – we need to manage our construction authority issue more carefully until they satisfy the community; want to thank the commission for supporting the public property bill; huge law, took over 3 years to get it through.  If nothing else, you will learn about Councilmember Thomas is I have tenacity.  That bill passed.  Why is that important to you (how we manage public property)?  Because we have Backus, we have Taft, we have Brookland ES and we need to define and you need to have input what will happen to those properties.  The reason why we have Backus is because with UDC is coming to our community you provided input.  I worked very hard with Commissioner Alston and other Commissioners – Commissioner Roberts and others to get unity around that issue to bring that facility to Ward 5.

The last thing I will say is I want you to join in supporting me local business owner, like Janice Booker.  She has been trying to develop RI Avenue a long time.  What troubles me is when I sit at the council and we put forth all these tax breaks which benefit big businesses which are not community driven.  So what we try to do craft legislation which is community driven to make sure she stays as part of this mix.  Sometimes we have to work legislatively around these issues and it takes a long time but if we do start having community based, community neighborhood driven initiatives to support our local businesses, we are going to do some very egregious things and not ensure that certain kinds of businesses in our neighborhoods.

I said that was the last thing but there is one more thing.  We were successful with our initiative to work with the Good Will Industries and Green Jobs initiative to get an additional $1.5M in green jobs initiative stimulus dollars and we will be hiring 300 young adults all Ward 5 residents to be trained this summer with an initiative I started with Good Will to ensure our residents go to work.  The number one issue we have in this city is our unemployment rate.  Our unemployment rate is abysmal. 

            I want to acknowledge our staff, Mr. Neil Rodgers.  I want to also acknowledge another Ward 5er, Deborah Crain Kemp.  And we also have Ms. Humphries from Episcopal ministries.  I want to thank her for partnering with me for doing a St. Valentine’s Day event for the seniors.  One request we have is for Ms. Senior DC to appear at the event with her crown on the 12th at the Teamsters’ Union Hall to service our 400 young seniors. 

 

v                 Commissioner Smith:  The lady calls them recycled teenagers.  .  questions.

 

v                 Councilmember Thomas:  We also have another one of our fine Ward 5 civic association leaders here, Mr. Charles Murn and all the late night emails you send me.  Any questions? 

 

18.       Q&A With Councilmember Thomas

v                 Commissioner Feeley:  I was very pleased that you welcomed our citizens in confronting this PUD that is coming up in Commissioner Steptoe’s SMD, and my SMD will be looking forward to PUDs in the coming months and years.  I was wondering if you have thoughts how we can work with some of the business interests, and development interests up front to make sure the source of serious problems that individual citizens are going to be facing when we see this big development comes our way.  For example, Commissioner Steptoe has 200 units coming next to the people who have been living over 40 years in their homes.  In my SMD I have many people who are going to be in the same situation.  Any insights you have to offer commissioners how we can step up and get in there early to assure that we have friendly development coming our way and not an adversarial situation.

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  I will be honest with you.  Thanks to the due diligence of this neighbors and what a find a lot of times what happens is neighbors get let down in the process because they kept asking.  What happens is you really have to have SMD leadership and have to have good local leadership, and a willingness of individuals who represent you to meet.  So I set up some individual meetings and I will tell you and they will tell you that those meetings all that they should be nor were those meetings always dealt in an honest manner with them but we are starting dialogue.  It is a long process.  You have to be in it for the long haul.  Or you can do like Ms. Booker.  One of the reasons I am supporting her is because she had community vision settings and brought in people before she put in her plans. 

The way they learned – the 10th Street residents – they heard of this plan.  They didn’t know what was happening.  It was out here in the community that this PUD was coming.  In fact, one of their neighbors was offered a deal and they said why are you offering a deal to somebody if you are not doing this.  Fortunately, the PUD has not happened but would say to you, just being proactive. 

The best way to do it is participate in Ms. Crain’s Small Area Plan.  Development should happen up front that’s the proactive way.  When you look at your neighborhood in that perspective and you look at the Small Area Plan and layout plans for what your vision of your community should going to be, you have to understand what is going to happen.

I give you one example.  On 12th Street, people want to take it to another level.  What people don’t realize is that in the past history of 12th Street, there was actually more commercial in the past so that when you look at it sometimes you have to look at it in a different way.  The other way is protecting – I give you an example, look at downtown.  You notice an acute shift from what we used to know as the downtown business district on 14th, 13th, 12th & 11th Street, it moved to 7th Street.  How did that happen?  Because we built a huge arena for sports.  When we do that, it was an indicator to bring, every night, large amounts of people in that community who supported the revenue so naturally development started in those neighborhoods.  So, that is what you have to work with.  You have to have willingness to work with those neighbors.  One of the things I say quite frankly is you want to protect the quality of life for people in our communities.   This is a very unique community, wonderful trees and green space and those are the things you want to preserve in my mind.  Maybe some neighbors in the future want to change that and there is a way to change that which is not anti-development. 

            I can give you a further example.  If you look at Mr. King.  We have been waiting to finish a deal in his area for 25 years.  Cosco has been on the table for at least 12 of those years.   And now we are at the point where that was a planned development and things have been built up around it but you look at the space around it.  It is appropriate for what they are trying to accomplish and even the new neighbors that have moved with the vision hoping that Cosco would be coming.  In Ward 5 you have to have various strategies.  And McMillan is a huge issue to grapple with and there is a lot of misinformation about how McMillan is going to play out.  But I tell people all the time.  These are proposals.  And at the end of the day, we have to weigh in.  But one of the things that will protect you is, we try to put some natural things like buffers that break the sound.  I even do a bit more for instance, in the Jamal property we have trash issues that we have in another community.  One of the things we are looking at is other uses that may be useful to you in residential. Would you like something like a Harris Teeter.    Those are the kinds of things that can enhance your community.  We have to think outside the box.

 

v                 Chair Grant:  that’s a great segue to your economic development meeting.

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  And my meeting with the community leaders.  I hope many of you will come this Saturday at North Michigan Park where I ask all our ANC and civic leaders to come.  One of the things I will do is have a parliamentary procedure person there to go over parliamentary rules.  Some ANC got that training and others did not so I want to make sure we are on good ground with how we do things.  There is actually a law which is about to change how parliamentary procedure can be used in your meetings and you need to be attuned to that.  I know Rip would appreciate that. 

 

v                 Chair Grant:  But specifically your economic development meeting.

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  It is not really an economic development.  What we call it now is a summit.  My reason for that is I do not call it economic development, it should really be called community development.  I think it should develop jobs, it should develop resources for the community, it should have community input so we are going to have an expo.  Part of what it is we are trying to get people hired.  One of the things I started was an initiative was a program called a “Minimum of 100 jobs for Ward 5” and as we go into the summer, our goal for residents is 300.  So I want you to come to that meeting on March 6 at Gallaudet.

 

v                 Commissioner Steptoe:  Councilmember, thank you for coming and I know that my constituents will speak to this – just in terms of the expediency of the PUD that is coming down the pike.  I don’t know if you have been notified but begrudingly the development and all of the affiliates still have not shared anything with us definitively.  We have preliminary analysis but I will say this - they told me at the SMD meeting – and again, they did not initiate any contact with us.  We initiated it with them at the behest – the very disconcerting behest of the neighbors.  But we were told they were going to file their PUD in less than in less than three weeks.  And I am just saying from a zoning perspective in terms of the vision, can you also speak specifically to the neighbors about the level of community input that should be on the record prior to a PUD submission.  I mean I know what that is but I want you to speak to that if you can because once we get the notification from zoning and you know that stuff is fast forwarded, and although communities can oppose it unfortunately once it’s on the table and if our councilmember does or does not put something in writing expressing and conveying the concerns of his constituents in this case, it is the 10th Street residents and the other ones, I just wanted to be clear that we have a three week window in which this PUD is going to be filed and the magnitude of that impact, again, once it is fast forwarded, their talking about breaking ground in 18 months. 

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  You kind of answered the question yourself so I don’t know if I can speak to it anymore clearly.

 

v                 Commissioner Steptoe:  I think that they want to hear you.

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  I think I have had enough individual meetings and will continue when the PUD process starts you will have input whether that PUD will be accepted as centered around the Small Area Plan.  Ms. Crain Kemp will provide information.

v                 Response from Office of Planning (OP)/Ms. Crain Kemp:  What I have is a handout but I am happy to send it anyone who wants a copy.  Basically talks about planning and development.  Almost every district property and park property is zoned, except federal property and a certain code attached to it.  What the zoning code dictates is what type development can occur.  Some properties have multiple zoning even have multiple codes.  The PUD will unify all those What a PUD does is offer the community benefit to have a .  The PUD would unify all the parcels.  Goes to zoning and office of planning.  OP

 

v                 Commissioner Steptoe:  I just want to be clear because I appreciate what Commissioner Feeley said about an adversarial position.  Unfortunately, that development team Councilmember has entrenched themselves in a very adversarial position by saying we have nothing to offer; there is nothing we are going to do until the PUD is filed and that is an insult to the intellect of all us knowing if you really are open and receptive to what this is going to do to the community, you’re going to hear them before and adjust yourself prior to the submission.

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  You can look at it one of two ways and I understand the community’s point of view and what the intangibles are.  It’s a moving target for what they are actually going to propose so they can have a negotiating point with you.  And once that PUD is on the table, that is your point of negotiation.  Anything else is speculative.  One of the things they did and I don’t agree with it and I said this in front of the neighbors is I don’t agree with the formula they used for underground parking.  The underground parking costs normally for those areas so if they are trying to base things are the revenue they will generate, they need to be sure before they offer to you because it could cost way more than they would expect and it would not be any amenities. 

For example, if everyone one of them wanted to sell their homes because they didn’t want the impact, they have to know what type of margins they would have in that development picture to be able to offer adequate dollars for their homes based on what they will generate as revenue so I don’t think one of the reasons they have not said anything is so they lock in early. 

But there are emotions involved and when you have emotion, you deal with how people feel.  And I understand because this is the residents’ life long dream which is being disrupted.  So I think once they get to that point, whereas I use Ms. Booker for example,  She came to her vision a different way.  But I can tell you this, because of her demeanor, they came to Ms. Booker a different way.  The same person can probably present the same idea that Ms. Booker had on RI Avenue and it would not fly.  I will be honest with you.  People do not want to recognize that RI Avenue is adjacent to R2.  So you have some high end.  So you have R1 right next to C2 and people moved in not understanding that when you move right next to it regardless of how long you have been living there.  Now the likelihood of RI changing  its venue or its zoning is going to be very hard.  That’s the oldest highway in the nation.  So it has some particular issues around it and people may lie to you lie to you.  But I will be honest with you about the likelihood that some things will have to change. 

 

v                 Male citizen (Curtis Knight):  I live in the block of 10th and Lawrence Street and I live in 3400 10th Street and Col. Brooks’ place is at 901 Monroe Street.  At first, there were mostly homes in that block which are still homes, which Col. Brooks and a developer bought up 85 % of the block without community input. 

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  Didn’t he talk to you guys in the beginning?

v                 Mr. Knight:  No.  He went to individuals.  One of the reasons we are upset is because they did not talk to us.  And this started in the late part of 2006.  These were private homes that they bought up.  And now they are talking about building 7 story apartments.  That changes the whole block  that they are just leaving these 6 houses here.  And they told us in a meeting that they had with us in December that they did not want our homes that they did not even want to buy our homes.  And yes, we are upset.  And we should be upset.  And how can a person come in and buy up homes and now tell us they are going to put up apartments.  Seems to me that does not make sense.  Seems to me the city should be going against that. 

v                 Commissioner Steptoe:  Mr. Knight, tell them what you said Mr. Menkiti said to you about we will be just build around you and your houses will fall, I mean the callousness of their statements are grossly offensive.

v                 Mr. Knight:  The reason why he was able to buy and scare some of the people out that he told them, unbeknownst to us when he first started buying those homes is we will just build around you. 

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  People who did not live closest to a project view it as a good because it is not next to them.  My point is when I look at development, regardless of what folks want to believe, I look at it from the most affected on out.  I think that is how you should look at it because we have people like this who are sitting here that have some very serious issues.  To the point now where some of the owners have legal representation.  Paul Strauss will be representing some of the owners.  What can happen in that case, if all of those remaining owners do not join, they can still be left out.  My role to them since I am their councilmember what I have to do is give them the best resources to them.  And that is why I wanted Ms. Crain to speak.  Because this is going to be an important issue for this commission.  Because we grapple with on the one hand we have neighborhoods who say they want more restaurants so they do not have to go to other neighborhoods but on the other hand  there are certain prices that you pay like Daniel was saying,  for green space.  Mr. Wolkoff emails me later than probably anybody. 

 

v                 Male citizen (Daniel Wolkoff) responded he was all night last night so I am tired.

 

v                 Commissioner Alston took questions.

 

v                 From Commissioner Feeley:  The Councilmember knows how this commission stood on the Small Area Plan and the problems that many people in our single member districts face is when they made their very strenuous statements and concerns about buffering and the development around the metro station, our voice was not heard as well as the citizens.  The final product of the Small Area Plan does not reflect what was said at the community meetings.  That is why I asked you initially now that the Small Area Plan what advice you have for us.  Now that the Small Area Plan is put in place and that PUDs of a certain source will be looked at favorably, I think the one avenue we might have is to have an early discussion with someone before they bring their PUD before us.  Anything you can offer to encourage that kind of discussion in the community.  I know you have a lot of contact with the people who own the properties  around the metro and throughout the Ward.  The point I would like to make tonight is the Small Area Plan is in place and yet perhaps we can work with developers to avoid the sorts of great difficulties residents are facing.

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  I will just say I it for this commission.  I brought you all down to the Ward 5 Economic Development Partnership.  I laid out all the parcels of land and let everyone know what I want to know because I think information is power.  Then you are able to take the information and plan.  What I learned in last year’s Economic Development breakout sessions for neighbors to come into.  What I learned from those breakout sessions were neighborhood voices that were being trampled because, at that moment, everyone was arguing about 12th Street and burying the power lines.  If the councilmember had said, as much as I was in support of the concept of it, no one had talked to the residents most affected; the ones who live on 12th Street.  Everyone in this room has to be real honest about this – that the driving force of that were a lot of people who live in the periphery of 12th Street.  So when I brought them to the first meeting - (the residents who live on 12th Street) about burying the power lines, they were like no one asked me about burying the power lines directly in front of my house.  Those are the kinds of things that we have to be mindful of.  As councilmember, had I not done it that way, we would not have the amenities that you have on 12th Street right now.  It’s not perfect work but it’s better than what we had three years ago as to what has happened with the lighting ,the street repairs, the bump outs.  It does not always work but we have to keep fighting at it.  I do not say it comes out 100% in favor of everything we do but I think being more proactive.  For very long this community has not organized in the kinds of development it wanted and the kinds of things we wanted to see.  I hope this community will support my initiative to have a Green Plan in all development we can understand how green space is and how we can preserve it in our communities.  That even goes to something as simple as playgrounds and whether you want your playground turned into a turf field.  Those turf fields look nice but at the end of the day when you put in a turf field, it is no longer green space.  It has long term impacts on your community, run offs and everything, that you need to decide.  I always tell people that; we have to be proactive about what we do.  That’s been one of my biggest struggles with this government.  Information sharing has not been a big thing between the executive and the legislature and so we’re always in a fighting mode and we need to be in a cooperative mode.  That’s why I always try to reach out to these commissioners and try to have dialog.  And I don’t get into personalities.  You don’t have to worry about whether I hate you or love you or don’t love you.  And Ms. Steptoe will tell you.  When she emails me no matter the issue...

v                 Commissioner Steptoe .... no matter what the issue.

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas....  when we’re at the InterHigh Ball game

v                 Commissioner Steptoe.... that’s right....

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas .... and I’m rooting for who – HD – and she’s rooting for Ballou (and they beat ya’ll this year)...

v                 Commissioner Steptoe.... that’s all right...

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas - I had to get that in because I was there the year before rooting for Dunbar, a Ward 5 school,sand she was over there with her Blue and Gold rooting against our school...

 

v                 Commissioner Rivens-Smith:  The property off of Sherman Avenue off of Barry Place.  They came through Sherman Avenue and Howard University and it wasn’t zoned for anything.  These were individual homes.  They weren’t zoned to be commercial.  Who changed the zoning for them and made it something different and zone if differently without coming back to the community.  No one knows how it came from being a house to five houses.  How did it get rezoned to something else?

v                 Response from Councilmember Thomas:  I guarantee you there was an administrative meeting.  In the days when it happened, things were done a little differently.  My aunt owned Sparkle car wash.  But in the old days, the law didn’t work like that.  You didn’t have ANCs back then.  You didn’t have civic associations.  I always tell people – you have to do your due diligence because when you get down there before that hearing and they ask did you have any community meetings or did your post your seven day notice and you say no, then they invalidate what you did.  You have to be organized.  There was an administrative hearing.  We have continued hearings and community input.  We have these processes in place which were not in place before.  You also have been very fortunate to have a zoning chair who is a Ward 5 resident, Anthony Hood.  That is very helpful because he hears those concerns and questions that I ask that would never be heard for us.   I will also say Ms. Crain’s presentation will help you when we have our summit, we can break down in individual issues, that is why we call it an exp so it can be more of a learning experience.   Just like we are in this room, there are many different people who want many different things.  As we look at the pattern of change in our community, new residents coming with different ideas for a long time, Ward 5 had the most affordable housing stock than many places and if you happened to live in Mount Pleasant and that boom was coming and you could sit in your house in Brookland and buy a house for $250K, you can’t do that anymore.  But you also bring different perspectives from different communities.  So now this community is entrenched. 

One of the things I always say about Fort Lincoln is at least we have been consistent because at least there was a plan for Fort Lincoln.  That’s one of the few communities that has Section 8 housing but you would never know because it is done in the right way.  

 

v                 Councilmember Thomas ended remarks and reminded attendees of the President’s State of the Union address at 9PM.

 

v                 Chair Grant stated she would follow- up regarding Kwame Brown’s senior grant bill at the March COW meeting.

 

 


[1]  This meeting was tape recorded by the Recording Secretary (Commissioner Carolyn C. Steptoe/5A07).  The final Verbatim Transcript was transcribed by Commissioner Steptoe and is roughly 30 pages.  These Minutes are extrapolations from the Verbatim Transcript.  Full and detailed line item discussion is contained in the Verbatim Transcript.  The full Verbatim Transcript will be retained in the official 5A ANC archive files and with the Recording Secretary.