Abbreviations used in this Report:
ANC= Advisory Neighborhood Commission
BZA= DC Board of Zoning Adjustment
DC= District of Columbia
DCPS= DC Public Schools
DCRA= DC Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs
DPW= DC Department of Public Works
FHCA= Forest Hills Citizens Association
MPD= Metropolitan Police Department
NCPC= National Capital Planning Commission
NPS= National Park Service
PSC= DC Public Service Commission
UDC= University of the District of Columbia
WASA= DC Water & Sewer Authority
Increasing the effectiveness of DC government's service and regulatory agencies.
Traffic planning and enforcement.
Strengthening support for environmental protection, enhancement and enforcement.
Preservation and replacement of street trees.
Continued long-term revitalization of the Van Ness/UDC business district.
Construction noise and other nuisances.
METRO rehabilitation and enhanced operations.
DC Public Schools (DCPS) operations and facilities restoration.
Funding and rehabilitation of the University of the District of Columbia (UDC).
Lack of any representation in U.S. Senate and only non-voting Delegate in House of
Representatives.
District-wide problems / issues of interest to one or more commissioners:
How to get more planning, institutions and solutions up to a Metropolitan Region scale.
How to shift responsibility for more "State level" DC expenditures to federal government.
Governance of remaining agencies now in receivership under federal District Judges.
Implementing fully the law as to Environmental Impact Statements and infusing environmental considerations into D.C. Government decisions.
Coordinating traffic planning and enforcement by DPW and the MPD (as well as non-DC agencies).
Staffing all inspection and enforcement agencies (not just the MPD) at night and on
weekends.
ANC 3F submitted timely quarterly reports to the DC Auditor who approved release of all
four quarterly
allotments for FY 2000. DC Government paid those four allotments, totaling $14,025.80, as well
as
arrears in two FY 1999 quarterly payments, totaling $6,450.06 making six payments all
told to this
ANC.
Disbursements during FY 2000 totaled $12,052.34, which was within our budgeted amount.
They were
principally for staff services, including health insurance and taxes. (The ANC budget anticipated
12-months' staffing whereas actual disbursements were for closer to 10 months.) Other cost
centers were telephone, public meeting space, postage, office supplies and office space.
An Open Forum early in each business meeting lets community members raise new matters
not placed on
the formal agenda. Moreover, during discussion of each agenda item the Commission invited
community
input, including questions to speakers and comments on proposed Commission actions.
Issues raised by community members included destruction of Forest Hills Playground and
plans for
replacement, requests for traffic-calming measures and for parking and traffic enforcement by the
Department of Public Works (DPW) and the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for various
east-west streets
west of Connecticut and for Van Ness and Upton Streets east of Connecticut, traffic congestion
along
Connecticut Avenue, permitting by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)
of a
four-story house at 4512 28th Street in a three-story zone without notice to the Commission,
Exxon's
reconstructed retail station at Connecticut and Nebraska permitted by DCRA without notice to
the
Commission, construction noise involving Howard University Law School and other structures,
construction plans involving Edmund Burke School at Upton Street and Connecticut, 3883
Connecticut
Avenue, 3901 Albemarle Street corner of Nebraska, and potential re-location of the Jewish
Primary Day
School of the Nation's Capital to 3017/3031 Gates Road.
Kathy Schmidt D.C. Voters Rights Coalition
Laurence Jones Office of Peoples Counsel
Linda Softli Census 2000
Robert Newman Director, D.C. Department of Parks & Recreation
Vanessa Dale Burns Director, D.C. Department of Public Works (DPW)
Erie Sampson General Counsel, DPW
William McGuirk DPW, Division of Transportation
Janet Robbins Assistant Corporation Counsel
Charles Bentley Manager, Van Ness Giant
Richard Jackson Vice President, Fannie Mae
Peter Newsham Commander, Second District, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
Harold Brazil District of Columbia Councilmember
Victor Brown Neighborhood Stabilization Officer, DCRA
Jackie Carter DC Chamber of Commerce
City Administrator, Norman Dong, spoke at the town hall meeting.
Other speakers at business meetings included ANC 3G Commissioner Anne Renshaw, the
President of the
Jewish Primary Day School of the Nation's Capital, Mr. Richard Scaldini, the Headmaster of the
Edmund
Burke School, Mr. Walter Ailes, the Executive Director of the Washington Home & Hospice
Center, Ms.
Lynn O'Connor, and representatives of Clark Realty Capital, Exxon Corporation, Fannie Mae,
Forest Hills
LLC, Holladay Corporation and Howard University.
The Commission reviewed and did not oppose a few new alcoholic beverage control licenses
and some
ABC license renewals (in every case entering into or extending a voluntary agreement with the
licensee).
However in one case the Commission asked the ABC Board to investigate whether a licensee up
for
renewal did indeed qualify for a "CR" license. Some of the foregoing were controversial,
particularly as
respects hours of liquor sales or restaurant operation at night. The Commission also reviewed
several
public space permit and zoning adjustment matters.
On the Commission's behalf, designated Commissioners testified at legislative and oversight
hearings of the
District of Columbia Council and hearings of the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), questioned
witnesses
before the BZA secured pertinent legal opinions from the Office of the Corporation Counsel and
negotiated
with DC Government Departments and private companies.
As one result, on February 10, 2000, the Building & Land
Regulation Administration of DCRA
began e-mailing to this Commission and others weekly lists of major construction permit
applications filed.
DCRA's first list of permit applications included a plan to raze and
rebuild an Amoco retail station
at 5001 Connecticut Avenue (in ANC 3G, right across the street from ANC 3F). The
Commission
alerted ANC 3G and the neighborhood. Both ANCs scheduled the matter for agenda review.
The
station operator opposed the plan (preferring continuance of auto repair services to a convenience
store) and landowner, Amoco, withdrew its application.
After Commission communications concerning demolition of the
Forest Hills Playground without
consultation, the Department of Parks & Recreation's agreed to work with the neighborhood
to
replan the Playground which was largely rebuilt, using extensive volunteer labor inputs.
After DCRA issued permits to a developer (without notice to the
Commission), to build a four-story house in a three-story zone, neighbors complained to the
Commission and appealed to the
BZA. As discussed below, the Commission supported the neighbors, the BZA ruled in their favor
and the developer ultimately took down most of the fourth story.
After DCRA issued permits to Exxon in 1999 (without notice to
the Commission), Exxon rebuilt
the retail station at Connecticut and Nebraska Avenues deviating substantially from the project
description presented the previous year to the Commission. Neighbors (and ANC 3G)
complained
to the Commission about excessive lighting which invaded nearby homes and adversely affected
the streetscape. The Commission negotiated substantial post-construction changes, discussed
below.
The Commission adopted resolutions including:
Supporting in principle the Retail Service Station Amendment Act of 1999, Bill 12-409. (4-0-3)
Outcome: The Bill was enacted, with amendments sought by the Commission to
make the Gasoline Station
Advisory Board's statutory authority and process explicitly more "neighborhood-friendly" and to
limit
increased lighting at retail stations to a "reasonable" level.
(a) Asking DPW to adopt traffic calming measures for Albemarle Street
(7-0-0) Outcome: DPW agreed
to paint parking stripes and did so. (b) Opposing yellow-striping at mid-street.
Outcome: DPW agreed,
but after some months painted the yellow stripe anyhow. Renewed resolution adopted (7-0-0)
and DPW
action awaited.
Supporting ANC Reform Legislation. (6-0-0) Outcome
Legislation was enacted and it now in effect.
Supporting proposed DPW regulations to regulate trenching by utility
companies. (5-0-0) Outcome:
DPW adopted the regulations.
Supporting BZA Appeal #16533 by neighbors of 4512 28th Street
against the developer's construction
of a four-story house in a three-story zone. (6-0-0) Outcome: BZA announced its
ruling in favor of
neighbors' appeal. Developer then negotiated a settlement with the neighbors to take down most
of the
fourth story.
Asking for survey of Connecticut Avenue traffic problems between Tilden
and Albemarle by DPW's
Bureau of Traffic Services and increased Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) patrolling to
enforce
traffic and parking regulations. (6-0-0) Outcome: Patrolling has gone up and down. No
word from DPW.
Supporting Mayor's nomination of Anne Renshaw to the BZA. (6-0-0)
Outcome: Confirmation.
Opposing Public Service Commission (PSC) proposal to reduced from 30
to 10 days notification time to
ANCs. (6-0-0) Outcome: PSC dropped this proposal.
Endorsing the Coalition for DC Representation in Congress. (4-0-3)
Outcome: Still no representation.
Not objecting to land swap between St. Paul's Lutheran Church and
National Park Service (NPS). (7-0-0) Outcome: Swap approved by NPS and National
Capital Planning Commission (NCPC).
Supporting adequate financial resources in the District's FY 2001 budget
for UDC operations and capital needs. (4-2-1) Outcome: The DC Appropriations Act
for FY 2001 increased UDC's operating budget
from $40½ million of local funds in FY2000 to $44½ million and would
also provide increased funds for
permanent capital improvements over five years (also local funds).
Supporting adequate funding for the DC Fire Department (6-0-1)
Outcome: The FY 2001 appropriation
was raised to almost $117 million from just under $112 million for FY 2000.
Supporting filing of a complaint with DCRA regarding the Exxon station
at Connecticut and Nebraska if
a satisfactory settlement were not reached promptly and approved by the Commission. (7-0-0)
Outcome:
Settlement including provisions for reduced lighting and additional landscaping negotiated and
approved by
the Commission (6-0-1) and by ANC 3G and implemented by Exxon.
Again requesting DCRA and other agencies to prepare a full environmental impact study of plans for new building at 3883 Connecticut Avenue (behind 3901 Connecticut Avenue). (6-0-0 with one commissioner recused) Outcome: Uncertain. DCRA issued a stop-work order and, just before leaving office, the Director of DCRA ordered an environmental review, but not a full environmental impact statement pursuant to the DC statute. The DOH Environmental Health Administration completed an environmental
review and submitted its report to the DCRA, recommending that the applicant be required to prepare an EIS for the proposed construction or provide remediation plans for potential large impacts to stream
recharge and an impact of undetermined degree on ground water. Moreover, applicant
should advise the
EHA of any unregistered underground storage tanks or any evidence of soil contamination
discovered
during excavation of the project site, in the event the project is issued a construction permit.
DCRA will
determine what action to take in response to the DOH recommendation.
Requesting BZA and DCRA relief from Howard University's repeated and
continuing violations of BZA
conditions and DC law on behalf of residents and the ANC. (7-0-0) Outcome: No
progress yet.
Supporting installation of canopies to protect outdoor METRO
escalators. (7-0-0) Outcome: Pending
before METRO in light of Fine Arts Commission criticism of uninspired canopy design and
METRO
Board's decision for a competitive process to come up with a canopy design.
Requesting DPW to provide controls to protect pedestrians at Forest Hills
Playground. (7-0-0) Outcome: No response as yet.
Opposing DPW plan for widening and reconstruction of Broad Branch
Road from Linnean Avenue to
Beach Drive (including removal of over 100 mature trees to straighten the Road and construction
of
retaining walls). (7-0-0) Outcome: DPW has orally advised that it wishes to consider
more limited and
less destructive concepts with help and input from a Neighborhood Committee to be established.
Supporting preservation of historic Holt House at National Zoo. (7-0-0)
Outcome: Issue pending.
Administrator Karen Ruffin resigned effective September 8, 2000, in order to return to
post-secondary
teaching. (Her replacement was appointed effective October 1, 2000.)
SMD 1999 2000
3F01 Phil Kogan Treasurer Treasurer
3F02 Karen Lee Perry
3F03 Robert V. Maudlin Secretary
3F04 David J. Bardin Vice chair Chair
3F05 Doug Mitchell Chair
3F06 Phil Heinrich
3F07 Duane Fitzgerald Secretary Vice chair
Commissioner Maudlin served as webmaster.
This report, approved at the Commission's regular business meeting on November 20, 2000, is respectfully submitted by:
/s/ David J. Bardin___________
David J. Bardin, Chair