Commentary: ANC 5D Meeting September 2021

Mic check, is this thing on? Because life’s too short, I’m gonna try something new tonight: writing the post as I’m watching the meeting live on Zoom. If you’re new, this is my recap of the ANC 5D monthly meeting, representing Trinidad, Carver-Langston, Ivy City, Gallaudet and Union Market. This might mean a few more errors and a bit more of a bulleted, quick-hit style occasionally, but this seems more do-able to get back in the swing of things. You can watch the recording of the meeting on YouTube here. As usual, these write-ups have a bit of my opinion as a neighbor and frequent watcher too.

Monthly ANC meetings are back on, after two months off for summer. All commissioners were present except Comm. Blacknell.

Here’s the agenda for the meeting.

MPD Public Safety Report by Lt. Peter Sheldon: Typically, crime increases in summer and MPD increases patrols and monitoring through the Summer Crime Prevention Initiative, specifically in Carver-Langston. Then, crime goes down around now, and the extra police attention goes away, which people don’t like. Some years, most recently in 2019, there is a fall extension of the program, but there’s no indication of that this year so far. This Saturday there’s expected to be both a pro-Trump rally as well as H Street Festival closer to the ANC. 

Mayor’s Office report from Kyla Woods (she’s new): September 26th is when eviction filings will resume. The city is still offering AirPods to residents under 18 who get vaccinated. Comm. Zachary Hoffman pushed on problems with the StayDC program not getting money out to prevent evictions effectively. “Quite honestly it’s ramping up with the need,” said Woods. “It’s aware of its need to expand.” 

Ward 5 Councilmember’s Office had to skip at the last minute due to an emergency. 

Reginald Black, People for Fairness Coalition: A group focused on ending local housing instability. They provide supplies and support, and are advocating for a legal right to housing for all. Mr. Black appeared to speak about the men’s shelter in Ivy City and his group’s campaign for public restrooms throughout the city. “We are greatly concerned about that shelter being replaced,” said Black. 

Christine Roddy, Gallaudet/6th Street Development: There’s a huge project in the works on 6th Street near Florida Avenue, where the Gallaudet campus meets Union Market. This is a Planned Unit Development, for multiple buildings, in multiple stages, over years. The First Stage was already approved, and plans are churning along for new residential units, retail space and makerspace, including space dedicated for deaf and hard of hearing entrepreneurs. 

There’s a lot coming, but suffice it to say that if you think, “boy, things really have changed over by Union Market”... well, you haven’t seen anything yet. I for one am excited for the Gallaudet campus to become better integrated into the neighborhood, and for the growing Union Market neighborhood to feel less isolated. Sam Swiller, with the university, announced a planned memorial for Black, deaf students as well. Architecturally, if you’re unfamiliar with DeafSpace, I encourage you to check it out. There are lots of pedestrian and bicycling features planned, including landscape design features they call “green fingers” and “conversation paths.” For affordable housing, 95 units are planned for this PUD (67 are 50% AMI, and 28 are 80% AMI) out of a planned 830 units (11.2% affordable). These buildings are a long way out, likely 2025.

Jacque Patterson, KIPP School Updates: KIPP has charter schools throughout the city, including two in ANC5D: KIPP DC College Preparatory (by Gallaudet and Union Market) and KIPP DC Webb Campus (at Mount Olivet and Holbrook). Patterson gave an update about a 9th grader who lost his life in front of the College Prep campus. The network is working with MPD and violence interruptors, and attempting to change its policies. They’ve been working on a “safe passage” program to get students off and on campus safely to avoid violent incidents. Patterson said there has been a lot of social and emotional difficulty in bringing back hundreds of students after 18 months. 

Voting actions:

• Consent calendar approved: Renewed RPP Request for 1900 Block of H Street NE and after hours approval for Accurate Infrastructure Data Inc.

• FY 2022 Annual Budget approved.

• Bylaws changed for voting on camera during virtual meetings. “So I guess so we can see it’s really you and not a bot,” said Comm. Sydelle Moore.

• Resolution approved: moving forward on funded renovations for Lewis Crowe park at West Virginia and Mount Olivet. This would include the first dog park in ANC 5D.

• ABRA: Marcellino Stipulated License Request approved. A new Union Market restaurant wants a temporary liquor license until they get a permanent license. 

Community Feedback: 

• Update on traffic safety at Bladensburg and 17th Street? Comm. Latoya Moore: The project is in progress. A speed camera was installed at 17th and L streets recently and has already been vandalized four (!) times. Comm. Stephen Cobb: DDOT says they are studying Bladensburg for long term safety options.

• More trash cans in Ivy City? Comm. Rhodes: “We can work on that with DPW.”

• Concern about big developers not being good neighbors. Comm. Sydelle Moore understands.

• Updates on illegal dumping? Consistent problem at alley behind Queen and Penn. “We are completely under-resourced in all of Ward 5 with only two sweep inspectors,” said Comm. Sydelle Moore. “Some wards have five or six.” Comm. Stephen Cobb said he was told there were “no resources” to observe that alley on a regular basis.

• Can we get DC Access internet? It apparently takes connecting a sufficiently large building to bring this service to the area. Some of southern Trinidad is covered.

New West Virginia Ave Avenue bike lane:

• As previously reported, DDOT has long planned to create protected bike lanes on West Virginia Avenue, in two phases this year. Last year activists pushed for both phases to happen in 2021. The first phase, between Mount Olivet Road and New York Avenue, was recently implemented. 

• A resident says that parking has been removed as part of the new protected bike lanes. My understanding is that with the plans for the bike lane project, there is no actual loss of spaces, just moving the same number of spaces parking around. Comm. Sebrena Rhodes says the protected bike lane that was installed is different from the plans. Does anyone know if this is right? Lots of heated, personal arguing in the chat.

• The second piece of the WV bike lane (between Florida and Mount Olivet) is coming soon.

• There is some disagreement about whether DDOT did appropriate engagement around this WV bike lane project. Comm. Sydelle Moore: “these processes happen over a very long time frame.” Quality of engagement is important.