Chair Amber Gove (6A04) called the Advisory Neighborhood (ANC) 6A meeting to order at Miner Elementary School, 601 15th St. NE, with Commissioners Phil Toomajian (6A02), Mike Soderman (6A03), Brian Alcorn (6A08), Ruth Ann Hudson (6A05), Marie-Claire Brown (6A01), Stephanie Zimny (6A06) and Sondra Phillips-Gilbert (6A07) in attendance. Stephanie Zimny (6A06) was absent.
Anacostia River Pool
Gretchen Mikeska of the Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) and Erin Garaas-Holmes from Clean Water Action presented on the current status of the Anacostia River Sediment Project and possible near-future construction of the Anacostia River Pool. The latter project aims to construct a permanent facility for swimming in the Anacostia River through collaboration with the Anacostia Watershed Urban Waters Project with direction from the DOEE. Nine sites along the river have been identified for potential installation of some version of the river pool. The water quality of the Anacostia River is regularly tested by the Anacostia Riverkeeper and is often deemed safe for swimmers. In fact, the Anacostia River received its first passing grade from the Anacostia Watershed Society in 2018. The Sediment Project is an ongoing sampling of contamination levels in the sediment at the bottom on the river with the end goal of informing eventual remediation tactics. Ultimately the objective of these projects is to reopen the Anocastia River to greater public use through fishing and swimming. More information about this project can be found by visiting Anacostiariverpool.com and doee.dc.gov/publication/cleaner-anacostia-river-anacostia-river-sediment-project.
Guerilla Gardeners on Capitol Hill
Jim Guckert introduced ANC6A to the Guerrilla Gardeners, his organization of civic-minded individuals taking over the care of small, ignored public green spaces. For years, Jim and his cohort have been cleaning up small parks and “slivers of land” in their neighborhoods that have become overgrown without express permission from any government agency, hence the guerrilla of Guerrilla Gardeners. (Interestingly, Mr. Guckert credits an impromtu run-in with the Hill Rag’s editor, Andrew Lightman, for coining the group’s name.) Despite the group’s unsanctioned acts of gardening, Mr. Guckert claims he has never been asked to cease his work and does not plan to stop any time soon. In fact, he and his group are inviting others across all wards of DC to contact the Guerrilla Gardeners for information on rehabbing spaces in their respective neighborhoods. He explained that once a space is cleaned and prepared for new plantings, the continued maintenance can be minimal but the rewards for improving one’s local landscape are massive. To learn more about the Guerrilla Gardeners, or to get involved, visit guerrillagardenersdc.org.
Transportation and Public Space (TPS)
• ANC 6A will send a letter to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) in support of a public space application for window projections onto Wylie Street NE (808-812 13th St. NE, permit #335468).
• ANC 6A will send a letter to DDOT 1) requesting that DDOT present a full inventory, mapping and disposition of each of the Federal Reservations located in 6A, with special attention to those Federal Reservations that are adjacent to or abut private properties, to eliminate confusion regarding responsibility for their ownership, maintenance, and the right to public access. Once we have an informed mapping, we can proceed with requesting signage and developing a process for engaging with adjacent homeowners to come to agreement regarding any plantings/modifications that may be hindering public access and 2) requesting release (or reissuance) of a DDOT legal opinion dated May 12, 2015 pertaining to Federal Reservations (this may require a FOIA request.
Meetings are held on at 7:00 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G St. NE (photo ID required).
Community Outreach
• ANC 6A unanimously approved a grant for $1,000 to the Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School (LTES) Parent Teachers Organization (PTO) to support the FreshFarm FoodPrints program at LTES Ludlow-Taylor Elementary School for the 2019-2020 school year.
Community Outreach Committee meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the fourth Monday of each month in the Eastern High School Parent Center, 1700 East Capitol St. NE.
Alcohol Beverage Licensing (ABL)
• ANC 6A will take no action regarding the license renewal request of the following establishments: Hoost, LLC at 1200 H Street NE (ABRA #087558), Queen Vic, LLC, t/a The Queen Vic at 1206 H Street NE (ABRA-#083930), Par Bar, LLC, t/a H Street Country Club at 1335 H Street NE (ABRA-#076649), Mythology, LLC, t/a Mythology, Lore & Dirty Water/Beetle House DC at 816 H Street NE (ABRA #095033), Ella Grace, LLC, t/a Ella Grace at 1421 H Street NE (ABRA #114637), Langston Bar & Grille, LLC, t/a Langston Bar & Grille at 1831 Benning Road NE (ABRA #076260), Dio, LLC, t/a Dio Wine Bar at 904 H Street NE (ABRA #105482), Modern Dining Concepts, LLC, t/a The Haymaker at 1015 H Street NE (ABRA #084689), Rose’s Dream, Inc., t/a Roses Dejavu at 1378 H Street NE ABRA #089342), Rosato, LLC, t/a Sospeso at 1344 H Street NE (ABRA #100766), Colorado & Cohen, LLC, t/a Bar Bullfrog/Bullfrog Bagels at 1341 H Street NE (ABRA #112890), The New Elroy Bar, LLC, t/a The Elroy at 1423 H Street NE (ABRA #112289), Lattice Partners, LLC, t/a Copycat Co. at 1110 H Street NE (ABRA #096474), Callister Technology and Entertainment, LLC, t/a Duffy’s Irish Pub at 1016 H Street NE (ABRA #111076), and LMW, LLC, t/a Little Miss Whiskey’s Golden Dollar at 1104 H Street NE (ABRA #079090).
• ANC 6A will take no action on the request by Daruwalla, LLC, t/a Daru at 1451 Maryland Avenue NE (ABRA #113870) to change hours of service inside the premises.
Alcohol Beverage Licensing Committee meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of each month at the Sherwood Recreation Center on the corner of 10th and G Streets NE.
Economic Development and Zoning (EDZ)
• ANC 6A will send a letter of support to the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) for the construction of a two-story rear addition, a new two-story garage, and a new basement entrance at 1355 A Street NE (HPA 19-608) in the Capitol Hill Historic District with the caveats that the applicant provide best efforts for letters of support from both adjacent neighbors and from the neighbor directly behind at the alley, and that the design not include a pedestrian door at the alley side of the garage.
• ANC 6A approved the appointment of Mike Cushman as a member of the Economic Development and Zoning Committee
The Economic Development and Zoning Committee meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month at the Sherwood Recreation Center on the corner of 10th and G Streets NE.
Visit www.anc6a.org for calendar of events, changes of date/venue, agendas and other information.
