Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B held its regular public meeting on April 12. Attending were Commissioners Jennifer Samolyk (6B01), Gerald Sroufe (6B02), Brian Ready (6B03), Steve Holtzman (6B05), Corey Holman (6B06), Edward Ryder (6B07), Peter Wright (6B08), Alison Horn (6B09) and Denise Krepp (6B10). Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04) was unable to attend.
Mayor Bowser Talks Public Safety at ANC 6B
Mayor Muriel Bowser appeared at the April 12 meeting to present on the $19.3 billion FY 2023 budget. She touted investments in Ward 6 middle school modernizations, roads and road safety as well as in affordable housing. The budget allocates $23 million to build permanent supportive housing and $140 million to modernize shelters. Additional funds will go to prevention programs and smaller programs that help residents stay out of the public housing system. Bowser’s office has asked landlords with available units to reach out. “We have people, we have money, and we come with the supportive services,” said Jenny Reid, director of the Office of Budget and Performance Management (OBPM).
At RFK Campus, the District is investing $60 million to advance a 100,000-square-foot indoor recreational arena, plus $18 million to build bridges connecting the campus to Kingman and Heritage islands.
The focus of the mayor’s presentation and many of the ensuing questions and comments was public safety. The budget earmarks $251 million for an annex to the District’s Correctional Treatment Facility (CTF) and includes $25 million to maintain safe, secure and humane conditions for inmates until the CTF annex is completed. The budget also includes $30 million to increase the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to 4,000 sworn officers, and funding for violence prevention and opportunity investments.
Asked if she would have the full support of the DC Council for increasing police funding, Bowser said her office had made the case to thaw the police hiring freeze imposed over the last two years. But she pointed to an audit of MPD time use requested by DC Council Chairman Phil Mendelson and Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D), saying that it distracts officers from fighting crime.
Bowser also noted that in 2021 the DC Council voted to remove police from schools, with little input from the mayor’s office, parents or school leaders. “We opposed it then, we oppose it now and I have sent language to council to put them back in,” Bowser said.
Request for Single Ward 7 ANC West of River
Commissioners unanimously supported a letter asking the DC Council to establish a single, compact Ward 7 ANC west of the river. The letter argues that the boundaries in the map submitted to the DC Council on April 1 by the Ward 7 Redistricting Task Force do not follow the principles of redistricting: to create compact and contiguous ANCs that have geographically sensible boundaries, and to keep communities of interest together. After listing the concerns of the communities currently included in the ANCs reaching west of the river, it notes that a meeting with MPD in the proposed ANC 7A would require representation from the First, Fifth and Sixth police districts. The letter proposes that the submitted boundaries for ANCs 7B, 7E and 7C remain untouched but asks that ANCs 7A and 7F be reconfigured, pointing to the Ward 7 Task Force Minority Report as a possible solution.
Other Business
The ANC voted to support an Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) application for renewal of a CR Restaurant License for Sushi Hachi (735 Eighth St. SE) with no changes to the settlement agreement, noting that the restaurant had been located on site for four years with no issues. The ANC also voted to support a historic preservation application (HPA) for a new accessory building in a rear yard with roof deck. Residents of the neighboring multi-unit building had questioned the historic context of roof decks in the alley. Architect Stephen Santos noted that the design includes a parapet wall with brick fenestration masking the deck and making it appear a two-story structure. The application received unanimous support.
Consent Calendar
The ANC voted to support the following on consent:
- An application for a multipurpose liquor license from Historic Congressional Cemetery (1801 E S SE) in order to facilitate on-site events.
- A letter in support of the 2022 Capitol Hill Classic 10K, 3K and Fun Runs, scheduled for May 15, 2022.
The ANC voted for renewal of the following liquor license applications:
- CR Restaurant License for Rose’s Luxury (717 Eighth St. SE).
- CR Restaurant License for Young Chow Asian Restaurant (312 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
- CR Restaurant License for Bullfeathers (410 First St. SE).
- CR Restaurant License for La Plaza Inc., t/n: La Plaza Mexican Restaurant (629 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
- CR Restaurant License for Sanphan Thai Cuisine (653 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
- CR Restaurant License for Pineapple and Pearls (715 Eighth St. SE).
- CR Restaurant License with Entertainment Endorsement for Bodegon Spanish Tapas (515 Eighth St. SE).
The ANC voted to support the following Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) applications for special exception:
- to construct a two-story addition at the rear of a two-story house with basement at 428 11th SE.
- to construct a two-story addition, with deck, to the rear of an existing two-story home at 1415 Potomac Ave. SE.
- to construct a roof deck on an accessory garage of an existing two-story building with cellar at 912 G St. SE.
- to construct a two-story rear addition and a second story garage addition at 135 Kentucky Ave. SE.
- to construct an animal boarding establishment at 1350 E St. SE. For plans, see https://app.dcoz.dc.gov/CaseReport/CaseReportPage.aspx?case_id=20705.
ANC 6B will hold the next meeting of the full commission virtually at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 10. Get up to date information on meetings at www.anc6b.org.
