Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D met on Oct. 20 in person. Commissioners Gottlieb Simon (6D02, chair), Gail Fast (6D03), Andrea Pawley (6D04), Chearie Phelps-El (6D05), Bruce Levine (6D06, vice chair), Fredrica (Rikki) Kramer (6D07, treasurer) and Rhonda Hamilton (6D08, secretary) were in attendance. Marquell Washington (6DO1) was absent.
Metropolitan Police Dept. (MPD) First District Commander Colin Hall briefed the commission on public safety with the assistance of Captain Adam Crist. Overall crime in DC has decreased by 13 percent, Hall said. The situation in the First District mimics that citywide decrease. The First District’s main focus has been robberies and stolen autos. The First District has secured significant double-digit reductions in both crimes, he said.
There was a gunfight after an altercation among students after Richard Wright and Washington Global Public Charter Schools let out in the afternoon on Sixth Street SW, Hall said. One of the bullets pieced the windows of the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. MPD has not made an arrest in the case.
Large groups of juveniles have been a persistent problem at the Waterfront Metro, The Wharf, Union Station and The Navy Yard, Hall stated. Policing such gatherings is very resource intensive, the commander said. The weekend of Oct. 18, a large group of more than a hundred young people gathered first at the Waterfront Metro and then moved to The Navy Yard, he said.
MPD is committed to enforcing Vision Zero, Halls stated. “People complain when we enforce traffic and when we don’t,” he said. These checkpoints are not new. They are a proven method of reducing traffic fatalities, he said. The more recent checkpoints do not involve federal officers.
What is the real purpose of traffic compliance checkpoints such as the recent one on the 300 block of M Street SW? asked Vice Chair Levine. The operation yielded five arrests, Hall said. These operations require a lot of resources due to the inherent danger of traffic stops and the need to provide safe areas for drivers to pull over.
There are concerns about masked police in Southwest, stated Levine and Treasurer Kramer. MPD officers do not mask to hide their identities, although they may mask for medical reasons. MPD officers display their badges and wear body cameras, he added.
Federal officers are still patrolling with MPD, Hall said. For the most part, MPD serves as lead and is directing their deployment in higher crime areas, he added. The MPD officers serve as community liaisons in these situations and are available to answer community questions. “For us, it is an additional resource,” Hall said. What is happening with the groups of men hanging out at the Duck Pond entrance on Makemie Place SW during the day around noon? asked Commissioner Fast. MPD is aware of the group, Hall replied. “We are monitoring them,” he added. Hall encouraged neighbors to provide photographs, videos or information on the matter.
“I appreciate your listserv communications,” stated Chair Simon.
ABC Matters
Vice Chair of the ANC 6D Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Committee (ABC Committee) Laura DiAngelo briefed the commission on license matters.
The ABC Committee recommended taking no action, said DiAngleo, on the following license renewals due to the existence of settlement agreements:
- Zooz at 636 Maine Ave. SW;
- Pearl Street Warehouse at 33 Pearl St. SW;
- Rappahannock Oyster Bar at 1100 Maine Ave. SW;
- Thrashers Rum Distillery at 1130 Maine Ave. SW.
Love 420, a medical cannabis dispensary located in Buzzard Point, requested an
endorsement to their cannabis license for a safe-use summer garden. The commission voted to protest on the grounds of peace, order and quiet.
PUD Renewal for 801 Maine Avenues
Jair Lynch Development Manager Malcom N. Haith asked the commission to support their request to the DC Zoning Commission (DCZC) for a one-year extension of their Planned Unit Development at 801 Maine Ave. SW. The future address of the project will be 899 Maine Ave. SW. The issue is financing, Haith stated.
Neighbors at the nearby Capitol Square townhomes remain concerned about construction management, the impact of the raising of the old structure and traffic issues, stated Erin Berg, a representative of homeowner’s association. “At this stage, the community just wants it over with,” said Berg.
Commissioners Pawley and Fast urged the commission to support the extension, given the DCZC is unlikely to reexamine the project. Chair Simon and Treasurer Kramer both suggested taking no action, since the developer has not offered to renegotiate earlier objections to the project.
“I assume the Zoning Commission will simply approve the extension, so what is the point of objecting? stated Kramer rhetorically.
The commission voted to postpone the matter with Commissioner Fast voting in opposition to the matter.
FY26 Budget
The commission considered the adoption of its FY26 Budget. A more traditional presentation would include a comparison of the previous year’s expenditures, said Commissioner Pawley. This one does not, she observed.
Given the large amount in the ANC’s account, Commission Fast suggested that some unspecified monies be put aside for community grants.
The commission voted to table the matter until the following meeting when a more traditional budget presentation would be available and approved a continuing resolution in the interim.
Other Matters
The commission invited Washinton Metropolitan Area Transit Authority ( WMATA) representatives from the Better Bus Program to attend their October meeting. However, there were scheduling conflicts. However, DDOT and WMATA welcome feedback, said Chair Simon. They adjust the system every six months, He reported. Commissioners Fast, Hamilton and Krammer all reiterated complaints about bus frequency, routing and traffic safety.
The commission voted to write to Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) objecting to Pepco’s plans for the renovation of the shuttered Pepco Buzzard Point Plant and its adjacent electrical substation and asking for his assistance in the matter.
The commission unanimously agreed to support the America’s Trot for Hunger 5k and the Little Turkey 1-Miler on Thanksgiving Day.
The commission unanimously approved it FY25 Fourth Quarter Financial Report.
ANC 6D meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. The next meeting is Nov. 17 via Zoom. For more information visit www.anc6d.org.
