Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6B unanimously recommended the District name the new traffic circle under construction at the intersection of Potomac Avenue, Pennsylvania Avenue and 14th Street SE Roberta Flack Circle, in honor of the late singer. Flack got her start in the music business by performing in the upstairs room of Mr. Henry’s (601 Pennsylvania Ave. SE).
Commissioner Karen Hughes reported that 1,003 residents participated in the ANC’s ranked-choice community poll. Flack received 501 first-round votes and secured 682 votes after tabulation, making her the overwhelming community preference. Hughes said the ANC would forward the results to the DC Council along with a letter describing the polling process and neighborhood participation. A councilmember must introduce legislation to make the naming official.
Commissioners also discussed coordinating with Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen’s office and the Capitol Hill BID on a future dedication ceremony after construction is complete.
Library Closure
The commission voted to request that DC Public Library officials and members of the DC Council maintain book pickup and return services at the Arthur Capper Recreation Center after the interim library closes on July 31.
Commissioner David Sobelsohn said the newly renovated Southeast Neighborhood Library (301 Seventh St. SE) is scheduled to reopen Sept. 10, leaving nearly six weeks during which neighborhood residents would lose access to the holds shelf and exterior book returns that operate from Arthur Capper. While the library has said equipment must be moved and staff trained before reopening, Sobelsohn questioned why those services could not remain available, noting they require minimal staffing and are among the interim site’s most heavily used features.
Commissioners said maintaining the holds shelf and book drop would help residents continue borrowing books during the final weeks before the library reopens.
Cannabis Settlement Approved
The commission approved a settlement agreement (SA) with the Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) supporting Lotus Wellness’s application to open a medical cannabis retailer at 1430 Pennsylvania Ave. SE.
Although one commissioner expressed concern that the final agreement had not been included in the meeting packet, members of the ANC Alcohol Beverage and Cannabis Committee said commissioners had received the draft more than a week earlier and only minor typographical changes had been made since.
Transportation Recommendations
ANC 6B approved recommendations to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) regarding a proposed contraflow bicycle lane on the 500 block of Second Street SE.
The commission asked DDOT to study relocating the proposed bike lane from the west side of the street to the east side and to consider additional improvements to intersection visibility. Commissioners removed an earlier proposal involving a raised crosswalk near Capitol Hill Day School (210 South Carolina Ave. SE) after determining it should not be included in the comments.
The 10th Street Project
The commission voted to support a proposal to convert a long-vacant five-unit apartment building at 513 Tenth St. SE into a single-family residence with an accessory dwelling unit, subject to several conditions requested by neighbors.
ANC Planning and Zoning Committee chair Vince Moreno said the applicant agreed to provide a shade study and a written construction schedule and to consult the Historic Preservation Review Board on revisions to a proposed front canopy. Several nearby residents attended the committee meeting, and the project ultimately received neighborhood support after commitments were made.
Crime Declines
Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) First District Commander Adam Crist reported that violent crime in ANC 6B is down 63% compared with the same period last year, including a 70% decline in carjackings and a 52% reduction in motor vehicle thefts.
Crist said police are investigating two recent burglaries, one involving an unlocked residence and another in which a faulty business door was forced open. Commissioners questioned MPD about vehicle thefts, complaints of suspected drug activity, illegal auto repair businesses and department policies related to recent interactions between MPD officers and National Guard personnel.
Representatives from the mayor’s office also encouraged residents to comment on the draft RFK Campus Master Plan before the Aug. 14 public comment deadline. Do so online at ourrfk.dc.gov/page/rfk-campus-master-plan.
ANC 6B met July 14 at 700 Pennsylvania Ave. SE and via Zoom. Chair Samuel Pastore (6B05) presided. Also in attendance were Tyler Wolanin (6B01, parliamentarian), Gerald “Jerry” Sroufe (6B02), David Sobelsohn (6B03, secretary), Brian Gorman (6B04), Anna Krebs (6B06, treasurer), Vince Mareino (6B07) and Karen Hughes (6B09).
The commission will not meet in August. Its next regular meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 8. Get details at www.anc6b.org.
