ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 1B

Government of the District of Columbia

Minutes

Thursday, February 7, 2008, 7 PM, 1200 U Street NW

The regular monthly meeting of ANC1B was held on Thursday, March 6, 2008, at 7:00 pm in the True Reformer Building, Commissioner Smith being present as Chair, and Commissioner Nadeau present as Acting Secretary. Other Commissioners present: Akinmboni, Hammonds, Hoerner, Matthews, Moss, and Spalding.

At 7:09pm, Chairman Smith called the meeting to order and asked for introductions.

Officers Reports

Commissioner Nadeau presented the minutes from the February meeting for approval with a correction to a meeting date. The date for a meeting between SMD 1B03, 1B08, and 1B09 was originally listed as February 24, 2008, but will be changed to February 21, 2008. The February meeting minutes were approved unanimously.

Treasurer’s Report

Commissioner Spalding moved that the Commission approve the following reimbursement checks:

1. $65.98-to Brianne Nadeau for the purchase of a digital recorder

2. $42.42-to Phil Spalding for office expenses (paper, plastic file bins, etc.)

The motion was seconded and adopted in a 7-0 vote.

Commissioner Spalding also moved that the first quarter report of 2008 be approved. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

The following organizations are delinquent in grant reporting:

1. Washington Parks and People

2. Metropolitan Baptist Church

3. 3^rd District CAC

4. Root, Inc.

Letters were previously sent to these organizations, but there has been no response. New letters will be sent out next week. It is very important that grant recipients report how District monies are spent.

The monthly Treasurer’s report will be replaced by the 2^nd quarter 2008 preliminary report. An approved monthly report is not required because the preliminary report that will be sent to the auditor details all the items that were voted on in the monthly treasurer’s reports.

The carry over account balance is $60,184.83. A deposit of three quarterly allotments occurred due to trouble with grant reporting, therefore; allotments were not sent in a timely manner. There was a $285.95 charge for the Mother Dearest grant report. The three allotments totaled $22,932. 70. There have been five expenditures in the past two months totaling $239.25. The current account balance is $82,788.28. The report does not need a vote. Commissioner Moss requested clarification on the Mother Dearest grant charge. Commissioner Spalding stated the $285.95 was debited from the fourth quarter of 2007 allotment because there was a deficiency in the receipts. If the grantee is deficient, the Commission is docked funds.

There is one grant application for $800 from Home Roots. The application will be voted on at the April meeting.

Chairman’s Report

Chairman Smith announced additions to the evening’s agenda. There would be a presentation by the grant applicant Home Roots and he would present a petition for discussion for a stop sign installation.

Chairman Smith gave an office space update. He and Commissioner Moss viewed office space at 18^th and S Streets, NW. The space is not located in ANC 1B’s jurisdiction. The rent quote is $500, but is negotiable. They also visited another space that is larger and costs the same. Commissioner Spalding and other commissioners requested to see the spaces. A concern of Commissioners Akinmboni and Hoerner was that the office space was not located in ANC 1B.

Chairman Smith stated that all Commissioners are welcome to seek out other options for office space because nothing has been finalized.

Events and Announcements

Commission

Commissioner Nadeau announced the following:

· DDot is replacing bus shelters around the District. The next three Clear Channel Outdoor Bus shelters will be located at 16^th and Irving, NW, 16^th and Newton, NW, and 11^th and Florida Ave, NW. The replacements are part of a public, private partnership and are at no cost to taxpayers.

· There is a public hearing on the Draft Fiscal Year 2009 Consolidated Annual Action Plan for District of Columbia on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 at 6:30pm at the Department of Housing and Community Development 801 North Capitol Street, NE in the 9^th Floor boardroom. The following federal entitlement programs will be discussed: community development block grant, home investment partnerships program, emergency shelter grant program, housing opportunities for persons with AIDS program.

· DDot will install a smart bike rental kiosk on U Street, NW just west of 14^th street in front of the Reeves Center. For more information contact Jim Sebastian, Manager of the Bicycle Pedestrian and Transportation Demand Management program at DDot.

Commissioner Spalding announced the following:

· The Cardozo- Shaw Neighborhood Association meeting will be held March 12, 2008 in the True Reformer Building at 7pm. Tariq Bolden Ward 1 Planner for the Office of Planning will be there to answer questions.

· Copies of the pilot study program for reimbursable details are available. This is a program by Councilmember Graham that has been passed and funded for individual or collections of ABRA licenses to get together to hire off duty police officers at a discounted rate.

Commissioner Moss announced the following:

· LeDroit Park Civic Association invited Mayor Fenty and Councilman Jim Graham to discuss the closure of an elementary school in LeDroit Park. The community has collaborated with Commissioner Hoerner and John Sellati in Bloomingdale for the best uses of the building after its June closure. The Mayor was receptive to ideas. There are other bureaucratic processes that must be addressed before a final decision is made on use of property. The community wants green space for children in the neighborhood.

· Howard University has selected a new police chief, Leroy James. Chief James worked for Prince Georges County Police Department for 27 years. He started in February and the community will be meeting with him in the future.

Chairman Smith acknowledged members of the Metropolitan Police Department and the Fire Department that were in attendance. He discussed crime in ANC 1B and thanked the 3^rd district police for their involvement in stopping crime. He also announced plans for the “Commissioner’s Camp”. The Commissioner’s Camp will be held at Banneker Park this summer for youth ages 10-13. The camp will provide academic reinforcement in English and math in the morning. There will be athletic clinics in tennis, baseball, and softball in the afternoons. The camp is an effort to keep children off the street in the summer. As a partnership with DC Parks and Recreation, lunch will be provided to campers. DC Parks and Recreation will help recruit youth from ANC 1B. Plans for the camp are still being finalized and more information will be available next month.

Commissioner Akinmboni announced that the District Fire Department is recruiting for new members 18 years and older.

Community

Commissioner Matthews introduced representatives from Home Roots to the Commission and the community. They discussed “Loving Our City, Loving Ourselves” a health fair for the Pleasant Plains community. The health fair will be held on April 26, 2008. The fair provides a forum to address different health concerns and community issues. It serves as a way to bring the community together with different businesses, Howard University students, and community members. At past health fairs, Home Roots has received support from the following: Capital One, Cluck U Chicken, Chuck and Billy’s (Georgia Ave, NW business), and the Young People fellowship program of the People for the American Way. Home Roots has contacted the Mayor’s Office of Service and Community Relations for support.

Luella Johnson, Community Relations Specialist of the Court Services and Offenders Supervision Agency, announced that they will start community clean-ups for the spring. If community based organizations want to do a clean- up, they will help. All interested parties can contact Ms. Luella Johnson.

Mary Ann Frank, Development Associate with the Cultural Development Corporation, and Travis Burman, Director of Operations with the Cultural Development Corporation, gave an update on the renovations at Source on 1835 14th Street, NW. The January renovations will be complete in May 2008. The first floor of the building will house a theater and the second will house a new rehearsal studio, classroom, and office space for resident arts organizations.

The Source Festival will be held June 21, 2008; it will include plays and other interdisciplinary performances. There will also be space available for community usage at discounted rates. The Source Capital Campaign was launched last year and 2.1 million has been raised to date. Source will also hold Hard Hat tours every Monday in April from 6-7:30pm. Source is the beneficiary of a 5% day at the P Street, NW Whole Foods. On April 3, 2008 Source will receive 5% of all sales that will go directly to the Capital Campaign. For more information about Source, visit www.sourcedc.org.

Calvin Smith a resident of the 2500 Block of 9^th Street, NW gave the 3^rd District police a commendation for shutting down drug house activity on his block. He looked forward to their continued presence in the neighborhood.

A Lieutenant from the DC Fire Department located in the 1700 block of U Street reminded residents to change the batteries in smoke detectors and carbon dioxide detectors when they change their clocks. Also, the smoke detector delivery program has changed. Residents must sign up in or call the fire department for an installation date. The department will then contact residents to setup an installation date.

BZA, HPRB, DDOT Applications

BZA

Commissioner Spalding stated that the Commission did not receive prior notice of BZA 17743. Patrick Brown, counsel for the owner, and David Banford, project architect, were present to represent the Verde Group, LLC. The BZA hearing for Verde Group, LLC will be April 8, 2008 at 9:30pm. The property is zoned R5B and is located in the U Street, NW historic district. It is a proposal for a 3 story row house with a cellar. The property will have 3 dwelling units in structure. The zoning variances are for lot occupancy, floor area ratio, and off street parking requirements. The house will have a highly energy efficient green design. The house will have solar panels, photovoltaics, and solar hot water. Historic Preservation has signed off on it already. Historic Preservation Review Board needs to receive the ANC letter by April 1, 2008. Commissioner Spalding moved to support the BZA application and designate Commissioners Hunter and Spalding as representatives for HPRB. The application was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

Commissioner Spalding announced that the Vinoteca DDOT Public Space application was a moot issue. Commissioner Spalding once again noted that the Commission did not receive notice from DDOT last month about the application. DDOT said they sent a certified letter to ANC 1B that was not returned to them. The application was approved with some restrictions.

HPRB

Commissioner Spalding reviewed the HPRB application submitted by Utopia for design of large property at the corner of 14^th and U Streets, NW. The application has gone before the Historic Preservation Review Board on a number of occasions in the past. The application has been revised over and over again. The application was discussed at the past Cardozo Shaw Neighborhood Association meeting. Architect Eric Colbert was present to discuss updates on the project. The meeting with HPRB was very successful after 20,000 square feet of floor area was removed from the plans. The building is set back from U Street due to the historic buildings in the area. All surrounding buildings will be kept in 100% operating condition during construction. The top two floors of the building will be set back 64 feet and the lower floors will be set back about 32 feet from the existing historical structures facing U Street. There will be 230 apartments and 17,000 square feet of additional retail space. The parking garage will be two levels with 140 parking spaces. Commissioner Spalding motioned that the Commission support the Utopia design to HPRB with suggested strong preference on garage access from the alley system, designating Commissioners Hunter and Spalding as representatives to HPRB. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

GTM architects Melissa Cohen and Tracy Weems presented information on the renovation of the Douglas Development Wonder bread building in S Street, NW. Paul Milstein a representative from Douglas Development was also in attendance. The project’s HPRB hearing date is March 27, 2008. The plan is to take 50,000 square feet of warehouse space and add 56,000 square feet of office space to the building. The basement of the building will be used for utility space. The ground floor will be used for retail, an entry lobby for the office space, and the back area will be used for parking. The upper floors will be office space. The building will also have 29-30 parking spaces. Community members had questions about the parking for the building and other surrounding projects in the neighborhood (Howard Theater and Radio One). Commissioner Moss pointed out to residents that the District is an urban city and parking is not available. Commissioner Spalding applauded the use of the building and the design. Commissioner Moss moved to support the GTM architects in the rehabilitation and conceptual design of the Wonder bread building. Commissioner Spalding asked that motion be amended to include him and Commissioner Moss as representatives to go before HPRB. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

Standing Committees

Chairman Smith announced the formation of two new standing committees. The purpose of the committees is to discuss and come up with resolutions on any pressing issues that may arise. The committees would be chaired by non-commissioner community members and each committee would have 6-7 members. Commissioner Spalding moved that he and Chairman Smith form each committee and ANC 1B list the new Design Review and ABC committees in the ANC’s bylaws. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

ABRA Applications

Commissioner Spalding has provided Commissioners with a spreadsheet of liquor licenses. He announced that 7 Days Grocers has been allowed to renew their license with some conditions. The license has been placed in safe keeping and will be taken out of Columbia Heights when it is taken out of safe keeping. Commissioner Akinmboni indicated that 7 Days Grocers was closed.

Commissioner Moss asked about the Bouchet license. Commissioner Spalding stated that the license be processed. The license will not be issued until the fee is paid.

Hot topics:

· Republic Gardens has withdrawn the original application. They have decided to reapply as a CF.

· The draft voluntary with the Prince Hall Masonic Lodge was reviewed by Lodge and a few small changes needed to be made. The license type will be changed from a CR restaurant license to a CX multipurpose license. They also agreed to stop entertainment 30 minutes before closing. They need to submit a safety and security plan. Commissioner Spalding moved that the Commission approve him and Chairman Smith finalizing the draft voluntary agreement. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

· Eleven Market is a B store. A draft voluntary agreement was completed a long time ago, but the Commission decided it was not detailed enough. The new draft voluntary agreement was acceptable to the license owner. Commissioner Spalding moved the Commission to approve finalizing the draft voluntary agreement and designate him to complete and submit the document to ABRA. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

· There have been noise and trash complaints about International Grill. A letter has been sent to International Grill and ABC about the complaints. The complaints are a violation of the draft voluntary agreement.

· Almaz has been using its upstairs as a club and groups have been congregating on sidewalk in front of the building. This will be further discussed at the April meeting.

The Commissioners discussed a Ward 1 single sales ban on alcohol and beer. Commissioner Spalding stated that each Commission in Ward 1 should be brought together by Councilmember Graham to discuss this issue. Then the Councilman will be able to determine what the next steps are on the issue. Commissioner Matthews moved to table the issue until the May meeting. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

New Business

Elizabeth Tylander and Ranjit Babra from the DDOT Urban Forestry Administration announced tree plantings that will occur in ANC 1B. Currently, there are 59 trees in ANC 1B. A partnership with Casey Trees has been formed to provide ooze tubes to ensure that newly planted trees receive the water necessary to sustain growth. Mr. Babra, a Ward 1 arborist, told the Commission and residents to call 311 for a tree service request. An arborist will come out in approximately 40 days to determine what, if anything needs to be done to the tree. Contact Elizabeth Tylander at elizabeth.tylander@dc.gov for more information.

Commissioner Spalding stated that according to ANC law the Commission must state where the records are being stored. In order to be in compliance with ANC law 1-309.13E, Commissioner Spalding motioned that the Commission note for DC auditor that the records are being kept at 1929 13^th Street. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

Commissioner Smith presented a signed petition to the Commission for a four way stop sign to be installed at the corner of 11^th and Fairmont Streets, NW. Chairman Smith motioned for the Commission to approve sending the petition to DDOT. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

Commissioner Smith also announced the upcoming rodent abatements. Petitions were available to community members that wanted their neighborhoods to take part in the abatement.

Chairman Smith motioned to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded and approved in a 7-0 vote.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:06pm.