ANC3B

February 2021 Meeting Report

• Police Report. Captain Brian Bray noted in the police report that crime in the ANC 3B area is low.  Between January 12 and February 11, the area only had 9 property crimes and no violent crimes.  In comparison, for the same period last year, 21 property crimes were reported; overall crime in the city is down 30 percent from the same time last year.  Throughout the city, car-jackings have become a chronic problem, reflecting a nationwide trend.  In response, MPD Chief Robert Contee has established a special task force to address the issue. Task force members will be working collaboratively with their state and local partners sharing intelligence through a central data base. Another auto-related crime, cutting out and stealing airbags, has also been reported in the local area.
• Zoning Request from 3824 Beecher Street Homeowner. Jarrett Ferrier needs a special zoning exception for a rear deck addition, to build closer than 20 feet from the alley. He shared the drawings of the plan and letters of support from his neighbors.  The ANC voted to submit a letter to BZA to support Jarrett’s application.
• Presentation of Ghostline DC request to allow live music on rear patio at 2340 Wisconsin Avenue. Tracy Wilson observed how many jazz venues in DC have closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and presented Ghostline’s proposal to help preserve live jazz by hosting occasional live jazz in their courtyard, with the idea of starting a series of performances once the coronavirus is over. They plan one weekend night a week to start. She proposed hours no later than 11 pm on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Working with a sound engineer, they did a successful pilot performance in September.  Tracy has been in contact with some nearby neighbors who are supportive but would like an agreement in writing.  Commissioner Blumenthal said that other neighbors living in the Sheffield have concerns and Tracy committed to be in touch with them.  To offer live music, Ghostline needs to get an Entertainment Endorsement from ABRA and amend the Settlement Agreement that was negotiated by a previous owner and ANC 3B in 2008 prohibiting live music outside.  An amendment to the Agreement could set conditions on live music performances, such as hours, frequency, and sound levels. The ANC opened a comment period and plans to vote at the March meeting on whether or not to amend the Agreement.
• Vote to Withdraw Protest of Good Guys’ Plan to Expand Operations into second floor at 2311 Wisconsin. Good Guys has withdrawn its application to expand into its second floor and the ABC Board has approved the withdrawal. ANC3B passed a resolution to withdraw its protest of the expansion.
   
• Letter to DDOT reiterating support for traffic signal installed at Fulton Street and Wisconsin Avenue. Commissioner Blumenthal explained that ANC 3B has been long concerned about dangerous conditions at the Fulton and Wisconsin intersection, for pedestrians, vehicles turning left from Wisconsin, or vehicles coming out of Fulton into the intersection. After residents’ requests in DDOT’s 2019 Livability Study, DDOT evaluated the intersection and determined that installing a traffic signal was the most effective solution.  They sent out a Notice of Intent (NOI) to ANC 3B and 3C last summer and 3B approved a letter to DDOT in July supporting the installation of a signal. The ANC 3C Commissioner whose district includes the east side of Wisconsin at Fulton did not get the NOI and was not aware of DDOT’s plan for a signal until the instillation was nearly completed in December.  A number of her constituents are concerned that the signal will increase cut-through traffic on Fulton between Wisconsin and Massachusetts and have been in touch with DDOT about their concerns. ANC 3B voted to approve a second letter to DDOT reaffirming support for activating the signal and expressing continuing concerns for pedestrian and vehicular safety at that intersection.
• Letter to DDOT about updating DC Long-Range Transportation Plan “MoveDC 2021.” Commissioner Mladinov presented ANC 3B’s proposed letter to DDOT about updating the long-range transportation plan.  The plan is intended to provide for transportation out 25 years and was last updated in 2014.  For those who would like to have input to the plan, a survey is available online by searching “DDOT MoveDC 2021.” The letter presents a series of recommendations including ensuring that the plans look holistically at how all forms of transportation work together to meet people’s needs; improving public outreach to get input from a wider range of people, including those who may not have access to online surveys; giving more proportionate attention to pedestrians and also motor vehicles, supporting return to public transit to at least pre-COVID levels for the longer term including bus service to residential neighborhoods such as Glover Park that rely on buses as their only public transportation, and monitoring changing transportation demand so the District’s plans can adjust to evolving needs. The Commission voted to approve the letter.

• Letter to DDOT about bicycle and corridor planning for mobility and safety improvements in ANC 3B.  Commissioners Turmail presented a third proposed letter to DDOT requesting that the agency undertake the promised study of overall mobility and safety needs for all forms of transportation on the New Mexico, Tunlaw and 37^th Street corridor before recommending specific improvements to bicycle infrastructure on that route.  Information the letter suggests would be needed for planning decisions includes current and expected travel volumes, approaches for resolving specific “hot spots” for vehicle crashes and pedestrian and other injuries, location of bus routes and bus stops, and other space requirements for the transportation system to be able to serve people and goods movements in the local area. DDOT Bike Specialists had presented two alternatives at the January ANC 3B meeting: two separated one-way bike lanes or a single two-way protected bike lane (”cycle track”) between Nebraska Avenue and Reservoir Road on New Mexico Ave, Tunlaw Road and 37^th  In the January discussion, the DDOT representatives discussed one potential impact of the two proposals – loss of all the on-street parking spaces on Tunlaw and 37^th Street south of Calvert Street. But they had not assessed what implications their two proposals might have for the bus services on that corridor, or deliveries, service vehicles, Mobility Access or ride-hailing services.  The Commissioners asked DDOT to look more holistically at the corridor and put together fuller information that can allow DDOT planners and the community to consider options for improving bicycle facilities while also serving mobility and safety needs, including for people walking, driving, using public transportation, and receiving deliveries. The Commission voted to send the letter and continue to work with DDOT to meet those key goals.
• Presentation by Community Prosecutors from U.S. Attorney’s Office for District of Columbia. Doug Klein, Community Prosecutor for MPD 2^nd District, 202 660 2150, klein@usdoj.gov) and Anita LaRue (Community Prosecutor for MPD 3^rd District; anita.larue@usdoj.gov) discussed the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and their own roles and duties.  They act as liaisons with police districts and local communities and are embedded with police in each MPD district, working with district commanders on anti-crime initiatives, training police officers, leading youth motivation programs and doing outreach to educate the community on crucial issues such as human trafficking, domestic violence, and child abuse.  They also work with residents to develop community impact statements to submit in DC Superior Court cases. The court accepts statements not only from individual victims to describe how crimes have affected them but also from groups concerned about the impacts of specific crimes on the community as a whole.

Next meeting:  March 11, 2021