2021 Highlights
ANC3B is the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) for the neighborhoods of Glover Park and Cathedral Heights, with each Commissioner serving 2,000 residents in the neighborhood. ANCs are the level of District government closest to the people. Elections for ANC Commissioners are held on a non-partisan basis every two years, as part of DC General Elections. The major function of ANCs is to advise District government agencies and officials on policies and programs.
To carry out that function, the ANC:
– Holds monthly public meetings to respond to DC agencies’ proposals and requests for comment, discuss issues and concerns, hear perspectives from constituents, and share information important to residents and businesses
– Identifies emerging issues affecting the community and assists in devising effective approaches for dealing with them
– Reviews applications for liquor licenses and zoning cases in the Commission area, advises on changes as needed and takes official positions in the interest of the neighborhood
– Awards grants to support local projects that provide benefits to the community
– Works with other Commissions and Commissioners on District-wide issues, including policy matters and administrative challenges facing ANCs.
In the past 12 months, ANC3B held 11 monthly “virtual” meetings, hosted 11 presentations by District agencies and other community leaders, took official positions on 6 liquor license applications and 4 zoning cases, and approved 10 letters and resolutions on policy and program issues facing the community and District. The Commission also awarded 4 grants totaling $10,000 for projects proposed by local non-profit organizations for the benefit of the community. All the grants were used to cover needs related to COVID-19, including tents at Stoddert for outdoor events and outdoor learning, as well as distribution of food and household supplies for residents, which were eligible for grants under the District’s COVID-19 emergency legislation.
The ANC’s work was strongly affected by COVID-19 in other ways, as residents and businesses continued to deal with the challenges of the public health crisis, and many groups and individuals had greater need for information on vaccinations as well as local government services. All ANC public meetings also continued to be held using “virtual” technology instead of in-person.
In January 2021, the ANC welcomed a new Commissioner, Elizabeth Elson (ANC3B04 in Cathedral Heights, who was elected to the seat held by Mary Young for 8 years until her retirement. At the December 2020 ANC3B public meeting, Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh joined with the Commission in honoring Commissioner Young and thanking her for her service.
DC Public School (DCPS) plans and programs were a major topic of discussion over the past year. The biggest development was the DCPS proposal for two new public schools in Ward 3: Foxhall Elementary School adjoining the site of the Old Hardy School near Reservoir Road and Foxhall Road, as well as the MacArthur School in the former facilities of the Georgetown Day School on MacArthur Boulevard 3 blocks from the Old Hardy School site, which could be either a high school or middle school. The plans for the MacArthur School would be closely tied to the use of Hardy Middle School, which DCPS suggested could remain a middle school or could be used to serve some Wilson High students, if MacArthur School is used for a middle school. ANC3B organized a discussion with DCPS planning and facilities officials as well as the Stoddert PTO, to consider the effects of the proposed changes on the Glover Park-Cathedral Heights community. Foxhall Elementary has been proposed to serve about half the students currently assigned to Stoddert, where enrollment is most over-capacity of all the DCPS schools. ANC3B along with Stoddert PTO asked DCPS to restore funding in the District FY2022 budget to cover the capital project that had been planned at Stoddert but removed from the budget the year before. That request was met. DCPS plans to open a process in 2022 to review school boundaries, with full public participation, in order to determine what areas would be served by the new Foxhall School. which could open in 2024.
The largest number of other policy issues addressed by the ANC in the past 12 months involved transportation, including ongoing reductions in Metrobus services in the wake of the COVID-19 emergency, installation of a new traffic signal at the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and Fulton Street, the “Slow Street” program that introduced barriers and other restrictions on use of 39th Street NW in Cathedral Heights, changes in the parking permit, completion of the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) long-range transportation plan “MoveDC 2021,” reactivation of the Stop Sign Camera at 37th and Whitehaven Parkway, and new initiatives as part of the District’s “Vision Zero” program to eliminate traffic injuries and fatalities.
The major transportation policy issue addressed by ANC3B during 2021 was DDOT’s proposal for new bicycle facilities on the New Mexico Avenue/Tunlaw Road/37th Street corridor, which turns from Nebraska Avenue in ANC3D through ANC3B and on to Reservoir Road in ANC2E. In January 2021, DDOT presented two bike lane options at the ANC3B meeting: a two-way protected bike lane or two one-way bike lanes on each side of the street, both of which would remove all the on-street parking spaces along the corridor on 37th and Tunlaw south of Calvert Street and about half of the existing on-street parking on Tunlaw Road and New Mexico Avenue north of Calvert Street. The ANC heard three presentations by DDOT staff through the year about options they were considering, with time for comments and questions from the ANC and community. The Commissioners submitted requests to DDOT for additional data and analysis, gathered information and feedback, shared findings with the community, and adopted a series of official statements expressing priorities and principles for evaluating the alternatives. The ANC also consulted with Commissioners in the adjoining ANCs and requested comments from the community, compiling close to 200 responses by July. In October DDOT offered to develop more specific designs to share with the ANC and the community, as part of the continuing Community Engagement on the project. In November, the Commission adopted a resolution expressing some options it could support or would not support, and asking DDOT to provide clear illustrations of an alternative developed over the past year, so the ANC could gather public feedback on the details and put together a more specific position on the potential options. DDOT’s timetable called for wrapping up the initial outreach to the community and the affected ANCs and building enough support to be able to put forward a proposal for improved bike facilities in a formal Notice of Intent, launch an official public comment period, and carry out some safety improvements on the corridor in 2022.
Through the year, ANC3B also continued to pursue constituents’ interests in improved safety on Cathedral Avenue from 39th Street to Glover Archbold Park and other areas of the neighborhood where requests for pedestrian and traffic safety improvements have not yet been addressed by DDOT. The Commission submitted comments to DDOT in November 2021 urging that DDOT work through the backlog of service requests and improve the process for analyzing and responding to ANC and constituents’ calls for traffic safety investigations.
The ANC also works with others in the community to see constructive improvements in the Wisconsin Avenue commercial strip, supporting continued work by the Glover Park Main Street and its efforts to improve the streetscape and encourage economic health of the area. ANC3B also continues to support the Glover Park Clean Team, which helps clean and maintain the Glover Park commercial area.
For more information, contact anc3bmail@gmail.com
ANC3B Annual Report covering December 1, 2020-November 30, 2021
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) were established in the “home rule” act of 1979 to be the part of local District government closest to the people. The five Commissioners of ANC3B serving Glover Park and Cathedral Heights (“the Commission”) act as a group to make recommendations to local and federal agencies on matters affecting local residents. City agencies are required by law to give “great weight” to issues and concerns raised by the ANC on most proposed District regulatory and policy decisions.
The ANC regularly reviews proposed city projects and programs affecting the Commission area as well as applications for zoning approval, new and renewed liquor licenses or changes to existing liquor licenses in the community. The Commission also identifies emerging issues in the neighborhood or related to constituent interests; brings local officials and agency representatives to speak to the community and answer questions; provides information on District programs and services to residents, community groups, and businesses and helps connect them to services and solutions they need.
- The year brought many changes for ANC3B, including the retirement of Commissioner Mary Young, devoted long-time Treasurer and representative of Single Member District 3B04 in Cathedral Heights since 2012. In the November 2020 General Election, Elizabeth Elson was elected to that seat.
- In addition, the year remained challenging because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Commission continued to hold meetings virtually, via Zoom Webinar, as allowed under the District’s COVID-19 emergency legislation. At the March 12, 2020, ANC3B public meeting, the Commission also voted to waive its bylaws requiring in-person public meetings in order to be able to conduct meetings “remotely,” with Commissioners and community members participating using virtual technology such as Zoom.
- The ANC also provided grants to several non-profit groups providing food and supplies to households in need, as allowed under the District’s COVID-19 emergency legislation.
- The Commissioners coordinated with Glover Park Main Street (GPMS) to assess needs of the commercial businesses in the neighborhood during the downturn resulting from COVID-19. The ANC worked with individual establishments to develop agreements allowing new live entertainment options and extend hours of operations to attract new business.
- Kate Dean, GPMS Executive Director, provided regular updates to the community monthly ANC3B meetings, including on GPMS grants available to businesses and the new streetscaping improvements, “streateries” on Wisconsin, and banners displayed on light poles along Wisconsin Avenue to help create a stronger identity for the commercial area. Launched in November 2019, GPMS has quickly become a highly effective force and resource to help local businesses in sustaining and enhancing their operations and improve the appearance and appeal of the commercial district.
DDOT PROPOSAL FOR BIKE LANES ON NEW MEXICO AVENUE/TUNLAW ROAD/37th STREET
The most important issue for the Commission through the past 12 months has been the proposed project by the DC Department of Transportation (DDOT) to install protected bike lanes on the New Mexico Avenue/Tunlaw Road/37th Street corridor which starts at Nebraska Avenue in ANC3D, and runs the full length of ANC3B on through Burleith to Reservoir Road. DDOT made presentations about possible options for the project at the ANC3B public meetings in January, July, and October. The initial alternatives DDOT was considering would have put bicycle lanes along the curb and removed all the parking lanes on the corridor south of Calvert Street that are currently used for deliveries, pick-ups/drop-offs, and on-street parking, in ANC3B as well as in ANC2E south to Reservoir Road.
The Commission prepared an initial letter to DDOT at the February public meeting, asking the agency to conduct a fuller corridor study, as recommended in DDOT’s Final Report on the 2019 Livability Study for Rock Creek Far West, and give further attention to the range of needs and comprehensive transportation planning considerations for the entire system serving the community, including Metrobus and other transit operations, package delivery services, for-hire rides, pedestrians, wheelchairs and other personal mobility devices, as well as bicycles. DDOT did not respond to ANC3B’s request, while it worked with the other adjoining ANCs to present the proposals at their meetings and begin gathering their responses.
In May, ANC3B sent a further request to DDOT for specific data needed to evaluate alternatives for bicycle facilities. DDOT responded to that request in June and July. At the same time, the Commission made a broad invitation to members of the community to comment on the proposals DDOT had put forward at that point. DDOT returned to the ANC3B public meeting on July 15 and shared a few additional sketches, including a half dozen alternatives and their potential effects on parking. The Commission compiled and posted all the comments received from the community, and approved another letter to DDOT summarizing the comments, as well as presenting general principles and suggestions from the public for safety improvements on the corridor. The letter also noted that the Commission had not seen any proposals for bike lanes south of Calvert Street that seemed practical or feasible.
The DDOT team returned to the ANC3B public meeting in October with some assessments of traffic at signalized intersections and engineering sketches of potential safety measures at a few other points including Tunlaw and Davis. DDOT also asked the Commission to prepare clear statements of what it would and would not support for bike facilities north of Calvert and south of Calvert, before the agency invested in additional work on details of the project. The Commission responded with a formal resolution at the November public meeting, confirming its opposition to installing protected bike lanes south of Calvert and noting in broad terms what might be acceptable for the corridor north of Calvert in ANC3B. The Commission made clear that it could not present an official position on specific designs without being able to review and share additional details and get feedback from constituents on the particular proposals, once the community has seen what the plans might mean.
ANC OPERATIONS
Each ANC Commissioner is elected for a two-year term from a Single Member District comprising about 2,000 residents in the community. ANC3B public meetings are generally held monthly (except in August) and are open to every member of the community and residents are welcome to participate.
Normally ANC3B meetings are held on the second Thursday of the month at Stoddert Elementary School. After March 2020, ANC3B meetings were shifted to “virtual” but the Commission kept up the usual schedule of public meetings through 2021, taking the usual break in August. The proposed schedule of AN3B public meetings is announced at the beginning of each calendar year and posted on the official ANC3B website www.anc3b.org and the proposed agenda for the next meeting is published at least a week in advance via the website, ANC email list, and local listservs. The Commission invites residents to suggest agenda items for future public meetings, and each public meeting includes time for an “Open Forum” in which anyone can raise issues, comments or questions.
ANC3B reports to the community about each of its public meetings through meeting summaries on the home page of the Commission’s website and in the Glover Park Gazette. The more detailed official minutes of each meeting are subject are posted on the website after they are approved at the following public meeting. Copies of official resolutions, letters, and other documents that have been approved by vote of the Commission at public meetings are also posted on the website, along with quarterly financial reports and the ANC annual budget.
Day to day, the five ANC3B Commissioners consult with constituents, participate in local and city-wide meetings on issues affecting the Commission area, share information about emerging issues, and are available to answer questions and help resolve concerns. In the past year, the Commissioners have paid particular attention to transportation issues, including improving the condition of streets, sidewalks, and crosswalks and focusing on areas where pedestrian and traffic safety are particular concerns.
The Commission invites representatives of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Second District to each meeting to discuss public safety issues in the community along with local crime statistics. During the COVID-19 emergency, total crime fell sharply in the ANC3B area through 2020 but returned to slightly higher levels in 2021. The Commission kept in touch with MPD about local crime patterns and asked for added patrols to respond when reports were filed on upticks in property crimes. At meetings and by email, the Commissioners work with MPD to share crime prevention recommendations as well as police initiatives to investigate and deter incidents.
OFFICIAL ACTIONS BY VOTE OF THE COMMISSION
Between December 1, 2020, and November 30, 2021, the Commission voted on 35 official actions, including 11 administrative actions such as the ANC3B budget, expenditures and quarterly reports; 4 grants; 10 votes involving local zoning and liquor license applications, and 10 letters and resolutions on city policy matters such as proposed changes in the WMATA budget and Metrobus routes serving Glover Park-Cathedral Heights that were cut back during the COVID-19 emergency.
WMATA brought back some services on the 31 and 33, and restored the N2 and N4 in September, but eliminated the long-time cross-town bus service provided by the 30N and 30S, in spite of hundreds of letters residents had sent in 2020 and earlier in 2021 opposing that change. D2 Metrobus service continued with far lower frequencies at rush hour than prior to the pandemic, while the D1 and 37 routes were still suspended throughout the year. ANC3B wrote to WMATA asking for Metrobus service to the area to be preserved or improved, and asking for a meeting with WMATA and DDOT to discuss future plans for local transit service.
The Commission also adopted several resolutions on potential city projects including a letter to DC Public Schools recommending restoration of funding for planned capacity additions at Stoddert Elementary School.
The Commission receives notices of all applications for liquor licenses and zoning cases in the ANC3B area, as well as public space permits, building permits, and raze permits. Over the past 12 months, the Commission heard presentations about applications from Good Guys, Ghostline and Breadsoda for changes in specific details of their liquor licenses, and adopted 6 resolutions: to oppose Good Guys expansion in to the second floor, to support an amendment to the settlement agreement with Breadsoda to set hours for entertainment on the outdoor patio, to support new settlement agreements with Ghostline for live jazz in the outdoor courtyard and with Laliguras to allow live karaoke as well as new hours of operation.
When a property owner applies to the DC Office of Zoning for an addition or other change that requires zoning approval, the local ANC Commissioners generally ask the applicant(s) to make a presentation about the application at an ANC public meeting and get comments from nearby neighbors, including the residents and owners of the adjoining properties. During the past 12 months, the Commission heard presentations on 5 zoning applications, reviewed comments from the community, and adopted 4 letters to the Board of Zoning Adjustment supporting specific zoning requests in the neighborhood. The Commission also approved a letter of support for Georgetown Medstar Hospital’s proposal to move an adult internal medicine clinic into space at 2233 Wisconsin Avenue, and provided a letter of support for the Clean Decisions organization to continue operating as the Glover Park Clean Team, helping keep the commercial area clean under an annual District grant.
In addition, the Commission hosted 11 discussions and presentations at ANC3B public meetings by city agencies and organizations on their services and programs, including the Director of the DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), the Community Prosecutor Doug Klein from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, officials from the DC Public Schools and the Office of Human Rights, and several members of the DC Department of Transportation about parking permits, safety initiatives, and service requests in the community. The Commissioners and members of the community also provided information and updates at each monthly meeting on developments, activities or programs affecting the Commission area
The city provided ANC3B $13,820 in appropriated funds in FY2021 (ending September 30, 2021), in quarterly allotments, and the DC Council approved the same level of funding for the ANC in FY2022, which began on October 1, 2021. The Commission does not have an office or administrative staff but instead uses the funds from the city to cover small for supplies and the ANC3B website and the rest is devoted to grants for projects to benefit the community. Non-profit organizations are eligible to apply for grants, generally up to a total of $2,500 within a fiscal year. During the 12-month reporting period, the Commission approved 4 grants totaling $10,000 to not-for-profit groups for the benefit of the community and larger area, including the DC Food Project, Stoddert PTO, and Feed the Family Pantry. (During the COVID-19 emergency, emergency legislation in the District allowed ANCs to provide grants to cover expenses for food and other humanitarian aid to residents in the District as a whole, though that would otherwise be prohibited.)
See below for a more detailed list of activities and actions by ANC3B during this reporting period:
LETTERS AND RESOLUTIONS ON DISTRICT AGENCY PROPOSALS AND POLICIES
Letter to DDOT to reiterate support for installation of a full traffic signal at the intersection of Wisconsin and Fulton Street, which ANC3B residents had requested for years and DDOT had proposed in a Notice of Intent in July 2020. The Commission had already submitted formal comments in support of the signal within the established Public Comment Period but ANC3C serving the other side of Wisconsin Avenue had not participated until after the signal was installed. (12/20)
Letter to DDOT with comments on the draft “MoveDC 2021” long-range transportation plan for the District, calling for more holistic consideration of all modes of transportation and all types of users of the transportation system. (2/21)
Letter to DDOT calling for a full corridor study and additional analysis of the agency’s options for improving bike facilities and traffic safety on the New Mexico Avenue/Tunlaw/37th Street corridor. DDOT had presented two alternatives at the ANC3B January meeting, for a two-way bike lane on one side of the street or for two one-way bike lanes, one on each side of the street. The Commission recommended that DDOT do more holistic assessment of the way the local transportation network functions, the full range of mobility and safety needs of the community, and potential effects of any proposals on pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists, package delivery services, pick-ups/drop-offs, and parking for residents and visitors. (2/21)
Letter to WMATA expressing concerns about proposed changes in Metrobus services affecting ANC3B, including continued COVID-19 reductions in service on the D2 and N buses, which were proposed for consolidation, and the 30N and 30S cross-town buses, which was proposed for complete elimination. (3/21)
Letter to DDOT about potential traffic safety initiatives in the post-pandemic period, such as a follow-up to the “Slow Streets” program. DDOT introduced that program in June 2020, including on the four blocks of 39th Street between Fulton Street and Massachusetts Avenue in Cathedral Heights starting in August 2020, to encourage safer walking and bicycling during the COVID-19 emergency. After repeated requests from ANC3B and residents not to include those blocks, DDOT agreed to remove the barriers and at the end of the spring closed the program. (5/21)
Letter to DC Public Schools expressing concern about the effect on students and families in the Stoddert Elementary School area if the two proposed new public schools are built in the Foxhall/MacArthur area, and recommending that funds be restored for the capital project that had been removed from the District budget in FY2021. (5/21)
Resolution to send letter to DC Department of Small and Local Business Development (DSLBD) supporting Clean Decisions application to continue to receive the grant to provide services for another year as the “Clean Team” on the Wisconsin Avenue commercial strip in Glover Park, cleaning the sidewalks, tree boxes, and adjoining areas for the community. (9/21)
Letter to DDOT sharing general principles to guide DDOT decisions on bike facilities in the New Mexico/Tunlaw/37th Street corridor, with a summary of constituents’ comments on alternatives DDOT had presented. The letter stated that ANC3B had not seen any proposals for bike lanes on the corridor south of Calvert that appeared practical or feasible. The letter also strongly urged DDOT to come back to the ANC with designs responding to comments from the Commissoin and the community before the agency put forward any official proposal. (9/21)
Letter to DDOT expressing ANC3B positions on potential bicycle lanes and other traffic safety improvements on the New Mexico/Tunlaw/37th Street corridor, including statements of general types of improvements ANC3B could support or not support for bike lanes south of Calvert Street and north of Calvert Street. The letter also requested additional illustrations of what certain options would look like and how they would work for users, so the ANC could get a clear sense of possibilities DDOT was considering, share the information with constituents, and develop a position on specific alternatives. (11/21)
Letter to DDOT commenting on the Director’s announced plan for fast-tracking projects related to traffic safety and “Vision Zero” goals, including changes in DDOT’s handling of service requests, requirements for analysis and documentation, and involvement of ANCs. DDOT was proposing that requests for speed humps would require only endorsement by the ANC, without any data or analysis from DDOT to assist the ANCs in making their decisions, consider other traffic calming alternatives that might be more effective, or plan for traffic safety across the area as a whole. The letter asked for DDOT to suspend implementation of those changes while it held further discussions with ANCs. (11/21)
ACTIONS ON APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES, ZONING RELIEF AND OTHER APPROVALS
Support for zoning Special Exception for rear deck addition at 2022 37th Street (1/21)
Support for Medstar Georgetown University Hospital to locate adult internal medicine offices in the commercial building at 2233 Wisconsin Avenue. (1/21)
Resolution to formally protest Good Guys application to the DC Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA) for a substantial change to its liquor license to allow a proposed expansion onto the second floor of the establishment at 2311 Wisconsin Avenue. Good Guys owner Mahesh Patel made a presentation at the ANC December 2020 public meeting about Good Guys’ plan to expand food and beverage services to the second floor, where there has been an office and staff restroom but no space for patrons. The Commission voted to oppose the change on the basis that it would violate the Settlement Agreement between Good Guys and ANC3B and would be a threat to the “peace, order and quiet of the neighborhood.” (1/21)
Resolution to withdraw the Commissions’ protest of Good Guys’ application for a change to its liquor license, after the Good Guys formally withdrew the application to ABRA. (2/21)
Support for zoning Special Exception for rear deck addition at 3821 Beecher Street NW (2/21)
Support for new settlement agreement with Ghostline [later renamed Little Beast] as well as an Entertainment Endorsement from ABRA to allow live jazz at specified hours with sound control on the rear patio at 2340 Wisconsin Avenue (3/21)
Support for an amended settlement agreement with Breadsoda at 2233 Wisconsin Avenue to allow ambient music and a change in hours of service on the upper level and lower level patio. (6/21)
Support for a new settlement agreement with Laliguras restaurant at 2232 Wisconsin Avenue to allow open hours and alcohol service until 3 am Friday and Saturday nights/2 am other days and live entertainment until 2 am Friday and Saturday nights/1 am other days, along with support for an Entertainment Endorsement to the liquor license to allow karaoke at the establishment. (9/21)
Support for a stipulated license for Laliguras at 2232 Wisconsin Avenue to allow the new hours and entertainment to go into effect immediately, if ABRA approved. (10/21)
PRESENTATIONS BY DISTRICT OFFICIALS AND AGENCIES
DDOT presentation on options for bicycle infrastructure and safety improvements on New Mexico/Tunlaw/37th Street corridor, delivered by Bicycle Specialists Mike Goodno and Gilberto Solano along with George Branyan, Manager of the Active Transportation Branch of the Planning and Sustainability Office. They presented preliminary concepts for two options” A) two separated bike lane, one on each side of the street; and B) a two-way protected bike lane. Both options would eliminate all on-street parking on Tunlaw and 37th between Calvert Street and Reservoir Road, and 45-55% of the parking spaces on Tunlaw north of Calvert. DDOT also presented estimated counts of parking occupancy and parking availability in various parts of the ANC3B area. (1/21)
Update by DDOT Community Engagement Specialist for Ward 3 Donise Jackson about current DDOT programs affecting the community and its efforts to improve response to residents’ service requests (3/21)
Discussion with Claudia Luján, DCPS Deputy Chief, Strategic School Planning and Enrollment, and Andrea Swiatocha, DCPS Deputy Manager of Facilities, as well as Jorge Highland, Co-President of the Stoddert Elementary School PTO, about the DC Public Schools (DCPS) proposals to open two new schools in Ward 3, within the current Wilson Feeder network: a new elementary school next to Old Hardy School near the intersection of Foxhall Road and Reservoir Road, on property that is currently part of the Hardy Recreation Center and Park, as well as a new middle school or high school nearby on the former Georgetown Day School (GDS) lower school campus on MacArthur Boulevard, which the District had agreed to purchase the previous year. [Hardy Middle School was part of the planning, because one option DCPS was considering would use Hardy Middle for high school students–potentially 9th graders from Wilson High School–which would allow the MacArthur School to be used as a middle school. Stoddert Elementary School would also be affected because some Stoddert students would likely be reassigned to the new Foxhall School. One option that was mentioned would place the Foxhall School boundary across the middle of Glover Park. Another option would be to send all 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students at Stoddert and Key to the new Foxhall School. In 2021, the District was only trying to decide whether to fund the two new schools in the FY2022 budget. DCPS said that boundary questions would be left to a separate process in 2022, and could not be resolved without a process for participation by the families and communities, including ANCs. (5/21)
Presentation by Ajan Brown, Community Engagement Specialist, DC Office of Human Rights (OHR), about the work of the agency, the protections DC offers for people with traits that are protected under DC law, and OHR’s education and awareness programs to prevent discrimination against them. He also highlighted the funds OHR makes available to ANCs to reimburse the expenses of translation and interpretation services for people with limited English proficiency who want to participate in ANC meetings and access presentation materials or official ANC documents. (6/21)
Presentation by Kishan Putta, Commissioner in ANC 2E01 in Burleith and also Community Outreach Specialist for DC Health Link – the District’s program for carrying out the Affordable Care Act – about the opportunities for savings on health insurance available to District residents through funding provided under the “American Rescue Plan.” The benefits included: lower premiums for 2021 and 2022, a temporary benefit for laid-off workers’ health plans; and free COBRA. (6/21)
Presentation on the District’s new ParkDC digital parking permit system by Joseph Kerwin of the DDOT Parking and Ground Transportation Division. ParkDC a digital system for managing parking permits introduced on June 1. DC residents in Residential Permit Parking (RPP) Zones are asked to use the new system to obtain temporary parking permits for a visitor, as well as for a home health aide or contractor (which previously were issued by DMV), and use ParkDC to substitute for the Annual Visitor Parking Pass. (7/21)
Presentation and Discussion of Proposals for Bike Lanes on New Mexico/Tunlaw/37th Street Corridor with DDOT representatives Mike Goodno, Gilberto Solano, and George Branyan. They presented schematic illustrations for six potential configurations of bike facilities on the corridor through ANC3B including the two options DDOT shared at the January meeting, but did not offer any new concepts or recommendations. (7/21)
Stephen Marencic of the DC Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC) reported on the June 4 decision by the DC Public Service Commission (PSC) in the latest Pepco rate case. The decision approved a rate increase lower than Pepco requested but also approved Pepco’s request to adopt a Multiyear Rate Plan based on forecasts of costs instead of setting rates to cover its actual costs year by year. OPC was appealing for reconsideration, noting that no party in the case other than Pepco had supported the request. (ANC3B voted in July 2020 to oppose Pepco’s proposed rate increase and adoption of a Multiyear Rate Plan.) (9/21)
DDOT Bike Team presented their engineering consultants’ analysis of the traffic movements at signalized intersections New Mexico/Tunlaw/37th Street corridor and preliminary concept designs for dealing with safety concerns at other key points, in conjunction with potential improvements to the bicycle facilities on the corridor in ANC3B. DDOT also asked for ANC3B to develop and present at the following meeting a statement of what changes in bicycle lanes the Commission would or would not support. (10/21)
COMMUNITY UPDATES AND INFORMATION
Commissioners provided information on the District’s COVID-19 vaccination program (1/21), and extension of the Mayor’s declaration of public emergency, available public assistance for tenants and others facing difficulty paying rent and utility bills.
The Commission scheduled a presentation by a representative of the DC Department of Health to discuss parents’ concerns with COVID-19 restrictions affecting DCPS but his participation was canceled at the last minute and was not rescheduled. (4/21)
Commissioners provided several updates on plans for reopening the Glover Park Whole Foods (4/21, 6/21, 10/21), and also the plans for opening the new Kindercare at Calvert and Wisconsin (4/21, 6/21).
Commissioners shared information on the WMATA proposed FY2021 budget and Metrobus service changes affecting ANC3B. With continued budget shortfalls in 2021, WMATA was planning to continue suspension of the N2, N4, and 37, and eliminate the 30N and 30S cross-town bus routes. Without additional funding by January 2022, WMATA was proposing to combine the D2 bus route with the N6, M4, and D6, which would have had buses operating from Dupont Circle to 37th and on to Tunlaw on the D2 route but then continuing on Tunlaw all the way up New Mexico Avenue t0 Nebraska Avenue, eliminating all stops southwest of Tunlaw in Glover Park. Federal funding was approved that prevented that proposal from taking effect. (1/21) The 30N and 30S, however, were only operated through September and then were discontinued and replaced with additional 31 and 33 buses running no further than the National Mall, requiring a transfer for riders going to or from any points in the southwest or southeast quadrants of the District. (4/21, 6/21, 9/21)
Kate Dean, Executive Director of the Glover Park Main Street, presented an update on the second year of work by the Glover Park Main Street program focusing on assisting local businesses to survive the COVID-19 period and prepare for grants to make improvements to the appearance and opportunities in the Glover Park commercial corridor on Wisconsin Avenue. (4/21)
Chairman Brian Turmail reported on DCPS proposals for establishing two new schools in the Foxhall/MacArthur area that could potentially serve some families in ANC3B. He also reported he had asked to be added to the Community Working Group (CWG) for Wilson Feeder Network schools, in order to represent interests of the local neighborhood in deliberations affecting schools. (4/21)
Chairman Turmail later was invited to join the CWG and reported on the first meeting he attended. The group discussed the DCPS proposals for two new public schools, which DCPS was asking to fund in the FY2022 budget. He also reported an agreement to restore funds for the previously proposed capital project at Stoddert that was canceled in the previous year’s District budget. (6/21)
Kate Dean, Executive Director of Glover Park Main Street, shared plans for new 18-foot banners on the light poles at the north and south ends of the Glover Park commercial strip, and spoke about the progress of grants to make other improvements in the streetscape at the gas station and other businesses on Wisconsin. (6/21)
Commissioners also shared information on the Stop Sign Camera at 37th and Whitehaven Parkway that was reactivated by MPD in March 2021, as well as ANC and Council efforts to get DDOT to improve signage and public awareness of Automated Traffic Devices (ATEs). DDOT conducted a site visit on September 10 with Councilmember Mary Cheh and after the site visit, DDOT installed new signs on the approach to the camera and committed to providing the community a 2-week notice that an ATE was being activated, before any citations or fines could be issued. (10/21)
Commissioner Blumenthal organized a presentation by architect Stephen duPont Sr. about a proposal to construct three attached residential structures on the two lots at 2405 37th Street, to replace an existing single family detached home and side yard. The current property owners were applying for a zoning variance to allow two residential “flats” in each structure, for a total of six units, rather than individual homes or row houses as required in the R-3 zone. Similar proposals had been advanced for the same lots in previous years but had not received zoning approval. (11/21)
GRANTS
$2,500 to DC Food Project for distributing Souper Girl Soups to families and students facing food insecurity in several District neighborhoods, as allowed by COVID-19 emergency legislation. (4/21)
$2,500 to Stoddert Parent Teacher Organization to rent a large tent and fans for holding 5th grade graduation outdoors on school grounds during COVID-19 restrictions (4/21)
$2,500 to International Women’s Democracy Center for its new Feed the Family Pantry at Van Ness, to purchase a computer and accessories for managing the pantry operation as well as bags to help distribute the food, as allowed by COVID-19 emergency legislation (6/21)
$2,500 to Stoddert Parent Teacher Organization to help purchase a durable tent with side flaps to use for outdoor learning, space for students to have lunch at safe social distance, and special events (10/21)
ADMINISTRATIVE ACTIONS
Approval of five quarterly financial reports to Office of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, covering the end of FY2020 through the end of FY 2021
Election of ANC3B officers for the year: Brian Turmail, Chair; Jackie Blumenthal, Vice Chair; Elizabeth Elson, Treasurer; Ann Mladinov, Secretary. Melissa Allen, Communications & Media (1/21)
Approval of monthly meeting schedule for calendar year 2021 (1/21)
Approval of expenditure of $25 to join the annual ANC Security Fund, to protect the Commission from loss or misappropriation of funds by the Chairman or Treasurer (1/21)
Approval of ANC3B proposed FY2022 Budget (10/21)
Approval of ANC3B 2021 Annual Report covering December 1, 2020-November 30, 2021 (11/21)