Author: Noah Smith

NEWS: Dupont Circle ANC Publishes Draft Goals for 2015

In an effort to be more transparent, accountable and productive the Dupont Circle ANC presents for public comment a list of draft goals for calendar year 2015.

There will be a brief discussion of the goals at the January 14th meeting and final goals will be adopted at the February 11th ANC meeting. The ANC will then establish committees and working groups comprised of members of the community to begin addressing those goals in a proactive manner and may consider holding several special meetings throughout the year to act on the work of those groups. The draft goals were developed by the 2015 Commissioners; we look forward to their enhancement through public comment.

The ANC asks that you submit your feedback on these draft goals, including which should be addressed first or not at all and what goal statements may be missing, by February 5, 2015 (Deadline extended!) by emailing commissioners@dupontcircleanc.net. The goals do not appear in any particular order.

Overarching Goals

  • Address policy issues proactively and streamline reactionary approaches to regulatory applications.
  • Enhance engagement and involvement of residents, neighboring ANCs, neighborhood organizations, businesses and not-for-profit groups.

Specific Policy-related Goals

  • Better understand the role of the ANC and community in impacting historic preservation in the neighborhood and use that knowledge to better influence preservation activities.
  • Address rat infestation together with residents, businesses, organizations, and the city.
  • Identify and prioritize issues related to liquor-licensed establishments in ANC2B and recommend comprehensive approaches to address those issues.
  • Engage with and support schools located within ANC 2B as well as those that serve as part of the neighborhood feeder pattern.
  • Assist the City in improving communications with residents and businesses during natural and man-made emergencies.
  • Work with area organizations to promote independent and diverse retail businesses that serve and enhance our neighborhood.
  • Inventory ANC2B parks and explore opportunities to increase the number and utilization of public parks in the neighborhood.

Significant Specific Issue Goals

  • Continue to represent the best interests of the neighborhood regarding development of land at St. Thomas Church.
  • Provide recommendations to the ABC Board on the West Dupont Liquor License Moratorium by April 2015.

 

NEWS: ANC 2B to Host City and PEPCO on January 14 to Discuss Recent Power Outage

At its regular monthly meeting on January 14th at 7:00 pm at the Brookings Institution (1775 Massachusetts Ave NW) the Dupont Circle ANC will host Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans, and representatives from the Mayor’s Office and PEPCO to discuss the response to the recent neighborhood-wide power outages.

On January 6th an underground cable fault occurred shortly before 7 a.m. near 18th and Corcoran streets, NW.  That affected three underground feeders and led to power outages for approximately 6,100 customers. At first, customers were told power would be restored before noon. That assessment was incorrect, but residents made plans without proper information, and some were stranded in unheated homes in sub-freezing temperatures. By nightfall, a warming center had been set up in Petworth, but it was more than 2 miles away, and many residents did not learn about it until after dark. Many did not feel safe leaving their homes to walk icy sidewalks with no street lights.
 
Above all, our neighbors did not receive enough timely and accurate information to make proper decisions about their own health and safety. While the ANC fully understands that infrastructure breaks down and that it can be difficult to diagnosis and fix the problem, our concern here is about how we respond to such emergencies. What went wrong here, what can we learn from that, and what steps can we take now to improve our communications systems so that future emergencies are better managed?

At the same meeting, four new Commissioners and five returning Commissioners will be sworn in by Mr. Evans and the ANC will discuss a range of regulatory applications as well as their 2015 goals. The full agenda, which will be updated on Sunday, is available HERE.

January 7th Update on Power Outage from PEPCO

We received the following outage overview and update from PEPCO:

“On Jan. 6, 2015, an underground cable fault occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in the area of 18th and Corcoran streets, NW. The fault caused three underground feeders to trip and led to power outages for approximately 6,100 customers. The cause remains under investigation.

Pepco restored electrical service to approximately 6000 customers by about 11 p.m. Tuesday. Field work on the underground outage has required a longer period of work than anticipated due to inclement weather, traffic and the severity of the damage. Pepco crews will continue making repairs and will remain on site until all of the work is completed.

The current ETR is set at 10 p.m. tonight. Estimated Time of Restoration is initially based on the identified problem and the time it normally takes to make the repairs. As we proceeded with the original repairs, we found the damage more extensive than originally anticipated which required extending the ETR. Until the first repair was completed, we could not detect the additional repairs necessary to complete the restoration. ETRs, that Pepco fully expected to meet, have been extended due to unforeseen issues crews had no way of discovering until they made other necessary repairs.

Today, during our emergency repair effort, engineers discovered additional issues involving secondary power cables underground. This will require crews to remove and replace cable before service can be completely restored to remaining customers experiencing outages. Three secondary main lines are being replaced plus additional underground equipment. The technical nature of this repair work severely limits the ability to immediately see certain underground issues. Pepco has been calling affected customers all day to communicate our continued emergency work and the estimated time of restoration.

We estimate more than 450 customers are experiencing an extended outage while our emergency work continues to repair secondary lines. Customers between R Street and S Street, in the area extending between 18th Street NW to Connecticut Avenue are included in the extended outage. It is important for customers who do not have power to continue reporting any outage to Pepco by phone at 1-877-737-2662 or through our mobile app available for download at Pepco.com.

The District has established a warming center for customers at the Raymond Recreation Center, 3725 10th Street NW. We understand our customers’ frustration and we will continue to work around the clock to get every last customer restored.”

UPDATED: Plans Available for St. Thomas Church Development (12-1-2014)

****UPDATED ON DECEMBER 9, 2014****

The ANC received notice today that the Historic Preservation Office has removed 1772 Church Street NW from the Historic Preservation Review Board agenda for December. As such, the Dupont Circle ANC will not vote on the project at its December 10th meeting.

The developers and Church will maintain their spot on the agenda and will present the most up to date plans (available below) and receive questions and comments from Commissioners and the public. We apologize for any inconvenience or confusion and we hope that the extra time will allow neighbors adequate opportunity to provide constructive feedback to the ANC and the architects. There may be altered plans available for review, which will be posted on this website.

The ANC will announce new dates and times for additional public review of this proposal in the future.

 

At the ANC’s Zoning, Preservation and Development Committee on December 1st, architects for St. Thomas Church at 1772 Church Street NW supplied the committee modified plans as they will be presented to the ANC on December 10th and the Historic Preservation Review Board later this month.

The most recent set of plans is available for download HERE.

The ANC encourages community members to submit constructive feedback to commissioners@dupontcircleanc.net. The ANC is particularly interested in comments on height, massing and concept of the proposed plans with the understanding that the design will be finalized over time and in conjunction with the neighbors and the ANC. The ANC would also appreciate feedback on whether neighbors think recent changes have met the requests of the ANC’s previous recommendations on the project, available here.

NEWS: ANC’s Transportation Committee Recommends Three Proposals to Keep Neighborhood Moving Safely and Efficiently

The Dupont Circle ANC’s Transportation and Public Infrastructure Committee has been hard at work the last several months on several projects intended to help keep our neighborhood safe and moving efficiently. This Wednesday, the committee will present three of those projects to the ANC and seek their support. We hope you can join us at 7pm at the Brookings Institution on November 12th to discuss the following resolutions:

  • Traffic signals on 60 second cycles in residential areas might not be the most efficient or safe way to control an intersection. Led by new member David Alpert, the committee has recognized potentially inefficient traffic signals in residential areas and requested a study of their appropriateness for the neighborhood. There are several options for remedy, including elimination of traffic signals or a simple change to their timing.

 

  • The committee, led by Susan Volman and Rudi Riet have audited the utility and appropriateness of signage along the 15th Street Cycle Track and recommended comprehensive changes to signage for bikers, motor vehicles and pedestrians. Inconsistent, confusing and poorly placed signage along 15th Street can lead to dangerous interactions among all road users. The Committee’s audit (including pictures!) resulted in several recommendations for infrastructure changes that bring our cycle tracks in line with international standards and better prepare users for potential hazards. The Committee recommends that by Spring 2015, DDOT replace the signage of the 15th Street cycle track to:
    • Ensure the intended audience for each type of sign is clear and consistent
    • Simplify and make uniform all signs
    • Place signs at optimal height and location for visibility by their intended audience; and
    • Add more signs to inform cyclists and motorists about the existence of the cycle track and lane layout.
  • The committee recommends enthusiastic support for the DC Circulator plans for expansion through Dupont Circle to Howard University and is asking for further opportunities to provide input. The committee supports any and all additional public transit options in our neighborhood and had previously recommended a new Circulator route from the National Mall to U Street.

The full ANC agenda for this Wednesday is available here.