Author: will.stephens@dupontcircleanc.net

BLOG: Formal retirement as Chair of ANC 2B

As announced in this blog posting from July 2014 and at the regular August 2014 meeting of the ANC, I’m retiring from the position of Chair as of today, September 9th, in advance of retiring from the ANC at the end of the calendar year — so that other Commissioners can get experience managing the organization and be better prepared for the next term of the ANC.  Many thanks to those of you who had kind words to share after I made the announcement!

In accordance with the ANC’s by-laws, Vice Chair Noah Smith will serve as acting chair as of today.  In addition, we will need to fill this vacancy in the chair position at the next regular public meeting, which is tomorrow, September 10, 2014.  This will be the first order of business on our agenda, after calling the meeting to order.

NEWS: Proposed Resolution Affirming Support for Conn Ave Underpass Project

This resolution will be proposed at the ANC’s May 19th special meeting:

Resolution affirming support of covering Dupont underpass

WHEREAS, in June 2010, the Commission passed a resolution asking the District (including the Office of Planning and the Department of Transportation) to study the feasibility of covering the Connecticut Avenue underpass north of Dupont Circle with park space;

WHEREAS, for many years, residents and other stakeholders in Dupont Circle have advocated for such a project, which would have an extremely positive impact on the community and take advantage of an underutilized piece of public space;

WHEREAS, over the past two years, an ad hoc group of Commissioners, business community representatives, and representatives from the Office of Planning, the Department of Transportation, and the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement have held a series of productive meetings to develop the project more concretely;

WHEREAS, the working group has developed an initial rendering of the park space (designed by a local volunteer architect) and an initial budget estimate for the work (developed by a local construction contracting company);

WHEREAS, the proposed project would cover the 1500 block of Connecticut Ave NW (between the Circle and Q Street NW) and a portion of the 1600 block of Connecticut Ave NW (just north of Q Street NW);

WHEREAS, Ward 2 Council Member Jack Evans has endorsed the project at budget town hall meetings and other public fora and has requested that it be added to the capital improvement budget for FY 2015;

Therefore, be it resolved that ANC 2B continues its support for the Dupont Circle Underpass Project;

Be it further resolved that ANC 2B recommends that the City Council fully fund the project by allocating sufficient funds in Fiscal Year 2015 to allow for the project to move forward;

Be it further resolved that Commissioners Mike Feldstein (Mike.feldstein@dupontcircleanc.net) and Will Stephens (will.stephens@dupontcircleanc.net) be the Commission’s designated representatives in this matter, and that the matter be delegated to the Commission’s Transportation and Public Infrastructure Committee for further follow-up and development.

NEWS: Zoning, Preservation, and Development Committee Agenda for 5/7/2014

ZPD Draft Agenda (May – 2014)

Meeting to take place at the Dupont Circle Resource Center, 9 Dupont Circle NW on Wednesday, May 7th at 7:00pm

  • Application to HPRB for construction at 1337 22nd St (2B06)
  • Application to HPRB for construction at 3 Dupont Circle (2B02)
  • Application to HPRB for construction at 1620 Q St (2B05)
  • Application to BZA hearing #18773 for construction at 1528 Church St (2B05)
  • Application to BZA for construction at 1815 Riggs Place (2B01)
  • Review – Zoning Policy and Procedures Manual

BLOG: Notes on April 2014 Pedestrian Advisory Council Meeting

[Cross-posted at www.willstephensanc.com]

The Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC) met in April 2014 for committee-level discussions.  (The PAC trades off every other month between full PAC meetings and committee meetings.  For a report on my first full PAC meeting as Ward 2 representative in March 2014, find a prior blog post here.)

This was my first committee meeting, and I joined the “Walking Environment Committee.”  Our special guest was Earl Eutsler (earl.eutsler@dc.gov) from DDOT’s Urban Forestry Administration (UFA), to talk about the interplay between the walking environment, the tree canopy in DC, and UFA’s management of street and island trees.

The most useful and interesting discussion points were as follows:

  • Getting Repairs Done:  Earl advised that using the 3-1-1 system is the best way to get repairs into the queue for action by UFA.  Other DDOT staff confirmed that UFA in particular makes good use of the 3-1-1 system.
  • Tree canopy:  UFA manages about 10% of the total DC tree canopy, with National Parks, other Federal agencies, the Department of Parks & Recreation, and private space accounting for the remainder.  The District has a goal to reach 40% tree canopy coverage within the next 10-15 years.  Earl noted that all pavement, including sidewalks and streets, last longer with greater tree canopy coverage, because of the shade provided.
  • Flexi-pave: DDOT is now using a special porous material for paving around street trees called Flexi-pave.  This is meant to replace and improve upon the “rubber sidewalk” squares that they previously installed in places like 17th Street, which buckles after only a couple of years.  If there are places with rubber sidewalk buckling, residents should note this in the 3-1-1 system as a “tree inspection request,” and these areas will be prioritized for Flexi-pave installation (if they are not already in the system).
  • Mapping:  UFA has comprehensive, interactive maps of street trees, including planned replacement and planting spots, on the agency website.
  • UFA Representatives: The UFA representatives for our area are “Team 2” and include Carlson Klapthor (carlson.klapthor@dc.gov, mostly north of the Circle) and Simoun Banua (simoun.banue@dc.gov, mostly south of the Circle).

BLOG: Congratulations to Dupont-area CityPaper 2014 “Best of DC” Winners!

Congratulations to the many Dupont-area winners in the Washington CityPaper’s 2014 “Best of DC” Readers Poll!  If you want to remember why we all love living in this neighborhood, look no further than this annual list.

This year’s winners in Dupont include:

  • Best Alcoholic Punch (runners-up):  Golden Brown & Delicious, Hank’s Oyster Bar
  • Best Burger (runners-up): Shake Shack
  • Best Craft Beer Selection (runners-up): Pizzeria Paradiso
  • Best Doughnuts (runners-up): Golden Brown & Delicious, Krispy Kreme
  • Best Downtown Lunch: Roti
  • Best Fried Chicken (runners-up): Golden Brown & Delicious
  • Best Gourmet Pizza (runners-up): Pizzeria Paradiso
  • Best Hangover Breakfast: Ted’s Bulletin (winner), Local 16 (runner-up)
  • Best Hookah Lounge: Chi Cha Lounge
  • Best Ice Cream Shop (runner-up): Dolcezza Gelato
  • Best Italian Restaurant (runner-up): Al Tiramisu
  • Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant: Ted’s Bulletin
  • Best Korean: Mandu
  • Best Late-Night Eats: Amsterdam Falafelshop
  • Best Margarita (runner-up): Lauriol Plaza
  • Best Martini: Dirty Martini
  • Best Milkshake: Ted’s Bulletin
  • Best Neighborhood Brunch: Local 16
  • Best Restaurant: Le Mirch
  • Best Restaurant When Someone Else Pays: Komi
  • Best Restaurant When You Pay: Amsterdam Falafelshop
  • Best Rooftop Bar (runner-up): Local 16
  • Best Salad: Sweetgreen
  • Best Sandwich: Taylor Gourmet
  • Best Singles Bar: Local 16
  • Best Tasting Menu: Komi
  • Best New Restaurant (Staff Pick): Iron Gate
  • Best Soft-Serve (Staff Pick): Doi Moi
  • Best Value Multi-Course Meal (Staff Pick): Little Serow
  • Best Cocktail Bar (Staff Pick): 2 Birds 1 Stone
  • Best Craft Beer Bar (Staff Pick): Pizza Paradiso
  • Best Art Class (runner-up): ArtJamz
  • Best Art Gallery (runner-up): Phillips Collection
  • Best Comedy Venue: DC Improv
  • Best Exhibit: Van Gogh Repetitions @ Phillips Collection
  • Best Lounge: 18th Street Lounge
  • Best Museum off the Mall: Phillips Collection
  • Best Performance Artist (runner-up): Aaron Myers (artist-in-residence @ Black Fox Lounge)
  • Best Singer (runner-up): Aaron Myers (artist-in-residence @ Black Fox Lounge)
  • Best Reading Series: Three Tents @ The Big Hunt
  • Best Arts & Crafts Store (runner-up): Beadazzled
  • Best Book Store (runner-up): Kramerbooks
  • Best Consignment Shop: Secondi
  • Best Doggie Day Care: CityDogs
  • Best Farmers Market (runner-up): Dupont Circle Freshfarm Market
  • Best Gym (runner-up): Vida Fitness
  • Best Hair Salon (runner-up): Bang Salon
  • Best Mani/Pedi (runner-up): Mimosa Salon
  • Best Place to Buy Fur Handcuffs (runner-up): The Pleasure Place
  • Best Place to Buy Jewelry (runner-up): Lou Lou
  • Best Place to Buy Vinyl: Joint Custody
  • Best Place to Buy Wine (runner-up): Trader Joe’s
  • Best Public Wi-Fi: Starbucks
  • Best Therapeutic Massage: Unwind Wellness Center
  • Best Vintage Clothing Store: Treasury Vintage Clothing & Curios
  • Best Wedding Venue: Carnegie Institution for Science
  • Best Old-World Barber (Staff Pick): Diego’s Hair Salon
  • Best Home Merchandising (Staff Pick): GoodWood
  • Best Proposed Circulator Expansion (Staff Pick): Abe’s to Ben’s route
  • Best Place to Buy Old Shoes (Staff Pick): Secondi
  • Best Neighborhood for Dining: 14th Street (winner), U Street (runner-up)
  • Best Neighborhood for Night Life: U Street