NEWS: TPI Committee Meeting Minutes, June 5

ANC2B Transportation and Public Infrastructure Committee
Thursday, June 5, 2014 – 7:00 p.m.
Dupont Circle Resource Center (9 Dupont Circle NW)

Meeting Minutes

1. Introductions and review of scope of goals for the TPI Committee

In attendance:

Tom Hay
Daniel Warwick
Brian Knudsen
David Suls
Comm. Mike Feldstein (2B01)
Comm. Noah Smith (2B09)
Moira McCauley
Comm. Will Stephens (2B08)
Tom Lipinsky (Office of CM Evans)
James Nozar
Rudi Riet
Susan Volman
Sarah Moulton
Comm. Mike Silverstein (2B06)
Comm. Abigail Nichols (2B05)
Mike Brennan

Committee Chair Noah Smith (2B09) opened the meeting with a review and update of the scope and role of the committee:

-Communicate with the Dupont Circle community and serve as a resource for neighbors on matters related to transportation and the public infrastructure. -Coordinate with other ANCs -overlap of issues with neighboring ANCs is important to analyze so we can compare successes and failures.

-Citywide transportation and infrastructure issues – upcoming opportunity to comment on legislation – formulate a statement to contribute.

2. Update on progress of goals and assignments

Walking tours of individual SMDs so show DDOT deficiencies in pedestrian safety, parking and tree boxes-contacts have been made and will begin with 2B08 and Will Stephens.

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DDOT signage along 15th street cycle track is inconsistent and confusing -Contact has been made with DDOT. Discussed need for consistent signage. Many of the new enhancements across the city are in “beta” or testing mode, so permanent solutions are few and far between. Issues may be addressed once focus moves away from building new cycle tracks to actually maintaining the existing ones. Committee will look at national and international standards for signage. Uniformity and simplicity are key.

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Rudi Riet and Kishan Putta -Repainting of R and Q cycle tracks. -Contact has been made at DDOT about need for painting. DDOT agreed and said they would address. Need to track progress.

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Kishan Putta -16th street bus lane -Majority of DC Council have made statements in support. Feasibility study is next step and would address pedestrian safety.

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Mike Silverstein -Circulator advocacy -There have been public outreach events. SW Waterfront and Shaw / Dupont are being considered as part of new routes. National Mall route is also being considered with funding coming from parking fees around the Mall. Either way, it looks like Dupont will get a new route through the neighborhood.

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David Suls -Identify process to expand on street recycling -No specific process outside of a Business Improvement District (BID) to get recycling bins. Challenge may be who will be responsible for emptying the cans. Noah Smith will assist in getting contact at DPW.

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Mike Silverstein -WMATA -Dupont North Metro stop -allowing ANC to water trees on Metro plaza. Bring proposal to next meeting. Added to agenda for July.

4. Discussion on the Residential Parking Program (RPP) for 1000 Block of 16th Street, NW (2B05)

Residents of the 1000 block of 16th Street (2B05) want to be eligible to participate in the residential parking program (RPP) and receive RPP passes. Mike Brennan of the Presidential Coop in the 1000 block of 16th Street NW explained that his building is not part of the RPP program. He was told by DDOT that he needs to present a petition to the ANC for inclusion.

Noah Smith explained that in the RPP, buildings are tied to whether there is restricted parking on your block. Intent is not to change any of the parking spaces. There are no residential spots on the block. Noah suggested the ANC have more discussion and find out why the building was not included and the implications before endorsing the plan. The ANC offered to help the residents talk to the right people at DDOT to have their questions answered.

UPDATE: DDOT responded that the block is zoned commercial is not RPP eligible.

5. Draft Parking Statements

The committee spent considerable time defining the actual issues associate with parking in our neighborhood. This exercise is meant to develop clear and impactful goals for the committee to pursue related to parking this year. For each of the following issues, the committee will develop realistic options to address the concerns and present them to the community for guidance.

Visitor Parking Program (Will / Daniel / Noah)

Residents have difficulty securing parking privileges for recurring visitors, such as home health aides, contractors, and nannies.

Residential Parking Issues (Daniel)

Residents have difficulty finding parking within a reasonable distance of their homes.

Under Utilized Parking (Susan / Rudi)

There are parking spaces, both public and private, in our neighborhood that are underutilized. This could be due to a lack of awareness of private parking options, unnecessary restrictions in place, or poor utilization of multi-use parking, among other reasons.

Business Patrons (Moira)

Businesses often have difficulty guaranteeing parking availability for their patrons.

Next meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, at 7pm at the Dupont Circle Resource Center

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.

My Resignation

Friends,

I write to you today to inform you that I will be resigning from my position as Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner of Single-Member District 2B02. I am relocating to Petworth, where I have recently purchased a home. While I am very excited to be a homeowner and to remain here in the District, I am also sad that I have to leave the community I have called home for over 10 years now.

As Commissioner, I have been fortunate enough to play a role in a number of important changes and developments across Dupont Circle. Before I resign, I want to take this opportunity to thank you, my community and supporters, and reflect upon some of the things that we have accomplished together.

I must give thanks to the dedicated public servants in District government for their tireless efforts to assist me and my fellow Commissioners as we work to make neighborhood services operate smoothly and to keep Dupont Circle a destination for locals and tourists alike. My Single-Member District has benefited the diligent efforts of folks like Matthew Marcou at the District Department of Transportation, as well as Ruth Werner, and Sherri Kimbel; two of the truly outstanding staff members of Councilmember Jack Evans.

I would also like to voice my appreciation to those at the Alcoholic Beverage Regulatory Administration (ABRA), with whom I have worked very closely in my capacity as ABRA Committee Chair with the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC). I am grateful for the assistance of Fred Moosally, Martha Jenkins, Bill Hager, LaVerne Fletcher, and Sarah Fashbaugh for their continued assistance in helping the ANC on alcohol policy matters ranging from small questions about the particulars of a Settlement Agreement to briefings on moratoria.

My appreciation also extends to the outstanding community groups I have worked with throughout my term, including Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets, Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, and Dupont Festival. Each makes vital contributions to our neighborhood and its unique character.

I am extremely appreciative to have had the opportunity to work with a number of talented Commissioners during the past three and half years. During my first term, I was able to serve with the support of long-time community leaders such as Bob and Susan Meehan, Victor Wexler, and Phil Carney. The guidance of Ramon Estrada on ABRA matters has proven to be invaluable; Jack Jacobson’s dedicated work ethic and focus is something I have strived to emulate during my two terms; and, I owe my initial interest in running for this position to the mentorship of Mike Silverstein and Mike Feldstein.

To my current colleagues, I could not be more proud to work with you. I know that under the leadership of my friend Will Stephens this Commission has and will continue to set the standard for the rest of the District. I could not possibly be more optimistic about the range of talents and experience my newer colleagues Leo Dwyer, Stephanie Maltz, Kishan Putta, Abigail Nichols, and Noah Smith bring to Dupont Circle. I am excited to watch them excel and regret that I will not have the opportunity to continue to work with them on the vast array of projects we have undertaken.

Over the past three and a half years, we have worked together to improve our neighborhood and make it a better place to live. I am proud to have helped bring more bicycle parking and bikeshare stations to my neighborhood; established model standards for businesses and residents to follow with regard to both public space and Settlement Agreement negotiation; led the discussions allowing for increasing restaurant licenses both on P Street and 17^th Street; helped establish new rules and guidelines to improve the governance of our ANC; and supported progressive zoning and historic preservation guidelines to support the future growth of the District.

Finally, I would like to show my appreciation to my 2B02 constituents that I have tried my best to serve over the course of my terms. To the folks at The August apartment building where I have lived these past 10 years: thank you for your continued support and encouragement. To the folks I have worked with on different projects ranging from liquor matters, to zoning, and transportation (Karyn Siobhan Robinson, Peg Shaw, Alan Rueckgauer, Jonathan Padget, Rudi Riet, and far too many more) thank you for your passion and commitment to making our neighborhood a better place.

At the conclusion of our May 14^th meeting, I will formally tender my resignation. With my absence on the Commission, I will be nominating our outstanding public policy intern and ANC2B02 resident Daniel Warwick to serve as liaison to the ANC until my replacement is elected. I encourage you to reach out to him and introduce yourself; I know that he will serve our community well.

Thank you for your time and for allowing me to serve. Know that I will always remain an active advocate for the well-being of my community District-wide, and that I look forward to working alongside you to help make the District of Columbia a better place for all of its residents.

All the best,

Kevin O’Connor

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

NEWS: Transportation Committee Sets Goals for 2014

(This post is co-located at my ANC2B09 blog)

On April 23rd, the Transportation and Public Infrastructure Committee met for the first time. Created in March by ANC2B, the committee helps to coordinate many of the ongoing transportation, traffic, and infrastructure projects in our neighborhood and helps make real improvements to our community.

The committee membership is fantastic and includes five commissioners and five residents, all passionate about transportation and our neighborhood infrastructure.

At our first meeting, we set short- and long-term goals for the year that we believe are achievable and will have a significant positive impact in our neighborhood.

TPI Goals — Click to read our 2014 committee goals

Detailed minutes, which include timeframes for the above goals, can be downloaded here: TPI Committee Meeting Minutes 4-23-14

The committee is also a forum and a resource for anyone in the neighborhood. We encourage you to bring issues to our monthly meetings or to contact us directly. You can contact the committee by emailing TPI@dupontcircleanc.net or contact me, the committee chair, at noah.smith@dupontcircleanc.net.