Category: 2B07

NEWS: St Thomas Church Development Applies for Zoning Variance

The St. Thomas Church Development applied for a zoning variance of 86.7% lot occupancy in the SP-1 zone with a by right lot occupancy of 80%. You may download plans here on Dropbox.

The ANC will likely review the case in November or December depending on when the development is scheduled on the Board of Zoning Adjustment calendar.

In the absence of a 2B07 single member district commissioner, feel free to reach out to Commissioner Daniel Warwick at Daniel.Warwick@anc.dc.gov with any comments or concerns.

NEWS: Special Election for 2B07 Commissioner to be Held on October 14, 2015

The Dupont Circle ANC announces the date, time, location and process for voting in a special election to fill a vacancy for the 2B07 Commissioner. You can check whether you live in 2B07 by reviewing our map, HERE.

The election will be held during the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of ANC 2B on Wednesday, October 14, 2015 from 7:15pm to 9:00pm.  The meeting will be held at the Brookings Institution at 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW.

Eligibility to Vote:  The election will be open to registered voters of SMD 2B07 only.  Potential voters must present themselves at the polling place and must have either a BOEE voter identification card showing that they are registered to vote in SMD 2B07 or be listed as a voter in SMD 2B07 on the voter registration list provided by the Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE).

The two candidates will appear on the ballot in the following order:

  • Holly Biglow
  • John Kupcinski

Information on the process for voting and counting ballots, which is provided by the Board of Elections, is available below.

Continue reading “NEWS: Special Election for 2B07 Commissioner to be Held on October 14, 2015”

Blog: Farewell Letter from Former Commissioner Justine Underhill (2B07)

Former Commissioner Justine Underhill, who resigned from representing 2B07 earlier this year to pursue her career in New York asked that we publish an open letter from her to the neighborhood. On behalf of ANC2B, we cannot thank Justine enough for the incredible effort she put into improving our community.

 

It’s been nearly one year since I made the unlikely decision to become a politician.  Before I became the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) representative for my district, I knew few of my neighbors and had little interest in the typical Commission fare of liquor licenses and zoning minutiae.  But, a bizarre set of circumstances drew me deeply into Dupont Circle political affairs.  An historic church, once frequented by the likes of Franklin D. Roosevelt and ravaged by arson in the 1970’s, was to finally be rebuilt – but with the controversial addition of a condominium project.

When I was elected as commissioner last November, my highest priority was to build a consensus on the new construction project that had divided the community. Over the next eight months, I worked with my ANC colleagues to find a middle ground.  Most neighbors supported the consensus, despite strong opposition to the overall project.  At our Mach meeting, we achieved something unexpected: the ANC voted unanimously on a resolution backed by neighbors, and facilitated a civil and calm discourse on the project.

During this time, I started a new job and recently received the exciting news that my work would take me to New York City. This tremendous opportunity unfortunately meant that I had to step down as ANC representative.  Currently, my number one priority is to make sure my district is continuously represented before the ANC, and that there is a smooth transition to the next commissioner.

It has been extremely fulfilling to be able to work with all the neighbors of Dupont Circle, and I have never felt more a part of the community. I will be keeping my place in Dupont and will continue to be involved in neighborhood projects.  I can only express my sincere gratitude to the neighbors, businesses, organizations and fellow ANC representatives of Dupont for the amazing opportunity this has afforded me.

– Justine

NEWS: Vacancy Announced for ANC 2B07

Commissioner Underhill announced resignation earlier this month. Opportunity for 2B07 resident to fill seat through the end of 2016. 

Earlier this month Commissioner Justine Underhill announced her resignation from the Dupont Circle ANC to pursue a career opportunity outside of Washington. On July 17, the Board of Elections certified a vacancy for single member district 2B07 and today we are seeking a committed and enthusiastic resident of 2B07 to fill that position.

The 2B07 commissioner represents the areas immediately east and southeast of the circle; a map of each of the single member districts is available HERE.

Those interested in seeking election to the seat must pick up petitions from the Board of Elections starting on Monday and get 25 signatures of registered voters who live in 2B07 by August 10th. There will then be a petition challenge period from August 13-19 to ensure that the signatures are from valid residents.

If there is more than one candidate who successfully files petitions, there will be a special election announced for either September or October. If there is only one candidate, that person will be certified as the Commissioner for 2B07. (If there are no candidates, the petition process starts over again).

Commissioner Underhill has been invaluable in bringing the neighborhood together around issues big and small, including the ongoing development process of the St. Thomas Church property at 1772 Church St. The 2B07 commissioner also leads the ANC response to all applications for that district, including alcohol licensing, historic preservation and zoning cases. ANC commissioners are non-partisan and unpaid elected representatives who ensure that the voice of the neighborhood is heard in city decisions.

If you have any questions about running for election or what the position involves, please do not hesitate to contact ANC Chair Noah Smith at noah.smith@anc.dc.gov.

1772 Church St project update

Updated plans for 1772 Church St are available HERE.

These plans will likely be on the Historic Preservation Review Board’s consent calendar for their June 25th meeting. Accordingly, at the meeting, Board members will make a decision whether the project should go to another full hearing (with presentations and verbal testimony), or if the project should be delegated to staff. The board will not hear any testimony on the 25th, instead it will base its decision on letters it receives from the public beforehand.
Please send any letters to Kim Elliott (kim.elliott@dc.gov) by June 23rd, and she will email them to Board members (June 18th is the deadline for a hard copy to be included in Board members’ review packets).
Furthermore, testimony should ONLY pertain to how effectively the applicant addressed the 5 design issues that the Board articulated at the May hearing:

1. Residential bays to align more with the setback along Church St. as the church building is the “bookend” landmark at the end of that block–possible solution to move back residential façade so that face of bays are aligned with Parish Hall façade (+/-3’)
2. Work on stepping back or reducing the upper floors (6+7) to minimize perceived mass.
3. Look at scale of residential windows compared to the rest of church street rowhouses
4. Refine the glass detailing of upper and at the main entrance levels of church to reflect what the actual condition will be as it relates to transparency and construction.
5. Landscape at front of church needs to be developed and integrated

Because of this expedited process, the ANC has submitted a resolution asking the project to be removed from the June consent calendar (for time to review and receive community comments). While the ANC has been told the project is still expected to go before the Board on June 25th, we will soon have a better understanding of how HPRB plans to address the ANC resolution.