Regular Meeting Minutes!
Wednesday, March 19, 2014; 7:00 p.m.!
St. Mary’s Court – 725 24th Street NW!
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Call to Order!
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Chair Patrick Kennedy (01) called the meeting to order at 7:07 pm. Commissioners
Rebecca Coder (02), Armando Irizarry (04), Jackson Carnes (07), and Peter Sacco (08)
were present.
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Commissioner Sacco made a motion to adopt the agenda. Commissioner Carnes
seconded the motion, which was vote on and passed (VOTES: 5-0).!
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Community Forum!
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Consideration of a resolution congratulating 2nd District Commander Michael Reese on
being named “Commander of the Year.”!
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Chair Kennedy read a resolution aloud which congratulated Commander Michael Reese
and Lt. Donald Craig for their respective awards at the annual Metropolitan Police
Department Awards event. !
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Commissioner Sacco made a motion to adopt the resolution. Commissioner Coder
seconded the motion, which was voted on and passed. (VOTES: 5-0)!
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Public Safety Report!
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Sgt. Michael Lawrence was present to give the safety report.!
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New Hampshire Avenue Streetscape Update!
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Ian Swain was present from the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to give an
overview of the current status of the project. Mr. Swain said that DDOT is currently in
the process of doing the final paving work on New Hampshire Avenue, and that they are
working block-by-block down from Dupont Circle. He said that the whole project should
be done by end of April.!
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Multiple neighbors expressed concern about the portion of New Hampshire Avenue
between Washington Circle and 22nd Street that was now becoming a two way street.!
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Report from the Office of Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans!
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Kevin Stogner, from Councilmember Jack Evans’ office, was present to give an update
from Councilmember Evans’ office.!
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Report from the Ward 2 Education Network!
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Chris Sondreal, ANC 2A’s representative to the Ward 2 Education Network, was present
to give an update on the network.!
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Commissioner Announcements!
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Commissioner Sacco gave an overview of the last Campus Plan Advisory Committee
meeting with GW.!
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Chair Kennedy thanked Commissioner Harmon for her work on the Shadow Room
nightclub negotiations with the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA).
He also thanked Commissioner Corson for his work on the negotiations with A Bar.!
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General Agenda!
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Discussion of expanding admittance eligibility to G.W.U.’s Health and Wellness Center!
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Commissioner Sacco recused himself from discussing and voting on this matter.!
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Susi Cora from the GW Division of Operations was present to give a presentation on
GW’s proposal to expand available memberships of GW’s Health and Wellness Center to
the surrounding Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods.!
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Commissioner Irizarry asked that the membership selection process be public and
transparent. Ms. Cora agreed to this.!
Ms. Cora said that the DC Zoning Commission, which has to approve the membership
policy change, would not take action on the proposal until at least April. Chair Kennedy
thus suggested moving the vote to the regular April meeting, which the rest of the
Commissioner agreed to.!
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Regulatory Agenda!
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Consideration of request for a minor modification to P.U.D. 06-11C/06-12C (G.W.U.
School of Public Health) to permit additional signage!
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Commissioner Sacco recused himself from discussing and voting on the matter.!
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David Avitabile, legal counsel for GW on this matter, and Susi Cora were present to talk
about the proposal. GW was proposing to install a new sign on the side of the new School
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of Public Health building to reflect the school’s name change to the Milken Institute
School of Public Health.!
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Ms. Cora presented a packet to the commission that went over the plans and renderings of
the proposed sign.!
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Commissioner Carnes made a motion to take no objection on the new sign proposal.
Commissioner Coder seconded the motion, which was voted on and passed (VOTES: 4-
0, Commissioner Sacco recused).!
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Consideration of a resolution regarding the Commission’s preference for amenities in a
Planned Unit Development at 2100 K Street!
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Since Commissioner Harmon, whose SMD the project is in, was not present, Chair
Kennedy suggested that the Commission would just discuss amenities for the project with
no vote on a resolution, which the rest of the commission agreed to.!
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Commissioner Coder abstained from discussion on the amenities due to her position on
the Board of the Foggy Bottom West End Village.!
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Marina Streznewski, a Foggy Bottom resident, suggested an amenity where public space
in either the new building or somewhere else in the neighborhood would be allocated for
ANC, Foggy Bottom Association, and other community organization meetings!
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Sara Maddux, another Foggy Bottom resident, suggested an amenity where some sort of
theater space would be created in the new building, in addition to possible funding for a
second entrance for the Foggy Bottom Metro station.!
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Mary Bernstein from the Foggy Bottom West End Village requested an amenity of
$50,000 in funding to be used over a two-year period to start a part-time medical
advocacy program with the Village, where volunteers would be trained to be health
advocates for the neighborhood’s senior residents.!
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Chair Kennedy also talked about Commissioner Harmon’s request for a new
neighborhood playground.!
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Consideration of appeals filed of the Zoning Administrator’s rulings regarding Hyatt
Place, 2121 M Street!
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Ilan Scharfstein, who serves as the representative for Renaissance Centro, the developer
of the hotel; and David Avitabile, the legal counsel for the project, were present to talk
about a recently filed appeal, asking that the ANC weigh in on the matter.!
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Mr. Avitabile said that the owner of 1200 New Hampshire NW, an office building next to
the proposed Hyatt Place Hotel site, filed an appeal to the Board of Zoning Adjustment
(BZA) on the decision made by Board of Zoning, which approved the hotel development.
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Mr. Avitabile said that the office building was built up to it’s lot line and the owner now
does not want to get rid of the building’s windows for the portion of the building that
abuts the proposed hotel.!
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Mr. Avitabile said that the owner of the office building alleges that the hotel does not
have sufficient parking in its proposal.!
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Commissioner Coder read a resolution aloud which Sally Blumenthal, President of the 22
West Condo Association, wrote on the matter.!
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Commissioner Coder made a motion to adopt her resolution. Commissioner Irizarry
seconded the motion, which was voted on and passed (VOTES: 5-0).!
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Mr. Avitabile and Mr. Scharfstein also talked about ongoing negotiations with Sally
Blumenthal and the 22 West Condo Association about an issue over the proposed lighted
sign on the hotel exterior.!
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Hilton Garden Inn Sign!
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Sally Blumenthal, President of the 22 West Condo Association, was present to talk about
the potential of a full appeal to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) on the backlit
sign installed on the new Hilton Garden Inn in the West End. She asked the ANC to join
in on the appeal to the BZA.!
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Ms. Blumenthal wrote up a resolution on the matter for the commission. Commissioner
Coder read Ms. Blumenthal’s resolution aloud and made a motion to adopt the resolution.
Commissioner Sacco seconded the motion, which was voted on and passed (VOTES: 5-
0).!
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Application by Campono (ABRA-094362), 600 New Hampshire Avenue, for a new Class
“DR” license!
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Brian Malloy, legal counsel for the application, was present representing the applicant.
He said that the applicant’s liquor license application with the Alcoholic Beverage
Regulation Administration (ABRA) had the listed restaurant hours of being open until 11
pm, seven days a week. He also stated that the applicant was not seeking an
entertainment endorsement with the application.!
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Commissioner Irizarry made a motion to support the class “DR” license application.
Commissioner Coder seconded the motion, which was voted on and passed (VOTES: 5-
0).!
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Commissioner Irizarry made a motion to support the applicant’s request for a stipulated
license so that the establishment may begin alcoholic beverage sales and service
immediately. Commissioner Coder seconded the motion, which was voted on and passed
(VOTES: 5-0).!
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Consideration of follow-up action regarding the Commission’s standing protest of an
application by Café Deluxe, 2201 M Street, N.W. for a new Class “CH” license!
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Chair Kennedy said that the applicant agreed to amend their application to reduce the
proposed hours for the sidewalk café. Sally Blumenthal also said she is okay with the
restaurant’s sound protections for interior noise.!
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Chair Kennedy made a motion that the Chair be authorized to withdraw the ANC’s
protest on the matter. Commissioner Sacco seconded the motion, which was voted on and
passed (VOTES: 5-0).!
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Request by the Duke Ellington Society and the Friends of Francis Field for an event
permit to host the fifth annual “Duke Ellington Concert” on Tuesday, April 29th from
3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Duke Ellington Park (21st Street and New Hampshire Avenue)!
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Gary Griffith, a Board member for the Friends of Francis Field, which sponsors the
annual Duke Ellington Concert, was present to give an overview of the concert and the
Friends’ request for ANC 2A to support the public space permit.!
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Chair Kennedy read a resolution aloud, which has the ANC support the public space
permit. Chair Kennedy made a motion to adopt the resolution. Commissioner Coder
seconded the motion, which was voted on and passed (VOTES: 5-0).!
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Request for a letter of support by the “Chris4Life Colon Cancer Foundation” for the
“Scope-It-Out 5K Race” on March 23, 2014.!
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Patrick made a motion to support the permits for the race. Commissioner Coder seconded
the motion, which was voted on and passed (VOTES: 5-0).!
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Administrative Items!
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Presentation of the Commission’s 2014 Annual Budget !
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Commissioner Carnes presented the proposed ANC 2A 2014 Annual Budget.!
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Chair Kennedy adjourned the meeting at 10:04 pm.
Respectfully submitted by Peter Sacco, ANC 2A Secretary.!
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