Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6A
Minutes
Regular Business Meeting
Miner Elementary School
June 12, 2014
Present: Commissioners Nick Alberti, Chairman; Gloria Nauden; Sondra Phillips-Gilbert; Calvin Ward;
Chris Ward and Jay Williams. (Ms. Nauden left at 8:35 pm.)
The meeting was convened at 7:00 pm.
1. Agenda
Mr. Alberti included a presentation by Jim McNulty of Pepco on the status of the decommissioning of
the Benning Road Power Station. The agenda, as amended, was agreed to without objection.
2. Minutes
The May 2014 minutes were inadvertently left out of the agenda packet and will be voted on at the
next ANC meeting.
3. Community Comment
Chris Ward
Mr. Alberti introduced Chris Ward as the new Commissioner from 6A03, who has taken the seat of
David Holmes.
4. Community Presentations
Pepco
Jim McNulty of Pepco gave a report on the decommissioning and demolition of its Benning Road
power station, which is now obsolete. The next step in the project, which is scheduled to be
completed by the summer of 2014, will be a carefully-controlled implosion of the building, which is
scheduled to take place within the next few months. More information and updates can he had at
benningservicecenter.com or 202/730-1199.
Options School
Jeff Kerns, who serves as receiver of Options School, gave a status report on the school’s plans for
the coming school year. He reported that the school will be open next year, but with many fewer
students, and with the auxiliary building at Sixteenth (16th) Street closed. He said they are not
actively marketing the school but will have about 250 students, and a strong new staff. There is a
new website, and there will be physical changes to the building, including landscaping. He
acknowledged there had been a lack of communication with the community and said they would do
better. He said they were working on the short term and their debt service, and rethinking a
transportation plan, which will have community input.
5. Officers’ Reports
Chair
Mr. Alberti reported that a good use of ANC grant funds can be seen in the Commission-funded fish
tank at Eliot-Hine MS, which is up and running. The community is invited to visit.
Treasurer’s Report
Mr. Alberti presented the Treasurer’s Report. He reported that the opening balance in the checking
account was $16,329.45 and the savings account balance was $13,718.49. There was a deposit of
$4,807.82 for a Second (2nd) Quarter District Allotment and an interest payment of $0.23 to the
savings account. There were disbursements of $180.00 to Roberta Weiner for transcription of the
May 2014 ANC minutes (Check #1651) and $200.00 to Irene Dworakowski for the May 2014 agenda
package (Check #1652);, leaving a balance of $20,557.27 in the checking account, and $13,718.72
in the savings account.
Motion: Mr. Alberti moved/Mr. Williams seconded a motion to accept the disbursements. The motion
passed 6-0-1.
Motion: Mr. Alberti moved/Mr. Williams seconded a motion to accept the Treasurer’s Report as
presented. The motion passed without objection.
Motion: Mr. Alberti moved/Mr. Calvin Ward seconded a motion to reimburse Mr. Williams $157.16 for
14 taxi fares since March, in connection with his duties as chair of the Alcoholic Beverage Licensing
Committee. The motion passed 5-0-1, with Mr. Williams not voting.
6. Committee Reports
Community Outreach
The report of the Committee was accepted without objection.
A proposed motion to approve a grant to Miner Elementary School (ES) Parent Teacher Organization
(PTO) was postponed because a representative of the organization was not present.
Alcoholic Beverage Licensing
The report of the Committee was accepted without objection.
XII Restaurant and Lounge
Mr. Williams gave a status report on XII Restaurant and Lounge, which was closed because of a
violent incident. The establishment has a license due for renewal. After a Summary Suspension
hearing, the Alcohol Beverage Control Board has suspended the license until the resolution of the
pending charges stemming from the recent incident. Currently, there is no service of alcohol
permitted at the establishment. The ANC’s protest is on hold, and it will require a full placarding
process from scratch to move forward. Mr. Williams said he is working with Councilmember
Orange’s office on weaknesses in the law that enabled establishment representatives to not show up
at hearings, and to permit instances like this to occur.
Mythology & Lore – 816 H Street NE
Motion: The Committee moved/Mr. Williams seconded a motion that the ANC formally protest the
CT license application for Mythology € Lore, 816 H Street NE, unless a signed Settlement Agreement
(SA) is submitted to the ANC prior to the protest date. The motion passed 5-0-1 with Mrs. Phillips-
Gilbert abstaining. (There was discussion of the fact that the establishment is applying for a CT
license rather than a CR license, but there was no vote on the issue.)
Gallery O on H Street - 1354 H Street NE
Motion: The Committee moved/Mr. Williams seconded a motion that the ANC formally protest the
Class C Multipurpose license application for Gallery O on H at 1354 H Street NE unless a signed
Settlement Agreement is submitted to the ANC prior to the protest date. The motion passed 5-0-1
with Mrs. Phillips-Gilbert abstaining.
Transportation and Public Space
The report of the Committee was accepted without objection.
Motion: The Committee moved/Mr. Alberti seconded a motion that the ANC accept the Committee’s
recommendation to send a letter to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) requesting that
the Department evaluate the need for traffic calming measures at the intersection of Thirteenth (13th)
and I Streets NE, stating that the ANC would support the installation of stop signs. The motion
passed unanimously, 6-0-0.
Economic Development and Zoning
The report of the Committee was accepted without objection.
1301 North Carolina Avenue NE
Motion: The Committee moved/Mr. Alberti seconded a motion that the full ANC write a letter of
support of the project at 1301 North Carolina Avenue NE to the Historic Preservation Review Board
(HPRB), on the condition that the Applicant complies with the five requests stated in the letter from
the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO):
• Push faux chimney and antennae as far back as possible
• Work with church to find a paint color for the antennae that makes sense
• Match the stealth screen to the back of the church.
• Try to use anchors in the mortar joints for the antennae.
• Try to restrict additional carriers or other antennae at this location
The applicant has agreed to these conditions. The motion passed unanimously, 6-0-0.
1122 East Capitol Street NE
Motion: The Committee moved/Mr. Alberti seconded a motion that the ANC write a letter to the
Bureau of Zoning Authority (BZA) recommending approval of zoning relief at 1122 East Capitol Street
NE on the condition that the plans submitted with the BZA application do not deviate materially from
the plans reviewed by the Committee. The motion passed 6-0-0.
Motion: The Committee moved/Mr. Alberti seconded a motion to send a letter in support of the
project at 1122 East Capitol Street NE to HPRB on the condition that the applicant address the
Capitol Hill Restoration Society (CHRS) concerns by using a darker color for the siding. The motion
passed 4-0-1, with Mr. Alberti abstaining.
7. Single Member District Reports
Mr. Williams reported that there is illegal dumping occurring in the alley between the 300 blocks of
Tenth (10th) and Eleventh (11th) Streets NE (C and D Streets NE).
Mrs. Phillips-Gilbert reported that she brought a group of Rosedale community members to the
Kennedy Center Family Concert and the musical petting zoo, which was a great event. She also
reported that there had been an explosion and fire in the 1600 block of Isherwood Place NE, which is
still under investigation. She is also working on issues concerning dog waste, rat abatement and
abandoned cars in the community, and will request signs informing the community of the law
requiring dog owners to clean up after dogs on the grounds of the Rosedale community center and
other neighborhood areas. Finally, the Pilgrim Community Out Reach Summer Institute, located at
612 Rosedale and Seventeenth (17th) Streets NE, will have a summer camp from July 7th through
August 15th for children in the community and surrounding area. Parents/caretaker can enroll children
for $25.00.
Mr. Alberti mentioned that there have been announcements on local listserv asking for donations for
families affected by the Isherwood fire. He also reported that Al’s Pizzeria on East Capitol Street NE
has cars illegally parked on the sidewalk in the evenings creating a danger for pedestrians as
delivery staff drive onto and off the sidewalk.
Mr. Calvin Ward also raised the issue of dog waste in his community.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:55 PM.