February 13, 2019, 7:30 pm
The meeting convened at 7:47 PM. Commissioners Bender, McHugh and Quinn were in attendance. Commissioner Hall arrived later.
Announcements / Open Forum– opportunity for members of the community to raise issues of concern or importance to the 3E neighborhood
Leigh Catherine Miles, Executive Director of Tenleytown Main Street distributed a copy of the winter edition of their newsletter. Hardcopies of the newsletter can be received by signing up at www.tenleytownmainstreet.org. Ms. Miles announced that nine restaurants in Tenleytown are participating in Tenley Tuesday, a program that provided discounts for students and educators. She announced that there will be a Design Committee information session on February 25, at 7:30 pm at the Tenleytown Library and a Wisconsin Ave clean up on Saturday, April 13 from 10 am to noon.
Presentation by 2nd District Police
Sgt. Bray from the 2ndDistrict provided an update on police activity and crime in PSA 202. Bray stated that crime is down in this PSA over the last 30 days from the previous 30-day period. There were three robberies, all of which were closed by one arrest. Bray stated that thefts from autos were up throughout the city and are especially high throughout the entire 2ndDistrict area. In response, MPD has brought crime suppression teams in from other parts of the city. He announced that the city has set up a 311 line for non-emergency calls. Lastly, Bray stated that the 2ndDistrict has been in contact with a company that had a truck that was illegally unloading products on the 4800 block of Yuma St rather than the designated loading zone to ask that they educate their drivers of their unloading requirements.
Attendees asked the police to proactively enforce the no stopping regulations near the intersection of Wisconsin Ave and Albemarle St and about the overall murder rate in DC and the Mayor’s response to it.
Commissioners: asked for speeding and traffic enforcement for cars from Maryland cutting through the neighborhood during the early morning rush hour; asked about the differences in the descriptions of a single robbery suspect by different witnesses; asked about a homeless man on the bus shelter by CVS who was harassing people; and thanked the MPD for enforcement against illegally parked cars on Wisconsin Ave during rush hour.
Sgt. Bray can be contacted at adam.bray@dc.govwith any additional questions.
Presentation by FEMS regarding Right Care / Right Time nurse triage line program
Doug Buchanan, the DC FEMS Chief Information Officer and Deputy Fire Chief John Sollers, provided an update to the Right Care, Right Now Program. Before the program began, anyone who called 911 with a medical issue was transported to an emergency room by the responding ambulance, even if they did not have a medical emergency. Under the Right Care, Right Now program, callers are triaged by a nurse who can refer callers with non-emergency issues to an appropriate medical provider and arrange transportation to that facility if necessary. This program has handled fewer calls than expected as it is difficult to triage patients via phone calls to 911. Starting on March 1, if an ambulance is sent to a call and the responding EMT determines that the issue is not an emergency, the EMT will connect the patient to the triage nurse who will then refer the patient to an appropriate clinic and arrange any necessary transportation.
Attendees asked how FEMS handles high volume callers and if the nurses that answer calls are directly employed by the city or via contractors.
Commissioners: asked if the program has saved money; noted that the AMR ambulance company is often illegally parked on the sidewalk in front of the Psychiatric Institute of Washington (PIW); asked about the response time and call volume since the program began; asked what benchmarks FEMS is using to evaluate the program; asked about the status of the AMR contract; asked if FEMS transports people from PIW back to their homes or where they were picked up after an evaluation; asked if patients referred to the triage program generally have primary care providers and if FEMS has age and payer breakdown of the users of these programs; asked about FEMS experience with pricing for the drugs they stock on the ambulances; and asked if FEMS provides CPR training for high school students.
Discussion of and possible vote on resolution regarding DDOT notice of intent to install a 4-way stop sign at the intersection of 41 St / Chesapeake St / and Belt Road NW
Commissioner Quinn stated that this is a complicated 3-way intersection with sightline issues. Tom Hall, a resident, also requested improvements to the intersection from DDOT. Commissioner Quinn and Mr. Hall recently performed a site-visit to the area with DDOT. The Commission received a Notice of Intent (NOI) from DDOT to install a stop sign for traffic traveling northbound on 41stat Chesapeake Street. Commissioner Quinn drafted a resolution in support of the stop sign installation and included additional suggested improvements for this intersection. Mr. Hall offered an amendment to the draft resolution based on suggestions from the Ward 3 Bicycle Advocates. Commissioner Bender offered an amendment that addressed incorporating issues identified in the DDOT 41stSt study.
Commissioner Quinn moved, and Commissioner Bender seconded a motion to support the amended resolution supporting the installation of the stop sign at the intersection. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
Discussion of and possible vote on resolution regarding public space application by Surfside for patio at new restaurant to occupy the former Firelake Grill space
Surfside has signed a lease to occupy the former Firelake Grill space. Commissioner McHugh stated the application before us is for a patio in public space in front of the restaurant. Bo Blair, owner of Surfside, stated they plan on putting in a full-service restaurant toward the corner of the space, a 24-hour taco stand closest to the UPS store, and installing patio seating to the side of the restaurant and in front of both the restaurant and taco stand. They expect the restaurant will open during the summer. The patio on the side of the restaurant is on private property and does not require a public space application. The application before the Commission is for the patio seating along Wisconsin Ave in front of the restaurant portion of the space, not the taco stand. An additional application for patio seating in front of the taco stand will follow at a later time. Mr. Blair stated that the application asks to have the patio seating open until 2 am from Sunday through Thursday and 3 am on Friday and Saturday nights but in practice, the hours the patio will be open will be governed by the hours the restaurant will be allowed to serve alcohol (until midnight Sunday through Thursday and 1 am Friday and Saturday nights). Commissioner Bender offered a friendly amendment that the hours of the patio use would be conditioned on the ABRA hours.
Attendees: David Dickinson, Chairperson of ANC3F, stated that he did not think the community received fair notice of the restaurant’s plans, noted confusion about which public space this patio application applied to, and had questions about parking and therefore requested that the restaurant be considered in its entirety at a later time; asked for clarification on the patio application; questioned if a 24-hour taco stand is appropriate for this neighborhood; stated they support the application; and asked if Surfside will be renting the space for private events.
Commissioners: asked if Mr. Blair would object to earlier hours with the ABRA application; asked if they could include bike racks in the public space application; and thought this was an appropriate corner for this restaurant.
Commissioner McHugh moved, and Commissioner Bender seconded a motion to support the amended resolution supporting the public space application by Surfside Restaurant for a patio at 4200 Wisconsin Ave, NW. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
Presentation by UIP of designs for improving public space in front of 4620 Wisconsin and for new park and traffic configuration at River Road, 42nd St, and Brandywine St NW
Jack Becker with UIP presented their plans for the space in front of 4620 Wisconsin Ave and for the new pocket park at the intersection of River Rd/42ndSt/Brandywine St. Mr. Becker stated that DDOT is generally supportive of their plans and UIP would like to obtain community input on the plans before they go back to DDOT with their final plans. Craig Atkins a landscape architect with walked the Commissioners and attendees through their plans.
Attendees: Ms. Miles asked what materials they plan to use as pavers, explaining she likes the material that is used in front of Middle C more than the ones used in front of Tenley View which are uneven; asked about the light fixtures they plan to use in front of the building; asked if they can put benches with seat backs in the tree box area; asked for more trash cans; stated they would like UIP to activate the pocket park with some kind of art installation, games and/or or funky benches; and commented about the proposed crosswalks across River Road.
Commissioners were supportive of the plans and asked if there are trees there that will be preserved and if they can install a bocce court in the pocket park to activate it.
Discussion of and possible vote on resolution regarding proposal by Chevy Chase Pavilion to lease space designated during PUD proceedings for retail use to medical offices
At the last meeting, representatives for the Chevy Chase Pavilion presented a plan to convert a significant portion of the retail space to medical offices. Based on concerns the Commission and community members raised of violations with the operation of the Pavilion, and the extent of retail they wanted to replace with medical offices, the Chevy Chase Pavilion deferred the meeting with BZA until March 11. Those concerns were not resolved, and Commissioner Quinn stated that the Commission needs to pass the resolution again objecting to the conversion of the space to medical offices. The resolution will not be filed unless the Commission and the Chevy Chase Pavilion cannot reach an amicable agreement to resolve these concerns.
Commissioner Bender moved, and Commissioner Hall seconded a motion to not file the resolution opposing the conversion of the retail space to medical offices if an amicable agreement can be reached and authorizing Commissioner Quinn as the SMD Commissioner or Commissioner Bender as the Commission Chairperson to draft a cover letter that would address any changed circumstances. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
ANC Business
- Approval of January 2019 meeting minutes – Commissioner Hall moved, and Commissioner Bender seconded a motion to approve the January 2019 Meeting Minutes. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
- Approval of 1stQuarter 2019 Treasurer’s Report – Commissioner Quinn moved, and Commissioner Hall seconded a motion to approve the Treasurer’s Report. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
- Approval of expenditures – Commissioner Quinn moved, and Commissioner Bender seconded a motion to approve payments of $15.77 to FedEx Office for copying services, $325.00 to Sherry Cohen for administrative support and to Tom Quinn for a processing fee to issue a 1099 form for $3.40. The expenditures were approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
The meeting was adjourned by acclimation at 11:20 PM.