Meeting Minutes
October 12, 2022, 7:30 pm
The meeting convened via Zoom at 7:34 PM. Commissioners Cohen, Gianinno, Hall and Quinn were in attendance.
Announcements / Open Forum– opportunity for members of the community to raise issues of concern or importance to the 3E neighborhood
A representative from the Tenleytown Preservation Association announced that the BZA approved the River School application and that the TPA will be appealing the decision.
Representatives from the Ward 3 Liaison to the Mayor’s Office of Community Relations (MOCRs) could not attend but asked that the following be announced:
- On October 1, DCRA was divided into two different agencies. The Department of Buildings (DOB) will handle issues related to building code enforcement and The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) will handle consumer protection and licensing issues.
- Mayor Bowser announced a goal to have 20,000 additional black homeowners in the city by 2030, using a $10 million grant.
- On Saturday November 5th, OpenStreets will be held in Ward 3 in Tenleytown from 9 am to 1 pm. Wisconsin Avenue will be closed to vehicular traffic and vendors will be there to celebrate the occasion.
If anyone has questions or concerns, they can reach out to Emir Gur-Raventab at emir.gur-raventab@dc.gov or 202-340-7853.
Leigh Catherine Miles, Executive Director of Tenleytown Main Street announced:
- The next Fessenden Park clean-up will take place on November 12.
- Tenley Winterfest will take place from November 25 to December 3. Details about the events can be found on https://tenleytownmainstreet.org.
An attendee apologized for interrupting the Wisconsin Avenue Development Framework discussion during the September meeting when her microphone was accidently not muted.
Margaret Dwyer, with Ward 3 Housing Justice, stated that OP has, for now, withdrawn the text amendment for moving the WMATA bus garage to the Lord & Taylor site.
An attendee asked about the construction taking place at the water reservoir on Van Ness St. Sherry Cohen stated that they are doing required maintenance work to the reservoir and will be replacing the fence. Commissioner Gianinno stated that she will be inviting the Army Corps of Engineers and DPR representatives to our November meeting to explain the work to the community.
Commissioner Gianinno stated that on October 22, from 12-2 pm, GDS will host a Country Market Day Festival that will include rides, games, and food trucks on the driveway on Davenport St. The event is open to the community and admission is free.
Presentation by 2nd District Police
Captain Ronald Bridges introduced himself to the community and provided an update on crime in PSA 202. Over the last 30 days, there have been two Assaults with Dangerous Weapons and two Burglaries. Motor Vehicle Thefts have gone up since the same time period last year and he asked the community not to leave keys in an unattended vehicle and not use the auto start features as vehicles are not secure while doing so. He noted that some of the crimes occurring are by juveniles and the MPD has increased their visibility around Tenleytown before and after school and they are working with the schools and stores to decrease thefts.
Attendees:
- Asked about the burglaries of the stores on Fessenden St and Wisconsin Ave adding those stores have been targeted multiple times. Bridges has no update but will provide an update at the next meeting.
- Asked for stop sign enforcement around Turtle Park. Bridges stated he will have units target the area.
Commissioners:
- Asked for an update on the three pedestrian deaths that occurred during two separate accidents on Connecticut Ave and about the two murders that happened a while ago in the area.
- Asked why MPD does not pursue cases where the victim will not cooperate. Bridges replied that MPD will try to investigate them but it is ultimately up to the OAG to determine whether to bring charges in a particular case.
- Asked for parking enforcement for cars that are illegally blocking crosswalks in Tenleytown.
- Asked for stop sign enforcement within the neighborhood to target drivers cutting through the residential areas.
Presentation of grant request to support Janney 5K race
Eva Gunasekera, from the Janney PTA presented a grant proposal to support their 5K race that will take place the morning of November 19. She presented a grant for $3400 to cover the cost of timing chips ($3000) and restrooms ($400) for the event. She stated that last year they had more than 800 registrants and expect more this year but unfortunately business sponsorship is still down this year. She added that they have asked the city to wave some of the costs associated with the race, especially the costs of the MPD officers.
There were no questions from attendees. Commissioners thanked them for organizing the race and encouraged them to find other ways to fund the race.
The Commission typically hears the request one month and then votes on it the following month but because we moved our November meeting to the 16th and race is on November 19th, Commissioner Cohen moved to approve the grant request. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Quinn and was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
Discussion of and possible vote on resolution or letter regarding informal request from HPRB for ANC comment on proposed changes to 4624 Verplanck Street, NW, a property designated as historic
Eric Teran, the architect representing the owners, stated they are not seeking zoning relief, they just need approval from the HPRB. The historic farmhouse currently has an addition that was constructed in 1972. The owners want to remove the addition and replace it with a slightly larger, squared-off addition that will relate more to the original, historical part of the house. They recently met with HPRB. They made a few changes based to their design based on feedback from HPRB and are asking the Commission to approve the changes. The owner, Adina Kanefield added that the addition was poorly constructed and is failing. She stated neither the current addition nor the proposed replacement can be seen from the street. They have shown the plans to their neighbors and received no objections.
Attendees had no questions or comments. Commissioners encouraged them to add rain barrels and/or solar panels.
Commissioner Gianinno moved, and Commissioner Quinn seconded the motion to support the draft resolution in support of HPRB application. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
Discussion of and possible vote on resolution regarding application for Retailer’s Class A Internet liquor license by Caldwell Family Vines at 5028 Wisconsin Avenue, NW
Commissioner Cohen stated this is ABRA application is in Commissioner Bender’s SMD, and the protest date is before our next meeting. Attendees asked what the concerns with the application are, if customers will be coming into the location or if they just be shipping alcohol out and noted that there is a lot of traffic in that area already. Cohen stated he didn’t know what the concerns with this application were because Commissioner Bender did not have any conversations with the applicant.
Commissioner Cohen moved, and Commissioner Quinn seconded a motion to approve authorize Commissioner Bender to negotiate with the applicant and either enter into a settlement agreement with the applicant or protest their application. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
Presentation by and discussion with DDOT representative regarding Open Streets initiative, including Open Streets project on Wisconsin Ave
Commissioner Cohen stated that the Open Streets will be coming to Wisconsin Avenue between Tenley Circle and Western Avenue on November 5 from 9 am – 1 pm. Andra Roventa-Schmitt and Kim Vacca, Transportation Planners from DDOT presented a summary of the event. Open Streets is an event that prioritizes people over cars, promotes economic development, and supports communities and local businesses. Traffic will be closed along Wisconsin Ave from 7 am to 2 pm and the event will occur rain or shine. Activities will include entertainment, a pop-up pickleball court, free fitness and yoga classes, roller-skating lessons, arts and crafts, hoola-hoop instruction, face painting, and family-friendly games and activities. Any questions can be sent to openstreets@dc.gov.
Leigh Catherine Miles with Tenleytown Main Streets stated that at other Open Streets events three-quarters of attendees spend money in the local businesses and noted that they are looking into getting a skateboarding event in the Friendship Heights area. There were no other comments from attendees.
Commissioners – asked to have DDOT have another Open Street event on Wisconsin Ave next year and if they do, could they combine the Open Streets event with a Jackson-Reed homecoming parade. (DDOT replied they have combined Open Streets with other events but they have not determined the schedule for next year.); asked if they could combine Open Streets with Art All Night; stated that we have a lot of schools in the area and asked if DDOT has reached out to the schools; asked if organizations can set up tents and if they invite food trucks to participate (DDOT stated that they prioritize businesses on the route and they do not have food trucks come in.)
Update from Federal Realty on its proposal to build a mixed-use development on the current Maggiano’s site
Geoff Sharpe with Federal Realty provided an update to their proposal to redevelop the Maggiano’s/DSW site to an apartment building with about 350 units and 14,000 sq ft of ground level retail. Their zoning hearing is scheduled for December 5.
Sharpe presented their proposed public benefit package:
- 15% of the square footage rented as inclusionary zoning (50% at 50% Median Family Income (MFI) and 50% at 60% MFI)
- LEED Gold certification
- Exemplary architecture and design
- Efficient land utilization and site planning (density on top of metro)
- 10 electric vehicle charging stations (requirement is 4)
- 10 tenant bike parking stations on the ground floor
- Improvements to the intersection of 43rd and Military (this includes curb extensions on the south side of Military and raised crosswalks on west, east and south sides of the intersection (there is not a crosswalk on the west side now)
- They previously proposed a 2000 sq ft. community center. They talked to DPR, Department of Aging and Community Living and Federal City Council Education Initiatives and no one was interested in managing the space. In place of the community center, they are offering to do additional streetscaping on Wisconsin Ave down to Jenifer St, upgrade the bike infrastructure DDOT was going to install around Jenifer and 44th Street, and/or improve the landscaping at Chevy Chase Park.
- By way of traffic mitigation, they are providing more parking spaces that are required around a metro station and are therefore required to mitigate the extra parking spaces. They are proposing to unbundle parking from rent, hire a parking coordinator to educate residents on alternate transportation options, give residents SmartTrip cards, install a transportation screen in the lobby and a bicycle repair station, monitor and share transportation data with DDOT for two years, build a tele-work and business center, and provide free shopping carts for residents.
Attendees:
- Stated that they thought the benefits that are being offered do not balance out the benefits the applicant is gaining and asked them to increase the number of affordable family units to 22% or provide 10 additional units that are fully accessible at 40% MFI. (Sharpe replied that additional IZ will be very hard for them).
- Asked about the regional center requirements in the updated Comprehensive Plan. The applicants zoning attorney Cary Kadlecek replied that there is some conflicting language and that the additional housing on top of Metro counts toward this.
- Stated that they didn’t proposed building fit the neighborhood as the 90-foot-high building on the east side will be up against 50-foot-high townhouses and will be twice as high as anything else on Wisconsin Ave
- Stated that they thought this was a loss to the community and there ought to be a lot of affordable housing in there
- Thought the public benefits package was not proportional to the size of the project and asked them to provide additional remediation along 43rd St including replacing some of the missing signs that have disappeared over the years on 43rd St. Commissioner Quinn stated that there are some things that could be done to improve 43rd Street such as make the street one way, flip the diverter and/or remove parking but thought some neighbors would object to these changes.
Commissioners:
- Asked the community for input on the amenity package.
- Stated that while some attendees are unsatisfied with the package but did not hear many constructive suggestions. Asked if the 2000 square feet from the community space could be turned into artist studios and meeting space.
- Asked if they could reserve some of the retail for local, minority, and/or female owned businesses.
- Stated that the Commission typically signs retail agreements with developers that prohibit mattress stores and sex shops but they would like to add vape shops, medical marijuana shops, to have no more than one bank or limit street frontage for a bank. They would also like to have a construction mitigation agreement that would limit street parking for workers.
- They would like to have Federal Realty improve the streetscaping on the entire block and thought a donation to Friendship Place would be nice.
- Liked the IZ proposal especially the 50% at 50% MFI and stated that new market rate housing helps prevent gentrification and noted that we have had little to no market rate housing come on board in the neighborhood.
ANC Business
- Approval of September 2022 Meeting Minutes – Commissioner Cohen moved, and Commissioner Hall seconded a motion to approve the Draft September 2022 Meeting Minutes. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
- Approval of expenditures – Commissioner Quinn moved, and Commissioner Cohen seconded a motion to approve a payment for $352.50 to Sherry Cohen for administrative support and $3400 to Janney PTA for their Grant Request. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
- Approval of 2022 Q4 Financial Report – Commissioner Quinn moved, and Commissioner Cohen seconded a motion to approve the Fourth Quarter Financial Report for 2022. The motion was approved by a vote of 4-0-0.
The meeting was adjourned by acclimation at 10:12 PM.