Photo by vbecker on Flickr.

Now that the summer is over, DC agencies and legislators are kicking it into gear, and there are a lot of important events coming up.

Council Chairman Phil Mendelson is holding a hearing on the zoning update, and the Office of Planning has a forum about citizens can engage in planning. There’s a meeting on Dupont and Logan bike safety, a star-studded panel on gentrification, and two parking think tanks, and more.

Tomorrow, the Dupont and Logan ANCs are having a meeting “for residents, business owners, and organizations to discuss bicycle safety issues in the community,” including new infrastructure, laws like those against sidewalk cycling, and any ideas residents have. It’s in the ballroom of the Chastleton, 16th and R, from 7-9.

Also tomorrow is a Humanitini panel on gentrification. Washington City Paper editor Mike Madden is moderating the panel, which includes Rauzia Ally and Maria Casarella, two architects who serve on the Historic Preservation Review Board; Jonathan O’Connell of the Washington Business Journal; and former Mayor “that’s an old movie” Tony Williams. Sign up to attend here.

Next week are 2 of DDOT’s Parking Think Tanks, Wednesday evening 10/3 at the West End Library (large conference room) and Thursday 10/4 at Wilson High School (cafeteria). Both are 6:30-8:30. If you can’t make one of them, don’t forget to fill out the online survey, which asks about both car and bicycle parking issues.

Also next Thursday, October 4, the Office of Planning is having a Citizen Planner Forum to talk about how planning projects can engage more residents. They held 4 focus groups with residents about ways planning processes can work better, and will talk about the results, new tools to involve the public and more. The event is 6:30 to 8 at the District Architecture Center, 421 7th Street, NW.

Finally, there’s a pretty important hearing for those of you who can make a 1 pm DC Council hearing on a Friday. Zoning update opponents convinced former Chairman Kwame Brown to hold an oversight hearing on the zoning update, even though the topic already came up during the annual oversight hearings for the Office of Planning each of the last 4 years. Phil Mendelson kept it on the agenda when he became chairman. It was originally supposed to be today, but since it’s Yom Kippur, they moved it to Friday, October 5.

Zoning update head opponent Linda Schmitt sent a predictably provocational and misinforming email, claiming that a process over 4 years with hundreds of community meetings (and more to come) is about “high-handed decisions by city officials … who make every effort to play “hide the ball,” deflecting questions, maligning civic advice and avoiding

stating their intentions.” To sign up to testify, email cgordon@dccouncil.us with your name, address, and phone number.