Posts about Lincoln Park

This exemplifies a common problem with ANC 6D as well as some others around the city, which don't see new retail and sidewalk cafes as a benefit on themselves but demand contributions to other projects in exchange for permission to exist. Garber would bring a breath of fresh air to this ANC and we endorse his candidacy.

The main street in ANC 6D is M Street SE/SW, where neighbors fought Tommy Wells' efforts to change the high-speed traffic sewer into a boulevard with better pedestrian and bicycle amenities. Several commissioners haven't been the leaders on walking and biking issues we might hope for, but their challengers are far worse. For example, current chair Ron McBee (6D03, north side of M between 4th and South Capitol) faces staunch anti-bicycle challenger Mary Williams. McBee has also worked hard to help the young people in public housing in his district.

At the M Street community meeting, one woman called neighbors "irresponsible parents" who dared to take their children to school or buy groceries by bicycle. That was Grace Daughtridge, who is challenging incumbent Roger Moffatt in 6D05. The district contains the southeast corner of 4th and M and then skips across Fort McNair to the southern tip of Buzzard Point. We endorse Moffatt.

Rhonda Hamilton (6D06), who represents the rest of Buzzard Point up to 1st and M SW, deserves reelection; she has done substantial work with at-risk youth and on public housing issues, which comprise much of her district, and she served on the campaign committee for Councilmember Tommy Wells.

Across the Southeast Freeway in southern Capitol Hill is ANC 6B. The Eastern Market Metro Community Association (EMMCA), led by a pair of residents who live at Eastern Market Metro, Thomas and Barbara Riehle, is trying to unseat most of the current ANC.

The ANC has some real problems, such as a less than stellar record of transparency and inclusiveness toward non-commissioner residents. At the same time, EMMCA and the Riehles are particularly upset by the development choices at Hine Junior High School and the suggestion of making Pennsylvania Avenue into an oval or square at Eastern Market.

At community meetings on the Pennsylvania Avenue project, called Capitol Hill Town Square, it was extremely disturbing the way project opponents tried to drown out the project team, rudely applauded every hostile comment, and made absolute declarations of opposition to any change whatsoever even before the team had developed any options. Clearly any project at this spot needs to consider the needs of the immediate residents, but when those residents assume that no conceivable approach could possibly gain their acceptance, sight unseen, no constructive discussion can take place.

At Hine, meanwhile, the developers conducted a very open process to solicit community input, but EMMCA continues to allege a lack of transparency because they are not pleased with the outcome. We don't like having a huge parking lot under Hine either, but otherwise look forward to seeing the project built.

While we would like to see a fresher perspective in the often staid ANC 6B, having two factions with absolute views on neighborhood issues battling for a majority on the ANC is not the best thing for southern Capitol Hill.

We do endorse Brian Pate in 6B05, south of Lincoln Park and extending to Hine. Pate has taken a clear pro-bicycling stance while his opponent, incumbent Ken Jarboe, was behind DDOT scuttling a Capital Bikeshare station on the southeast corner of Lincoln Park, according to neighboring commissioner Nicholas Alberti.

Jarboe was also one of the few residents who testified in favor of keeping parking minimums which force property owners to build more parking than they think is appropriate. We appreciate Jarboe's role as chair of Tommy Wells' campaign committee, but feel Pate would do more to build consensus in this district.

The other challenger we endorse is Brian Flahaven, running in Barney Circle's 6B09 against incumbent Michael Patterson. A proposed historic district designation recently roiled Barney Circle, with many residents feeling that they weren't approached about the proposal and that the primary proponents came from outside the area.

There are arguments for and against a historic district, but people on both sides agree that Commissioner Patterson fell far short in informing his constituents about the issue, pro or con, and bringing their concerns to the table.

For 6B08 southeast of Lincoln Park, incumbent Neil Glick is facing two strong candidates, DC school teacher Laura McSorley and Michael McCamman. Glick has been an excellent Commissioner, and we endorse him for another term, but we encourage his challengers to stay active and continue to contribute. The community could benefit from both of them.

In the other 6B races, we have not heard convincing arguments to favor the challengers over incumbents Mary Wright (6B02), Norman Metzger (6B03), Kirsten Oldenburg (6B04), and Carol Green (6B07). All have worked hard for their districts and made positive contributions to the neighborhood. While complaints about ANC 6B's openness to other ideas are valid, the commission might be most open to ideas, participation and debate if its members represent a diversity of different views instead of a solid bloc from any specific faction.

After initially ruling out an initial proposal on the west side of the park as too small, DDOT proposed the pedestrian island on the SE corner of Lincoln Park. For reasons that were not made clear at the time, the SE corner proposal was canceled. At last night's ANC meeting, residents wanted an explanation.

According to Holben, DDOT heard a number of concerns including possible vandalism, noise, safety (both pedestrian and bicyclist), potentially obstructed sight lines on Mass Ave. and 13th Street, and the potential for the bikes to be an attractive nuisance to children. An ANC commissioner from 6A pointed out that if those were issues on the southeast triangle, surely they also would be issues on the northeast island as well. Thus, what was the rationale for the change?

Within the context of the community meeting, it was difficult to pursue a sustained line of questioning, but as best I could decipher, the initial opposition to the SE triangle proposal was enough of an impetus to cause DDOT to revisit the site.

Reading the tea leaves, the question seems not to be if a CaBi station will be placed near Lincoln Park, but where, and the northeast pedestrian triangle seems to be the presumptive favorite at this point. Of course, moving the bike rack from the SE corner to the NE corner mitigates few, if any, of the litany of concerns DDOT heard about the SE triangle.

To the extent the risks are real, the proposal would simply relocate them a block away. Perhaps DDOT simply became convinced the NE triangle was better, since the original sites were only tentative. Or, perhaps the simply looked for a site where people would object less loudly.

Most encouraging to me about the meeting was the absence of outright opposition to a CaBi station in the Lincoln Park area. To be sure, some neighborhood residents voiced strong opposition to specific site proposals, citing a litany of concerns, primarily related to biker and pedestrian safety, but no one suggested that a CaBi station in the neighborhood was an unworthy goal.

There were clearly a respectable number of supporters present in the audience, ranging from a group of young men wearing the official-issue, black CaBi t-shirt, to the originator of the online petition supporting the Lincoln Park CaBi station, representing a group of 18 supportive community members.

ANC6B candidate Brian Pate came prepared with a proposal that would place the CaBi Station on 13th Street along the park, removing one lane of traffic and creating additional parking. A number of individuals who live across from one of the pedestrian triangles under consideration showed up to support the placement of the CaBi station on the site.

DDOT views CaBi as a transit system, most of which lose money; however, compared with other transit systems in the city, such as the Circulator, which recovers 20 to 30 percent of its operating costs, DDOT believes CaBi may recover as much as 75% of operating costs in subscription and usage fees.

CaBi cost $6.4 million in capital and operational costs in year one and will cost $1.4 million in operating costs in subsequent years. According to a recent government study, London, which recently implemented the same bike share system, albeit on a much larger scale, is on pace to recover the total cost of its system in 2-3 years.

DDOT will also learn today whether they won a federal TIGER II grant award for an additional 1000 CaBi bikes in the region.

The Arts Coalition for Dupont Underground will discuss their plans to turn the old trolley tunnels under Dupont Circle into a performance and exhibition space. Up the Red Line, DDOT will discuss pedestrian and bicycle safety in their Rock Creek West II Livability study.

In the aforementioned hard-to-name 14th Street neighborhood, the Office of Planning will talk about revitalizing retail. And farther east, the Historic Preservation Office, HPO, and Councilmember Muriel Bowser will discuss the Takoma Theatre, a landmark that's become a controversial flashpoint on historic preservation versus development debates.

If the federal sphere is more your thing, NCPC is hosting White House officials to talk about how agencies are responding to President Obama's directive to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. GSA has done a lot; I'd like someone to ask why the Park Service, which ought to be one of the greenest agencies, isn't pulling its weight.

Finally, planners will present their final concepts for reusing much of the Walter Reed site. The details have already been reported, including a number of nonprofits and a good amount of retail which the local ANC nonetheless opposes. The Post has a map. And how much parking will it need?

Meanwhile, planning for another large parcel of land in DC's northern section is just getting started: the McMillan Sand Filtration Site at North Capitol and Irving. Stalled for a while due to the economy, the developers are starting a series of public meetings Saturday at 10 am. I'd expect the community opposition to building anything to come roaring back in force, so if you live nearby, stop by to weigh in.

Speaking of community controversy, the debate over a Lincoln Park CaBi station will feature prominently at the local ANC's meeting on Monday. A lot of us were unhappy DDOT's bike planners simply deleted the station from the map after a few people complained instead of soliciting input from others, many of whom were excited about the station.

Now, the ANC is giving everyone that chance, at 7 pm Monday at Capitol Hill Towers, 900 G Street, NE. If you support the bike sharing station (or if you don't), show up to make your voice heard. Otherwise, DDOT will likely decide based on the opinions of others.

Wednesday is another bevy of community presentations on local projects for residents of the upper half of DC, this time about streets in upper Northwest and upper 14th. West of Rock Creek, DDOT will present its findings on its Rock Creek West II Livability Study, which looks at transportation safety on key streets. East of the park, the Office of Planning will discuss retail revitalization on 14th north of Spring Road.

There's also a public forum on Maryland transportation priorities at 2:30 pm at SHA's headquarters district office in Prince George's, but based on the time of the meeting, SHA doesn't seem to really want you to go.

After all those meetings, it's time for some fun. The NoMA BID and Dandies & Quaintrelles (who ran the Seersucker Social) are holding a Retro Day as part of NoMA's three-week public festival Zestfest. Retro Day, on Friday, October 22, features a classic bike show, badminton, and a Beatles rock band at the Loree Grand, 2nd and L Streets, NE. We hear Tommy Wells is going to be one of the judges of the retro bike show.

And the next day, tour DC's West End neighborhood in the lastest CSG walking tour. It's Saturday, October 23, 10 am at the Trader Joe's. The tour will show off a number of exciting developments, a gas station with a green roof, and even the place Michael Jordan once lived.

If you live in Northern Virginia and are wondering why there aren't more events in your areas on the calendar, you've got one: the Northern Virginia Streetcar Coalition annual meeting, Thursday, October 28 at 7 pm at NVCC Alexandria.

But if you'd like to see more Northern Virginia events on our calendar, or more of anything, submit them as tips or email tips@ggwash.org and we'll add them.