Ramon Estrada - Greater Greater Washington

14th & T will be destroyed!

Thu, 12 May 2011 08:34:00 EDT

A flyer distributed by Elwyn Ferris, partner of ANC Commissioner Ramon Estrada, warns that 14th & T will become just like Adams Morgan if a restaurant is allowed to open in the old post office. ANC 2B will likely ultimately negotiate a voluntary agreement. (14th & You)

Comment

For ANC in Ward 2 (Oct 25, 2010)
Less parking at 14th and U would solve many problems (Feb 15, 2008)
DC moving with record speed to change 14th and U restaurant limits, accepts resident recommendations (Apr 16, 2010)
ARTS report balances bars and arts, requirements and bonuses (Sep 9, 2009)
Knee-jerk liquor license opposition undercuts credibility (Jul 19, 2010)

For ANC in Ward 2

Mon, 25 Oct 2010 15:24:00 EDT

Ward 2 has no competitive races west of 15th Street, but along 14th and 7th Streets in its eastern half, a number of challengers are trying to dislodge longtime, entrenched neighborhood powers.

ANC 2B09 covers the southwest corner of 14th and U, and Commissioner Ramon Estrada has formed one-third of the triumvirate exerting the most pressure against new restaurants and bars in the neighborhood. We support Sunit Talapatra, who is challenging Estrada.

Estrada opposed any increase in the ARTS Overlay's limitation of 25% restaurants and bars, and has had a hand in many a liquor license protest. He also has gotten himself into hot water on a few occasions with his flair for creatively interpreting the votes of his ANC. When he was chair of ANC 2B in 2008, he sent a few letters to zoning boards that other commissioners felt took a few liberties with the wording of the resolution they had passed.

Talapatra would represent the district in a more inclusive and collaborative way. He's not in favor of unlimited restaurants and bars by any means, emphasizing his desire to maintain peace, order and quiet, but he also recognizes that 14th and U is a growing neighborhood and that successful businesses, as opposed to vacant storefronts, is best for residents. He walks to and from his office at the Georgetown waterfront most days.

To the south, three of the four seats in Shaw's ANC 2C have contests. 2C has been split for many years between two clear factions. One, which dominated the ANC for many years, is led by former ANC chair Leroy Thorpe, who many charge ran the commission in an opaque way that excluded most residents and catered to the interests of very few.

In 2006, Kevin Chapple beat Thorpe in 2C02 on promises of greater transparency and inclusiveness, but he and ally Alex Padro only had half the votes on the ANC, leading to constant deadlocks. Thorpe has tried to reclaim his seat each year, and this is no exception, using alleged dirty tricks during this campaign and in the past.

The 2008 election unseated another Thorpe ally, 2C04's Barbara Curtis, and there was hope for a new day in ANC 2C. Unfortunately, for reasons that remain mysterious, the new Commissioner Theresa Sule allied herself with remaining old guard member Doris Brooks (scroll down), keeping Brooks as chair and again deadlocking the ANC.

Sule promised new leadership, a Web site, and conversations with the neighborhood, but has not followed through. Facing strong criticism from betrayed supporters, Sule has shut herself off from neighborhood events and email lists.

Rachelle Nigro is the best candidate trying to fulfill the promises Sule made two years ago. She is known as something of a stickler for rules, which this ANC sorely needs to move beyond the fast and loose days of Thorpe and Brooks. Derrick Barrett seems to be a Thorpe ally possibly running to try to split the anti-Sule vote, and Cary Shieh has not been present on the campaign trail or in neighborhood discussions.

Meanwhile, Rickey Williams is running to unseat Brooks herself in 2C03, and has been a very involved member of the Mount Vernon Square association. That district, which encompasses blocks north and south of the square including most of the Penn Quarter, has changed substantially in recent years, and it's time for more residents of the Penn Quarter to get involved in selecting the leadership of their neighborhood.

We hope ANC 2C will develop a clear 3-1 or even 4-0 majority in favor of cleaning up its act and embracing participation by the many new residents as well as longtime ones in this changing part of the city.

In between, in the oddly-shaped 2F06 district from the old convention center to Vermont Avenue northeast of Logan Circle, current commissioner Mike Benardo faces a relatively unknown challenger, Kate McMahon. Bernardo has a good record of responsiveness to constituents and is well liked, while McMahon has not submitted statements to area blogs and has little information on her Web site. We hope she will try to get involved in the neighborhood in other ways.

42 comments

For ANC in Ward 3 (Oct 26, 2010)
For ANC in Ward 1 (Oct 29, 2010)
For ANC in northern Ward 6 (Oct 28, 2010)
For ANC in southern Ward 6 (Oct 27, 2010)
ARTS report balances bars and arts, requirements and bonuses (Sep 9, 2009)

Taking creative liberties with the Dupont ANC's votes

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 09:43:00 EDT

by David Alpert

The Dupont ANC sent its letter to the Board of Zoning Adjustment weighing in on the residential and retail development proposal at 14th and U that the BZA will consider Wednesday. That's the customary process when the ANC has passed a resolution concerning an upcoming hearing. But there's just one problem: the letter, signed by Chairman Ramon Estrada and sent by ANC staff member Freddie Blicher, doesn't actually precisely reflect the Commission's vote last month.

Photo by lawgeek on Flickr.

To make a very long story short, the developers are seeking four variances. The ANC considered them one at a time at its October meeting, and voted on each separately. On three, they voted unanimously to support; on one, as I reported here, they voted 5-3 to "not support" the variance.

The letter, however, presents things slightly differently:

With eight of nine Commissioners in attendance, a quorum at a duly-noticed public meeting, the Commission approved the following three-part motion by a vote of 5-3:
The ANC hereby approves the area variance requests as presented for the project (a) Lot Occupancy .... (b) Required Public Space ... (c) ARTS Prohibition of Driveways ...
The ANC hereby opposes ... the request for area variance for (a) Rear Yard ... because ... [detailed legal rationale here]
The ANC reserves the right to comment on any changes or revisions to the plans and/or BZA application ... and grants the Commissioner of Single Member District 2B09 [Estrada] ... full authority to take all needed action on this project going forward, including negotiations with the owner and preparing testimony before regulatory boards, and any other action required...

No three-part motion was ever introduced. The Commissioners voted on each variance separately, and never all together.

Also, most of this language was never read at the meeting. Estrada's motion on the rear yard variance, as introduced, was to "not support" rather than "oppose". The part about granting authority came up, but in only a general discussion, not as the specific language in the letter. Based on my recollection, that portion concerned only the BZA hearing, not all "regulatory boards and any other action required." Finally, the legal rationale for disapproving the rear yard variance summarizes some reasons which were brought up at the meeting, but this level of detail was never part of the actual motion.

Does this matter? After all, if a motion had been introduced comprising all four variances and the part about granting authority, it's fair to say it probably would have passed 5-3; the three who voted against disapproving the rear yard variance would probably have voted no, and the rest yes. But that's not what happened. This letter suggests that ANC opinion was divided on the entire question. In fact, it was united on three of four variances. That misrepresents the sentiment of the ANC to the BZA.

This isn't the first time the ANC's letters don't quite match the discussion at the meetings. The previous month, when the developer was preparing to go before the Historic Preservation Review Board for a trivial modification, Estrada introduced a resolution reiterating the ANC's previous position that the project was too large. As I wrote then, Commissioner Jack Jacobson introduced an amendment saying that, based on the developer's changes over time to accommodate the community and the HPRB, the ANC supports moving the project forward as presented.

Estrada decided to accept Jacobson's amendment as friendly (most likely because of the clear sentiment in the room in favor), and the amended motion passed unanimously. Later, however, no language matching the amendment appeared in the official letter to HPRB. As with this month's, that letter contains detailed language in the motion, none of which was actually read at the meeting. Jacobson said, "The way the letter was written, I wouldn't have voted for it." While the letter makes it seem that all Commissioners agree with the language written there, that's not true.

Estrada has made it clear he doesn't want the 14th and U project to move forward as currently proposed. He's introduced repeated resolutions calling for a smaller project and more setbacks. That's his right, of course, as the duly elected representative of his district. Estrada has effectively advocated for his point of view, and helped reduce the original project's size and mass. But whatever the Chair's personal feelings, an ANC's official letter must reflect the ANC's actual vote, not a slight variant that shades the actual language toward the chair's position.

The burden isn't Estrada's alone. Other ANC commissioners should insist on clearly defined motions, so that they know exactly what they are voting on. When members vote based on some back-and-forth discussion and allow the staff and Chair to craft a motion later, it opens the door to these shifts. When I attended the Adams Morgan ANC, for example, Commissioners brought detailed motions already written out, and any amendments had to be similarly specific. The Dupont ANC follows Robert's Rules of Order at their meetings. They should likewise take seriously their position as a real elected body voting on real motions, and ask for actual language before they take a vote.

16 comments

Historic review chickens and BZA eggs at 14th and U (Oct 10, 2008)
Tenant abuse among several controversies at the Dupont ANC (Sep 11, 2008)
Dupont ANC should give great thought to deserve great weight (Apr 10, 2008)
I'm unique too!: Whitman-Walker development plans (Nov 13, 2008)
For ANC in Ward 2 (Oct 25, 2010)

Better Know a Single-Member District: 2B09

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:02:00 EDT

by David Alpert

Calling this "the fightin' 2B09" is a more genuinely apt mantra in this Single-Member District than in many others. The violent riots of 1968 still leave their mark on DC's traditionally African-American commercial corridors such as 14th Street, 7th Street, and H Street. They are still recovering from the destruction, closed businesses, and subsequent population loss.

SMD 2B09. From Google Maps.

Today, most of these corridors are alive with new development and its consequent controversy, leading to fights of words instead of rocks, but still very passionate. Today's Better Know a SMD looks at the archetypal revitalizing commercial corner and the spot where the 1968 riots began: 14th and U.

Observers point to two events as cornerstones of 14th and U's transformation into the lively housing, restaurant, and entertainment district it is today: the opening of the Reeves Center in 1986, and the first service at the U Street Metro station in 1991. Some dispute the influence of the Reeves Center, but none disagree that Metro has fueled a powerful resurgence.

The area has many new condo buildings (like Langston Lofts and the Ellington) to the north and east of 14th and U, and multiple restaurants and bars (such as Saint-Ex and Bar Pilar) on the east side of 14th south of U. 14th's the west side, however, has been slower to develop, still sporting a McDonald's, several other fast food restaurants, a parking lot, and several vacant buildings at 14th and T.

That southwest corner is the very edge of the Dupont Circle ANC and SMD 2B09, while the other three corners of 14th and U are all part of ANC 1B. Critics of 2B09's commissioner and 2B's current chair, Ramon Estrada, say the imbalance between the more vibrant eastern side and 2B09's western side comes from Estrada's opposition to projects in his district, compared to more business-friendly positions from ANC 1B.

Estrada insists he supports development and businesses in his district. "I would like to see 14th and U commercial corridors revived with vibrant live/work/shop/dine/arts-rich establishments," he said, "including galleries, theatres, and more museums about the cultural history of U Street. This vision is currently taking shape and, if financing continues to be available, the remaining remnants of the destruction from the 1968 riots will be seen only in photographs." Still, Estrada has been a constant opponent of the scale of proposed development at 14th and U, advocating for 7 stories instead of 10 at the tallest point. I've criticized that stance throughout, and in recent months, several of Dupont's ANC commissioners have spoken up to oppose Estrada's push for further reductions.

Ramon Estrada and Doug Rogers.

Doug Rogers decided to run against Estrada because he believes most neighbors don't share Estrada's positions on development and retail. "I really want this district to have first-rate residential, retail, and transportation," he said. "The west side of 14th is empty, with vacant lots and vacant warehouses, but if you look across 14th Street to the east side, it's full of life. It has diverse, mixed retail along that space between S and U and a lot of vitality. Meanwhile, the west side is dead."

Rogers doesn't support just any development proposals uncritically, nor skyscrapers at 14th and U, but would build a greater level of consensus between developers or business owners and neighbors. For example, Constantine Stavropoulos, owner of Tryst and the Diner in Adams Morgan and Open City in Woodley Park, announced plans this summer to open a Tryst/Diner combination restaurant at 14th and T, along with a comedy club, yoga studio, and dance company. Estrada took a firm stance against 24-7 operation and sought to limit outdoor seating, saying that "constituents in close proximity have contacted me to register their concerns." Rogers thinks the constituents Estrada mentions are a "vocal minority," and that the neighbors he's spoken with are almost universally "ecstatic about the possibility of a coffee house. They have concerns here or there, but want to ensure it gets opened there. ... [Estrada] is not listening to what neighbors want, and the neighbors' opinions are not making it into the ANC."

Rogers feels that anti-development attitudes from ANC 2B drive businesses away. "You don't start a conversation with a business owner by saying you're not going to do x, y, or z, period," he said. "Starting with a hostile attitude, you scare off businesses, who'll say, 'why don't I go across the street where the ANC is more sympathetic?'" Several 1B residents and business owners agree that, at least in their opinion, 1B is a friendlier forum to business.

Rogers moved to DC in 1991 to work in politics; coming from Texas, he grew up a Republican, but switched his party loyalty to the Democrats after learning more about the values of each party. He's lived in the Dupont Circle neighborhood for ten years and now works as a CPA. Rogers became a Smart Growth convert after seeing the "cartoonish, cheaply made big box retail" throughout the nation, and after reading Jane Jacobs, Howard Kunstler, and other influential urbanist thinkers.

Estrada, who grew up on the West Coast, has been in DC for thirty years and has run "various trade associations." He now trains and advises boards of directors on, among other things, how to run meetings, which guides his stewardship of ANC 2B meetings as the chair. Estrada cited neighborhood issues like public safety and liquor licenses as the impetus for joining the ANC in 2002.

Wednesday's Better Know a SMD, 7D06, touches DC's highest pedestrian crash intersection, Minnesota and Benning. 14th and U is DC's number two, and safety is top of mind for both candidates. Estrada lauded recent signal changes to add leading intervals, where pedestrians begin crossing before cars are allowed to move. "I also think the bump-outs at intersections, like shown on both the 14th Street & U Street Streetscape designs, will be a welcome improvement." As for bicycles, Estrada brought up constituent suggestions that bike safety training be part of the driver education process.

Estrada would like to see more parking at 14th and U, though he also lauds the conversion of surface parking lots into other uses. He's pleased with the promise of parking for restaurant patrons inside the 14th and U project, and cited proposals floated in the past for a municipal parking lot.

Estrada is also skeptical of performance parking's promise, saying the neighborhood "needs more daytime activity to support our businesses; therefore it seems extremely important to make it convenient for visitors to come via all modes, including cars. ... We want people from outlying areas, out-of-state and from abroad to come to our neighborhood and have an enjoyable experience." Performance parking supporters contend, however, that performance parking actually makes it more convenient rather than less for visitors to arrive by car by ensuring availability of parking spaces.

Estrada and Rogers both appreciate 14th and U's bountiful public transportation. Estrada feels the 14th Street bus currently works well, but would welcome the addition of a Circulator; Rogers feels that 14th, 16th, U, and the connector to Adams Morgan could all use more service and "would love to see light rail one day" in the neighborhood.

21 comments

14th and T heading toward big-box furniture (Oct 25, 2008)
U Street biz debate BID (Sep 17, 2008)
Better Know a Single-Member District: 3F05 (Oct 15, 2008)
Balancing 17th Street's retail: a moratorium, parking policy, or something else? (Feb 3, 2009)
Better Know a Single-Member District: 7D06 (Oct 22, 2008)