1309-1315 Clifton Street: "Affordable Housing *is* the Public Amenity"

At its regularly-scheduled monthly meeting on January 20, the Design Review Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street heard a presentation from a team hoping to develop two adjoining parcels of land (1309-1315 Clifton Street NW) into a 160-170 unit, six-story apartment building. The team includes Aria Development Group, attorneys from the firm Goulston & Storr, and Cunningham Quill Architects. They presented their ideas to the committee for review before it applies to the DC Zoning Commission for a Planned Unit Development (PUD).

Artist's conception of the finished building

No vote on the project was sought by the developers or taken by the committee. The plan is still in the discussion stage.

The group had had an initial consultation with the Design Review Committee the previous month. At that time, the Committee indicated components of a development they were interested in, including off-street (car) parking, bicycle parking, and affordable housing.

Off-Street parking: The two parcels of land are zoned R-5-B. According to Section 11-2101.1 of DC Municipal Regulations, an apartment building on this category of land would be required to have one parking space for every two units, meaning in this case 80-85 parking spaces. The original proposal provided 22 parking spaces. In December, the Design Review Committee suggested more parking. The team came back with a revised design that provided for 36 parking spaces.

Bicycle Parking: According to documents submitted by the team at the meeting, 55 bike parking spaces (one per three units) are required. The current design envisions 80 long-term bike parking spaces and 10 short-term. The bike storage area will have its own ramp from the public alley in the rear of the building. The building will also have a "bike workshop" area.

Affordable housing: Also at the suggestion of the committee, the building plan includes a increased contribution to local affordable housing, as defined by the Inclusionary Zoning Affordable Housing Program of the DC Department of Housing and Community Development. Specifically, it increased to eight percent (perhaps 12-14 units) the planned number of rental units that are intended to be affordable for people earning 50% of Area Median Income (AMI). (Washington area AMI in 2013 was $107,300.)

The committee approved of this pledge for increased 50% AMI housing.

"We're not having developers who are willing to go into 50% AMI," one committee member said.

According to a 2013 official document, an two-bedroom apartment designated as affordable at 50% AMI could be rented for a maximum of $1,207 per month.

In addition, the development team said, a further two percent (perhaps 3-4) units would be designated as affordable at 80% AMI. An two-apartment designated as affordable at 80% AMI could be rented for a maximum of $1,931 per month.

When the DC government declares a PUD, a developer pledges "public amenities", to the community. In return, the developer gets to build a something which might otherwise require zoning relief. The result is community groups (e.g., groups devoted to the beautification of local parks), schools, or other organizations appear after the declaration of a PUD and ask for "amenities", often in the form of cash, from developers.

After the developer's presentation was finished, a member of the Design Review Committee reminded the developer: "A PUD requires public amenities."

The developer seemed to be trying to avoid getting into the business of giving away money.

"Affordable housing is the public amenity," a member of the development team said.

(Photo credit: from documents submitted to the Design Review Committee)

1310 Q Street: Six New Units a Stone's Throw from Logan Circle

An unoccupied lot just off Logan Circle, now a garden, will soon be the site of four dwelling units. The house next door, built in 1887, will be renovated and transformed from a large single-family home into two dwelling units. A committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle heard about plans for the single project that will alter the two properties at its April 30 meeting.

Say goodbye to the garden

Architect David Morris of Trout Design Studio presented to the Community Development Committee (CDC) of ANC2F. He told the committee no zoning relief would be required for the development -- only the approval of D.C.'s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) because the building is located in the Logan Circle Historic District 14th Street Historic District.

The house to be renovated is at 1310 Q Street; the garden is on the building's eastern side.

The documents submitted to the committee say the development will include five parking spaces, but Morris said "we may provide up to nine spaces". Only two would be required under current zoning regulations.

On the existing house (in right of photo), exterior brickwork, the roof, and windows will be cleaned and repaired as needed. The plumbing and electrical work will be modernized. A rear porch will have to be removed to provide space for the new building. But there will be no pop-up and the heights of all levels of the building will stay the same.

The presenters had several different ideas for the new building to be erected on the site of the garden. One proposed design had a modern-looking flat front. An alternate idea was to include a projecting bay, like the older building next door. The presenters solicited input from the CDC.

Some members of the committee like the flat-front design, some the projecting bay. An abutting neighbor said she liked the design with the bay, calling it "traditional" and appropriate for the street.

Abutting neighbors from both sides of the property were present. They lamented the green space they would be losing, but told the committee they approved of the project.

The house is in the ANC district 04, whose representative is Commissioner Walt Cain. Cain is also chair of the CDC. He urged the committee not to vote on the proposal that evening because, he explained, there had to be "more opportunity for dialog with the community". Nevertheless, other members of the committee seemed ready to approve the concept and massing of the more traditional design that evening, in part because the architects would have to prepare for their HPRB hearing in the near future.

Cain put forward a motion to pass a resolution endorsing the project but encouraging "engagement with the community". The motion passed, with Cain voting against. Cain asked the architects to come back and present again at the next meeting of the full ANC, which will take place on Wednesday, May 14, at 7pm, at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle).

Online records show that 1310 Q Street was put up for sale in November 2013. The asking price was $4.4 million. The price was reduced to $4.1 million in March. The property was taken off the market on April 5.

2819 13th Street: How Tall Is It Really?

At its meeting of April 21, the Design Review Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street delayed a decision on a proposed renovation and enlargement of a single-family house at 2819 13th Street NW, located between Girard and Harvard Street. The request for an endorsement of zoning special exceptions may be considered again at the next meeting of the ANC1B Design Review Committee, scheduled for Monday, May 19, at 6:30pm at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th Street).

2819 13th Street

There were a few issues with the proposed renovation. The committee wanted to see letters of support from neighbors. In addition, there was some inconclusive discussion about two other matters. One was if the improvements might cause the building to be taller than envisioned by zoning regulations. The other was whether a proposed penthouse on top of the house might require additional zoning scruntiny, due to height, setback, or both.

Presentation by the architect

Jennifer Fowler of Fowler Architects presented on behalf of the property owner, Robert Copyak. Fowler said the owner will live in the house while the renovation is in progress.

According to documents presented to the D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), the existing third floor of the building will be expanded. There will be a one-story rear addition with a two-story covered porch above it. There will be a new rear deck on the roof and a neighboring enclosed mechanical area. The mechanical area would contain a staircase, a space for mechanical items like air conditioning, a closet, and a wet bar.  

The owner will seek at least two special exceptions at a BZA hearing in June. One is for lot occupancy. According to zoning regulations, the footprint of the house should not cover more than 60 percent of property. The proposed improvements would increase the house's lot occupancy to 66 percent.

The other exception is for the side yard. It is currently 3.5 feet wide. It will not change as a result of the renovation. However, zoning regulations say such a side yard should be at least 10 feet wide. Although it is already "non-conforming", the owner will need a special exception to this rule to go ahead with the renovation.

The owner and architect are looking for a favorable recommendation of the project by the Design Review Committee to the full ANC. The ANC would then consider a resolution to support the project. With the resolution in hand, the owner and architect could then move on to their BZA hearing.

The committee's reaction

The property is located in the ANC district 09, which is represented by ANC1B Chair James Turner. Turner was at the Design Review Committee meeting. He said he had heard from six nearby neighbors and one abutting neighbor, and "the neighborhood is supportive" of the project.

However, the support of the neighbors was not in writing. The Design Review Committee asked Fowler to return with letters of support from the neighbors.

Further zoning exceptions necessary?

The building is now 35 feet tall. If the planned renovations caused the building to exceed 40 feet in height, the owner would need additional permissions from the BZA. Supporting documents claim the renovation will raise the height of the building to 37 feet, 6 inches, but some members of the committee, after examining some of the drawings presented by the architect, said the addition of the structure on the top of the building would put it over 40 feet.

The committee brought up another issue: the setback of the rooftop structure. As currently designed, it goes up to the edge of the property. Zoning regulations say rooftop structures must have a setback equal to their height.

The owner and architect may have to demonstrate they are in compliance with zoning regulations on both height and setback before the Design Review Committee will endorse their request.

On-line information indicates the house was built in 1905 and the current owner and resident bought it in 2003 for $410,000. The owner has also bought at least three other properties in Columbia Heights and Petworth in the last ten years, according to publicly-available information.

This case was the first of two that Fowler presented to the Design Review Committee at its April 21 meeting. The committee was not sympathetic to Fowler's other case either. It voted to oppose her other case -- see SALM blog post of April 25.

The documents relating to this case can be seen by going to the Case Search Tool of Interactive Zoning Information System on the web site of the D.C. Office of Zoning, and entering case number 18774 in the search bar.

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

1248 Fairmont Street: One ANC1B Committee for, One Against

When Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street has its regular monthly meeting at the Reeves Center (14th and U Streets NW) on Thursday, May 1, at 7:30pm, it will be faced with an unusual situation. Two separate ANC1B committees have considered a request for the same project. One voted to approve it, the other voted to oppose it.

1248 Fairmont Street (Google Street View)

Jennifer Fowler of Fowler Architects and Brian Smith of Coldwell Banker are asking ANC1B to endorse a request for a curb cut on the street next to 1248 Fairmont Street. This is a one-family house on the southeast corner of 13th Street and Fairmont. It is being converted into five units "by right". The curb cut will allow access to the two spaces of enclosed off-street parking the developers are obligated by zoning regulations to provide.

On April 17, ANC1B's Transportation Committee voted to endorse the request -- see SALM blog post for April 21. The vote was 2-0 with one abstention. On April 21, ANC1B's Design Review Committee voted not to support the request. The vote of the Design Review Committee was 7-0 with one abstention.

Fowler presented to the Design Review Committee at the very end of a 3-1/2 hour meeting. She was told there was no community support for the project, only opposition.

ANC Chair James Turner (Commissioner for district 09) said he had sent an email requesting the developers do outreach to the neighbors about the planned expansion of the house. There had not been any outreach.

"Brian's been doing outreach," Fowler said. Smith was not present, and Fowler didn't know anything about what Smith might or might not have done.

Turner explained that, although the project itself is in the district of Commissioner Sedrick Muhammed (district 03), the neighbors across the street from the project were in Turner's own district. At the April 17 meeting, Smith said he had been in touch with abutting neighbors only -- implying Turner's constituents had not been contacted.

The committee also disputed the contention, made by Smith in his April 17 presentation to the Transportation Committee, that the curb cut would remove only one space from the street. With the addition of a two-car parking garage, this would result in a net gain of one parking space for the area.

The Design Review Committee maintained that, even though the curb cut might be the length of one car, legally-mandated no-parking areas on each side of the cut, plus the inexpert parking methods of the average on-street car parker, would mean that, in practice, two on-street spaces would be lost. On top of that, committee members said, it seemed likely that five units would bring more than two cars into the neighborhood.

Members of the committee further redefined the situation. What the developers were doing, they said, was removing two public parking spaces and making them private.

Fowler said it might be possible to design a garage with three spaces. 

A committee member also noted that the design for the ramp from the street to the enclosed garage included a five-foot-high wall on the property line. This meant that pedestrians and bicyclists coming down Fairmont Street would be invisible to drivers backing out of the planned garage, and visa versa. Fowler suggested the developers could put in a mirror.

A representative of the project may present some new ideas at the next ANC meeting on May 1, when the full ANC may try to reconcile to two conflicting recommendations.

1248 Fairmont Street: Curb Cut Helps Turn Single-Family House to Five Units

1248 Fairmont Street NW is being converted from a single-family home to five units by an addition to the rear. If you are a neighbor and stand to lose sunlight and air from the rear expansion of this house, you still have a chance to make your displeasure known. There is a meeting of the Design Review Committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street scheduled for 6:30pm tonight (Monday, April 21) at the Thurgood Marshall Center (1816 12th Street). The developers converting the property have said they will be there.

As seen from Fairmont Street (Google Street View)

This conversion is a "matter of right", which means that the developers do not have to ask for zoning variances or special exceptions from the D.C. government. A publicly-available letter from D.C. Zoning Administrator Matt LeGrant (.pdf here) confirms no zoning variances or special exceptions are necessary. Nevertheless, the developer told the Transportation Committee of ANC1B on April 17 they would be at the Design Review Committee. They will probably present to the committee as a matter of courtesy.

A representative of the developers of 1248 Fairmont Street NW appeared before the Transportation Committee to ask for ANC1B endorsement of a curb cut. The curb cut is necessary to provide access to the two parking spaces that the zoning will require for the five units. The developers received a conditional endorsement of the curb cut. Now their request moves to the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) for final approval.

The building is on the southeast corner of Fairmont and 13th Streets. The proposed curb cut will be on the Fairmont Street side, about 85 feet from the corner of 13th. It will provide access to a two-car covered garage. The representative said LeGrant told him surface parking would not be permitted -- only garage parking.

The curb cut will remove one on-street parking space.

Members of the committee asked if more than two spaces for the five units were possible. The developers' representative said it was not.

How happy are the neighbors?

Commissioner Ricardo Reinoso (district 05) asked if the developers had been in touch with ANC Commissioner for the district Sedrick Muhammed (district 03). The developers had not.

Reinoso also asked the representative if he had been in touch with the neighbors. The representative said he had been in touch with abutting neighbors only. He did not report any complaints from the abutting neighbors.

A person who says "[m]y townhouse is connected to 1248 Fairmont Street", in a March 3 post in a forum of the blog Popville, said that the proposed development will block views and sunlight. The neighbor wished to discuss the situation with the developer. The neighbor, identified on Popville by the user name "comerte", also said he/she could not find contact information about the developer online.

(Google searches for the developer on April 18, 2014, yielded addresses, but no phone number or email.)

It is possible that, in the time between the March 3 Popville post and the April 17 Transportation Committee meeting, all the parties met and came to a mutually satisfactory arrangement.

Other details about the project

The additions are all on the rear of the building.

"The building will look as it is," the representative said. "It will look like it was built in the early 1900s."

The architect is Jennifer Fowler of Fowler Architects.

Plans for the renovation are available online -- six-page .pdf here. In addition to the garage, more basement space will be dug underneath the existing ground-floor patio. Two additional floors will be added over the rear part of the existing house and the proposed garage. The roof of the addition will have a deck. The total square footage of the house will increase from about 3,800 square feet to nearly 6,900 square feet.

On-line information says this house was sold in December 2103 for $990,000.

About the parking

The Transportation Committee was concerned that the placement of the curb cut was too close to the property line. It voted to recommend that the full ANC endorse the request to DDOT for a curb cut, on the condition that it be moved a few feet off the property line to allow optimal street parking. The vote was two in favor and one abstention.

1309-1311 13th Street: Car Wash to 67-unit Luxury Condo

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle revisited familiar territory on February 5 when yet another plan to develop a luxury apartment building brought neighbors out to make sure their interests were protected.

The Iowa apartment building is on the left

In this case, the property in question is 1309-1313 13th Street NW. These adjacent lots are currently occupied by a just-closed car wash and a Chinese carry-out. The Holladay Corporation plans a 67-unit, six-story apartment building on the site. According to the Holloday Corporation, the construction is "matter of right" -- meaning, the developers do not have to ask for any zoning variances or special exceptions, nor do they have to submit to review by D.C.'s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB).

"This is why most people are here," ANC2F Chair Matt Raymond (district 07) told the standing-room-only audience at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle). Before the presentation by the Holladay Corporation, I counted 77 people. After the presentation and subsequent Q-and-A were finished, 35 people remained. Many had adjourned to the corridor just outside the meeting room to continue to pepper the presenters with questions and comments.

The Presentation

Senior Vice President Rita J. Bamberger and Vice President of Construction Stephen H. Weatherby led the presentation for the Holloday Corporation.

Bamberger said Holloday Corporation is a third-generation family-owned company. It has developed two other local residential buildings: The Matrix (1529 14th Street) and The Rutherford (1211 15th Street).

The building will have 27 parking spaces. This is within DC zoning regulations of one space for every three dwelling units for this category of property. 14 of these spaces would be underground, according to the presenters.

It will be entirely residential -- no retail on the first floor. The average size of the apartments will be 760 square feet. One bedroom apartments will be about 600 square feet. Two bedroom apartments will be between 900-1000 square feet. Of the 67 apartments, five will be "inclusionary", meaning, they will be built in order to meet D.C. rules about affordable housing. This is the minimum amount required by law, the presenters said. The rest of the units will be "market rate", i.e., more expensive.

The developers hope to break ground this summer and finish construction in 15-18 months. Construction will start at 7am and end by 5pm. There would be construction activity some Saturdays, but not on Sundays.

Q-and-A session

Many of the audience members were from the Iowa Condominium (1325 13th Street), which borders the planned new construction on the north. When construction is finished, many Iowa residents will look into their neighbors' windows over a narrow alley.

"The project will impact my semi-panoramic view," admitted one Iowa resident.

"How would you feel if you lived in The Iowa?" another asked.

The presenters explained the building would be 60 feet tall to the main roof line, topped by setback penthouses of 15 feet in height. Again, the developers are allowed this "by right", so there was not much the Iowa residents could do but complain, which they did. A few individuals presented themselves as local residents who were in favor of the proposed development, citing it as an improvement over a car wash and Chinese take-out. Public arguing between audience members resulted.

The presenters promised an email address and daytime phone numbers which residents could call in case of need. But Holloday Corporation pushed back against repeated Iowa resident demands for Weatherby's personal cell phone number or another number which would be answered by a live human 24/7.

Weatherby promised that Holloday Corporation would follow DC policy concerning rat abatement. They would place new bait boxes out weekly, he said.

Some residents were concerned their own properties would be damaged by vibrations and other side effects of construction. Weatherby promised an independently-conducted pre-construction site survey of adjoining properties, with photo documentation, to aid in possible later claims.

Another resident asked for an additional meeting or two with Iowa residents, but Holloday Corporation did not publicly commit themselves to further meetings.

See coverage of the same meeting by real estate blog Urban Turf here.

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

ANC2F Weighs in on Franklin School Proposals

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle voted to endorse two proposals to convert the long-vacant Franklin School (13th and K Streets NW) to other use. One endorsed proposal is for an art gallery space called the Institute of Contemporary Expression (ICE). The other is for a boutique hotel to be called "the Benjamin".

The Franklin School was built in 1869.

There are four proposals total -- see November 1 SALM blog post. ANC2F's input was solicited by the Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Development (DMPED) without guidelines, so the ANC could endorse all, some, or none of the proposals.


The motion to endorse the gallery and hotel proposals was put forward by Commissioner Matt Connolly (district 08). The Franklin School is in Connolly's district.

The two proposals favored by Connolly are the two proposals that would result in the Franklin School continuing to be open to the public in some form. ANC2F Commissioners agreed it was important that the community have access to the building, and their letter to the DMPED will emphasize the importance of public access.

However, according to ANC2F's web site: "The letter will commend all four redevelopment proposals and express the Commission’s support for whatever decision DMPED makes."

Some of the other Commissioners expressed preferences that did not exactly match Connolly's. Commissioner Walt Cain (district 02) was partial to the hotel proposal over the others, while Commissioner Chris Linn (district 03) thought there might not be a market for more boutique hotel rooms.

During the discussion that followed, between the Commissioners and later Commissioners and the public, there was some fear aired that "we might end up with another white elephant" if the project were not properly financed. Connolly said he had looked at the proposal and was satisfied that the funding plans for the projects were sound.

In the end, the other Commissioners deferred to Connolly's analysis and voted for his proposal without modification.

The unanimous decision occurred at ANC2F's monthly meeting of December 4.

Four Proposals Aired for Franklin School Renovation

Four radically different proposals for redevelopment of the Franklin School (13th and K Streets NW) were presented at a public hearing on the evening of October 30. The hearing was aimed at community residents, and sought public comment. Only a handful of community members came out. These spectators were far outnumbered by the four teams of presenters on hand.

Alexander Graham Bell worked here

The hearing was sponsored by the Office of Deputy Mayor for Planning and Development (DMPED) and took place in the basement of Thomson Elementary School (1200 L Street). Project Manager Reyna Alorro of Hoskins's office emceed the proceedings.

Presentation 1: Abdo Development

Abdo Development hopes to turn the Franklin School into office space for the CoStar Group, a commercial real estate information company. Andrew Florance, President and CEO of CoStar Group, said CoStar was the largest company (in market capitalization) headquartered in the district and run by a DC resident.

"CoStar seeks to utilize the Franklin School as our primary global technology research and development center," Florance said.

Florance also said CoStar will self-fund the estimated $35 million renovation with cash. It requires no financing.

Florance and architect Diana Horvat of Perkins-Will outlined the project's commitment to a green building, including a green roof and a winter garden.

Presentation 2: Douglas Development

Douglas Development and Chicago-based architects Autunovitch Associates presented a proposal to turn the Franklin School into a boutique hotel. The hotel would have 40 rooms plus a rooftop bar and restaurant. It would be called "the Benjamin", and would create 90-100 new jobs via an estimated $10-15 million in annual sales.

The presenters said they do not operate hotels. They plan to develop the building first and get an operator second. They have contacted many big-name hotel operators, and recently got a letter of intent from the Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group.

The presenters noted a hotel/restaurant would keep the building accessible to the general public. The proposal would develop the building's back alley as an outdoor restaurant and bar area, and "bring back the attic as a fabulous restaurant."

Presentation 3: ICE-DC

ICE stands for Institute for Contemporary Expression. It is the brainchild of Georgetown art collector and businessman Dani Levinas, a 30-year resident of Washington.

Once renovated, Levinas said, the building would host travelling collections and art installations in gallery space. There would be no permanent collection, but would host "something new" every four or five months, featuring "cutting-edge artists who are on the forefront of the art world". It would become "a major vibrant cultural hub" on the model of PS-1 in New York or the Tate Modern in London.

"We want to repurpose the Franklin School as an international cultural destination," Levinas said. 

There would be a ground level restaurant by Jose Andres plus a cafe and an art  bookstore. In addition, education programs, interships, and mentoring programs are planned, as well as a contemporary art biennale.

Presentation 4: Lowe Enterprises

Lowe Enterprises and Bundy Development Corporation seek to create a "tech incubator" which would "make D.C. a technology hub".

The goal, the presenter said, was "to create a digital economy ecosystem in the heart of Washington, D.C., that is authentic, readily identifiable, and serves as a central node and catalyst for future growth in the district."

The proposed renovation would include flexible exhibit space, office and meeting space, and a tech cafe. There would be a retail component on the ground floor and affordable living space for entrepreneurs who wish to be near their offices. 

The project was "innovative, inclusive, and will create economic opportunites". It was projected that between 2,700 and 4,000 jobs would be created in the first five years.

Questions

There were a few questions from the community for the presenters.

Two of the questions were directed at Douglas Developers. The first asked if Douglas Developers had an intention to evict nearby food trucks if their proposal was selected. Paul Millstein of Douglas Developers said no.

"They have permits to be there," he said.

The second question noted Douglas Developers' 2010 problems owing real estate taxes to DC. Did Douglas Developers owe any real estate taxes to DC presently? Millstein said no. The previous tax problems, Millstein said, were a result of the 2008 downturn in the real estate market and were not a factor now.

"We did what we had to do to honor our obligations," Millstein said.

Public comment period still open

Reyna Alorro said the public comment period on the project will remain open until November 29. Comments can be emailed to dcbiz@dc.gov.

The slideshow presentations of the four groups, plus questions and answers from the hearing, will be available on the DMPED website after November sixth, Alorro said.

Chief Lanier at ANC2F about Logan Circle Shootings

The community turned out to see Cathy Lanier, Chief of DC's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) talk about local crime at regularly-scheduled October monthly meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle on October 2 at the Washington Plaza Hotel (10 Thomas Circle NW). 

Chief Lanier listens to her introduction

About recent shootings

Lanier announced there had been two arrests the previous evening in a stun gun robbery in Petworth. There have recently been a series of stun gun robberies in DC, including one in Logan Circle. Chief Lanier told the Washington Post the MPD did not know if the Petworth incident is tied to the other stun gun robberies.

Lanier reminded the audience that crime was down dramatically in the area, which was why the stun gun robberies got police attention.

There was little indication of progress on two other recent shooting incidents in the Logan Circle area. This was in spite of reported email assurances from the MPD more than ten days ago that the police "know who did this" and "were looking to make an arrest".

Lanier said the person shot during the September 12 incident on 14th Street was not cooperating with the police, which was making the investigation difficult. She also said there was a lot of misinformation "out there" about the shootings and there was "nothing to support these theories".

Community Q-and-A

During a question-and-answer session, a pastor of the Asbury Methodist Church (11th and K Streets) asked about prostitution and human trafficking in the neighborhood. In the subsequent discussion, it was said that prostitution seemed based on Internet advertising was now more common, as opposed to solicitation on the streets. Potential johns made appointments online and then met on street corners. The intersections of 5th and K, 12th and I, and 12th and M Streets were noted as frequently-used meeting spots.

An attendee from the 1400 block of R Street reported there was a lot of drug dealing and drinking on his block, and his car had been broken into twice this year. This is thought to be the work of a small group of juveniles. Some of these don't live in the neighborhood, but have friends who do. Others live in the neighborhood, so the police cannot use a "stay away order".

Another attendee from 13th and R complained that "follow through is lacking" in the case of the Logan Circle shootings. One witness saw the car and the shooter but was never interviewed by the MPD. Another woman, whose car windshield had been shattered by gunfire in the incident, had been asked three questions by the police, after which she had heard nothing.

Over 80 community members came to hear Lanier speak and listen to questions for about 40 minutes. All the seats were filled and people had to stand.

Lanier was introduced at the meeting by DC City Councilmember for Ward Two Jack Evans. Remarks by Evans to the meeting are the subject of a separate blog post.

Police Tell ANC2F about Logan Circle Shootings

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan was briefed last night (Wednesday, September 18) by the police about the recent shootings in the Logan Circle area. Detective Scott Guthrie of the Third District and other members of the DC's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) gave an account of their publicly-releasable information to ANC2F's Crime and Public Safety Committee. They also handled questions from ANC commissioners and members of the public.

Attendance up at public safety committee

First incident: 9/12, 14th and Riggs

Guthrie told the committee the first shooting occurred on September 12 at 8:53pm, near the corner of 14th Street and Riggs Place NW. Police are classifying it as an assault with a deadly weapon. There were multiple gunshots, and two vehicles were struck. A 45-year-old man was shot in the buttocks. The man has been interviewed but police cannot release details. There are no suspects or known motives. Police are seeking cooperative witnesses.

See a Washington Post report on this first incident here.

Second incident: 9/17, 13th and R

The second incident occurred at 7:22pm on September 17 on the 1700 block of 13th Street, at the corner of R Street. There were multiple gunshots but no victims. Two parked cars were hit by gunfire. One car had a windshield destroyed. The shooter, the intended target, and the motive are all unknown. Contrary to online rumors, it is not certain if the shooting was drive-by or by a pedestrian.

A revolver was recovered near the crime scene under a parked car. It is being sent for analysis to recover fingerprints and/or DNA.

This same revolver was being examined to see if this incident and the September 12th incident were connected. It will take about two weeks to get ballistics results.

There is no evidence that the second incident is gang-related, but it cannot be completely ruled out.

There is a nearby on-street video camera on 13th Street which may provide some useful information. A request to view video from the time of the incident has been made. The camera reportedly points away from area where the incident took place.

At the meeting, two members of the public reported their parked car had received dents and scrapes during the second incident. They believed the damage took place when the shooter stood behind the vehicle. It was unclear whether their vehicle had been photographed by the police already.

A resident of the 1400 block of P Street reported he had been in email contact with Third District Commander Jacob Kishter about the second incident. Kishter reportedly said "they had an idea who did this". Kishter also said the motive was a "neighborhood beef" and the police "were looking to make an arrest".

The MPD representatives at the meeting said they could not confirm this, but sometimes senior management has better information than lower-level police.

After the report, the meeting continued with a long discussion on community involvement to reduce gun crimes.

Attendance at the committee meeting was much higher than average due to the shootings.

ANC2F Commissioners leading the meeting were Peter Lallas (district 01) and Chris Linn (district 03).