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.

ANC1B Commissioners Attend Party, Skip Meeting

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street was unable to obtain a quorum at its monthly meeting on December 5, because only six of twelve Commissioners were present. ANCs cannot take binding votes unless there is a quorum, which requires more than half the Commissioners to be present.

At the December 5 ANC1B meeting

At least some of the missing Commissioners were attending the annual Christmas party for ANC Commissioners, ANC1B Chair Tony Norman told the meeting. Norman told the audience early in the evening he hoped enough of the Commissioners would depart the party early to achieve a quorum, but not enough did before the meeting was adjorned.

The meeting went ahead, with local citizens and business people speaking to the Commissioners present. Local business people came to discuss applications by restaurants and bars for liquor licenses and use of outdoor space.

Norman promised that the ANC would meet in "executive session" next Thursday (December 12). He implied that votes on the matters discussed at the meeting would be taken at that time. There was no indication that this meeting would be open to the public, nor did he say how the ANC's decisions would be communicated to the public.

Commissioners who were present when the meeting started at 7pm: ANC1B Chair Norman (district 10), Ricardo Reinoso (05), and Zahra Jilani (12).

Commissioners who arrived less than 15 minutes late: Juan Lopez (07) and Emily Washington (08).

Commissioner who arrived 90 minutes late: E. Gail Anderson Holness (11)

Commissioners who failed to attend the meeting: Marc Morgan Norman (01), Jeremy Leffler (02), Sedrick Muhammed (03), Deborah Thomas (04), Dyana Forester (06), and James Turner (09).

At one point, during a presentation by a liquor licensee, Norman took a cell phone call, apparently from an absent Commissioner.

Although Norman took his phone out in the corridor, he could be clearly heard asking the caller: "Are you coming?" No additional Commissioners came after Norman received the call.

It is impossible to determine how many of the missing Commissioners were at the Christmas party, which was held at the Wilson Building.

To be fair, there were other activites (apart from the party) taking place the same evening which might have drawn off Commissioners, including a local fundraiser to buy winter coats for children and a forum for mayoral candidates.

1618 Q Street Renovation Tries Again

Workshop T10 was back before a committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle December 3. They had a freshly-revised version of their attempt to convert 1618 Q Street, currently a two-story single-family home, into a three-story building with seven apartments.

1618 Q Street was built in 1880.

The project has had a rocky trip through the approval process. First, it was presented to the Dupont Circle Conservancy (see SALM post of October 15). The Conservancy was not enthusiastic about the plan. On November 5, it was presented to the ANC2B's Zoning, Preservation and Development (ZPD) Committee (see SALM post of November 13), where it was criticized for not consulting with the project's neighbors. ANC2B as a whole voted to oppose the project at its meeting the following week.

It has not fared much better at the D.C. government level. A staff report from D.C.'s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) was sharply critical of the project, saying that the project "will result in substantial demolition" of the house, as defined under law.

"The project results in incompatible additions and alterations to the house," the report also said.

Workshop T10 representatives came to the ZPD committee meetings with drawings fresh off the printer, based on recommendations and information obtained from the D.C. government less than five hours before. The new revisions incorporated HPRB's suggestions. They include preserving the original footprint of the house and reducing the height of the third-story addition.

The third story addition would be 13 inches shorter in the revised plans.

The new design would preserve as much of the original building as possible and would also move the location of the third-story addition toward the rear of the building.

However, it still seems as if the project would result in seven apartments and a roof deck, as previously.

Workshop T10 representatives apologized for "springing this on you at the last minute." But ZPD Committee members were not inclined to be charitable. Committee chair Leo Dwyer (Commissioner for district 07) noted that this was not the first time Workshop T10 had brought recently-changed drawings to a ZPD Committee and asked for swift approval. Committee members agreed they wanted more time to look at the new drawings.

Dwyer also said the neighbors to the west of 1618, who had protested the project at the previous ZPD meeting, were still opposed to the project. There was a meeting scheduled with the neighbors on December 5.

The ZPD Committee decided to take no action until they had had more time to examine the details of the new design.

"I'd feel better with no decision tonight," said Commissioner Mike Silverstein (district 06).

The project will also be presented again to the Dupont Circle Conservancy on December 10 and is on HPRB's agenda for their next meeting on December 19.

Initiative to Change O Street Traffic Pattern

Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2F/Logan Circle heard a proposal last night to change the direction of O Street NW between 9th and 11th Streets. The proposal was made at ANC2F's regular monthly meeting last night (December 4).

Intersection of 10th and O Streets (Google Street View)

Paul Harrison, a resident of the 1000 block of O Street, came before ANC2F to announce the initiative of a group of concerned citizens. Harrison reported that most of the people on that block had signed a petition to D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans (Ward 2), requesting the change in traffic pattern.

If the change went through as request, O Street would turn one-way westbound between 10th and 11th Streets, and one way eastbound between 9th and 10th Streets. To put it another way, O Street traffic would diverge from 10th Street.

Harrison said the block had many families with young children who were concerned their street was no longer safe. O Street is currently a two-way street. Traffic had increased dramatically on it due to activity around the future site of City Market at O at the corner of O and 7th Streets. Many trucks have started using O Street as a regular route.

The proposal was supported by Sheri Kimball, constituent services director for Evans. Kimball told ANC2F she lived on the block. Of the residents of the block, only three had not signed the petition for the change, she said.

"The truck traffic down O Street is outrageous," she said.

In the ensuing discussion, it was asked why there were not signs banning trucks from the block. It turns out that there are, but the ban is not enforced.

Kimball told ANC2F that changing the traffic pattern on this stretch of O Street was just a matter of appropriate signage. It would be easy to remove the signs back again if the traffic pattern change turned out to be problematic.

"It would take about five minutes to undo," she said. "If it causes all kinds of problems, it won't be the first thing we've have to undo in this city."

ANC2F did not vote on the proposal.

Abandoned 30 Years, 1442 T Street to Get Renovation

The electricity was turned off sometime before 1983. A significant portion of the existing structure has decayed and collapsed. Some walls are braced from the inside. D.C. authorities have replaced part of the roof with plywood sheeting.

Inside 1442 T Street today (Photo credit below)

A committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle has heard a plan to covert a long-abandoned single-family house at 1442 T Street NW into a livable space. If it clears the necessary bureaucratic hurdles, 1442 T Street will once again be a single family home. It will be expanded to three levels and approximately 2,700 square feet, of which about 700 square feet will be in the basement.
 
Representatives of E/L Studio made the presentation at the regular monthly meeting of ANC2B's Zoning, Preservation and Development (ZPD) Committee last night (December 3).

The proposed design would replace the existing L-shaped footprint. In its place would be a third story addition at the rear, and would create an enclosed lightwell on the north side of property.

According to testimony at the meeting, the proposed third floor addition would not be visible from T Street.

E/L Studio is seeking ANC2B endorsement on the renovation before they bring their project to D.C.'s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) for approval. HPRB approval is necessary because 1442 T Street is located in the U Street Historic District. No additional permissions or zoning variances will be required for the project to move forward.

ZPD committee chair Leo Dwyer (Commissioner for District 07) expressed enthusiasm for the project.

"It will be taking an abandoned structure and revitalizing it," he said.

No vote was taken at the meeting, but remarks by the commissioners indicated they would probably endorse it at the next meeting of the full ANC, scheduled for December 18 11, 7pm, at the Brookings Institution (1775 Massachusetts Avenue). Commissioner Noah Smith (district 09) said he would write up a resolution and circulate it to the other ANC Commissioners before the meeting.

1442 T Street is in Smith's ANC district.

Online records show 1442 T Street was built in 1870 and sold in September 2013 for $450,000. 

(Photo credit: from documents presented by E/L Studio to the ZPD Committee) 

Neighbors, Civic Association Protest Mova Lounge

2204 14th Street in 2011

An representative of the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association has said the Association, plus a group of 19 citizens, will protest the application by Mova Lounge (2204 14th Street NW) for a renewal of its liquor license. The liquor-licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B/U Street heard on November 25 that the residents of the nearby residential condominium at 1407 W Street were concerned about the noise level coming from Mova Lounge's outside deck.

"The deck is literally 20 feet from our windows," the representative said.

Mova Lounge's application for the renewal of its liquor license had been endorsed by the full ANC1B at its previous monthly meeting along with a host of others. There had been no protests or neighborhood concerns voiced against Mova Lounge, so it was treated as a routine matter. ANC1B's endorsement has already been sent to D.C.'s liquor licensing authorities, and cannot be withdrawn.

The man from the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association claimed Mova Lounge had not "placarded" the liquor license renewal application, meaning, it had not posted the mandatory large red signs in the window of their establishment, notifying the public of the opportunity to protest a liquor license renewal.

As a result, neighbors were unaware that ANC1B was considering Mova Lounge's license, so no one from the community came to voice concerns about the noise coming from Mova Lounge's roof desk.

A member of the committee said if the allegations about the placards can be substantiated, then Mova Lounge's liquor license application would move back to square one and the whole process would start from the beginning. This time, however, ANC1B could join in the process.

In any event, the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association and a group of 14 neighbors have standing to protest the liquor license. The representative of the Meridian Hill Neighborhood Association said the aim was simply an agreement with the club.

"We don't oppose their existance," he said.

(Photo credit: Google Street View)

Salina Restaurant: Liquor License Renewal Protest by ANC1B

The liquor licensing affairs committee of Advisory Neighborhood Committee (ANC) 1B/U Street decided on November 25 to protest the application by Salina Restaurant (1936 9th Street NW) for renewal of its liquor license. Since Salina's liquor license was last renewed, there was a homicide connected with the bar, as well as 10 liquor-license related violations. Additional public information indicates Salina has had problems with health inspections as well.

Salina Restaurant (Google Street View)

"This place has a lot of issues," said ANC1B Commissioner Jeremy Leffler (district 02). Leffler is the chair of the liquor-licensing affairs committee.

Leffler mentioned that there had been a homocide connected with the establishment during the last liquor license period. However, D.C. liquor-licensing authorities decided to take no action against Salina in connection with the incident. For more information about the May 2010 slaying, read a report by Washington City Paper here.

On October 6, 2010, Salina was ordered to install security cameras within 30 days.

Leffler also read to the committee a list of liquor-license related violations which led to a total of $10,000 in fines against the establishment during the period. Most of these violations seemed to be connected with inadequate bookkeeping.

Official documents show Salina Restaurant was closed by D.C. authorities on October 23, 2013, after failing to pay outstanding fines and fees. It was allowed to reopen the next day after the fines and fees were paid.

Also mentioned at the meeting were health violations connected to the restaurant. The website of D.C.'s Department of Health shows that inspectors found three or more critical violations every year for the last three years. The problems noted in the 2013 inspection reports included improper storage of raw chicken and fish, unclean work surfaces, and no soap or paper towels at staff sinks. There were inspections in August and September 2013.

The committee voted unanimously to protest the liquor-license renewal on the basis of peace, order, and quiet, and indicated it wished to see a security plan for the establishment.