FEBRUARY UPDATE:

Neighbor,

Happy February! It’s a special month for me because my husband and I met on Valentine’s Day 2014 at an event in downtown Washington. :)

It’s also about the one year mark since I took office as your Commissioner. We've gotten more litter cans, tackled reckless driving, made the case for greater MPD presence and public safety, approved more affordable housing, and pushed for improvements to the Metropolitan Branch Trail. More to come! Thank you for the opportunity to serve.

Less thrillingly, it marks the beginning of D.C. budget season, starting with oversight hearings and then going into agency requests, the budget proposal, budget hearings, and Council approval.

I’ve submitted four testimonies this month so far:

• My testimony on the Department of Public Works (DPW) asking for transparency about denial of litter can requests, booting and towing of cars with fake tags, and clearing snow and ice from the bridge to the Metro station (more on that item below).

• My testimony to the Department of Transportation (DDOT) (pictured below) where I discuss the lack of action on safety improvements on Rhode Island Avenue, the success in closing the MBT gap, and to not forget the 70% of DC residents who don't own a car.

• I also testified to ask that DC Board of Elections assume responsibility for ANC special elections, consolidating that function with the people who know how to do it. Currently, commissioners are responsible for running special elections for any vacancies.

• I submitted testimony on specific problems with the 911 system and proposed reforms to address them. At the hearing, Councilmember Parker pressed for answers from the Office of Unified Communications on their after-action report following the District Dogs flooding last year.

Clearing snow and ice from the bridge to the Metro station. 

After our big snow storm on January 16, the Bryant Street pedestrian bridge to Rhode Island Avenue metro station, and the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) generally, were not plowed. Not for days. Worse, it melted a little bit and then refroze, making it a treacherous icy stretch. Lots of you sent me messages about it.

It was eventually plowed and clear on January 20. As Commissioner Aru Sahni and I explained in a video that day, we spent those days pestering agencies and discovering that everyone was saying it wasn’t their job and that someone else was responsible. WMATA, DDOT, DPW, MRP Bryant Street, NoMa BID. The Friends of the Metropolitan Branch Trail came out with shovels to pick-ax the ice. Greatly appreciated but not ideal.

For what it’s worth, DDOT owns the bridge and tasks DPW with snow removal. They haven’t admitted as much, but they forgot about it. To their credit, when I tracked down the deed paperwork and showed the Mayor’s office, and when Commissioner Sahni got through to the DPW director, crews were sent out immediately to get it clear. But again, not ideal. And if you’ve been here a few years, you know it happened the same way in 2020, and before that. This can’t keep happening.

Commissioner Sahni and I are co-sponsoring a resolution for the next ANC meeting asking DDOT and DPW to acknowledge responsibility for snow pre-treatment and clearing of the pedestrian bridge and the MBT, and to develop a memorandum of understanding with other parties who can help (especially WMATA to the east, NoMa BID to the south, and MRP to the west, who were eager to pitch in). Councilmember Nadeau (chair of DPW’s oversight) has told them they need to sort it out, and Councilmember Parker’s office has already asked DPW to start preparing a response to our resolution. As I said to the Mayor’s office, we’re not asking to be first, we’re asking to not be forgotten completely.

Other Updates.

• My one-year term as ANC 5F Chair has ended, and I was proud to vote for Commissioner Jennifer Anderson, who assumed the role at the end of our January meeting. It has been a great honor to be 5F's inaugural chair to help stand it up organizationally. Our meetings and bylaws are a model in transparency, we are golden with the Auditor, and we are delivering results for Eckington and Edgewood.

• Construction staging has begun on the new stoplight at Rhode Island and 3rd.

• I joined residents at the Gale for their Tenants Association meeting on January 26, along with NoMa BID. I answered questions for over an hour on towing illegally parked cars, homelessness and the need for more affordable housing across the city, youth engagement, and public amenities.

• Construction is well underway at the former Dave Thomas Circle at Florida and New York Avenues, and up Eckington Place. Be careful! The project includes night work, 8pm to 5am Sunday through Thursday, with lane closures and truck reroutings. It will continue through 2024.

• The bike lobby connection from the MBT to Florida Avenue is finishing up construction and securing permits. Crossing my fingers it will be open in the next few weeks. And new lighting in the Florida Avenue underpass under the MBT!

• Planters and new barriers around the MBT to deter vehicle entry. Confused drivers ending up on the Metropolitan Branch Trail happens far too often, and cars don't mix well with 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists. So we on ANC 5F have been pressing DDOT for more planters, barriers, and signage, and some are now in place. If you ever see an unauthorized vehicle on the MBT, notify MPD (and if you like, send me a photo as well - photos of this happening told the story to DDOT very effectively).

• We also have new signage on the woonerf at Quincy Lane NE showing the 5 mph speed limit and that it’s one way.

• There are already rumblings about the update to the District comprehensive plan - our zoning code. Work begins this fall through 2027.

• D.C. Council has approved the STEER Act from Councilmember Allen to allow the Attorney General to sue out-of-state drivers with outstanding speeding tickets. There was a long wait for reciprocity - which would mean Virginia and Maryland collect the money for D.C. - but this tool can be done using existing legal authority. There are 1.9 million outstanding tickets from MD and VA drivers, plus 338,000 from other states, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars owed. Also on tickets, DC is now enforcing cars illegally parked or stopped in bus lanes.

• D.C. Council is currently debating the SECURE DC Act to address crime. ANC 5F voted to urge the Council to adopt the bill, after modifying some proposed rollbacks of police oversight. Those amendments seem likely to be adopted. The U.S. Attorney is also adding staff, which hopefully means their prosecution rate will go up from an abysmal 40-50% to a more acceptable 75-90%. I’ve offered unsolicited advice on the topic.

• I joined Commissioner Sahni on his Edgewood safety walk with MPD on January 26.

• I’m keeping an eye out for the second draft of WMATA’s Better Bus Plan, which should be out soon. Word is it will include a visionary network and a what-we-can-do-right-now version.

• I attended Councilmember Parker’s budget forum, and shared my thoughts on letting the private sector help tow abandoned cars, regional tax ideas, and building more housing.

• D.C. government is moving from 3 days/week in-office to 4 days/week in-office effective March 10, 2024.
  
  
  

ANC Meetings & Office Hours

ANC 5F will meet this year every third Monday of the month at 7pm (except February when it will be Tue. Feb 20 due to the holiday, and no meeting in August). Exact information is at www.anc5f.com.

We have committees made up of community members: Alcohol & Cannabis Licensing (2nd Tuesdays at 7pm), Public Safety & Health (3rd Thursdays at 6pm), Transportation & Public Space (1st Tuesdays at 7:30pm), Zoning & Development (2nd Wednesdays at 7pm) and our Library Task Force. Join your neighbors, let me know if you’d like to serve!

My February office hours will be on our extra day this year, Thursday, February 29, from 5pm to 7pm at Lost Generation Brewing Company.

How did I vote:

To see the full text of any resolution, visit www.anc5f.com/documents

OCTOBER UPDATE:

Tomorrow (Saturday, October 21) is Eckington Day! From 11am to 3pm in Alethia Tanner Park, visit tables from local artists, neighborhood businesses, and (of course) your ANC commissioners. Will also include face painting, free yoga, and touch a fire truck. See you there!

NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS YOU CAN USE:

ANC MEETING TUESDAY OCT 24: ANC 5F meets on Tuesday 10/24 at 7pm, both virtually by Zoom and in person at the Eckington Community Room on Quincy Lane. The agenda and all materials are at www.anc5f.com but let me highlight a couple of things:

• Adopting our budget for the 2024 fiscal year. ANC 5F receives about $18,000 per year in funds to carry out operations and make grants to benefit the community. Grants may be one item of contention: just this week, DC government has given us long-awaited guidance on ANC grantmaking: our grants must be to community organizations for things that do not duplicate existing DC government activities. This information removed the last obstacle to us moving forward with grants. Please share your views with me on that!

• Responding to DDOT’s request for feedback on proposed changes to the dangerous North Capitol St. & Rhode Island Avenue intersection. Sponsored by Commissioner Sahni.

• Asking DDOT to add no parking signs at 3rd & R Street NE where the spaces are painted bright colors. Without the signs, some people have claimed they can still park there. Sponsored by me.

• Asking DPW to add more public litter cans in Eckington and Edgewood in specific locations. Our last ask resulted in 4 installations (including returning 2 litter cans that had been mysteriously removed), so fingers crossed! Sponsored by me.

• Asking the DC Council to allow ANCs to conduct business in virtual or hybrid format permanently. Currently, our authority to do so would expire in 2024 and revert to in-person only meetings. I’ve seen first-hand how allowing people to tune in by Zoom has resulted in more people engaging with ANC meetings. Sponsored by me.

• Asking the DC Tax Revision Commission to analyze a DC child tax credit to supplement the federal tax credit, as part of their tax reform overhaul study. Sponsored by me.

• A resolution from my colleague Commissioners Galvan and Sahni to seek the closure of a chemical plant in Ivy City that is operating without pollution permits. The ANC for Ivy City has asked other commissions for help in this matter.

• We will discuss the zoning application for 1708-1710 1st Street, N.E. (Eckington Mews).

• We will hear a presentation from Pepco and DDOT on placing utility lines underground.

As always, all ANC meetings are open to the public, and every meeting begins with a public comment section. And let me know if you have any thoughts on any of the above!

VISIT THE ADVANCED TECHNICAL CENTER OPEN HOUSE Tue 10/24 at 5:30 to 6:30! 1709 3rd St NE (3rd and R) is no longer an empty warehouse, it’s the home of DC Schools’ Advanced Technical Center (ATC), where students from all over the city are receiving specialized training on cybersecurity, nursing, and more. The ATC folks want to meet the neighborhood, and are opening their doors this Tuesday evening. Stop by and say hi- you can RSVP here. Representatives will also be at the ANC meeting afterward to answer questions, especially on their transportation arrangements.

SPEAKING OF LITTER CANS. Above I mentioned a resolution I’m sponsoring to deploy more litter cans in Eckington and Edgewood. I’ve heard from so many of you about litter, and how D.C. government should do more to have more litter cans, empty them more frequently, and halt the removal of cans we do have.

I said all that to the DC Council this week, in a hearing on a series of litter-related bills. I explained how many Eckington residents have put out their own trash can in public space due to the scarcity of public litter cans. I praised Eckington Parks & Arts and Eckington Civic Association for their neighborhood cleanups, and NoMa BID for stepping up to keep their portion of the neighborhood clean. We’re doing our part: we need DPW and the Council to do theirs. I said we’ll know we’ve succeeded when neighbors no longer need to put out their own trash cans in public space.

There are three bills under consideration. One from Councilmember Henderson would expand trash pickup to include small apartment buildings; under current law, DPW skips those and leaves it to landlords to arrange trash pickup. Another from Councilmember Lewis George would require notice to ANCs before DPW can remove a litter can. A third would allow certain trash-related fines to be issued without using certified mail. I’m grateful for Councilmembers Nadeau, Henderson, and Lewis George for engaging on this issue. It may not be the most urgent issue in the world, but it is an important one for us in Eckington.

FLORIDA AVENUE CONSTRUCTION: Be careful!:

• Sidewalk between Eckington and Union Market has reopened. Commissioners Christy Kwan, Keya Chatterjee, Tony Goodman, Hector Arbuckle, Anna Roblin, and I had a safety walk along Florida Avenue NE with DDOT and this was the immediate result. This spot is the meeting point for multiple ANCs and could easily be ignored if we didn't all work together. I’m glad we speak with one voice on the importance of safety and pedestrian accommodations!

• Careful crossing because not all crosswalk signs work, that will take another month for utility relocation to finish

• New MBT<->Florida Ave access opens end of year!

• Speaking of Florida Avenue, DDOT will host a presentation on November 7 at 6pm to share their thinking on bus lanes for Florida Avenue. Buses on Florida Avenue currently crawl at 8 mph or less in mixed traffic.

• It’s official: Dave Thomas Circle Mamie “Peanut” Johnson Plaza

PUBLIC SAFETY UPDATES:

• Thank you to everyone at the Gale who joined the Q&A session with MPD 5th District Commander Altieri.

• MPD continues to investigate the October 6 shooting at Quincy Place and Eckington Place NE that resulted in 5 injuries. MPD has added a bike unit to the area, and Eckington Civic Association coordinated an extensive safety discussion with JBG (the developer of that area), which included commitments to secure the garage, install cameras, and add security.

• The federal U.S. Attorney for DC this week revealed that their office has prosecuted 44% of adult arrests in the past year, up from 33% the year before. The most recent quarter it was 53%. However, peer cities are prosecuting more often: Philadelphia prosecutes 96% of arrests, Chicago 86%, and New York City 84%. As you all know, the U.S. Attorney reports to the President and to Congress, not to D.C. voters.

• The ANC 5F Public Safety Committee is preparing a resource guide, please reach out if you are interested in helping with this effort!

• Councilmember Parker invited all Ward 5 ANC commissioners to a roundtable this past Saturday to discuss a number of issues, including public safety, proactive actions for affordable housing, and other priorities. Commissioners Anderson, Galvan, Sahni, and I were there from ANC 5F.

October Office Hours

At Eckington Day, tomorrow! I’ll be joined by fellow ANC commissioners representing Eckington. Say hello!

SEPTEMBER 26 UPDATE:

Neighbor,

A reminder that ANC 5F meets tonight at 7pm, both virtually by Zoom and in person at the Eckington Community Room on Quincy Lane. The agenda and all materials are at www.anc5f.com but let me highlight a couple of things:

• We’ve invited Acting Director Jackson of the DC Department of Energy & the Environment, to talk about pollution and opacity regulations in Eckington

• Sean Moore from DC Water will discuss lead pipe replacement

• We will hear from the North Capitol Street deckover park committee

• I have sponsored a resolution, joined by several of my colleagues, to support reforms for the DC 911 system. One revelation from the District Dogs tragedy was that it took three calls to 911 to get them to dispatch help. After discussions with executive and legislative branch, over 100 ANCs jointly signed a letter with specific asks for improvement, and this resolution draws from that. The DC Council will be holding hearings in early October on it.

• We will begin discussing the ANC 5F budget for Fiscal Year 2024, which we must pass at our October meeting. Our budget is a small one - about $18,000 - and we are forbidding from spending it to duplicate anything already done by a D.C. government agency. But send ideas!

Let me know if you have any thoughts on any of the above!

MPD Commander Altieri in Eckington. We’ve been bringing our MPD 5th District Commander for on-the-ground meet-and-greets in Eckington. I joined Commissioner Galvan for one last week in the northern part of the neighborhood, where the Commander stayed and answered questions until there were no more, and walked around to see first-hand what residents wanted to show him.

Our next meet-and-greet will be this Thursday, September 28, at 5pm to 6pm at the Gale, 151 Q Street NE. All are welcome.

Updates.

• Construction is well underway at the former Dave Thomas Circle at Florida and New York Avenues, and up Eckington Place. Be careful! The project includes night work, 8pm to 5am Sunday through Thursday, with lane closures and truck reroutings.

• The lamps installed on the narrow sidewalks in the Florida Avenue underpass under the MBT have been removed - thank you to everyone who alerted me to their being too large and intrusive for there. DDOT is still working to add overhead lighting there instead.

• The half-painted sidewalk on Harry Thomas Way is now fully painted. Still working on no parking striping outside the alley entrance.

• Four new litter cans have been installed in north Eckington. These are part of the eight I requested back in February, so I’m batting .500 on that.

• DC Water says the Boundary Tunnel Project is now fully online, ending years of construction. Cleanup and restoration will still take a bit.

• 8th Street bike lane, closing the MBT gap, has opened. I’ve walked it several times with Commissioner Sahni to see how it’s going!

• Paw Patrol Premier - pups and trucks - at Bryant Street this Saturday, September 30 from 9am to 1pm. Locally made goods and live entertainment.

• Art all night this Saturday at Eckington Hall, from 9pm to 2am!

• I’ve been appointed to DC’s Pedestrian Advisory Council by Councilmember Christina Henderson. Ideas for improving our pedestrian environment welcome!

• In the last two months, I had good conversations about neighborhood priorities with Councilmember Anita Bonds, Councilmember Charles Allen, Councilmember Robert White, Chairman Phil Mendelson, and of course, our Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker. If you’ve submitted a 311 request for something you’re waiting to hear back on, let me know.
  
  

September & October Office Hours

I tabled in Alethia Tanner Park on September 17 from 10am to 2pm during DC Family Bike Fest - thank you to everyone who came out despite the rain and brought up issues!

AUGUST 16 UPDATE:

Neighbor,

I’d much rather be sharing good news with you but one responsibility of being a Commissioner is to deal with the bad as well as the good.

CONTENT WARNING: This email deals with some tough subjects relating to this week’s flood and crime generally.

Flood on Monday that Resulted in Dog Fatalities: On Monday evening, our neighbor Jason texted me that the sudden rainstorm had heavily flooded Rhode Island Avenue at the rail underpass area. He sent me shocking photos of water several feet deep, but I was relieved to see that emergency personnel were already getting to the scene. I immediately emailed DC Water and others to alert them to what was happening, and noted that District Dogs in particular looked like it was in danger.

You may have followed what unfolded over the next few hours, or watched it on TV, or even seen it in person. The wall of water - that rose out of the storm drains and sidewalks out of nowhere - smashed through the walls and windows of District Dogs, with 10 employees acted heroically to save as many dogs as they could at the risk of their own lives. I was hopeful as rescuers got all the humans (including people trapped in 5 cars and 1 truck by the water) to safety and started bringing out dozens of dogs to higher ground - wet, covered in dirt, but alive. But then we learned the official confirmation that several dogs - 10, it was later revealed - had died.

First and foremost, I want to extend my sincerest condolences to the families. We often boarded Ulysses at that location, and I can only imagine the terror at seeing all of this unfold and then the heartbreak at learning the news. Ethan and I will be at a vigil tomorrow (Thursday) evening at 8pm at Tanner Park Dog Park to remember the dogs lost in the flood, and I hope we can all show our support.

Second, I want to express my appreciation to all those community members who helped as it was happening, and who have helped afterwards. Emergency responders at Fire Station 12 two blocks away rushed over on their own initiative when they saw what was happening. Many of the dogs’ families were traveling out-of-town, and a lot of friends and neighbors rushed there on their behalf. The Humane Rescue Alliance is assisting the families, and fundraisers have been set up to help District Dogs employees. I’ve communicated multiple times with Councilmember Zachary Parker and his staff, who rushed there as it was happening and have been leading the effort to find out why it happened and how we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Third, I’ve sent several emails to DC Water, including several key questions. We all know about the Northeast Boundary Tunnel Project under Rhode Island Avenue, to increase flood carrying capacity. That spot is a sink, elevation-wise, and also a point where floodwater from all over the city converges. That’s why the water rose so high and so quickly there. I’ve asked DC Water what remaining punchlist items there are before the project comes online (currently scheduled for September), what additional flood mitigation measures should be considered for that area that would increase resilience, and why they do not activate a response team to flood-prone spots like that one when we get a major flood alert to close roads and evacuate people. I will share any response I get with you. Councilmember Parker also sent a letter with questions to DC Water, as well as to the DC 911 team as there may have been a delayed dispatch of District Dogs’s 911 calls, meaning nearby emergency crews didn’t know people in dogs were trapped in there for perhaps 15 minutes. I’ve also seen questions being asked of the landlord, the business, and other city agencies.

I know that’s a lot of information, but I did want to share what I know and where we’re at. This is going to be hard to hear, but I firmly believe this was avoidable and preventable. I want to see every entity associated with this tragedy identify what they could have done differently and make changes to ensure it doesn’t happen again.

Crime. I know you’re seeing it and even experiencing it. I am too. A friend visiting parked his car overnight and had it stolen and wrecked. I’ve had to call 911 for a stabbing and a shooting on my block. A work colleague was held up at gunpoint for his wallet and his phone. Many of you have emailed and called me to share when you’ve seen it or when it’s happened to you. We all want it to stop and I pass that message along to the Mayor, MPD, and Councilmembers who decide our anti-crime policies and efforts.

Two weeks ago, I had a one-on-one meeting with the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, where I where asked for answer to specific questions you had asked me to raise:

• when the crime lab will be re-accredited for the first time since 2018 (the application will go in this fall, was the answer)

• why the Mayor and the Council and MPD and the U.S. Attorney aren’t meeting regularly to make sure arrest and evidence procedure is aligned with what judges and juries are demanding for conviction (those meetings are happening, was the answer)

• why police resources are evenly spread around the city rather than focusing on crime hotspots and repeat offenders (that will be a new focus of the Acting Chief, was the answer)

• what is the response to what I hear a lot from people, that police officers should be out and about and not just sitting in cars (the community doesn’t always want that but that may be changing now, was the answer)

On August 8, Councilmember Parker held a forum in Brookland which included the new Acting MPD Chief as well as Commander Altieri for the MPD 5th District, DC Attorney General Schwalb, violence interrupters, and Metro Transit Police. Council Chair Mendelson was also present, as were many commissioners (including 5F Commissioners Tony Hurst, Aru Sahni, and myself). The U.S. Attorney was invited to present but declined. Here are some of my notes from that well-organized forum:

• Commander Altieri apologized for increased crime. He said it's important to text MPD (50411) when you see something strange.

• Attorney General Schwalb, responsible for juvenile prosecutions, said less than 10% of criminal arrests are juveniles, wouldn't know that from the news. 77% of carjacking cases unsolved but 64% of people arrested for it are under 18.

• Transit Police chief says they're doing more visible things such as patrols and monitoring fare exits.

• Please report abandoned cars to DPW via 311.

• If the new streetlights are too dim, they are adjustable. Flag for Parker's team to work with DDOT.

• Applause from crowd on cracking down on reckless drivers as a priority.

• Acting MPD Chief says they have opened a recruitment office, one sergeant and several officers doing face to face recruitment. Had been through online ads only since pandemic.

Sometime in the next month we will hold a meet-and-greet and community walk with MPD in Eckington. Commander Altieri has committed to doing one of these every week in different parts of the city, and please come with your questions, concerns, and ideas. I will share more information when it is scheduled.

I know that is a lot. I wish this newsletter was only the good news about new litter cans we had installed in Eckington this month, progress on 8th Street construction of traffic safety improvements and new crosswalks, and fall movie screenings in Tanner Park. But I want you to know what is being done on everything.

Your Commissioner,

Joe Bishop-Henchman

5F06@anc.dc.gov
202-599-0929

JULY UPDATE:

Neighbor,

I hope you’re staying cool and hydrated this July. Updates on two big projects and what we’re covering at our relocated July 25 ANC 5F meeting next week!

Say Goodbye to Dave Thomas Circle: The ex-Wendys at the corner of New York and Florida Avenues is going away. Mayor Bowser will be joining us tomorrow, Wednesday, July 19, at 11am, to kick off the project that will demolish and reconfigure the intersection. No RSVP required but DDOT advises that you wear closed toe shoes.

Say Hello to a Gapless MBT: It’s official name is the 8th Street NE Traffic Safety Improvements Project, but you may know it as the 8th Street Bike Lanes or Closing the Gap in the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT). Last month DDOT made one final change to the design, to keep two-way traffic between Lawrence and Monroe. Today they confirmed construction is imminent: "DDOT expects to begin project construction within the next 2-3 weeks. Construction is expected to last 2-4 weeks. During the construction and conversion of the roadway to one-way operations, there will be temporary impacts to parking."

July 25 ANC 5F Meeting

ANC 5F will meet on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at 7pm ET. Join us virtually on Zoom or in person at the Eckington Community Room in the Judd & Weiler complex on Quincy Lane NE, next to and behind Eckington Hall. (Here’s a map, and we’ll make sure there’s good signage.)

Items that might be acted on include:

• A zoning map amendment for 701 Michigan Avenue NE. Commissioner Sahni is sponsoring this which will allow mixed-use development on a plot of land near Catholic University.

• Amendments to ANC 5F standard procedures. I am sponsoring this, which would adjust a few of our Commission’s operating rules to align with actual practice now that we’re six months in. These include an email address that goes to all 5F commissioners, allowing committees more flexibility on when they can meet, and ensuring that all ABCA, DDOT, and zoning final notices go to all commissioners.

• Selecting the ANC 5F member of the DDOT North Capitol Street community advisory committee. This is an important project that will recommend short-term signage improvements to address high-crash intersections, and longer-term ideas (including closing Lincoln Road to through traffic, reducing speeds and driver safety along the road, and a possible deckover or surfacing of North Capitol especially at Rhode Island Avenue). 5F will have just one member of the 15 member committee, but it’s important to me that the project work to transform the entire corridor. Each year, North Capitol Street has on average: 500 crashes, 6 people disabled, 16 people injured, 1 person killed.

• We may get an update on construction of the Advanced Technical Center at 1709 3rd Street NE.

• Committee appointments. I will be moving that we add 23 members of the community to our Alcohol Licensing, Public Safety, Transportation, Zoning, and Library committees. I am grateful to everyone that applied (and if you applied and didn’t hear back, please let me know!) because the input and engagement is vital! (If you’d like to apply, fill out the form here.)

  • Speaking of committees the 5F Public Safety, Health & Community Engagement Committee will be meeting tomorrow, July 19 at 6:30pm at the Eckington Community Room. Contact Commissioner Galvan with any questions.

  • And the 5F Transportation & Public Space Committee will be meeting Saturday, July 22, at 10am via Zoom. Contact Commissioner Sahni with any questions.

All ANC 5F meetings are open to the public, and feel free to reach out to me with any questions or feedback on any of these items. Public comment is right at the start of every meeting at 7pm, after roll call - and we need to hear from you, even if it’s for you to say you like what we’re doing!

July Office Hours

Thank you for joining me (and Ulysses!) for my office hours on July 4! I’m glad I was able to answer questions about who to reach in the city government to solve various problems. Stay tuned for an announcement of August office hours.

SPEAKING OF PUBLIC SAFETY: On July 11, the D.C. Council passed a crime bill. Councilmember Parker wrote a good explanation of what is in it and what he is trying to do on the Council for public safety. I also shared a couple of tweets with questions about what seem to me to be outstanding issues on crime, many of which I’ve heard from you — things like the crime lab not being certified since 2021, the USAO and MPD and Council all not aligned on arrest procedures, MPD retention issues, the seeming non-use of focused deterrence that worked in previous crime waves, and motivating the U.S. Attorney to prosecute repeat offenders. This Monday, I’m meeting with the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and will report back anything constructive. And yesterday, the Mayor announced her pick of Pamela Smith to be the new Chief of Police.

E-WASTE: If you have electronic waste (old TV, old computer, etc.) and are not able to take it yourself to the Fort Totten facility, DPW deputy director says use the 311 app to make a bulk trash pickup and specify in the comments that it is electronic waste.

MORE WMATA FEEDBACK: Thank you to everyone who gave feedback that was incorporated into ANC 5F’s resolution to WMATA on their Better Bus redesign. WMATA  is now back for more, asking for input on long-term rail system expansion. Two of the options include new service to Union Market and Ivy City.

MOVIES BACK IN ALETHIA TANNER PARK: Stay tuned, but movies in the park will be back from September 13 to October 11.

Neighbor,

Happy summer! Three big updates: July office hours, what we’re covering at our June 27 ANC 5F meeting tomorrow, and some neighborhood updates.

July Office Hours: July 4 will be a holiday but not for me. If you have a concern or a question, stop by my table outside Alethia Tanner Dog Park between 10AM and 12NOON on Tuesday, July 4. And don’t go far, be sure to stay for the U.S. Navy Band performance at 4pm in Alethia Tanner Park!

June 27 ANC 5F Meeting

ANC 5F will meet on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at 7pm ET. Join us virtually on Zoom or in person at Edgewood Recreation Center, 300 Evarts Street NE. Here are some of the action items that will be covered!

FLORIDA AVE NE CONSTRUCTION & BUS LANES: Demolition of the ex-Wendys at New York & Florida (“Dave Thomas Circle”) will start shortly, followed by a realignment of that confusing and congested intersection. Work is already underway to rebuild bike lanes to the east, near the Metro tracks, and a new through-the-building connection to the MBT will open by the end of this year.

In addition to all this, District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is looking at how they can speed up buses on Florida Avenue NE; at a recent meeting they held with ANC Commissioners, they reported that the 90/92 buses go as slow as 4 mph in rush hour mixed traffic. I am sponsoring a resolution asking DDOT to design dedicated bus lanes as part of their project. Improving transit will be hard if the buses move at just 4 mph, and a bus lane should be on option on the table.

BETTER BUS FEEDBACK: WMATA has proposed the first redesign of their bus network in a half-century, and I was honored to be a member of Councilmember Parker’s Ward 5 Bus Task Force which scrutinized what WMATA proposed for our neighborhoods and which made constructive recommendations for changes. I am sponsoring a resolution incorporating this feedback as ANC 5F’s official feedback to WMATA. Items include frequent, fast service on Rhode Island Avenue similar to the G9 (either by higher service standards or an overlay route, and extending one route west to Shaw or U Street), and a restructured P6 that won’t get stuck in traffic (keeping it off Rhode Island Avenue and not detouring it to 2nd/3rd Streets).

THE FUTURE OF NEW YORK AVENUE NE: The DC Office of Planning has begun thinking about zoning changes for New York Avenue NE to allow needed affordable housing and better transportation and environmental quality. I am sponsoring a resolution endorsing those draft recommendations and encouraging speedy action on them.

BETTER USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS: I am sponsoring a resolution, joined by Commissioner Aru Sahni, asking the DC government to better use federal driver safety grant funds it receives. A new federal law allows the money to be used for automated traffic enforcement around neighborhood schools. We would join ANCs 1B, 1E, and 4D in passing this.

CONGESTION PRICING STUDY & CAMERA REVENUE: I see in the news today that New York City is moving forward with a congestion pricing program in their urban core next year. Back in 2019-20, DC Department of Transportation studied such an idea for downtown DC, and I am sponsoring a resolution asking DDOT to brief ANC 5F on that study. It’s vital information as we think about the pros and cons of various options to address traffic and road safety. The resolution also states opposition to diverting future transportation-related revenue like camera traffic enforcement revenue to general purposes; if we’re gonna have speed cameras the money should be used for transportation improvements.

HARRY THOMAS WAY & ECKINGTON PLACE IMPROVEMENTS: DDOT has proposed establishing a no-parking entrance in front of 1501 Harry Thomas Way NE and a commercial loading zone at 1600 Eckington Place NE. I am sponsoring a resolution approving those projects but adding conditions to extend their hours and to complete half-done crosswalk markings at Quincy Lane.

FOUND ART EXHIBITION AT TANNER PARK ON EARTH DAY: Ethan and I enjoyed viewing the “Found Art” sculptures created by neighbors this past Earth Day in Tanner Park. Ira Tattleman, the artist who led the workshops that created them, is seeking support to have his grant renewed for next year. I’ll be asking ANC 5F to approve a letter to do so.

1701 2ND ST NE: We will hear a presentation on the zoning application by 1701 2nd Street NE to construct a rear and side addition to a single-family row dwelling and make it a 3-unit multi-family building. This meeting is for information and questions; we will not be voting on it at this meeting. I’ve received feedback in support and opposed to the application, and have been communicating with the applicant.

All ANC 5F meetings are open to the public, and feel free to reach out to me with any questions or feedback on any of these items. Public comment is right at the start of every meeting at 7pm, after roll call - and we need to hear from you, even if it’s for you to say you like what we’re doing!

May Newsletter

If you missed it, I distributed my two-page newsletter last month. Download it as a PDF here.

Neighborhood Updates

• Fort Totten Transfer Station has reopened for bulk trash and recycling dropoff. Details: https://dpw.dc.gov/service/fort-totten-transfer-station
  
  

• Badly Placed Streetlight in Florida Avenue Tunnel: Thank you for alerting me to the newly installed streetlights right in the center of the already-too-narrow sidewalk on Florida Avenue between Eckington and Union Market. I prepared a joint letter from several Commissioners to DDOT asking for this to be fixed, and Councilmember Parker’s office engaged on it as well. DDOT says their contractor will fix it, and I’ll ping them regularly for updates until it is.

• MBT Gap Construction Starts Soon: Construction begins in July to complete the Metropolitan Branch Trail (MBT) gap on 8th Street in Edgewood. DDOT received 140 comments in favor and 18 opposed. To address concerns, they modified the design to ensure 2-way road traffic between Lawrence & Monroe and restore some parking on Edgewood Street NE.

• On June 13, I attended an affordable housing information session with several fellow Commissioners, including Commissioner Hector Arbuckle, Commissioner Billy Easley, Commissioner Keith Hardy, Commissioner Josh Jacobson, and Commissioner Tucker Jones. We heard about how projects “pencil” to be doable and what ANCs can do to help them succeed.

• On June 24, I attended a DDOT briefing on the North Capitol Street concept study. This will recommend short-term improvements to address high-crash intersections, and long-term ideas (including a possible deckover at Rhode Island Ave & North Capitol, or surfacing the entire road as more of a boulevard).

  • Each year, North Capitol Street has on average: 500 crashes, 6 people disabled, 16 people injured, 1 person killed.

  • Most of the short-term improvement ideas are additional signage.

  • Delineators (plastic looking thin poles) at the foot of Lincoln Road NE at Quincy Place would be replaced by a sidewalk and a larger island.

  • A separate side study will look at that area of Lincoln Road NE, including possibly closing it to car traffic.

  • Lots of attendees suggested closing the slip lane at the “Mamo” lot at North Capitol and Florida Avenue. DDOT told me only about 30 cars per day use it.

  • A deckover of the Rhode Island/North Capitol would be expensive: from $44 million (just the intersection) to $82 million (the whole block). To compare, a brand new recreation center costs about $25 million, and buying land and building out all the new parks in NoMa (including Alethia Tanner Park) cost $50 million.

  • Plan is to make the signage improvements by early next year, and to study long-term options later this year.
    
    

• 605 Rhode Island Avenue NE: This coming-soon project is located at the MBT and Rhode Island Avenue and will include 385 apartments (33% affordable) and a woonerf internal circulation road replacing currently industrial property. This is separate, but next door, to the proposed Autozone and Firehouse redevelopments. It's a by-right project, so the only real input an ANC can have is on transportation infrastructure. On behalf of ANC 5F, I worked with the developer to make sure the project now includes:

  • Improving the existing W Street entrance to the MBT to be accessible, at-grade, and open, including bollards to prevent automobile entry.

  • Adding a resident-only access door to the MBT directly from the property at the northeast tip of the property.

  • Extending the Rhode Island Avenue median further west to discourage cars from using the development to cut around, and to provide DDOT with a study of a new crosswalk across Rhode Island Avenue west of the MBT/rail tracks.

  • Build a new sidewalk along W Street between the MBT and the west of their property, where it will link with the existing sidewalk (and will encourage DDOT to enforce no parking on the sidewalk there).

  • Improve the sidewalk on Rhode Island Avenue southside (including closing several existing curb cuts, keeping one tree, and planting more trees)

  • Agreed to discourage through car traffic on their internal network with “narrow street sections, special paving, and a multimodal  environment  lined  with  internal  trees  that  is  conducive  to  lower  travel  speeds” and “will also consider additional traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps, if determined necessary through the final permit application.”

• 
  
  On May 25, the DC Public Space Committee approved what we agreed on. I'm excited by the developer's commitment to add needed housing. It's important that we also add to our transportation and safety infrastructure, and glad at this progress!
  
  

• Commissioner Aru Sahni and I met with numerous DDOT staff on various projects on May 20, including

  • RI Ave safety/vision zero

  • Road design in 605 RI development

  • Speeding cars inc. on 2nd b/w V & U

  • Traffic cushion/speedbump on Quincy Lane

  • TSI prioritization

  • 8th Street bike gap & west-east connections

  • Trees

  • RI Ave/FL Ave bus lanes

  • Sidewalk repair/gaps

• Commissioner Jennifer Anderson and I have worked together to secure alcohol license agreements from the Alcoholic Beverage & Cannabis Administration (ABCA), the result of which will be new summer patios at Lost Generation Brewing Company and Eckington Hall opening soon!

• Commissioner Mark Galvan is leading a public safety committee to organize a Q&A session with MPD and other agencies responsible for public safety. It’s already had an effect, getting MPD more familiar with the public safety needs of our neighborhood. If you’d like to get involved in this or any other ANC 5F committee, please let me know!

• On May 22, I attended the NoMa Business Improvement District annual meeting, hearing about past successes (new jobs, new homes, lots of “best of” awards, amenities like Tanner Park) and future goals (NY/FL circle, a third NoMa Metro Station entrance).

• Noted above but reiterated: road changes/construction/demolition of the ex-Wendy’s starts this week! Be aware of signage and construction notices.

Your Commissioner,

Joe Bishop-Henchman

5F06@anc.dc.gov
202-599-0929

March 28 Meeting Update

Trash cans! Brewery summer garden! Edgewood grocery store! Transportation safety improvements!

ANC 5F met on March 28, 2023, here are some of the action items that we covered!

TRASH CANS: I live just off 4th Street, and in March the last trash can was removed. It used to be a trash can on every corner! At three locations near me residents have put out their own trash can just so there's something preventing garbage from being thrown on the ground.

Councilmembers Lewis George and Parker have been pushing DPW to provide answers on their trash can removal policies, including proposed legislation to involve ANC input before they are removed. I'm pleased to learn that changes are now happening! 

We heard from Ms. Rogers of DPW, who explained that trash can removal has been occurring due to conflicting 311 requests. Their new policy will be to get ANC input before adding or removing trash cans, after 311 submission. She noted that there's a 270 day backlog on additions. Ms. Rogers noted her list for trash can additions includes several spots in ANC5F06, including 4th & V (two corners), RI & V, 5th & RI, and 4th & W. ANCs will be notified of requests and for their input to be provided. I promised to support ANC support for trash can additions.

ALCOHOL LICENSES: We had presentations by two applicants. Lost Generation Brewing Company and Eckington Hall are both proposing outdoor service on their patios. Lost Generation is also seeking a modification to allow them to serve wine (in addition to beer). 

ANC 5F will seek agreements with both establishments on hours, trash, and noise. If you have thoughts, please reach out to me! In the meantime, 5F voted to support Lost Generation's application to ABRA to open its summer garden patio until action on the full application occurs. I want to especially thank Commissioner Anderson for her help on these matters within 5F06. She served on our predecessor commission's Alcohol Licensing committee so I greatly value that experience in moving these matters forward!

EDGEWOOD GROCERY STORE: We heard from Pritzker Realty Group, which is proposing a zoning map amendment at its Monroe Street Market project in Edgewood. They propose shifting 99 parking spaces at 701 Monroe St NE from residential to a grocery store. They aren't revealing the name of the potential grocery store tenant yet while they're negotiating. But the use of the parking spaces is needed for that.

Many of the residents are college students at nearby Catholic University, so Pritzker estimates that few of those currently parking there will be affected by the time construction occurs. Commissioner Williams asked several questions about how many spaces are used and what options there are for residents. ANC 5F voted unanimously to support the amendment request.

Needless to say a grocery store west of the railroad tracks is an important priority for me! And I'm grateful to Commissioners Hurst and Sahni for their work on this project and working with the developer on these goals!

TRANSPORTATION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS! I voted for several resolutions from Commissioner Galvan supporting traffic calming and safety improvements especially near schools. He and I co-sponsored a resolution supporting more bollards near the MBT to prevent auto entry.

We selected Commissioner Sahni to chair our Transportation and Public Space Committee. If you're in Eckington or Edgewood, and if you'd like to help out with that committee, or any of our other committees, please send in your information here! https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=8Unkj5SLt0-ZBm-Tnagtc3qWL9ZkXeZBuh3_RyAuINpUOFY4WFlTNjdGUldaREg4T1ZVU1hZTU5TUC4u

Thanks to everyone for a very productive meeting! 

Joe Bishop-Henchman
ANC Commissioner 5F06 Eckington
5F06@anc.dc.gov

January 31, 2023 Update

Library? Mayor’s forum on crime? Budgets? It’s the last day of January and it’s hard for me to believe that I was only sworn in as your Commissioner on January 2. I have lots of updates to share:

At our last ANC meeting, I was honored to be elected Chair of the entire 5F Commission. At the meeting we also elected Commissioner Jennifer Anderson (5F05, Eckington) as vice chair, Commissioner Tony Hurst (5F01, Edgewood) as treasurer, and Commissioner Mark Galvan (5F04, Eckington & Edgewood) as secretary. The Commission also adopted the bylaws and procedures I took the lead on drafting, tasked Commissioner Aru Sahni (5F02, Edgewood) with setting up a website and a mailing list, and set our regular monthly meeting as the fourth Tuesday of each month at 7pm. Mark your calendars: January 31, February 28, March 28, April 25, May 23, June 27, July 25, September 26, October 24, November 28, December 19.

ANC MEETING TONIGHT at 7pm, both virtual via Teams and at the Chase, 680 Rhode Island Avenue NE. Big topics on the agenda include:

• Presentation of our 2023 budget. Commissioner Anderson has prepared a budget proposal that will be discussed at this meeting for adoption at our February meeting. It is a tight budget but commits to:
  
  

  • Restarting community grants this year

  • Funding what we need to do hybrid meetings and

  • Outreach to the community.

• Your feedback is welcome.
  
  ANC 5F is a brand new Commission and we have literally $0 right now. Commissioner Sahni set up our new 5F Commission website and paid $9 out of his own pocket for the domain, and we can’t even reimburse him yet. We inherited none of the $48,000 accumulated by our predecessor 5E Commission, even though much of that money came from taxes paid by Eckington and Edgewood residents. The DC Council has approved modest emergency funding of $4,838.25 for us once we complete a number of start-up tasks such as opening a bank account, securing insurance, and approving a budget.
  
  As we are part of DC government, one might think that we would be able to use DC staff and resources for creating/hosting a website, printing, securing equipment for meeting conferencing, etc., but instead we must secure them all ourselves out of our budget! (I recently signed a letter with 107 other commissioners declining the offered perk of a golden parking pass and asking instead for administrative support.)
  
  That's the glass half empty part. Once we are up and running we can start unlocking future quarterly allotments. We are requesting supplemental funding from a special fund to cover technology expenses. And at this meeting I will be proposing that we negotiate a split of assets with our predecessor commission which could replenish our assets. If any of those three pan out, we can do more things faster.

• Establishing a Library task force. Eckington and Edgewood may be farther from a library than any other populated area of DC. DC has approved funding in the budget to close this gap but decisions need to be made on where it will go and what services the library will offer. Commissioner Anderson’s proposal would set up a group of Eckington and Edgewood residents to work with DC Public Library and the Deputy Mayor to provide that direction.

In addition:

• I am meeting with the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development today, with Commissioner Anderson and Commissioner Galvan, to discuss various projects (especially the firehouse replacement project at Rhode Island and 4th), both in the pipeline and aspiration, for more amenities and small businesses in our neighborhood.

• Two weekends ago the Mayor held a public safety forum with all commissioners, where she and the chief of police discussed the general drop in crime from a recent peak but troubling upward trends in juvenile crime and gun crime. The Mayor’s budget comes out in March but observers predict it will include an ask for 600 more police and to put law enforcement personnel into schools.

• Last weekend Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker held a roundtable to brainstorm improving city services and ideas for short- and long-term changes. I gave a list of suggestions on WMATA reform, including the importance of frequent bus service on key corridors for their coming bus study.

• I participated in an ANCs call yesterday with Chairman Mendelson where he outlined coming oversight hearings on city agencies and the budget process. Unlike the federal government, DC passes its budget on time and it’s a point of pride for Mendelson. The Mayor will present her proposal on March 22 and Mendelson wants the DC Council to pass it in May, so it will be a flurry of activity those two months.

• I am discussing improvements to the MBT ideas with Eckington Parks & Arts and the NoMa Business Improvement District, for a joint submission for the DC budget. Ideas include a staircase from the trail to New York Avenue near the Pepco substation (and fixing a drainage issue at that spot), bollards to restrict car access, water fountains, and public restrooms.

If you support (or oppose) any of this, please let me know! Public comment at ANC meetings is usually people opposed to something we’re considering. We also need to hear from you if you like it! Public comment is right at the start of every meeting at 7pm, after roll call.

Your Commissioner,

Joe Bishop-Henchman

202-599-0929

Proposed 5F Bylaws & Rules

I'm sharing proposed ANC5F Bylaws and Standard Procedures documents I'll be sponsoring.

5F is a brand new Commission and starts with a blank slate. I've read every ANC's bylaws, procedures, and rules, and drawn some great best practices together in one place. Also OAG letters.

The documents are here:

• Proposed Bylaws: https://t.co/vMXp0fcgdy

• Proposed Standard Procedures: https://t.co/klG4TgkWu7

What's in them? Seven major things:

1. Reduces 3 layers of meetings/approvals (policy committee, committee of the whole, full Commission) to two. No more duplication

2. One secretary in charge of getting records up and minutes out, within 5 days. No more taking months

3. Makes clear that the full Commission takes actions and is entitled to great weight, not individual commissioners. This language is straight from the Attorney General.

4. Allows officers to be removed at any time by a majority, without cause.

5. Codifies strong financial controls and sets up a very defined process for grants. 5F will start off with $8,000 per quarter in your tax dollars and we should use it very wisely.

6. A "Conduct Policy" and transparency requirements for Commission activities.

7. Four policy committees (including volunteers from 5F residents):

• Alcohol Licensing

• Public Safety, Health, and Community Engagement

• Transportation and Public Space

• Zoning and Development

Each committee will work closely with the relevant DC agency to advance 5F goals.

Your thoughts and suggestions are welcome! DC law requires that we adopt bylaws at our very first commission meeting, which should be this month.

January 6, 2023

ANC 5F Planning Session

ANC 5F commissioners will have an administrative planning session, Sat., Jan. 7, 11am to 1pm, at Edgewood Recreation Center, 300 Evarts Street NE. The session will prepare logistics for our first meeting and no official actions will be taken. It is open to the public.