[In the absence of Chair Joe Fengler, Vice Chair David Holmes chaired the meeting.]

Pilgrim Baptist Church Halfway House Still a Thorny Issue
At its December meeting ANC6A heard from Rev. Louis P. Jones II, pastor of Pilgrim Baptist Church about the church’s plans to use a property it owns at 820 8th Street NE for transitional housing for former prisoners in a program called ASPIRE (Active Solutions Propelling Individuals to Reach Excellence). The facility would house six men and women, with an on-site staff person, and have office and classrooms. Questions arose as to what kind of permit would be required for the facility, and whether in fact it was permitted in its 8th Street location. Commissioner Marshall, and residents of his Single Member District expressed their opposition to the proposed project, and it was referred to the Economic Development and Zoning Committee.

Committee Chair Drew Ronneberg reported that the Committee had researched whether the proposed ex-offender rehabilitation facility was permitted at that address, After reading the definitions in the zoning regulations, it was clear to the Committee that the facility would be qualified as an Adult Rehabilitation Home, which is not permitted as a matter of right in a residential area, and it would require a special exception to operate. However, the committee also found that it would fail several tests required for a special exception, and the facility would require a zoning variance.

The Commission debated how to proceed, suggesting that a letter should be sent to DCRA saying that a Certificate of Occupancy should not be granted until the owner obtains zoning relief for the facility. It was also suggested that DCRA should investigate whether it is a transitional facility. It was also mentioned that if it is an Adult Rehabilitation Home, it will require a Department of Mental Health license. A member of the community suggested that a letter be sent to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) asking them for a decision before anything moves forward. The ANC voted unanimously to send a letter to DCRA asking them to withhold issuing a Certificate of Occupancy until the zoning status of the facility is clarified, and that a letter be sent to the OAG asking for a ruling on the facility’s status.

Funds Granted
Rosedale Citizen Alliance/Rosedale Youth Institute Football Uniforms: $4,230 for two sets of football uniforms for teams associated with the Rosedale Recreation Center. The heavily attended football program, staffed entirely by volunteers has been in operation for 20 years, and is an important community activity.

H Street Building Survey: $4,000 to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society for a historic survey of the buildings fronting H Street, as part of the historic building survey now being undertaken of the Near Northeast community to assess its potential for Historic District designation. Funds have already been allocated for the rest of the neighborhood, but H Street was not included.

New ANC Listserv Planned
Elizabeth Nelson, Chair of the Community Outreach Committee, announced the formation of a new comprehensive ANC listserv, anc6a@yahoogroups.com, which will be used for official ANC business. According to the language prepared for the website “this is necessary because the existing list of e-mail addresses has grown so large that it is not possible to paste all of them into a single message. Subscribers will not have to go through a listserv subscription process, which will make it possible for government workers to receive messages at their work accounts. The ANC unanimously approved the initiation of the account.

H Street Shuttle Bus Closer to Reality
Transportation Committee Chair Omar Mahmoud reported that Councilmember Wells has identified funds to support a shuttle bus service to run on H Street, NE from Benning Road to Union Station. He said the plan initially would involve six buses. The bus would run as an express service, targeting H Street merchants The Commission unanimously approved a letter to Councilmember Wells applauding his efforts on the H Street Shuttle bus.

More Zoning News
225 9th Street NE: The ANC unanimously passed a motion to support Louis Fiore, of 225 9th Street NE, in his request for Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) approval for plans to excavate his rear yard and build a rear addition and patio for his house. The addition, which falls within HPRB guidelines, will be sunken and only minimally visible from the rear, and won’t affect the light or air of his neighbors.

1131 D Street NE: The applicant, who is seeking approval for a project at 1131 D Street NE from the HPRB, did not appear at the Economic Development and Zoning Committee meeting. He plans to add a two-story addition to the western wall of his property, creating a new party wall with the neighboring property. He has not provided letters of support from his neighbors, and the existing plans provide ambiguous property lines and inadequate information on the materials to be used. The Commission followed the Committee’s recommendation and voted unanimously to oppose the application.

Reporting After Hours Construction to DCRA
DCRA Director Linda Argo told the ANC several months ago that illegal construction taking place after hours and on weekends could be reported to a DCRA number she shared with the Commission. Several ANC Commissioners have been unsuccessful in accessing assistance, and were told that MPD handled weekend calls. The ANC unanimously voted to send a letter to Director Argo telling her that the number is not an effective tool for filing illegal construction complaints.

Present: Raphael Marshall (6A01); Vice-Chair David Holmes (6A03); Treasurer Nick Alberti (6A04); and Secretary Bill Schultheiss (6A06);

Absent: Chair Joe Fengler (6A02); Mary Beatty (6A05); Gladys Mack (6A07), Mary Beatty (6A08).