Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6D met on Nov. 13 via Zoom. Commissioners Bob Link (6DO1, vice chair), Ronald Collins (6D02, treasurer), Gail Fast (6D03), Andrea Pawley (6D04), Ashton Rohmer (6D05), Bruce Levine (6D06, secretary), Fredrica (Rikki) Kramer (6D07, chair) and Rhonda Hamilton (6D08) were in attendance.
DC Water briefed the commission on its plans for eliminating residential lead and galvanized water piping in the District. The program started in 2019. As of Nov. 2023, the utility has replaced 4,660 lines. These lines typically run from the water main in the street to each home. The cost of replacing a section of lead pipes in public space is the DC Water’s responsibility, while the remainder is paid for the homeowner. DC Water has programs to help with this cost.
Homeowners can consult a map at https//geo.dcwater.com/Lead/ to see if their water line has an issue. Advice is also available by phone at 202-787-4044 or at www.dcwater/leap. There are 785 homes impacted in Southwest. The utility is currently working on 143.
I-695 Bridge Rehab
The DC Dept. of Transportation (DDOT) briefed commissioners on the I-695 Freeway Bridge Rehabilitation Project. The agency plans to rebuild all highway bridges and ramps from Second Street SE to Second Street SW. The design is currently 65 percent completed. It will be finished by February 2024. The agency plans to hold a public meeting on the project shortly afterwards. Recent revisions have added the New Jersey Avenue Bridge and the pedestrian under from Randall Field to the project.
The whole highway deck will have to be rehabilitated, stated DDOT’s project manager. Two travel lanes will be maintained at all times. Lighting underneath the bridges is slated for replacement, he said. The project is not yet funded, so there is no firm date for its commencement. However, construction is likely to begin in 2025. The project’s estimated duration is 24 to 36 months, he said. The manager promised commissioners a detailed traffic and construction plan taking into stadium and special events before construction starts. More details can be found at www.seswbridges.ddot.dc.gov.
Other Matters
Metropolitan Police Dept. (MPD) Sector 3 Captain Kevin Harding and PSA 105 Lieutenant Elias Danho led the public safety briefing for the commission. The captain mainly focused on October robberies. On Oct. 16, patrons of the Phillip Chow restaurant, 635 Wharf St. SW, were robbed as they left the establishment by a group of armed men, who fled in a vehicle. On Oct. 27, a teen was attacked by five other youth on the 500 block of School Street SW. On Oct. 31, police recovered a gun from a room at the Intercontinental Hotel on The Wharf. Officers arrested a set of carjackers and recovered a stolen vehicle by tracking it with an AirTag. Otherwise, both officers stated crime was down generally compared to the same period in 2022.
DC Sentencing Commission Outreach Specialist Brittany Bunch provided an overview of her agency’s role and its annual report. The commission creates voluntary sentencing guidelines for judges for DC Code offences, not federal laws.
Commission voted unanimously to approve liquor license renewals and cooperative agreements for The Cambria Hotel, The Friendly Food Market, The Hilton Washington, Simply Smiles, Suns Gallery, Officina and The Holiday Inn.
The commission has ed the application filed by the DC Preservation League (DL) for the historic designation of Landsburgh Park Historic Preservation. The Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) has asked DL for clarification, reported a commissioner. The commission also voted to protest the Southwest Safeway’s renewal on the grounds of Peace, Order and Quiet. Commissions cited safety concerns about issues around the entrance and requested a revised cooperative agreement to clarify the store’s responsibilities.
The commission voted to send the new Director of DDOT a restatement of its general concerns with the agency including the maintenance of the 74 bus route, the creation of a pubic parking inventory on Buzzard Point, concerns about the 2024 Transportation Operations Parking Plan (TOPP) which governs events and stadium traffic and continuing adjustments to the Protected Bike Lanes (PBLs) to reduce visual obstructions. The commission also asked to receive a full review of the proposed South Capitol Avenue Redesign and an update on PBLs plans for M Street SW. The commission also voted to write Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen (D) about their concerns about DDOT’s use of a little publicized survey to gather public comment related to the TOPP. Kurt Sanders was appointed the chair of commission’s new Transportation Committee.
The commission approved FY23 Q3 and Q4 reports prepared by Treasurer Collins as well as its FY24 Budget.
ANC 6D meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of every month. The next meeting is Dec. 11, 2023. For more information, visit www.anc6d.org.
