ISSUES IMPORTANT TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs)
"An ANC is a non-partisan, neighborhood body made up of locally elected representatives called Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners. They are a unique feature of the District's Home Rule Charter.
The Commissioners serve two-year terms without pay ... The ANCs were established to bring government closer to the people, and to bring the people closer to government.
The ANCs' main job is to be their neighborhood's official voice in advising the District government (and Federal agencies) on things that affect their neighborhoods. ... zoning, streets, recreation, education, social services, sanitation, planning, safety, budget, and health services.
The ANCs may also initiate recommendations for improving city services, conduct neighborhood improvement programs, and monitor resident complaints The ANCs began operating in 1976."
Read more about ANCs
LIST OF ISSUES
Leading the Fight for a Transparent ANC
ED is a good government advocate who has fought hard to make our ANC follow the law, conduct its business in the open and listen to the residents instead of the lobbyists and special interests. ED has been unafraid to stand up to big development interests.
OPEN MEETINGS: In 2019 ED successfully led the fight to require all ANC meetings with a quorum of Commissioners present to be held in public. Private ANC "planning sessions" no longer take place.
WOMEN ON THE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: ED led the fight to add 3 women to the ANC's Transportation Committee which had for years been over 80% male.
TWO OPINIONS FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: ED successfully secured Opinions from Attorney General Racine on the right to videotape all public meetings of the ANC and on the right of equal access to all Commission records. ED then released the ANC's records on the 17th Street Bike Lane Project to the public.
Lobbyists and special interests hate the Freedom of Information Act. Open government advocates like ED believe in the law.
Thru the FOIA requests ED has helped make our ANC more accountable and transparent to us on the Masonic Temple project and most recently on the 17th Street bike lane project obtaining the release of nearly 1000 pages of records from DDOT on this project - most of which the public had never seen.
Re-Imagining 17th Street
Many people love the transformation taking place on 17th St. ED supports the new streateries and the extended sidewalks on 17th Street and wants more experimentation to help permanently transform 17th St into a pedestrian friendly 'town square'. COVID has given us the opportunity to re-imagine 17th Street and help our neighborhood businesses thrive again as a pedestrian destination while ensuring the loading and delivery needs of businesses.
Repairing and Repaving Our Alleyways
ED successfully worked with WASA to repair a huge sink hole in the alleyway behind Caroline Street in 2019 after residents became frustrated with DDOT & WASA's lack of responsiveness. Now, ED is working with Councilmember BROOKE PINTO's office to convince DDOT to add the Caroline Street alleyway and the alleyway between T St and Swann St in the 1400 block to DDOT's Alleypalooza alley repaving list for the upcoming year.
Making the T Street Park Safer for Kids
The T Street Park is a beautiful area of flowers and grass that mothers bring their young children to. Neighborhood volunteers maintain the garden at the park. But, unfortunately rats have been burrowing there recently creating a potential danger to children. ED has been working with DPW to eradicate the recent rat burrows.
Working with DPW to Replace 115 Neighborhood Trash & Recycling Cans without Charge
ED continues to work very hard to get our rat problem under control. Earlier this year ED convinced DPW to replace all rat damaged trash and recycling cans in our neighborhood without charge to residents. Beginning in July DPW began replacement of 115 of these rat chewed trash and recycling cans in our neighborhood. The single biggest replacement in years.
Getting the Rat Population Under Control
ED continues to work very hard to get our rat problem under control. Because our neighborhood borders 14th St and U St we have seen a growing rat population this year. Baiting, trapping, new trash containers, restaurant trash management are keys to a cleaner safer neighborhood.
Successfully Representing the Neighborhood at ABRA Hearings
Licht Cafe and Lupo Verde
Protecting residents from the noise bars and restaurants can cause on our residential streets is a primary concern. ED believes people should be able to enjoy their homes without late night noise and the sanitation problems restaurants and bars too often cause.
ED worked hard representing neighbors when Licht Cafe wanted to build a 20 foot high outdoor entertainment deck across the alley from the bedrooms of homes on Caroline Street. As the Commissioner representing the residents who protested the outdoor entertainment deck, ED was able to negotiate an agreement that eliminated the outdoor entertainment deck from the license application.
ED also represented neighbors on T Street upset when Lupo Verde applied to terminate its Settlement Agreement with the community (that every other establishment has in effect), so they could install stereo speakers in the outdoor cafe, and permanently store their trash on the public space.
After six months of negotiations, ED succeeded in having ABRA retain and enforce the full Lupo Verde Settlement Agreement, with no changes, for another seven years.
Preserving the Historic Quality of
Our Neighborhood
ED strongly believes in preserving the low scale historic quality of our neighborhood. Like many people ED opposed the building of a huge apartment building and multi-level underground parking garage on the grounds of the Masonic Temple, a national historic landmark.
As an ANC Commissioner ED has testified before both the Historic Preservation Review Board and the Mayor's Agent on behalf of neighborhood historic values.
Testifying on
Neighborhood Parking Issues
Earlier this year ED testified before the DC Council's DDOT Oversight Hearing discussing neighborhood parking issues.
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