ANC 2B encompasses the Dupont Circle neighborhood. District 04 is in the northeast side of the ANC. (ANC 2B website, boundaries that are in effect for 2012 election)
From Rachel Nania. Check out her blog, Sear, Simmer & Stir. Follow Nania on Twitter @rnania, email her at rachel[AT]borderstan.com.
The race for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) in Dupont’s fourth Single Member District (SMD) heated up this week when a third candidate announced intentions to run for the seat.
Stephanie Sheridan, a DC resident since 2003, announced her ANC2B04 candidacy to Borderstan on Monday morning. Sheridan joins the race with Martin Espinoza and Kishan Putta for Jack Jacobson’s seat. (Jacobson is retiring from his ANC position and is a candidate for the Ward 2 DC Board of Education seat.)
As a trained economist and founder of Dupont Green Week, Sheridan is especially dedicated to growing the neighborhood’s green economy.
“I want to foster innovative solutions that integrate what already works – like the preservation in the Dupont historic district, which has resulted in a rich and sustainable urban lifestyle,” said Sheridan, who also says the Dupont ANC needs more women representatives.
If elected, Sheridan also plans to promote issues of gender equality and small business practices.
Stephanie Sheridan is the third candidate in the race for ANC2B04. (Courtesy of Sheridan)
This week, Sheridan will launch her website (www.sheridan4anc.com) and will hold meetings with a number of people in the neighborhood.
“I want to make sure my platform is representative of the needs and interests of ANC2B04,” said Sheridan.
District 04 is the most densely populated and smallest in geographic area of ANC 2B’s nine districts. By law, each ANC district is to have approximately 2,000 residents.
Both school board and ANC seats are non-partisan, without primaries. The general election is November 6.
Single Member District 02 in ANC 1B is in the heart of the U Street area. (DC Citizen Atlas)
From Tom Hay. You can follow him on Twitter @Tomonswann.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B announced an October 19 special election to fill the vacant seat in Single Member District (SMD) 1B02. The seat has been vacant since Commissioner Aaron Spencer resigned because he was moving out of the SMD. The western boundary of the district is 14th Street NW from S to V Streets.
The special election will be held on Wednesday, October 19, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, at the Thurgood Marshall Center at 1816 12th Street NW. Voters must either present their voter ID card indicating that they live within 1B02 boundaries and/or be listed on the DC Board of Elections and Ethics voter registration list.
Two candidates filed the required nominating petitions with the D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics (BOEE): Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling and Stanley Mayes. Both are residents of Wallach Place NW, which is a block of single-family row houses just south of U Street. It is Lewin-Zwerdling’s first run for public office. Mayes participated in some of the candidate forums for the April 26 special election for the vacant At-Large seat on the DC Council, but withdrew before election day.
Spencer won the 1B02 seat in November 2010, defeating incumbent Peter Raia and another challenger, Tucker Gallagher. The winner of the special election will serve until January 2013. However, the district boundaries for the 2012 election will be much different.
SMD 02 has grown at a rapid rate due to additional residents in new buildings and will have to be split up to meet the population guidelines for SMDs (2,000 with an acceptable range of 1,900 to 2,100). The Ward 1 ANC Redistricting Task Force earlier this week sent a recommended map to the City Council. Under the proposed boundaries, a sizable chunk of SMD 02 would be split off to form a new 12th district. The proposed map is available online.
For more information related to this story, read Spencer Resigns ANC 1B02 Seat; 2 Seats Remain Vacant in 2F/Logan from August 8.
From Tom Hay. Questions for Tom? Send him an email. You can follow him on Twitter @Tomonswann
Single Member District 02 in ANC 1B is in the heart of the U Street area. (DC Citizen Atlas)
Some new faces are coming to Borderstan area Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANC). Both ANC 2F in Logan Circle and ANC 1B near 14th and U Streets — each important anchors of the busy 14th Street NW corridor — will see new commissioners this fall.
An ANC is often the first point for residents to express their views on everything from new liquor licenses to commercial development. Hundreds of new condos and apartments are in the development pipeline along 14th Street from N Street north to Clifton Street, making these two ANCs of particular importance. ANCs are divided into smaller Single Member Districts (SMD) and typically represent about 2,000 residents.
Lewin-Zwerdling Files Petition for 1B02
In SMD 1B02 Alexandra Lewin-Zwerdling is the lone candidate to date for the seat formerly occupied by Aaron Spencer. Spencer won the seat in a three-way race last year against Tucker Gallagher and incumbent, Peter Raia. Spencer is moving out of the SMD which created the vacancy. ANC 1B02 runs along U Street from 14th east to 9th, and from S Street on the south to as far north as Florida Avenue in some places.
Lewin-Zwerdling is a public health professional for the U.S. Government and lives with her husband in the 1400 block of Wallach Place. Borderstan contacted Lewin-Zwerdling and asked her why she is interested in representing SMD 1B02.
Lewin-Zwerdling: “I’m running because this neighborhood is home for my husband and me, and it’s where we will raise our family. I am committed to facilitating a strong working relationship between residents and businesses, and creating a safe, livable community. While I lend my utmost support to a thriving neighborhood with an expanding list of local businesses, we are a community of residents and should work with businesses to make sure they are good neighbors. As a public health professional I hear the concerns of residents loud and clear about the need for a range of businesses, including a nearby grocery store.”
The September meeting of ANC 1F took place September 1, about a week before the filing deadline for the SMD position. If no other candidate files, Lewin-Zwerdling will take the post at the next monthly meeting. If another candidate files a timely petition, a special election will decide the winner.
ANC 2F02 has been vacant since Emily Barton resigned the seat. (Image courtesy ANC 2F website)
Barron to Take 2F02 Seat
Over in ANC 2F near Logan Circle, Nick Barron is seeking the vacant seat in SMD 2F02. The 2F02 seat was held by Emily Barton, who moved to accept a job outside the area. Barron informed Borderstan over the holiday weekend, that the DC Board of Elections and Ethics gave him confirmation that he would be named the new Commissioner for SMD 2F02, since he was the only candidate to file a petition. He hopes to be sworn in by Ward 2 Councilmember Jack Evans before the monthly ANC 2F meeting this Wednesday night.
The spot Barron will fill includes the south side of the 1400 block of P Street, the 1300 and 1400 blocks of Rhode Island Avenue, the east side of 15th Street from N to P Streets, N Street from 15th Street east to Vermont Avenue and the west side of Vermont Avenue to Logan Circle. Barron came to D.C. from the Midwest three years ago and lives with his partner on 15th Street NW. Borderstan asked Barron why he wants to represent his SMD.
Nick Barron: “My goal in serving on ANC 2F is to actively seek my neighbors’ input and then do my best at representing the majority opinion to the ANC. If I have an axe to grind it is only that I think too often public officials forget they’re servants of the public, and so I plan to always remember I serve my neighbors, not the other way around.”
The next meeting of ANC 2F will be at 7 pm on Wednesday, September 7, at the Washington Plaza Hotel on Thomas Circle NW. ANC 2F05 has been open since January 1 and no one has filed paperwork for the seat.
Redistricting Will Change SMD Boundaries
The results of the 2010 census showed significant population growth in many SMDs in the 1B and 2F ANCs. DC law requires redistricting every 10 years to balance the number of residents is each SMD — each one must have between 1,900 and 2,100 residents. The area covering 1B02 grew to more than 3,200 residents during the past decade.
It is anticipated that redistricting will also add two additional SMDs to ANC 2F. ANC 1B currently has a staggering 11 SMDs, while ANC 2F has just six. ANC 1B will likely grow to 13 seats — unless it was to be split into two ANCs.
Related Posts
The 14th Street corridor, clockwise from top left: a residential building is planned, The Pig is coming, Miss Pixie may move, and Irvine Contemporary is gone. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Tom Hay. Questions for Tom? Send him an email. You can follow him on Twitter @Tomonswann.
The fast pace of residential development continues in the Dupont and Logan Circle neighborhoods. A few recently announced projects are working their way through regulatory and neighborhood approval.
Dupont Parking Lot To Become Residential Building
At the southeast corner of 17th and O Streets NW, on what is now a parking lot, the First Baptist Church is seeking approval for a 228-unit apartment building. The developer is Keener-Squire, which manages a number of properties in the Dupont Circle area. The Architect is Eric Colbert, also a well-known name in the neighborhood. The project must obtain approval from the Dupont Circle Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B and the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), as well as receive a variance from the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).
At the August 10 ANC meeting, a few commissioners voiced support for the design elements of the project. Several attendees, who mostly identified themselves as residents of the neighboring Richmond and Boston House condominiums, were opposed to many aspects of the project, including design, scale and amenities. The ANC’s Zoning, Preservation & Development Committee will meet September 6 to discuss the project in detail.
More Residential Developments Coming to Logan Circle
In Logan Circle, the Community Development Committee of ANC 2F heard the proposal for a 55-unit residential project at 1328 14th Street NW. This parcel is a few doors south of the 7-11 at 14th Street and Rhode Island Avenue NW. The architect for the project is Torti Gallas, who designed The Ellington in the 1300 block of U Street NW and several new residential building around the Columbia Heights metro station. According to Urban Turf, the design includes mostly studios and one bedrooms — a trend in many of the projects up and down 14th Street NW — with a mostly glass facade and ground floor retail. This project is also subject to HPRB and BZA review.
Just around the corner, Abdo Development announced plans to construct a 70-unit residential building on vacant land at 1427 Rhode Island Avenue NW. This plot is the last vacant property on the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue and will complete the transformation of the block that began a decade ago. Abdo had maintained an office at 1402 14th Street and rumors circulated last year that the space would become an Italian restaurant. However, Ward 2 D.C. Councilmember Jack Evans (D) recently leased the space as his campaign office in advance of the April 2012 primary and September general election.
Pigs, Pixie’s and Pedicures
Lots of activity on the commercial front as well. Eatwell DC — owners of Logan Tavern, Commissary, Grillfish and The Heights — have announced a new venture in Logan Circle at 1320 14th Street NW. The restaurant will be called The Pig, and, as the name implies, will focus on pork. According to their press release, the restaurant will have just 72 seats and a target opening in Spring 2012.
A Washington Examiner piece by neighborhood resident and journalist Harry Jaffe on how 14th Street NW is being transformed broke the news that Miss Pixie’s would be moving in March 2012. Miss Pixie’s is the landmark antique furniture store with the pink awning that has operated at 1626 14th Street NW since 2008. Borderstan editors contacted Pixie Windsor to confirm the details. Windsor said she holds some small hope of remaining in her current space beyond March 2012, especially if no new tenant is found. In the meantime, she is looking for other retail space and said she would like to remain in the area if possible.
It seems like nail salons open up faster than CVS drugstores in D.C., and Logan Circle is getting their own. Construction is underway for a nail salon at 1410 P Street, a small storefront in one of the few historic buildings that remain on the commercial strip. The other tenants in the building are a barbershop and Mac Dee Cleaners, and is across the alley from Logan Hardware.
Irvine Contemporary Closes
After five years at 1412 14th Street NW, Irvine Contemporary closed over the weekend. Earlier this summer the owner cited rising rents as the reason for closing. Not a good sign, especially since the the gallery is at the heart of the recently branded DC Arts District. The gallery is next door to the space that previously held the Mar de Plata restaurant, which has remained vacant since the restaurant relocated in 2009.
Single Member District 02 in ANC 1B is in the heart of the U Street area. (DC Citizen Atlas)
Next week Borderstan will look at redistricting in three local ANCs: 1B, which includes the U Street area; 2B, which covers Dupont Circle neighborhood; and 2F, which covers the Logan Circle area. Information on how to run for an open ANC seat is in this article.
Aaron Spencer announced his resignation from Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 1B Thursday night at the commission’s August meeting. Spencer plans to move out of the area to Columbia Heights.
Spencer won the Single Member District (SMD) 02 seat last November when he defeated incumbent Peter Raia and Tucker Gallagher in a close three-way race. The contest was watched intensely at the local level due to Raia’s positions on liquor licenses and the percentage of restaurants and bars in the 14th and U Streets NW corridor. Raia has since moved out of the city.
DC is divided into eight wards; Ward 2 is highlighted in red and borders on five the city’s seven other wards. (DC Government)
From Tom Hay. Questions for Tom? Send him an email. You can follow him on Twitter@Tomonswann
Over the past few months we have seen lots of news about the 2010 census results, which provided some groundbreaking news about the demographics of Washington, D.C. For starters, the city had the first population increase in decades, topping out at almost 602,000 residents.
By law, the District must redraw ward boundaries to balance the population of cities eight wards to ensure equal legislative representation — within 5% of the average. above or below. The census data shows that Ward 2 is too large and will need to give up residents to a neighboring ward, while Wards 7 and 8 will need to pick up residents from neighboring wards. The other four wards fit within the acceptable range.
Hearings and a Vote
The Council redistricting subcommittee has three members: Michael A. Brown (I-At-Large), Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Phil Mendelson (D-At-Large). The Council held public hearings last month and offered the public an opportunity to comment on the process before the committee. At the first hearing on redistricting Evans, who is a veteran of the process from 1991 and 2001, cautioned that based on past experience he has learned the process will make people “very very angry.”
Too many people in Ward 2: In a Tweet today, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells speculated: “Shaw likely to be dropped by Evans and added to Ward 6 with Ward 5 untouched. Shaw is indeed a terrific community.”
The Council committee is now doing presentations for the public about what to expect. After analyzing options, the committee will vote on a proposed map, which will then go to the full Council for hearings; the committee vote is expected on May 26. The new map will have to be approved by two votes of the full Council. The ward redistricting process should be wrapped up late June or early July, according to Evans’ office.
The 1400 block of Church Street NW is in Census Tract 52.01. This Logan Circle tract’s population grew 33 percent from 2000 to 2010 due to new residential buildings on Church, P and 14th Streets NW as well as Rhode Island Avenue. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Matty Rhoades
D.C. is divided into eight wards. Ward 2 grew at a rapid rate and will have to shed residents. (DC Government)
The U.S. Census Bureau released D.C.’s results on Thursday. The big buzz was that (1) D.C. gained people for the first time since 1950 and (2) the black majority is on the verge of disappearing, with only 50.7% of residents now being African-American. There were huge gains in the number of whites and smaller gains in the numbers of Latinos and Asians living in D.C. Citywide, African Americans are about 51% of the population, Latinos are at 9%, Asians at 3% and non-Latino whites are at 35%.
D.C. now has more than 601,000 people, a 5.2% increase from 2000 — but still far below the city’s peak year of 1950 when the Census recorded 802,000 people in D.C.
Growth in Wards 1 and 2
Locally, Ward 2 — the bulk of the Borderstan.com coverage area — grew the fastest with a 16% population increase, from 68,000 to 79,000 people. This means it will have to lose people – certain blocks will have to be moved to other Wards — some eastern parts of the Ward could go to Wards 5 and 6. However, some northern chunks of Ward 2 could possibly go to Ward 1, which grew at a much smaller 3.9% rate.
Logan Circle. Census Tract 52.01 is a great example of how Ward 2 gained so many new people in the past 10 years. The tract’s boundaries are 14th Street NW on the east, 16th Street on the west, Massachusetts Avenue on the south and S Street on the north. The tract registered a 33% increase, going from 4,559 to 6,077 residents. It’s easy to figure out how this happened: the new rental and condo buildings on the 1400 blocks of P and Church Streets NW, plus additional units on the west side of 14th Street and on the 1400 block of Rhode Island Avenue.
In ANC 1B02, Aaron Spencer won 36% of the vote in a three-way race with Tucker Gallagher and incumbent Peter Raia. (DC Citizen Atlas)
Note: Numbers were updated at 7:30 am Wednesday.
The results are in for all four of the contested races in the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) covering the Dupont-Logan-U Street area:
The winners are Aaron Spencer in ANC 1B02, Deborah Thomas in ANC 1B04, Ramon Estrada in 2B09 and Mike Benardo in 2F06.
News from Dupont-Logan-U Street NW. (Borderstan)
On ANCs, liquor licenses and voluntary agreements. Two good pieces on DC’s Advisory Neighborhood Commissions and their role in liquor licenses, voluntary agreements with businesses–and the expansion of Hank’s Oyster Bar at 17th and Q NW. The two posts: “Knee-jerk liquor license opposition undercuts credibility” by Dave Alpert of Greater Greater Washington… and read Ben’s post over at 14th & You, ““Voluntary Agreements” – Necessary or NIMBYism?” He gives a good rundown on what is happening at several different ANCs around the area with regarding to small business oversight and VAs. Try not to be exasperated when you read either article; it probably won’t be easy.
New local blog, danceDC. Check out danceDC, a new blog by Borderstan resident and contributor, Cecile Oreste. Oreste regulary contributes pieces on artists and the arts in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area. Now she has her own blog dedicated to dance in DC, including info on dance classes.
DC Number 2 for job-hunting college grads. The article at the Washington Business Journal about DC being the Number 2 metro area in the country for job-hunting college grads won’t be a surprise for our are. The Dupont-Logan-U Street area was a draw for college grads even before the recession hit–but with the availability of federal government jobs in the region, it’s even more pronounced now. The list is from Businessweek magazine. Note to candidates for mayor and council: What’s your plan to keep DC an attractive place for these desirable young transplants?
Is MOVA moving? Popular P Street gay club, MOVA, was the subject a rumor in the Washington Blade last week that it was closing. The owner of the club assured Borderstan that this was not the case. But they might be moving? Maybe.
Gray leading reader poll on mayoral race. You can still vote in the Borderstan reader poll on the DC mayoral race–on the Borderstan landing page, right nav bar. Fenty led until a Gray surge on Friday.
Who owns 113 abandoned and vacant DC properties? The DC Government is a larg owner of such properties–113 in all. Read Cary Silverman’s piece, “Home Again: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly,” at his blog, the Other 35 Percent. Silverman says that one-fourth are abandoned houses while the rest are empty lots. It’s a good, detailed explanation of the situation and what these properties mean for neighbors.
More speed cameras in DC. The Washington Post reported that DC is getting nine more “mobile radar cameras” at intersections around the city. But, none are in the Borderstan area.
Borderstan User & Privacy Policy. Please read Borderstan’s new User & Privacy Policy.
Three Advisory Neighborhood Commissions serve the Dupont-Logan-U Street area: ANC 2B, ANC 2F and ANC 1B. (Image: ANC 2B website)
Last week we looked at the function and role of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions (ANCs) in DC government (“What Exactly Do ANCs Do?”).
This week is a Q&A with four ANC commissioners from the three ANCs that serve the Dupont-Logan-U Street area; we asked each commissioner the same four questions.
The Q&A with these four commissioners is below the fold:
- Jack Jacobson, ANC 2B04, which is the single-member district (SMD) on the east side of ANC 2B-Dupont, running from 15th to 17th Streets.
- Peter Raia, ANC 1B02, which is an SMD on the south side of ANC 1B, which serves the U Street area and encompassing parts of both U and 14th Streets.
- Charles Reed, ANC 2F01, which is an SMD on the west side of ANC 2F-Logan, including part of the 14th Street corridor. Reed is also the chairman of ANC 2F.
- Mike Silverstein, ANC 2B06, which is an SMD on the south side of ANC 2B-Dupont, south of the Circle. He is also the chairman of ANC 2B.
ANC 2B-Dupont is one of three ANCs in the Dupont-Logan-U Street area; the others are ANC 2F-Logan and ANC 1B, which includes the U Street area. (Image: ANC2B website)
One of the local governmental institutions that seems to generate the most confusion among Washingtonians, especially newcomers, is that of Advisory Neighborhood Commissions, or ANCs.
This is ironic since ANCs are actually the unit of government closest to DC residents. For example, each single-member district of ANC 2B-Dupont has about 2,000 people–governmentally, that is as local as it gets in a city of 600,000.
In the Dupont-Logan-U Street area, ANCs tend to be newsworthy when a restaurant or bar wants to open or expand or have outdoor seating. But, what do ANCs do? What is their role in DC Government? If you don’t know, you are probably in the majority in DC.
This is part one of a two-part series–today is the basics, the mechanics of ANCs. On Friday we will have Q&A with four ANC commissioners from the three ANCs in our neighborhood: ANC 2B-Dupont, ANC 2F-Logan and ANC 1B, which includes the U Street area. (more…)
Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle will hold its October 2008 meeting on Tuesday, October 7, at the DC Jewish Community Center, 16th at Q Streets NW. Starting time is 7 p.m. This is a change from the normal schedule: ANC 2B/Dupont Circle meetings are normally held on the second Wednesday of the month:
ANC 2B meets on the 2nd Wednesday of each month at the Jewish Community Center at 7 pm at the south east corner of 16th Street and Q Street. Enter from the Q Street side. Everyone must bring a photo ID to get into the building. There is an open forum at each meeting for discussion of issues not on the regular agenda.
If you would like to receive ANC meeting notices and other notices from ANC 2B by email, please send an email to [email protected].
West Borderstan (west of 15th Street) is part of ANC 2B/Dupont Circle while East Borderstan is part of ANC 2F/Logan Circle.
Links
- ANC 2B Web site
- Agendas/Minutes for ANC 2B
- Victor Wexler (ANC 2B-05)
- Jack Jacobson (ANC 2B-04)
The monthly meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2B/Dupont Circle is tonight at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 16th and Q Streets. The August agenda is here (PDF). ANC 2B meets on the second Wednesday of the month at the JCC. West Borderstan is split between two districts: 04 and 05. Still not sure what ANCs do?
