ANC 2B encompasses the Dupont Circle neighborhood. District 09 is in the northeast corner of the ANC, running to the southwest corner of 14th and U NW. (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 deadline for filing to run in the race for an Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) seat is rapidly approaching, and this past weekend, one local resident announced his candidacy for the 2B-09 seat in Dupont Circle.
Noah Smith, who currently serves as a public safety liaison for ANC 2B, is running in the local election for the first time. Ramon Estrada, the five-term ANC incumbent for seat 2B-09, has not confirmed his plans to run in the November 6 election; he had not picked up nominating petitions as of Monday.
Smith, who describes himself as having “a passion for public service,” believes that one of the most important roles of an ANC Commissioner is to be an advocate for residents when dealing with the DC government.
“I hope to serve as a liaison between the alphabet soup of government agencies and my neighbors to bring critical information to our community faster and to help address concerns sooner,” said Smith, who has lived in DC for seven years and in the Dupont neighborhood for a year-and-a-half.
Smith is a volunteer EMT and a Federal highway safety official, and hopes to bring his experience in public safety to neighborhood government.
Noah Smith is running for ANC 2B-09 in this year’s election. (Photo courtesy of Noah Smith)
“I am running for ANC to build on my past work to improve the safety of our neighborhood’s roads, including for pedestrians and bicyclists, and to foster a collaborative approach to problem solving,” said Smith.
Smith is also campaigning on neighborhood development, promising to balance the (often times) delicate relationships between neighbors and businesses and work to find collaborative solutions that meet the needs of the community.
The area for ANC 2B-09 encompasses S Street, 17th Street, New Hampshire Avenue, U Street and 14th Street.
The deadline for filing to run for an ANC seat is Wednesday, August 8. Elections for ANC positions are on the November 6 ballot and are non-partisan. 300 seats throughout the city are up for reelection this year. Commissioners elected into the ANC will serve for two years.
1832 14th Street NW. (Borderstan file photo, July 2009)
The January meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 2Bis Wednesday, January 11, at 7 pm. Location is the Brookings Institution, 1775 Massachusetts Avenue NW, 1st Floor.
Two items on the agenda stand out, both related to liquor licenses:
- Application for renewal of CT (tavern) license for Local 14, 1832 14th St NW (2B09)
- Application by Black & Orange, 1931 14th St NW, for new CR (restaurant) license for “restaurant specializing in hamburgers and Latin food” with occupancy 79 & 40-seat sidewalk cafe; open 24 hours (interior & exterior); alcohol sales/service hours Sun-Th 9am-2am, Fri-Sat 9am-3am (interior & exterior); Petition date 1/30/12; Roll Call Hearing 2/13/12. (1B02, near to 2B09)
The space at 1832 14th Street NW (proposed Local 14) has been vacant for some time, with the liquor license app first appearing in the window in 2009. Interestingly, the agenda item is for a “renewal” of the license. Borderstan was unable to get more information on the application.
Across the street, the application by Black & Orange is another ANC — 1B — but ANCs will occasionally comment on issues in adjoining ANCs. Notably, the license applications come under ANC 2B09, which is represented by Ramon Estrada.
Over the past decade, Estrada has built a reputation in the Dupont-Logan area as a neighborhood activist that developers and owners of restaurants and nightclubs often have to deal with when they want to set up shop. (See Saint-Ex and Bar Pilar Saga FINALLY Over at 14th & You and A Story About ANCs, Small Businesses, Liquor Licenses and More.)
About ANCs
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.
Ramon Estrada is running for a fifth term term in ANC 2B09. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Michelle Lancaster
Borderstan is covering four contested Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) races in the three local ANCs: ANC 1B02, 1B04, 2B09 and 2F06. The general election is Nov. 2. Today’s interview is with Ramon Estrada, the four-term incumbent in ANC 2B09. He is being challenged by Sunit Talapatra (see interview).
After serving almost eight years as an ANC commissioner, Estrada is a known figure in the area for his efforts related to nightlife venues and establishments with liquor licenses. He has been elected four times (terms are two years) by voters in his district; in 2008 Doug Rogers ran against Estrada and got 40% of the vote. This is the only district in 2B that borders on 14th Street, and it straddles the Dupont-U Street-Logan Circle neighborhoods.
In April he was one of two ANC commissioners who asked the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) to enforce the limitations on bars and restaurants in the Arts Overlay District along the 14th and U Street corridor. Several residents along with Peter Raia, ANC 1B-02 and Estrada asked the commission to enforce the 25% limit on storefront frontage for bars and restaurants; this limitation has since been raised to 50%.
ANC 2B09 is the northeastern panhandle district of ANC 2B, running from New Hampshire Ave. NW eastward to 14th St. along U St. with the southern boundary being S St. for most of the way (see map below the fold). You can learn more about the district at DC Citizen Atlas. ANC 2B covers most of the Dupont Circle neighborhood and has nine commissioners.
ANC commissioners are elected from Single Member Districts (SMDs) in the city’s 37 ANCs. While the number of commissioners in each ANC varies, each SMD has approximately 2,000 residents. (See links to related posts at bottom.)
Sunit Talapatra, candidate for ANC 2B09. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Michelle Lancaster
Borderstan is covering four contested Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) races in the three local ANCs: ANC 1B02, 1B04, 2B09 and 2F06. The general election is Nov. 2.
Today’s interview is with Sunit Talapatra who is taking on four-term incumbent Ramon Estrada in ANC 2B09. Borderstan will run Estrada’s interview on Monday, Oct. 25.
ANC 2B09 is the northeastern panhandle district of ANC 2B, running from New Hampshire Ave. NW eastward to 14th St. along U St. with the southern boundary being S St. for most of the way (see map below the fold). It is the only district in 2B that borders on 14th Street. You can learn more about the district at DC Citizen Atlas. ANC 2B covers most of the Dupont Circle neighborhood and has nine commissioners.
ANC commissioners are elected from Single Member Districts (SMDs) in the city’s 37 ANCs. While the number of commissioners in each ANC varies, each SMD has approximately 2,000 residents. (See links to related posts at bottom.)
Borderstanians vote at the Fifteenth Street Presbyterian Church, northeast corner of 15th and R NW. (Image by Luis Gomez.)
Good morning, Borderstanians. The almost-two-year presidential campaign is almost at an end. Vote tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4–and remember to vote in those down-ballot races for D.C. slots. Don’t just vote for president and run out of the polling place. DC polling place hours are 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
City Council Races. For example, remember that there is a hot race for two At-Large D.C. Council seats. The Washington Post has an article today on the race, “Final Push For Council Highlights D.C. Rivalry.”
ANC Races. If you live in ANC 2B-09 (outside Borderstan to the north), your ANC seat is being contested between incumbent Ramon Estrada and challenger Doug Rogers. The Borderstan posting on the race is here: “ANC Races: 2B-09 Hotly Contested.”
Voter Guides and Polling Places
- The Washington Post DC Voter Guide.
- D.C. Board of Elections and Ethics: Election Year 2008.
- Polling Places. All Borderstanians vote at the Fifteenth Presbyterian Church at the northeast corner of 15th and R Streets NW; the entrance is on R Street. If you live outside Borderstan, you can find your polling place here.
Southwest corner of 14th and T Streets NW. (Photo by Luis Gomez.)
It appears that plans for turning the large building at the southwest corner of 14th and T NW–including a 24-hour diner, theater, yoga center and comedy club –may be dead. Seems a large furntiture retailer has come along and made an offer to the owner. Two accounts of the matter, at Greater Greater Washington and Washington City Paper.
From Greater Greater Washington:
Prospects for the Tryst/Diner/ comedy club /yoga studio/dance company plan for 14th and T, which has become a major campaign issue in 2B09 are looking dim. The City Paper found out that the owners have decided to sell to a big-box furniture store, Room and Board, instead.
The deal isn’t totally done, and some neighborhood activists including 2B09 candidate Doug Rogers are already pushing Room and Board to pull out of the deal (which they have the option to do).
We learned today that Dave Chappelle, yes the Dave Chappelle, has signed on as a potential investor with the Diner/Tryst/ comedy club planned for the old Church of the Reformer at 14th and T Streets NW, the development plan we wrote about in July.
The bad news? That plan is close to imploding. Sources close to the deal say that the earlier agreement to lease the space from the current owner fell through. Rather than let their dream die, Diner/Tryst/Open City owner Constantine Stavropoulos and DC-Improv and Riot Act comedy impresario John Xereas, along with a few others–including Chappelle, a Xereas acquaintance who has D.C. roots–worked to get a deal together to buy the building. The bid is in the neighborhood of $9 million. The problem? They’re not the only ones interested.
