April 2024 Minutes

BNCA Meeting Minutes
April 16, 2024
Zoom Virtual Meeting

BNCA Officers in Attendance: Steve Farole (President), Caroline Petti (Vice President), Rene McCray (Membership), Kathy Jacquart (Secretary)

Welcome – Steve Farole

Treasurer’s Report – Steve Farole
March statement

• Opening balance – $7241.53
• Deposits – $697.48
• Payments – $187.66 (Zoom, web hosting)
• Closing balance – $7751.35

MPD Update – Lt. Stephen Miller, Altieri (sylvan.altieri@dc.gov; 202 440-2698)

• 4/4/2024 Homicide at Brookland Metro
• 14-year old Avion Evans killed, Arrest of 16 year old on 4/9
• Robbery of Exxon station 4/9/2024, Arrest of 17-year old charged 4/10
• 3/29 carjacking on Jackson, 14 and 15-year olds arrested
• DC Crime Stats (Brookland)
  • Crime in Brookland down compared to other parts of 5th district
  • Most carjackings and robberies occurred around 12th St. and most committed by juveniles
  • Last year 3 homicides; 1 this year
  • 6 robberies, 12 this year
  • Motor vehicle theft down
  • No burglaries this year
  • CVS robbery: MPD doesn’t know if it’s same people who have hit other CVSs

Verna Clayborne – pleased about less loitering and crime in Brentwood area thanks to community involvement, businesses and MPD, but have noticed more people hanging out at 14th and RI Ave lately

• Lt. Miller – will inform overtime unit, which is available each day
• Capt Sylvan Altieri – Brookland is one of only 7 communities in DC that have overtime unit; have made a lot of progress bringing down robberies

Caroline Petti – Did Avion Evans live in Brookland? Is arrested boy in custody?

• Altieri: Boy lived in NE
• Arrested boy was held; family requested that he be released

Q: Are dog thefts one-offs
A: Lt. Miller – yes

BNCA Input on Brookland Development Community Benefits

Community benefits feedback (slides) collected by BNCA

• BNCA President and VP will meet with Council member Parker’s team next week and share feedback and discuss tax abatement
• Update: WMATA submitted report on feedback on changes to transit facilities to Board for approval
  • If approved, WMATA will release solicitation to make changes
  • Then make request for changes to zoning
    • WMATA has stated that they want to seek tax abatement
    • How can BNCA leverage this to get community benefits?

Verna Clayborne – Is this a done deal? Or is there continued opportunity for the community to oppose development?

Steve F – not a done deal yet because WMATA haven’t gotten a solicitation yet; will probably be a long-term process; BNCA approaches topic with awareness that Councilmember Parker supports this development. We want to understand their conversations with WMATA and their approach/strategy to leveraging processes to get best outcome for community, which will help us make an informed decision about the BNCA’s position.

Andrew Davis – What about the Brookland Lanes development? Won’t the area be congested?

Steve F – BNCA has raised this issue with Councilmember Parker and asked them to pull together agencies to look at all the projects holistically; outgoing conversation; goal is to have as much input and use BNCA voice to engage Councilmember Parker and others as the process proceeds

Discussion: Member Suggestions on BNCA Activities and Meeting Topics

• Dan Schramm – how to strengthen tree laws (Franklin and 13th St. – trees taken down, possibly Heritage Trees)
• Chris Matthews – positive things going on in neighborhood (e.g., organizations working with immigrants, homelessness)
• Nikki M – More neighborhood cleanups would be great! Also, does John Burroughs Elementary fall within Brookland or Woodridge? Because their field usage for portable buildings is a concern.
• John Leibovitz – efforts to help retail corridor (12th and Monroe Sts, raze application for buildings on 12th St); what groups/vehicles are in place? how can community help?
• Caroline Petti –
  • owner of properties on 12th between Monroe and Newton (plans to raze; don’t know what’s going up);
  • DC Public Library looking at sites for new libraries, possibly 901 Monroe St.
  • CPR training, narcan training
• Proposal for future in-person meetings:
  • Once per quarter in Spring, Summer, Fall; give a month’s notice
  • General support for proposal
  • Franscian monastery has meeting rooms

Upcoming Events

• Great Brookland Yard Sale – Saturday, May 11, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm (rain day May 18)
• Welcome to Brookland sign garden (Amanda Frayer)
  • Second planting along 12th st. space – April 27-28, 9-noon
  • Need 10 people each day
  • RSVP mothermayapple@gmail.com

Community Announcements

Councilmember Parker’s Office

• Check out newsletter
• New podcast
• Ward 5 Public Safety Meeting, Wed, April 24, 3pm
• Budget Oversight hearing schedule
• E-waste collection event at Catholic U
• DDOT Notice of intent for two “hawk signals” – request for comment open until May 9
  • Michigan and Quincy
  • RI Ave and Thayer St

Donice Adams, 5D Community Outreach Specialist, United States Attorney’s Office, 202-815-8732, Donice.adams@usdoj.gov