July 2016 Minutes

Community Meeting – July 19, 2016, 7:00 PM

Officers in Attendance:

• Dan Schramm – Vice President (Interim President)
• Teresa Fleming – Membership Director
• Clyde Blassengale – Treasurer
• Lamont Bessicks – Recording Secretary

Dan opened the meeting at approximately 7:03 PM

Item 1: Treasurer’s Report – June Transactions

• One new member
• $3,118.23 Beginning Balance
• $3,128.23 Ending Balance
• June Budget voted and accepted for the July report.

Item 2: Special Election to Fill Vacancies on the Board

• Clyde Blassengale temporarily stepped in to run the election process for President.
• Quorum taken for current members in good standing.
• Nominations taken for each position when presented.
• President: Dan Schramm – nominated and elected.
• Vice-President: No nominations/volunteers.
• Corresponding Secretary: No nominations/volunteers.
• Dan resumed running the meeting upon being elected President.
• Membership put forth a motion that election of officers for the open positions be revisited at the next/September election. Motion voted, accepted and carried.
• Question was asked about the time commitment for the open officer positions. Dan would distribute the bylaws to the membership, which would explain the tasks of each position.

Item 3: Membership Report – June Transactions

• Approximately 100 members
• Attendance sheet passed around.
• Requested ideas for gaining new members of the neighborhood.

Item 4: Proposed Homeless Shelter at 17th Street, NE and Rhode Island Avenue, NE

• Presentations are for informational purposes only.
• Shawn Hilgendorf (DC Council, Legislative Council)
• Ronan Gulstone (Council Member McDuffie’s Chief of Staff)
  • All councilmembers in support of closing DC General as a shelter.
  • Mayor’s office recommended multiple locations for homeless shelters.
  • Initial location was near a transfer station and not presentable for residential occupancy.
  • Multiple community meetings and council meetings held since October, 2015.
  • Youth Division Building had been discussed as a potential location.
  • Preferred for its location on Rhode Island Avenue, NE, proximity to new library and Metro station.
  • The location has been approved and confirmed. Certifying that the necessary services can be provided to the residence there.
• Jay Melder (Chief of Staff, DHS)
  • DHS been working on a positive solution to homelessness for some time.
  • Trying to provide protective services to homeless families.
  • Provided a scenario of typical homeless family and what services would be provided at new homeless locations.
  • YDB is designed for emergency services only – typically less than 90 days of occupancy for each family.
  • Website:
  • DHS to work with the families to secure more permanent residences.
  • No more than 50 family units designed for each new location.
  • Members expressed disapproval of council vote on this location without proper notice to immediate area residents.
  • Question asked whether the property needed to be expanded to accommodate up to 50 family units.
  • The YDB site will not accommodate 50 units. A Ward 3 site is large enough to accommodate more than 50 family units, which will take up the balance of family units.
  • DHS will designate YDB as an historic site and share the proposed design plans with the community.
  • Member expressed the “Park” is an unofficial homeless shelter. Since YDB will be designated for woman with children, will they be put out on the street each day?
  • Biggest complaint be members was due-process – the local residents were not notified about the multiple meetings leading up to the confirmation of the YDB location.
  • Stated that public notice of meetings was broadcast through emails, list-serves, Council Register.
  • Member asked what McDuffie’s vote was related to the proposed act that will deny ANC’s and other community groups from input on historic preservation issues.
  • Acknowledgement that there has not been an equitable distribution of homeless shelters throughout the city, over time. However, each ward will receive a shelter to house former residents of the closed DC General.
  • Members complain the McDuffy and his office has not been open with communication to the Ward 5 residents.

Item 5: Evarts Proposed Alley Closure

• Brian Stevens (200-footer)
• Developer (Adams Investments) desires to close the alley between two industrial warehouses in order to construct up to a 9-story building.
• Without alley closure, structure limited to approximately 5 stories.
• Ward 5 members living in the immediate vicinity of the project are in objection to the closure.
• No direct contact received from the developer regarding the project. Refusing to present to ANC’s and civic associations.
• Public hearing on zoning to be held approximately January 2017.
• Local ANC and McDuffy’s office is against the alley closure.
• 14 meetings have been scheduled for the developer to community. Developer attended only three. Only scaled drawings have been presented at those meetings.
• Developer is going to public utilities to receive sign-off on alley closures. Will put neighborhood in a position of defending why alley closure should be denied.
• Developer has spoken to office of Congresswomen E. Holmes-Norton about closing the alley.
• Member stated that the Act of 1954, a height restriction act imposed by the Federal Government, prohibits development over a certain number of stories east of Massachusetts Avenue.
• Member stated that the alley closure allowing for a larger building, will cause more parking problems, and endanger the children crossing the street at Noyes School.
• Member stated that the Public Representative was a former member of Councilmember McDuffy’s office.
• Member stated that the alley closure would require cutting down a tree. DC law prohibits cutting down trees.
• Member stated that the developers is posting signs stating that the alley is closed.
• Member stated that the developer has already met with the Capitol Area Planning Commission regarding the alley closure.
• Due to a recent fire at the site, concern is that fire equipment would be able to properly quench the fire due to the limited alley width.
• Member stated that the 200-footers have retained council. (Same council that represented the 200-footers for the Colonel Brooks site project.)

Item 6: Howard University Campus: Membership discussion of Urban Land Institute presentation

• Due to the length of time focused on the previous topic, there was no in-depth discussion on this topic.
• The community has decided that it would like to see the Howard Divinity School property remain exactly as is – i.e., no new development on the site.
• BNCA Officer stated the Howard University is reviewing its entire real estate portfolio as an attempt to resolve some of the university’s financial problems.

Item 7: Community Concerns

• Asked that any new concerns be presented at the next community meeting.
• Member stated that developers are posting signs “We Buy Houses” are done so without the required permits. Asked that the community tear/take the signs down.
• Annual ANC elections coming in November, 2016, if anyone would like to run for office.

Meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM.

Next BNCA Meeting: September 20, 2016, 7:00 PM.

For the next officer’s meeting, BNCA officers need to prepare a profile for each of the officer positions.