RCA February 2009 Meeting Minutes & Photos

RCA President Necothia Bowens (standing far left) introduces and welcomes Mayor Fenty to the RCA Meeting. Included are RCA Vice President Karen Young (left center) and ANC6A07 Commissioner Gladys Mack (right center)



Mayor Fenty Answering RCA's Rosedale Community Related Questions (refer to meeting minutes below)




Mayor Fenty addressing attendees (background includes recently created book-lending program sponsored by RCA's Outreach Committee)

RCA's February 2009 Meeting Minutes

Monday, February 2, 2009, 7:30-9PM
Rosedale Recreation Center, Multi-purpose Room

Special Guests:
Adrian Fenty, Mayor
Forest Hayes, EOM, Co-ward 6 Outreach& Service Specialist
Chris Taylor, EOM, Co-ward 6 Outreach& Service Specialist
Bridget Stesney, DPR Planner
Jason Turner, DPR Chief of Planning & Capitol Projects
Afro News

The meeting was exclusively dedicated to discussions with Mayor Fenty. February meeting agenda items will be differed to the RCA's March meeting.

Topics discussed with Mayor Fenty:

1. Proposed Rosedale Community Center
a.. Ground breaking May 13 (construction through Sept. 2010)
b. Jason Turner, DPR Chief of Planning & Capitol Projects will work with Director of Public Libraries (PL) James Turner(?) to incorporate Public library space within the allotted 16,000sq.ft.facility. Ask PL to contribute funds to support PL programming
c. Athletic Fields will also be reconstructed at the same time
d. Citizens request a small room/office be dedicated in the new facility for MPD as a on-site presence
e. The current pool is staying and will be incorporated into the final design layout. However, it will be closed during construction, dates have not been established

2. Shuttered Gibbs Elementary
a. As far a the Mayor is aware, Chancellor Rhee doesn’t have specific plans for the facility to date.
b. Some citizens recommended converting the space to a community-wide art gallery and art-studios available to local artists and school programs
c. Citizens recommended using Gibbs as a transition space for Rosedale Recreation Center programs while the new facility is being constructed. Mayor Fenty thought this was a good idea and will have DPR coordinate

3. Benning Road Reconstruction Project
a. RCA inquired about time-line for completion. Mayor Fenty was unaware that the time-line had been extended to June 2010. He stated he would ensure DDOT completed the project on schedule for December 2009

4. Hechinger Plaza Site/future of National Wholesale Liquidators tenant space
a. The Mayor was unaware of any potential “big-box” tenants for recently closed Modell Sports store
b. The Mayor is open to providing incentives for a right-fit government and private partnership to develop the Hechinger’s Plaza site

5. Recently closed Café Roma (411 18th Street, NE)
a. The Mayor stated his office would draft a support letter for a zoning special exemption if Café Roma needed it to include a bakery as part of their business-plan.
b. The Mayer also recommended Café Roma submit a letter to ANC6A requesting a support letter for a zoning special exemption to include a bakery on premises
c. Forest Hayes and Chris Taylor have contact RCA for Café Roma’s contact information, The Mayor’s Office of Community Relations & Services is going to have a member of the Department of Small and Local Business Development work with Café Roma.

6. C Street, NE (between 21st to 16th Streets)
a. RCA asked for the Mayor’s support for transforming C Street from a minor arterial commuter & commercial cut-through corridor to a green, multi-modal, residential gateway for the Greater Capitol Hill community. Mayor is open to the idea. Asked for more information once DDOT had a scope-of-work and proposed designs
b. Requested Mayor support RCA request for MPD-SOD to erect a permanent speed camera for east- & west-bound traffic lanes. Mayor did not specifically address
c. Requested the Mayor support reducing one west-bound traffic lane immediately after the Benning Road reconstruction project is completed. As is RCA’s intent, the Mayor would support it as long as it did not adversely affect adjacent neighborhood street traffic volumes

7. Future of RFK Stadium
a. Mayor stated he has not been in any formal discussions with anyone about potential uses for the property, any type of redevelopment would be a long, long way into the future and would go through the proper community review

8. Mayor’s thoughts on how President Obama may or may not support DC during his term
a. Mayor is confident the President will support DC voting rights if it makes it to his desk
b. Mayor is hopeful the President will support DC’s efforts to fix it schools, how is to be seen.

Fenty Leads Inspection of Rosedale

(From Maureen Benitz, RCA member)

--- Wednesday, November 7: We started around 2:45 from 17th and Kramer. There were probably about 50 people - far more DC employees that citizens. Included were the Mayor, several of his staff, and representatives of several departments - DPW, DDOT, MPD, DCRA, etc. We walked through the alley between Rosedale and Kramer, heading from 17th to 16th. We cut through the vacant lot(s) at the corner of 16th and Kramer and then went through the alley between Kramer and Gales heading 16th to 17th. We then walked on Gales to 15th St, turned south on 15 and walked through Miner Elementary School (parking lot). We then went through the alley between Rosedale and F. We finished by exiting on 17th and walking back to Kramer. Took about 35-40 mins.

--- Basic /common problems:

• lots that aren't secure (either due to construction or vacant)
• trash (LOTS)
• tree/stumps that need to be removed
• abandoned cars
• no work permits for construction
• illegal construction
• vacant lots with trash/debris/cars

--- We basically found issues and Fenty would get the appropriate person to take notes, photos, etc. My guess is that there were about 50-75 issues - some smaller (ie, trash in cans and put out too soon for Thurs pick up) and some are much larger. Photos and notes were taken of all issues and he promised to come back in 2 weeks to follow up. We will meet at 2:30 on Weds 11/21 (yes, Weds before Thanksgiving) for a progress report. I have no idea how quickly these changes can take place, but he seemed confident that some of this can be done ASAP.

--- Interestingly, at least 3 teenagers along the way came up to him and were calling out to him. There happened to be a rep from DC Employment there and he got those teenagers in touch with that person. He definitely was able to handle the calls and yelling from the people in their houses very well. I am sure that Simone Green from the Mayor's office will be sending out an email, but this was my informal recap of the walk through.