Friday, September 16, 2011

ANC 6C Formal Recommendations

To the Task Force,

Last night, September 15, 2011, at the duly noticed, regularly scheduled, monthly meeting of ANC 6C, with a quorum of 7 out of 9 commissioners and the public present, the commissioners voted on redistricting as follows:

Support of the Goodman map and its component SMD boundaries proposed for ANC 6C:  5:0:2. (2 abstentions).

Support of the redistricting recommendations for ANC 6C: 7:0:0.

One note of explanation:  The question arose last night from the audience regarding how ANC 6C functioned with 8 commissioners, an even number.  We have had tie votes, but fortunately on those occasions the motions before us have not had major consequences, such as a developer proposal or a PUD.  We have been functioning well for years with 9 commissioners,  until last year when we lost our 6C03 commissioner.  We function best with an odd number of commissioners, thus we seek a seventh SMD.

Attached are the ANC 6C recommendations, a verbal description of the boundaries of 6C and its component SMDs, and a scenario that shows how ANC 6B would be affected if the Task Force provides ANC 6C with a seventh SMD at its southern border.

Thank you for your consideration of our ANC 6C recommendations.  Please let me know if there is anything else you need to make your decisions regarding ANC 6C.

On behalf of ANC 6C,
Karen Wirt, 6C chair

ANC 6C Formal Recommendations

1.  Cohesive Communities
            We recognize the opportunity to bring together the northwest communities from the current ANC 2C to our north with the northernmost ANC 6C communities because of constituents’ similar interests and issues as NoMa and North Capitol corridor development continue to move through their neighborhood.  We believe that ANC experience in dealing with developers in ANC 6C01, 02, and 03 will provide guidance as this development proceeds.  Thus we recommend that 6C01, 02, and 03 join with the four current 2C SMDs to form a new ANC 6E.

            Similarly, the extension of ANC 6C’s southern border to Independence Avenue also satisfies the criterion of grouping residents into ANCs where they are likely to have similar interests, concerns and preferences in the Capitol Hill historic district.  In fact the interests and preferences of residents living between G Street NE and East Capitol are identical for the residents between East Capitol and Independence.  Thus we recommend that an SMD be created at the southern border of the current ANC 6C to make a seventh SMD.

2.  Balance in the Size of Ward 6 ANCs
            ANC 6C believes that seven is a logical number in terms of operations and provides a sufficient number to get things done.  Six SMDs can result in a tie vote, whereas seven does not, and this is particularly important as NoMa developers continue to come before ANC 6C as the area to our north grows.

            A better balance would be created in Ward 6 and hence the workload better distributed if the number of SMDs in each Ward 6 ANC is more evenly divided:  6D and 6E each have seven SMDs; 6A has 8; 6B would have 9 if 6C were to have a seventh SMD.   Thus we recommend that for effective functioning of the workload both across Ward 6 and within 6C, a seventh SMD is needed in 6C.

3.  Natural and Built Features
            On the west end of Capitol Hill, we share the same natural and built features by living close to the U.S. Capitol complex, the Supreme Court, the Folger Library, and the Library of Congress as well as the multi-modal transportation systems provided by Union Station.  In our proposed 6C map three of the seven SMDs have contact with these national buildings, share the unique advantages and disadvantages, and will be better able to represent the residents living between East Capitol and Independence Avenue.  Compared with only one SMD having to deal with these challenges in the current 6B, we recommend that having three SMDs represent the constituents near these structures will provide a greater voice both within 6C and for the City at large.

4.  Cut-aways or “Thumbs” into the ANC 6C area Proposed by Other ANCs

            A.  Block between H and I, 7th and 8th Streets – Although we understand 6A’s concern to this cut-away block in its ANC in order to have party status in zoning discussions of the 600 block of H Street NE, we also have given years of effort to developing a viable H Street corridor.  We believe that this block should be retained in 6C to avoid breaking up the neighborhood cohesiveness. We believe that 8th Street is a natural border between 6A and 6C as it is a major north-south corridor.

            6C agrees with the Task Force analysis that 200 feet is NOT a standard to determine whether or not an ANC would have standing in a zoning case.  It is a resident notification standard.

            6C is concerned that this request is solely based on gaining standing for hearings on buildings, whereas we are concerned with cohesiveness of our constituent neighborhoods.  We find no guideline that supports a redistricting change based solely to gain party status for  future development projects.

            Moreover, 6C would support 6A’s participation in discussion of 6C zoning cases on the 600 block of H Street.
           
            We recommend no cut-away for this block.

            B.  South of Massachusetts Avenue NW – Similarly, ANC 6C understands the current 2C (future 6E) request to retain area adjacent to the I-395 Freeway (south of Massachusetts Ave, east of 395, north of E St NW, and west of New Jersey Ave NW) so that they can exert their influence in air rights zoning over 395,  but removing the 283 residents in this area has serious consequences for 6C to maintain the current 6 SMDs, which have 11,932 residents.  Removing these residents would mean several SMDs would significantly and negatively affect  the required number of residents in these SMDs.

            Having represented this area for decades, ANC 6C understands the common natural features of the area  to the west of Union Station as well as the challenges the hotels and CCNV shelter bring to these residents.

            6C would support 6E’s participation in discussion of 6C zoning regarding development of air rights over I-395.    

            Thus we recommend no cut-away of this area.

            C.  Extension of 6E along K Street to Union Station – ANC 6C does not support extending 6E along K Street to Union Station using unpopulated census blocks to gain party status on development.  North Capital is a natural boundary as it is a major transportation corridor that is several times larger than a typical street.

            We recommend no cut-away of this area.

Approved Map
Description of ANC 6C Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast, Northwest and Southeast quadrants.
·         Beginning at the intersection of North Capitol, NE and New York Ave, NE;
·         Northeast on New York Avenue, NE to Florida Avenue, NE;
·         Southeast on Florida Avenue, NE to 8th Street, NE;
·         South on 8th Street, NE to Independence Avenue, SE;
·         West on Independence Avenue, SE to South Capitol Street, SE;
·         North on South Capitol Street, SE to Constitution Avenue, NW;
·         West on Constitution Avenue, NW to Highway 395;
·         North on Highway 395 to Massachusetts Avenue, NW;
·         Southeast on Massachusetts Avenue, NW to North Capitol, NE;
·         North on North Capitol Street to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6C01 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of North Capitol and New York Ave;
·         Northeast on New York Avenue to Florida Avenue,
·         Southeast on Florida Avenue to 8th Street
·         South on 8th Street to K Street;
·         West on K Street to 5th Street;
·         North on 5th Street to L Street;
·         West on L Street to North Capitol
·         North Capitol Street to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6C02 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of North Capitol and L Street;
·         East on L Street to 5th Street;
·         South on 5th Street to K Street;
·         East on K Street to 8th Street;
·         South on 8th Street to H Street;
·         West on H Street to North Capitol;
·         North Capitol Street to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6C03 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast and Northwest quadrants.
·         Beginning at the intersection of North Capitol, NE and H Street, NE;
·         East on H Street, NE to 3rd Street, NE;
·         South on 3rd Street, NE to G Street, NE;
·         East on G Street, NE to 4th Street, NE;
·         South on 4th Street, NE to D Street, NE;
·         West on D Street, NE to 2nd Street, NE;
·         South on 2nd Street, NE to Constitution Avenue, NE;
·         West on Constitution Avenue, NE to a line extending 395;
·         North on a line extending 395 to Massachusetts Avenue, NW;
·         Southeast on Massachusetts Avenue, NW to North Capitol, NE;
·         North on North Capitol, NE to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6C04 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 3rd Street and H Street;
·         East on H Street to 8th Street;
·         South on 8th Street to E Street;
·         West on E Street to 4th Street;
·         North on 4th Street to G Street;
·         West on G Street to 3rd Street;
·         North on 3rd Street to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6C05 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 4th Street and E Street;
·         East on E Street to 6th Street;
·         South on 6th Street to A Street;
·         West on A Street to 2nd Street;
·         North on 2nd Street to D Street;
·         East on D Street to 4th Street;
·         North on 4th Street to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6C06 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 6th Street and E Street;
·         East on E Street to 8th Street;
·         South on 8th Street to East Capitol;
·         West on East Capitol to 6th Street;
·         North on 6th Street to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6C03 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Northeast and Southeast quadrants.
·         Beginning on a line extending North Capitol, NE and Constitution Avenue, NE;
·         East on Constitution Avenue, NE to 2nd Street, NE;
·         South on 2nd Street, NE to A Street, NE;
·         West on A Street, NE to 6th Street, NE;
·         South on 6th Street, NE to East Capitol, NE;
·         East on East Capitol Street, NE to 8th Street, NE;
·         South on 8th Street, SE to Independence Ave, SE;
·         East on Independence Avenue, SE to extending South Capitol Street, SE;
·         North on a line extending South Capitol Street, SE to the point of beginning.


Conditional Recommendation:  If the W6TF adopts ANC 6C’s recommendation to extend the southern boundary to Independence Avenue, ANC 6C then would recommend the W6TF consider adopting the below alternative for ANC 6B that was posted on the W6TF blog (http://w6tf.blogspot.com/2011/09/anc-6b-with-independence-avenue.html). 

ANC 6C only makes this recommendation as our proposed boundary change impacts ANC 6B and our Commission wanted to be in compliance with the instructions issued on August 18th:

“If the recommendations include boundary changes, a copy of the maps, census count by SMD – as well as the draft text language for the ANC/SMD boundaries – must be included in the package.”

So in addition to meeting the requirements for ANC 6C proposed changes, we have recommended an alternative for ANC 6B – to include the required draft text language.




Description of ANC 6B Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning on a line extending South Capitol Street at the intersection of Independence Avenue;
·         East on Independence Ave to 8th Street;
·         North on 8th Street to East Capitol;
·         East on East Capitol to 19th Street;
·         South on 19th Street to E Street;
·         East on E Street to a line extending 20th Street, NE;
·         South on a line extending 20th Street, NE to a line extending G Street;
·         East on a line extending G Street to the Anacostia River bank;
·         South on a line extending Anacostia River bank to a line extending H Street;
·         East on a line extending H Street to the middle of the Anacostia River;
·         Southwest on a line extending the middle of the Anacostia River to a line extending 11 Street;
·         North on a line extending 11th Street to M Street;
·         West on M Street to 7th Street;
·         North on 7th Street to middle of the Southwest Freeway;
·         Northwest on the middle of the Southwest Freeway to South Capitol Street;
·         North on South Capitol Street, SE on a line extending to the point of beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B01 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning on a line extending South Capitol Street at the intersection of Independence Avenue;
·         East on Independence Ave to 8th Street;
·         South on 8th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue;
·         Northwest on Pennsylvania Avenue to 7th Street;
·         South on 7th  Street to D Street;
·         West on D Street North Carolina
·         Southwest on North Carolina E Street
·         West on E Street to South Capitol Street
·         North on South Capitol Street on a line extending to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B02 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of E Street and South Capitol;
·         East on E Street to North Carolina;
·         Northeast on North Carolina Avenue to D Street;
·         East on D Street to 7th Street;
·         North on 7th Street to Pennsylvania Avenue;
·         Southeast on Pennsylvania Avenue to 8th Street;
·         South on 8th Street to G Street;
·         East on G Street to 7th Street;
·         South on 7th Street to a split census block line between G Street and Ellen Wilson Place;
·         West on a line extending a split census block line between G Street and Ellen Wilson Place to 6th Street;
·         North on 6th Street to G Street;
·         West on G Street to 5th Street;
·         South on 5th Street to Southwest Freeway;
·         Northwest on Southwest Freeway to South Capitol Street;
·         North on South Capitol Street to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B03 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 5th Street and G Street;
·         East on G Street to 6th Street;
·         South on 6th Street to a split census block between G Street and Ellen Wilson Place;
·         East on a split census block between G Street and Ellen Wilson Place to 7th Street;
·         North on 7th Street to G Street;
·         East on G Street to 14th Street;
·         South on a line extending 14th Street to Ives Places;
·         West on Ives Place to Potomac Avenue;
·         Southwest on Potomac Avenue to I Street;
·         West on I Street to 5th Street;
·         North on 5th Street to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B04 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 8th Street and East Capitol;
·         East on East Capitol on a line extending through Lincoln Park to 13th Street;
·         South on 13th Street to C Street;
·         West on C Street to 8th Street;
·         North on 8th Street to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B05 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 8th Street and C Street;
·         East on C Street to 13th Street;
·         South on 13th street C Street (not a typo, C Street shifts at South Carolina);
·         West on C Street Kentucky Ave;
·         Southeast on Kentucky Ave to D Street;
·         West on D Street to a split census block between 14th Street and 13th Street;
·         South on the split census block between 14th Street and 13th Street to G Street;
·         West on G Street to 8th Street;
·         North on 8th Street to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B06 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 7th and I Street;
·         East on I Street to 13th Street;
·         Northeast on Potomac Ave to Ives Place;
·         West on Ives Place to 14th Street;
·         North on 14th Street to Pennsylvania Ave;
·         Southeast on Pennsylvania Ave on a line extending to the middle of the Anacostia River;
·         Southwest on a line extending the middle of the Anacostia River to a line extending 11 Street;
·         North on a line extending 11th Street to M Street;
·         West on M Street to 7th Street;
·         North on 7th Street to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B07 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 13th Street and East Capitol;
·         East on East Capitol Street to 15th Street;
·         South on 15th Street to A Street;
·         East on A Street to 16th Street;
·         South on 16th Street to D Street;
·         West on D Street to Kentucky Avenue;
·         Northwest on Kentucky Avenue to C Street;
·         West on C Street to 13th Street;
·         North on 13th to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B08 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Beginning at the intersection of 15th Street and East Capitol;
·         East on East Capitol to 19th Street;
·         South on 19th Street to Massachusetts Avenue;
·         Northwest on Massachusetts Avenue to 18th Street;
·         South on 18th Street to D Street;
·         West on D Street to 16th Street;
·         North on 16th Street to A Street;
·         West on A Street to 15th Street;
·         North on 15th Street to the beginning.

Description of Single Member District (SMD) 6B09 Boundaries
·         All streets are located in the Southeast quadrant.
·         Starting at the intersection of a split census block between 14th Street and 13th Street and D Street;
·         East on D Street to 18th Street
·         North on 18th Street to Massachusetts Ave
·         Southeast on Massachusetts Ave to 19th Street
·         South on 19th Street to E Street
·         East on E Street to a line extending 20th Street, NE;
·         South on a line extending 20th Street, NE to a line extending G Street;
·         East on a line extending G Street to the Anacostia River bank;
·         South on a line extending Anacostia River bank to a line extending H Street;
·         East on a line extending H Street to the middle of the Anacostia River;
·         Southwest on a line extending the middle of the Anacostia River to Pennsylvania Avenue;
·         North west on Pennsylvania Ave to 14th Street;
·         North on 14th Street to G Street;
·         West on G Street to a split census block between 14th Street and 13th Street;
·         North on a split census block between 14th Street and 13th Street to the point of beginning.

9 comments:

  1. i support the cut away of section B. south of massachusetts avenue nw because leaving it as is UNNATURAL. there is little or nothing natural about keeping this section in 6C and i reject the claim that someone from Stanton Park can speak for someone who lives at the 2nd and D NW homeless shelter. keeping this section in 6C is more about turf(real estate)than representing human beings and to suggest other wise is ridiculous. 6E should extend south of Massachusetts Avenue to Constitution Avenue NW. East to Louisiana and then Northeast to North Capitol St. Before 1990 this section we speak of was in Ward 2. So to suggest a historic link for 2 decades to this neighborhood 6C relies on short term memory.

    ReplyDelete
  2. @richard 446

    Enough with this tiresome Stanton Park bashing. You've changed your proposed 6E/6C boundary with every comment, but you always manage to insult your Ward 6 neighbors. Why?

    The area in question has been in 6C for the past decade. And even with those ~300 residents, the average SMD size in the proposed 6C is less than 1900. It just doesn't work to move those areas to the new 6E.

    ReplyDelete
  3. In the same resolution, 6C claims that 8th St, which currently isn't the dividing line between 6A and 6C above H Street is a "natural" border, but apparently East Capitol St, which has been an ANC border for at least 20 years is not a "natural" border because they want their southern boundary to extend to Independence Ave.

    6C Commissioners are having a hard time making self-consistent arguments for expanding their territory. Hope the Task Force doesn't buy into this nonsense.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Looks like 6C's argument for needing 7 commissioners keeps changing. It used to be that several commissioners had busy travel schedules and missed a lot of meeting so they worried about making quorum. No it is they are worried about tie votes.

    6B has had 10 seated commissioners and 6A has had 8 commissioners for the past decade and no one has proposed to "fix" the situation by giving them an odd number of commissioners. 6C never ran well with 9 commissioners or 8 commissioners -- doubt having 6 or 7 commissioners will make much of a difference.

    ReplyDelete
  5. @12:45, 12:57

    8th is more natural than 7th, and the 6A/6C border is *already* mostly along 8th. Straight lines are always better, if possible. And certainly East Capitol OR Independence are natural boundaries.

    As for the # of commissioners, 6C has consistently said that one of the main reasons was to avoid ties. A six member commission is much more likely to gridlock than an 8 or 10 member commission. It's also important to have the ANCs in Ward 6 be similar sizes. And whatever 2C says, just because they currently work fine, doesn't negate the past several decades when they couldn't function.

    Besides, 6C runs just fine. Seriously, what are they doing that you disagree with? Have you ever been to one of their meetings?

    ReplyDelete
  6. (*I meant years, not decades.)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Part 1
    It is imperative that our ANCs be equally sized. The 5% margin that is being carefully applied to the SMDs should also be applied to the ANCs. The disadvantages of size are obvious: (1) Political power and influence are subject to size; (2) Financial resources are allocated according to size and (3) The smaller the ANC, the more difficult it is to function fully--to achieve a quorum every month, and to recruit enough members to fully staff committees.

    This is the community's voice in a cacophony of already louder, better paid and better practiced voices--to dilute this voice any further is a betrayal of our efforts. The only sensible, defensible boundary is North Capitol, and to a somewhat lesser extent, South Capitol. Every other boundary is arbitrary.


    The effort to gerrymander along North Capitol is understandable, but wrong, nevertheless. The current 6C has worked hard for years on developments in near NW, but that does not mean they own them. A clean cut down North Capitol would give each ANC a big air rights project-- 395 to E and Union Station to C. Additionally, it has only been 10 years that North Capitol was not a boundary, not only for the ANCs, but for Ward 6.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Part 2
    Arguments for balancing size should be addressed elsewhere than North Capitol, where the extant boundaries are arbitrary, such as East Capitol and 8th Street. Once NW and SW are separated, what we have left is the greater Hill, a contiguous square with one wedge missing, basically M to O, O to 25th, minus the wedge north of Florida/Benning. Any divisions within that square are going to be arbitrary. As much as North Capitol is an obvious boundary, the exact opposite is true of East Capitol--it is not a boundary, divides nothing, defines nothing. In fact, none of our major thoroughfares constitutes a boundary--neither Maryland, Mass, H or Pennsylvania divides neighborhoods--they are simply arteries.

    We recognize that the greater Hill is a patchwork of sub-neighborhoods, but is still a cohesive whole, with more internal commonalities and differences from the rest of the city. There are distinctions within, and the centers will have more commonality by definition than the edges do with each other, with similarities thinning with distance. And the center will always be more congruous than any of the edges. But there is a seamless commonality.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Part 3
    And so, the next question is: into how many ANCs should the greater Hill be divided? The choices are either 2 very large ones, or 3 mid-sized ones.

    If it is acceptable to have one supersized ANC, such as B is now, then it is acceptable to have 2 such large ANCs (by the theory of what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander). If there are to be 2 large ANCs, then the next question is whether to divide into north and south, or east and west. These are two equally justifiable and equally problematic choices. But either way, whether the greater Hill is to be divided into north and south, or east and west, the boundary street should be chosen as the one which creates the most equal parts, regardless of how heavily traveled the corridor. No obvious boundary streets exist--not by width, number of lanes, fame, purported status, attractions or affection.

    If instead the preference is for 3 mid-sized ANCs, then that division should also be made to keep the sizes equal, and to keep areas together, without gerrymandering. Dividing a square (minus a wedge) into 3 equal parts is challenging, but if the cut is to remain in a [(n) inverted] T-shape, then both the north/south and the east/west lines should be moved to even out the sizes. There is nothing sacred about either East Capitol or 8th Street. Yes, change is hard, and some strong ties must be severed, but no one should be faulted for caring.

    Thank you to Joe Fengler and the task force for keeping civility in a process that historically brings out the worst behavior in everyone.

    It’s too bad that there are conflicting important meetings (what else is new?) on Monday September 19-- Ward 6 redistricting and the Eastern Market governance legislation proposed by Tommy Wells @ EM North Hall; and again on Thursday September 22nd when the final W6TF meeting conflicts with Capitol Bikeshare's 1st birthday bash at Yards Park.

    Thank you very much--
    Bobbi Krengel

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.