American Century Theater presents

The American Century Theater is bringing A Piece of My Heart, a celebration of women who served and sacrificed in the Vietnam War, to Washington D.C. this November 6th - 21st. They are performing at the historic theater space of the Mount Vernon Place United Methodist Church, 900 Massachusetts Avenue, NW.


A Piece of My Heart is the story of six women-- before, during and after the Vietnam War. Based on Keith Walker’s book of the same name, the play is a collage of sound and imagery pinpointing the significant moments in each woman’s journey. The reality of the play occurs at the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial Wall in Washington, DC. At the moment of dedication, memories come flooding back, transporting the audience to the beginning. We see six young women make the choice to serve and the consequences of those decisions on the course and direction of their lives. They return different people who must reconcile their need to serve humanity with the horrors they experienced during war. It is a piece about transcendence that deals with the themes of service, heroism, life, death, trauma, forgiveness, sacrifice, despair, depression, rejection, friendship and rebirth. A Piece of My Heart features the unsung heroes often overlooked in history until now.

Running time: 2 hours, 15 minutes, with one intermission.

Upcoming ANC6C committee meetings

ANC 6C committee meetings upcoming next week:

ANC 6C Planning, Zoning and the Environment Committee
Wednesday, November 4th, 7:00pm
NPR – Board Room West
635 Massachusetts Avenue, NW

1. Sixth and K Sts NW (550 K St NW) - Request for 2-year extension to begin development. Representative: Chip Glasgow Holland & Knight. Hearing Nov. 20.
   
2. 225 E Street NE - HPRB case, removal of existing two-story addition to the rear of the house and construction of a new two-story addition. Representative: Greg Zahn (Architect). Hearing Nov 19.
   
3. NPR Concept design, 1111 North Capitol St N.E. Representative: Maury Schlesinger, NPR Hearing Date: unknown

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ANC 6C ABL Committee
Tuesday, November 3rd, 5:30pm
Specialty Hospital, 700 Constitution Ave. NE (entrance on 7th St.)

Draft Agenda
1. New license application for Carmine's

CARMINE'S ITALIAN RESTAURANT
425 7th St N.W.
CR (restaurant) license

NATURE OF OPERATION
New Italian family style restaurant with occupancy load of 720 featuring southern Italian cuisine and a summer garden with 18 seats.

HOURS OF OPERATION
Sunday through Saturday 7 am – 2 am

HOURS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE SALES/SERVICE/CONSUMPTION
Sunday 10 am – 2 am & Monday through Saturday 8 am – 2 am

SUMMER GARDEN HOURS OF OPERATION AND
SALES/SERVICE/CONSUMPTION OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
Sunday through Saturday 11 am – 2 am

Latest Bisnow update on 425 Eye

Commercial Real Estate news site Bisnow has provided another update on Paramount Group's renovation of 425 Eye Street NW.

John Bone of Paramount Group

It’s a great value play at low to mid-40s full service) and on schedule to deliver Q1 ‘10. It’ll have all new lobby, common areas, bathrooms, fitness facilities, and rooftop deck, and he adds that 4th and I is a "perfect" place for a restaurant.

Paramount has selected Bill Miller of Transwestern Retail to lease the 29,000 SF of ground floor retail space. Transwestern has been a key player in the downtown retail scene signing Buddha Bar for 455 Mass and listing Coco Sala, PS7, Proof and Cork & Fork among their deals.


Transwestern's website lists 22 tenants actively looking available space in the DC Metro Area. Any of the 22 seem like a fit? I think Humble or Marvelous Market might work. While I know there is a hunger for diners among district residents I can't say Metro Silver Diner really appeals to me. That seems like it should have signed on at DCUSA...

Roundup from just outside the 'hood

City Center: The new gastropub Againn, that we previously shared details on, has opened across the street from City Center at 1099 New York Ave. [Eater, Thrillist]

image of Againn interior courtesy of Eater

Northwest One: The next phase of nearby Northwest One will be 300 residential units at North Capitol and Patterson. [DCMud]

Chinatown: Nick Cho, who helped Max Brown get Chinatown Coffee off the ground, has been indicted for past tax evasion at the former Murky Coffee on Capitol Hill. [WBJ, PQLiving ]

Mayor's Office: Cary Silverman outlines the rift between Fenty and our City Council. [The Other 35 Percent]

Mr. (& Mrs.) Gates Goes To Washington

by Laetitia; cross posted at FrenchTwistDC

"If you came for the hockey game, you need to go across the street. If you came for Shakespeare, you need to come another night." But we were at the right place, at the right time. Last night, I joined some 250 diplomats, hill staffers, administration officials and other guests at Harman Hall to hear Bill & Melinda Gates present The Living Proof Project.

The Gates went to Washington to urge lawmakers to continue spending money on global health initiatives despite the economic crisis and the soaring deficit. Describing themselves as "Impatient Optimists" they shared with us success stories of people whose lives have been changed thanks to U.S. investments in global health initiatives. They drew on history to illustrate that diseases - smallpox for example - can be eradicated and spoke of the terrific progress made in the fight against malaria. A picture speaks a thousand words and the presentation was interspersed with beautiful footage of "living proofs:" a father in Nicaragua whose child was saved by having access to the Rotavirus vaccine or an orphan in South Africa whose life was prolonged when she got access to AIDS medicine.


While they touted the success stories, they also highlighted how far we still need to go and how slow progress can be at time. Millions of lives have been saved, improved and empowered because of the investments in global health made by the U.S. and its partners around the world. But there are millions more "living proofs" yet to come and the pace of progress is often slower than it should be...

We were treated to an acapela performance by Vocal Motion 6, a PEPFAR funded Namibian group that educates it audience about HIV through music. It also ended with an appeal by Bill & Melinda gates to share these Living Proofs with others. So I am taking a quick break from D.C. food and culture to ask you to view this compelling presentation in its entirety one the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation website.

Modern Classics

Through ongoing contributions from Danny Harris, the Prince of Petworth blog recently featured a conversation with Wellesley Scott of Modern Classics about his passion for Vespas.

Wellesley is a former Vespa Washington employee who signed a lease for a 6000 SF space at 955 V Street NE to start Modern Classics. This new business will service most makes of scooters and motorcycles and sell quality gear and accessories.

I never would have known about Modern Classics if not for the PoP posting so it seemed appropriate to pay it forward by getting the word out in this forum.

Any other scooter owners among the Triangle readership? I saw a brand new black Vespa being delivered to Madrigal Lofts on Monday morning.

Lunar Massage featured in Business Week

Joanna Robinson of Lunar Massage (1101 5th Street NW) is featured this month's edition of Business Week Small Business. The cover story entitled Beyond Eureka outlines a 5 step process for entrepreneurs that deliberately pick their product. Joanna was one of the 20 entrepreneurs BW profiled and they selected her photo for cover of the magazine.

For past blog coverage of the Lunar Massage follow this link.

Introducing Mt. Vernon Square Bed and Breakfast

Mount Vernon Square has a new Bed & Breakfast.

From Keith Byrd:

Mount Vernon Square Bed and Breakfast is the new business venture for Lydia Goring and her husband, Keith Byrd. Located at 400 M Street NW. Our hard work for the last six months decorating, renovating and upgrading has culminated in the opening of Mount Vernon Square's own bed and breakfast.

We have four bedrooms, two with private in-suite bathrooms and two share a hallway bathroom. Wireless internet connection is available throughout the property and an optional wireless laser printer (B/W) can be provided for in-room use. Most bedrooms have king size beds, flat screen TV's, cable service, access to refrigerators, microwaves, and coffee makers. Each room is decorated and furnished with the goal of providing an elegantly comfortable setting. Please connect to our website www.mvsbb.com for more information or call us at 202-399-6345

Google Earth 1949

Yesterday we featured 1999 satellite images of sites of current MVT new construction buildings. Overwhelmingly the sites were occupied by massive surface parking lots. That was not always the case.

click to enlarge; 1949 image from Google Earth

Above is a low-res 1949 satellite aerial image of the Triangle that pre-dated the construction of I-395. While the black and white image very grainy you can see the land use included tightly packed buildings with absolutely no large parking lots.

Google Earth 1999 - part three

The Google Earth tool has a feature that displays historical satellite images from selected points in time. I thought it would be interesting to review images from last decade that pre-date all the new construction development we see today.

Not surprisingly much of what existed in 1999 was surface parking lots. But there are structures visible on many of these sites. Where these vacant buildings or did they host residences or businesses. Feel free to share the 411 in the comments.

Yale Lofts Condominiums:

555 Mass and Hampton Inn:

City Vista:

Click on any of the images to enlarge.

Google Earth 1999 - part two

The Google Earth tool has a feature that displays historical satellite images from selected points in time. I thought it would be interesting to review images from last decade that pre-date all the new construction development we see today.

Not surprisingly much of what existed in 1999 was surface parking lots. But there are structures visible on many of these sites. Where these vacant buildings or did they host residences or businesses. Feel free to share the 411 in the comments.

The DuMont and 455 Mass:

The Sonata, Madrigal Lofts and Mitchell Mayer Building:

Click on any of the images to enlarge.

Google Earth 1999 - part one

The Google Earth tool has a feature that displays historical satellite images from selected points in time. I thought it would be interesting to review images from last decade that pre-date all the new construction development we see today.

Not surprisingly much of what existed in 1999 was surface parking lots. But there are structures visible on many of these sites. Where these vacant buildings or did they host residences or businesses. Feel free to share the 411 in the comments.

Mass Court Apartments:

400 Mass Condominiums:

Meridian at Gallery Place Apartments:

Click on any of the images to enlarge.

GGW recaps last nite's streetcar forum

Last night DDOT unveiled their proposed 8-line 3 phase implementation of a streetcar network at their Ward 6 session. Greater Greater Washington has summarized the details from the forum.

I anticipate writing more about this in the near future but the quick and dirty is that lines along K Street through MVT did earn priority for the proposed Phase 1.

Below is an zoom of the larger Phase 1 map that shows MVT will have one-seat trips to Foggy Bottom to the West, H Street/Benning to the East, plus Barracks Row and Anacostia to the South.

click to enlarge; image is an inset from DDOT's proposed Phase 1 streetcar map

Georgetown would become a new one-seat destination for the K Street line by Phase 2 and of course once you begin to consider the possible destinations with transfers the connectivity is amazing.

Great wall of AIPAC

The parking lot between the Mitchell Mayer building (home to AIPAC) and the I-395 Air shaft has been an chain link blighted eye sore since I moved into the neighborhood. This week a masonry wall was erected to match the texture of the office building. While the chain link fence has not been removed yet - I have to imagine it will soon go.

First image is a before shot from Google Streetview and the subsequent images are snapshots from today.

Fourth Street Construction to Start on October 26

An announcement on the MVT CID website declares Fourth Street construction will begin next week. I assume this means Sigal construction should stop commandeering a full lane of traffic in their renovations of 425 Eye.

The DC Department of Transportation has announced that the 4th Street NW streetscape construction will begin on October 26th. The project will widen 4th Street NW and accommodate two-way traffic from L Street, NW south to Massachusetts Avenue, NW. Capitol Paving, a DC firm, was awarded the contract by DDOT, and construction should last nine months. Fourth Street is Phase II of the streetscape construction that started with the L Street streetscape completed in 2008 for the opening of Safeway.

Below is the writeup of this project from a posting I originally wrote in June:

The plans for the upgrades to Fourth Street are outlined in the Final Report for the Mount Vernon Triangle Transportation and Public Realm Design Project.

click to enlarge; image from 2005 DDOT Studies

In the study, Fourth Street improvements include:

• Restore two-way traffic from L Street to Mass Ave
  
• New traffic light at Fourth and Eye
  
• Removal of a traffic island on the NW corner of Fourth and Mass
  
• Reconfiguration of the Fourth, Mass and H Street intersection
  
• Redesign slip intersection of Third and H Streets

To accommodate these changes Fourth Street will be widened to support two way traffic. On street parking will be available on both sides of the street for the 900 and 1000 blocks. The widening on the west shoulder of 800 block will push back from the DuMont's temporary yellow curb to the true sidewalk. On the east side of the 800 block DDOT will reclaim a few feet of the Madrigal Lofts sidewalk. This has always been the plan and is why the trees were planted off center in the tree boxes to be closer to the condo building than the street. The final configuration of the 800 block segment will feature two southbound lanes, one northbound lane and on-street parking on the east side of the street.

Can't pick one? Go with two and stack them

Lot's of debate in the discussion on retail suggestions for 924 5th Street. Very strong support for a nail salon from the ladies and some loyal husbands. Others lust for a more inspired choice.


Perhaps the compromise is a Nail Salon on the second floor with one of the other discussed options such as a pet store on the ground floor? It was brought to my attention that Annie Nail Salon in Georgetown is on the second floor of a row house.

I think most in the community would view that as a creative win-win. Would it be a non-starter for the new landlord? My loose understanding is that the vision is for the 2nd and 3rd floors to be bundled together as office space. If a second floor use doesn't also also consume the third floor it may render the top floor too isolated to easily lease.

Union Station movie theatres closed

The Phoenix Theatres at Union Station closed on October 12th without much fanfare. The only coverage this month from the Washingtonpost is regarding a congregation that had held Sunday mass services in the movie theatre for the last 13 years.

I can't seem to dig up much on the plans for renovations for Union Station. Ashkenazy Acquisition has purchased the leasehold interest on Union Station in 2007. I believe their aim is to dramatically upgrade the retail and restaurant offerings by eliminating these theatres and revamping the food court.

Editor's note: I wrote this post around 8am this morning and queued it up for 1pm. Seems in the interim DCist ran a similar post on the story.

Vacant buildings take steps towards progress

Our last report on the saga of the "Ledo Building" at 433 Mass was that the city notified to the owners that the building would be demolished if it remained unsecured. It turns out this has closed the chapter on the Spriggs family as the bank has sold the property out from underneath them.


No details yet on the identity of the new owner or their plans for the property.

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In other news on old buildings in the Triangle, the old High G Paint building located at 924 Fifth Street NW has been sold. This 3 level structure lies within the Mount Vernon Triangle Historic District.


The new owner of this property is interested in placing retail on the ground floor and has approached the MVT CID for suggestions. What type of tenant for this 1300 1650 SF space, that is just steps away from 5th and K, would both flourish and complement the existing uses in the neighborhood? Suggestions I heard at the MVT Marketing Committee meeting included a chocolate bar like ACKC, or a housewares store like Home Rule. What are your thoughts? Keep in mind the size constraints of the space.

Reuters newswire highlights City Vista K

The Reuters newswire featured an article today on the brisk sales at the City Vista K. The article referred to City Vista's #1 placement in the McWilliams-Ballard study on the DC regions top selling condos the first six months of 2009.

"Despite a very challenging economy, buyers continue to be attracted by CityVista's high quality, modern condominiums, great variety of ground floor amenities, and the chance to live in an urban setting that offers so much open park space," noted Joe Carrol, assistant vice president of Lowe Enterprises Real Estate Group.

In 2007, the project won Delta Associates' prestigious award for Best Mid-Atlantic Neighborhood Impact Condominium Community for the critical role it has played in the revitalization of the Mount Vernon Triangle. In 2008, CityVista was named the best Multifamily Project by the Washington Business Journal.

October MVSNA Meeting

This month's MVSNA membership meeting will be held on Tuesday October 20th at 7:30pm in the community room of the Yale Loft condominiums (437 New York Ave NW).


The October edition of the MVSNA newsletter is available online [here].

Triangle Times - Fall '09 edition

The Fall '09 edition of the Triangle Times newsletter is available on the MVT CID Website in PDF form.


A photo excerpt of a newsletter item regarding the Mount Vernon Square Picnic is below.


This edition also touches on news regarding Taylor Gourmet, the High Tea Society and the the new public art installation coming to 5th & K. Read the newsletter for the full scoops.

DDOT interview, Steuart stalls and IPhone Bliss

• DDOT director Gabe Klein says all the right things in an interview with DCMUD. The District needs to maximize it's competitive advantage over the suburbs - a walkable lifestyle.
  
• Si reports back from the ANC 6C PZE meeting that Steuart Investment claims development of Squares 483 and N-514 in the Mount Vernon Triangle are "on hold for along time."
  
  
  RED=Square 483, GREEN=Square N-515
  
  
• Penn Quarter Living rejoices that WMATA has expanded cellular service to metro's 20 busiest underground stations. In our area this includes Gallery Pl-Chinatown, Judiciary Square, and Union Station but not the Convention Center or PQ/Archives stations.

Taylor Gourmet Opening - link bonanza

On Friday Kim previewed the grand opening of Taylor Gourmet. The links below highlight what others are saying.

• Capital Spice: Be sure to try the arancini – you’ll thank us. Just don’t ask for mayo on your sandwich. They don’t have any, and they don’t make any apologies for what they see as an issue of authenticity.
  
• Penn Quarter Living: The interior has an industrial feel to it featuring an ordering area, a pickup area around the corner and ample seating including a communal table.
  
• ReadySetDC: The bread is not drenched in oil to overwhelm the flavors and ingredients. The Rocky risotto balls and spicy peppers on the side completes the meal as well. By far, the best damn sandwiches in the city!
  
• Young & Hungry (WCP): If the original Taylor on H Street NE moved the traditionally cramped, craggy, and oily Philly hoagie shop into the modern era, complete with sleek industrial interiors designed as much for form as function, then the latest shop at CityVista raises the aesthetic bar even higher.
  
• Prince of Petworth: I am happy to report that the sandwiches were as delicious as they are at their original H Street, NE location. I always get one of the prosciutto sandwiches.
  
• Gradually Greener: One of the main reasons I don’t eat subs all that much is that I hate the big, pillowy, flavorless flour bombs that seem to be the standard bread for such sandwiches. Taylor’s bread had a fantastic crust: thin, almost oily-crisp, with a sprinkling of flavorful sesame seeds on top. The bread underneath the crust was soft and light, with just the right amount of chew.
  
• Express Night Out (WaPo): A phenomenal roll is a vehicle to eat killer meats and cheese.
  
• We Love DC: If you’re from Philly, I can imagine this is like heaven for you.

Tons of photos from the pre-opening party are available to view in a Flickr set from Docmonstereyes and a Yelp business entry has been created.

Also noteworthy was some of the discussion in the Prince of Petworth comments section. Between the pre-opening party and the grand opening Taylor has already addressed my feedback on the awkward placement of the menu signage by angling it downward. Co-owner David Mazza also chimed in to address the questions around how they were able to expand so quickly by explaining that Edens & Avant offered them a large TI allowance. Thanks E&A!!!

Taylor Gourmet II Opens Today!

by KimFromTheK

Today is the official grand opening of the new Taylor Gourmet, located next to the entrance of The K at City Vista, at 485 K Street NW. This second location will have similar hours to the H Street NE location, opening daily at 11am and closing at 10pm for now, with late night hours extending to 3am on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights once the place gets up and running.


I was lucky enough to attend the pre-opening party on Tuesday night, and enjoyed my Spruce Street hoagie and an order of mozzarella sticks I shared with bloggers FourthandEye and PQResident. The space, while small, is decorated similar to the H Street NE location, with a bit more of a funky flair. The garage door is a bit wider and will open to outdoor seating in front of the restaurant (on K Street) once the weather gets warm again. And like the other location, delivery will be available, but the delivery area has not yet been determined.

Owners Casey Patten and David Mazza kept green design in mind by creating lighting fixtures from oil drums and drywall buckets. And there's a large communal dining table in the middle of the seating area, composed of scrap metal from the outdoor signage build-out and wooden floor boards from a recent renovation the pair recently completed.

The menu features the same signature selection of hoagies, chicken cutlet sandwiches, salads and fried pasta treats. The Taylor emphasis on quality also continues with turkey roasted in-house, homemade risotto balls and mozzarella sticks, cured meats and aged cheeses imported from Italy, and rolls couriered daily from Philadelphia's Sarcone's Bakery. It's a winning formula that earned the Italian deli a spot on the Young & Hungry Top 50 Best DC Restaurants from the Washington City Paper only months after opening.


The gourmet grocery include items such as San Marzano tomatoes, pastas, and what a fellow City Vista resident claims to be some of "the best tomato sauce you can buy". Catering is available for neighborhood businesses and residents alike. And while Taylor sells Italian and artisan beer and 30 Italian wines under $30, the store will only have an off-premises liquor license, meaning customers can buy bottles of wine but can't buy a pint of beer or glass of wine to enjoy with their sandwich on site.

Taylor, we welcome you, and your tasty food, to the neighborhood!

DDOT to Unveil Proposed Streetcar System Plan

DDOT spokesperson John Lisle sent out an announcement yesterday that the agency will unveil it's proposed streetcar system plan a series of public meetings scheduled in every ward. The meetings kick off next Thursday October 22nd with the Ward 6 meeting (our ward) at J.O. Wilson Elementary (660 K Street NE) from 7 pm – 8:30 pm.

Portland Streetcar image from flickr user KGradinger

During the tenure of Mayor Anthony Williams two disconnected streetcar alignments, one on H Street NE, and the other in Anacostia were planned and the trams were ordered from the Czech Republic based Inekon. The order was fulfilled by Inekon years ago but the trams remain in the Czech Republic as progress on the project stalled. Finally in 2009 with the appointment of new DDOT director Gabe Klein tracks have begun to be installed on Benning Road NE and in Anacostia along Firth Sterling.

In early August, at a public forum held in the Atlas Theatre on H Street NE, Klein pledged to place streetcars back on the front burner stating the sluggish progress on the project was unacceptable. These public meetings in each ward will give District residents an opportunity to hear about the current progress and view updated plans for future streetcar lines across the District.

What does this mean for the Mount Vernon Triangle? One goal DDOT has is to connect the H Street NE/Benning Road streetcar line to the K Street Transitway which will run from Mount Vernon Square to Georgetown. I pondered two potential alignments for that connection back in April. I have a reputable source that says we should expect when the system is unveiled the MVT segment will use New Jersey Ave and K Street then connect to the H Street NE segment behind Union Station on the Hopscotch Bridge.


That NJ/K alignment makes a solid sense as both streets have wide right of ways and streetscape money already earmarked in the coming years. I don't have any information on timing or station locations but perhaps some of the details we crave will be shared at these public meetings.

UPDATED [10/15/2009 11:10AM]: Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy wells tells the Washington Business Journal the H Street NE/Benning streetcar line is his primary project.

For a primer on streetcars, visit my past profile of Seattle's Streetcar

Permitting for public sculpture at Madrigal Lofts

Tonight's ANC 6C meeting includes an item regarding an application by Madrigal Lofts to place a sculpture in public space.

The sculpture was in the original plans from Quadrangle Development Corporation for the Madrigal Lofts and measures 16’ x 8’ x7’ in size. It will placed on the Eye Street Side of the building in the area between and above the benches.

Rendering of proposed public art courtesy of Quadrangle

Pedestal and benches along Eye Street

Aerial of pedestal and benches along Eye Street

Quadrangle indicated to me that a preliminary meeting of the ANC appeared to agree that they would recommend to the DCRA that the permit be issued; however, a formal vote will be taken at the full commission meeting. Once Quadrangle earns the approval they plan to have a proper unveiling ceremony at the property.

Mass Court being sold

Residents of Mass Court received notices that the building is being sold for $103 million. The seller is listed as Prudential Insurance on behalf of the teamsters and the buyer is Richard Ellis (CBRE). Jason who rents an apartment at Mass Court informed me that "There is also a notice that a tenants association is forming to exercise our rights under DC law".


The impending sales transaction may be the explanation for why Madison Property Group removed their listing of the Mass Court retail space from their website over the summer. CBRE likely would prefer to use their in-house property group rather than continue to use Madison's services.

October ANC 6C Draft Agenda

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C
Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 7 pm
Heritage Foundation, 214 Massachusetts Avenue N.E.

DRAFT AGENDA
Call to order
Quorum
Approval of agenda
Approval of September minutes
Treasurer's report
Approval of amended first quarterly report

Brief community and commissioner announcements

• State Superintendent of Education – Dr. Kerri L. Briggs
  
• Completion of H Street Survey – November 10, Atlas Theater, 6:30 pm
  
• Ludlow Taylor Health and Fitness Fair – Lauren Garsen
  
• GFC Half Marathon November 7 – Lisa Czop

OLD BUSINESS

Planning, Zoning, and Environment Committee (Rob Amos, early departure)

1. 300 block of H Street, modified PUD - Zoning Commission order 06-01 - Less density, less height, plus other modifications - Chip Glasgow. Hearing date ?
   
2. Text amendment to permit retail and service uses by special exception in special purpose (SP-2) districts - BZA Case # 09-11. Hearing Oct. 29.
   
3. BZA consent calendar - Case # 09-13, text amendment to allow for a BZA consent calendar, limited to certain cases that are routinely before BZA and have high probability of no opposition. The text proposes only one-family dwelling or flats R 1 and new or enlarged accessory structures and community centers. The purpose is to reduce backlog and lower applicant costs. Hearing Oct. 26
   
4. Downtown zoning - Zoning Commission Case # 08-06-10, Seven components: replace overlay structure, replace current mechanisms for incentivizing housing with a single system of housing credits, continue retail requirements and standardize them, remove historic preservation goals (only 2 projects in 20 years), maintain existing arts area, establish parking maximums for residential uses, provide a special exception for time limitations for surface parking lots. Hearing Nov. 2.
   
5. 2009 amendments to the Comprehensive Plan. Hearing Nov. 2

Transportation Committee (Joe McCann, John Kelly)

1. Hillsdale College, 227 Massachusetts Avenue NE - Public Space changes to front yard, landscaping, etc., application # 50566 - Anne Adams
   
2. Cafe Berlin, 322 Massachusetts Avenue NE - sidewalk cafe, Public Space application #50704 - Irene Khashan. Response deadline Nov. 6
   
3. Mt. Vernon Square District Project - pedestrian, bike, transit improvements - Emily Yates
   
4. Traffic to be made all stop at selected intersections, conversion from two-way stop to four-way stops, DDOT Notice 09-53-TS, 4th and A NE, 10th and K NE, 8th and I NE. Comments deadline Oct. 20
   
5. Madrigal Lofts, 811 Fourth St. NW – Application to place a sculpture in public space – Paula Conley. Response deadline Oct. 22
   
6. Proposal to pass a resolution supporting Fresh Farm Market (Thursdays), Eighth St NW between D and E Streets - Comm. Docter
   
7. Proposal to request a DDOT traffic study of downtown area, Pennsylvania Avenue to north side of New York Avenue NW and Massachusetts Avenue, 395, to 15th Street N.W. - Comm. Docter
   
8. Eleven new applications for valet parking in 6C09, one in 6C04 - Many of these already have valet parking, and a new DC law requires them to file for an application. Hearing Oct. 27

Liquor License Committee report (Comm. Phelps)

• Oasis Liquor, brief update – Comm. Phelps
  
• Bistro Cacao, brief update – Comm. Wirt
  
• Level Tavern, brief update – Comm. Docter

Grants Committee (Comm. Brown)

• MPD Citizen Advisory Council (CAC) proposed grant – Nancy Rosen, CAC chair

Youth and Education Committee (Comm. Hamilton)
NEW BUSINESS

• Communications proposal (if time) – Comm. Velasco

Meeting Adjournment

MVT CID Marketing Committee Meeting

MVT CID Marketing Committee Meeting
October 13th, 2009; 6:00 p.m.
City Vista L Community Room (440 L Street NW)

From MVT CID Executive Director Bill McLeod:

The next Marketing Committee meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 13 from 6:00-7:00 p.m in the community room at the City Vista L. We will be reviewing the walking tour, community picnic, new farmers market, and the MVTCID web design. Hope you can make it!

Past agendas and meeting minutes for the MVT CID marketing meeting can be found here.

October DNA Meeting at the District Chophouse

From DNA President Miles Groves:

Our October meeting will be held at the District Chophouse instead of Calvary Baptist Church. The Lansburgh offered to sponsor at the District Chophouse so it will be a special meeting. Our two discussion leaders will be Attorney General Peter Nickels and At-Large Councilmember Phil Mendelson. Refreshments will be available so try to arrive before our normal starting time. The meeting will be on Tuesday October 13 with a start time of 6:30pm. Please RSVP if you plan to attend.

5th and Mass GOOD opportunity to earn you a Carribean trip

GOOD is offering a challenge called Islands for Islands. Good is asking you to pick an ugly traffic island in your city and spruce it up—either in Photoshop or in reality. Add a bench or a sculpture, plant some flowers, whatever you can think of to make that neglected pedestrian junkspace more hospitable. The winner of Good's contest will get a vacation to the Caribbean island of Dominica.



Could our 5th and Mass intersection present the perfect opportunity for a photoshop savvy resident to produce a high caliber contest entry? The orange cones should provide a sufficiently ugly "before" photo.