OPM SEEKS COMMUNITY INPUT ON EASTERN MARKET MANAGEMENT
JANUARY 17, 2008 7-9 pm
HINE JR. HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIA

The Office of Property Management (OPM), the government agency with oversight responsibility for Eastern Market, has engaged Project for Public Spaces (PPS), a nationally recognized non-profit organization that specializes in managing public spaces to assist in the process of defining management needs at the Market.  Specifically, PPS will use their expertise to analyze all operations at the Market, including indoor merchants, outdoor farmers, weekend flea and arts markets and other neighborhood uses at the North Hall.  PPS will use the information obtained as an aid in developing the Request for Proposals (RFP) for market management that will fully realize the vision intended by the governing legislation to ensure the Market remains a community asset.  OPM expects that the RFP will be ready for release by late winter 2008.

Toward that end, OPM, in conjunction with PPS, has arranged for a community workshop to solicit neighborhood opinion and thoughts regarding the Eastern Market management present and future needs. The workshop will be led by David O’Neil, Senior Associate for Public Markets at PPS and former General Manager of the nationally recognized Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia.

The public is encouraged to attend and share thoughts, ideas and suggestions.

The meeting will be held January 17, 2008 7-9 PM at Hine Jr. High School Cafeteria. For further information please contact:

Contact Matt Hussman, OPM, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   202.741.0940 or
Chuck Burger, EMCAC, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it   202.258.5316

For several months much speculation has swirled around the Architect of the Capitol’s (AOC) plans for Providence Park.  The work scheduled for Spring 2008 is structural in nature and will involve major repairs to the concrete utility tunnel that runs along Second Street, SE.  Some of the many tunnels that AOC has responsibility for maintaining are up to 100 years old and in serious need of repair. Contrary to what many may have heard about this repair work, the AOC tells us that asbestos is not implicated in any of the upcoming work although it has been an issue at some of the previous sites. This is an entirely different tunnel from the past where there was a good deal of asbestos in the insulation and special precautions had to be taken to abate.

This job will consist of systematic, block by block, excavation of portions of Second Street from North Carolina Avenue to the north side of the intersection at C Street.  The goal is essentially to remove and replace the tunnel roof and repair other damage. The work will be conducted from curb to curb so sidewalk use will not be disturbed. Pedestrian traffic will be affected only on one side of the intersections as the work moves its way up Second Street.  Access to the front entrances of all residences should remain clear and available throughout the project, unless public safety dictates closure. According to the Army Corps of engineers:

“[Second] Street will be excavated to a depth that allows the installation of concrete walls on either side of the AOC's utility distribution system tunnel (UDS) and the replacement of the tunnel's roof. Sheeting and shoring will be installed on both sides of the street inside the curbline and public utilities will not be effected. Soldiers piles will be drilled and set in place to avoid the noise involved with "driving" the piles hydraulically. Once the rehabilitation work is completed, the area will be backfilled with suitable material and the pavement will then be restored and meet DDOT standards”

Neighbors have also been concerned that Providence Park was intended by the AOC to be used as a staging area for the construction which would effectively cut-off its use and enjoyment for the residents.  According to Eva Malecki of AOC, they are very sensitive to the needs of the community and have no plans to take over the park.  They will however, likely use a small vacant lot at the northwest corner of the park, Lot 764, which is away from the play area and near the curb, for a construction trailer.

The work is expected to begin in April 2008 and should be completed in 10 - 23 months depending on the sequencing. This is Phase 1 of what is currently a four-phase project eventually extending up to Constitution Ave.  AOC will maintain regular project updates on their website which can be accessed using this link http://www.aoc.gov/aoc/press-room/index.cfm.

AOC has had ongoing communication with the ANC and will host a meeting to discuss these issues and other community concerns including parking, trash collection, timelines and the specifics of its plans on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 6:30 pm at St. Peter’s Church basement, 313 Second Street, SE, Washington, DC.  All are welcome.

Faced with the crush of ballpark visitors driving on game days into Ward 6 neighborhoods, Councilmember Tommy Wells introduced legislation today creating a pilot zone around the Nationals ballpark and Capitol Hill retail corridors to manage curbside parking – protecting residential parking and increasing access to retail storefronts.

“Some of the best thinking in the country has gone into this proposal,” commented Mr. Wells. He added, “Parking is already at a premium in our neighborhoods, but giving free curbside parking to ballpark visitors isn’t managing the problem, it’s only inviting more congestion and traffic.”

The legislation creates a pilot zone around the new Nationals’ ballpark and throughout the residential neighborhoods that surround the stadium and the retail businesses near it. The pilot authorizes the Department of Transportation to work with the Ward 6 Councilmember to use performance pricing of curbside parking spots to better manage when, where, and how long vehicles can park.

Performance pricing will mean decreasing the time spent in hunting for parking, reducing the need for double parking, prioritizing residents in the residential streets, and ensuring reliable parking options for patrons on the retail streets.  As with any other commodity, under-priced or free parking inflates demand leading to shortages and congestion.  By setting parking rates based on demand, drivers may pay a little bit more to park, but they will be assured a spot when they arrive at their destination. 

“For Ward 6 residents, their Zone 6 parking sticker means they’ll see little difference in how they park their cars, but with better management, they should find that visitors stick to the retail streets and the residents become the priority for residential streets,” stated Councilmember Wells.

The pilot program will place solar-powered multi-space meters (similar to the ones already in existence on K Street and M Street, NW) throughout the ballpark impact area including retail and residential streets. On retail streets such as 8th Street, SE, all cars will be required to pay to park as they currently do, and the goal will be to ensure regular turnover of parking spaces. This not only supports retail activities, but ensures that patrons who come by car will be more likely to find a parking spot on the main retail street quickly and without circling the blocks or spilling into residential areas.

On residential streets, residents with a Zone 6 parking permit will not pay to park.  However, visitors would be required to pay for the 2-hour block of parking – which is currently free and overused by nonresidents.  The goal is to prioritize residential curbside parking for the residents and to remind visitors that they only have two hours by requiring a small fee. Experience in other cities has shown that even a minimal fee can help alter parking behavior, and it will work to discourage “squatting” of residential spaces by nonresidents.  Based on initial community feedback, the program will also develop a guest pass system to accommodate guests who are coming to the neighborhood to visit a resident.

Replacing old meter posts with multi-space “pay and display” meters creates an average of 2 to 3 additional parking spots per block and also allows payment with coins or credit cards (and in the future, also via cell phone).   This system will make enforcement of residential parking rules easier by allowing parking enforcement officers to simply check the remaining time on the receipt displayed on the car dashboard.  Collection and maintenance will also be more efficient as one meter can serve many spaces up to a couple of blocks, unlike traditional coin meters which each serve only one parking space.

Revenues generated by the meters will go to pay for the cost of the meters (which should pay for themselves in less than two years) and investments in non-auto transportation infrastructure (e.g., repairing sidewalks, improving transit stations, adding bike racks).

The proposal will be the subject of a public hearing which to be scheduled by Councilmember Jim Graham who chairs the Committee on Public Works and the Environment.  Councilmember Wells consulted ANC Commissioners and business and community leaders in December while developing this pilot proposal. He will host two open community meetings in the affected neighborhoods for residents to ask more questions and get additional details about the proposal. These meetings are set for:

• Tuesday, January 22nd, 6:30-8:00 pm, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 400 I Street, SW
• Wednesday, January 23rd, 6:30-8:00 pm, Brent Elementary School, 301 North Carolina Ave, SE

Click Here to read the legislation that creates the pilot parking zone.

New DCPS Community Meetings Scheduled to Hear Issues with Specific Schools Proposed for Closing

The Mayor and the Chancellor of the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) announced an amended notice of public hearing on their proposed action to close and/or consolidate school programs and buildings through a reorganization and rightsizing plan presented to the Council and publicized before the Holidays.

On Thursday, January 17, 2008, starting at 6:00 pm every school proposed for closing will be the focus of a community meeting to be held at the neighborhood school that will be remaining open.  

In Ward 6, where three schools are proposed for consolidation, the following locations are scheduled for simultaneous community meetings:

• Bowen ES at Amidon ES -- 401 I St. SW
• Gibbs ES at Miner ES -- 601 5th St. NE
• Hines JHS at Eliot MS -- 1830 Constitution Ave, NE

There may be a few parents who will have children in two of the schools affected that will need to develop a plan for covering both meetings being held at the same time and date, but at different locations.

In addition to the planned consolidations and rightsizing, starting in the fall of 2008, current Junior High Schools (grades 7-9) become Middle Schools (grades 6-8) and High Schools become grades 9-12 throughout the city, in accord with the DCPS Master Plan. 

On December 27, 2007 at the request of ANC Commissioners, the Councilmember met with parents and community leaders in Southwest to hear their concerns about the closing of the Bowen ES.  There were many concerns and questions raised such as the rationale for choosing Bowen over Amidon, whether teachers from Bowen would accompany the students to Amidon, the future of the Boys and Girls Club at Bowen, and if the consolidation of the two schools would create crowding, resulting in less personal attention to students.

Councilmember Wells encourages Bowen parents and community leaders as well as those in the Hines and Gibbs schools’ neighborhoods to participate in these  public hearings with DCPS officials.  This is an important opportunity for the community to work with DCPS to help them understand how any parent and community considerations can be considered while supporting the DCPS goals for providing superior education for all Ward 6 children in the future.