UNDER CONSTRUCTION: Since the March 12th issue of my Beat26 Newsletter, the entire contents have been on the Coronavirus situation we find ourselves in the midst of. Below are some key links to DC information on Coronavirus shared in those issues. Random Notes will be resumed when we get to the end of COVID-19. If you wish to subscribe to Beat26 Newsletter, send an email to Beat26@aol.com
First and foremost, all of the official District of Columbia actions, information, and data are on this website: https://coronavirus.dc.gov/
Key sections are News (for Mayor’s Orders and daily updates on COVID-19 cases), Recovery (for financial assistance for individuals and businesses), Meals (site and times of distribution by Seniors and students), and Testing (for information on where tests are conducted in DC and the criteria for eligibility).
Here are links to the Coronavirus sites of DC Councilmembers Charles Allen (Ward 6) and David Grosso (At Large).
Official sites for Maryland and Virginia. (to be added)
From the January 10 Newsletter: “Changes, Trees, Crime & Verdi”
29 TREES for VIRGINIA AVENUE PARK
A week before Christmas, Casey Trees and a large group of its hardy volunteers spent a rainy morning planting a mixed variety of trees to ultimately provide shade for users of the Park.
Background on the Park:
https://www.kirsten6b.org/renderings-of-virginia-avenue-park/
and the Friends of Virginia Avenue Park
https://www.kirsten6b.org/friends-of-va-park/
From the November 29 Newsletter:
UPDATE ON HELIPORT: As I requested at the November ANC6B meeting, Mr. Jay Melder, Assistant City Administrator, has sent the ANC responses to the list of questions from the Heliport Community Meeting on August 26. (See ANC6B Letter of September below.) In the 11/27 email Melder says “I feel it is important that I first reiterate that there is no new heliport project currently planned for 11th and Water Street, or any other site.” For those many questions which would be specific to an actual project/process, Mr. Melder declined to speculate.
Content of Jay Melder Email 11-27 on Heliport
From the November 10 Newsletter:
HELIPORT ANYONE? The Commission has been informed that the Deputy City Administrator will appear at the Tuesday, November 12 ANC6B Monthly Meeting. This is an opportunity to ask questions about apparent plans to relocate the existing heliport from Buzzard Point to the Washington Gas site, 12th & Water Streets SE, next to the 11th Street Bridge Park. (See September 27 notes below)
2020 VISITOR PARKING PASSES
You can register for a 2020 VPP starting on Tuesday November 12. To qualify, your household address must be on an RPP street; only one pass per household. The VPP can only be used for parking within your ANC boundary. Go to https://vpp.ddot.dc.gov/vpp to apply.
Go to https://ddot.dc.gov/node/538662 for program details.
LEAF COLLECTIONS BEGAN NOVEMBER 3
Once again this annual program has split Ward 6 into 5 sections. Sections A & B are in NE areas of the Ward. Section C covers areas in both NE and SE on the eastern edge of the Ward. Sections D & E are in SE.
If you live within Section A, leaves should have been raked out by Sunday Nov 3 for the first round pick up the week of Nov 4. Section B is next with rake out by Nov 10; Section C, Nov 17; Section D, Nov 24; Section E, Dec 1. The second pick up round begins in Section A on Dec 15 and so on.
DPW told me that the 2019 brochure was mailed to all households. But, like last year, I didn’t receive one. I’m relying on a digital version at https://dpw.dc.gov/service/leaf-and-holiday-tree-collection
From the September 27 Newsletter:
ANC6B Letter to DC Mayor on Heliport
09-2019_ANC 6B_Relocation of the South Capitol Street Heliport
From the August 29 Newsletter:
Photo of Heliport
at 1725 South Capitol SE and potential location in ANC6B
Thanks to the 40+ residents who attended our quickly organized 8/26 Community Meeting on DC’s apparent plans to install a heliport at the Washington Gas site at 12th & Water Street SE next to the Anacostia River. A key thing I learned is to call the current and proposed facility “heliports” rather than “helipads.” A helipad provides a take-off/landing surface for helicopters like the ones atop hospital buildings. The heliport has, in addition to 2 pads, a fueling station and other facilities used by various helicopters flying over our heads. If DC is successful, this is what would we have situated next to the 11th Street Bridge Park.
Most of the meeting was spent generating a long list of questions about the DC proposal for which we still know very little and for which we will now try to get answers. We did learn from Congressional Aviation, the operator of the current heliport, that its lease expires in 2022 and their sense that the city is quite focused on moving existing operations to the ANC6B site. Some questions centered on current heliport operations to better understand potential impacts. We also want to know what other sites are being considered, what selection criteria are being used, what impacts are being studied, and the City Administrator’s timeline for making a decision.
The answer to “why close the current heliport” appears to clearly be pressure to develop the land it occupies in Buzzard Point. See this Urban Turf article, for instance.
Here are links to the dcist story on the 8/26 meeting and to the summary of Congresswoman Norton’s recent meeting on helicopter noise
From the August 17 Newsletter:
Helipad Aug 26 Community Meeting
DO YOU WANT A HELIPAD ON CAPITOL HILL??
The District is exploring the installation of up to TWO active helicopter pads on Capitol Hill and is considering placing these helipads at the old Washington Gas site at 12th & Water Street SE along the banks of the Anacostia River.
A helicopter landing pad will cause noise pollution for nearby residents and for river activity on Boathouse Row and could impede the existing Anacostia River Trail. In addition, placing a helicopter refueling station on site presents ecological dangers to a restored Anacostia River.
To learn more and/or help develop a strategy, come to a Community Meeting on Monday, August 26 at the SE Library, 403 7th Street SE from 630 pm to 830pm.
This meeting has been organized by ANC 6B Commissioners: Corey Holman 6b06@anc.dc.gov, Kelly Waud 6b07@anc.dc.gov and Kirsten Oldenburg 6b04@anc.dc.gov.