DC4RD Jet Stream Update — Winter/Spring 2016
Please visit DC for Reasonable Development on the inter-webs:
www.facebook.com/dc4reality
@dc4reality
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Here’s the next DC4RD informational Update — (did the groundhog see its shadow or not?)
* HOMELESS DC RESIDENTS & FAMILIES
* SAVE UNION ARTS!
* PLANNING & ZONING IN DC
* ZONING REWRITE (ZRR)
* AFFORDABLE HOUSING
* UNITED NATIONS & WARD EIGHT
* DC COUNCIL OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
HOMELESS DC RESIDENTS & FAMILIES
Mayor Bowser gave two-day notice regarding her trumpeted closure of the structurally sound, yet internally neglected DC General — a building, and grounds of which are currently public assets >> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WQXeGE1Al0
As a result of the DC General Closure plan, the City keeps only the status quo number of homeless beds, except now homeless DC families will be scattered around the city at random locales >> >> http://tinyurl.com/wapo-2016-dc-shelter-locations
On top of that, the Council has defunded individual bathrooms in the new shelters, telling DC families they didn’t want them to “get too comfortable” in the shelter >> http://www.grassrootsdc.org/2015/11/dc-council-votes-to-lower-the-legal-standard-for-new-family-shelters-whats-wrong-with-us/
Bottom-line: Despite the great costs of demolishing DC General, and leasing new shelter sites around the District, plus the planned privatization of the vast Reservation 13, there is still no net increase in beds for DC’s homeless families and individuals, and the new shelters will be dormitory in nature with several proposed to be sited in strange locations not suited for families.
DC’s homeless numbers are increasing, so if the Mayor’s self-limiting real-estate focused DC General closure plans are pursued, there will be even more homeless folks on DC’s streets in the coming years >>
* http://tinyurl.com/wapo-2016-homeless-counts
* http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2016/01/23/3742195/dc-winter-storm-homeless/
SAVE UNION ARTS!
411 Artist Union seeks collaboration to avoid displacement of an “eco-system” consisting of authentic professional arts and other expert cultural craft. SUPPORT DC’S ARTISTS! Rally & Hearing! February 23, 2016, 5:00 Rally; 6:30 Hearing begins: Testify in support of DC Artists & Art! http://www.artistuniondc.org/events/
Check out the 411 Artist Union open studios this entire weekend. Please be sure to put Feb 23 in permanent marker >>
https://www.facebook.com/events/1110113062353471/
@OPinDC + @OZinDC
The District of Columbia Office of Planning and Zoning agencies will be available for questions/testimony very soon . . . ZONING & PLANNING Oversight Hearing — Wednesday, 3/2/2016, 9:30am – DC City Council Hearing Room 412 – John A. Wilson Building – 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW – The Committee of the Whole will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing on The Office of Zoning, The Office of Planning & the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED) — To Testify, CONTACT: Sarina Loy, sloy@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8058.
#ZRR
The Zoning Regulations Rewrite (ZRR) has left out so many voices and so many needed fixes. For example, the ZRR never clarified critical zoning definitions into plain language for “habitable space” & “cellar” as well as “adjacent-grade,” among other terms. Further, the ZRR allows Downtown DC to be tripled in size without the Office of Planning assessing the impacts of this drastic development change against any analysis of the capacity and efficacy of the existing transportation and utilities infrastructure >> twilightzoning.org
Controversial as the #ZRR may be, it is without a doubt a massive overhaul of DC’s development rules which somehow the Office of Planning and Zoning Commission have together over 7 years failed to evaluate through the prism of the Implementation Element of the District of Columbia 20-year Comprehensive Plan. http://tinyurl.com/dc-comp-plan-ch-25-and-ZRR
Maybe the Mayor should rename it the Zoning Rewrong!
AFFORDABLE FOR WHO?
Right now the DC Office of Planning and so-called smart-growth supplicants are pushing the City to define “affordable” as rent set at $1,200/month for a studio/one bedroom apartment.
That would equate to $14,400 a year for housing costs not including utilities. Developers would be able to rent this “affordable” unit to someone making about $50,000 a year and in return the developer gets to build bigger and taller buildings.
We want to redefine an “affordable unit” as one which reflects REAL levels of affordability, $500 to $800 a month in rent. And, we want to push for the construction of more family-size units to meet DC’s a number-one priority >> http://www.dc4reality.org/updates/172
Developers should not be rewarded for building more cramped studios and junior one-bedrooms using damn cheap materials – this is not helping DC’s affordability crisis.
HELP TO REDEFINE AFFORDABILITY IN THE DISTRICT
* Please attend the hearing on Inclusionary Zoning (IZ), March 3, 2016, 6:30pm, 441 4th Street, NW, Judiciary Square Metro (redline). Sign up to testify >> http://tinyurl.com/dc-real-affordability
#JUSTICE for #BARRYFARMS
The United Nations recently cited the historic Ward 8 community of Barry Farm as a flash point nationally for how wrong, racist, and classist Gentrification really is on working-families in US cities >> http://streetsense.org/article/united-nations-stands-against-gentrification/
“The process of gentrification has a heavy impact on African Americans who are being displaced from city centers under the argument of the need for new investment and development. In particular, the United Nation’s Working Group was alarmed by incidents of eviction, demolition and conversion of Barry Farm public housing in Washington D.C.” >> http://tinyurl.com/UN-report-Barry-Farms
Contact Schyla for ways to Empower our movement against demolition of public housing & to seek community-control over our public land! schyla@empowerdc.org or 202-234-9119
DC COUNCIL OVERSIGHT HEARINGS
It’s that time again (3 to 5 minutes) of “accountability” DC government-style. Here’s the DC Council’s “oversight” hearing calendar >> www.dccouncil.us/calendar
Be there to inform the Council about the services you are getting from City agencies and for you to “grade” agency service to the public. Sending letters can help >> http://tinyurl.com/testify-dc-council-hearings
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REVIEW OF KEY COUNCIL HEARINGS
http://dccouncil.us/calendar
DC WATER & DGS (Dept of “General” Services)
Thursday, 2/25/2016
12:00pm, Room 500
The Committee on the Transportation and the Environment will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing on the Department of General Services & DC Water. To testify, CONTACT: Nicole Rentz, nrentz@dccouncil.us or by calling 202-724-8062.
DCRA & TENANTS RIGHTS
Monday, 2/29/2016
10:00am, Room 500
The Committee on Business, Consumer, and Regulatory Affairs will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABC)
* Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA)
* Department of Small and Local Business Development & Deputy Mayor for Greater Economic Opportunity
* Office of the Tenant Advocate
(OTA)
To testify, CONTACT: Peter Johnson, pjohnson@dccouncil.us or 202-727-6683.
DDOT, BIKES, AND PEOPLE
Monday, 2/29/2016
11:00am, Room 412
The Committee on the Transportation and the Environment will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify: Bicycle Advisory Council; Pedestrian Advisory Council; District Department of Transportation (DDOT)
to testify, CONTACT: Nicole Rentz, nrentz@dccouncil.us or by calling 202-724-8062.
TWILIGHT ZONING & PLANNING
Wednesday, 3/2/2016, 9:30am
Room 412
The Committee of the Whole will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Office of Zoning
* Office of Planning
* Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
(DMPED)
To Testify, CONTACT: Sarina Loy, sloy@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8058.
DC PRISON SYSTEM & RETURNING CITIZENS
Wednesday, 3/2/2016
10:00am, Room 123
The Committee on the Judiciary will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Department of Corrections
* Corrections Information Council
* Office of Returning Citizens Affairs
* Commission on Fathers, Men, and Boys
* Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice
To Testify, CONTACT: Katherine Mitchell, kmitchell@dccouncil.us or 202-727-8275.
DC HOUSING & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Friday, 3/4/2016
11:00am, Room 500
The Committee on Housing and Community Development will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD)
* Housing Production Trust Fund (HPTF)
* Rental Housing Commission
To testify, CONTACT: Oscar Montiel, omontiel@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8198
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION & DOES
Monday, 3/7/2016
10:00am, Room 500
The Committee on Housing and Community Development will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Office of Cable Television, Film, Music and Entertainment (OCTT)
* Office of the People’s Counsel
* Public Service Commission (PSC)
* Department of Employment Services (DOES)
PARKS & RECREATION (not NBC)
Monday, 3/7/2016
10:00am, Room 123
The Committee on the Transportation and the Environment will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Department of Parks and Recreation & Department of Public Works
To testify, CONTACT: Nicole Rentz, nrentz@dccouncil.us or 202-724-8062
THE DC AUDITOR, STATEHOOD, AND COG
Tuesday, 3/8/2016
10:30am, Room 412
The Committee of the Whole will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Office of the District of Columbia Auditor (Kathy Patterson)
* Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG)
* New Columbia Statehood Commission
To testify, CONTACT: cow@dccouncil.us.
DISABILITY RIGHTS
Thursday, 3/10/2016
10:00am, Room 412
The Committee on the Health and Human Services will hold a Performance Oversight Hearing. The following agencies will testify:
* Department of Disability Services
* Office of Disability Rights
To testify, CONTACT: Malcolm Cameron, mcameron@dccouncil.us or 202-741-0909
COUNCIL HEARINGS CALENDAR >> www.dccouncil.us/calendar
* Even if you can’t make the hearing, you can send in testimony and letters to help the discussion along >> www.dcfeedback.com/oversight/
JOIN [DC4RD] ON SOCIAL MEDIA
www.facebook.com/dc4reality
@dc4reality
www.dc4reality.org/resources
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Orwell is puking >>
http://dc.gov/release/mayor-bowser-launches-private-security-camera-program-part-safer-stronger-dc-initiative