[WardFive] Re: Langdon Constituent Concerns

Mayor Bowser will be attending the  Fifth District CAC  June meeting. The correction was sent out last week. 

Jacqueline Manning 

ANC 5C Chair / SMD 5C04

Sent from my iPhone

On May 27, 2015, at 11:53 AM, Jennifer Gerholdt <jennifer.gerholdt@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Mayor Bowser:

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow for the 5D CAC meeting at Fifth District. Ahead of the meeting I wanted to share with you some of the collective concerns from dozens of residents in Langdon and some ideas for ways forward. It is our hope that as a Mayor of all 8 wards you can demonstrate your commitment to your constituents who are passionate about making Langdon a better place to live. I and other community leaders have been working tirelessly with many of the agencies, local businesses and residents on the issues outlined, many of whom are copied here, and with your support and leadership we can make real and lasting progress to improve the quality of life in Langdon.

• Establish stronger community agreements and ensure follow through with existing night clubs, including Echo Stage, Stadium, and Club Bliss. On club nights between 9pm and 3:30am the community is plagued with trash, public urination, car break ins, parking issues, public intoxication, heavy vehicle and foot traffic, and noise disturbances. The community has proposed the clubs collectively sponsor an organization like Career Path DC to pick up trash in the community after shows. Career Path DC has provided a competitive solution that is good for the clubs' bottom line while providing meaningful employment to DC residents and improving the look and health of the community. Echo Stage has been very receptive to this and has hired its own trash company in the interim. In addition, we suggest the clubs and DC Police alleviate the heavy vehicle and foot traffic in the community, such as by encouraging patrons to park on New York Avenue (and provide discounted parking), turn the building next to Echo Stage into a parking garage, and partner with Uber and use shuttle buses.
• Establish a moratorium on new nightclubs across the Queens Chapel bridge. The community would like to see diversification of commerce, such as grocery stores and coffee shops, that delivers both economic and community value. Adding any more nightclubs would only make the serious issues of trash, parking, crime, urination and destruction of private property even more severe.
• Ensure more ongoing and robust police presence on club nights. Perhaps designating Queens Chapel from Bladensberg to Channing, Lafayette and neighboring streets impacted by the clubs as a nightlife district would help reduce crime and ensure the infrastructure is in place to handle big shows with hundreds of people. We would also like to see regular and consistent parking enforcement patrol on club nights, as there are often many violators who park illegally in the community. Commander Porter and Sgt Ferretti have been working on this and we've seen some positive momentum we'd like to build upon.
• Install/re-install traffic cameras on Queens Chapel, Channing, 21st Place, 18th and Evarts, and other streets that have designated no thru trucks or no thru trucks over 1 1/4 ton capacity. Semis and other commercial and industrial vehicles whip through the community, wrecking the foundation of homes and causing damage to private property. Ideally DDOT can create an alternative route for these vehicles that minimizes impacts on the community and destruction of private property - for example Montana NE could connect to Queens Chapel by way of Edwin, Lawrence and Bryant NE.
• Establish designated parking for OSSE employees next to the Adams Place terminal. Parking during the day is a major issue for Langdon residents, as OSSE employees take up most of the parking in the community. OSSE told the community they were establishing designated parking in 2013 but no progress has been made in this regard. OSSE employees also throw trash in the community next to their vehicles, and use the school buses as shuttles to pick each other up and drop each other off in the community, which creates unnecessary traffic, pollution and other issues.

Mayor Bowser, the community is eager to see any steps taken to alleviate the burdens on the community from the industrial activities. Historically and currently the industrial activities that occur deliver not one single benefit to the community. We understand businesses have a right to do business, but residents also have a right to a safe, healthy, and clean environment to live in. We would welcome the opportunity to work with you to achieve win-win solutions. 

I look forward to hearing from you on the above.

Jennifer