August 24, 2006 - Environment Forum

A special thank you goes out to the leadership of Friends of the Earth and Chris Weiss, for hosting today’s intimate forum for Ward 1 and Ward 6 candidates. The Friends of the Earth is an influential, international network of grassroots organizations dedicated to creating a more healthy and just world. I was the only Ward 6 candidate to attend this unique forum, discussing crucial issues that will directly impact the environment and our approach to development in Ward 6 and the rest of DC. This forum was attended by other candidates, most notably Jim Graham and Andy Miscuk, along with an array of notable DC residents, including the president of the DC League of Women Voters, the head of the Institute for Local Self Reliance, the head of DC Smart Schools, the head of the Washington Regional Network for Livable Communities (WRN), and representatives from the American Friends Service Committee and the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

I had the opportunity to discuss many interesting and cutting edge issues that we will face as we plan for development across Ward 6. Questions from the audience addressed reducing river pollution, recycling at RFK and at the new stadium, green schools, and proper planning as our city’s population grows.

Reducing river pollution in and along the Anacostia must be a top priority for Ward 6 and the rest of DC. In addition, the impending development must be done with an eye towards continually improving the Anacostia experience through increased green space and accessibility.

There is no reason that there should not be recycling at RFK or the new stadium in Southeast. Recycling should be more prevalent in our schools and our communities as well. Our city should be a model for the rest of the country, and our commitment to recycling is no exception. Our current citywide recycling rate of 15% is inexcusable.

I encourage everyone to read the 2006 Environmental Agenda for the District of Columbia. This agenda contains 140 recommendations to protect and defend the environment in our city. The Agenda is available on line at http://www.foe.org/res/pubs/pdf/DCEN.pdf It is a very well thought-out and well researched document that was drafted by 33 local organizations that all care about the future of our city and our environment. I especially recommend the section on green schools.

Finally, as I say at almost every event I attend, Ward 6 is facing a great deal of development in the near future. This needs to be achieved in a way that not only takes into consideration our citizens, but also our environment. The state of the environment in our city has stalled. The rivers are polluted, the water often contains lead and the number of trees has actually decreased. We need to keep these factors in mind as we move forward with developments across the Ward and the city.

August 21, 2006 - Penn East, Inc.

Monday night, I attended an open house on Pennsylvania Avenue, east of Capitol Hill, sponsored by Penn East, Inc. Penn East Inc. is a group of concerned citizens and merchants who want to ensure community involvement in the development of the eastern Pennsylvania Avenue corridor. On Monday, we walked the span of Pennsylvania Avenue from 12th Street to 15th Street, SE, guided by Matt Doherty and Jill Dowling. Matt and Jill provided expert insight on the history of the area, what businesses had previously been located on Pennsylvania and what businesses would return to benefit this neighborhood. From the old A&P (now CVS), to the old diner (now McDonalds) at Barney Circle, it is clear the area has undergone an amazing amount of transition. It is also very clear that the arrival of Harris Teeter and Jenkins Row will usher in a new era of prosperity for many along the corridor. As such, it is extremely encouraging to have so many residents and small business owners, led by Penn East Inc., coming together to ensure the development is inclusive and beneficial to as many folks as possible, while preserving the culture and neighborhood-feel that so many of us have come to know and love.

August 21, 2006 - Comstock Development (Hill East in Transition)

On Monday the Comstock Development group held a community meeting to discuss their planned development on the south side of East Capitol Street, between 17th and 18th Streets, SE. Local residents and members of the Mt. Moriah Baptist Church were in attendance to interact with the developers while discussing the upcoming plans and permitting processes. The members of the church were concerned with potential vibrations from the project and the potential rodent infestations that could result from the demolition of the current buildings on the site. Comstock has hired an engineering company to measure and monitor the affect of the demolitions, excavation and construction on the neighboring buildings. They also distributed permission forms for the neighboring buildings to arrange for rattraps. Residents who live around the planned development voiced their concern about the height of the building and the setbacks from the neighboring structures.

These sort of community-feedback sessions are essential to well-thought out development. The representatives of Comstock openly admitted that the comments from the residents would be thoroughly considered and would not be ignored. Through community forums, such as this meeting at Mt. Moriah, we can ensure that our new developments take into account the cares and concerns of existing residents.

Another issue that was raised was the income levels that qualify for "affordable housing." The folks from Comstock stated, correctly, that they are bound by the affordable housing criteria delineated by the DC government. I think it is important that we evaluate these levels and be sure that they realistically include those that need the greatest help in finding affordable housing within our city. More importantly, we need a councilmember that will fight for our long-term residents to ensure we develop and implement aggressive plans and measures in Ward 6 and throughout the City, so that I will stop hearing about exceptions as to why so many developments include very few or no affordable housing units. I prefer to hear how impressive it is that so many units are being included in our new communities. This will result in a better distribution of units across the community, yielding a more evenly integrated mix of all forms of diversity across Ward 6.

August 19, 2006 - Neighborhood Connections

Like we have done on so many weekends this summer, my volunteers and I attended three very well attended Block Parties in Ward 6 this past Saturday. The first party was sponsored by Holy Name Church on 11th Street, NE. The Church opened its doors to members of the community and provided food, fellowship and great music. I spoke with members of Holy Name who grew up in the surrounding neighborhood, but were forced to move to Maryland when the housing became unaffordable. These folks expressed a genuine desire to return to the city, but lamented the lack of affordable housing options. I want the members of Holy Name to be able to live and worship in Ward 6, while enjoying the prosperity of the city along side of new residents.

The second block party was hosted by the Second Baptist Church on Canal Street, SW. We had a great time listening to the musical acts and chatting with the neighbors, many of whom are residents of the James Creek Community. These residents voiced concerns about the impending baseball development. Their message was one of concern that they would be forced to leave when the stadium was completed. These residents have lived in DC for generations and they fear that the new developments spurred on by the baseball stadium will push across South Capitol Street and make their homes a prime target for developers. Let's not kid ourselves. They will be forced to leave unless we proactively develop integrated, inclusive housing opportunities across the ward that will preserve affordable housing options for many of our longest tenured Ward 6 residents.

The third block party was at Sursum Corda. While the party was winding down at the time of our arrival, we managed to pass through the cooperative, talking with the residents about their thoughts on the recent council legislation granting the City the right to use eminent domain in executing their plans for the Northwest One New Community. While the legislation may have passed, the residents remain united behind David Chestnut and KSI in fighting to preserve their right to independently develop their land in conjunction with the City's Northwest One plan. I look forward to continued interaction with the community in the weeks and months ahead.

It is on behalf of all of these people that I spoke with across Ward 6 this weekend that I stand in support of affordable housing that will preserve the ability of long-term Ward 6 residents to remain as an integral part of our community. We must provide housing solutions that allow new citizens and long-term residents to live side-by-side, lifting each other up, and enjoying the best of what Ward 6 has to offer.

August 1, 2006 - National Night Out

As most of you know, on July 2 of this year I witnessed a terrible act of violence in our community. Sadly, this was only one of many shootings and acts of violence that our hard working police must investigate each year. In July, the number of homicides in Ward 6 have gone up 13% from last year. The number of thefts in Ward 6 have gone up 26%. We need to work together and with our police to reduce these numbers.

As a sign of my support for our hard working public safety officers, I participated in this year's National Night Out. National Night Out is a nationwide series of events meant to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness, generate support for local police, and send a message to criminals that our neighborhoods are organized and fighting back against crime.

I attended the National Night Out events in Sherwood and at the 1D Substation in Southeast. I was especially pleased to see how well attended the event at Sherwood was, despite the fact that temperatures topped 100 degrees during the day! Even Mayor Williams attended the Sherwood event. As you can see in the picture, Mayor Williams and I had a chance to chat about the issues facing Ward 6.



While at these events I met with citizens who are passionate about taking back our streets and reducing crime. I met with parents who want to see their children grow up in drug-free communities. I met with our police officers who work hard every day to protect us. I want to bring the concerns of the citizens and the efforts of the police together to provide everyone with a safer community.

I have specific plans for how to make this community as safe as possible. I want to increase the number of police officers throughout the city. Response time to a 911 call should be reduced, and all citizens should be able to count on those whose job it is to protect them. It is my wish to get more police officers out of their patrol cars and onto the streets, walking our neighborhoods. It is one thing to know where the trouble areas are; it is another thing entirely to actually do something about it. With more police officers on the beat using varied transportation, this will be an attainable goal.

More police officers are not the only answer. Our safe communities start at home. We must remember to maintain our involvement with great community minded gatherings like PSAs, ANCs and neighborhood associations. I encourage all of you to attend your next PSA meeting so that your thoughts may be heard. I also want to hear your opinions. If you have any ideas or questions about public safety, please email me at will@willcobbforward6.com.

July 27, 2006 (SW Waterfront) and July 19, 2006 (RFK) - Major Ward 6 Development

RFK Stadium Site Redevelopment: On July 19, 2006, Ward 6 residents were introduced to the National Capital Planning Commission's (NCPC) preliminary design concepts, as part of the RFK Stadium Site Redevelopment Study. The study area, which covers approximately 190 acres, is owned by the federal government, but it is leased to the District for carefully defined uses. With the Nationals heading to Near Southeast, the need for stadium use may be short-lived. Based on NCPC's Extending the Legacy Plan, this site is viewed as a dramatic gateway to the monumental core of the city, and provides opportunities for new monuments, museums, active recreation, open space, and new development. The study is aiming to involve the community and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2006. The city's decision of whether or not the site should be used as a stadium will trigger a host of activities culminating in the site's redevelopment. It is incumbent on us to actively participate and have our voices heard in the coming months. We must sound off together about our community's desire for adequate green space, recreational facilities, integrated housing that provides low-income, workforce and market rate units, and appropriate retail and services for the Hill East community. In the photo above, David Zaidain, the RFK Stadium Site Redevelopment Site Project Officer, shows preliminary illustrations of potential site partitions.

SW Waterfront On July 27, 2006, more than 200 SW residents and concerned citizens crammed into SEU's multi-purpose room to hear from the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation's (AWC) 5 development team finalists from the recent Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) competion between 17 initial respondents. The finalists are:
* EastBanc - LNR Waterfront Partners
* Madison/KSI Waterfront Partners
* PN Hoffman/Struever Brothers Eccles & Rouse
* SW Waterfront LLC (JBG)
* The John Buck Company
Each team discussed their qualifications and development strategies. JBG seemed to impress me the most because they openly stated that they had not put together a plan because they needed community input before creating their design. The John Buck Company was particulary impressive with their leadership in LEED design. Regardless of my thoughts, each team seems qualified and committed to community engagement and involvement throughout the design and development process.

In my mind, one of the Ward 6 Council Member's key roles over the next four years will be to fight on behalf of our existing residents to ensure the development is reflective of community needs and desires, while concurrently increasing the District's fiscal strength and financial independence.