Bertha Holliday for ANC 5E07

   BERTHA'S ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

    AS COMMISSIONER - ANC 5E07

                        Looking ... Listening ... Learning ...

                                      Working to Serve Bloomingdale

Meetings Routinely Attended

• Bloomingdale Civic Association - Serves as 2^nd Vice President and member of Executive Board

• ANC 5E - Serves as the elected Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) for Single Member District ANC

        5E07 and ANC 5E Treasurer since 2015

• McMillan Advisory Group

• Neighbors of the Unit Block of T St., NW / T Street Restoration Committee - Co-Chair

Other Meetings Periodically Attended

• Crispus Attucks Board of Directors

• First St. Tunnel Community Group

Major Accomplishments

• Chair, biennial BCA Bloomingdale House Tour & Art Show, 2010 -Present: Each tour promotes the Bloomingdale neighborhood and its businesses while raising $10,000 - $15,000, with proceeds going to the BCA Scholarship Fund for neighborhood youth

• Co-Chair, BCA Bloomingdale Village Square (BVS) Project,

2015 - Present. Project awarded more than $5000 in grants to date (including $1000 f from ANC 5E) to support neighborhood history and planning of architecture/design improvements. To date, the BVS Committee of 30 residents has: (a) videotaped 22 oral history interviews, (b) produced a 38-minute 'presentation' video of 8 of these interviews (available at https://vimeo.com/148531545), Co- Chair, ( c) drafted and published a 48-page booklet with photos, factoids, and a historical timeline titled Social and Architectural History of the Bloomingdale Neighborhood: 1800 -2015 (co-authored by Bertha Holliday & Paul Cerruti) , (d) produced a 34-slide graphic powerpoint presentation titled Architectural and Design Recommendations Report, which describes and locates needed improvements in nearly every block of Bloomingdale, (e)published two 3-fold brochures titled Project Overview , and Architecture & Design Issues, (f) developed a project banner that succinctly conveys the project's vision, goals and major strategies, (g) developed Final Report of funded efforts, and (h) conducted a 5-hour BVS Community Forum, at which all the above products were presented and commented on and vetted by the more than 75 community members in attendance. (A second vetting of the Architecture & Design powerpoint is planned October,2016\. All BVS products (Project Resources) can be viewed at www.bloomingdalecivicassociation.org/villagecenter/ .

• Drafted resolutions approved by ANC 5E in support of :

            - Extended Residential Parking for the 100 block of Thomas St. NW, the Unit block of T St. NW,

             - Restoration of WMATA bus stop at North Capitol and Seaton Place NW

-Ceremonial renaming of the 100 block of Rhode Island in honor of Mr. William H Jackson - a longtime proprietor on that block.

• Actively advocated to the Mayor's Office for alley reconstruction/re-pavement between the blocks of Rhode Island and T Street NW.

• Initiated discussions between DCRA and neighbors regarding potential illegal construction

• Facilitated discussions between business owners and their concerned neighbors related to possible protests of liquor license renewals for Showtime, Rustik Tavern, Costa Brava/Crisp, 

• .Annually provided $1000 - $1500 in ANC 5E funds to support BCA beautification efforts

• Drafted the approved BCA Community Benefits Proposal for the McMILLAN SAND FILTRATION SITE, which called for development of community/developer partnerships related to the establishment of various proposed financial, administrativa accountability structures for the development. Most of the Proposal was incorporated into the MAG community benefits package. Most of that proposal was rejected by the Developer.

• Primary writer of certain resolutions approved by ANC 5E related to the McMILLAN SAND FILTRATION SITE:

(a) (7/22/15): Requesting the Zoning Commission (ZC ) to make several ''revisions to its Corrected Final Order for 13-14A (PUD application) including:

- inclusion of language requiring the membership of the McMillan Public Space Partnership, which will maintain and program the development's public space and Community Center, to include at least five (5) public members designated respectively by ANC 5E, the McMillan Advisory Group, and three abutting civic associations;

- ensuring that most ($1.25 million) of the more than $1.75 million in 'Community Benefitsm' that the Developer proposed for private vans to transport future employees to the site from Metro stations -- which was subsequently disallowed by the AG as not meeting criteria for such benefits -- is reprogrammed as additional monies for other approved benefits - i.e., scholarships, (+ $500,000), DC Education Fund for STEM training at McKinley, Dunbar, and Langley (+$225,000), and beautification in abutting neighborhoods (+$500,000);

- requiring that Applicant and its contractors initiate training, job fairs and apprentice opportunities with construction trade organizations prior to the award of the first construction permit. [All requests denied by ZC].

- ensuring that Applicant provides ANC 5E, the McMillan Advisory Group, and affected Civic Associations opportunity to review and comment on the Final Transit Implementation Plan prior to its submission to the Zoning Administrator . (NOTE: ZC denied all of these requests.)

(b) (6/27/16): Requesting a ZC re-hearing to provide additional authoritative information regarding the legality of the proposed residential configuration of the Parcel 4 building that would result in social-economic and racial separation/segregation that appears to be at odds with associated HUD Rules and Regulations. [Request denied by ZC with no rights of ANC Appeal].

• Provided written testimony to the Zoning Commission related to the McMillan SITE including:

(a) 5/8/14: . Requesting that the Site's PUD application approval be deferred until there is greater clarity regarding who will be the primary tenant of the Healthcare Building (the site's "economic engine"), and to what specific uses it will be put?

(b) 5/13/15: On behalf of BCA, requested that the McMillan Advisory Group (MAG), BCA and other civic associations with boundaries abutting the McMillan site be signatories to the development's Community Benefit Agreement (BCA); re-iterated need for Agreement to include provision for financial, administrative and accountability structures associated with BCA.

( c) 3-10-16; Recommending that ZC Final Order for 13-14B include language that notes:

- "Developer will diligently request of, and negotiate with Harris Teeter [grocery] regarding establishment of [reduced] off-street parking [garage] fees/policies for its patrons that are consistent with the average of those charged at its NMA location and other urban groceries located within 4 miles of the McMillan site

- Great concern about the proposed residential separation/segregation in the Parcel 4 building.

Other Activities (Selected)

• Participated in walk-thru of the new Dunbar High School

• Attended book reading/signing at Bloomingdale Farmer's Market of S Street Rising. .

• Based on Bloomingdale Village Square efforts, contributing to development of a DC Cultural Plan. 

• 2016 recipient of  a national award for 'Lifetime Achievement in Diversity Services and Policy".
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