Where do you live?
I live on 3rd St, in Capitol Quarter.

When did you move to the neighborhood? Why?
I originally moved here, a few blocks from my current address, more than 25 years ago and returned to the neighborhood just over 3 years ago. After living with limited and narrow sidewalks, walkability was a critical consideration. The new neighborhood had to have a wide variety of places to go and sidewalks to get there. I remembered the community as it was before Metro, the baseball stadium and other physical improvements. The changes I saw in 2009, when friends moved here, were dramatic. And the rest is history.

What made you decide to run for the ANC?
It wasn't something I did without some soul searching. During my 3 years of renewed residency I have interacted with individuals, organizations, government agencies, our ANC and City Council Committees on community issues, including several transportation related matters such as CSX and the Virginia Avenue Tunnel, parking, streetcars, and public space, in addition to the economic development issues of DCHA, Hope VI, and Zoning.

I have gained perspective and enjoyed talking with neighbors I've met; renters and owners; in single-family homes, multi-family units, and mid-rises, of all incomes, ages, and education levels. My strong desire to support smart growth and the neighborhood's completion is a large part of my motivation to run for the ANC and the people I've met give me drive.

How do you envision the role of an ANC commissioner? And of the ANC in general?
The ANC is the means for community input to a wide variety of matters such as liquor licenses, streetscapes and Zoning Commission hearings. In some areas the results of ANC opinions are set in statute. For example zoning law gives the ANC's opinion great weight in decisions of the Zoning Commission. While the force of other ANC votes may not be as predetermined, they can promote responsive government through input to government agencies at both the local and national level. The communication role of the ANC is vital to engage the community.

For Commissioners, being accessible and listening to ALL voices and views of ALL community members is mandatory. I believe a knowledgeable Commissioner involved in community dialogs will gain perspective and build community in the process.

What sort of experience do you have that would make you a good commissioner?
Designing information systems and automating manual processes required analysis of the business activities and the stakeholder needs. Conflicting views of potential solutions were common and frequently based on deeply held beliefs. Since only one position could be implemented, the discussions required careful listening, a willingness to explore alternatives, and respect for each team member.

In addition to ability, I also have the time, energy, and desire to take part in meetings, hearings, and other forums to both obtain information and convey the community perspective. And I have demonstrated my community engagement with active participation over the past 3 years.

Do you have a specific topic area or theme that you would bring a particular focus to?
Smart growth, responsive government, and an engaging the electorate are all areas of focus for me.

Current market forces sometimes do not favor the planned development, but by itself that isn't a sufficient reason to support an alternative development request. If the current market forces do not favor construction of the 3 planned mixed income apartment buildings between Canal Place and 3rd Street, it is still not a forgone conclusion that the community must accept or get behind segregated housing with less parking, increased height, and additional lot coverage. In the short term, the development would most likely be profitable to the developer and in the long term, a liability to the community. ANC6D supported smart growth and unanimously opposed the developers' plan to return to the failed policies of past decades.

Local government's current response to citizens is too frequently unacceptable. Even obvious safety issues go unaddressed, literally for years. Redevelopment of this large area has resulted in somewhat atypical service needs when compared to the city as a whole, but individual requests and follow-ups do not get results. Our ANC is the means to address government entities and increased large scale development throughout ANC6D gives us a shared need for timely and responsive government.

Engagement of the community and the electorate could have an impact on a broad range of issues and community satisfaction too.

If you could wave a wand and get something done in the neighborhood tomorrow, what would it be, and why?
Several things came to mind, but since it's a wand, effective parking services from DDOT, DPW, DMV, and the police or better yet, the combined and improved replacement department would be great. I have listened to numerous individuals and groups testify on this issue. While nobody has a one size fits all answer, there are some solutions for small areas. Whatever the available number of spaces in our area is, it will be insufficient for the planned density. We need signage for safety and to manage curbside turnover. The current flood of commuters using handicap and visitor permits for free parking and no parking enforcement results in little or no turn over. Illegal parking across parking lot exits, driveways, at stop signs, fire lanes and crosswalks cause congestion and safety problems. We do have parking issues and number one is nonexistent parking services and nonresponsive government.

How do you reconcile the somewhat different concerns and profiles of apartment dwellers and SFH residents? And what about public housing residents versus the more well-off newer arrivals?
Our differences help define who we are, but they don't have to keep us apart. Frankly, on most of the basic issues, we are more homogenous than different, good neighborhood schools, safe streets, recreational opportunities, and so on. To effectively represent differing positions and to attempt to locate common ground I like to listen to several people and ask questions. Getting to know one another helps and it can put a friendly face on the issue even if minds don't change much.

What do you think residents of your ANC think is/are the most pressing issue(s) in the neighborhood?
There are several issues that people mention CSX, Van Ness, recreation and entertainment options, Smart Growth and Zoning, DCHA and Hope VI completion and of course, parking. Although I don't remember anyone using the term responsive government, it was implied by the purposed solutions.

Where do you stand on the CSX/Virginia Avenue Tunnel project?
My short answer first, I'm for a No Build decision at this time. The city needs comprehensive transportation planning first. This process has had numerous shortcomings such as using obsolete data not representative of the current highways, ramp configurations, and traffic patterns. A No Build decision would also resolve the right-of-way issue DDOT created during the process.

Expanding freight rail in old right-of-ways through urban centers rather than establishing new routes is, no doubt, a best practice for corporate profits, but is not viewed as positively by the people and communities along those routes. In our case, the right-of-way is a century old and this route has not changed. The 21st century has different cargo types and transportation needs and the city clearly has grown into a dense metropolitan area. The city needs the time for planning.

What do you want voters to remember about you as they fill out their ballot?
I have the time, energy, and desire to take part in meetings, hearings, and other forums to both obtain information and convey the community perspective. I know the issues and have the ability and willingness to listen to ALL voices and views of ALL community members.

What do you call the neighborhood?
To me, a longtime resident, Navy Yard is still a place IN the neighborhood and Capitol Riverfront sounds great, although it doesn't quite identify the area geographically for me. I frequently use the map name Near Southeast, but actually like South Capitol Hill – SoCHill, the best.