CM Thomas releases draft Ward 5 ANC SMD map; John Salatti: "Bloomingdale remains united"

See this message from ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti.

Note the draft Ward 5 ANC SMD map PDF has been posted over at the Bates Area Civic Association (BACA) blog: http://batesareacivicassociation.org/2011/12/15/the-new-ward-5-anc-smd-map-from-cm-thomas/

BLOOMINGDALE REMAINS UNITED!!!!

Hot off the presses.

I just received a copy from Councilmember Harry Thomas of the revised Ward 5 draft redistricting plan.

I have asked Scott Roberts to post the map of the plan on the Bloomingdale blog.In this draft, which still is subject to comment from the community and to votes from the City Council, Bloomingdale residents have achieved the two goals we have advocated for since October:

(1) All of Bloomingdale from Florida Avenue to Michigan Avenue remains united in a single Advisory Neighborhood Commission!

(2) All Single Member Districts in Bloomingdale (and now throughout the Ward) adhere much more closely to the 2,000-person standard laid out in the Home Rule Charter!

I thank Councilmember Harry Thomas for hearing the voices of Bloomingdale residents. He heard and he acted. We appreciate the many competing concerns he has had to consider and appreciate his willingness to put his imprimatur on a map that really is in the best interest of this community (and many others in Ward 5). I thank Redistricting Subcommittee chairs Councilmembers Michael Brown and Jack Evans and Subcommittee member Councilmember Phil Mendelson for hearing our concerns and working closely with Councilmember Thomas to create a stronger, fairer Ward 5 map. Special kudos go to Michael Brown. I have visited with him and his staff many times in the last two weeks. His door was always open to us. They have always made time to talk about the concerns we have and about the possible alternatives that would uphold the principles of redistricting while carefully addressing the concerns of Bloomingdale residents. I could not ask for more.

I reserve my biggest thanks to you all. Congratulations on your efforts. By testifying, calling, e-mailing, visiting you conveyed the seriousness with which we viewed this issue. You made a difference. You made democracy work. Thank you so much!

But the work isn't done. As I noted, this is the latest draft. It is not law yet. So my ask to you is to contact the Subcommittee and copy Councilmember Thomas:

(1) Please thank them for what they have done to bring us this new map; they have worked hard and made a lot of changes that strengthen Bloomingdale;
(2) Please ask them to enact it into law.

If you have questions about the map or about redistricting generally, please contact me.

Again, Congratulations Bloomingdale!

John
John T. Salatti
Commissioner, ANC 5C04
Vice President, Bloomingdale Civic Association
(202) 986-2592
John.Salatti@gmail.com
"Together, Building a Better Bloomingdale"


....and see Ward 5 resident Geoff Hatchard`s post on the presented draft Ward 5 redistricting map at the Greater Greater Washington blog: http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13055/thomas-adopts-fair-community-proposal-for-anc-map

Commissioner Fournier: "ANC Redistricting in Ward 5 - Do NOT split Bloomingdale"

ANC 5C07 Commissioner James Fournier has asked to have this message posted.


----------Original Message----------
From: James Fournier
Date: Dec 1, 2011 12:41:19 PM
Subject: ANC Redistricting in Ward 5 - Do NOT split Bloomingdale
To: mbrown@DCCOUNCIL.US, JACKEVANS@DCCOUNCIL.US, PMENDELSON@DCCOUNCIL.USCc: anc5c-commissioners@googlegroups.com, ronnieedwards.5c11@gmail.com, 5C02@anc.dc.gov, b-ashton-thomas@verizon.net, john.salatti@gmail.com, vorange@dccouncil.us, DCATANIA@DCCOUNCIL.US, HThomas@DCCOUNCIL.US, 5C11@anc.dc.gov, Ted Kill

Dear Councilmen M. Brown, Evans, and Mendelson:

That the Chairman of ANC 5C (which includes Bloomingdale) is compelled to answer the direct question of whether the redistricting plan that Harry Thomas's office submitted was the one agreed upon by the task force with the caveats of yes, "as edited," and "following technical adjustments," speaks for itself. So does the fact the only information he has about the redistricting process is a variation of the canned campaign e-mail that Harry Thomas has been circulating, for over a week, to everyone with a question concerning redistricting - regardless of the question posed.

Everyone in Ward 5 is not stupid, and you heard many of them at the November 29th hearing. The types of answers, resolutions, and ponderously empty statements repeatedly coming from Harry Thomas and his political allies are telling and plainly suggest that they think we are.
Ward 5 residents:

If you care about the bizarre consequences of the Thomas plan, regardless of which part of Ward 5 that you may live in, take the few minutes to submit your thoughts to the members of the redistricting subcommittee receiving this email:

Michael Brown - 202-724-8105; mbrown@dccouncil.us
Jack Evans - 202-724-8058; jevans@dccouncil.us
Phil Mendelson - 202-724-8064; pmendelson@dccounsil.us

The redistricting subcommittee is co-chaired by Councilmen J. Evans and M. Brown. Harry Thomas is not on the subcommittee. And yet he was the councilman pummelled with questions about the panoramic deficiencies of his plan at the November 29th hearing. Let the subcommittee know that there is no basis for dividing Bloomingdale and that if Harry Thomas thinks that dividing Bloomingdale will make forcing his ill-conceived development plans for the McMillan site onto the Bloomingdale that he has another thing coming.

I asked Harry Thomas to explain the basis for dividing Bloomingdale at the November 29 hearing before the DC City Council.

He refused.

Telling. . . .

- Commissioner James J. Fournier(ANC 5C07) - Bloomingdale, Stronghold, Park Place, Franklin Commons

Bradley Thomas: "Why I Support in Part and Oppose in Part the Position of Commissioners Salatti, Fournier on the Ward 5 Redistricting Plan"

From ANC 5C01 Commissioner Bradley Thomas:

WHY I SUPPORT IN PART AND OPPOSE IN PART THE POSITION OF MY COLLEAGUES COMMISSIONERS JOHN SALATTI AND JAMES FOURNIER ON THE WARD 5 REDISTRICTING PLAN

Today, Tuesday, November 29, 2011, I attended and gave oral testimony at the hearing on B19-528, the Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Boundaries Act of 2011, conducted by the D.C. Council’s Subcommittee on Redistricting. I sat and listened intently to all 42 other witnesses and paid particular attention to the witnesses who spoke on the topic of what effects the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force plan may have on the Bloomingdale community. Go into the hearing, I believed (a belief that was validated by the testimony presented) that the dispute, for lack of a better term, boils down to three issues which I summarize here in the form of three questions:

1. Does respect for the democratic principle of “one person-one vote” dictate that adjustments need to be made in the proposed Single Member District (SMD) lines because of the fact that the population of many of the proposed new SMDs does not fit within the 2,000 plus or minus 5% target specified in the redistricting guidelines?

2. Would the Bloomingdale community, which is by and large represented by a single civic association, the Bloomingdale Civic Association, be adversely impacted by having its population split between two ANCs?

3. Would an ANC configuration which places the McMillan sand filtration site in an ANC other than the one in which the majority of Bloomingdale’s residents live leave the Bloomingdale community without an effective voice in the development of the McMillan site?

My friends and colleagues, Commissioner John Salatti (5C04) and Commissioner James Fournier (5C07), have been quite articulate in answering all three questions in the affirmative. And while I reach the same conclusion as to question one, for the reasons I laid out in my testimony before the Redistricting Subcommittee this afternoon, I differ with Commissioners Salatti and Fournier on questions 2 and 3. While I don’t expect to change any minds, I do encourage all of my friends in Bloomingdale, and yes, we can still be friends even if we don’t see eye to eye on every issue, to read the full text of the written testimony I submitted today.

Anyway, for what it’s worth, here is the text of my testimony:

ANC Redistricting Hearing Testimony-full text
Commissioner Bradley A. Thomas, ANC5C01

Let me first express my gratitude to the Honorable Co-Chairs and members of the D.C. Council’s Redistricting Subcommittee for allowing me to be heard on the issue of ANC redistricting in Ward 5. My name is Bradley Thomas and I am the Commissioner who represents Single Member District ANC5C01. I also chair the ANC5C Economic Development Committee.

The decision to testify in this matter has not been easy. I do so reluctantly because the last thing I want to do is to give the impression that I’m opposed to Bloomingdale or the way it has unified and progressed under its current leadership. On the contrary, I consider myself a supporter of Bloomingdale. Never-the-less, I rise to support the Ward 5 ANC Redistricting Task Force proposal.

I was not a member of the task force but I believe the team was fairly selected from a cross section of the ward and that it operated through a fair and open process. Like my friends from Bloomingdale, I didn’t always agree with every decision the task force made but unlike them, I don’t question the integrity of the process.

First off, I have great affinity for Bloomingdale. I’ve never mentioned this before but my roots there go back more than 80 years. As a boy, my father, with his newly divorced young mother moved to Flagler Place in 1928 or 29, shortly before the stock market crash that plunged this nation into the first Great Depression. 60 years ago, my grandmother moved from Flagler Place to the unit block of W Street, N.W., where she lived until her death almost 20 years ago, about a year after I moved into my home just south of Bloomingdale’s southern border of Florida Avenue. Thus, from a purely emotional standpoint, I want to support Bloomingdale at every juncture.

Secondly, I have nothing but respect and admiration for Bloomingdale’s current Commissioners. Hugh Youngblood is as energetic and enthusiastic as any public servant I can name. John Salatti is popular among his constituents and knowledgeable about the goings on both in and around his community. James Fournier is as thoughtful and articulate a spokesman as anyone I have met in my year on ANC5C. All three of them take very seriously the interests of their neighborhood and work tirelessly on behalf of the citizens who elected them. But I come here today because on the ingular issue of whether the redistricting plan coming from the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force adversely affects Bloomingdale, I firmly believe that their position is ill-informed and emerges from a “glass is half empty” perspective.

Let me begin by stating that I agree with my colleagues that any redistricting plan ought not have any single member districts that fall outside of the 2,000 plus or minus 5% population threshold specified in the redistricting guidelines. I strongly urge the Council to make any adjustments that might be necessary to insure that we don’t wind up with some districts with for example, fewer than 1,800 residents and others with more than 2,200. I think, from my outsider’s point of view, that that kind of tweaking can be done without scraping a generally reasonable and well thought out plan. But Commissioners Fournier, Salatti and Youngblood have articulated the position that the proposed redistricting plan will divide Bloomingdale and dilute its political voice. I respectfully disagree. The Bloomingdale Civic Association (or BCA), which represents most of the residents living within the boundaries of what are now ANCs 5C03, 5C04 and 5C07 will not be disbanded by the adoption of the redistricting proposal. The BCA will still represent those same residents. Under the new plan, however, that constituency will have a voice in not one, but two ANC’s in Ward 5. Presently, they have three votes out of 12 on ANC5C, thus representing a 25% voting block. Under the new arrangement, Bloomingdale residents will be the majority in 4 SMDs and will have one vote out of 6 (or 16 2/3 % ) on one ANC and 3 votes out of 6 (or 50 %) on another ANC in the ward. Thus overall, Bloomingdale will have a greater, not a lesser voice in Ward 5. Think of it as analogous to a set of parents, apprehensive about their daughter’s impending marriage. The best advice for those parents is “don’t think of it as losing a daughter, think of it as gaining a son.”

My colleagues in Bloomingdale also argue that the new proposal is detrimental to Bloomingdale because it takes from them control of McMillan Reservoir. With all due respect, I submit to the Council that the McMillan project does not belong to Bloomingdale but rather to all of the citizens of the District of Columbia. Furthermore, its development, with job creation, housing opportunities and environmental impact reaches far beyond Messrs. Fournier, Salatti and Youngblood’s single member districts. The storm water run off and traffic effects alone will be felt as much in my SMD, on the south side of Florida Avenue, as in Commissioner Youngblood’s SMD on the other side of the street. If Mr. Youngblood and Mr. Salatti get to have a voice in McMillan’s future, why shouldn’t ommissioner Pinkney and I be permitted to speak on behalf of our affected constituents?

Once again, I did not serve on the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force. And when I heard of the plan to change the configuration of the ward from 3 large ANC’s to 6 smaller ones, I was less than enthusiastic. ANC5C currently covers all of Ward 5 west of the railroad tracks. If we are going to divide what is now a 12 single member district ANC into 2 ANCs, logic dictates we should do so as evenly as possible. The only logical place to draw the dividing line is through Bloomingdale, the neighborhood which is geographically in the north-south center of our present ANC. If we keep all three current Bloomingdale SMDs together, we wind up with two unbalanced ANCs; either a large one on the north end and a significantly smaller one on the south, or vice versa. The opposition to the proposed split presumes that the two new ANCs cannot work together for the collective good
I respectfully disagree. If this is to be One City, then we in Ward 5, can and must function as One Ward.

In conclusion, I say to the Council that I hope the redistricting proposal put forth today will receive a favorable reading. And to my friends in Bloomingdale I say that I hope you will take a fresh look at the proposal and see the glass as half full; a chance to have more, not less, input into the affairs of the ward and the city. The bottom line is that the task force which drafted the proposal was composed of 30 or more spirited and opinionated individuals and we know from experience that whenever two or more people get together, there are going to be differences of opinion. This committee worked through its differences to reach a consensus. Would I have reached the same results? Maybe, maybe not. But I honor and respect the efforts of those who volunteered their time to take on this formidable task. If the Council needs to make minor adjustments to make the SMD population numbers work, by all means it should do so. But let’s not throw the baby out with the bath water.

I * think * that ANC 5C voted last night to support the plan to have the McMillan site in a separate ANC from the remainder of Bloomingdale

I attended last night`s ANC 5C meeting held here in Bloomingdale.

At the tail end of the meeting, Commissioner Pinkey submitted a resolution titled ``Resolution on Redistricting and Designation of Six (6) Advisory Neighborhood Commissions WIthin Ward 5.`` I do not know if the full text of this resolution is posted anywhere.

It would appear that the resolution voted on and passed last night supports the plan to have Bloomingdale's McMillan Sand Filtration site in a separate commission -- a separate ANC -- than the remainder of Bloomingdale.

Perhaps one of the commissioners could weigh in and clarify.

Ward 5 redistricting: final redistricting PowerPoint presentation + language corrections document

See this message from the office of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.

From: "Streeter, Racheal (Council)"
Sent: Tuesday, November 15, 2011 4:29 PM
Subject: Redistricting Final Meeting PowerPoint and Language Corrections from OP

Good Afternoon Ward 5,

Attached is the PowerPoint presentation from the final redistricting meeting held 11/14/11 along with the language corrections from The Office of Planning. If you have any questions, feel free to contact The Ward 5 Council Office.

Thank you,

Racheal L. Streeter, Administrative Assistant
Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 107
Washington DC
20004
202-724-8028 (office)
202-724-8076 (fax)
Rstreeter@dccouncil.us

Unfortunately, blogspot cannot accommodate either Powerpoint .ppt files or Word document .doc files, so neither of Ms. Streeter's supplied files are provided here. I am hoping that someone can post these two files somewhere at some public location with links, so that they may be referenced.

Prince of Petworth post on Ward 5 redistricting

From a resident:

At the Prince of Petworth blog, there was a post by John Salatti summarizing his concerns about the proposed Ward 5 redistricting and what people in the neighbourhood can do to voice their concerns about it.

Here is the link and title:

Don’t Let Bloomingdale Be Split by Redistricting (date November 14)
http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2011/11/dear-popville-dont-let-bloomingdale-be-split-by-redistricting

final Ward 5 redistricting meeting - Monday, 11-14-2011 -- get the scoop -- what's the new Ward 5 commission map going to look like?

From the office of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.:

Good Morning Ward 5 Residents,

Our final Redistricting meeting has arrived!

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011
Location: 5th District Police Station
1805 Bladensburg Rd NE
Time: 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

If you have any questions, feel free to contact The Ward 5 Council Office at 202-724-8028

Thank you,

Racheal L. Streeter
Administrative Assistant
Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 107
Washington DC 20004
202-724-8028 (office)
202-724-8076 (fax)
Rstreeter@dccouncil.us



_____________________________________________________________
I wanted to amend this post by adding in a photo and link to a map of the proposed
 redistricting. 
-sean.

here is a link to this google map created by Geoffrey

Subcommittee on Redistricting hearing -- Tuesday, 11/29/2011

Passed along by Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.:

Council of the District of Columbia
Committee of the Whole
Subcommittee on Redistricting
Notice of Public Hearing
1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

COUNCILMEMBER MICHAEL BROWN,
COUNCIMEMBER JACK EVANS
CO-CHAIRPERSONS
SUBCOMMITTEE ON REDISTRICTING

ANNOUNCE A PUBLIC HEARING ON

B19-528, the ``Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Boundaries Act of 2011``.

Councilmember Michael Brown and Councilmember Jack Evans, Co-Chairpersons of the Subcommittee on Redistricting, announce a public hearing on B19-528, the ``Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Boundaries Act of 2011``. The public hearing will be held on November 29, 2011, at 10:00 a.m., in the Council Chamber, Room 500 of the John A. Wilson Building, 1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, Washington, D.C. 20004. Please note that the submitted recommendations of each ward task force are available on the Council website under the Subcommittee on Redistricting tab. This notice has been abbreviated in order to give timely notice to the public.

Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 10:00 a.m.
Council Chamber, Room 500, John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

"CM Thomas submitted Ward 5 redistricting plan to the DC Council one month ago"

From: James Fournier
To:
Cc: John Salatti ; Tim Clark ; Hugh Youngblood ; Brice McCracken ; Geoffrey Hatchard

Sent: Wednesday, November 9, 2011 3:09 PM
Subject: TIme sensitive message re redistricting development

Hear this crucial news bulletin regarding the ongoing Ward 5 redistricting issues from concerned Ward 5 residents, Commissioners Tim Clark, James Fournier, John Salatti, Hugh Youngblood, and Geoff Hatchard and Brice McCracken.

Councilman Harry Thomas recently made several promises to Ward 5 residents to address the turmoil created by his redistricting plan to split neighborhoods like Bloomingdale and Trinidad into multiple ANC commissions. Specifically, Harry Thomas promised that he:

``will work to incorporat[e] concerns`` regarding re-districting ``through the task force`` (Nov. 3, 2011 e-mail);

``in an open and transparent way`` will address residents` concerns about his re-districting plan (Nov. 4, 2011 e-mail); and

``[W]ill continue to work with you and the residents of ward 5 to ensure input `` concerning redistricting (Nov. 7, 2011 e-mail).

We have just learned that Councilman Thomas nearly one month ago submitted to the DC City Council his plan to cut Bloomingdale into separate ANC commissions as well as truncate other surrounding neighborhoods. In fact, Councilman Thomas submitted his plan to the DC Council`s Subcommittee on Redistricting on or about October 11, 2011, weeks before meeting with the Bloomingdale Civic Association and repeatedly placating constituents in other neighborhoods with the promise of addressing their concerns and recommendations. In fact, he had already submitted his plan for DC Council consideration weeks before he continued making promises to the contrary.

Given Harry Thomas`s repeated disingenuousness with both the elected representatives and constituents of our neighborhoods, it is crucial to reach out to the members of the DC Council`s Subcommittee on Redistricting to express your concerns. They can be reached as follows:

Councilman Michael Brown – mbrown @ dccouncil.us - (202) 724 - 8105.
Councilman Jack Evans – jevans @ dccouncil.us - (202) 724 - 8058
Councilman Phil Mendelson – pmendelson @ dccouncil.us - (202) 724 - 8064

Their bios and key staff are set forth at http://www.dccouncil.washington.dc.us/council.

Harry Thomas has already characterized as ``bogus`` and ``misrepresentative`` the proposal to keep neighborhoods like Bloomingdale and McMillan in a single ANC Commission. That proposal is the subject of a three part series in Greater Greater Washington, numerous neighborhood list discussions and recent community meetings. If you disagree with Councilman Thomas, let him and the City Council know - now.

The proposed plan will have an tremendous effect on Ward 5`s historic and close knit communities for the next ten years.

To make sure that the integrity of Ward 5 neighborhoods are preserved and the redistricting process does not fall victim to Ward 5 politics, make your presence felt. On Monday the 14th, the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force is scheduled to meet at the Fifth District Headquarters, 1805 Bladensburg Road, NE, starting at 6:30. The meeting is open to anyone. If the Task Force clearly senses that a broad swath of the community does not approve of the plans being sent to the Council, the Task Force will likely balk at supporting such efforts.

As always, feel free to reach out to any of us should you have any questions.

CM Thomas` office: Final Ward 5 Redistricting Meeting -- Monday, 11-14-2011

See this message from the office of Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.:

Good Morning Ward 5 Residents,

Our final Redistricting meeting has arrived!

Date: Monday, November 14, 2011
Location: 5th District Police Station
1805 Bladensburg Rd NE
Time: 6:30- 8:00 PM

If you have any questions, feel free to contact The Ward 5 Council Office at 202-724-8028

Thank you,

Racheal L. Streeter
Administrative Assistant
Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.
Council of the District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Suite 107
Washington DC 20004
202-724-8028 (office)
202-724-8076 (fax)
Rstreeter@dccouncil.us

Ward 5 redistricing meeting tonight

The Bloomingdale Civic Association invites you to a discussion on

Redistricting Ward 5

Tuesday, November 1, 2011
7 pm
St. George`s Episcopal Church, 2nd & U Street NW
Childcare room available

Why come out? Redistricting ensures that your vote carries as much weight DC's political process as every other vote. It creates advisory neighborhood commissions and single member districts that group neighborhoods together and promote a sense of community.

Join us to learn about proposed Ward 5 redistricting and how it impacts Bloomingdale.

Bloomingdale Civic Association
www.bloomingdalecivic.org

Class B liquor license renewals -- on the agenda of the Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting -- Monday, 10-17-2011

From Bloomingdale Civic Association President Teri Janine Quinn:

The next meeting of the Bloomingdale Civic Association will be held at St. George`s Episcopal Church, 2nd & U Street NW, at 7 pm.

Here is the meeting agenda:

•Election of Bloomingdale Civic Association Nominating Committee
•Election of BCA Friends of Florida Avenue Park Representative
•Renewal of Class B Liquor Licenses in Bloomingdale
•Update on Ward 5 Redistricting
•BCA Dues
•Committee Reports

See you there!

Ward 5 redistricting: southern end of Bloomingdale to be lopped off into a different Ward 5 commission...? Hello --- anyone care?

Former Bloomingdale resident Geoff Hatchard placed this post at Greater Greater Washington blog on Thursday night`s ANC 5C redistricting meeting. I have copied in his post below. I am too lazy to copy in all three proposed Ward 5 redistricting maps. I have only copied in the map that won the most task force votes last night. Click on the GGW link below to see all of Geoff's maps.

So what will Councilmember Thomas and the DC Office of Planning do now? Stay tuned.

Thanks to Geoff for his GGW post. And thanks to everyone who volunteered their time in the Ward 5 redistricting effort.

Ward 5 task force chooses more ANCs
by Geoff Hatchard • October 7, 2011 12:18 pm
http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12339/ward-5-task-force-chooses-more-ancs

Last night, the Ward 5 Redistricting Task Force met for the last time and voted to change the makeup of the ward`s ANCs from one with 3 large ANCs of 12 commissioners each, to one with 6 smaller ANCs with 5-8 commissioners in each.

Click to enlarge.

The task force met for the first time in early August. I was a member. From the beginning, we were informed that we would be approaching redistricting with a fresh slate. There would be no reference to existing commission lines, and the process would be data-driven.

Task force members were split into six teams, which were assigned different geographical parts of the ward. The team I was on was given the area stretching from Fort Lincoln south through the Arboretum to Carver Langston. Our job was to add up census blocks to create proto-single member districts (SMDs) of approximately 2,000 people, with a margin of error of 5% either way (1,900 to 2,100 people).

These proto-SMDs (of which there were 40) were then turned in to the chair of the task force, who, with members of the executive committee, put the six teams` findings together into one large map. We analyzed this at a meeting last month, and the task force voted to give the executive committee the responsibility to come back to the task force with three options: maps with three, four, and five ANCs.

These options were presented to the task force last night. Significant changes had been made since the 40 proto-SMDs had been turned in to the commission chair. We were notified that there were errors in the data and that lines had to be redrawn for accuracy`s sake. This meant that there would be 38, not 40, SMDs in Ward 5. Many of these new lines were drawn to closely follow the current SMD boundaries.

The three options are below. Click on each to see a larger and interactive version including the populations of each individual proposed SMD.

Option 1 had 5 ANCs. 3 task force members voted for this option.

Option 2 had 6 ANCs. 10 task force members voted for this option.

Option 3 had 3 ANCs. 3 task force members voted for this option.

As you can see, there are errors in the way the SMDs were described verbally, which led to areas of both overlap and gaps that were not included in any SMD. These include the area along the railroad tracks between the neighborhoods of Gateway and Langdon, the Park Place and Cloisters apartments and condominiums at the northeast corner of Michigan Avenue and North Capitol Street, the Washington Hospital Center campus, two blocks just south of Catholic University`s campus, a couple blocks on the eastern edge of Trinidad, a block on the western edge of Carver-Langston, the Brentwood Rail Yard, and the entire eastern edge of the ward from the proposed Dakota Crossing development in Fort Lincoln to the Langston Golf Course along the Anacostia River.

It was difficult, if not impossible, to note these problems during the meeting, due to the fact that there was only one hastily drawn map at the front of the room that was difficult to read. Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr.`s office and the Office of Planning will have to collaborate to make fixes to these problems before the language can be submitted for a vote before the DC Council.

It`s worth noting that 3 SMDs, as drawn here, fall significantly below the minimum recommended threshold for population size. The 2 SMDs in Fort Lincoln have populations of 1,265 and 1,467. The SMD that encompasses the neighborhood of Stronghold and the northernmost block of Bloomingdale (as well as the McMillan Sand Filtration site) has a population of 1,399. Perhaps it was the intent of the executive committee to include Park Place and the Cloisters in this SMD, but that wasn`t evident from the proposed legal language.

When asked why these three SMDs had such low populations, the chair informed us that the population limits were guidelines, not strict rules, and they had received guidance from the Office of Planning that precedent existed to allow this deviation.

Comments

Yeay! Let`s make more dysfunctional ANCs! Is there a purpose to this?
by Jasper on Oct 7, 2011 1:25 pm

2011 Ward 5 redistricting & you presentation + SMD maps

ANC 5C04 Commissioner John Salatti held a meeting on Thursday evening, 09/22/2011, that included an update on the Ward 5 redistricting activities.

Here is John's message from his meeting:

"Regarding the Ward 5 redistricting update, I will be presenting what came out of the Ward 5 redistricting meetings that have been going on since July. Proposed changes to ANC districts will change how Bloomingdale and surrounding Ward 5 neighborhoods are represented. To help you see how the changes will affect you, I will have PowerPoint slides showing currents districts and proposed districts. I will also have several large paper maps of Ward 5 that have current political boundaries and 2010 census numbers. "

Here is his slideshow presentation:
2011 Ward 5 redistricting & you presentation

John took nine photos of the maps drawn by the assorted groups of volunteers working on creating the Ward 5 single member districts. The nine photos, while not very clear, at least provide you an idea of what the redistricting volunteers worked on.