Notice of intent to move an amendment in the nature of a substitute at the June 7, 2022 Legislative Meeting (Redistricting)

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Washington, DC 20004

MEMORANDUM

TO: Nyasha Smith, Secretary to the Council

FROM: Phil Mendelson, Chairman

DATE: June 6, 2022

RE: Notice of intent to move an amendment in the nature of a substitute at the June 7, 2022 Legislative Meeting

This memorandum serves as notice that I intend to move an amendment in the nature of a substitute (ANS) for the following measure on second reading at the June 7, 2022 Legislative Meeting:

▪ Bill 24-700, Advisory Neighborhood Commission Boundaries Act of 2022

The underlying measure redraws Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and Single Member District (SMD) boundaries, consistent with the Ward Redistricting Amendment Act of 2021. The new boundaries reflect neighborhood populations as included in the 2020 Census. The permanent measure was approved by the Subcommittee on Redistricting on May 20, 2022 and was adopted by the full Committee of the Whole and the Council on first reading on May 24, 2022 following amendments addressing concerns over some Ward ANC 7 Boundaries. This ANS makes additional amendments to the proposed maps for Ward 7 and Ward 3.

The Committee Print and subsequent Engrossment of Bill 24-700 made changes to ANC 7D to keep all West-of-the-River SMDs in a single ANC and consolidated several other “Downtown Ward 7” SMDs into ANC 7F. With respect to ANC 7D, the changes made at markup left ANC 7D09 underpopulated, and ANC 7F07 significantly overpopulated. The changes proposed in the attached ANS would rebalance the ANC 7D SMCs to be within the required deviation range (generally 1,800 to 2,200) with two exceptions. First 7D02’s population will be 1,792 due to geographic and census block constraints. Second, 7F08’s population will be 2,350 which generally represents the population of the DC Jail, a reentry facility, and other populations that existed on parts of Reservation 13 as of the date of the Census count. Since the count, the site has changed markedly, with most of the former buildings having been razed, and the shrinking population of the Jail that occurred during the pandemic. The ANS makes additional changes to SMD boundaries East-of-the-River within ANC 7F to create an SMD that encompasses both sides of Benning Road (7F01) and an SMD that is aligned with East Capitol Street (7F02).

The ANS also contains changes to Ward 3 ANC boundaries, and changes to a limited number of SMDs. The vast majority of SMD boundaries were not changed but a number were moved between ANCs. The Ward 3 Redistricting Taskforce made recommendations (mostly reflected in the bill as adopted on first reading) included centering ANCs around population centers, even where those boundaries may split existing neighborhoods. D.C. Official Code § 1-207.38 states that the “Council shall consider natural geographic boundaries, election districts, and divisions of the District” in determining boundaries. A large number of Ward 3 residents expressed concerns to me over the Ward 3 ANC boundaries, including at a community meeting held on May 31, 2022. Geographic concerns were raised around the following issues:

§ The Westover Place, N.W. neighborhood being isolated from adjacent ANC 3E and 3D.

§ A small triangle south of Tenley Circle being isolated from adjoining neighbors in a separate ANC.

§ The Woodland Normanstone neighborhood being split between two SMDs.

§ The Cleveland Park neighborhood being split between two ANCs.

The attached ANS addresses each of those concerns. First, areas between Glover Archbold Park and American University near Westover Place, N.W. are returned to ANC 3D, and unpopulated portions of the census block adjacent to McLean Gardens west of the Park are made part of ANC 3E. Second, the small triangle bounded by Nebraska Avenue, Wisconsin Avenue, and Van Ness Street, N.W. near Tenley Circle which is bounded by to ANC 3E on its east and west is reintegrated into ANC 3E. Third, the Woodland Normanstone neighborhood is kept in a single SMD, which I have been told by the current Commissioner and the Co-President of the Woodland Normanstone Neighborhood Association addresses their concerns regardless of which ANC the neighborhood is in. Fourth, the Cleveland Park Neighborhood is reunited in ANC 3C in three east-west SMDs between Wisconsin Avenue and Connecticut Avenue, N.W., as well as reuniting them with McLean Gardens. This has historically been a single neighborhood for purposes of ANCs for decades, and they have strong ties to both avenues. To bifurcate this area into two different ANCs, one on the east and one on the west, would unnecessarily divide a longstanding cohesive neighborhood, and is not necessary for any purpose – in fact it runs counter to the idea that geographic boundaries should be used to determine ANC boundaries.

I recognize and acknowledge the tremendous work undertaken by volunteers and neighbors across this District in their work with the 8 Ward taskforces. In most cases, the task force recommendations served as the basis for the Subcommittee’s recommendation to the Committee of the Whole. I know that in Ward 8, the Subcommittee deviated from the task force’s recommendations, and it was able to work with the Ward Councilmember in coming to its recommendation. Similarly, I was approached by Ward 7 Task Force members who had concerns over how the Subcommittee redrew the Ward 7 boundaries, and I worked with stakeholders to come to a compromise that ensured East-of-the-River residents would have a say in development of the entirety of Reservation 13, which has been represented by ANC 7F for the last decade. In Ward 3, I was moved by the concerns raised by many residents who were concerned about a change in the paradigm for what represents a neighborhood as put forward by the Subcommittee and Task Force. In all of these cases, I am recommending minimal changes to SMD boundaries as part of the ANS, except where those changes were necessary to fix problems that were raised to me.

The ANS along with maps from the Office of Planning that reflect the text are attached. Please contact me, or Evan Cash, Committee and Legislative Director, at 724-7002 if you have any questions.

cc: All Councilmembers

Council Officers

Evan Cash

Committee and Legislative Director

Committee of the Whole

Chairman Phil Mendelson

John A. Wilson Building

1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW

Suite 410

Washington, DC 20004

Tel: (202) 724-7002

http://www.chairmanmendelson.com/cow