Summary Report: SE-SW Summit

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The Near SE-SW Community Summit * Summary Report

Taking Charge of Our Future

Residents of near SE-SW neighborhoods

gathered at Amidon-Bowen Elementary School

for a conversation on community priorities.

About the Community Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC)

The CBCC is a non-profit organization that serves near Southeast/Southwest DC residents in order to maximize

community benefits from neighborhood redevelopment. It brings together organizations, institutions, and

individual headquartered, living, or working in ANC 6D to ensure that redevelopment sustains neighborhood

diversity and improves residents’ quality of life. Since it beginnings the CBCC has negotiated job-fair preferences for

near Southeast/Southwest residents and organized neighborhood listening sessions to identify residents’ and

businesses’ redevelopment priorities for our community.

CBCC focuses on four priorities for our neighborhood:

• Community/Workforce Development Center

• Diverse and affordable housing

• Neighborhood-oriented retail & local small-business opportunities

• Community-benefit fund

Visit us on Facebook at facebook.com/seswcbcc * [email protected] * 202-641-8221

More than 100 residents and stakeholders of near southeast-

southwest neighborhoods came together on March 5th

for a

community-led dialogue to set priorities and determine some next

steps for the future. The summit was hosted by the Community

Benefits Coordinating Council (CBCC), supported by the Local Support

Initiatives Corporation and facilitated by AmericaSpeaks.

During the summit, attendees participated in facilitated table

discussions focusing on five critical topic areas indentified at the

2007 CBCC Roundtable Discussions: Workforce Development/

Jobs/Community Centers; Environmental Concerns; Youth—Education

and Services; Housing Diversity and Affordability; and Neighborhood

Oriented Retail and Services.

The objectives of the summit were:

• Develop community priorities and build public buy-in for

improving the quality of life in the Near Southeast/Southwest

• Identify potential partners and resources for achieving desired

outcomes; and Clarify next steps

Throughout the day, participants used keypad polling and groupware

computers to identify room-wide themes and collective priorities.

Discussions were supported by a Participant Guide that provided

information on each topic area. This report provides a summary of the

prioritized goals and next steps generated by participants at the

Community Summit.

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Who Attended the Community Summit? At the beginning of the day, participants answered questions about themselves and their knowledge about community organizations.

Gender

Female 62%

Male 38%

Age

18-24 4%

25-34 15%

35-44 9%

45-54 18%

55-64 26%

65 and better 28%

Race

Asian/Pacific Islander 1%

Black/African-American 33%

Hispanic/Latino 4%

Native American 1%

White/ Caucasian 54%

Other 6%

Did you attend the CBCC

Community Roundtables

Yes 37%

No 57%

Maybe – Not sure 7%

Where Do You Live

ANC 6D01 19%

ANC 6D02 8%

ANC 6D03 19%

ANC 6D04 19%

ANC 6D05 6%

ANC 6D06 7%

ANC 6D07 11%

Not sure which ANC I live in 1%

Outside ANC 6D, but connected to

the community

9%

How long have you lived or

worked in the community?

Less than 1 year 11%

1 – 2 years 7%

3 – 5 years 9%

6 – 10 years 14%

10 – 20 years 29%

20 – 40 years 19%

Over 40 years 12%

Which organizations did you know about before today? (select

all that apply

49% South Washington/West of the River Family Strengthening

Collaborative (SWWR)

84% Southwest Neighborhood Assembly (SWNA)

29% Southwest Renaissance Development Corporation (SRDC)

47% Washington Waterfront Association (WWA)

33% James Creek Residential Council

32% Syphax Gardens Residential Council

43% Greenleaf Gardens Residential Council

26% Friends of Capper-Carrollsburg Residents

31% Southwest CommUnity Forum

32% SE/SW Schools Excellence NOW

How familiar were you with the CBCC

before this meeting?

� Not at all …………….. 32%

� Only a little …………. 19%

� Not Sure ……….…….. 3%

� Decent Amount …… 20%

� Very ……………………. 25%

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Places We Value and Why

During the first table discussions, participants reflected on their community and were asked: Other than your

home, what is one place you really value in the community and why? Below is a sample of the responses we

received:

• Parks for walking

• Waterfront (fish market, etc.) for its pleasantness for relaxing and exercising

• Nationals Park (walkable and provides jobs. It’s close to the community with easy access.)

• Safeway

• The community is walkable

• Arena Stage for its new structure and programs

• Church with music on Fridays (Westminster)

• Shiloh Church has youth programs and senior events and feeds the homeless

• Greenleaf Recreation Center (youth and senior activities)

• Youth Services (Youth Activity Task Force and the SW Comm-Unity Forum)

• Diverse people

• Library because it has computer access

• Diverse and low-income housing (it allows for diversity of residents)

• Arts festival because it builds community

• The community is peaceful and quiet

• Close to many Metro stops

• Playgrounds connect different people from different backgrounds

• “Our community is affordable and not over-populated.”

• Our community has opportunities for youth engagement

• Schools are located right in the community

Five Issues for Discussion:

(1) Workforce Development/Jobs/Community Centers * (2) Neighborhood Oriented Retail and Services

(3) Youth–Education and Services * (4) Housing Diversity and Affordability * (5) Environmental Concerns

During facilitated table discussions, participants addressed the following questions, then developed and

submitted their responses. Keypad polling was then used to prioritize achievements. The results from these

discussions are presented on pages 4-8 of the Summary Report.

1. What are some additional assets everybody should be aware of in your topic?

2. What are some additional challenges everybody should be aware of in your topic?

3. What do we need to achieve in the next 1-3 years in your topic to make significant progress towards

improving our quality of life?

For each priority achievement in your topic area, discuss these two questions:

1. Who needs to be involved? Who can bring resources? Identify people, organizations, city agencies, etc.

2. What are some important next steps?

* Should this achievement be part of a community benefit agreement?

About CBAs: CBCC board members provided information and responded to questions about Community Benefits

Agreements (CBAs) and how they can best the support community. CBAs are a vehicle by which communities

memorialize commitments and understandings made to them by private developers and government officials that

are involved in development projects the will impact those communities.

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Additional Assets

� Church connected with the private sector.

� Living Classrooms

� Council and Mayor have new initiatives underway

� Ample meeting space

� New hotel development

� Being certified as CBE and DBE

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT DESIRED ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 1-3 YEARS

31% Use schools and facilities for adult education.

31% Ensure that Ward 6 is a part of the waterfront development legislation.

26% Identify and create a workforce clearinghouse w/knowledge base and skills sets.

19% Develop multi-pronged, communication-wide outreach to each section of the community (“Portal

connecting everyone to everyone”)

18% Identify funding sources for the job center

16% Use natural resources for jobs training (water, parks, and environment).

16% Re-establish a school to provide marine vocational training (boat maintenance, commercial divers).

13% Renovate Greenleaf Recreation Center

12% “Implement the plan to build the community center close to senior citizen facilities near SE.”

4% DOES oversight in planning and execution for manpower opportunities.

NEXT STEPS TO REACH ACHIEVEMENTS FOR TOP 2 PRIORITIES ABOVE

Who: Residents, Deputy Mayor of Economic Development, contacting employers, developers, colleges, DOES,

non-profits, local business, trade associations, Chamber of Commerce, Councilman Wells and DCPS for

representatives to work on clearinghouse.

What: Define the target population, identify unions, etc. with training capability; identify location, technology

resources and yes, CBA Inclusion; and carryout an assessment and matching of community capabilities, needs

and interest with that of employers.

Additional Challenges

� Inability to train fully for what is needed on the job.

� No follow through, completion and implementation on

start-up training.

� Corporate Jobs preference not provided for SW

residents.

� Unionized jobs exclude entry level hiring.

� Lack of funding for small business and ownership issues

� Loss of SE University.

� Lack of long-term revenue generating opportunities

� First source hiring is not being enforced, 70% of the DC

Govt employees not from area.

� Turn into asset, individual’s commitment to start

business.

� “Community benefits from stadium have not been

received.”

� Have inadequate schools and “lack of competency of

high school graduates” due to curriculum and

instructional deficiencies.

� Lack of money to support projects.

� Training programs are demoralizing

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT / JOBS / COMMUNITY CENTERS

THE ISSUE: With a poverty rate of 20% and 10% unemployment, residents want to know how they can access jobs that are

being created throughout and beyond the period of redevelopment. Business owners want to be able to hire locally based

employees who have the skills and job readiness required. First Source hiring agreements are in place yet ineffective and hard

to enforce. Training programs are demoralizing if they are not tied to a paying job.

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NEIGHBORHOOD ORIENTED RETAIL AND SERVICES

THE ISSUE: When large-scale development happens in a residential neighborhood, it is important that basic services are

provided—grocery stores, dry cleaners, barber shops, coffee shops, daily eateries, etc. A diverse population also has

diverse retail needs. Before the first urban renewal, the area was filled with small locally owned businesses. These were

wiped out and replaced by a Mall that never quite made it. The question now is: What kinds of retail will our residents

sustain? What opportunities are there for locally owned small businesses? What local flavor will our retail have vs. a host

of franchises?

Additional Assets

� Influx of young professionals with disposal incomes

� More people equals more consumers

� Availability of Circulator buses

� Music at Westminster – Jazz/Blues

� Nationals Park

� Safeway, Starbucks, Subway and other new businesses

are welcome improvements and additions.

� Riverfront Business Improvement District in near SE is a

strong supporter of small businesses and resident

services.

� The Washington Waterfront Association is an advocate

for local SW waterfront businesses.

� Negotiated agreements with developers call for set-

asides for local, minority owned small businesses with

rent reduction.

� There are small business opportunities to meet on-

going needs for landscaping, cleaning, etc.


� Limited retail stores for residents -- Corner

stores, coffee shops and restaurants, grocery

stores, banks, hardware and liquor stores

� Limited small business – barber shops, hair

salons, bookstores, movies, medical services,

cleaners

� No gas stations

� Traffic congestion

� Lack of youth involvement in meaningful

activities that support retail business

NEIGHBORHOOD ORIENTED RETAIL AND SERVICES DESIRED ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 1-3 YEARS

48% Increase of locally owned businesses

40% Use unoccupied waterfront retail space until new waterfront development completed

33% Increase in different types of ethnic restaurants

27% Expand Circulator hours of operation and access

19% Improved policies to encourage minority owned business

14% Make Southwest attractive and accessible to tourists—parking for tour buses, public restrooms and

information center

NEXT STEPS TO REACH ACHIEVEMENTS FOR THE TOP 2 PRIORITIES ABOVE

Who: Office of Planning, ANC Commissioners, SW Waterfront Development, Georgetown and George

Washington Schools of Business, SW/SE residents and consumers..

What: Explore opportunity of obtaining Main Street grant to assist with planning and to ensure local

businesses are active participants. Create business incubator or support systems for locally owned businesses.

Negotiate discount rental rate with new development for locally owned businesses – especially non-chain

restaurants.

(Marty is providing)

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YOUTH – EDUCATION AND SERVICES

The Issue: Concerns about the quality of life for near SE-SW youth have increased dramatically in recent years. A wave of

violent deaths spurred community action. The increase in young middle-class families with children has galvanized

pressure to radically improve our neighborhood public schools. The need for a new school in near SE is on the table.

Parents are aware of the limited services of the King-Greenleaf Recreation Center and are organizing to build

playgrounds and create healthy outlets for their children

Additional Assets

� There is a tremendous amount of energy around

youth issues

� Churches have been supportive and provided

outreach, like providing a place for children and

parents to gather

� Appletree has a superior PreK3 and 4

� There is a PTA

� “Size of the community is small and that is an asset.”

� SW Library has a good pool of volunteers

� The community has facilities, but they are

underutilized

o Schools could be open in the evenings to

accommodate youth

o Randall and Landsburg Parks


� There is a PTA, but it needs more membership

� Parks and Recreation doesn’t have sufficient

funds for youth programming like Arts & Crafts,

Cheerleading and soccer

� SW Library could use additional volunteers

� Need more leaders and individuals to develop

and lead programs for youth

� No services for pregnant teens or education

programs for young mothers

� Have to find creative options for younger youth

YOUTH – EDUCATION AND SERVICES DESIRED ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 1-3 YEARS

42% Bolster Pre-K in the community

23% Raise test scores at Amidon and Jefferson

23% Utilize Jefferson Middle School for adult vocational education and workforce development

20% Complete the playground adjacent to the Library

15% Re-Open Van Ness Elementary School so it can be used as a community center

15% More parental involvement in PTA and establish a community volunteer corps

15% More programs for youth and seniors at King-Greenleaf Recreation Center

13% Positive images of youth in SW reflected in the community newspapers and other media.

13% Alternate community meetings at King-Greenleaf, so that the entire community feels included

8% Improve school food to provide healthier choices


� Assure both priorities are apart of the Community Benefits Agreement (CBA)

� Bolster Pre K

o Conduct a needs assessment and identify leaders

o Communicate with elected officials and Councilmember Tommy Wells

o Provide wrap around services Pre K – adult education

o Go after funding foundations such as Ford, Gates, Casey, etc.

� Raise Test Scores at Amidon & Jefferson

o Obtain a strong commitment from DCPS central office and educators

o Make Amidon-Bowen a viable option for middle class families

o Meet the needs of struggling students

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HOUSING DIVERSITY AND AFFORDABILITY

ISSUE: In order to maintain the unique economic diversity of our near SE-SW neighborhoods, a reliable stock of

diverse and affordable housing options is critical. New market and affordable housing is being built in the SE

portion of the neighborhood and the proposed redevelopment of the SW Waterfront will bring hundreds of new

units to our neighbor-hoods over the next 5 years.

Additional Assets

SW Waterfront Redevelopment project includes requirements

that 30% of most of the residential units to be developed be

affordable to residents earning below 60% of the area median

income ($62,000 for a family of 4)

� Different housing types

� Low crime rate

� Diversity in the neighborhood

� Existing services, conveniently located– post office,

metro, Safeway, CVS, parks, library

� Good view of the Potomac River


� Lack of affordable housing for rent and purchase

� How to incorporate new and coming housing ---

how to deal with approaching housing density

� How to deal with people displaced from their

homes by new development– blog needs to be

developed as a central information source

� Too much vacant land in the community

� Developers are not meeting requirements to

provide affordable housing

� Traffic congestion

� More green space for recreation

HOUSING DIVERSITY AND AFFORDABILITY DESIRED ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 1-3 YEARS

57% Make sure residential developers commit to specific housing preferences for current residents

38% Stronger coalitions to represent all types of residents’ interests to developers and policymakers

26% Ensure that current public housing remains and residents have the opportunity to purchase their homes

24% More types affordable housing for the working people – like co-ops

15% Increase supply of affordable senior housing

11% Access to legal advice – pro bono services


WHO: Mayor, Council members, ANC, southeast southwest coalitions, Councilmember Tommy Wells, developers, Deputy

Mayor for the Office of Planning and Economic Development, fair housing authority, condo association reps. Involve all

resources and publish plans in Southwest newspaper, and develop a web site to post all developers’ plans. Get

involvement and input from special interest groups, community organizations, educational and training organizations and

other organizations responsible for building healthy communities.

WHAT: Increase communications and transparency to make sure residential developers commit to specific housing

preferences: Transparency about developer’s plans and options about what people want, to buy or rent. Create an ANC

development task force to get this next step on the ballot. Establish a community blog where people in the community to

promote and blog. Get Tommy Wells a website with a discussion board for people to provide their feedback on their

issues with this the developer platform and their comments.

WHAT: To build stronger coalitions to represent all types of residents’ interests -- Identify a coordinating organization to

convene publically scheduled meetings with transparency at all levels. Have regular town hall meetings for people to get

together to discuss what is going with the development. Actively communicate and engage all community members in

providing their ideas and concerns. Be sure to include those who are not active community participants.

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ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS

Bounded by two rivers, near SE-SW’s identity is tied to the health and beauty of the water and shore. Green buildings,

green spaces, and a deeper connection to the land beneath us is a growing concern of residents new and old. In addition

to our access to and care of the earth around us, there is also the beauty we bring to the environment through public

art.

Additional Assets

� Undeveloped space that can be used transitionally

� Open space on the waterfront

� Building setbacks permit long views

� Duck pond

� Walkable community/Metro access

� Community volunteers for cleanups


� Impact of tourist traffic and facilities to serve

them; food safety on the waterfront

� Mosquitoes and West Nile

� Storm runoff

� Air pollution from power plant, tourist buses,

and diesel power boats

� Lighting, litter, and restrooms in parks

� Sustainable landscaping

� Intra-community transport; links between SE

and SW

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS DESIRED ACHIEVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT 1-3 YEARS

36% Develop community gardens using public land and church offered space and transitional dog parks

33% Avoid over development; keep height and density restrictions

23% Development of Buzzard Point with access to waterfront and restore the Lansburgh Park

20% Develop a stronger sense of place around the waterfront – SE/SW - maintain a “waterfront ANC”

21% Develop and maintain green canopy

16% Integrate SE/SW with better intra-community transport – Circulator Bus

15% Address air pollution from power plant and other sources

9% More trash cans and add recycling cans

3% Charging stations for Electric Vehicles

3% Develop DC owned property on 4th Street


WHO: ANC Commissioners and City and SWNA to utilize the lot on 4th St. DMPED, Councilmember Well's office;

interested members of the community and volunteers need to be gathered.

WHAT: To develop community gardens and dog parks using public land --- let dog owners know that services are available

and tap into people who aren't here. We need to reinvigorate the process which was put on hold due to the

administration change/mayor's office. This is an existing CBA. We need to get the city to recognize this and act upon it.

“The waterfront is going to be a wall of tall buildings. We don't want that.”

WHO: Community members, ANC representatives, neighborhood organizations

WHAT: To avoid overdevelopment and keep height and density restrictions --- Develop list of concerned citizens and call a

meeting; Provide better information to neighbors about when zoning meetings happen and publish the meeting agenda;

Developers meet with small groups individuals. Communicate our needs and wishes to the ANC reps so they can

effectively communicate the neighborhoods' needs and expectations and meet with developers; The community also

needs to step-up participation in the waterfront development projects to make our voices heard.

Documents

Summary Report: SE-SW Summit