Loss of Jacques Morgan - Owner of Idle Time Books

MPD Third District looking for caterer and a DJ for holiday party

Zoning Regulations Review - upcoming meetings

Workshop on Using Census Data to Know Your Customers and Size Up Your Competition - December 5th

Sustainable Rooftops Presentation - December 6th

Bike to Work Day 2013 sponsorship opportunities

Loss of Jacques Morgan - Owner of Idle Time Books

Many of you have heard that Jacques (Jack) Morgan - owner of Idle Time Books at 2467 18th Street, NW passed away earlier this week after a long illness.

We are very sorry to lose Jack and his dry sense of humor, amazing knowledge of books and willing smile.

Val Morgan, Jack's wife, asks that in lieu of flowers folks should purchase a book at the store in Jack's memory. Many thanks.

MPD Third District looking for caterer and DJ for holiday party

MPD's Third District Headquarters at 1620 V Street, NW is hosting a holiday party on Wednesday, December 19, 2012 from 6pm to 9pm for area kids and families. Children will be able to get their photo taken with Santa, Mrs. Claus and 2 of their elves and there will be games and giveaways. McGruff the Crime Dog will also make a special appearance.

They need a business to cater the food. The kids who attend the party really like spaghetti so the menu would include: spaghetti, garlic bread, salad, any side, punch, and cookies for dessert. This is for 250 people.

They also need a DJ for the event.

Please contact Marco Santiago at the station at: marco.santiago@dc.gov or call 202-671-6604 with your prices. Thanks.

Zoning Regulations Review - upcoming meetings

The DC Office of Planning would like to invite you to attend one of a series of community meetings being held in December 2012 and January 2013 to discuss draft proposed changes to the existing Zoning Ordinance (11 DCMR).

A meeting will be held in each ward of the city, with the dates noted below. The Office of Planning has been working on revisions and reorganization of the zoning regulations for the last four years, and they have already made many significant modifications to previous drafts based on comments received at the over 200 meetings and hearings held so far, but they are looking for your input.

Why update the zoning code?

Zoning is a way for a city to guide and regulate the use of land, and create predictable patterns of development. It is implemented through our zoning code, a document which provides rules and regulations about where different uses can be located and the placing, shape, and height of buildings.

DC’s zoning code was adopted way back in 1958, and is one of the oldest in the country. The updates will help to make the zoning current with existing D.C. policy and the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan —a document that provides guidance for future planning and development in the city. In fact, the Comprehensive Plan specifically requires that the zoning code be updated.

The regulations need to address the aspirations of 21st century residents of the city, rather than a 1950’s vision based on automobile dependence, separated uses / zones, cheap energy, and a suburban lifestyle for all. The new code is intended to address a broader, more inclusive vision for D.C. as a livable, walkable, balanced, more affordable, and sustainable city with goals and objectives such as:

· Creating and reinforcing distinctive and safe neighborhoods;

· Acknowledging transportation choices by updating old parking requirements that contribute to traffic congestion and rising housing costs;

· Promoting a resilient economy and broader employment opportunities;

· Addressing “green building” and sustainable development;

· Planning for quality environments and open spaces;

· Encouraging convenient access to healthy food and convenient access to retail;

· Supporting more affordable housing choices and the ability for people at all stages in life to find good housing options in their neighborhood; and

· Making the code clearer and more user-friendly.

While a number of important changes to the zoning regulations are being proposed to address these issues, about 90% of the regulations will remain the same as they are today. However, OP is proposing a reformatted zoning code – one that includes tables and diagrams and which tries to consolidate regulations to make them easier to find and understand.

Please plan to attend one of OP’s upcoming community meetings. They will describe the process to date, present the draft proposals, and solicit and listen to community feedback. They remain open to making additional changes to the draft proposals, based on your comments, before taken to the Zoning Commission for consideration at public hearings.

The community meetings are open to everyone. They will present the same information in each of them, so you can attend the one that is most convenient for you.

December:

December 8, 2012 Saturday, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 noon Ward 6

Second floor, 1100-4th Street SW (above the Safeway, Waterfront Station on the Green Line)

December 11, 2012 Tuesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M. Ward 2

421 7th Street NW (2 blocks south of Gallery Place Station on the Red, Green and Yellow Lines)

December 13, 2012 Thursday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M. Ward 8

Savoy Elementary School, 2400 Shannon Place SE (Anacostia Station on the Green Line)

January:

January 5, 2013 Saturday, 10:00 P.M – 12:00 noon Ward 1

January 8, 2013 Tuesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M. Ward 3

January 9, 2013 Wednesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M. Ward 5

January 12, 2013 Saturday, 10:00 A.M. – 12:00 noon Ward 7

January 16, 2013 Wednesday, 6:30 P.M – 8:30 P.M. Ward 4

January meeting locations will be announced shortly.

In addition, for those not able to attend the meetings, two Twitter Town Halls are scheduled, on Monday December 14 2012 and Friday January 14 2013, both starting at noon. Watch the Zoning Revisions Review website - www.DCZoningUpdate.org , and blogsite - www.ZoningDC.org , for more information.

Please feel free to pass this information on to others, or to contact us if you have questions or comments.

Contacts: Jennifer Steingasser,  Joel Lawson and Elisa Vitale

Deputy Director,  Associate Director and Planner - respectively

(202) 442-8808 (202) 442-8802 (202) 442-8813

jennifer.steingasser@dc.gov ; joel.lawson@dc.go v; elisa.vitale@dc.gov

Sustainable Rooftops Presentation - December 6th

The DowntownDC Business Improvement District invites you to attend a presentation on the business case for sustainable rooftops by the George Washington University Master's in Sustainable Urban Planning studio.

This fall, the Downtown DC BID partnered with the GWU Master’s in Sustainable Urban Planning studio to investigate the business case for sustainable rooftops in downtown. The students produced three final projects, listed below, which they will present at this event.

* An economic analysis of the impact of sustainable roofs on commercial property values in DC.

* A conceptual design and cost-benefit analysis for the sustainable retrofit of an existing roof

* An analysis of the feasibility and scale of potential sustainable roof installations across the DC area.

When: Thursday, December 6th, 2012, 6pm-8pm

Where: George Washington University

The Marvin Center, Room 405

800 21st Street, NW

Washington DC, 20052

Refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to Kathleen at Kathleen@downtownDC.org by Tuesday, December 4th.

Bike to Work Day 2013 - sponsorship opportunities

Did you know that bicyclists are good for business ?  Why, because people who save money on gas, car maintenance and parking have more disposable income to spend on local dining shopping and entertainment. In addition, those who go car-free tend to shop locally and more frequently than their car-driving-counterparts.

That is why you may have high interest in connecting with the thousands of people who sign up for Bike to Work Day 2013 (BTWD), one of the largest bicycling events of its kind in the country. The Adams Morgan Partnership BID has hosted a pit-stop for the last 3 years in Unity Park. Hundreds of people have ridden their bikes to our pit stop.

This year Commuter Connections and the Washington Area Bicyclist Association are looking for additional Washington area retailers  to take part by becoming a regional sponsor.  Last year’s Bike to Work Day attracted a record-breaking 12,700, an increase of 15% in participation over the previous year’s event and generated TV, radio, online and newspaper press coverage and created a buzz on blogs and social media.

As the event continues to grow each year, promotional materials featuring sponsor logos are seen by a wider audience for months leading up to the event. As a region-wide sponsor of Bike to Work Day, logos will be seen by commuters in the Washington metropolitan region, the bicycling community, the general public as well employers ranging from private to public sector.   On Friday May 17th, 55 Bike to Work Day events will occur simultaneously in Washington, D.C., Virginia and Maryland, further exposing support of our sponsors for this worthwhile event.  Elected officials, volunteers, sponsors, bicyclists and spectators will join the annual celebrations.

By becoming a Bike to Work Day 2013 regional sponsor, organizations will gain outstanding exposure, show support for cleaner air, a healthier community, and less crowded roads.

Each of the three sponsorship opportunities features direct benefits:

1) Bronze sponsorships include your logo on event brochures and posters AND a listing on the event Web site where all participants will register.

2) Silver sponsorships enjoy all Bronze level benefits, AND your logo printed on 12,000 free give-away T-shirts AND mention on the press release.

3) Gold sponsorships enjoy all of the above benefits AND a sponsor mention in radio advertising valued at $25,000.

For more information please contact Ginger Mold at Commuter Connections at: vmold@archstreetcommunications.com or by phone: 845-855-7077 .

Link to last year’s event, including sponsors: www.biketoworkmetrodc.or g