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Meet the Candidates: Steve Holtzman, 6B05

October 15th, 2012 by Guest Author · 1 Comment · Capitol Hill

We have offered to post brief statements from all of the ANC candidates running for seats on Capitol Hill and the surrounding neighborhoods that we cover here on The Hill is Home.  These statements are not endorsements and have been posted exactly as submitted by the candidates.

My wife Patricia and I live in the 200 block of 8th Street SE. I am running for ANC because I love this neighborhood and I want to work to keep it the special place that led me to move here 18 years ago. I have over 20 years of professional experience working with communities and governments on local planning, service delivery and empowerment. I will bring that experience and set of values to our ANC’s consideration of issues and activities that affect our lives on Capitol Hill.

The ANC’s 6 to 4 vote to support the redevelopment plan for the Hine School site was a key factor in my decision to run for this seat. The agreement signed between the ANC and Stanton Eastbanc was not, in my view, in the community’s best interest. It provides inadequate amenities to the community at large. And it leaves in place the things which concern many of us most: the lack of public space; the isolation of affordable housing units in a separate building; the damage to the Hine flea markets, among others.

Our current commissioner was one of the two negotiators of this agreement. And in the close vote in the full ANC, if he had voted “no”, the agreement would not have passed. More than 250 residents of his constituency wrote letters, posted yard signs, signed petitions or registered to testify in opposition to the Hine design.  I believe that the first duty of any elected official is to listen to his constituents and represent their views.

As your commissioner, here is what you can expect from me.  I will, above all, listen to your concerns and will communicate and consult with you regularly and often by every means available. I will be a passionate and diligent advocate on your behalf. Faithfully representing this constituency will be my first priority.  I will devote my full time to it and work as hard as it takes.

I would like to take this space to focus on a priority set of issues where the ANC will have a role. The area around Eastern Market is, in effect, our “town center”.  The manner in which it evolves has a wide range of implications for the vitality and character of our community, traffic, parking, public safety and overall quality of life:

  • Hine project –   pragmatic engagement during construction and in fine tuning of the project’s design to maximize benefits and minimize negative impacts on nearby residents and the wider neighborhood.
  • Eastern Market  -  supporting its fiscal health, strategic planning and working toward a governance structure which is effective, transparent and accountable to the community and to DC tax payers.
  • Metro Plaza –   sensible, incremental enhancements as central public space and as the gateway to barracks row and market row.
  • The Hine flea markets – meeting the challenge of ensuring the survival and vibrancy of the eclectic markets which have been part of the fabric of this neighborhood for two decades

My Professional Background:   Lead Social Development Specialist, World Bank (retired); United Nations/UNHCR; Merrill Lynch Capital Markets; United Steelworkers; Peace Corps Volunteer

My Community Activity:  Steering group of Eastern Market Metro Community Association (EMMCA); member, Hine School North Neighbors; member, ANC Hine Sub-committee working group on Public Space. Until Hine was closed, I tutored and mentored children from homeless shelters under Project Northstar.

You can email me at sbholtzman@aol.com. Or, for further detail on my positions or background, please see my website at steveforanc6b.com

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  • Lincoln Park Area Resident

    “I believe that the first duty of any elected official is to listen to his constituents and represent their views.” I believe the first duty of any elected official is to pursue what is in the public’s interest and the current commissioner – Brian Pate – has done that doggedly throughout his tenure.

    ANCs, by design of the position, have little formal authority other than to say “no” (or threaten to do so) to projects presented to them, which often translates into obstructionism in order to demonstrate influence. Yet Brian has found a way to use his ANC position positively to influence broad issues of public concern. On quality-of-life issues, he has organized and led multiple late-night security walks in cooperation with MPD; he worked with neighbors and prosecutors to ensure that the community was heard at the sentencing of a serial criminal who targeted neighborhood cars; and he works with DC government officials to mitigate the impact of blighted, abandoned properties on Capitol Hill.

    Regarding Hine, Brian did an outstanding job representing the community’s interests. He understands the burdens of leadership and refused to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. If negotiations broke down and the ANC voted no, either the community would have had no leverage in securing benefits, or we would be stuck indefinitely with a one-block area of dead public space at the gateway to the community. Instead, he helped negotiate $125,000 in improvements to the Eastern Market plaza. He negotiated guaranteed parking for Eastern Market vendors. He ensured there would be a subsided child care facility, new community meeting space, and a flexible outdoor space. These are but a few of the benefits he negotiated. In short, Brian helped Hine will be an asset that will have positive lasting effects for the entire community.