(As an aside, in comparing the Nats parking map for this season with mine from last year, it looks like the only change in lots is that the underground garage at 300 M is no longer an official Nats lot. The pricing structure hasn't changed a whole lot, except for lot HH and W now becoming "economy" lots at $5 and $10 per game, respectively. I'll update my page soon.)

Most of the meeting was taken up with all the doings in Southwest surrounding the impending opening of the new Safeway at Waterfront, and the transition period when the old one will be closed on April 6, eight days before the new one opens with a ribbon-cutting and preview on April 15 before opening "for real" on April 16. There was also the news that some restaurants look to be closing deals soon for spaces in Waterfront. SWDC Blog has the details on all this.

* Monday has the ANC 6D meeting (didn't we just do this?), at 7 pm at the Courtyard by Marriott at New Jersey and L, SE. The agenda is now posted, and includes updates on the Nats and the ballpark's Transportation and Parking Plan.

* Tuesday has Tommy Wells's public meeting on improvements to M Street, from 6-7:30 pm at the MPD First District station at 101 M St., SW.

* Tuesday is also ANC 6B's meeting, in its new home at 535 8th St., SE, at 7 pm. The update from CSX on the Virginia Avenue Tunnel project originally slated for this meeting has been moved to the April meeting.

* The Bullpen will be back in action this season, in its same spot on the northwest corner of Half and N across from the ballpark. There were two requested changes to the voluntary agreement between the ANC and the owner: that the bar be allowed to operate until 1:30 am (with alcohol sales ending at 1:00), and that liquor in non-frozen form be allowed alongside the already approved beer, wine, and frozen drinks, both of which are already allowed under the liquor license. The discussion was more contentious about process than it was about content (with commissioner David Sobelsohn arguing strongly that the motion should be tabled until the next meeting, which none of the other commissioners were interested in), but in the end the commission voted 6-1 to approve the extended hours, and that mixed drinks could be served during private events. There were some concerns from commissioner Rhonda Hamilton about the noise at the bar on weeknights, but owner Bo Blair said that live music will always be cut off by midnight.

* There is a move afoot by commission Bob Siegel to carve out some of the curb space in front of Capper Seniors #1 at 900 Fifth Street (which it must be noted is also across the street from his house). The street, which is one way in the block in question (between K and Virginia) gets clogged on a regular basis thanks to shuttle buses, vans, trucks, and other vehicles double-parking while at the building, and the residents want a portion of the curb cut out to allow vehicles to pull out of the traffic lane (like the one in front of the Courtyard by Marriott entrance). DDOT initially rejected the request because it was called a "curb cut," which means something different in traffic parlance, but DDOT's Ward 6 planner Jamie Henson was in attendance and pledged to help the ANC work with the engineering side of DDOT to see what could be done without taking away the sidewalk or the ADA ramps to the building.

* There was supposed to be an update from the Nationals, but no reps from the team were there; ANC chair Ron McBee did report that April 23 will be "Neighborhood Night" at the ballpark, with the first pitch and national anthem being performed by nearby residents and other goodies as well. (I imagine discount tickets will be part of the deal, but nothing was said. The game is against the Dodgers.) McBee also said that the ANC has requested a meeting with DDOT about the Traffic Operations and Parking Plan for this season, to check on how it's all going, but no specific concerns were mentioned. (With the Nats Express no longer shuttling fans to and from parking at RFK, there probably will be a noticeable uptick in traffic this year, even if attendance remains steady.)

* The next 6D meeting will be on March 8 at 7 pm, and it'll be held at the Courtyard by Marriott at New Jersey and L, so if you've been dying to go to a meeting but haven't felt like venturing across South Capitol, you'll get your chance. It's also worth mentioning that ANC 6B's meeting the next night includes an update by CSX on the Virginia Avenue project on its agenda.

"The Nats Express and parking at RFK concluded after the 2009 season, however new and closer economy parking options are available for the 2010 season. Premium parking will remain the same, but fans choosing to drive to the ballpark may now park in Lot HH, located on South Capitol Street, SW for $5 per car, or Lot W, located on M Street between 6th and 7th Streets SE, for $10 per car. Each of these lots has been discounted from 2009 prices of $10 and $15 respectively. Complete information on Nationals parking plans and all the ways to get to Nationals Park may be found at nationals.com/waytogo.

"The Nationals recognize the fan experience begins the moment fans their leave homes to come to the ballpark and that there is a need for affordable parking options close to Nationals Park," said Nationals Team President Stan Kasten. "Over the past two seasons there has been a decrease in the use of RFK Parking Lots and the Nats Express. We feel our fans deserve economy parking near the ballpark, which will reduce travel time and enhance the overall fan experience at Nationals games. We believe it will be easier than ever to get to Nationals Park and that the new parking options will please those fans who prefer to drive." (see full press release)

You can see my Stadium Parking page for a map showing the 2009 parking options (I'll get it updated with this new info soon) and the location of the two "economy" parking lots).

The team is also reducing individual ticket prices on over 3,000 seats, and is designating 12 games during the 2010 season as "value games" (up from five in 2009). For more details, see the Nats web site.

* On Wednesday, Dec. 9, ANC 6D's ABC committee will be having its monthly meeting (in advance of the full ANC meeting on Dec. 14), and on the agenda is "presentation of plans by Justin Ross re Justin's Cafe planned for 1st & L Streets, SE." This is the first step in the (long) process for Velocity's restaurant to get its liquor license, although I haven't yet seen an announcement/posting for their official ABRA hearing (maybe it'll be in tomorrow's DC Register). The meeting is at 7 pm at King Greenleaf Recreation Center, 201 N Street, S.W.

* The Anacostia Community Boathouse Association will be having its annual Boathouse Lighting and Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 6:30 pm. This year's honorees include Tommy Wells, winner of the ACBA's "Champion" Award, who will get to flip the switch to turn on the holiday lights. The boathouse is at 1115 O Street, SE, nestled between the two spans of the 11th Street Bridges.

* ANC 6B (which is mostly Capitol Hill but includes the Eighth Street area south of the freeway in its boundaries) is having its monthly meeting on Dec. 8, and it includes a presentation by WASA on the Combined Sewer Overflow Project, and a resolution on the Ward 6 Residential Parking Protection Pilot Act of 2009, which has its city council hearing on Dec. 10. The meeting is at 7 pm at the Old Naval Hospital at 921 Pennsylvania Ave., SE.

There was already a hearing in front of this committee back in May (on demand video here), but although Jim Graham seemed raring to go at the end of the hearing to get at least the Ward 1 bill passed as emergency legislation, the bills were never brought to a vote, so perhaps now there's been some changes to the bill from the original language.

* Southwest...The Little Quadrant With the Really Long Blog Name (hey, we kid because we love) gives a full report on the meetings last week to create a plan for Buzzard Point. The American Planning Association has posted its press release summarizing the sessions, saying that "Buzzard Point is a distinct area and should build on its strong existing residential character" and that any future plans should "[a]void using a cookie-cutter approach to redeveloping the neighborhood; the type of redevelopment taking place east of South Capitol Street is not what should occur west of South Capitol Street." (Yikes, now there's going to be a rumble in the South Capitol Street median.)

* Michael Perkins is not the person you want to be unable to find a parking space. Speaking of which, here's the second part of GGW's report on last week's Ward 6 Performance Parking public meeting.

* The US Department of Transportation HQ on M Street has been named a winner of the Phoenix Award, which "honors excellence in brownfield redevelopment" and honors companies and individuals who have worked "to solve critical environmental and community challenges when transforming formerly used real estate into productive new uses."

* Voice of the Hill reports on the latest Lower 8th Street visioning sessions: "Barracks Row Main Street executive director James Dalpee suggested that a Columbia Heights-style model, with several big anchor stores, might be what's needed to spur retail in the area," though "while they are dreaming big dreams, planners also have to contend with a number of potential obstacles. They include CSX's plans to tear up Virginia Avenue from 2nd to 11th streets for up to three years to make room for a double-stack train tunnel; the Marine Barracks master plan, which is set to be unveiled soon; and the 11th Street Bridges expansion project."

* WBJ's Breaking Ground blog points to a video by the Huffington Post's investigative unit on "Commercial Real Estate: the Next Hole in the Economy," which "stars" Jeff Neal of Monument Realty talking about the buying "binge" his company went on to snap up lots around the ballpark site in 2004 and 2005. (Though I think it's funny to see WBJ getting a bit snippy about news organizations "discovering holes in the ground" after they did, since I'd be willing to wager that they weren't the first to report on those sites, anyway.) WBJ also says that Neal is developing a reality TV show. Also be sure to check out the comments on the YouTube video for the sort of level-headed, reasoned discourse that we've all become accustomed to on the interwebs.

* Here is the map from Wednesday's performance parking meeting, showing where the $288,000 in "non-automobile" improvements are going to be spent.

* I received a message today from Potomac Parking, the company that will be running the new surface parking lot on Half Street between I and K (the eventual home of the Plaza on K). They tell me that, once they get their lot finished and permits secured, it will be a 24-hour lot, available for monthly/daily/hourly/gameday parking, which might make it a possibility for residents looking for a place to park where they won't get a ticket and where the space (presumably) won't cost $40,000. Judging from the web site, it looks like it'll be an unmanned lot, with various technologies to handle payments. More information when I get it.

There were a lot of numbers passed along, but the biggest one is that, in 19 months of operation, the 138 multispace meters in these areas have collected $1.4 million in fees. And, since the legislation that created the program specifies that, until the meters are paid for, 20 percent of the meters' proceeds will be returned to the PILOT area to pay for "non-automobile improvements", there's now $288,809.34 ready to be spent on signage, bike racks, and other amenities. (And in another three months, the initial capital investment for the meters will be paid off, at which point the neighborhoods will receive 75 percent of the meter proceeds.) But, as it's always emphasized, Performance Parking is not about revenue generation! (It's just a very nice side benefit.)

This first phase of improvements, to be completed by next spring, will include these new additions across the three zones, which were determined in consulation with the program's advisory committee members from various neighborhood organizations (UPDATE: here's the map showing the planned locations of these items):

* 25 new bike racks, branded with neighborhood names;

* Eight "wayfaring" map kiosks and 15 pedestrian wayfaring signs to help folks navigate the areas;

* 10-12 digital signs (with 19" screens) to be installed near the ballpark along M Street and at Barracks Row that will display information useful to ballpark goers (times of next buses, offstreet parking options, pedestrian info, PSAs, ads, etc), along with perhaps one 60" screen at the Half Street Navy Yard Metro station entrance ;

* A new to-be-named pedestrian "trail" connecting the Heritage Trails along Eighth Street, SE, and the trail whose name escapes me in Southwest, running along North Carolina from Ninth Street, SE to New Jersey Avenue to M Street to Fourth Street, SW. Benches (with arms, to prevent snoozers) will be placed along the trails, along with specialized large trash cans with compactors run by solar power (in a one-year pilot test);

* One large kiosk in Southeast and one in Southwest (perhaps to be built by students from Catholic University), where neighborhoods can put information for visitors; and

* Grants to the Capitol Hill Restoration Society and the Capitol Riverfront BID, with the BID receiving $50,000 for improved lighting(!) and other upgrades to the New Jersey Avenue underpass.

Other highlights of the meeting beyond the improvements:

* A Near Southeast resident brought up the issue of street parking for residents at Onyx, Velocity, and the other new buildings--because those streets are all [going to someday be] mixed-use residential, office, and retail areas, there will be no Residential Parking Permits given to residents. But Tommy Wells, who attended part of the meeting, committed to working with DDOT to look at other possibilities, such as allowing residents to park overnight at the meters for a very low price.

* Gregory McCarthy of the Nationals was also there, and mentioned how successful the city has been in encouraging "multimodal transportation" to the ballpark, so much so that Nationals Park is now considered a "best practice" that other teams are looking to emulate. But for those of you who have been enjoying parking for free down on the streets of Buzzard Point during ballgames, your salad days may be over, as DDOT is now looking at signing the streets there.

* There was also discussion of the most-used meters (the 1000-1100 blocks of New Jersey Avenue making the list), the issue of raising or lowering the meter prices at the most-used or least-used spaces, and the average turnover time in the spaces, but having seen David Alpert at the meeting, I'm betting I get to leave discussion of these items to Greater Greater Washington. (I think the numbers will also be on the DDOT web site soon.) It's also likely that the multispace meters are going to be removed from Virginia Avenue and moved to Water Street, SW, because the meters just aren't being used on Virginia. (Besides, Virginia is going to be a big huge trench within a few years, anyway!)

If you have ideas for future non-automobile improvements that can be made, or have any other questions or concerns, you can contact Damon Harvey of DDOT at damon.harvey@dc.gov.

{This post was written while watching Top Chef, so apologies if it's a little disjointed.}

UPDATE, 11/19: Here's the improvements map; and both the existing pedestrian trails are called "Heritage Trails," so I fixed my self-diss above.

* The Nationals are in the middle of the One Warm Coat Drive, which is collecting "clean, reuseable" coats and jackets that will be distributed to District adults and children free of charge by the Coalition for the Homeless. Coats may be taken to the Team Store on the southwest corner of Half and N streets, SE, which will be open at 11 am everyday between now and Dec. 11 (except for Thanksgiving), with the store staying open until 3 pm from now to Nov. 25, 6 pm on the 27th and 28th, and 4 pm from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

* Buzzard Point--the peninsula south of Potomac Avenue where the Anacostia and Potomac meet--is 95 percent outside of my boundaries (technically there's a sliver of Southeast over there since South Capitol Street runs down to R Street), but I'll still pass this along. The American Planning Association is going to develop a Strategic Vision for Buzzard Point, and there's a community meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, Nov. 18) from 6 to 8:30 pm, followed by a walking tour on Thursday, Nov. 19, from 8 to 9:30 pm, and then an "initial findings" meeting on Saturday, Nov. 21, at 2 pm. The Thursday and Saturday meetings are at the MPD-1D station at the old Bowen Elementary School at 101 M St., SW, and the walking tour leaves from King-Greenleaf Rec Center at 201 N St., SW. More information about the project and meetings here. (Note: meeting locations revised from original post)

* This is from last week, but WBJ reports that the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments is joining a regional group looking at possible ferry service from Occoquan to points along the Potomac and Anacosita Rivers (including the Navy Yard).

* The city has announced the first move related to the reconstruction of the 11th Street Bridges--they're going to close the pedestrian bridge over DC295 in Anacostia on or about Nov. 30, because it needs to be demolished to make way for the construction of a new ramp that will link southbound 295 with the new bridges.

And, two last-minute meeting reminders:

* If you're reading this in the next few hours, you can still make tonight's Lower 8th Street Visioning session, at 7 pm at 535 8th Street, SE. @CapitolHillDC live-tweeted this morning's session, if you want to see what went on. The agenda is available on the blogspot site.

* Competing with the Buzzard Point meeting is DDOT's public meeting on the Ward 6 Performance Parking Pilot, starting at 6:30 pm Wednesday (Nov. 18) at Friendship Baptist Church, 900 Delaware Ave., SW. This is a meeting I'm actually going to be able to attend! Woo-hoo!