LPCA Meeting Minutes – March 22, 2016

You can download the March 22, 2016 LPCA meeting minutes here: LPCA Minutes 3.22.2016

LPCA Meeting Minutes

March 22, 2016

7pm

25 people present

Safety walk reminder

• This Thursday

We have one new resident joining the meeting for the first time tonight

• Karen Lombardi

We want to thank Scott McGoodaw for helping shovel snow for our neighbors who weren’t able to during the winter snowstorm.

Agenda

1. Property Value Assessment Process – Karen Lombardi

• Evaluation Assessment is used to assess the values of the homes in DC each year
• A lot of neighbors here have been watching their home values being assessed each year
• First they assess the market (last year increase was 17% according to govt.), and second they assess the condition of the property.
• When Karen looked at the five houses on her block, the differences in assessed values was over $100k between the lowest and highest. This year’s assessed values ranged between 5% and 16%.
• She appealed that her property should be valued similar to the other houses next to it because the houses are basically equal
• Property taxes make up 1/3 of the district’s budget fyi

Eugene Klenden – Govt appraiser for properties

• “our job is to follow the market and not predict the market”
• home owners can ask for copy of their record card for their homes
  • 202-442-7112: Mr. Clark, the appraiser for our area can help give you record of prices and sales
• get info from history, back in the 60’s, and record any updates to the homes since then.
• Collect all the sales and determine the values of the homes and update the record cards
• They take the sales, and it helps calibrate the models and that helps them assess the property value
• Market value is determined by sales in the neighborhood
• Question: our neighborhood has different, historical, and unique architecture than the rest of the city. How does that factor into the calculations?
  • Answer: we value the homes by the sales in that area. If you go up and down your block, you will find houses assessed more and less than yours. We’ve noticed that this area is desirable which is increasing the values. We factor in atypical sales so that there’s a good representation of what’s happening in the market
• Question: The building/renovators who have not applied for permits, are they factored into the assessment?
  • Answer: yes, that is factored in. we look at all the sales—renovated and not—to factor in to evaluate the neighborhood. You can get that list of sales by calling your appraiser. You can find this info online.
• Question: Can we as a neighborhood put a cap on it for what the sell for?
  • Answer: We collect sales for the entire neighborhood. If it’s atypical and well above the market, then that will not factor into the overall neighborhood value assessment. Our estimates are market value. Currently we have the lowest tax rate in the area. There is a 10% tax cap/year on your tax bill.
• Question: If your assessment went up significantly? What would you suggest we do?
  • Answer: Give us a call. Ask your appraiser to give you a copy of your record card. Look to see if it’s accurate. When you get your tax bill, appealing for increase of 10%, then you won’t get anything changed.
• Question: What’s the source of 17% (median increase of house value increase is 17%)?
  • Answer: two years worth of sales records, analysis of the market—appraiser’s reference material on the website: cfo.dc.gov (tax payer service center)

2. Fire Prevention & Safety – Anita Norman
   • change battery! And change the smoke detector every 10 years
   • use the address # stickers on the back of your home
   • public safety walk – last Tuesday was great.
   • Traffic Control officers were at 6^th & Florida. they are there from rush hour until night time. They will also paint the walk box. We will put in signage at 6^th & RI and 6^th & Fl and asking for cameras installed there.
   • Other concerns from neighbors: people rushing and speeding down 5^th to make the light. We can bring that to DDOT’s attention.
   • Mail has been mis-delivered. Post Office has been contacted, Cory Adams. If you get a neighbor’s email, let Anita know via email by Thursday evening bc she talks to him on Friday. She will share with Cory Adams and they can assess the situation and also retrain the new mail carrier.
   • Crime stats by Office Blake: crime is low, almost all-time low. But as weather gets warmer, crime rises with it. Park- call MPD if there’s anything concerning happening at the park. Don’t leave anything in the vehicles.
   • Neighbor concern: gay friends are being harassed as more gay bars are opening in the city. MPD says to call and they will help.

3. Update on Elks Lodge & Flash– Jeehye Pak

• The Civic Association will be meeting with Elks Lodge for a settlement agreement discussion
• Civic Association is interested in entering in a protest for their liquor license renewal—please sign up if interested! Email Brian Footer
• Brian and Jeehye did a tour and met with the manager last week. Brian will set up another date for more neighbors to tour and visit.

4. Committee Reports
   • Park Committee – Anita

• We will have a Spring Egg Hunt in April.

5. Community Announcement

Zeba

• The reservoir project is moving forward. Concern is the traffic is going to come south. We need pay attention to this now. New office building is coming up. We will put it up on our CA website. DC wants community input. First one is on April 1. So this is our opportunity to ask questions.

Parking concern

• Parking at ledroit park. Residents who are living in the neighborhood park their cars that are not titles to DC and leave broken down cars there.

Cleaning

• Who’s responsible for cleaning? We can call 311 for alley cleaning.

Noise ordinance:

• MPD can enforce after 10pm. Call 911.
• Are there any other noise concerns/nuisance that others are experiencing aside from Flash and Elks Lodge?
  • Neighbors

Yard Sales:

• Anyone interested in spring yard sale? Yes! Let Zeba know.