Tues., Nov. 2, 2010 marks the day of very important elections for Washington, D.C. No, we’re not talking about the midterm elections of senators — we at The Eagle will be watching the races for Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner in ANC 3D 02 and ANC 3D 07. Our voter guide offers the scoop on those in the running, straight from the candidates themselves.
What will your top priorities be?
Tyler Sadonis (ANC 3D 02): While there are many issues facing the community, my top priorities if elected would include the AU Campus Plan and the restoration of soil in the Spring Valley neighborhood. Students at AU who live in triples or are forced to live off campus are examples of the desperate need for new housing and facilities. After speaking with neighbors, I know that there is opposition to the construction of facilities because of concerns that it will increase traffic and be an eyesore. I will work on reaching a compromise between students and neighbors in order to ensure that students have the new housing that they deserve, but not without sacrificing the comfort of neighbors. In regard to the restoration of soil contaminated by World War I toxins, I would continue to attend Restoration Advisory Board meetings to receive updates on its progress. After attending a RAB meeting in October and having heard it brought up at the October ANC meeting, I know this is an important issue for neighbors. I will do everything possible to ensure that the Army Corps of Engineers continues their cleanup efforts so that AU and Spring Valley can be fully cleaned of these toxins.
Tom Smith (ANC 3D 02): My top priorities continue to be (1) public safety — advocating for more police patrols in the area and working to enhance pedestrian safety and alleviate traffic congestion in the Ward Circle area from Massachusetts to New Mexico Avenues along Nebraska Avenue; (2) public works — advocating for street and sidewalk repair; (3) pushing aggressively for a speedy and thorough clean up of still-toxic World War I chemical weapons buried on campus and in the surrounding neighborhoods and (4) responding in a timely way to constituents’ requests for assistance in working with the agencies of the D.C. local government.
Deon Jones (ANC 3D 07): My top priority is being an effective commissioner for the whole 3D 07 community. I am not the candidate of just the students or just the neighboring community. The second thing I plan to working on is helping the community and AU compromise on an effective campus plan that meets the need of AU but also sympathizes with the neighboring community.
Will you support further development of the Nebraska Parking Lot by AU? Why or why not?
Sadonis: Yes, I would, because students deserve more than being crammed into triples or pushed into off-campus housing. Future development of a new residence hall will de-triple freshmen and bring upperclassmen back to campus, where they will be a short walk from their classes and other on-campus facilities. AU students work hard, and they deserve to live comfortably. We all pay to attend this institution and live here; we at least deserve decent housing that can easily accommodate us. Students who live off campus often feel disconnected from activities occurring on campus, and it is difficult for them to access facilities such as the Jacobs Fitness Center and Bender Library. These students should have the option to live on campus in order to bring them closer to the buildings that they so often frequent. However, I will make sure that any development in the Nebraska lot will meet the satisfaction of not just students, but neighbors as well. Neighbors deserve to have input on the construction of any building in the community as they reside in this community with us. We have to remember that any development we do impacts their living situation as well.
Smith: Nobody has objected to developing the Nebraska Parking Lot … site. Development of the site has been expected and discussed for at least two years …
AU administrators have not yet presented their final plans for the site but have indicated their desire to use [it] for upperclassman housing. Neighbors expressed significant concern … that student housing at the site will have a negative impact not only on their property values, but more importantly on their overall quality of life … I share neighbors’ concerns, especially since AU administrators have refused to establish mediation sessions recommended by the D.C. Office of Planning and offered no plan for mitigating any potential adverse impacts, as required by the zoning laws of [D.C.] …
The rhetoric and “platform” of A Voice 4 U during this ANC campaign — especially related to locating a fraternity and sorority row — have exacerbated the neighbors’ concerns, set back opportunities for consensus building and raised even more questions about locating student housing so close to residents’ homes.
Discussions between neighbors and AU will continue throughout 2011 as part of the D.C. Zoning Commission’s campus planning process. Although the role of the ANC in this process is severely limited, I would continue to work to encourage continued — and civil — dialogue between AU and the residents of the community.
Jones: I will support the further development on Nebraska Parking Lot. It is a space that I believe would be a great spot for a new residence hall. However, as I said before, there must be a plan that sympathizes with the neighboring community. For that to happen, the community must stop coming to the table with a closed mind. AU must have further development. There should be no argument about that.
What will you do to reach out to constituents at AU and represent their interests?
Sadonis: As someone who has campaigned on the basis of giving our community a voice on the ANC, I will make sure that our voices do not fall on deaf ears. I will encourage students to attend ANC meetings to express their concerns to the other commissioners and myself. This will also allow them to learn more about the ANC and local issues facing the community. I understand that many students may not be able to attend because of classes or jobs, so I would make myself available to meet with students, either one-on-one, or in a town-hall type setting in order to discuss their concerns and listen to what they would like me to address in ANC meetings. Students make up 60 percent of 3D 02, the district that I am running for, and ensuring that I accurately represent them is very important to me. I will not turn down any student who wants to talk to me. No idea is too foolish; no concern is too minuscule.
Smith: Over the past four years, I have made all best efforts to work with AU Student Government leadership to facilitate ongoing dialogue with AU students. Giving such deference to [SG] leaders — and avoiding overstepping or bypassing them — has been futile …
The sometimes inflammatory rhetoric of AV4U has punk’d some students into thinking the ANC actually has legal authority over a wide range of student life issues, including holding concerts outside at night and building a new fraternity and sorority row. (AU administrators have sole jurisdiction over student issues) … The ANC has no decision-making authority under the city charter or the laws of [D.C.]
… AV4U leaders also would have students believe they are an oppressed group within our community … Such suggestions are — at best — insensitive and reckless and — at worst — demeaning and insulting …
To facilitate a better understanding of the ANC, I would take the lead to establish a student advisory group to work with me, the ANC and the surrounding residential neighborhood groups … I will work to create a structured opportunity for dialogue that is more civil and responsible than what we have seen in the last two months from the leaders of AV4U.
Jones: I think the best way I can do that is to hold town halls. Also, I should have a relationship with members of the Student Government to effectively hear students concerns.
How will you balance the needs of your AU constituents and your constituents in the neighborhood?
Sadonis: I plan on holding town hall meetings on a monthly basis that students and neighbors can attend. These informal gatherings will allow neighbors and students to sit down together to express their concerns and learn about the concerns of each other. It will allow me to receive a balanced input from individuals and give me the opportunity to run my ideas by community members for their approval. If people are unable to attend these meetings because of their schedules, I would continue to make myself available to meet on an individual basis. This means meeting with a neighbor for an afternoon or sitting down with a student on the weekend to hear their ideas, issues and concerns. All decisions that I make will not be made in favor of one group of individuals over another. Instead, it will be made in the best interest of the community as a whole after having listened to community members and reaching a compromise on the best course of action.
Smith: AU students and residents of the surrounding neighborhood have much in common. For example, public safety is important for all of us in this community. It is the job of an ANC commissioner to try to be responsive to the needs of all constituents but not to be a rubber stamp. An ANC commissioner is not a “decider,” but rather a facilitator. That requires an ability to understand the needs of the residents who have made a long-term commitment to the neighborhood and the needs of others, including AU students, who may live in the community for a more limited period. I have earned the respect of residents in the neighborhood as a result of working hard to protect the interests of all in our community — residents and students, alike. Also, I continue to be committed to invest the time needed to work closely with the AU student community and build new structures for engagement and dialogue for improved communication.
Jones: I am the candidate of both parties. This is not a student vs. neighboring community race. I think the media has framed it that way. I plan to bring them together to make compromises, not to pull them further apart.
To what extent will you work with AU administrators and hear their concerns about AU's relations with the neighborhood?
Sadonis: I will make myself available to AU administrators in the same format that I will be available for students and neighbors. I will encourage them to attend the town hall meetings and to reach me for meeting on an individual basis. My ears are open to everyone who has a stake in the community, and my judgment falls on seeing that everyone benefits in the end. I will not be a puppet on strings for AU administrators, but this does not mean that I have to ignore them. Relations between the neighborhood and the administration may differ at times, but I will work to bring everyone together to reach a consensus on the issues that need to be addressed.
Smith: I have worked routinely with AU administrators during my tenure as an ANC commissioner. I am not only in regular contact, but also I make myself available to AU administrators and have met on a regular basis — both informally and in more formal settings. Additionally, due to my many community-related activities, I have worked with AU administrators for nearly all of the 30 years I have lived in this community, not just during my tenure as an ANC commissioner. The University and the surrounding neighborhoods always have enjoyed good working relationships. Like most families, there are sometimes disagreements. But the community and the University have always been able to discuss and resolve these differences in a civil and respectful manner. I would continue to work closely with AU administrators over the next two years.
Jones: I have already started on that path. Dean of Campus Life Gail Hanson and I attend all of the campus plan meetings, and she has made herself available to me. I plan to continue this correspondence with her, but also with AU President Neil Kerwin as well.
