Rather than being forced to accept a plan for 10 years that violates good redistricting practices, residents of Ward 5 can choose a redistricting proposal that puts neighborhoods first and treats voters fairly.

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We are proposing this plan so it can be vetted by a wider audience, which wasn’t possible with the other 2 plans, and because we believe this plan adheres to the expectations set down regarding redistricting, unlike those from the task force’s executive committee or Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr.

This proposal consists of 5 ANCs, 2 more than the ward has currently, and one fewer than in the previous two plans. Here are this neighborhood-centered proposal’s strengths:

It connects neighborhoods with strong common interests. The revised plan creates ANCs by grouping SMDs that share common characteristics and issues. Instead of the “long” ANC stretching from central DC to Maryland, one of the revised ANCs encompasses the southwest corner of Ward 5 and combines Truxton Circle, Stronghold, Hanover, Edgewood, Eckington, and Bloomingdale. These neighborhoods are physically close to one another, have similar populations, have similar housing stock, share similar issues and concerns, and often collaborate on projects and activities.

It equalizes voter strength. In this proposal, the disparity between the largest SMD (2,214) and the smallest (1,850) is about 360 people, not the 850-person disparity in the executive committee’s plan.

These figures are reasonable when compared to the goal of “approximately 2,000” people per SMD. They are justifiable because they allow the neighborhoods that they are in to remain intact. For example, the large Trinidad district could be made smaller, but would slice off an edge of Trinidad and connect it to a district made up of the Langston and Carver Terrace neighborhoods.

It promotes cohesiveness. The revised map brings much of Woodridge back together into a single ANC. All Bloomingdale districts are in the same ANC (including McMillan). The revised ANCs maintain the social and historical integrity of the Trinidad and Carver-Langston neighborhoods.

It respects boundaries and barriers. The revised ANC in the southwest of the ward uses the Ward 1 line and the CSX railroad right of way as natural north-south boundaries. The ANC in the southeast corner of the Ward uses the huge Arboretum for a natural boundary.

It doesn’t connect dissimilar neighborhoods. Instead of combining widely dissimilar communities, all of the Truxton Circle, Stronghold, Hanover-Bates, Edgewood, Eckington, and Bloomingdale neighborhoods are in the same ANC. The integrity of Trinidad and Carver-Langston is maintained. These neighborhoods have real overlapping interests and populations.

The residents of Ward 5 have a choice for our political, economic, and communal/societal futures. We can allow ourselves to be redistricted in a way that disrespects and divides us, or we can choose an approach that chooses people and neighborhoods as well as respecting the integrity of the numbers.

If you believe in the latter, then let Task Force Chair Ayawna Webster and Councilmember Harry Thomas know that you want them to support the neighborhood-centered proposal we describe here. We’re not proposing this plan to be divisive or confrontational. Rather, we believe that the members of the community that were part of the task force didn’t have all the tools (especially maps) available to them throughout the entire process that they should have, and we hope this helps rectify that problem.

If you’re a Ward 5 resident, let the chair and councilmember hear your voice. Contact Mrs. Webster at 202-724-8028 or awebster@dccouncil.us, and Councilmember Thomas at 202-439-5103 or hthomas@dccouncil.us.

Geovani Bonilla is a Regional Director of Hospice for Professional Healthcare Resources. As president of the Bates Area Civic Association, Geovani works with the ANC, Mayor’s Office and MPD to bring positive change to the Truxton Circle neighborhood. Geovani also serves on the Board if Directors for North Capitol Main Street and Perry School Community Center.

Tim Clark is Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for 5C05 and the Second Vice-President of the Edgewood Civic Association. He also served as the Ward 5 redistricting task force social media coordinator. Tim works as an arborist for DC’s Urban Forestry Administration by day and runs a DC-based entertainment and marketing company by night.

James Fournier is a commercial litigator and the Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner for 5C07.  He currently represents Northern Bloomingdale, Stronghold, Franklin Commons, and a sliver of Park Place.

Geoff Hatchard lives in DC’s Trinidad neighborhood. The opinions and views expressed in Geoff’s writing on this blog are his, and do not necessarily represent the views of his employer.

John Salatti has represented the Bloomingdale community as an Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner and as an officer of the Bloomingdale Civic Association for the last 5 years. John also runs his own business, LAWriters, that provides writing training services to judges and lawyers across the country and around the world.