Proposed Map for Upper Wisconsin SMDs
UPDATED March 6, 2022
Mary Alice Levine and I agreed on the following map for the Upper Wisconsin ANC’s Single Member District lines. We will present these at the March 8th Task Force Meeting. Have comments? Share them with the Task Force ward3ancredistricting@gmail.com
[NOTE: What follows has been updated with the map above]
I was assigned, along with Mary Alice Levine, to draw the Single Member District (SMD) lines for the seven-member Upper Wisconsin ANC. What follows is my first draft. Mary Alice and I will be conferring between now (Friday) and Monday on her maps and mine and hopefully make a single recommendation. In the interest of transparency, I’m showing my work and the rationale behind it. Again, first drafts. Send comments to ward3ancredistricting@gmail.com.
I used several guiding principles as approached the placement of the SMDs: stay within the 1900-2100 population limits required by law; limit the crossing of major corridors; provide for more than one SMD to represent one commercial area; American University remains a wholly contained area of four census blocks that yields two student commissioners.
Here is the Upper Wisconsin (UW) ANC from the March 1st map the Task Force proposed:
The population of UW is 13,574, allowing for SMDs with an average size of 1,939.
The first SMD I drew was in the southeast corner in Tenleytown on the east side of Wisconsin Ave. I was able to draw an SMD with 1,946 people. It extends northward from Van Ness St to Chesapeake.
Next drawn was the SMD to the north, encompassing the east side of Wisconsin Ave in Friendship Heights. With the removal of Friendship Heights residents on the west side of Reno Road, this are only has 1,710 residents. In order to complete this SMD, it must pick up at least 180 people on the west side of Wisconsin Ave. I crossed Wisconsin Ave closer to Tenleytown, between Brandywine and Ellicott, allowing the center of Friendship Heights to have two commissioners representing it on either side of Wisconsin Ave. The population for this SMD is 1,944.
On the west side of Wisconsin Ave, I next drew the SMD in Tenleytown which extends west to AU and incorporates Fort Gaines, Turtle Park and parts of AU Park. The SMD covers Wisconsin Ave from Van Ness St to Brandywine St. In AU Park it’s northern border is Alton Place. It’s population is 1,935.
The next SMD drawn was the northwestern portion of AU Park, abutting the MacArthur & Massachusetts ANC and the SMD drawn to the south. The approach was to incorporate as much of AU Park as possible heading east toward Friendship Heights and the north part of Tenleytown. The population is 1,933.
The remaining area in UW, outside of AU comprises the remaining area along Wisconsin Ave in Friendship Heights. The population is 1,925.
The remaining two SMDs in UW are in American University and Wesley Seminary. This area is comprised of four census blocks. Two of the blocks containing residential dormitories require splitting to create equally sized SMDs.
Here is the draft SMD for the entire Upper Wisconsin ANC:
Send comments to the Task force at ward3ancredistricting@gmail.com.