Meet the Candidates: Adrian Jesus Iglesias, ANC 3F05

Single-member district ANC 3F05 is the next to be featured in our series on the ANC 3F candidates for the office of advisory neighborhood commissioner.

Like 3F03, 3F05 is diverse in its constituencies. It includes UDC and the Howard University School of Law, Edmund Burke School, several embassies, and Van Ness businesses – on the west side of Connecticut Avenue south of Albemarle Street, and on the block south of Veazey Terrace. Most of its residents live in high-rise apartments and condos, but the SMD also includes single-family detached houses and duplexes. (Are you are resident too? Confirm it at OpenANC.org.)

The 3F05 election is contested. The two candidates are Nathaniel Bowman (who has not responded to our invitations to send us a statement), and incumbent Adrian Jesus Iglesias. This is Iglesias’s statement:

My name is Adrian Jesus Iglesias, and I’ve been living in DC since 2010, though this is my 9th year as a resident of Van Ness. If you’re reading this, there’s a great chance that you also read a similar introduction, written by me, earlier this year. To those of you, hello again– And to those of you I’ve yet to meet, physically or virtually, hello!

When I first gathered signatures to become my neighborhood (SMD 3F05) ANC Commissioner, I was filling a vacancy that would only last several months. Now that the term is coming to a close, I’m hoping to keep my hat in the ring and continue serving our community for a proper, full term as commissioner.

In my short tenure, I’ve not only learned much about the inner workings of our ward, but have also had the opportunity to– with my fellow commissioners– advocate for many of our neighbors. From noise concerns related to ongoing local construction (e.g. Soapstone Valley Project), to traffic concerns (e.g. excessive illegal parking, traffic safety at Connecticut & Albemarle St NW), to simple inquiries about incoming local businesses (MOM’s is finally opening, so soon, we promise!), the past months have been busy, but thankfully, fruitful.

Noise dampening measures were employed by DC Water in response to community concerns; the DC Sidewalk Gap Program has finally prioritized a contentious stretch of road in our SMD (35th St NW, between Alton Pl & Yuma St); and many of the formerly vacant spaces on the Van Ness corridor are already opening for business, if not on the verge of doing so (The Whale Tea, Infinity Martial Arts, Mr. Green, Rosedale, Dog Haus, and of course, MOM’s Organic Market!).

It isn’t to say I was instrumental in effecting all of these changes, rather, they were only possible through close collaboration with our neighbors, commissioners, and committed local organizations, such as Van Ness Main Street – I look forward to facilitating such collaborations in the future, and to fostering a stronger sense of community with and for my Single Member District. As ANC Commissioner, I’ve enjoyed the unique opportunity to help guide our community’s growth, and ensure that local voices are heard loud and clear by the appropriate parties. But having done so for such a brief period, I’m confident that’s only the tip of the iceberg. I would be pleased to continue serving Van Ness, and our surrounding neighbors, in the coming years.

Adrian Jesus Iglesias can be contacted at [email protected].