Giant: Here we go again

According to a Cleveland Park Listserv post:


WNNC (the group opposing the Giant PUD) asked the Court for a delay pending the Zoning Commission's issuance of the final written order on the Motion for Reconsideration. Giant opposed this delay. The Court denied their request, and told them to file their brief by April 6. However, two weeks ago, WNNC asked for additional time to file their brief. Giant opposed them again, but the Court granted their request and allowed them until May 3rd to file their brief, which will apparently appeal the Zoning Commission's decision. So on it goes.

A Safer Connecticut Avenue

From the Cleveland Park Yahoo Group:

Connecticut Avenue Pedestrian Action (CAPA) is comprised of residents from Woodley Park and Cleveland Park to Forest Hills and Chevy Chase. We need everyone in the community to participate on two fronts. First, we would like residents, visitors, employees and employers to fill out a simple survey and interactive map on our website . Second, we are recruiting volunteers from up and down the corridor to help with the audit process. This will require training at a short session in late April and then a few hours of time during the study period in May. If you have interest in pedestrian safety, community activism and solidarity with the other communities along Connecticut Avenue, this is a great opportunity for you.

Great History of what never was

Douglas Willinger provides a terrific account of the freeway that ended up not coming through Bethesda and Ward 3 on the way to downtown DC.

Cheh Challenger

According to sources, Mary Cheh will have a Republican challenge in the November election. The candidate is David Hedgepeth, a litigation manager whose twin daughters attend Murch Elementary School.

Unknown at this point is the fate of any potential primary election challenge.

New Bike Lanes in Glover Park

According to Greater Greater Washington, the DC Department of Transportation is going to install (PDF) bike lanes in Glover Park in concurrent with recommendations from the Glover Park Transportation study.

Hopefully this is a first step to more widespread use of bike lanes in the Ward.

Examiner on Wisconsin Avenue Streetcars

The Washington Examiner provides some insight into the push for Streetcars along Wisconsin Avenue.

Wilson High School Landmarked

The Historic Preservation Review Board supported the landmarking of Wilson High School (PDF).

In a unanimous 8-0 vote, the board adopted the staff report for the 1935 Colonial Revival structure. Opponents of the historic application argued that landmark status would handcuff DCPS in developing and programing a renovated school. A similar argument was made when Janney Elementary was landmarked in November.

Clevleland Park Pedestrian Action

ANC 3C Commissioner Leila Afzal has announced funding for transportation improvements in Cleveland Park:

The DC City Council has identified Connecticut Avenue between Macomb and Porter streets as particularly hazardous for pedestrians. The Council has allocated $1.5 million specifically to address this concern and has directed DDoT to develop and implement a plan to use this money.

DDoT has come to the community for input and has requested that The Connecticut Avenue Coalition serve as the conduit for our ideas. The Coalition is made up of representatives from the Cleveland Park Citizens Association, Cleveland Park Historical Society, the business community, local residents, and the ANC (represented by Roger Burns (ANC3C04) and me). Each group within the Coalition is reaching out to its constituency to get as broad a level of participation as possible.

Please identify locations and conditions that you believe place pedestrians at particular risk. (e.g. crossing Conn. Avenue at Ordway). If you also have a suggested solution, that would be very helpful too.

Please limit your concerns to the area along Connecticut Avenue between Macomb and Porter Streets. The authorizing language is very specific and restricts where the money can be used.

I will compile the comments from constituents received either via email or at our meeting and forward them to the Coalition. The Coalition will add them to those received from the business groups, CPHS, and the CPCA and forward them to DDoT.

DDOT will then produce corresponding options for solutions to the concerns identified, as well as a price tag, and present them to the community at the April 13th CPCA members' meeting. The CPCA has arranged to break the meeting into small groups and decide how we as a community would recommend spending the $1.5m "DDoT bucks."

The ANC will then review The Coalition recommendations as developed on April 13 and any other community input it receives at its April 19th monthly and make a formal recommendation to DDoT.

Comments should be directed to Commissioner Afzal.