Thursday, October 17, 2013

Your Future Tenleytown

From Ward 3 Vision:

Neighborhoods across DC are changing in ways not imaginable even a decade ago. New housing developments are popping up all over the Logan Circle area, Shaw, NOMA and other downtown areas; new restaurants open weekly; bike lanes, Cars-2-Go and other new transit modes abound. We even have Union Market – DC’s aspiring answer to robust city markets like Reading Terminal in Philadelphia.

And then there’s Tenleytown – the staid, grey lady. Home to very desirable residential neighborhoods but bounded by the at-best uninspiring Wisconsin Avenue retail corridor. Why hasn’t Tenleytown experienced the same renaissance as other parts of the city? More importantly, what are the opportunities for its future?

Ward 3 Vision, a group of local citizens who can imagine our neighborhoods as even better urban places – more walkable, sustainable, and vibrant – is sponsoring a “Tenleytown Visioning Workshop” and invites interested neighbors and citizens to discuss these questions and more. The workshop will be held on 9 November 2013 at American University’s Nebraska Hall (one of its new residence halls, adjacent to the Katzen Center), beginning at 9am, and will bring together denizens of Tenleytown and surrounding neighborhoods to share your vision, hopes and blue-sky dreams for Tenleytown.

Click here to register.

Wednesday, October 02, 2013

Et Tu 3D?

There have been complaints over the years regarding different ANCs, both throughout the Ward and across the city. Mismanagement of funds, excessive perception of power, ego inflation, you name it. At the core and in theory, ANCs are a great model for hyper-local governance. When there are so many examples of malfeasance, however, it becomes time to evaluate whether it is worth the effort and city resources to continue the office.

To wit, ANC 3D passed a resolution at a properly noticed meeting with a quorum, to not oppose (PDF) the installation of bike lanes on New Mexico Avenue. If fact, the resolution specifically states:


Commissioner Ross made a friendly amendment that the resolution include a request, but not a requirement, that DDOT include in the current Ward Circle Transportation Study consideration on the proposed bike lane on New Mexico Avenue and do so as rapidly as possible



So what is happening? According to a post on Greater Greater Washington, the ANC has circulated a resolution to be considered at the meeting TONIGHT (without notice or a courtesy posting on any of the neighborhood listservs) to require the afore mentioned study before the new bike facilities are installed.

Since the July resolution was passed, DDOT completed the planning and is actually announced that the implementation is nearing completion. It is hard to fathom why the ANC thinks such clandestine action is necessary.

Maybe they will explain it themselves at the meeting.