ANC 3E meeting: June 11, 2009

Among the agenda items:


Discussion of, and possible vote on, request for zoning relief to permit use of off site parking at Lord & Taylor lot for retail development at Western Ave. and Jennifer Street.

Discussion of status of 5013 Belt Road

Discussion of and possible vote on request for letter seeking elimination or alteration of N8 bus travel on Yuma Street.

Discussion of and possible vote on resolution regarding the "Sidewalk Assurance Act of 2009," which would, in part, require construction of a sidewalk on at least one side of the street in most instances when the District resurfaces or reconstructs streets, curbs, or gutters.

History of the Commerical Overlay in Cleveland Park and Woodley Park

In light of the discssion about the CPCA and the Zoning Overlay in Cleveland Park, former ANC Commissioner and zoning expert Ann Loikow has provided the following history:


ANC Commissioner Reeves asked why if CPCA has been working on the overlay for years it wasn't referred to the ANC. ANC 3C has been involved in the the issue of the neighborhood commercial overlay districts for twenty years.

ANC 3C was intimately involved in the creation of the neighborhood commercial overlay zones in Cleveland Park (both on Connecticut and Wisconsin Avenues) and in Woodley Park which the Zoning Commission created in May 1989 (Zoning Commission Order No. 616, cases No. 86-26 and 87-27). These cases grew out of the effort to eliminate inconsistencies between the Zoning Regulations and the 1984-85 Comprehensive Plan Land Use Element. ANC 3C, and in particular Commissioner Phil Mendelson, the Cleveland Park Citizens Association (CPCA), the Woodley Park Community Association (WPCA), and the Cleveland Park Historical Society, among others, participated actively in these cases. As an Office of Planning's report noted these overlays were designed to ensure the compatibility of the use and scale of development in these neighborhood commercial centers with the surrounding residential areas. The limitation on uses was designed to help maintain a mix of neighborhood retail and services and ensure that there were a sufficient volume of both daytime and night-time customers to keep the businesses there economically viable. However, the overlays' limitations on eating and drinking establishments were never really implemented.

In 2000, both ANC 3C (which adopted a resolution on the issue in January 2000), individual commissioners from Woodley Park and Cleveland Park, CPCA and various community members sought to get the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) to enforce the limitations on eating and drinking establishments in the overlay districts. In fact, the Zoning Administrator made a formal presentation about this to the ANC at its June 2000 meeting. As a result of this, DCRA issued proposed procedures for implementing the the limitation for eating or drinking establishments in the neighborhood commercial overlay districts in February 2002 which it adopted in May 2002. ANC 3C and CPCA and several individual District residents formally commented on the procedures.

In May 2002, in order to consider some of the concerns raised by the Zoning Administrator and DCRA on how to interpret the overlay regulations, the Zoning Commission published a notice of public hearing to be held in July 2002 on Case 02-06, "Text Amendments to Neighborhood Commercial Overlay District: Limitation for Eating or Drinking Establishments." In December 2002, the Zoning Commission tasked the Corporation Counsel with producing a proposed replacement or amended text. In November 2003, CPCA approved a resolution proposing a text amendment to the Zoning Commission to eliminate the ambiguities in the regulation regarding the limitation on eating and drinking establishments. The Zoning Commission noticed a second public hearing on Case 02-06 which was held in September 2005. At its December 2005 meeting, the Zoning Commission itself proposed an alternative solution and decided to hold further public hearings. This was all covered extensively in The Northwest Current.

In May 2006, ANC 6A petitioned the Zoning Commission to amend the Zoning Regulations to revise the definitions of "restaurants" and "fast food restaurants," among other things. The Zoning Commission set down the case as Case No. 06-23, "Text Amendment - Eating Establishment Definitions," in March 2007 and noticed a public hearing to be held in April 2007. ANC 3C, CPCA and WPCA, among others, participated in this case. The Zoning Commission approved a final order on the text amendments in Case No. 06-23 in July 2007.

The Zoning Commission's consideration and adoption of the neighborhood commercial overlay regulations has been a public process, of which both the public and the ANCs have been notified. ANC 3C, CPCA, WPCA and other neighborhood groups and individuals, as well as others from across the city, have been active participants in the process over the past twenty years. There is a substantial public record on the issue, as well as much news coverage, particularly in The Northwest Current, that is there for anyone who wishes to learn about it.

WPCA weighs in on CPCA

Dear Anne and other Executive Board Members:

As some of you may be aware the Cleveland Park Citizen’s Association has postponed their election of officers until the fall. The claim by the President of that Association was that the increase of new members constitutes an emergency and thus was their excuse to use their executive powers to postpone their election.

This is wrong.

The Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia is predicated on the concept that citizen activism is good, that democracy is good, and that the rule of law matters. The good people of Cleveland Park are doing the very things that we admire.

The Federation has spoken out and acted on these issues time and time again, be it the deplorable state of the EMT service, the lack of oversight on the mayor’s office, the public health committee you name it. The Federation has always been there to speak out when something is wrong. We must be there to speak again.

In this instance it is not the city government, or the federal government that is abusing the public trust, it is one of our member associations. We, as the premier umbrella organization of community associations, cannot afford to stay quiet on this issue. By staying quiet we are giving tacit consent to what is happening in Cleveland Park. We must act and we most positively affirm that citizens joining citizens’ organizations are good, and that the rule of law must continue and the CPCA is wrong in doing this.

I am writing to you today to inform you that if The Cleveland Park Citizens Association fails to conform to its own bylaws and holds their election as scheduled that I will introduce a resolution at our next assembly meeting calling for the removal of CPCA from membership in the Federation. The presence of an organization that is so Nixon-esque in its abuse of power gives the rest of our associations a bad name.

I remain committed to a better Washington, DC.


Sincerely Yours,


Peter W. Brusoe
Woodley Park Community Association Delegate
The Federation of Citizens Associations of the District of Columbia

CPCA: An update

Two updates to the recent entry regarding the Cleveland Park Citizen's Association.

Marc Fisher and Greater Greater Washington have both provided commentary.

What's Going on in Cleveland Park?

If the vacant storefronts weren't enough, Cleveland Park seems to be in turmoil over the leadership of the local Citizen's Association.

A posting on the Cleveland Park Listserv today, in response to questions about the upcoming meeting, opens the question about the legitimacy of the organization. From President George Idelson:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cleveland-park/message/56399

The Cleveland Park Citizens Association welcomes the many new members who have joined in recent weeks. This is a president's dream come true and we look forward to their active participation. A recent listserv posting by a CP'r suggested that his call to join CPCA to "make sure all voices are heard" apparently spurred this membership surge. He also described a recent meeting where he and others offered suggestions for achieving broader representation. What the posting didn't mention is that those attending the meeting specifically requested an "equal voice" -- one-half the members of CPCA's Executive Committee -- either on the slate or as heads of our committees, for our upcoming election. They didn't spell out who these new candidates might be, but said such a "joint" slate would avoid an acknowledged, organized campaign to take over the entire leadership of CPCA at our annual meeting. The campaign urged people to join by a certain date, to be eligible to vote for this competing, unnamed slate. Sad to report, this campaign has been fueled by false charges that the Association opposes all change and development. It has distorted our position on the Giant development and makes the wild claim that the Association is responsible for store vacancies on Connecticut Avenue. That the campaign was orchestrated was demonstrated by some 60 bundled applications received by certified mail just before the specified cut-off date, by anonymous leaflets, and by private emails urging residents to join CPCA to "stage a coup." Normally, competition for leadership is healthy and our nominating process is wide open. Demonizing an association and encouraging a chaotic election is hardly normal. This is Cleveland Park, not some third world country. We are deeply dismayed over the divisiveness this campaign has caused in our community. Development issues can be contentious, but they ought not be used to tear the community apart. The Giant hearings have ended and the record is closed. The Zoning Commission will decide whether all the upzoning requested in our low-density neighborhood is worth the potential impact. We need some time for cooling off. Time to reflect on the issues. For these reasons, CPCA's Executive Committee has executed the emergency powers granted in our bylaws to postpone the election of officers until the Fall. This is clearly an emergency. In the interim, we will seek ways to mend this tear in our neighborhood fabric. We look forward to constructive support and suggestions.


One could expect a response like this from a third-world banana republic, but in the heart of the nation's capital? The by-laws seem fairly specific:

All officers provided for in Article V and the delegates to the Federation of Citizens' Associations and the Federation of Civic Associations shall be elected for a term of one year at the annual meeting which shall be held on the first Saturday of June each year.

So does anyone from the CPCA care to rationalize this other than a ploy to maintain control over a volunteer organization?

Cleveland Park Magruders to close

According to fliers around the neighborhood and confirmed reports on NBC4, the Cleveland Park Macgruders grocery store is slated to close this weekend.

Along with the Starbucks, McDonalds, Blockbuster and other retail outlets, this marks another in a long string of vacancies in Cleveland Park.

CPCA: Another Case Study

A recent discussion on the Greater Greater Washington Blog dealt with the current status of the Dupont Circle Citizens Association, and its accurate representation of the community. Blogger David Alpert noted:

Do citizens' and civic associations represent the broad interests of residents, or very narrow factions within a neighborhood? Recently, growing numbers of residents have started to question the long-standing role of these groups as the voices of residents in the civic discourse. The Dupont Circle Citizens' Association (DCCA) faces a contested election next month, where a slate of candidates nominated by the current Board seeks to bring the neighborhood together and represent the broader resident interest, while competing candidates, nominated from the floor, would keep the organization on one specific, partisan side of major issues.

Citizens' and civic associations have existed in DC for a long time. When DC lacked home rule, they played an especially important role to amplify resident needs to a frequently uninterested Congress. They then had to fight for a better city during decades of a completely dysfunctional District government. Today, our government is much better, but residents still need a voice.

It is a good question because the ANCs and Council provide ample opportunity for residents to have a more direct voice to the city and its leadership on issues ranging from alcohol licenses to the comprehensive plan or baseball lights on a public park. So what is the purpose of a Citizens Association and what is the responsibility to provide a voice for the whole community?

As was discussed this winter, the Cleveland Park Citizens Association decided to vote (with fewer than 30 people present) in February to oppose the Giant PUD eventhough it had filed papers in opposition in January. This despite hundreds of letters and petitions of support from the broader community, even members of the CPCA. Indeed, when these numbers were disclosed during a recent Zoning Commission hearing, the Commission Chair, Anthony Hood noted that such a low turnout was not representative of the community, did not constitute a quorum and if he conduction an association in such a manner, his tenure as president would be short.

At the monthly meeting on May 7th, CPCA President gave an impassioned speech to the few assembled about the heart and soul of the Cleveland Park community, and how the AWARE group (Giant supporters) were staging a coup. The allegations included the characterization that AWARE was nothing more than shills for the developer and a groups of newer residents who have neither the best interests of the community or its community association at heart.

One board member offered a resolution prohibiting Board membership by a CPCA member until said member had enjoyed 6 months of membership. According to the CPCA bylaws (pdf) Article VII, Section 3 "Election of all officers and delegates and members of the Nominating Committee may by request be by a secret, written ballot. A majority vote of those qualified members present and voting is required for election." So in other words, the it was proposed that the definition of "qualified members" be amended to exclude any recent applicants for membership to participate in the posted nomination and election process.

CPCA President George Idelson admitted that such a provision had been considered by the Executive Committee, but after some discussion the amendment was tabled.

So it begs the question, are these valid organizations in terms of representing the true voice of the community? What are they afraid of when suggesting such measures as amending by-laws to maintain control? Perhaps it is time for the heart and soul of the community to be truly represented?

GGW: Live Chat with Cheh

The Greater Greater Washington blog has announced a Friday, May 1 Chat with Cheh:

This Friday at 1:00 pm, Greater Greater Washington will host Mary Cheh, DC Councilmember for Ward 3, and Chair of the Council's Committee on Government Operations and the Environment. Ms. Cheh is also a tenured law professor at GWU.

Please tune in live on Friday when Ms. Cheh will take your questions. If aren't available then, feel free to leave your questions in the comments and we'll select some for the discussion.

Summary of the Giant Zoning Commission Hearing 4/23/09

From Gabe Fineman on the Cleveland Park Listserv:

Notes from the April 23, 2009
Zoning Commission Meeting about Giant at Newark

[Having trouble reading this because you do not get mail in HTML format? You can download a formatted copy from http://CPposts.com/Giant.htm that also has a lot of background documents.

So, what was this Meeting all about? Giant had applied for a Planned Unit Development (PUD) exception to the current zoning on the parcel of land that they own around Wisconsin and Newark. Their plan includes a doubling in size of the supermarket, and housing to the north of Newark and about the same amount of other retail space as they currently have. The usual anti-development crowd objected and this was the third of four hearings, but the first one I went to.

So, what happened at the previous meetings? At the first meeting (February 19th), Giant presented its case and Councilmember Cheh endorsed the application. The meeting lasted for five hours because the Board did not consolidate the opponents into one group but allowed each of the five opposition groups to individually ask the same witnesses the same questions that were often long statements rather than questions. At the second meeting (April 6th) the Office of Planning and the District Department of Transportation said why they supported the PUD and again, the opponents spent hours cross examining the City witnesses and a third meeting was needed.

So, who was on last night? Last night it was the proponents of the Giant Plan who mainly testified. First the ANC that voted to unanimously back the application but with a laundry list of issues that the Zoning Board should address. Then AWARE, the new local group of neighbors that want the application to be approved without additional conditions. Finally twenty-five individuals who spoke for themselves or some special interest issue (like affordable housing), but for the application.

So, What did the ANC say? Anne-Marie Bairstow, the chairman of the ANC, summarized the resolution unanimously passed by the ANC in January. The key thing about the resolution is that it was addressed as advice to the Zoning Commission. There were 11 conditions. The first was that the Zoning Commission should address certain issues about loading docks. The second was that the Zoning Commission makes Giant review its driveway designs and to mitigate noise. The third was to require Giant to continue to work with the City agencies to have adequate parking. The list went on. The opponents tried very hard to have Ms. Bairstow say that this meant that Giant must implement every suggestion about loading docks and must make specific changes to the driveway design and make all changes that they wanted. They also tried to get her to opine on if Giant and the Zoning Commission had done all of these things. The Chairman of the Zoning Board was very annoyed. This was precisely what had happened at previous meetings and he was not going to allow that badgering. The resolutions speak for themselves and he urged Ms. Bairstow to answer that she did not know instead of guessing at answers.

So, why did I stay? I suppose it was because I was already down town. When the meeting started, I envied the Commissioners. They were a vital part of the process of rebuilding a better City. They had a PUD that would revitalize an out of date neighborhood center and was Green and pedestrian friendly. They had a developer that intended to finance development in a very bad economy. However, I soon felt sorry for them as they tried not to roll their eyes and cut questioning short and the hours rolled by toward another five hour meeting.

So, what did AWARE say? They were very clear that they felt that the PUD was finished and needed no more revisions after what has been a ten year process. They urged the Board to approve it without any changes and let Giant quickly start building. Jeff Davis and Anne Large spoke for the 175 members and were so forceful and articulate that only two of the five groups wanted to question them. These two questioned every witness (or panel of individuals) much to the groans of even their supporters.

What did the individuals say? The individual ANC Commissioners explained why they wanted their particular point on the laundry list of conditions to the ANC resolution and why it was the most important point. The other neighbors gave examples of why the benefits of the development outweighed any possible problems, let alone actual problems. One major issue of the opponents raised before was that the Commission lacked authority to issue a PUD because it was overruled by the Comprehensive Master Plan. Ellen McCarthy, the former head of the Office of Planning who drafted the Master Plan, said that was nonsense and explained why in some detail (all within three minutes). The Zoning Commission members were very attentive. Someone from the Washington Interfaith Network asked the Commission to require 30% affordable housing instead of the 8% volunteered by Giant (there are still not regulations on the matter). The commission wondered why he weighed in at the last minute and had not talked to Giant before now. Ex-ANC Commissioner Dogget summed it up saying that she has seen this Giant process drag on since 2001 and the opponents are once more trying for "death by process".

So, was there any comic relief? Only at the very end when the crowd of about 100 had dwindled to about 50. The two of the small opposing groups presented their testimony. The first was the tenants at 3725 Macomb that is an apartment building that backs onto the Giant property and is probably the only affordable housing in the area. Their lawyer said that the new Giant building was only seven feet from the back of the apartment building so that fire trucks could not get in to save residents and this was illegal. Everyone was startled except for the Zoning Commissioners who seemed to know all about fire requirements. They first asked if the lawyer had consulted with the fire department. No. Why was there a letter in the file from the fire department saying that the design met their requirements? The law does not require access from all four sides and that is why apartment buildings are limited in their depth and why firemen are trained to enter through the front. The Giant lawyer asked only three questions about the actual distance that seemed to vary from seven to seventeen feet and might or might not be measured from a lawn rather than the building.

The other opponent was the big group of ten houses on Idaho Avenue that claimed that their residential street would be destroyed if trucks went down the part not in front of their houses to make deliveries at Giant. Yes destroyed, because trucks were heavy. The problem is that it is not currently a residential street. Most of it is bordered by the Giant on one side and the Police station on the other. It may become a residential street because Giant wants to build houses across from the Police Station, but the new residents will know what they are buying. In any case, they hired a Traffic Engineer (http://psivanness.com) that reached conclusions that the Commission considered incredulous. When questioned, the 'expert' admitted that he used models that were marked as unreliable and studies from Australia. He also did not seem to understand basic Traffic Engineering terminology and confused trips (one in to a dock and one out from the dock) with trucks making deliveries, resulting in the doubling of his numbers. It would have been much funnier if it were not 11 PM. I used to sympathize with these people but if you buy a house where you could throw a baseball into a shopping center, why would you to expect it to remain unchanged for more than half a century?

What is next? Yet another hearing, solely devoted to the opponents, on Monday, May 4 that should wrap things up. The next step is that the Zoning Commission allows written comments and uses those written comments and meetings with Giant to determine how the Planned Unit Development (PUD) should be re-written. It can be put in as is, made so restricted that Giant will abandon it or something in-between. Then, in at the end of the Summer (if everything goes without a hitch) the final PUD is approved and Giant can apply for building permits.

More Information?
http://wisconsinavegiant.com
http://www.cpposts.com/Giant.htm

Cleveland Park Historical Society Preservation Café

Cleveland Park Historical Society Preservation Café

7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 28 at Ardeo

$35 (member), $45 (non-member)

The Preservation Cafe series offers the Cleveland Park community an opportunity to learn from experts in a variety of fields relating to historic preservation. The Cafe includes an opportunity to ask our speaker questions and will be followed by dinner.

This month's Preservation Cafe will feature a PowerPoint presentation on Washington area Residential Historic Architecture with architect Bruce Wentworth and will be held at Ardeo, where they've offered us an impressive three-course meal for $35 (members) and $45 (non-members) which includes tax and gratuities (beverages are additional).

Mr. Wentworth is the founder of Wentworth, Inc., a residential design-build firm and has worked in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area for over twenty years. Passionate about historic architecture, Mr. Wentworth has recently put his survey of residential architectural styles in the DC metro area online allowing a wider community to research and identify their own home's period and style.

Following his presentation, Mr. Wentworth will answer your questions about historic styles and characteristics.

Reservations are required – please email: staff@clevelandparkhistoricalsociety.org

You can mail your check to:
Cleveland Park Historical Society
PO Box 4862
Washington, DC 20008.

Upcoming Preservation Café topics will include: Tips for Improving Garden Walls, Walks, and Steps; Container and Outdoor Gardening; Windows, Walls and Wood Floors; and How to Research your Home's History.

ANC Clarifies Giant Vote

ANC 3C on Monday night took an unusual measure to clarify its position on the Giant PUD application. In a 7-2 vote, the ANC passed the following resolution:


Clarification of ANC 3C Resolution No. 2009-01
Regarding the Planned Unit Development
Friendship Neighborhood Center (Giant)
Zoning Commission Case No. 08-15

WHEREAS, on January 21, 2009, ANC 3C unanimously passed a resolution (2009-01) supporting (with conditions) the Planned Unit Development (PUD) filed by Friendship Neighborhood Center (Zoning Commission Case No. 08-15);

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED it was not the intent of ANC 3C to allow the Macomb-Wisconsin Overlay to limit the PUD;

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Chair of ANC3C or her designee is authorized to represent ANC 3C on this matter.


This is clearly in response to the unannounced testimony provided by Councilmember (and former ANC 3C Commissioner) Phil Mendelson. This seems to be important because the opponents of the Giant PUD have produced a 47 page legal brief. According to AWARE head Jeff Davis:

Last week, the Wisconsin Newark Neighbors Coalition filed a 47-page legal memo of Opposition to the project. This group has been actively represented at the Zoning Commission hearings by John O'Sullivan and John Korbel. Their statements at the first two hearings and this brief in Opposition indicate clearly that they will do anything within their considerable power to defeat or delay the Giant proposal.

This sets up an interesting Thursday hearing with the Zoning Commission.

Glover Park Study Released

The long awaited Glover Park traffic study from DDOT is now available.

Roger Lewis and Wisconsin Avenue Development

In his weekly "Shaping the City" column Architect and Professor Roger Lewis discussed the Wisconsin Avenue Giant and the Tenley-Janney Public-Private Partnership proposals.

Some of the highlights:

Some residents of the District cling to a suburban mentality. This mentality, coupled with government mismanagement, can obstruct desirable redevelopment. For the city to evolve, residents' attitudes and government performance must change.

They may represent a minority of people affected by redevelopment, but that minority can be organized and outspoken while redevelopment supporters remain silent. Hearing little from the majority and pressured by the minority, the city can make bad decisions.

Much suburban fabric is relatively static. Much urban fabric is relatively dynamic, changing as circumstances change. Living in cities means accepting and even embracing change. Living in America's capital city should be no exception.

Zoning Commission: Giant Rolls On

Another 3 and one-half hours of testimony for the Streetworks/Giant development proposal in Cleveland Park, and the process inches forward. While this is a complicated case, the proceedings should be much further along. However, the opposition to the project has splintered into several little groups, each gaining "party status" causing redundant, often infuriating testimony (ie questions?) of the applicant, and now the agencies.

Representatives from the DC Office of Planning and the DC Department of Transportation gave their reports last night. This was supposed to have been followed by the ANC and supporting neighborhood groups. However, the proceedings stalled upon the closure of the Agency reports due to the duration of the testimony (I mean questions) of the DC Officials.

Next stop, April 23rd, 441 4th Street, second floor.

HPRB to Developer: No Relocation of Historic Structure

In the 1942 Virginia Lee Burton childrens books "The Little House" the once pastoral setting of the little house is overtaking by the progress and growth of the city, eventually prompting a move of the house farther out to the country. In 2009 Cleveland Park, when the same thing happens, the preservationists say yes, but the ANC says no, and the Historic Preservation Review Board agreed.

In a 6-1 vote, the Board went counter to both the staff report and the Cleveland Park Historical Society Architectural Review Committee support of a move for the 1905 Queen Anne structure located at 3211 Wisconsin Avenue. The house is listed as a "contributing" structure within the Cleveland Park Historic District, yet is surrounded by higher density mixed-residential structures on busy Wisconsin Avenue. Indeed, the land is zoned for higher density. The proposal by developer Mark Kaufman would have relocated the structure to Quebec Place, still within the Historic District, but alone in terms of historic context. However, Quebec Place residents, along with the ANC 3C Historic Preservation Committee made the case to the Board that the proposal should not be allowed.

A rhetorical question: Is razing the house a better option than relocation?

Tenley-Janney PPP Implosion

Here is some media coverage of the unraveling of the Tenley-Janney Public-Private Partnership:

Marc Fisher
DC MUD
Greater Greater Washington
Washington Business Journal

Greater Greater Washington on Giant

The Greater Greater Washington Blog has an outstanding review of the first evening of the Giant PUD hearing before the zoning commission.

It was interesting to see the Zoning Commission continually ask the opponents to refrain from repeating questions and grandstanding.

The proceedings will continue on April 6th, 2009.

EDIT: Interestingly, the Cleveland Park Listserv ran an informal poll, the results of which are below:

POLL QUESTION: How do you feel about the planned Giant development at Wisconsin and Newark, which includes a larger supermarket, and a residential, office and retail complex? For more information about the project visit Giant's website, read the ANC's resolution of support with conditions, and see the current issue of the Northwest Current. The question of how the Giant supermarket figures into the neighborhood has been an issue on the Listserv since 2004, and it may finally be resolved by the Zoning Commission.

CHOICES AND RESULTS
- Build it already! I support the Giant's development proposal as is., 205 votes, 77.36%
- Build it but with conditions: I support part of or all of the ANC's resolution, 44 votes, 16.60%
- This isn't good for the neighborhood: I oppose the Giant's development proposal., 16 votes, 6.04%

CPCA rejects Giant

In an unsurprising move, the Cleveland Park Citizens Association on Sunday voted to approve a resolution offered by the Executive Committee. By a count of 32-4, the membership supported a resolution that called for 1) the demonstration that the developer show proof of financing for the whole project prior to any construction commencing and 2) to oppose the project as proposed and argue for its rejection before the Zoning Commission.

The meeting was charaacterized by President George Idelson:

After spirited discussion at a well attended Sunday meeting, members of the the Cleveland Park Citizens Association voted by an overwhelming majority to ratify the resolution drafted by its executive committee. The resolution withholds support for the Giant proposal in its present form. It states that while CPCA supports a large new supermarket and has worked hard to get one, the applicant needs to demonstrate why it cannot achieve that goal without zoning changes creating much higher density and other negative impact on the community. The resolution also asks the Zoning Commission to require that Giant have a financing commitment to complete the job before starting to build. (We don't want to be left with a hole in the ground or more evicted stores.)

This is not the first time the CPCA or other Cleveland Park entities conducted business on a holiday weekend, with scant notice to the community. Further, the CPCA had already filed opposition papers with the zoning commission on this proposal making this vote simple window dressing. However, the Association appears to be a pariah in the community.

ANC 3C, the Woodley Park Community Association, Mass Ave Heights, various condominiums and the Woodland-Normanstone Community Association are among the groups in support of the project (even with conditions).

In addition, the Office of Planning and the District Department of Transportation have issued reports supporting the PUD.

This sets up a very long hearing process where immediate neighbors and the CPCA will be fighting the proposal, while the other neighbors and organizations will support it.

Cleveland Park Citizens Association and Giant

An announcement on the Cleveland Park Listserv notes:

The Cleveland Park Citizens Association will meet at the Cleveland Park Library (Connecticut and Newark, NW) on Sunday, February 15 at 2 pm. Our speaker will be Kilan Boardman Schoyer, Legislative Director for At-Large Councilmember, Michael A. Brown.

Members will also take up a resolution on the proposed Wisconsin Avenue Giant.

Of course, as one contributor notes, the CPCA has already submitted papers with the Zoning Commission in opposition to the Giant PUD proposal. Makes one wonder what value the organization's leadership has for its members and for the greater community.

Tenleytown Chat with Cheh

On Saturday, February 7, Councilmember Mary Cheh will hold another "Chat with Cheh." Ward 3 residents are invited to the Starbucks located in Tenleytown at 4513 Wisconsin Ave, NW, between 10:00 am and 12:00 pm to talk with the Councilmember.

ANC Approves Giant

The Cleveland Park/Woodley Park ANC (3C) unanimously approved a resolution supporting the Giant PUD with eleven "conditions". The draft conditions are as follows:

1. The Applicant shall adhere to the provisions of its Transportation and Parking Management Plan and Truck Management Plan and will address any deficiencies in the number, size and location of loading docks so as to be in conformance with DC Department of Transportation¢s (DDOT) criteria and regulations and once any part of the PUD is in operation shall:
1. provide a full-time loading dock manager on duty during all loading hours,
2. prohibit truck deliveries between the hours of 9 PM and 7 AM,
3. prevent any delivery trucks or vans servicing the retail and commercial establishments in the PUD from idling in public space while waiting in queue for loading dock use, and
4. require a covenant of all retail and commercial tenants to restrict the size of delivery trucks to only those that will fit the loading docks and to prohibit off-loading in public space;

2. The Applicant shall continue to review the proposed design, location, and operation of the planned supermarket loading area off Idaho Avenue with DC Office of Planning (OP) and DDOT. The goal shall be to determine a location further removed from existing houses and to develop a design and operations plan that (1) minimizes the visibility of the loading dock from adjacent residential property to the south; (2) minimizes the noise impacts generated by trucks and loading activity; and (3) prohibits truck traffic serving the PUD from using Idaho Avenue south of the loading dock.

3. The Applicant shall continue to work with OP and DDOT to ensure that the planned amount of parking is adequate to accommodate the planned uses on the PUD site. ANC 3C recommends that, prior to filing for a building permit for the North Parcel parking garage, the Applicant shall prepare and submit a report to OP, DDOT, and ANC 3C analyzing the operation of the South Parcel parking garage and parking and traffic in the adjacent community. If OP and DDOT determine that the South Parcel parking garage is not operating adequately to accommodate the uses in the PUD, we recommend that they jointly explore with ANC 3C solutions to enhance the parking supply in the PUD prior to developing the north parcel;

4. The Applicant shall work with DDOT to design more equitable distribution of commercial and residential parking between the north and south parcels and to design dedicated commercial spaces in the north parcel;

5. The Applicant shall take measures to restrict all new residents in the PUD from obtaining Residential Parking Permits, or their equivalent, for parking on neighborhood streets;

6. The Applicant shall provide parking space for a car sharing vehicle(s) (such as Zipcar);

7. The Applicant shall provide thirty (30) spaces for overnight parking to the surrounding community and in addition will provide thirty (30) spaces for existing neighborhood restaurants;

8. The Applicant shall pay for the cost of installing a new traffic light at Wisconsin and Idaho Avenues and in addition will set aside an escrow of $300,000 to provide for traffic calming and mitigation of problems resulting from the PUD once the new supermarket is in operation;

9. The number of bulb-outs on Newark Street be reduced to allow for two lanes of eastbound traffic at Wisconsin Avenue and to allow for the maneuvering of buses from Idaho to Newark at the terminal located on Newark Street, eliminating any bulb-outs that may impede bus traffic, while retaining pedestrian safety at mid-block crosswalks;

10. No more than 20% of the ground-level retail gross floor area of the PUD along Wisconsin Avenue and Newark Street shall be devoted to banks, loan offices or other financial institutions, travel agencies, or other ticket offices;

11. Restaurants and prepared food shops, including fast food establishments, are permitted but shall occupy no more than 25% of the linear street frontage of the PUD along Wisconsin Avenue, Idaho Avenue and Newark Street, N.W., based on a representation of approximately 1,500 linear feet of retail frontage in the PUD;

Giant Advocacy

This was posted on the Cleveland Park Listserv:

ANC3C votes Wednesday on whether to lend its approval to the development
proposed by Giant. This development has been a topic of debate for quite
some time and most people have formed an opinion. As we've seen, the voice
of the opposition is loud. They have flooded the ANC3C commissioners with
emails objecting to the development.

I'm writing to ask everyone who wants to see this development approved to
write an email to ANC3C anc3cmail@gmail.com Your email will be forwarded to
all commissioners.

Your voice in this debate is important.

Thanks,
Mike Rosella
Porter Street NW

News on the PPP

DCMUD updates the Tenley-Janey PPP.

CPCA Giant Meeting Jan 10

The Proposed Giant and the Community: What’s at stake?” is the subject of the next meeting of the Cleveland Park Citizens Association on Saturday, January 10, 10:15 a.m. at the Cleveland Park Library (Connecticut Avenue and Newark Street, NW). A panel of speakers will address an informative discussion of the zoning process as well as the history of the supermarket development and remaining community concerns.

Learn about the Giant Proposal

YOU'RE INVITED TO A HOLIDAY PARTY!!!

What: AWARE (Advocates of Wisconsin Avenue REnewal), a group of neighbors that support The Giant Development Application, invites you to a holiday gathering.

Why: Enjoy hot cider and baked goods, meet with neighbors, and learn more about the proposed supermarket, residences, and neighborhood retail and amenities. See renderings of the proposed project. Find out how to express your views and let your voice be heard in the approval process.

When: Saturday, December 13th, 10am - 3pm

Where: GC Murphy's, on Wisconsin Avenue between Macomb and Newark Streets, on the site of the proposed Giant development.

Who: All are welcome. Tell your friends.

Homicide in Chevy Chase

From Councilmember Cheh:

This is to inform residents that there has been a double homicide at
5320 Belt Road. The police are on the scene and are investigating.
At this point, no information about the perpetrator(s) has been
released to the public. I am in contact with Commander Klein and will
continue to monitor the situation.

Election Day Changes

The new era of change reaches down to the local level as contested ANC races around the Ward bring fresh faces to the forefront:

In ANC 3C, new commissioners William Kummings and Anne-Marie Bairstow join incumbents Josh Hart, Lee Brian Reba, Catherine May and Trudy Reeves to bring a majority who favor the redevelopment of the Giant parcel at Newark and Wisconsin. Newcomer Darcy Buckley captured over 44% of the vote in 3C05 despite the efforts of the vacating incumbent and other Giant opponents in their support of heir apparent Leila Afzal.

In ANC 3E, Jonathan Bender holds a lead over the chosen "oppose development" candidate, while Tom Quinn has made a good showing against incumbent Lucy Eldridge (62-37%). With the addition of unopposed Sam Serebin to this 5 member commission, there should be some interesting discussion about the future of the community.

In ANC 3F, Tom Whitely has defeated the erstwhile Frank Winstead. This will make one Washington Post columnist very happy.

3G represents a further repudiation of the proposed historic district as the two candidates who seemed to favor designation, Mary Rowse and incumbent Chris Fromboluti appear to have been defeated by stated opponents, David Engel and Henry Griffin respectively.

Congratulations to Laura McGiffert Slover in her bid to return to the State Board of Education.

PPP proceeds for now

According to the Examiner, the PPP for the Tenley Library and Janney school at Tenleytown will proceed despite formal objections from Councilmembers Kwame Brown and Mary Cheh. The article reads:


D.C. Deputy Mayor Neil Albert and developer LCOR Inc. plan to proceed with a
mixed-use development in Tenleytown despite opposition from Councilmembers Mary
Cheh, D-Ward 3, and Kwame Brown, D-at large and chair of the economic
development committee.

The councilmembers wrote Mayor Adrian Fenty Wednesday to say they would like
the city to abandon the project and allow the Tenley-Friendship library,
demolished on the site last year, to be rebuilt on its own. LCOR plans to build
174 units of housing along with a new library and a new, expanded Janney
Elementary School.

A spokesman for Albert, Sean Madigan, said the deputy mayor still believes the
project benefits the city by bringing more transit-accessible housing and new
money to a rebuilt Janney, and those outweigh the delay in rebuilding the
library.

“This is a project that is going to be there for 30 or 40 years and we have to
do it absolutely right,” Madigan said. He said the development will meet
conditions Cheh requested in July: no net loss in green space for Janney, added
revenue for Janney, an accelerated rebuilding timeline for Janney and no
significant delay in the library construction.

“We think there’s a really great opportunity to do a mixed use project that
meets all of our policy goals,” Madigan said.

Tim Smith, vice president of LCOR, also said his company was “fully committed
to the project” and was working to meet Cheh’s goals. “We have been working on
all of her issues, and certainly we were surprised by the letter,” Smith said.

Smith did not, however, offer a timeline for when construction might begin.
The development requires zoning changes that frequently require more than a year
to approve. The library has $1 million set aside for construction and would not
require zoning changes.

Greater Greater Washington on 3C 03

The Greater Greater Washington blog released this summary entry on the ANC 3C 03 race in Woodley Park.

Another Pedestrian Fatality

A man was killed today near the intersection of Nebraska and Connecticut Avenue today. This is in the same vicinity as two other pedestrian fatalities in 2007.

Last week, a man was struck and injured at Connecticut and Northampton. At what point will DDOT take drastic and proactive measures to protect pedestrians?

Fisher on Bikes, Cars and Wisconsin Ave

From Marc Fisher in the Washington Post
....
But reaching that goal will mean beating back the vociferous opposition to
development in many residential neighborhoods, especially in more affluent
parts of town.

"In Ward 3," Cheh says, "we're pushing in the wrong direction," a
reference to residents who lobby loudly and strongly against development
in areas such as Cleveland Park, Tenleytown and Friendship Heights.

As an example, Cheh cites the planned Commerce Bank branch on Wisconsin
Avenue on the former site of the Outer Circle movie theaters. The bank is
designed with a drive-thru--a suburban model that is exactly the opposite
of the kind of retail that the District wants to encourage. "I opposed it
because it's inappropriate development," Cheh says. That was a rare case
in which the council member found herself on the same side as neighborhood
activists who fight against what they see as moves toward unacceptably
high density. "They opposed it because they oppose things."

A few blocks south, at the controversial corner of Wisconsin and Albemarle
Street, where Mayor Adrian Fenty has been pushing for a public-private
partnership to build a public library and apartments across the street
from the Tenleytown Metro station, Cheh says the opportunity to create the
density needed to support more retail and a more walkable community
appears to be dissipating.

"It's a shame," she says, but the proposal from the developer Fenty chose,
LCOR, involves too long a delay in rebuilding the library that was torn
down four years ago. "It gets a little unrealistic. By all accounts, the
deal is falling apart. And that's too bad, because the area is a dead zone
and it doesn't have to be."

Cathedral History

Cathedral History Talk: How in the world did they build it?

The creation of Washington National Cathedral
Tuesdays, September 30 and October 7, 14, 21, 28, 2008
1 pm, in Perry Auditorium, 7th floor Free and open to the public

Join us for a lecture with historic images and fascinating construction
photos which help tell the story of the creation of the only gothic
Cathedral built in the 20th century. The presentation lasts approximately
30 minutes. All are welcome!

* Visit the Dreamers and Believers: Cathedral Builders exhibit and
learn about the planning and construction of the Cathedral. In the Rare
Book Library Exhibit Room through October, 2008.

* Explore a variety of touring options at the Cathedral.

* Read about Fall 2008 lecture programs at the Cathedral.

Contested ANC Races

3B02
Alan Blevins
Jackie Blumenthal

3C01
Lee Brian Reba
Paul Poe

3C03
Anne-Marie Bairstow
Jenelle M. Dennis

3C05
Darcy Buckley
Leila J. Afzal

3D01
Elizabeth (Betsy) Sandza
Kent Slowinski

3D08
Christine M. Warnke
Lee P. Minichiello


3E03
Jonathan Bender
Joseph T. Carlson

3E04
Lucy Eldridge
Tom Quinn

3F04
Frank Winstead
Tom Whitley

3F05
Kathryn I. Hughes
Mital M. Gandhi

3F07
Daniel L. Klibanoff
Michael Curcio

3G05
David Engel
Mary Rowse

3G07
Cris Fromboluti
Earle Douglass
Henry Griffin

Triangle Lot Redux

The fate of the triangle lot in Chevy Chase, DC is still up in the air. As previously
noted a local developer bought the lot with the intention of building a house within the back portions of a number of other houses in the community. The BZA rejected the application leaving its use in the air. Now however, the daughter of the developer is seeking clients for her new dog-walking business, proposing to use the lot as a dog run. The Washington Post covered the story.

Yogiberry is Coming

According to reports, local vendor Yogiberry will soon inhabit the former Foster Brothers site in the Park 'N Shop in Cleveland Park.

Fox 5 on the Chevy Chase Historic District

Karen Grey Houston filed this report about the proposed historic district in Chevy Chase, DC.

Additional commentary is provided on the Great Greater Washington blog.

PPP Meeting covered in DC MUD

DC MUD has good coverage of the Tenley-Janney PPP Meeting from last evening.

Vision: Street Cars in Ward 3

A recent entry on the Track Twenty-Nine Blog shows a visionary expansion to the Streetcar implementation underway at DDOT.

Long time residents will remember a time when the street cars ran from downtown through Palisades to Glen Echo, or out to Chevy Chase.

This plan shows the fixed-track system feeding downtown via Wisconsin Avenue and Connecticut Avenue.

Where other lines would make sense to connect Ward 3 to the city and region?

Another Pedestrian Struck in Ward 3

Another pedestrian was struck in Ward 3 this evening. As documented by Cleveland Park resident Bill Adler:

A pedestrian was hit by a car at Connecticut Avenue and Porter Street at about 6:20pm today, Monday. It appears that the driver of an SUV, which had Florida plates, was trying to turn left from Connecticut Avenue onto Porter Street, where no left turn is allowed at any time.

Fortunately, the pedestrian did not appear to be seriously injured.

Grasping for Straws in Cleveland Park

A post on the Cleveland Park Listserve exposes another ploy by opponents of the Giant redevelopment proposal in Cleveland Park.

The papers in question were filed with the Zoning Commission prior to the July set down hearing. Authored by long time opponent Diane Olsson, the legal document suggests that because the property in question lies within the neighborhood overlay the process should not proceed as a PUD.

As the listserv posts explains:

The main contention is that the Giant PUD would "eliminate the Neighborhood Commercial Overlay for the area included in the PUD" and the Commission did not have the power to do that.

The post concludes:

The issue is what lengths people are going to in order to block progress and if such tactics will succeed . I would have thought that the Historic Building argument was equally flawed, but it was able to create a lengthy delay.

Giant clears First Hurdle

As reported in the NW Current and the Cleveland Park Listserv, the Giant set-down hearing took place last week, and the Zoning Commission has placed the project on the agenda for the fall.

While there are issues to settle out in terms of access, density etc, it is nice to see that the void on Wisconsin Avenue may soon be filled.

Another ANC Commissioner Gets Huffy

In the ongoing traffic issues associated with the Morrison Street signal, ANC 3/4G Commissioner Jerry Levine has clearly grown impatient with DDOT. At a June 23rd Commissioner meeting, the now former DDOT Director announced that the controversial pedestrian signal would be altered to a conventional configuration.

A month later, the change still has not taken place. As a result, the Commissioner has posted not once, but twice urging residents in a call to arms to barrage DDOT officials with emails advocating for the reconfiguration for the light, accusing the agency of "dragging its feet".

Many of the comments in response are supportive of the Commissioner. However they are also viewing the signal from the perspective of a driver:

Cars on Morrison Street have either a flashing red, which works like a stop sign, or a solid red with a 'no turn on solid red' sign. Since the more heavily-trafficked Connecticut Avenue has a flashing yellow when Morrison has a flashing red, drivers on Morrison sometimes have to wait through several light cycles before finding a break in the Connecticut Avenue traffic that allows them to turn or cross.

...

Others have a different perspective on the realities of managing traffic within the confines of Federal Standards:

They might be dragging their feet because a traditional light at the
Morrison Street intersection with the avenue violates a couple of
principles of traffic planning and is probably not a good idea.

The most obvious problem is that by adding making the Morrison light a
traditional r/a/g light, you'll have three lights on a major arterial
street in very quick succession - indeed the existing two lights are
already closer together than desirable. The other issue is that it
will tend to turn Morrison into a feeder st. for the avenue when it
wasn't built or designed for that purpose (unlike, e.g. McKinley).

...

Still others support the signal because of the pedestrian-friendly benefits it provides:

Unless (DDOT) can make a more compelling case, the pedestrian signal at Morrison Street and Connecticut Avenue NW should be retained with some minor adjustments to eliminate any driver confusion. For a year and a half, it has served as a model for protecting pedestrians, where installing a regular cycling signal would have created safety, congestion and other traffic problems on a busy commuter corridor and cut-through traffic on neighborhood streets.

Either way, this is an interesting study in micro-politics in the District. Does the community need to be able to dictate policy to city agencies? What should the requirements of "Great Weight" mean, particularly when Federal guidelines and standards come into play? After all, this ANC was also behind the move to reinvent Military Road.

McVey is First

The Examiner noted today that ANC 3E Commissioner Amy McVey was the first DC resident to register a handgun under the new laws. DCist reported the story with some interesting comments about the nature of the Commissioners gun ownership and the timing of the license. Perhaps some good questions for the next commission meeting.

OP Parking Discussion

While note directly related to Ward 3, there has been some interesting discussion on the Tenleytown Listserv regarding the Office of Planning parking regulations proposal under the new Comprehensive Plan.

A contributor opened the discussion with the following:

The Office of Planning has proposed major changes in the parking regulations for new construction, eliminating many of the current minimum parking requirements. Minimum parking requirements have been used to reduce the impact of parking "spillover" on our neighborhoods. Even with our current regulations, many DC neighborhoods already bear significant costs related to spillover parking from nearby commercial and higher density residential zones. Spillover parking reduces the availability of parking for residents and brings an increase in traffic to residential streets.

OP proposes to eliminate all minimum parking requirements for residential uses. In fact, minimum parking requirements would apply only for retail, office, service, or restaurant uses in C-2 zones that are not designated "transit oriented development zones" and for nonresidential uses in low- or moderate-density residential zones. In addition, the draft regulations include an unspecified limit on the amount of off-street parking that developers can provide. These are radical changes that would set into motion a sweeping citywide experiment that could potentially have irreversible, adverse impacts on many neighborhoods across the District. The quality of life in our neighborhoods is diminished by the increased traffic and reduced on-street parking. OP's proposal can exacerbate the spillover parking problems in these neighborhoods and introduce new spillover parking problems in other neighborhoods.

There has been interesting discussion, but this response framed the conversation from a different perspective:

How does being adjacent to a piece of property somehow convey ownership? A homeowner only owns the land to the sidewalk. The sidewalk, grass strip, and street are city property.

This notion that homeowners/residents have come to view city property as there own and populate it with as many possessions as they desire seems to be a central issue here. And given that the number of cars per household correlates well with the drain such household has on the roadway system, that becomes a fairly insidious misconception.

In terms of the over-all discussion, instead of framing the situation in the pejorative terms of "spillover", "inadequate", "at the expense of stability", "reduction in their quality of life", the situation should really be described as what it is:

-The disproportionate use of land, both public and private, by some residents for their home, their possessions, and their transportation.

-These high-density residential developments aren't needed because of some fashionable desire people have to live more tightly packed together but because they are a wiser use of land than the suburban-style low density communities. It makes no sense then, to further support these low-density communities by continuing to give away public street space on the already under-serving streets.

-That street space should be used to full capacity by allocating it fairly to community residents irrespective of who happens to be closest to it (obviously this is a factor in it's usefulness, though).

These limitations on parking availability will naturally ensure a limit on automobile use, which is the ultimate goal, and one best achieved (as indicated by the previous toll discussion) by limiting source and destination parking. After all if there's one thing that's evident in this day and age it's that overbuilding roadways and parking creates a constituency that obstructs ever shrinking those structures back to more reasonable levels. The idea that failing to build a parking garage is only a missed opportunity completely ignores that fact.

Planning and the Comprehensive Plan are about the future. Maintaining discourse in a framework from a previous era which was predicated on $.20 gas and a seemingly unending source of fossil fuels seems to be short-sighted. This is an important time for staking out the future of the District. All residents should be encouraged to provide their input to the appropriate offices.

Fenty Announces Tenley-Janney Team

From the Washington Post's DC Wire Blog:

Fenty has chosen a developer from among three teams who responded to a request for proposals issued in 2007. The three are LCOR Inc., a Pennsylvania-based company with offices in Bethesda; Roadside Development, a D.C. firm whose projects include redeveloping the historic O Street Market; and the See Forever Foundation, in partnership with UniDev.

The developer will build 120 to 130 housing units--apartments or condominiums--above a new library, (Eric) Scott said. Most of the units will be market-rate, but some will be subsidized as "workforce" housing for low- to middle-income residents.

Scott said the project will use some of the land behind the library, but leave most of the schoolyard intact. He said some of the profit from the project will go to modernizing Janney, and emphasized that the development team will work with city and library officials to "minimize any library construction start delay."

And here is the Press release:



Fenty Announces Development Partner for Tenley/Janney Site
Project will include workforce housing and financial support for school modernization

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Mayor Adrian M. Fenty on Thursday announced the District has selected LCOR as its development partner for the 3.6 acre Tenley Library/Janney Elementary School development site.

“We’ve got a real opportunity to leverage this site to help pay for the cost of improving Janney Elementary, enhance the existing open space and add both market-rate and workforce housing – all atop a Metro station,” Mayor Fenty said. “LCOR is a highly capable developer. They know how to make public-private partnerships work.”

The District selected LCOR after issuing a competitive solicitation last fall. Three development teams responded to the solicitation. The teams were evaluated on vision, financial capacity and past performance.

LCOR has proposed building between 120 and 130 units of housing – primarily above the future Tenley library and a portion of the land that lies between the library and Janney Elementary. LCOR will work closely with the District of Columbia Public Library to ensure a quality integrated structure that will provide a vibrant, mixed-use learning and living environment that will produce an architecturally engaging, LEED certified project.

LCOR will collaborate with DCPL to ensure that any delay to the Library’s construction start will be minimized. LCOR will also work closely with the Janney Elementary School community to ensure that the Janney’s needs are met. This selection presents the opportunity to provide a tremendous financial benefit to Janney Elementary School by using a portion of the proceeds of the deal to support Janney’s modernization. The project will not result in a net loss of green space for Janney.

Keeping with the Administrations commitment to affordable housing, the project will also provide the opportunity to add workforce housing to the Tenley Friendship neighborhood.

In the coming weeks, the District and LCOR will work closely with community stakeholders such as the Advisory Neighborhood Commission and the St. Ann’s community to produce a project that creates a benefit for all involved.

###

Bolded emphasis on some of the benefits for the city to go this route.

Tenley-Janney PPP: A Decision?

This note from ANC 3E Chair Amy McVey was posted on the Tenleytown Listserv:

I have just learned that, despite overwhelming and well-founded community opposition to proceeding with a public-private project at the Janney School/Tenley-Friendship Library site, DMPED has decided to move forward and hopes to partner with LCOR. Janney's LSRT/SIT, Friends of the Library and the ANC as well as at least 5 other community organizations have all indicated their vehement opposition to this plan. This will delay the reconstruction of the library by a minimum of two years and significantly compromise Janney's exterior facilities needs, while seriously disrupting the educational environment at both Janney and St. Ann's during the multi-year construction period.

I urge you to contract Mayor Fenty IMMEDIATELY and to voice your opposition to this recommendation. In the end, the decision is the Mayor's. Let him know that you understand that and expect him to pull the plug on this ill-considered and unnecessarily destructive project. CM Cheh should be urged to transmit a similar message to the Mayor. Without her support the Mayor is unlikely to go forward with DMPED's recommendation.

Please pass this on to your organizations and to any interested people you know.

This is not a time to rely only on email. Call and complain. Do both!


Since there has been no official announcement, and since no one has seen the plans, such calls to oppose the project seem at best, premature.

Drive Through Pharmacy?

The Greater Greater Washington Blog mentions a proposal for a drive-through pharmacy in Van Ness:

Not another drive-thru: Walgreens is planning to build on a former gas station at Veazey and Connecticut, right by the Van Ness stop, reports reader Steve. The somewhat-good news: they're seeking a variance to build only 27 parking spaces instead of 40 (it should be even fewer). The less-good news: Walgreens gets to keep all the curb cuts the gas station had, and so they're building a drive-through. We should not be building drive-throughs in urban areas, especially not next to Metro stations.


More on this later.

Giant "Set Down" scheduled for July 28th

The announced schedule for the Cleveland Park Giant PUD had the "Set Down" hearing scheduled for July 14th. However, when the calender showed no such date, rumors circulated regarding the status of the project. All is well for proponents however, as the Office of Planning has circulated the following announcement:

OP has worked with the developer and their team on this project for some time. In order to ensure the greatest potential for a successful case, there are a few outstanding issues that we are still working together to resolve. We mutually agreed that the revisions would not be complete in time for the July 14 Zoning Commission meeting, but have arranged for it to be placed on the special Zoning Commission meeting of July 28. This special meeting should not delay the case from its predicted schedule for a public hearing.

DDOT Scraps the Pedestrian Signal

Pedestrian Master Plan.
Rising Fuel Prices.
Walkable Urban Environments.

One would think in a time of a more pedestrian friendly city that the Mayor envisions, a novel pedestrian signal would be a desired means by which to encourage pedestrian activity. Indeed, such was the case since March 2007 in Chevy Chase DC. DDOT implemented a pedestrian activated signal that brought all traffic to a stop to provide the most cover possible for pedestrians in the heart of the Chevy Chase commercial corridor.

The city is in the process of receiving public feedback on a $13 Million Pedestrian Master Plan and in the face of these broader pressures, DDOT announced at Monday's ANC 3/4G meeting the elimination of the pedestrian signal. The only metrics provided by DDOT was the anecdotal "number of near-misses" at the intersection. Doesn't every intersection have near misses?

This intersection has an unblemished record where pedestrian safety and vehicular accidents are concerned. There haven't been any reported incidents associated with the signal. That's right, not one.

One would think that with record pedestrian fatalities and injuries in 2007, DDOT would be crowing about the success of this engineering solution.

But, as is the case with most district agencies, the "Costanza" approach is taken.

While the light was not perfect -- drivers would sometimes stack during peak pedestrian activity -- it seems that honing and testing would be in order to perfect the engineering, signage and programming associated with the intersection.

Instead? Let's revert to the same old driver-centric solutions.

Bravo DDOT!

Beauvoir Scandal?

A scary incident was brought to the attention of this forum by way of the DC Urban Mom's message board.

It seems that a teacher at Beauvoir School was escorted from campus for "hav(ing) a camera containing inappropriate images of a child. At that point, Beauvoir had already decided not to renew the teacher's contract for the fall. Parents were notified last week."

The story gets a little more interesting. Check the DC Urban Mom's link for what is clearly only part of the story. Based on the entries, families with the school are aware of the situation, but for some reason, it has received little to no media coverage.

Further, the teacher in question has apparently vanished.

What a tragic situation for the children involved.

EDIT: The Washington Post finally picked up this story.

Ped Safety this week

The Greater Greater Washington blog addresses Pedestrian Safety in the District with issues both inside Ward 3 and around town.

There is a Pedestrian safety Forum hosted by Councilmember Mary Cheh on Tuesday at 6:30 in the UDC Auditorium.

Meanwhile on the afore mentioned blog, the author discusses the Pedestrian Signal at Morrison Street in Chevy Chase, DC:

DC has only one Barnes Dance type signal, at Connecticut and Morrison that's the subject of neighborhood controversy. DDOT installed this signal last year, replacing a stop sign. Instead of a regular traffic light, this one is blinking yellow on Connecticut (allowing cars to go) and blinking red on Morrison (like a stop sign) until a pedestrian presses a button to cross. Then, the light waits until the lights at neighboring blocks are red on Connecticut before changing to all-red for cars and a walk sign for pedestrians. There's also a "no turn on red" sign to make it clear that during the all-red phase, cars are not supposed to turn right.

This is great for pedestrian safety, eliminating the danger of being hit by turning cars. But some cars turn on the red anyway, so accustomed to being able to turn right on red. Instead of adding better signs to deal with the confusion, many local ANC members are pushing to convert this light to a traditional three-color signal. We should have more pedestrian signals, not fewer, and at the very least should make sure to give this one a shot before scrapping it.

I Hart ANC 3C

In a special election this evening, Josh Hart won a convincing 9-2 vote for the vacant ANC 3C04 seat.

Russert Park?

Mike DeBonis of the City Paper posted an excellent idea for a tribute to Ward 3 resident Tim Russert.

Well, allow LL to be the first to suggest it: If a recreational trail is ever built in Klingle Valley, it might be appropriate to name it in the memory of Tim Russert.

ANC 3C04 Special Election

Greetings,

I'm Josh Hart, a 29-year-old analyst at a Federal Government agency
running for the vacant seat. (If you live East of Connecticut Avenue
between Quebec and Macomb Streets, then you likely live in the
district.) A map of the district is available at
http://anc3c.org/maps/3C04.jpg .

A Special Election for the seat is being held during the ANC meeting
on Monday, June 16 from 7:00pm to 8:15pm at the Second District
Metropolitan Police Station at 3320 Idaho Ave NW. The candidates will
be speaking at about 7:30pm in case you want to hear from us prior to
voting. (You don't have to stay for the ANC meeting in order to vote.)

Please join me at Nanny O'Brien's at 3319 Connecticut Ave NW this
Saturday, June 14 from 4:00 to 5:00pm. I hope to meet you and discuss
the issues of concern to our district. I want to make sure that our
corridor on Connecticut Avenue is the vibrant neighborhood that we all
deserve.

- Josh Hart

A Report on the Giant Presentation

A summary of the Giant Community Presentation by Cleveland Park resident Gabe Fineman:


Notes from the June 11, 2008 Meeting on Giant
[Having trouble reading this because you do not get mail in HTML format? You can
download a formatted copy from http://CPposts.com/Giant.htm that also has a lot
of background documents.]

So, is Giant going to expand their store at Newark Street? Yes, they will, and
it will be part of a major redevelopment project. This meeting was sponsored by,
and run by, Giant. It was held in the Washington Hebrew Congregation (Macomb and
Massachusetts) and was less amicable than the last meeting in December 2006. The
room was very large and seated most of the 150 people who came, although many
stood to better see the slides.

So, what has changed and why this meeting? Giant has finally filed the paper
work to start the administrative procedures to get City approval to rebuild the
two blocks they own on Wisconsin Avenue. They took the route of filing for a
Planned Unit Development (PUD) that is special permission to change zoning as
part of a specific development. That is, the change from status C-1 to C-2A is
only allowed for what is in the PUD and they cannot change their mind and build
a fat rendering factory or mega-church there once the zoning was changed. The
meeting was to get 'community input' that is required to impress regulators.

So, what is going to be built? Substantially what they told us in December of
2006. Giant (now Ahold's) owns most of the block where the store is located and
the entire block to the north where the Pharmacy is located. Giant invested
major bucks to buy the real estate years ago and now Ahold will develop it and
get the profit out. In the process, we get a much larger supermarket. Everything
will be knocked down and rebuilt (first the block to the south and then the
block to the north). They will double the size of the current store/pharmacy.
This will make it larger than the store at Van Ness. The other retail space is
dropping by the space of the long vacant Murphy's. This is all being financed
with lots of residential space that they hope there will be a market for in
three years when it is finished. This is all accomplished by building down (a
two story garage [400 cars] and another one story garage [88 cars] under the
buildings) and building up the north building to five stories in places. The
current buildings will get much larger and cover the old parking lots. For more
details, you can read the PUD and the notes of the last meetings at
http://CPposts.com/Giant.htm .

So, what happened at the meeting? I found it sad. It was obvious that few if any
neighbors had read the PUD or the traffic study. There were absolutely no
references to the PUD, such as that some of the traffic counts made no sense.
[e.g. 244 cars west bound on Porter at 34th in the AM rush hour with only 60
reaching Wisconsin - PUD, Exhibit K, Figure 2-12] For a neighborhood that prides
itself on its literacy and on its rationality, it was embarrassing that the
audience was so ill prepared. Indeed, the audience seemed to not even listen to
what was being said, but to filter it through its preconceptions. For example,
the traffic engineer said that the number of trips to and from Giant would
double along with the size of the store and many responded that something had to
be done to prevent the number of cars on the cross streets from doubling. The
fact that most cars do not go to Giant and that most that do, use Wisconsin
(70%), was ignored.

What did people ask for and what will Giant do? The group of people that came
out seemed rather evenly divided between those who wanted Giant to stop delaying
and just build the new store and those who wanted to have Giant do things that
they simply will not do. Some immediate near neighbors feared that building the
underground parking lot would destroy their homes by either cracking the
foundations or changing the water table. Some were so shrill about their fears
that others told them to sell their houses and move instead of trying to
monopolize the meeting. Many were afraid that the doubling of traffic in front
of their homes would lower their quality of life (see above). Giant is planning
some traffic calming adjacent to the development, but Federal Highway money and
the bureaucracy in DDoT will have to plan, approve and pay for traffic calming
elsewhere. Some wanted Giant to solve the general lack of parking in the
neighborhood. Giant is building the underground garage so as not to add to
parking problems and does plan to continue to provide free parking for the
restaurant row, but it cannot solve existing problems. Finally, some people
wanted Giant to scale back the project, even scale back the size of the store.
This is not something they will do because it makes the project no longer
economically feasible. This was a long list of nay sayings, but I must emphasize
that those who wanted immediate action were just as numerous and just as
passionate and just as ignorant of the excruciating process of building in an
urban area.

So, what is the next step? They are still a way from approval for the project -
they estimate January at best. There are a myriad of regulations (zoning,
overlays, height restrictions, density restrictions) to be approved. Once they
get approval, it will be another year to build the south block with the
supermarket and a year after that to build the north block. The opponents are
resourceful and creative. Who would have foreseen that they could convince
anyone on the Historic Board that the 'late commercial moderne style' was more
than mundane and thus the current Giant building was 'historic'?'

So, what will happen? My prediction is that the only thing that can stop this
major residential development will be the continued downturn in the housing
market. We will see construction in about two years. As I said after the
previous meeting: "If Ahold were to sell of the north block and this were a
regular developer, we would see a 200-300 unit building with no underground
parking and no input from the community. Developments of this scale happen
because so much money is involved. We are fortunate that Giant sees this as a
long term proposition and not a property to be built and flipped. Because of
that they seem willing to listen to the community and make changes to the
traffic, the streetscape and even subsidize small tenants."

More Information? http://wisconsinavegiant.com
http://www.cpposts.com/Giant.htm
================
Disclaimer and Such. As always, these are the personal notes of Gabe Fineman.
They reflect my biases and viewpoints that I make no attempt to hide. Comments
or questions may be sent to me at gfineman@advsol.com [If Yahoo masked that
address, it is gfineman (at) advsol (dot) com].

Greater Greater Washington on Giant

David Alpert of the Greater Greater Washington blog had positive comments about the Giant proposal at Newark and Wisconsin:

This project will replace bland, single-story buildings and large surface parking lots along Wisconsin Ave and Idaho Ave with an appropriately scaled mixed-use project that will engage the street with many individual stores and residences...

My favorite part of this project is the treatment of Newark Street. Too often, traffic engineers either design the road entirely for cars and try to keep people off while maximizing vehicle speed, or close a road completely which is great for pedestrians but can create "superblocks" and dead space that is less safe. Instead, this project paves the center section of Newark Street with something like cobblestones, creating a wide plaza that's open to cars but also more pedestrian friendly, using subtle visual cues to show that this isn't a rapid driving space.


Be sure to read the full report.

Washington Post on the Cathedral

Jacqueline Salmon of The Washington Post wrote an article
about the current plight of the Washington National Cathedral. Part of the feature is a mention of the local greenhouse:

Washington area gardeners are outraged over the closing of the greenhouse, which sells plants, pottery and other gardening items behind the cathedral. It is scheduled to shut down at the end of next month. More than 300 people have joined a new organization to keep the greenhouse open and have set up a Web site, http://savethegreenhouse.org.

ANC 3C Commissioner on Giant PUD

From McLean Gardens Commissioner Trudy Reeves:

Giant Food has filed an application with the DC Zoning Commission for approval of a Planned Unit Development (PUD) and a zoning map amendment for the two lots that they own on Wisconsin Avenue. Their property begins on Wisconsin Ave�after Cactus Cantina and goes north to Idaho Avenue (including the Sun Trust Bank). It extends westward to Idaho Avenue, across from the Police Station.

From their application: "The property consists of approximately 178,236 square feet of land area. The PUD project proposes the development of a mixed-use [retail] and residential project, featuring a new state-of-the-art Giant supermarket, with approximately 140-150 new residential units and approximately 136,484 square�feet of [ground floor] retail."

From a separate description: "On the North Parcel, the Applicant will construct a five-story mixed use building featuring ground-level retail uses with four stories of residential units above. On the South Parcel, the Applicant will construct a two-story building featuring a new Giant grocery store as well as associated ground floor retail uses and second-story commercial space and residential units. In addition, at the rear of the South Parcel fronting Idaho Avenue, the Applicant will construct 8 townhouses. The total gross floor area included in the Project is approximately 354,820 square feet for a total Floor Area Ratio ("FAR") of approximately 1.99 and a lot occupancy of approximately 76%. The Project will include approximately 530-540 parking spaces. Vehicular entry will be off Newark Street as well as from 38th Street; loading will be separately accessed off Idaho Avenue."

I am truly excited about the prospect of having a vibrant Wisconsin Avenue. My main concerns are that they provide enough parking so that there will be no overload going into the community and that the smaller neighborhood streets are protected from cross traffic. There has been some concern expressed about the density of a five story building on the north lot. I do not think a five story building on Wisconsin Avenue is too dense. I think it is the right size for one of the main avenues of the city.

The north parcel is in my SMD (single member district) as ANC Commissioner for 3C06, and the south parcel is in Richard Rothblum's SMD. ANC 3C will vote as a whole on a resolution making recommendations to the Zoning Commission.

I have two extra copies of the application, which is over an inch thick and includes conceptual drawings. I would be glad to lend them out to anyone who promises to return them. The conceptual plans are on the Internet at www.wisconsinavegiant.com. The application was filed by the owner of the land, Friendship-Macomb SC Inc, c/o The Stop & Shop Supermarket Co.

Next steps:

Giant/Stop and Shop will hold a public meeting to discuss and get feedback from the public as previously announced on June 11th at 6:30 PM at the Washington Hebrew Congregation at Mass Ave and Macomb. The Cleveland Park Citizens Association will also hold a meeting which will most likely be announced on the Cleveland Park Listserv. The ANC will hold at least one meeting (perhaps more if necessary). At the final ANC meeting the Commission will vote on a resolution outlining its recommendations to the Zoning Commission. The ANC's regular monthly meetings are on the third Monday of the month at 7:30 PM at the Police Station on Idaho Ave.

The Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing before making its decision and is supposed to give "great weight" to the ANC resolution.

*******This is a very important development for our community.

We have patiently waited a long time for a new Giant and a revitalized Avenue.

This is your chance to have your say. Please attend the public meetings and make your wishes known. You can also send an email to your ANC commissioner - email addresses can be found at www.anc3c.org

If you would like to see the application, please email me to make arrangements to pick it up.


Trudy Reeves
Treasurer, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C
Commissioner ANC 3C-06, McLean Gardens
202-364-8897

Now the Benches at Politics and Prose

DCist picks up the continuing saga of ANC 3F 04 Commissioner Frank Winstead.

Community to Meet on Giant Plans

CLEVELAND PARK COMMUNITY MEETING

Regarding

Wisconsin Avenue Giant Proposed Redevelopment

Wednesday, June 11

6:30 – 9 PM
Washington Hebrew Congregation
3935 Macomb Street, NW

Come and meet the development team, review the designs, offer your opinion, and let your voice be heard.

Ft. Reno update

From the Office of Mary Cheh:

The National Park Service has informed our office that soil and handheld testing has confirmed that there are NOT dangerous levels of arsenic at Fort Reno Park. The National Park Service, along with Federal and District partners, is preparing a press release to announce the results of the arsenic testing. Our office expects the National Park Service to open the majority of the park by the end of the week; however, during the testing, one small area tested positive for lead. That area will remain closed until the lead has been removed. Health officials have informed us that the lead levels are low enough that there is no health risk even if people or dogs did inadvertently play in that area.

Commissioner Winstead Strikes Again

Marc Fisher of the Washington Post reports on the latest antics of ANC 3F Commissioner Frank Winstead. Recall that Mr. Winstead recently requested that Comet remove the Ping-Pong table from the public space in front of its pizza joint. Now, he has asked that the chairs and benches in front of the Marvelous Market be removed.

So much for vibrant streetscape and activity on Connecticut Avenue. Hopefully both establishments will file for the necessary permits to get these amenities restored to the Forest Hills strip.

Ft. Reno Closed Due to Contamination

NBC 4 is reporting the closure of Ft. Reno due to high levels of arsenic in the soil.

From their website:

Fort Reno Park is closed to the public after high levels of arsenic were reported, according to the National Park Service.

U.S. Geological Survey satellite imaging reports discovered the arsenic. The reports were part of USGS's ongoing work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Spring Valley neighborhood in Northwest.

The levels of arsenic found in the soil exceed the Environmental Protection Agency's safety threshold.

At about 6 a.m. Wednesday, snow fencing was set up around the park, which is bounded by Fessenden, Chesapeake and 41st streets and Nebraska Avenue.

Groups with permits to use the Fort Reno playing fields have been notified of the closure.

The National Park Service, EPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, D.C. Department of Health and D.C. Public Schools are working together to determine any possible public risk and discussing courses of action.

National Park Service officials said they had no reason to suspect the high levels of arsenic and therefore did not conduct their own soil sampling or testing.

EDIT:

Here is the text of the information sheet released by the District
Department of the Environment and the Mayor on the situation at Fort Reno:

"INCIDENT OVERVIEW

On May 14th, the National Park Service issued a release stating that arsenic concentrations had been discovered at Fort Reno park and that the park would be closed until further testing was conducted. Upon this release, the District Department of the Environment was designated as the lead agency in coordinating the District's response.
Mayor Adrian Fenty held a press conference at the scene on May 14th in order to inform residents of the District's planned efforts.

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE RESPONSE?

District Department of the Environment: Lead agency in the District's response.
National Park Service: Oversees Fort Reno park. US EPA: Conducting further soil sample analysis. US Army Corps of Engineers: Providing support. District Fire/EMS and Police Departments: First-responders. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency: First-responders. Department of Health: Advising as to any potential adverse health impacts. District of Columbia Public Schools: Determining any potential impact
on Wilson High School and Deal Junior High School, which are adjacent
to Fort Reno.

WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR:

The USGS previously conducted satellite imagery in order to illustrate the geographic position of arsenic concentrations, which indicated Fort Reno park as an affected site. Initial sample testing was conducted by the US Geological Survey (USGS) using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device. The testing preliminarily revealed levels of arsenic above EPA's recommended action levels (which, depending upon future use of the property could range from .4 to 40 parts per million in soil). In response, the National Park Service has erected snow fencing around the site in order to prevent any potential exposure until further testing is complete.

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW:

Fort Reno park will stay closed until testing is complete in 7-10 days. Since Fort Reno park is federal property, EPA Region 3 has assigned an on-scene coordinator to collect samples for lab analysis.

Residents who have vegetables from the Fort Reno park's gardens are advised to stop consumption until test results are announced. For residents who have been consuming these vegetables recently, if precautionary measures are needed, information will be forthcoming.

DCWASA and the Army Corps regularly test arsenic levels within the water reservoir under Fort Reno park. As an additional precaution, they will conduct a test specifically for arsenic in order to verify their previous results .

Satellite imagery also indicated potential contamination at the track at Wilson High School.

Since the new Wilson HS track was constructed subsequent to the satellite imagery, arsenic contamination has either been remediated or contained and does not pose a threat. However, student access to soil berms adjacent to the track will be closed off until monitoring is undertaken.

DDOE will consult with EPA and the National Park Service in order to determine if testing is needed at additional properties and what, if any, closures or remediation actions should follow.

INFORMATION ON ARSENIC

Arsenic is a naturally occurring element that when present in high concentrations can produce toxic effects or an increase in cancer risk. It is most commonly used in pesticides and wood preservation, although previously identified cases of arsenic in the District were due to historical military uses. The primary exposure route associated with arsenic in soil is ingestion. Compared with the ingestion route, inhalation or dermal exposure pose only marginal risks when arsenic is found in soil. There is minimal risk from brief exposure, unless a high quantity of arsenic is directly ingested. The primary health concern associated with arsenic exposure is cancer. However, it can produce non-cancer health effects such as gastrointestinal impacts, headaches, and cardiovascular impacts. (EPA)

Klingle Vote: Nay

A contributor to the Columbia Heights Listserv has reported that Council Member Jim Graham's effort to have the budget restored for the Klingle Road restoration has failed. According to David Alpert of greatergreaterwashington.org:



The motion failed with only a few Councilmembers (update: only Graham, Bowser, and Schwartz) in favor. This is the end of the road for the road, at least for a while.

There is an update from the City Paper.

EDIT: and this from the Washington Post.

Marc Fisher on Ping Pong

Washington Post columnist Marc Fisher weighs in on the evil Ping Pong table at Comet.

PPP Back On?

From the Washington Business Journal, it seems that the PPP may be back on in its original form:


After three teams made proposals, Albert altered the solicitation to allow for an independently built library, but reversed course again recently in seeking final offers that include the library. No team has been chosen, although Albert had planned to make a selection in February. "I do understand the urgency, but I want to make sure we maximize that particular site," said Eric Scott, project manager.