Yenching Palace transformation to Walgreens

Margaret Foster reports from the National Trust for Historic Preservation Magazine

Yenching Palace, where Henry Kissinger met with Chinese diplomats in the 1970s, will close this summer to make way for Walgreens. (NTHP)

The Washington, D.C., restaurant that was the site of 1962's Cuban Missile Crisis negotiations will become a Walgreens.

Yesterday the city's historic preservation review board approved a developer's revised proposal to build an addition onto the Chinese restaurant and alter its facade. At the board's request, Rust, Orling and Neale, Architects, will return the restaurant to its 1945 appearance, retaining features like its diamond windows and Carrara glass panels.

"We've really addressed every single concern [the board] had," says principal Mark Orling, based in Alexandria, Va. The firm's researchers found one photo of the former restaurant and based their design on that image, Orling says. "We're working off of a postcard."

The drugstore, located about a block from a CVS, will be the first Walgreens in Washington, D.C. (Another Walgreens is under construction in the city.)

"[Walgreens] saw it as an opportunity to create something that will make a statement and be very visible and also be part of a community," says Randall Clarke, development manager for Mid-Atlantic Commercial Properties, a division of Fort Lauderdale-based Morgan Property Group, which is redeveloping the property for Walgreens. "We've also agreed to put up something on the building describing the history of the property."

Walgreens was "pretty accommodating," says Joan Habib, president of Cleveland Park Historical Society, which recommended that the board approve the revised plans. "We tried to persuade them to maintain as much of the current look as possible because the neighborhood thinks of it as an important place, which, historically, it is."

Yenching Palace opened in 1955, serving Henry Kissinger, Mick Jagger, George Balanchine, Ann Landers, Art Garfunkel, I.M. Pei, Bob Woodward, and Carl Bernstein, according to its guest book. Now a city landmark, the restaurant is actually two buildings, one constructed in 1925 and the other in 1928, which merged in 1945 to form the Seafare Restaurant.

Yenching Palace's longtime owners, the Lung family, plans to close the business this summer and lease the building to Walgreens, which will gut the interior, strip the neon sign and replace it with its own logo.

The building's most famous featuresits neon sign, its wood booths, one of which may have FBI bugsmay end up in a museum.

"We have spoken to a couple of museums; one has expressed an interest in one of the booths and someone else has expressed in the sign," Clarke says. "We're more than open to talking to people [about salvage]," he says.

After yesterday's approval, the city will issue a permit for the changes to the building, and construction will begin this summer.

Neighbors like Habib aren't particularly surprised that the D.C. institution is closing. "They rose to great fame at some point, with Henry Kissinger changing the world in the restaurant," she says. "The front of the place got crummier and crummier, the food got worse, the business was failing, and they sold. That's kind of the arc that lots of buildings follow."

Council Member Cheh May newsletter

Since Spring has arrived, it is a good time to start a newsletter with a word about how I think we at the Council can best further the environmental agenda of the District. As the nation's capital, I believe we must lead by example and set the highest possible standard for environmental quality in a metropolitan area.

One of the critical components of my environmental agenda is energy use. Over the past four months, I have been working with members of the community and experts from around the region to develop a vision for the future of energy use in the District. Work has already begun; last year's Green Building Act was a huge step in the right direction, creating a standard for environmentally sound building design in the District. This month I will chair a hearing on 'Government Funded Energy Efficiency in the District.' I hope to explore ideas and best practices from around the nation, where utilities, businesses, residents, and city agencies join together to develop a coherent citywide energy agenda. The hearing will be held Thursday, May 17th and I welcome your thoughts, ideas, and testimony. Should you wish to participate, please contact Patrick Leibach of my staff at 724-4902 or pleibach@dccouncil.us.

On another front, last month the Emergency Medical Task Force held its first meeting. This task force was convened by the Mayor in response to the tragic loss of journalist David Rosenbaum. Led by the new FEMS Director, Dennis Rubin, the task force will meet over the next six months to examine the system-wide delivery of emergency medical services throughout the city. As a member of this task force, I hope to develop a comprehensive set of practical recommendations, including review of the areas of operations, training and management, with a special focus on improving the culture of the agency to provide the highest quality of professional and compassionate pre-hospital medical care to all DC residents and visitors. At our next meeting, May 24th, we will hear testimony from the public. For those wishing to share their thoughts or concerns, you can contact Lance Holt at (202) 727-6053 or lance.holt@dc.gov. I will continue to share updates and insights from the meetings that follow in hopes of creating an open and inclusive process. Please feel free to email me directly with any suggestions.

Finally, I am excited to announce the opening of my Ward 3 Constituent Services Offic on the UDC campus, located on Connecticut Avenue, right behind the Van Ness Metro stop, building 38, Room C01-A. I hosted an Open House on Saturday, May 5th and was pleased to see so many of you join me in unveiling this new satellite location. I hope the new office will allow me to stay more connected with the community and any ideas or concerns you may have. For those of you interested in volunteering, please let us know by calling Dee Smith of my office at 202 724-8062. I hope to begin with regular office hours on Mondays from 10a.m. - 12 p.m. and Thursdays from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m. If there are any changes in the future, we will post the revised hours on the web site.

Glover Park Transportation Study

DDOT will hold the first community meeting for the study on Tuesday, May 15, 2007 from 6:30 pm-8:30 pm at the Guy Mason Recreation Center (3600 Calvert Street, NW). They request as much community participation as possible to make the study very informative.

DDOT will also hold a community walking tour on May 19, 2007 from 10 am to noon for a review of critical intersections in the study area.

Washington Post on Upper NW development

Paul Schwartzman of the Washington Post has composed this article on development in Friendship Heights, specifically the 5220 development proposal.

DC Bubble has an entry on this article and there is a comments section to the Post article.

What is your view?

Express: Whole Foods to get License soon

According to a report in the Washington Post Express, the Tenleytown Whole Foods market will be getting a license to sell beer and wine in the near future:

Since no one filed an official complaint with the District's Alcoholic Beverage Control Board, Whole Foods could receive its liquor license within the next week, Sarah Kenney, the company's director of marketing for the Mid-Atlantic region, tells Free Ride.

Marc Fisher on Tenley Library Proposal

In a recent entry into the rawfisher blog, Washington Post Columnist (and local resident) Marc Fisher comments on the Roadside Development proposal for the Tenley Library site.

River Road Barrier Meeting

From DDOT:

Please be advised the public meeting to present the River Road/Fessenden/45th Sts intersection traffic calming will be held at
Armenian Church of St. Mary from 6pm-7pm, Tuesday, May 8, 2007.

Armenian Church of St. Mary
4125 Fessenden Street
Washington, DC 200016
202-363-1923

The meeting will begin at 6pm.

CPCA meeting on the Tregaron Conservancy

The Cleveland Park Citizens Association meeting on Tuesday. May 15 will feature an update on the Tregaron Conservancy and Washington International School campus modernization, Also on the agenda will be a Q & A on the popular Cleveland Park Listserv and a report on the CPCA officer slate for 2007-08. The meeting, which will be at the Cleveland Park Library (Connecticut and Newark NW), starts at 6:30 pm.

Progress with Tenley Library?

According to the Janney parent newsletter, Roadside Development is proposing a Public-Private Partnership to redevelop the intersection of Albemarle Street and Wisconsin Ave. There is a Q&A posted on their website (recommended to download the PDF to see the images):

Who is proposing this?

Roadside Development, the company that built the CityLine condos across the street from Janney.

What's in it for Janney?

Conceivably, this project could fund major improvements to Janney's facilities, including an addition and renovations to the current building. The current parking lot would be moved underground, freeing up that space for other uses. But a condo building would take over part of what is now the soccer field.

What, specifically, is Roadside Development proposing?

Roadside Development has described three major components to this project. 1. A new Tenley-Friendship Library. 2. A condo building that would be constructed partially above the new library and partially on a section of Janney’s soccer field, with underground parking for residents and for the school and the library. 3. An addition to the school with space for four new classrooms, a library, and a gym. The proposal also includes renovation of the existing school building.

On the left is a sketch from Roadside Development. The school addition is on the hillside west of the current building. A new soccer field has been built in back of the school.

This image may help illustrate the major elements of the proposal. The purple area shows, approximately, the portion of Janney's soccer field that would be covered by the new condo building. The green area is the current parking lot, which would disappear, allowing most of that space to be used as a play area, or as part of a new soccer field. The blue area would be the site of the new addition. The demountables aren’t shown on this image. They would be removed.

How tall would the condo building be?

Six stories high, reaching 65 feet above the level of the soccer field. The building would be about the same height as the condos at Cityline, across Albemarle.

How many units would be in the building?

Roadside’s representatives have said it could include anywhere from 100 to 150 condos

How does that size compare to the Cityline condo building?

There are 204 units in the Cityline building.

How far would it be from the school?

According to Roadside’s architect, it would be at least 85-90 feet from the school

How would cars reach the underground parking lot?

There would be access to Wisconsin through the alley beside St. Ann’s. St. Ann’s owns this alley, so the developers would have to obtain an easement allowing for this use of the property.

How much parking would there be for Janney?

The first level of the underground parking lot would contain parking spaces for the library and the school. Roadside is assuming that 50-55 of these spaces would be assigned to the school, and 20 to the library.
The Janney spaces would available for library users during evenings and weekends. Condo residents would park on lower floors which would not be accessible to the school or library.

Does this mean that Janney would lose its soccer field?

No, but in order to relocate the soccer field, the existing playground in back of the school would have to be moved to the area east of the school, which is now part of the soccer field. If we chose to increase the size of the soccer field, all but the basketball courts would probably have to be relocated.

How much land would Janney give up for the condo building, compared to the space the school would gain by putting the parking underground?

We don’t know yet. Roadside has promised to provide this information.

How large is the proposed addition to Janney?

It would be a two-story structure just west of the current school, built into the side of the hill and using some of the space where a demountable now sits. The addition would be connected to the main building on both first and second floors. One floor would hold a gym (4700 square feet) and the other floor would contain four classrooms (each 700 sq. ft.) plus a library (2200 sq. ft.) The addition would also have bathrooms. This would be a net increase of three classrooms over Janney’s current configuration. (The demountables, with their three classrooms, would go away, but the new library would allow our existing library to be converted into two classrooms.)

The proposed design includes a green roof which creates potential learning opportunities. The initial design has the gym on the second floor. Placing classrooms on top of the gym would require additional structural support, since the gym spans the building with no interior load bearing walls.

Does Janney need this much additional space?

Janney’s in-boundary enrollment has been climbing. There is no reason to anticipate that this trend will end anytime soon. The school needs one additional classroom for the 2007-2008 school year, even with pre-K enrollment cut down to half a class. Because of space limitations, Janney has not been able to accept out-of-bounds students in recent years.

The lack of space and general overcrowding has affected the school in several ways. There are a number of teachers and other professionals who are working in inadequate spaces. This includes the ESL teacher, the Occupational Therapist, and the Speech Language Pathologist who all work out of converted closets that are far too small. The school Social Worker and School Psychologist have no space dedicated to their needs and must “make do” despite the confidential nature of their work. The school gym is also used as a cafeteria and auditorium and is insufficient in size for all three purposes. Finally, the lack of classroom space is causing the school to either add more demountables (portable classrooms), which take up playground space, or to allow class sizes to rise dramatically. Finally, the lack of classroom space causes us to regularly turn away many in-boundary students for Pre-Kindergarten each year.

On the other hand, the overcrowding should ease a bit when sixth grade moves to Deal. Currently this is expected to happen for the 2009-2010 school year.

Are renovations at Janney part of the plan?

Yes. The details would have to be worked out, but the priorities for this renovation include major upgrades to the electrical system, heating and air conditioning, and an elevator. The amount available for renovations depends upon the amount spent on the addition and the parking. The more these cost, the less will be available for renovations. Again, the precise numbers are not yet available.

How would all this be financed?

Roadside’s representatives say that their condo development could generate somewhere in the range of $10 million to $20 million for the “public” part of this project: library, school, and the underground parking for both. In theory at least, this money could finance a substantial part of the improvements at Janney.

Would the money from Roadside’s condo development be enough, by itself, to build the addition and renovate Janney's existing building?

We don’t know the answer to that, but Roadside's representatives have suggested that additional funds would be needed. They have talked about the additional tax revenue that this project will generate, and suggested that this represents, potentially, an additional source of funds for the overall project.

Is there any guarantee that funds generated by this project will be designated specifically for improvements at Janney, rather than simply going into the city’s coffers?

This is a big and important question, and no one knows the answer at this point. The arrangements under which the money could be set aside and specifically used for work at Janney are, at this point, completely up in the air. The DC government owns the land, and DC Public Schools controls its use. They ultimately will decide how it is used, and where the money from such a joint development project would be spent. There is, however, at least one precedent in which private development of part of a school site was used specifically to rebuild that school. This is the Oyster School project in Woodley Park a few years ago.

Isn’t DCPS already planning to carry out renovations at Janney?

The DCPS master facilities plan currently foresees spending $4.6 million on improvements at Janney in the year 2013. The plan provides very few details beyond that.

Who will decide whether this happens?

That’s another complicated question.

First of all, both the library system and DCPS would have to agree to it. Ginnie Cooper, the head of DC public libraries, has said that she’d be happy to cooperate with a joint development plan, as long as it moves ahead quickly. The library is proceeding with plans to build a new, stand-alone library on the site, and Cooper does not want to put that on hold while waiting for the community and officials to make up their minds about an alternative. Based on the library’s current timetable, this could mean that the Roadside proposal would have to be approved by the end of this year in order to be viable.

The leadership of DCPS has not yet weighed in on this idea. Representatives from other parts of the DC government, however, including the office of the mayor and Council Member Mary Cheh, have stated that they will support this project if the community supports it.

The developers are planning to seek approval for this project through a Planned Unit Development (PUD) process. It would be submitted to the ANC as well as the Zoning Commission.

How long would it take before this could be finished?

After the project was approved and all construction documents drafted, construction of the library and condo building could take two to three years, because it requires a lot of work underground. The Janney addition, on the other hand, could be built much more quickly, within six months or so, because it wouldn’t require lots of digging.

Why not combine the school library and the Tenley-Friendship Library? Can this be considered as part of the plan?

DC Public Libraries is already moving ahead with redevelopment plans for several branch libraries, including Tenley. It appears that the window of opportunity for such a plan has passed.

Must I make up my mind about this now?

Haste makes waste, of course, but there is some time pressure because of the library's plans to move ahead with its own library. Once the library actually starts building a separate, stand-alone building, a joint project won't be possible anymore. This could happen within a year.

Unofficial School Board Election Results

MARTIN LEVINE 28.71% 3,699
JOE CARRILLO 6.51% 839
CELIA BASSOLS 1.62% 209
LEONARD BENNETT 6.76% 871
MAI ABDUL RAHMAN 10.72% 1,381
SEKOU BIDDLE 30.44% 3,921
HERB SCOTT 8.23% 1,060
ANN HOLIDAY 5.96% 768
Write In, if any 1.05% 135

Cheh Opens Satellite Office

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh is following through on a campaign promise to open a field office in Ward 3. According to her website:

We have an office space at the University of the District of Columbia. The new constituent services office is located on Connecticut Avenue behind the Van Ness Metro station in Building 38 Room C01-A.

We want to have the office open on Mondays from 10 a.m. – 12 noon and Thursdays from 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.

The Councilmember will be hosting an open house on Saturday, May 5th at the office from 2:00-4:00 PM.

Alice Deal makes the news

Courtney Mabeus of the DC Examiner reports on the recent sparks flying at Alice Deal Jr. High:

WASHINGTON - Supporters of Alice Deal Junior High School Principal Melissa Kim Thursday called her a steady-handed leader who demands respect and order, disputing claims made by parents who have accused her of creating a cultural divide in the school.

Kim has been the subject of protests outside the school this week by a core group of three parents calling themselves “Save Alice Deal.” The parents have accused the principal of abusive behavior, unfairly doling out suspensions and acting disrespectfully toward parents and children.

Sarah Whitener, chair of Deal’s Local School Restructuring Team, a policy-making body made up of parents, teachers and administrators mandated for every school in the District, said all of Deal’s 740 students are educated in a “respectful” environment.

SAD organizers said they would not end their protest until Kim is removed from duty and have refused requests by the principal to meet. Their lawyer, E. Faye Williams, has said she thinks Kim has cultural problems relating to her black students, a claim Whitener disputed.

“It’s just preposterous for any parent to say, ‘My child got suspended because the principal’s racist,’ ” Whitener said.

About 40 percent of Deal’s students come from out-of-boundary areas, meaning they live outside the community where the school is located off Reno Road in Northwest. Deal is also among the District’s most diverse schools, with a population that is about 50 percent black, 28 percent white and 14 percent Latino, Whitener said.

Kim has not responded to several requests for comment this week. She has served as Deal’s principal since 2005 and is a graduate of Teach For America, a competitive program founded to train young teachers to work in low-income communities, according to the organization’s Web site.

Supporters of Kim, including the Parents and Teachers Association, have said they did not learn about the protesters’ complaints until this week. “These parents are not parents that we know or that we’ve heard of,” Whitener said.

Council Member Mary Cheh, D-Ward 3, has said she thinks an independent investigation of disciplinary actions taken against students at the school is needed.

A Washington Teacher’s Union internal document dated March 12 obtained by The Examiner details teachers’ complaints about Kim. The union document charges that Kim issued “inconsistent and confusing local school policies to staff” and frequently “admonished” and “disrespected” teachers and school staff “in front of other staff, faculty and students in most unprofessional tones of voice.”

WTU field representative Henry Collins said the grievances were discussed during a March 28 meeting that about 30 Deal teachers attended. He said the complaints were “not uncommon” and represented a “lack of consistency from school to school in leadership.”

River Road Barrier Announcement

Please be advised after much consideration, discussion, research and review with the DDOT staff and technical team, DDOT has decided to forgo the proposed traffic signal at the intersection at Fessenden Street and River Road. As Director of DDOT it is my responsibility to encourage transportation solutions that provide a safe transportation environment while being fiscally responsible to the citizens of the District. I sincerely appreciate the work and dedication of the people who previously developed this particular concept to address the speed and safety concerns of this junction; however, I do not believe it is the best solution for this particular intersection.

The DDOT technical team determined a more cost effective solution to the speed and pedestrian safety issues and DDOT believes the following measures can produce the same results as the traffic signal concept at a significantly reduced cost.

1. Complete the installation of the traffic signal at Wisconsin and River Road which will allow for a signalized left turn onto Wisconsin Avenue.

2. Remove the bushes/shrubs in the public space at the southeast/east corner and the northwest/west corner of River Road and Fessenden to greatly improve sightline visibility for vehicles attempting to make right hand turns from Fessenden onto southeast and northwest bound River Road.

3. Coordinate with MPD to install speed camera(s) on River Road.*

4. Re-stripe the area and include high-visibility crosswalks. Adjust the crosswalks from a diagonal line to a horizontal line shortening the length of roadway crossing for pedestrians. Install new ADA compliant handicap ramps as part of this adjustment.

5. Install signage indicating no left turn during morning rush hours at both Fessenden and Ellicott Streets to discourage through traffic and encourage vehicles to utilize the new traffic signal at Wisconsin and River Road.

6. Install traffic calming speed humps on Ellicott Street to discourage through traffic and encourage vehicles to utilize the new traffic signal at Wisconsin and River Road.

7. Once the above measures are implemented, remove the barrier at Fessenden and River Road.

8. Once these measures have been implemented, DDOT will re-evaluate the area for a 180-day period, at which time, if necessary, further measures may be recommended.



The overall cost to implement these procedures is approximately $140K (* if MPD and DDOT determine it necessary to install two speed cameras, one in each direction on River Road this estimate would increase to $240K). DDOT is working directly with MPD to provide the speed cameras and on-site enforcement once the above measures are in place.



It is my intent to hold a public meeting within the next week to provide further details on the implementation and timeline for these changes. Information will be forthcoming regarding the date and time for this meeting.

DDOT realizes the impact this late change in plan may have on the community and I appreciate your patience through this necessary process.

Welcome Back Reno Road

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is pleased to announce the completion of full reconstruction of Reno Road, Northwest from Nebraska Avenue to Military Road.

The road was re-opened today in both directions from Nebraska Avenue to Military Road.

"We're thrilled to announce the completion of this exciting project," said Emeka Moneme, Director of DDOT. "I appreciate the patience of residents and motorists during this full reconstruction. Reno Road is open and it looks fantastic."

Reno Road from Nebraska Avenue to Military Road was completely reconstructed featuring:

* New roadway base and new asphalt surface
* New granite curbs and gutters
* Driveway aprons and wheelchair ramps
* New sidewalks
* Upgrading of stormwater drainage - including new catch basins and stormwater lines
* Upgrading streetlights and traffic signals

Total cost of the project was approximately $3.2 million using a combination of federal and local funds.

Important note from CMDR Andy Solberg, MPD

I want to alert the community to what seems to be a pattern of three robberies that have occurred since Monday night. All three robberies seem to be related by suspect and victim and location.

On Monday night, April 16, at about 6:15 pm, a man jogging alone at 39th St. near Rodman St. was robbed when a group of four or five young men between the ages of 13-18 attacked him as he ran past them. They knocked him to the ground and stole his Ipod. The young men are described only as being black males, wearing dark clothing, one of whom may have been carrying a back pack.

On Tuesday night, April 17, at about 7 pm, a man who was walking alone was approached by a group of three young men on Wisconsin Avenue near Fort Drive, one of whom produced a knife and robbed him of his Ipod. The suspects are described as being between the ages of 15-16, black males, wearing dark clothing and were last seen southbound on Wisconsin Avenue.

At about 10:30 pm the same night, a group of three suspects who fit the description of the 7 pm robbery attempted to snatch a Blackberry cell phone from a man who was walking alone in the 4200 block of 39th St. They were unable to grab the cell phone and were last seen running south on 39th St.

We do not have nay leads yet in these three cases but our detectives are working on the cases.

We ask that all residents who need to be out in the evening in the area along 39th St and the Wisconsin Avenue corridor from Porter St. to Fort Drive or Yuma St. please be especially alert to your surroundings and especially be aware of groups of young men in this age group.

If possible, walk with a friend or neighbor, and we recommend that in any instance of a robbery attempt you surrender your possessions without resisting in any way. No item you own is worth risking injury for.

Thank you,

Andy Solberg
Commander, Second District

Biddle receives Washington Post Endorsement

Speaking of the Board of Education race, Shepard Park resident Sekou Biddle has received the endorsement of the Washington Post:


Mr. Biddle is better suited to be part of a board that will be reshaped under the expected mayoral takeover. Mr. Biddle's background as a teacher and a director with Teach for America and his knowledge of successful charter schools will be important assets for the board. That he has one child in a D.C. public school and another headed there gives him even more incentive to work for school improvement.


Martin Levine has received the endorsement of the Northwest Current and EdAction.

Sock Puppet Hits the School Board Race

Listserv guru Jeff Steele, who moderates the DC Urban Mom's Listserv has uncovered an interesting and disturbing development in the Ward 3/4 (District II) School Board Race. Read on for more.

DC Examiner covers 5220 Wisc. Proposal

Two key D.C. Council members are staking opposing positions on the impact of a mixed-use, transit-oriented development slated for Friendship Heights, a split indicative of the divide in the community over the controversial project.

The proposed seven-story Akridge development at 5220 Wisconsin Ave. NW, with its 70 condominium units and 13,000 square feet of ground-floor retail feeding into the south entrance of the Friendship Heights Metrorail station, is an ideal example of smart growth, supporters say.

Or, critics argue, the project is overdevelopment at its worst — far too dense and out of proportion with an already traffic-clogged community.

Akridge presented its case to the D.C. Zoning Commission last month. On Thursday, it’s the opponent’s turn.

“We are putting so much effort into this because we think, if the zoning commission pushes back against Akridge, it’ll send a message to developers who are interested in much larger pieces of land to ‘Hey, take it easy,’ ” said Janet Bachman with the Alliance for Rational Development, a community coalition founded to oppose the development.

The arguments for and against the project, slated for the unsightly home of a used car lot, were spelled out by Ward 3 Council Member Mary Cheh and at-large Council Member Kwame Brown in respective letters to the zoning commission. Cheh supports it; Brown stands opposed.

Brown, who chairs the council’s economic development committee, said the project does not conform to the character of the community, is far too dense for the neighborhood and is “grossly out of scale with adjacent structures.”

The development, he wrote, would have “serious adverse effects on traffic, parking, and the safety and quality of life of nearby residents.”

“Good transit-oriented development does not occur at the expense of neighborhoods,” he wrote in the March 29 letter.

Cheh described the project as “forward-thinking” and environmentally friendly, with features that reduce energy and water use. Akridge, she wrote, is expected to include six affordable units, contribute more than $600,000 to community organizations and revamp a Pepco substation that borders the property.

“What is clear is that this project will economically and visually enhance the corridor, encourage the use of public transportation by its close proximity to the Metro, and simultaneously benefit the community through its contributions,” Cheh wrote in her Jan. 23 letter.

The District’s Office of Planning, the D.C. chapter of the Sierra Club, former Ward 3 Council Member Kathy Patterson and the community group Ward 3 Vision all support the project. The local advisory neighborhood commission, Tenleytown Neighbors Association and 500 Friendship Heights residents are opposed.

Kwame Brown and NW Development

There was a previous note concerning Councilman Kwame Brown's letter to the Zoning Commission regarding the 5220 Akridge proposal in Friendship Heights.

The Progressive Review has also picked up the story:

KWAME BROWN has joined the fight against the over-developers with a letter criticizing the proposed Friendship Heights development at 5520 Wisconsin Avenue. As he points out, "the intensity of use go far beyond what would be consistent with the site's low-density commercial/medium density residential designation in the revised Plan. . . Rather than stepping down from the Regional Center, it jumps up to a height and density greater than those of most of the buildings even in the Regional Center and grossly out of scale with adjacent structures in the buffer zone. The building would have serious adverse effects on traffic, parking, and the safety and quality of life of nearby residents. . . It has been rejected twice by the ANC, it is opposed by more than 500 residents living within a 3-block radius who signed a petition against it, it is opposed by neighborhood organizations such as the Tenleytown Neighbors Association and the Alliance for Rational Development."

This posting prompted some comments such as:

It is disappointing that an At-Large representative on the city council (who ironically chairs the Economic Development Committee) would go against the tide of a huge majority of voters who supported Mary Cheh after the NIMBY camp made development the cornerstone issue in the Ward 3 race.

and

You gotta be kidding! And I actually voted for that joker Kwame Brown. Won't make that mistake twice. He needs to get a pulse on the real residents of NWDC, not just the same old tired whiners that run the ANCs. Talk to the voters who elected Cheh!.

The Blogger then readdressed the topic with this entry prompting these comments:

The writer cites Capitol Hill as a model of dense low-scale development. But Capitol Hill suffers from the same problem that the rest of the city has -- not enough commerce mixed in among residential neighborhoods. As I recall, one has two retail strips on Capitol Hill -- lower Penn Ave up to Eastern Market and the short strip of retail east of Union Station up to about 3rd or 4th Street, NE. That's it. If you happen to live within a few blocks of either, you're lucky. But if you live anywhere else on the Hill (say at 12th and D, NE), you've got nothing around but housing.

Great cities that are truly urban offer so many more retail amenities than Washington. And they're not just concentrated in a few 2-block retail strips miles apart on a few major streets.

and

...unless we go an demolish the spread out housing which exists in most of Ward 3, it doesn't have much to offer in terms of housing and retail consolidation. Therefore, why not take advantage of the few oppotunities which do exist?

I would agree that other forms of transit do more to promote the kind of vibrancy most of us desire, however it was the same generation that used "the bomb" that also decided to rip out the surface transit infrastructure.

I hope Tangherlini and Grey are successful in reinstituting rapid transit in the District, but housing such as is proposed for this site, with first floor retail makes sense. For the Chair of the Economic Development Committee of the Council to carry the water of his staffers and small but vocal minority of residents is politically idiotic.

and

The writer admits that the historical development in most of Ward 3 is spread out/non-compact. Given that, can they honestly say that the density along Connecticut Avenue has no impact on the village-like retail at Woodley Park, Clevleland Park and Chevy Chase?

I would posit that the apartment buildings and condos which line the Avenue have everything to do with the sustainability of those businesses. The lack of such density is part of what blights upper NW on Wisconsin Avenue.

Kwame Brown should understand this, given his position. If he doesn't, he should not be on the economic development committee, much less in the Council.

The writer clearly understands that density is vital for neighborhood serving retail (given the Capitol Hill example). He fails to make the connection between the lack of density on the Wisconsin Avenue corridor and the state of vibrancy on that street.

I would guess there may be more on this...stay tuned!

More on the River Road Barrier

Courtesy of the Tenleytown Listserv and Karyn LeBlanc of DDOT:

Greetings everyone,

I wanted to address the additional questions that were posted to DDOT after my report on March 16, 2007. I hope this suffices to answer some questions that have been pending. If not, or if you have any further questions, as always, please feel free to let me know.

DDOT technical teams are continuing their design and pre-construction meetings and are still scheduled to begin work on the intersection in late April 2007. I expect to have a start date within the next week or so and will forward the information to the community as soon as it is available.

Best to all,
-Karyn


1. How much money will this project cost taxpayers?

The traffic signal and intersection improvements will cost an estimated $490K. The estimate includes the installation of the traffic signal as well infrastructure improvements, channelized median installation, sidewalk and curb upgrades, pedestrian improvements to include pedestrian countdown signals and crosswalks, streetlight and manhole installation. This estimate is based on using a wireless detection device in place of the previously recommended in-ground device. This represented a cost savings of $65K.

2. What definition does DDOT use for "Collector Streets?"

It is best to answer this question in two parts. The following information is located in "The Functional Classification of Streets in the District of Columbia," developed to be consistent with Federal Highway Administration requirements under Title 23, Chapter 1, Part 470.

How does DDOT classify the streets in the District of Columbia?

Purpose of Functional Classification

The roadway network in the District of Columbia is arrayed into a system of categories that represent the use and function of each street. This system is called the Functional Classification of Streets. The functional categories range from Principal Arterials which are major traffic carriers in the city, to Local Streets, which serve redominantly local traffic and carry little to no through traffic. The street network is classified for a number of reasons. The primary reason being to assure that street improvement funds are allocated in a manner that insures that those streets that are the most important in maintaining the daily flow of people and goods throughout the city are given priority for construction funding. The classifications also play an important role in traffic planning. A goal of traffic planning is to funnel as much traffic as possible onto the major arteries in the city and discourage traffic from using the narrow neighborhood streets that comprise the major portion of the city network. The classification system details the extent to which streets are functioning as traffic carriers and is therefore use das a framework for planning such improvements as traffic signalization, channelizations, and various sign and pavement marking details. Likewise, the classifications can be used in determining which streets are candidates for traffic restraints.

Description of Functional Categories

The street network is split into four categories and three sub-categories.
They are;
1. Principal Arterial System
a. Interstate Highways
b. Other Freeways and Expressways
c. Other Principal Arterials
2. Minor Arterials
3. Collectors
4. Locals

[I will forgo providing information on Principal Arterial Systems and focus on Numbers 2-4. (If anyone would like this information, please let me know)]

Minor Arterials - These streets provide the connections between the principal arterial network and may service major flows in an area with no clearly defined principal arterial street. The characteristics of streets in this classification are:

1. Interconnect with the augment the principal arterial network;
2. May function as a principal during the peak periods;
3. Serve greater land use access than principals but access is subordinate to traffic movement;
4. Average daily traffic is greater than 8,000 and less than 20,000 vehicles per day;
5. Minimum of sharp grades and steep curves;
6. Serve bus and truck movements; and
7. May have peak period parking restrictions.

A typical minor arterial is Piney Branch Road, N.W. which carries two lanes of traffic in the peak period and one lane at all other times. It carries 15,000 vehicles per day.

Collectors - These streets serve a variety of functions, including providing direct access to major traffic generators, i.e. a METRO station, or large complex of apartments. They may be a connection from a neighborhood to the arterial network or may provide a connection between arterial streets in an area where no clearly defined minor arterial is present to handle the
connection.

1. Serve a split function of land use access and traffic movement;
2. Collect and distribute traffic in residential and commercial areas;
3. Average daily traffic is greater than 2,000 and less than 8,000 vehicles per day;
4. May provide direct access to a major traffic generator;
5. Serve local bus and commercial traffic; and
6. No peak period parking restrictions.

A typical collector is Fort Lincoln Drive, N.E. which provides access into the Fort Lincoln New Town Development.

Local streets - These roadways provide direct access to abutting lane use with a minimum of through traffic. Traffic volumes are less than 2,000 vehicles per day and bus and truck use is only to provide local service or delivery. By definition local streets comprise all streets not on a higher category.

What are the procedures for assigning streets to a particular classification?

[Again, I will forgo the information on the the first two sub-categories of principal arterials (if anyone would like this information, please let me know)]

...The remaining classifications are comprised of city streets that are assigned to a category based on a combination of physical and operational characteristics. Each street is assigned after a review of the pertinent data for each section. The date includes street width, number of lanes, traffic volumes (both peak and off peak), bus routes, parking regulations,
land use, and the relationship of the street with the regional and city roadway network. The classifications are based on use, and therefore existing travel patterns play a major role in the determination of the classification assigned. The data assembled for each street is compared to the desired characteristics for each classification (listed in previous section) and assignments are made accordingly.

Use and extend of each system - A primary goal in traffic planning is to accommodate as much traffic as practical on a minimum mileage of streets. The D.C. street systems' operation in this regard is demonstrated in Table 1, which details the proportional use of the street network by each functional classification.

Table 1

Proportion of
Functional Classification Miles (% of Total)
Daily Traffic
Principal Arterial 128 (12) 51%
Minor Arterial 156 (14) 30%
Collectors 150 (14) 10%
Local Streets 668 (60) 9%


This demonstrates the effectiveness of the present system; as the Principal arterial network which comprises only 12 percent of the roadway mileage carries 51% of the traffic and the local street system which is the major portion of the D.C. network carries less than 10 percent of the traffic in the city.

Policy Regarding Changes to the Assigned Classification

The Functional Classification of a street is not regarded as a permanent assignment or a rigid plan that must be maintained. It is only to be used as a framework for traffic planning. A tenet of the Department's transportation planning process is that no significant change can be effected on the operation of a street without due consideration of it's effect on adjacent streets. For example, if a street is carrying a daily flow of 12,000 vehicles per day and is classified as a minor arterial and the Department is requested by a citizen's group to reduce the vehicular flow and the classification, the response would not be "the street is an arterial and we cannot restrict the flow." The operation of the street in question and others in the area can be reviewed to determine if the traffic can be diverted to other roadways. If it can be diverted, and the measures to restrict traffic area implemented, the classification will be lowered to the appropriate level. If, however, it is determined that no restriction can be implemented without overloading an adjacent arterial or diverting traffic to local streets, the operation and classification must be maintained. Likewise, if the traffic volume on a street is increased due to a major development or other change in the area the classification would be upgraded accordingly.

3. Had funding been secured for the traffic light when Jeff Jennings told us, months ago, that it had? (If DDOT obtained a financial commitment from the federal government for the funds when Jeff told us DDOT had secured funding, why has DDOT decided to give the money back? If DDOT had not secured a commitment, didn't Jeff pass along false information to the community and, if so, who was responsible? (Note that Noble indicated at a public meeting that the light would be federally funded.)

As the traffic light is being locally funded, I can only conclude by these statements that my colleagues, in good faith, may have assumed the light could be federally funded and indicated as such at community meetings. However, the light is not going to be federally funded, it will be locally funded. My apologies for any confusion.

Austin Grill replacement in Glover Park

According to Tim Carmen at the City Paper, Ceviche is opening a second store in the Austin Grill space in Glover Park. According to his report:

Restaurateur Mauricio Fraga-Rosenfeld confirmed today that he has pulled the trigger on a deal that will open a second Ceviche, this one in the former Austin Grill space in Glover Park. Chef Javier Angeles-Beron is expected to bring over essentially the same Neuvo Latino menu from the Silver Spring location.

The Glover Park outlet should open in six to eight weeks, says Latin Concepts spokesperson Jessica Gibson, once the space has been redesigned and outfitted with new furniture.

At-Large Councilman Kwame Brown did what??

At-Large Councilman Kwame Brown has publicly expressed his condemnation of the 5220 Wisconsin Avenue proposal to develop a used car lot into a seven story mixed use, residential buidling on top of the Friendship Heights Metro station. Here is his letter:


March 29, 2007

Chairman Carol J. Mitten
D.C. Zoning Commission
441 4th St., NW--Suite 210 South
Washington, DC 20001

Dear Ms. Mitten:

I am writing in opposition to the Akridge project, Case # 06-31. I ask you to reject the application for the following reasons:

• The project is not consistent with the revised Comprehensive Plan or the Future Land Use Map. The proposed C-2-B with a Planned Unit Development (PUD) does not conform to the prevailing character and adjacent uses of the surrounding community, as regulations require. The density, lot occupancy (100%), and intensity of use go far beyond what would be consistent with the site's low-density commercial/medium density residential designation in the revised Plan.
• The building breaks the buffer zone mandated by the Comprehensive Plan. Rather than stepping down from the Regional
Center, it jumps up to a height and density greater than those of most of the buildings even in the Regional Center and grossly out of scale with adjacent structures in the buffer zone.
• The building would have serious adverse effects on traffic, parking, and the safety and quality of life of nearby residents. Akridge has not addressed the detrimental impacts on neighborhood infrastructure, including schools and emergency services.
• Akridge has refused to work cooperatively with the ANC and the neighboring community to make any significant changes in response to community concerns.
• The project does not have the support of the community. It has been rejected twice by the ANC, it is opposed by more than 500 residents living within a 3-block radius who signed a petition against it, it is opposed by neighborhood organizations such as theTenleytown Neighbors Association and the Alliance for Rational Development, and it is opposed by the many constituents who have written to me asking me to support their neighborhoods and oppose the
project.

While I welcome development at that site, as do the residents, I also support development that is appropriate to the scale and character of the surrounding community. Good transit-oriented development does not occur at the expense of neighborhoods. In the words of the revised Comprehensive Plan (RCW-2.2), "Friendship Heights and Tenleytown are stable, transit-oriented neighborhoods, and their conservation should be ensured during the coming years." Friendship Heights doesn't need more economic stimulus. But I see good transit-oriented development (TOD) as a powerful vehicle for helping underserved neighborhoods near Metro that want and need growth to achieve the economic benefits they have a right to. I believe those areas must be the first focus of our TOD efforts, not neighborhoods that the Comp Plan has acknowledged are already transit oriented.

I am hopeful that your rejection of this application will motivate the Akridge Company to go back to the community, work with them, and return to the Zoning Commission with a project that has ANC and neighborhood support. Developers need to take the community seriously from the outset. They must not get a signal from their government that they may buy a property zoned for a project they do not want to build and simply assume that the zoning will be overturned. Developers must be willing to find compromises with the community so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of positive, sensible development. I believe rejecting this application is the first step in making that happen.

Sincerely,

Kwame R. Brown

Under the PUD process (which are the governing rules in the district by which developers can ask for changes to the zoning code under special exception) Akridge has been working with a variety of neighhborhood groups to develop the structure and populate it with neighborhood serving retail in a way more than acceptable to the broader community.

Anyone who thinks it is ok to develop this parcel in a way that encourages transit use, green building certification and economic development for the neighborhood and city should let Kwame Brown know! Development issues such as this became the focal discussion and proxy in both the democratic primary and general election for Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh. Residents supportive of this kind of compact development around metro stations should let their voices be heard once again.

A letter such as this from the Council Chair of the Economic Development Committee makes one wonder.

Another zoning controversy in Cleveland Park

A San Francisco pet hotel company, Day 'n' Night Pet Hotels, is going to be moving into the space currently occupied by the Radio Shack on Connecticut Avenue and Newark Street. As far as I can tell, unlike restaurants, there's no zoning against a pet hotel. (But the pet hotel will apparently have a restaurant for pets and this may be an issue -- more about that later.)

Not that a pet hotel is a bad idea. But Day 'n' Night Pet Hotels appears to be both a pet hotel and *bordello*. That's pretty clear from reading their website:

"Day 'n' Night Pet Hotels offers more than just a refuge for your pampered cat or dog for when you're away. We know that you, the pet owner, are discriminating about where you board your precious canine or feline, which is why Day 'n' Night Pet Hotels offer unparalleled fun for your pet in the way of selective and supervised dating.

"Pets start out with their favorite meal (just tell us what it is and we'll have a fresh can or bag on hand.) Then our guests spend the next half hour or so playing together with a fabulous array of toys developed just for Day 'n' Night Pet Hotels. Following that is a little snack and some water (and a walk if needed), after which your pet gets to enjoy a night out.

"While you're away, not only will you have a great time, but your pet will, too. Many of our customers tell us that their dog or cat had such a terrific time that they send their pets back again and again.

"Our pet food is 100 percent made in the USA, inspected and taste-tested by our veterinary team.

"And, of course, we provide all pets with pre-date birth control, so that you don't have any surprises at home months later.

"We welcome gay pets, too, and pair those pets appropriately."

I hope that the pet hotel is sound-proof! Late night noise could really become a problem for people who live near the former Radio Shack. For more information, you can visit the company's website:
http://daynnight.notlong.com

Which brings me back to beginning of this message: Does anyone know if this violates the zoning cap for restaurants? It seems to me that the pet hotel also has a restaurant for animals, and as far as my reading of the zoning regulations goes, there's nothing that exempts a pet restaurant from that cap. A restaurant's a restaurant, right -- even if it's part of a so-called pet hotel? Has anyone had any experience with Day 'n' Night Pet Hotels in San Francisco or elsewhere?


Bill Adler

Tenleytown Business Honored

According to NBC4's Tom Sherwood, Middle C Music was honored by a national trade magazine as one of the top business in the United States.

People talk a lot about how small businesses are the backbone of our economy. It's nice when a local business is recognized.

In Tenleytown, the little music store that could -- Middle C Music -- made the cover of Music Inc., a trade publication. Well, actually, Middle C owner Myrna Sislen made the cover. "I am thrilled beyond words by this honor," she said tunefully.
Sislen's store was featured among the 25 best small business ideas from the 2007 winter trade show that attracted more than 80,000 attendees.

Middle C is celebrating its fifth year in business under Sislen. She saved it from going out of business, has doubled its size and offers music lessons of all types.

A few horn toots for Middle C would be entirely appropriate.

ROMP underway on Cleveland Park

ROMP has officially begun the 2007 Fundraising Campaign to raise money for needed renovations to Macomb Park. If you have not yet received our fundraising letter in the mail, you should receive it this week. Our goal is to raise $29,500 by summer to replace the seesaw damaged by hurricane Isabel, add a bouncy spring feature for younger children, install more challenging equipment for 6-12 year olds in the lower playground, and purchase new computers and air conditioning for the field house. We hope everyone in the neighborhood will consider contributing to this worthy cause. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Ward 3 Phone Home

DC Examiner reporter Courtney Mabeus reports the strange circle of technology at DCPS:

Nearly all District of Columbia public schools in Ward 3 reported spotty or no phone service Thursday, about a week after Verizon cut their service under a District plan to get rid of little-used or unused lines.

Public school and Office of Finance and Revenue officials blamed each other for the problem Thursday.

Phones at Eaton Elementary and Deal junior high schools remained out Thursday and officials at several others reported that their phones had been out for part of the week.

“My concern is, what’s the impact on family safety?” Terry Lynch, whose daughter attends Deal, asked Thursday. He said he learned of the problem on a school list serve.

“It’s unfathomable to me that this problem has carried on like this and nothing has been done yet,” Lynch said.

Verizon spokeswoman Christy Reap said the District’s Office of Finance turned in 1,500 lines to be disconnected under the city’s Zero Usage Project. The disconnects began March 8.

Verizon is working to restore service as soon as possible, Reap said.

Deputy Mayor for Education Victor Reinoso sent an e-mail March 15 to City Administrator Dan Tangherlini stating that Woodrow Wilson Senior High School and Eaton did not have phone service.

“Who can we contact to make sure this is handled in a way that doesn’t backfire?” Reinoso asked in the e-mail.

Tangherlini forwarded the e-mail to District technology officers asking for help fixing the problem.

On March 15, Dennis Gill, director of resource management in the Office of Finance and Resource Management responded, saying that D.C. Public Schools had identified 1,175 lines to cut, and later identified additional lines at Eaton to cut.

“After personally researching this issue, I can state without fear of contradiction that the numbers identified ... were provided by DCPS (the only possible source) and this information provided to Verizon,” Gill wrote.

Schools spokesman John White said officials were looking into the issue.

Cleveland Park Nursing Home to Close

The Northwest Curret reported this week that the Beverly Living Nursing Home of 3333 Wisconsin Avenue has provided notice to the District Department of Health of its intention to close the facility by June.

ANC 3C Chair Nancy MacWood has offered this update:

I am anticipating that there may be a need for information about the news that the Beverly Nursing Home on Wisconsin Ave. is closing this facility. The 90 day notice that they were required to post with the Dept. of Health will expire in June. During the 90 day period, many families who have loved ones in the facility will be exploring their options for relocation. After the 90 day period, the facility staff become more involved in helping to place patients; in other words, making sure that everyone has an appropriate placement. Some of these patients have been in the facility for over 20 years. The process of closing down the facility is estimated to take 9-12 months.

There are more than 300 employees who will be looking for new jobs. Several DC agencies are working with the facility to help with this transition.

The building has not been sold based on information I received today. As I learn more, I will keep the listserv updated.


It will be interesting to see how this transition proceeds, and what becomes of the property, located at Wisconsin and Newark, across from the Wisconsin Avenue Giant.

Ward 3 School Receives Global First

Sidwell Friends has been awarded a Platinum level LEED rating for the Middle School. It is the first secondary school in the United States to have a LEED Platinum rating and the first LEED Platinum building in the District of Columbia.

Created by the U.S. Green Building Council in 1993, LEED (which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) emphasizes state-of-the-art strategies for sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environment quality. It is the industry standard certification program that defines high-performance green buildings and awards credits for various green building attributes. There are four levels of certification: certified, silver, gold, and platinum. The more credits, the higher the recognition and certification. In order to be a highly visible, national, model building that could serve as a demonstration site and a teaching facility, Sidwell Friends believes that platinum certification will best assist us in accomplishing this goal.

More on the new Signal

As previously blogged, DDOT unveiled a new traffic signal at the intersection of Connecticut and Morrison Street in Chevy Chase, DC.

The light is novel in its approach to ensure pedestrian safety from all comers by going to a full red in all four directions upon call by a pedestrian. Given all of the incidents around town in the recent past, it is great that DDOT is being proactive in addressing pedestrian safety.

The issue at hand, however is the timing of the launch of the light. It was discussed at the recent ANC 3/4G meeting that the light would not begin operation until the timing was measured and programmed, such that the light would synchoronize to the adjacent lights at the closest intersections. However, as noted on the Chevy Chase Listserv, the current situation is giving too much preference to pedestrians at the expensive of safe vehicular operation.

This is a great program and all should hope for its successful implementation. Let's give DDOT the time to work out the kinks.

New type of traffic signal unveiled in Chevy Chase, DC

From a DC Department of Transportation press release:

DDOT TO ACTIVATE PEDESTRIAN SIGNAL IN NORTHWEST

(Washington, DC) The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) on Thursday, March 15, will activate a new pedestrian activated signal just south of Chevy Chase Circle at Connecticut Avenue at Morrison Street.

This new signal is the first of its kind in the District. It features an exclusive pedestrian light that will allow pedestrians to cross Connecticut Avenue without interference from turning vehicles.

When not activated, motorists on Connecticut Avenue will have a flashing yellow light and motorists on Morrison Street will have a flashing red light.

When a pedestrian pushes the button to cross Connecticut Avenue, the signal on Connecticut Avenue will change to solid yellow, then solid red while the Morrison Street signal changes to solid red.

Next, the pedestrians will receive a WALK signal to cross Connecticut Avenue. A total of 31 seconds has been allocated for the walk phase after which the signal will revert to the flashing indications. There will be "No Turn on Solid Red" signs to ensure that pedestrians have a protected phase.

Since this is a new operation, pedestrians and motorists are urged to use caution while approaching and crossing this intersection.

DDOT has been working with the area residents to meet the needs for additional pedestrian safety in this portion of Connecticut Avenue.

Residents in the District can help be DDOT identify pedestrian problem areas by calling the Mayor's Citywide Call Center at (202) 727-1000 to report problem intersections for additional pedestrian safety.

Biddle Gets Lucky

It cannot get much better, can it? Ward 3/4 School Board candidate hit the Janney Jackpot last Saturday night. James Jones of the city Paper tells the rest of the story:

When Sekou Biddle showed up at the auction and raffle for Janney Elementary School in Tenleytown on Saturday night, he wasn’t making a campaign stop. The candidate for the vacant school board seat representing Wards 3 and 4 says he was really just looking to catch up with some friends and contribute to the school fundraiser.

Biddle plopped down $50 for one raffle ticket. “I was thinking I might win a toaster or something,” he says. “I was talking with a friend, when somebody came up to me and said, ‘Hey, they’re calling your name up there,’” says Biddle.

He was declared the winner of the top raffle prize of $5,000. Biddle hadn’t even looked at the ticket.

“I don’t know what to do with the money,” says Biddle, who isn’t exactly getting rich on the campaign trail, seeing as he took unpaid leave from his job to campaign. For a moment, Biddle considered staking all the money on another wager. “The other thought I had was to take it as a sign and dump it all into the campaign,” he said.

After the gamblers rush faded, Biddle decided it was no time to let it ride.

“I think I’m going to give some to help fund the dual-language program at my son’s school [Shepherd Elementary],” he says. “I might cover the expenses for another child.”

He also plans to make a contribution to Janney Elementary, but he doesn’t think it would be wise to give back the entire $5,000. “I would want to stay away from any perception that I am giving money to Janney to get votes from parents,” he says.

Hopefully this is a good omen for Mr. Biddle, who is tops among a terrific slate of candidates to fill the seat vacated when Victor Reinoso was appointed to Mayor Fenty's cabinet.

Pedestrian Survey Released

The results of a DC Department of Transportation study of pedestrian habits and concerns were released today. Among the concerns of Ward 3 respondants were:

-The safety and access traversing Wisconsin and Connecticut Avenues (Conn. Ave was listed as the most feared);
-The Friendship Heights Metro Station and Rock Creek Park were listed as among the most difficult destinations to reach.

Perhaps some of the novel approaches to safety for pedestrians currently under examination by DDOT are to be commended!

The study can be found here: http://tooledesign.com/projects/dc/index.html

More discussion on the Chevy Chase Historic District

As the HCCDC group rounds the fourth turn and into the home stretch of a formal submission to make parts of the original street car development in Chevy Chase a historic district, the meetings and discourse on the subject have increased in intensity.

ANC 3/4G had determined in January to hold a series of public meetings later this Spring, once the draft submission is available for review. ANC3E has been included now because one portion of an original subdivision falls within its boundaries.

As a result, a meeting was held this past weekend with a presentation from HCCDC Chair Jenny Chesky, HPO Lead David Maloney and some opponents making statements and presentations. Most in attendance were either active ANC Commissioners, or stated opponents/proponents of the study.

Noted commentator Ed Cowan, whose residence is outside of the study area, provided this commentary on the Chevy Chase Listserv. Part of the "news" from the meeting was the discussion of a possible referendum, or poll, of affected property owners in the study area, sponsored by the affected ANCs, to determine the degree of popular support. Indeed, the ANCs appear to be split on the issue, and some form of measure of support or opposition will go a long way to determining if the study makes it to the Historic Preservation Office for review.

In response to this news, follow-on follow-on posts suggest that polling could prove to be difficult, as there may be broader issues surrounding the details.

There will be more to this over the coming months.

Media Coverage of the Akridge Protest

There were about 50-75 people at the highly promoted Akridge protest this afternoon. Among the assembled were a few in the community who support the project. Tempers got a little testy, as covered in this Fox 5 report.

EDIT: The Washington Times Tarron Lively filed a report.

Commissioner is nominated to the ABC

According to the City Paper, ANC 3F Commissioner Mital Gandhi has been nominated by the Mayor to the Alcohol Beverage Commission.

ANC Commissioner breaks new ground

ANC 3F Commissioner Jane Soloman was inspired by broader environmental concerns in suggesting that an erroneously built house in Ward 4 be "deconstructed" rather than demolished.

According to the Washington Post, other jurisdictions have encouraged the expense of additional funds in razing structures to encourage the adaptive re-use of materials such as bricks, windows, shingles, fixtures, etc.

While a traditional demolition would take a few days, this procedure would require 3-4 weeks. However, the example set by the city for environmental stewardship is worth the time.

Development Protest Scheduled

According to the February 28th issue of the Northwest Current, and organization called the Alliance for Rational Development is planning a protest of the Akridge Real Estate Services proposal to develop a used car lot located at 5220 Wisconsin Avenue.

The protesters claim that the proposal is too big and doesn't factor in the development taking place in Friendship Heights, MD, right across Western Avenue.

There has been some dialogue on the Tenleytown Listserv about elements of the proposal:

An initial posting discusses "hiking trails and parks" and other amenities tied to the City Line (Sears building) project. Where are there hiking trails in Tenleytown? That post also refers to the 5220 proposal as towering 100 feet over the street. According to the website, the proposal is for a 79 foot (at parts) structure. Compared to the 9-13 story buildings on Connecticut Avenue, this seems paltry.

The discussion about parking with respect to these developments, on the Tenleytown listserv is very interesting.

It will be interesting to see the results of the protests.

Armed Robbery in Tenleytown

At least three suspects fled the scene of a robery at the Ace Hardware in Tenleytwon, causing traffic and intense police and helicopter activity in Cleveland Park.

The suspects vehicle crashed their white cadillac into a parked SUV on 29th Street off Ordway, whereupon one suspect was apprehended. A second was tracked on foot by Commander Andy Solberg. The third suspect, a woman, remains at large.

Note that one officer was injured when they slipped on ice.

Please shovel your walks in a timely fashion.

Edit Andy Solberg Commander, Second District
This morning at about 8:40 am, two armed men wearing masks entered the
ACE hardware store in the bottom of 4500 Wisconsin Avenue. The two men entered through the loading dock area and robbed the store. There were no injuries. As officers were responding to the scene, officers spotted the getaway car, a white Cadillac being driven by a young woman, near Wisconsin and Van Ness St. During a short pursuit that began at Wisconsin and Upton St, officers followed the car to the 3400 block of 29th St, NW (the street behind the Uptown Theater directly to the west) where it hit another car.

All three suspects bailed out and fled on foot. One man was apprehended after he jumped a fence and was hiding in the rear of the Uptown Theater. With the help of citizens who alerted us, we maintained a perimeter around the area bounded by 30th St, Connecticut Avenue, and Ordway and Porter Sts. A short time later a second suspect was caught hiding in a shed in the alley inside this perimeter.

The female has not been caught but we believe we will be able to find her.

Evidence was recovered.

The investigation is ongoing, and as we are able to provide more detailed information we will do so.

Changes afoot in Cleveland Park

First Blockbusters and now WhatsaBagel.

That Blockbusters was consolidating their business nationally in response to video-on-demand and Netflix is one thing, but the closure of Whatsa Bagel is a bit of a surprise.

The Bethesda store remains open fueling speculation that the move is due to rent increases at the Park N Shop strip mall.

Wilson Pool details

The DC Department of Parks and Recreation has unveiled preliminary plans for the renovation of the Wilson Pool.

For more information, please see their website, www.wilsonpooldc.org

Marc Fisher Comment on Cheh investigation

Speaking of Cheh: What was up with the Post Metro section and Woodlee yesterday? They reported Cheh was being investigated for campaign finance issues, which is technically true. However, investigations are pro-forma when a complaint is filed, and this complaint was filed by noted crank and looney Jonathan Rees.

Worse yet, they heavily quoted Rees without comment. If you're going to hang your reporting hat primarily on one source, you should probably note he's a looney at some point.

Marc Fisher: I'm with you there--I don't know the backstory on the story, but I do know that any reference to Rees should be accompanied by screaming warnings to readers about who and what he is.

Downtown D.C.: "I'm with you there--I don't know the backstory on the story, but I do know that any reference to Rees should be accompanied by screaming warnings to readers about who and what he is."

Well, who and what IS he?

Marc Fisher: A mysterious figure who ran for D.C. Council in Ward 3 last year and made the lives of many candidates, political activists and media types miserable with his multiple online identities, spamming of comment boards, and other odd behaviors.

Wash Post: Cheh Campaign under investigation

The Washington Post reported that the DC Office of Campaign Finance (OCF) has opened an investigation of Ward 3 Council Member Mary Cheh. According to the report,

The investigation was prompted by a formal complaint made by Jonathan R. Rees, who ran against Cheh in the Democratic primary, campaign finance officials said.


Jonathan Rees captured a handful of votes in the 2006 primary, announced his candidacy in 2010 and filed a complaint with the OCF, which the Post reports without any insight into the insitigator.

Bravo. Eugene Mayer must be very proud today.

Horrid Accident on Wisconsin Avenue

Wisconsin Avenue is reopened after a fatal accident near the Cathedral.

Ward 3 Dems Assemble Education Discussion

Scheduled for February 27th, 7:30 PM

Entitled “Cutting Through The Rhetoric Of School Governance: What’s Really At Stake?,” the panel discussion will focus on a critical issue with significant implications for the future of public education in the city. School governance legislation proposed by Mayor Fenty is now being considered by the DC City Council. The Council is conducting a series of public hearings through February 27 on the issue. The DC Board of Education also is conducting a series of public hearings on an emergency proposal to improve student achievement in the DC public schools.

The Ward 3 Democratic Committee has assembled a distinguished panel of experts to discuss these proposals and help educate our community about this important issue. Confirmed to participate in the panel discussion and public forum are:

Robert Bobb, President of the D.C. Board of Education;
Kathy Patterson, Former Ward Three D.C. Council Member;
Victor Reinoso, Deputy Mayor For Education;
Darlene T. Allen, President, D.C. Congress Of PTA and Member, PTA National Board of Directors;
Mary Levy, Director, Public Education Reform Project, Washington Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs; and
Mary Filardo, Founder and Executive Director, The 21st Century School Fund.

The panel discussion will be moderated by Hugh Allen, a long-time and highly respected education activist in the city and a member of the Ward Three Democratic Committee.

Sherwood comments on Cheh's Animal Rights Bill

Cheh To The Rescue

And our last box of chocolates, shaped like cats and dogs, goes to new Councilmember Mary Cheh. She introduced legislation that would revamp the city's animal welfare laws.

Provisions would increase penalties for animal cruelty and require better regulations for animal-related businesses and better safety measures to protect against dangerous animals.

But the bill also would require the city to adopt plans for rescuing animals in the event of a natural emergency like the hurricane that struck New Orleans.

But perhaps the most novel aspect of the bill makes a legal connection between animal cruelty and child abuse. Cheh said studies of child abuse victims show perpetrators often abuse animals, too. The bill requires animal welfare officials to report animal abuse to authorities who deal with families and children as a possible tip-off to child abuse.

Progress on the Wilson Pool?

WARD 3 Councilmember Mary M. Cheh & The Department of Parks and Recreation Host a community wide meeting on the
The Wilson Pool Project

Second District Police Station Community Room
3320 Idaho Street NW
For more information please call
(202) 724-8062

BZA rules in favor of Woodley Garage.

In a previous blog entry, the specter of ANC3C and other community monies dedicated to fighting an underground garage at the Marriot Wardman complex in Woodley Park was raised. Today, the WPCA announced:

The Board of Zoning Adjustment today denied the appeal of ANC 3C and WPCA concerning the garage construction at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. A written order should be issued in a few weeks and will be available on the WPCA web site.

That was community money well spent.

ANC 3E talks Buick lot again

A recent post on the Tenleytown Listserv mentions the agenda for the updcoming ANC 3E meeting. One of the Agenda items is the fabled Buick lot (5220 Wisconsin Avenue) redevelopment proposal by the Akridge Company.

The ANC simply announces that there will be "a discussion and vote" on this project. However, there is plenty of chatter about where the ANC is going to come down on this project.

From a widely distributed email from the Friendship Neighborhood Association (FNA):

Dear Neighbor:
The Zoning Commission -- which has the final say on whether proposed development projects are built in the District -- will hold a public hearing March 8, 2007 on the massive condominium building that major commercial developer Akridge intends to put up at 5220 Wisconsin Avenue N.W. The Friendship Neighborhood Association requires your immediate support to ensure that the so-called Buick Site is developed in a manner compatible with the residential character of the adjacent neighborhoods.

With chatter based on this tone, why bother to have a discussion? Just phone in the vote and be done with it.

On the other hand, why not really engage in what is good or bad about this proposal. Design? Buffer to residential? The email simply talks about the size/height of the building as it pertains to the lot and "current zoning" (Is the zoning changing based on the adoption of the new Comp Plan?)

For a parcel of land that is virtually on top of the Friendship Heights Metro station, what does this group propose as a viable alternative? Or, should it be a used car lot in perpetuity?

Klingle Bridge reaches second phase

( Washington , DC ) The District of Columbia Department of Transportation (DDOT) is pleased to announce it has nearly completed work on the first phase of the Klingle Bridge reconstruction and will begin work on phase two beginning on or about February 6, 2007. The Klingle Bridge sits on Connecticut Avenue just south of Macomb Street in Northwest.

The second phase of construction will involve reconstruction of the southbound lane next to the phase one lane. As in phase one, during morning rush hour three lanes will be maintained southbound utilizing the newly constructed lane and one northbound lane. Three lanes of traffic will be maintained in the northbound direction during the evening rush hour with one lane southbound. All other times, two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction.

Pedestrian access on the west side of the bridge will remain closed. All pedestrian traffic will exist on east of bridge.

The $10 million restoration of the Klingle Bridge uses a combination of federal and local funds. Work on the bridge will include removal of old lead-based paint, cleaning the bridge girders, repairing/replacing components of the under girding and bridge surface and rehabilitation to the sidewalks and road surface.

The project is slated to be completed in January 2008, weather permitting. DDOT will continue to update the public on the progress of the project. Hours of work are Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

DDOT encourages motorists to use extreme caution when passing through the work zone.

Update on the River Road barrier

From DDOT Public Affiars Specialist Karyn LeBlanc:

My first priority is to apologize to you and the community for any confusion and misunderstanding over the past two years. I have begun to read through the many e-mails and various letters associated with this project and can understand the anger and confusion voiced by the community.

Late last week I met with the DDOT technical team to review the issues at hand with regard to the existing barriers, traffic signal, and planned traffic calming measures. I think it would be easiest to break these down into three groups.



1. Existing barriers:

DDOT had intended and had reported to the community and even began work to replace the existing barriers with a channelized left turn lane. However, after further review of the technical and financial aspects DDOT has now decided to leave the current barriers in place until such time as the permanent traffic signal is installed. It is my understanding that some residents will be upset by this decision. Please keep in mind that the planned replacement would be an expensive and very temporary solution that would have no significant added benefit to the condition of the street or traffic.



2. Traffic Signal

DDOT is scheduled to begin installation of the planned traffic signal and subsequent traffic calming measures pertaining to the traffic signal intersection in late April 2007.



3. Additional Traffic Calming Measures

DDOT is currently drafting proposed traffic calming measures for a few of the selected side streets as per previous discussions and agreements with the community. These proposed traffic calming measures will be presented to the community at scheduled ANC meetings and, if necessary, community meetings in an effort to obtain feedback and comments from the community. These meetings will be held over the next few months. DDOT is hopeful that this process will move quickly and that consensus from the community will be quickly forthcoming. It is DDOT's intention to listen to the community and, where possible, incorporate their comments and ideas into a final plan. While DDOT reserves the right to ensure safety standards as a top priority, many times information provided by the community lends to a more amenable solution.

Glover Park brings Fenty and Cheh to meetings

Glover Park is fortunate to have 2 opportunities to meet and discuss issues with our new Ward 3 Councilwoman Mary Cheh and new DC Mayor Adrian Fenty.

2/6/07 - Mary Cheh has confirmed that she will attend the GPCA monthly meeting at 7:00pm
2/8/07 - Both Mary Cheh and Adrian Fenty have confirmed they will attend the ANC3B meeting at 7:00pm
3/6/07 - Adrian Fenty has confirmed that he will attend the GPCA monthly meeting at 7:00pm

Please plan on attending any/all meetings and watch for more details in the next issue of The Glover Park Gazette.

The GPCA executive committee would like to make the GPCA meetings as productive as possible. In order to do so, please e-mail me a list of any topics you would like Mary Cheh to address on 2/6/07. We'll narrow down the top issues and provide them to her ahead of time so she can come prepared. Ideally we will raise issues with her that are Glover Park specific.

As the March GPCA meeting with the Mayor approaches, we will again solicit topics you would like the Mayor to address.

The ANC meeting will focus on 2 major issues facing Glover Park: Guy Mason Recreaction Center Renovations and Commercial District improvements. ANC representatives are trying to get the Mayor to come to the meeting informed and aware enough to be able to commit to putting both issues into his budget. Stay tuned for more details.

Glover Park Commercial District

The DC Office of Planning conducted a study of the Glover Park Commerical District throughout the Summer of 2006. The final study report is now available from the Office of Planning Website.

DDOT Initiative hits AU Park

As part of the first 100 days, Mayor Fenty has detailed the Department of Transportation to follow through on a safe streets inititiative, which features traffic calming and pedestrian safety. As part of this, DDOT is moving forward with the installation of several speed bumps. The DC Examiner featured the 46th street "addition" in a recent article:

In the coming months, DDOT will install the bumps, sometimes called speed humps or speed “cushions,” along several high traffic thoroughfares, including 46th Street from River Road to Massachusetts Avenue Northwest, ...
“It’s definitely quite a big commuter route, and I think speed bumps help slow and control traffic in that area,” said Talia Primor, who represents the stretch of 46th Street on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E.

The locations generally are selected in response to neighborhood requests, though DDOT audits each site to determine whether a speed bump is called for. The District installed 45 speed bumps in 2005 and about 80 more in 2006.

The stretch of 46th Street had featured speed bumps before a 2005 resurfacing project. ANC 3E had asked for a review prior to their reinstallation.

Cleveland Park Giant Update

Stop and Shop aka Giant Food, has updated the website for the plans at the fabled store at Newark Street.

After fits and starts dating back to 1998, the project seems to be moving forward to moderinize and upgrade the two-block section of Wisconsin Avenue controlled by the corporation. In response to the December 11, 2006neighborhood meeting, the official website has been updated to include context, renderings, plans, and interior amenities.

What strikes me about this is how Newark Street would become a little "town centre", with additional green space, traffic calming, and most importantly sheer walkability.

Parking Legislation offered by Cheh

According to the Washington Times, Council Members Cheh and Brown introduced legislation reserving space on residential streets for members of the DCFD. The bill provides up to 60 feet of curbside parking near fire stations for use by personal while on duty.

The article inferred that the bill may be expanded to include DCPS teachers with respect to schools.

ANC 3E Commissioner Amy McVey was quoted as supportive of this bill.

ANC 3C Meeting 1/22

Monday, Jan. 22, ANC 3C meeting. Meeting begins at 7:30PM at the 2nd District
Police Station Community Room.

Introduction of Dee Smith, Constituent Services Coordinator, Office of Councilmember Mary Cheh

Consent Calendar: Public Space application filed by the British Embassy to erect a new service entrance off of Observatory Circle and new gatehouse and expanded mail facility with a portion of the gatehouse located in public space

Other Business:

Election of 2007 ANC 3C Officers

Consideration of Washington International School’s Special Exception application to increase enrollment by 25 students bringing total enrollment to 450 students, and increasing faculty and staff by 8 persons

Consideration of an application for a new liquor license and entertainment endorsement at Divino Lounge Restaurant, 3407 Connecticut Ave., NW; license would allow alcoholic beverage sale, service, and consumption from 11:30AM-2AM,
Sunday through Thursday, and until 3AM on Friday and Saturday; entertainment endorsement would allow background music with occasional DJ and tango lessons from 6PM-2AM, Sunday through Thursday, and until 3AM on Friday and Saturday Consideration of a resolution urging the Zoning Administrator to respond to a January 2005 ANC 3C request for an opinion on whether a proposed building at 3714 Massachusetts Ave., NW, owned by Soka Gakkai International, can be
permitted as a matter of right or whether it should be subject to a special exception process which would require that any prematurely issued permits be rescinded;

Consideration of a resolution that would require full disclosure of the extent of a building project, including a list of needed permits and all design plans, at the time that the first permit associated with the project is filed with the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs Approval of the 2007 ANC 3C committee chairmanships and 2007 meeting
calendar.

ANC 3 F Meeting

ANC 3F will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 17, 2007, at the
Capital Memorial Church, 3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W. Agenda items will
include:

Election of ANC officers for 2007.
Consideration of an application to the Board of Zoning Adjustment to
subdivide the lot at 3546 Alton Place, N.W., so as to create two lots,
one of which will not meet the minimum area and width requirements under
the zoning regulations.
Consideration of a public space application for a new driveway and
driveway cut at 4618 - 38th Street, N.W.
Report on plans to rebuild the Wilson Pool and consideration of a request
for a determination on zoning requirements for parking.
Consideration of a request to reinstall residential permit parking signs
on the south side of the 2900 block of Upton Street, N.W.

DC Mud on the 5220 Wisconsin Ave project

The DC Real Estate blog DC Mud posted notice today of the release of images and details on the Akridge 5220 Wisconsin Avenue project. For more details, please visit their site.

Washington Post covers the BCC Rescue Squad

Katherine Shaver notes that the 70 year relationship between the all-volunteer sqaud started when the squad was based in Ward 3, and continued until it was codified by Montgomery County law in 2005 and continues to this day.

The squad began with one ambulance in a Northwest garage in 1937 and continued to serve that area even after moving to Bethesda in the 1950s. A formal memorandum of understanding between the squad and the District's fire and EMS department was codified into Montgomery law in 2005.

Complaints from DC residents outside the traditional service area as well as certain Montgomery County residents do not demonstrate the understanding and cooperation between the service and its historic roots.

Indeed, the squad takes in more money by percentage from DC residents than it provides in service calls, according to the article.

Perhaps if the Tenley fire house hadn't taken years to renovate and there wasn't evidence of mismanagement and mishandling of cases on the part of DC EMS this wouldn't be an issue.

However, with the additional development and population goals slated for the Friendship Heights-Tenley corridor, if more emergency services aren't dedicated to the area, the residents of Ward 3 will depend more on the BCC Rescuse Squad.

There should probably be more interjurisidctional coorperation such as the BCC Rescue Squad provides to DC residents.

Goulet receives Council Appointment

Ward 3 resident and former Council Candidate Eric Goulet has received an appointment from Chair Vincent Grey to be the Budget Director for the Council. Goulet served as the Clerk of the Finance and Revenue Committee under Ward 3 Councilman Jack Evans.

Dogs terrorize Cleveland Park

As reported on the Cleveland Park Listserv,

Two dogs just wandered through my yard - coming up from Macomb through our yard on Newark Street and now Highland. One doesn't have a collar but both look lost and wandering. One is a caramel colored boxer looking dog - not too big - maybe 60 pounds. The other is a black and white husky, that looks well rounded and maybe a bit on the older side.

The one canine was described as "light brown, short haired, somewhat muscular dog. A medium sized dog. It had a round rather than sharp face. The dog looked well fed..."

The dogs are accused of mauling and or killing several cats in the neighborhood.

According to 2nd District MPD Commander Andy Solberg, "be warned that if they have attacked and killed cats they are
likely not to be afraid to attack again. We encourage all residents to get to safety as a matter of first priority, and call 911 or 311 to report these dogs".

Update:
From the Cleveland Park Listserv:
Animal Control has caught the brown dog - a pit bull/boxer mix. It was not a stray. He got away from his owner in Rock Creek Park. The owner has been informed that the dog killed two cats and the Department of Health is investigating. They have not had any reports of sightings of a loose husky, so they think that he probably went home.

If anyone had a good look at the brown dog or saw it during one of the attacks, Animal Control would appreciate your coming down there to identify it.

MLK celebration to take place at UDC

The Mayor’s D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission 22nd Annual King Holiday Celebration

Monday January 15, 2007
3:00 p.m. Public Reception
4:00 p.m. Program
5:30 p.m. Post-program reception

The University of the District of Columbia
4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Main Auditorium
Building 46

Sam of Sam's Park and Shop passes away

According to reports, Sam Gorlitz , co-founder of Rockville based Federal Reality Investment Trust passed away recently at the age of 89 . The company named the renovated Park and Shop development in the heart of the Cleveland Park Historic District after Gorlitz, who was credited with starting one of the nation's earliest real estate investment trusts devoted to retail assets.

According to the Washington Business Journal:

Federal Realty began in D.C. in 1962 with three metro-area properties including Congressional Plaza in Rockville. Today, the company has 18.6 million square feet in a portfolio that sketches across the country.

"By founding Federal Realty, one of the industry's first retail REITs 45 years ago, [Sam Gorlitz] earned a deserved reputation as a visionary," says President and CEO Don Wood. "Federal Realty continues to adhere to many of the operating principles that Sam and other members of the Federal Realty management team established over 40 years ago. He has left a strong imprint on the company and the community and today we consider ourselves stewards of his legacy."

Library Chief coming to Cleveland Park 1/13

The Friends of the Cleveland Park Library, the Cleveland Park Citizens Association, and the Cleveland Park Historical Society invite you to meet Ginnie Cooper, Chief Librarian of the D.C. Public Library System, on Saturday, January 13 at 10:15 a.m. at the Cleveland Park Library (street level auditorium), 3310 Connecticut Avenue NW at Macomb Street.

Come and find out what's ahead for the D.C. Public Library system - renovate MLK or build a new main library on the old convention center site? When will the Tenley-Friendship, Anacostia, Benning, and Watha T. Daniel/Shaw permanent branches (NOT interim branches) be opened? And when will ALL branches be refurbished, modernized, and upgraded?

We urge you to read the Mayor's Task Force report, "A Capital Library for a Capital City: A Blueprint for Change," on the D.C. Public Library's website at http://dclibrary.org/capcon/index.html Bring your questions - express your views!

Interim Tenley Library is open!

4200 Wisconsin Ave.

Hours of operation:

Monday: 9:30 am to 9:00 pm
Tuesday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Wednesday: 9:30 am to 9:00 pm
Thursday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Friday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Saturday: 9:30 am to 5:30 pm
Sunday: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Tortilla Soup at Cactus Cantina at the City Paper

Interesting review of a standard from the neighborhood!

Mark Plotkin on the swearing-in

On another matter which I think deserves mention and reaction, Ward 3 Councilmember, Mary Cheh has asked Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg to swear her in at the cerimonial swearing in on Wednesday morning at the DC Convention Center. It should be noted that Justice Ginsberg was one of the 8 justices in 2000 who in the lawsuit Alexander v Daley voted against the interests of the residents of D.C. by affirming the decision of the 3 judge panel which threw out D.C.'s case for full voting rights in the U.S. congress. Justice John Paul Stevens (Gerald Ford's only Supreme Court appointment) dissented from the majority decision and noted that he wanted to "set case for oral argument." That is in english, Ginsberg, a DC resident, not only voted against D.C. but would not even give the city a hearing. Cheh, a law professor, who I spoke with on Monday, takes great umbrage at this question and says that I am "over-reaching and really grasping and that all of this {questioning} is pretty offensive."
I think it's pretty offensive that elected officials continue to honor and reward those who go out of their way to diminish D.C. and not grant the same rights of citizenship that every other American takes for granted. I would like your reaction to this. Why must we continue this Stockholm Syndrome ( falling in love with our captors).

Mary Cheh takes office

According to the Washington Post, in a private ceremony this morning, Adrian Fenty, Mary Cheh and others officially took their oaths of office:

Gray --who replaced outgoing council chair Linda W. Cropp (D) -- was sworn in next, with his daughter standing next to him. Three new council members, Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), Harry Thomas Jr. (D-Ward 5) and Tommy Wells (D-Ward 6), also took the oath of office, as did returning incumbent council members David A. Catania (I-At Large), Jim Graham (D-Ward 1) and Phil Mendelson (D-At Large).

Within 10 minutes, the ceremony was over and the new D.C. leadership posed for pictures and retired to the judge's chambers to sign official documents.