OP Parking Discussion

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

A contributor opened the discussion with the following:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fenty Announces Tenley-Janney Team

From the Washington Post's DC Wire Blog:

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

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

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

And here is the Press release:



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

###

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

Tenley-Janney PPP: A Decision?

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

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

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

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

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


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

Drive Through Pharmacy?

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

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


More on this later.

Giant "Set Down" scheduled for July 28th

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

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

DDOT Scraps the Pedestrian Signal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Bravo DDOT!

Beauvoir Scandal?

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

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

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

Further, the teacher in question has apparently vanished.

What a tragic situation for the children involved.

EDIT: The Washington Post finally picked up this story.

Ped Safety this week

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

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

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

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

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

I Hart ANC 3C

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

Russert Park?

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

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

ANC 3C04 Special Election

Greetings,

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

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

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

- Josh Hart

A Report on the Giant Presentation

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Greater Greater Washington on Giant

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

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

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


Be sure to read the full report.

Washington Post on the Cathedral

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

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

ANC 3C Commissioner on Giant PUD

From McLean Gardens Commissioner Trudy Reeves:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Next steps:

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Now the Benches at Politics and Prose

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

Community to Meet on Giant Plans

CLEVELAND PARK COMMUNITY MEETING

Regarding

Wisconsin Avenue Giant Proposed Redevelopment

Wednesday, June 11

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

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

Ft. Reno update

From the Office of Mary Cheh:

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

Commissioner Winstead Strikes Again

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

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

Ft. Reno Closed Due to Contamination

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

From their website:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

EDIT:

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

"INCIDENT OVERVIEW

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

WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE RESPONSE?

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

WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR:

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

WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW:

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

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

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

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

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

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

INFORMATION ON ARSENIC

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

Klingle Vote: Nay

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



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

There is an update from the City Paper.

EDIT: and this from the Washington Post.

Marc Fisher on Ping Pong

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

PPP Back On?

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


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

City Paper: Klingle Road is Dead

Loose Lips reported in the April 24th edition of The City Paper a brief history of Klingle Road. Today, in a Council mark-up, the monies earmarked by the Mayor for this project were eliminated in committee. Mike DeBonis has the full story.

Much to Worry About in Forest Hills

Almost a year ago, ANC 3F Commissioner videotaped patron's of Comet Pizza playing ping-pong on the sidewalk in front of the establishment. In a recent ANC 3F meeting, the issue of public space usage was raised by Winstead. He was quoted in the Northwest Current as saying,

""I think this pingpong table in public space is a safety hazard and I want to see it gone."

Comments on the Tenleytown Listserv are fairly supportive of having the table in public space. Said one contributor:

I would love to see a venue for ping pong in our Tenleytown business district--our whole block on Alton Place is crazy about ping pong. A neighbor has set up a table in his yard, and it's a great way to get people of all ages and genders together.

and another:

We loved the ping-pong table -- both when we were playing on it and when we passed others doing so.

and finally:


I live down the street from the Comet, and I actually LOVED the idea of the ping pong table outside. It made the sidewalk look lively and it was great to see people engaged in having good clean fun! I did not feel that it blocked the side walk. I was actually looking forward to summer and going there to play ping pong myself. I am really surprised that this has been an 'issue'. Don't we have more important things in our neighborhood to worry about? I hope they reverse this decision.

PS: I would love to hear from ANC commissioner, Frank Winstead, why he felt the ping pong table was such a blight in our neighborhood street scape, and why he expended so much energy to fight the ping pong table. Am I missing something?

How long will it take for Comet to apply for a proper license so the table can be reintroduced to the streetscape?

DCMUD updates the Giant Project in Cleveland Park

The recent entry from the DC MUD blog updates the Giant redevelopment project in Cleveland Park.

Klingle Road: Mary Cheh Responds

From the ongoing discussion on the Cleveland Park Listserv:

There have been a few recent posts concerning Klingle Road, including one purporting to quote me as not concerned with Porter Street. The undocumented quote is simply false. But the current dialogue on this list serve offers the opportunity to again set out my position, a position I have consistently held and shared.

The particular segment of Klingle Road under discussion (and there are many pieces of Klingle Road around the area) is less than one mile long, and I think it should remain closed. It has been closed for about 17 years. This section begins at Porter on the west side of Rock Creek Park and travels in a south westerly direction to Woodley, where traffic empties onto local streets. DDOT determined that closing it had a negligible effect on traffic flow because it was very lightly used.

Restoring the road is economically unsound and environmentally harmful. Restoration will cost at least $11 million dollars, and maintenance will be very expensive since the area is subject to severe flooding. The former road was both narrow, with 2 lanes and no city land for shoulders (still the case today), and subject to severe icing. The federal and local dollars can and should be reallocated to any number of greater needs.

At the same time, this land is a beautiful addition to the park and an opportunity to add an additional buffer to the creek and its tributaries. A road causes significant run-off, adds pollution, and degrades the beauty and health of the area. Not surprisingly the environmental groups such as the Sierra Club favor the continued
closure of the road. And, because of the width constraints, a road would eliminate the prospect for a pedestrian and bike trail, which I favor.

We have precious few opportunities to add valuable green space to the City, and this is one we should be eager to have. We have to know where to grow and to build (along major corridors and transit nodes) and where not to (along park land and environmentally delicate areas such as wetlands).

I realize that this issue has been debated for a long time and that opinions have been divided. Two former mayors favored closure and a previous Council voted 8-5 to open the road. Yet the matter arises again because budget decisions must be made by those now entrusted to make them. And, of course, a new legislature may, and on many
occasions has, seen an old issue with new eyes and with a new calculus.

I respect that people still have differing views about this, and that many hold their views fervently. But my decision, known to all when I ran for election, is one I reached based on my best judgment and my best estimate of good public policy.

Thank you for reading this perhaps overly long post.

-Mary Cheh

Klingle Road in Trouble

Mike DeBonis of the City Paper has updated the committee talley for the Mayoral proposal to fund the study to reopen Klingle Road. According to DeBonis,

Brown’s conviction also means that the mayor’s $2 million Klingle Road line item isn’t going to make it out of the council’s committee on public works and the environment. Committee chair and Ward 1 Councilmember Jim Graham favors spending the money, as does Ward 4’s Muriel Bowser, but the other three committee members—Mary Cheh of Ward 3, Yvette Alexander of Ward 7, and Brown—are all now unequivocally on the record against it.

Tenleytown Receives Historic Treatment

The District of Columbia Historic Preservation Review Board voted unanimously to support the multi-property nomination covering old Tenleytown - Tenleytown, Friendship Heights and American University Park - providing a historical context for pre-suburban development, suburbanization, institutional growth, commercial development and the Fort Reno Reservoir was approved. This action does not provide any specific protection to listed properties, but rather provides background for future nominations. After adopting the multiple listing document, the HPRB accepted two specific sites into the DC Register of Historic Sites:

Eldbrooke United Methodist Church
Architect: Howard W. Cutler
Builder: C. H. Brooks
Built: 1926

Eldbrooke United Methodist Church, now owned by The City Church - DC, has been central to the history of Tenleytown since its establishment in 1840. The handsome 1926 Spanish Colonial Revival building, situated at the corner of River Road and Murdock Mill Road adjacent to the Sears Building in Tenleytown, is the fourth Methodist church building on this site. The first church, called Mount Zion Methodist, was erected in 1840 and was rebuilt after the Civil War. A larger church was built there in 1899, and the name was changed to Eldbrooke, honoring community members Aquila Eld and Philip Brooke.

The church is constructed of steel and tile, with a red tile roof and textured stucco exterior. All of the exterior ornamentation is cast cement. The roof retains its original red tiles. The gabled façade is ornamented with a bas-relief in the multi-curved Spanish Baroque style. A square bell tower is attached to the front southeast corner of the building. The sanctuary contains numerous stained glass windows donated by and in memory of church members.


The Methodist Cemetery
Architect: N/A
Builder: N/A
Built: est. 1855

In 1855 twelve Tenleytown men purchased land along Murdock Mill Road and established The Methodist Cemetery. The twelve represented many of the founding families of Tenleytown and it is believed that their purchase of the land formalized a use already in practice. Though most of the founders were also members of the adjacent Mount Zion Methodist Church (Eldbrooke United Methodist), the cemetery has always been independently owned and maintained, a fact that distinguishes it from contemporary cemeteries. In the mid-nineteenth century, burials customarily were on private land or in church affiliated cemeteries.

The cemetery's proximity to Fort Reno made it an attractive campsite for soldiers. The cemetery is the final resting place of many of Tenleytown's early residents. It is owned and maintained by The Methodist Cemetery Association whose members are descendants of the 'Tenleytown Twelve.'


- Tenleytown Historical Society

Vacancy in ANC 3C

There is a vacancy in ANC 3C.

The DC Register has advertised the vacancies so anyone who lives in 3C04 (which is east of Conn. Ave. between Macomb St. and Quebec St.) may file to fill this position for the remainder of the vacant term. All commissioners are elected in November for 2-year terms.

In order to file you must go to the Board of Elections and Ethics at 441 4th St. NW (Judiciary Square metro/red line) and pick up petitions. At least 25 residents of that single member district who are registered DC voters must sign the petitions. The petitions must be turned into the BOEE by 4:45PM on Monday, May 5.

If only one person files for the seat, he or she will be announced as the automatic winner. If there is more than one filer, there will be special elections in May or June. If there are no filers, the seats cannot be filled by special election less than 6 months before the general election in November so the seat will remain vacant until January 2009 when commissioners elected in November take office.

Celebrate DC's New High Point on 4/19

Date: Saturday, April 19 (Rain date: April 26)

Time: 11 a.m.

Place: Point Reno at Fort Reno Park (between Alice Deal Junior High School and Chesapeake Street, NW)

DC's highest natural elevation, located in Tenleytown, has now been officially confirmed. A recognition and celebration has been planned by Tenleytown Historical Society and Tenleytown Neighbors Association in cooperation with the National Park Service.

The brief program will focus on how Tenleytown's geography has influenced its history, and how the actual high point was determined. Speakers will include Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh and others.

Following the program a tour of Fort Reno led by a National Park Service Ranger will be offered.


CELEBRATE DC'S HIGH POINT!

When: Saturday, April 19th at 11 AM
Where: Point Reno at Fort Reno Park

Sponsored By: Tenleytown Historical Society/Tenleytown Neighbors Association/NPS

PROGRAM

Welcome (to Tenleytown) - Ken Faulstich
Welcome from National Park Service - Superintendent Adrienne Coleman
Tenleytown Geography - Dick Randall
Tenleytown History - Dr. Frank Cooling (Tenleytown Historical Society)
The High Point - Robert Hyman (Highpointers Club)
Surveying the Point - Joe Snider (DC Association of Land Surveyors)
DC Heritage - Jane Freundel Levey (Cultural Tourism DC)
Tenleytown Neighbors - Cathy Wiss (Commissioner 3F06)
DC Ward 3 - Council Member Mary Cheh

Tour of Fort Reno afterwards by NPS ranger

* Expected Duration: 30 minutes (Standing Event - No Seating Available)

Directions: Event is being held on east side of Fort Reno Park which is located across from Wilson SHS and next to Alice Deal JHS. From the intersection of Nebraska Ave and Chesapeake St, proceed up the hill at the SE corner of Fort Reno Park and look for the event. Access from the Tenleytown-AU Metro stop or street parking is available along Chesapeake St NW.

Discover the Location of DC's Highest Natural Elevation and how it influenced Tenleytown history

Each state is proud to have a natural high point elevation designation. Now so does DC - Point Reno!!! Through the survey efforts of the Highpointers Club and the DC Association of Land Surveyors, a marker has been installed at the National Park Service's Fort Reno Park in NW Washington. At an elevation of 409 feet above sea level, Point Reno is officially designated as the highest natural elevation in DC. Prior to the construction in 1860s of fortifications for the Civil War at Fort Reno to protect the nation's capital and the construction of a water reservoir system and towers in the early 1900s to serve DC residents and business growth, the highest natural elevation may have been around 430 feet.

Tenleytown - DC's second oldest neighborhood! Due to its high elevation, this area of DC has a long and rich history. From early Indian trails that preceded Wisconsin Avenue, to the tobacco trade of the 1800s, to the popular Tennally Tavern in the 1890s, Tenleytown was the crossroads of upper NW. With its commanding view of the countryside, in the 1860s Fort Reno became the largest of the Circle of Forts that protected the Union capital during the Civil War. The brick and stone water towers in the early 1900s at the Fort Reno site became well known icons due to their visibility. And the TV and radio towers surrounding the area moved in during the 1950s to take advantage of the higher elevation.

Coming Soon: A Heritage Trail Near You

Congratulations to the Tenleytown Historical Society which has successfully completed a Heritage trail celebrating the life and times of this historic community.

According to the Express:

The Washington D.C. Neighborhood Heritage Trails Advisory Committee on Tuesday OK'd a plan to create the trail. Jane Waldmann, a member of the heritage trail working group and board member at the Tenleytown Historical Society, said it should be completed in about a year.

CPCA Meeting on Downtown Growth 4/10

Thursday, April 10, 2008, 6:30 pm
Cleveland Park Library, Connecticut Avenue and Newark Street, NW

The Future of DC's New "Center City"

Richard H. Bradley
Executive director, "Downtown BID" (Business Improvement District)

Judy Scott Feldman,
Chair, National Coalition to Save Our Mall

Patricia Zingsheim
Associate Director, Revitalization & Design, DC Office of Planning and Program
Manager, Center City Action Agenda 08

Despite the economic slowdown, downtown Washington is humming, and city planners
and groups such as the "Downtown BID" (Business Improvement District) are
seeking ways to keep up the momentum. DC's new "Center City Action Agenda 2008"
targets the area north and south of the National Mall for major residential and
commercial development. This could become the next great economic engine for
the city. With the National Mall at the heart of this area, the Mall's urgent
need for coordinated planning, better access, parking and visitor improvements
can no longer be ignored by city officials or the Congress. The National
Coalition to Save Our Mall has called for a new "McMillan Commission" and a
vision for an expanded, 21st Century Mall, serving tourists, residents and
planned city growth. A Coalition-founded National Mall Conservancy has also been
started.

Movement on Klingle Road

The Examiner is reporting that Mayor Fenty and Ward 1 Council Member Jim Graham have earmarked $2 Million for infrastructure preparations in advance of an $11 Million rebuild of the east-west connection through Rock Creek Park.

Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh is supportive of the status quo, maintaining the bucolic form of the short stretch from the parkway to Woodley Road.

Proponents of the road include residents of Mt. Pleasant and Adam Morgan who prefer a more direct route to points west. Others include certain Cleveland Park residents who suggest that the chronic vehicular back-ups on Porter Street are more environmentally damaging than simply rebuilding and maintaining the road.

This will be interesting to follow going forward.

Woe is Me, ANC

DC Watch, the city-wide political discussion is often filled with interesting tidbits of information about the inner workings of the halls of the Wilson Building. This week's installment has an entry from ANC 3E Commissioner Anne Sullivan:

On March 18, I testified at Chairman Gray’s Public Hearing Roundtable on ANCs on behalf of the ANC 3E. A common complaint that was heard on all nights of the Advisory Neighborhood Commission testimonies was that the ANCs are not given “great weight.” I illustrated how this phenomenon occurred recently in ANC 3E when public land and development rights to part of the elementary school land and part of the library had been put up for sale over the objections of the ANC, and none of the resolutions passed by the ANC regarding this sale had been given any weight. I discussed that the land was being sold without the government’s going through proper evaluations and determinations (according to the DC Code) that the land was not needed for public use and could be spared to sell off to a developer.

I talked about Councilmember Cheh’s role in all of this, and I stand by everything in my testimony. The main part of my testimony begins around hour mark 1:50:00 of this video: http://www.octt.dc.gov/services/on_demand_video/channel13/March2008/03_18_08_COWLEG_4.asx, but the questioning by Council Member Cheh (Ward 3) begins at hour mark 2:01:40. I believe the councilmember exhibits outrageous behavior. I hope that standards of conduct are established in Council Chambers to prevent this type of abuse in the future.

So Commissioner Sullivan is firmly standing behind her allegations against Councilmember Cheh.

And now, the ANC 3E supporters are following a Clinton-esque repetition of the outrage:

The bullying here reminds me of the bullying Commissioner Sullivan
experienced from CM Cheh. It's virtually content-free and designed to
cow someone with inconvenient/damaging facts into silence, rather than
to bring new and more reliable facts to light.

Irony here?

ANC makes an Issue of Public Hearing

The City Council recently held its oversight hearings on ANCs. ANC 3F Commissioner Frank Winstead took the opportunity to post a portion or the proceedings on YouTube. As part of the video, Winstead made the following observation:

Councilmember Cheh unleashed her vast repertoire of lawyerly oral attacks upon Sullivan. Cheh sent a message to Commissioner Sullivan, ANC 3E and all the communities of Ward 3. What happens in the backroom of Suite 108, 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, the DC Council Offices of Mary Cheh is of no concern to the public.

The implication, of course is that ANC3E (with the concurrance of Frank Winstead) has some sort of "smoking gun" implicating Councilmember Cheh and Roadside Development in the oft-discussed Tenley-Janney PPP.

(Side note: This is the same ANC Commissioner with the public tagline "I’m Frank Winstead reminding you to help control the criminal population spay/neuter your lawyer today".)

The announcement by Winstead on the Tenleytown Listserv was met with some interesting comments:

As someone who was in fact cross examined by my SMD ANC rep at a
zoning hearing last Spring and was told in writing by another that
perhaps I should move to another neighborhood since I disagreed with
her I have no sympathy whatsoever for a member of an ANC that has
over the years taken umbrage at anyone who disagrees with them
despite presiding over meetings with an average attendance of about
20 people.

If you are going to put something in writing with such flimsy
evidence, especially unsubstantiated allegations that imply improper
behavior, you had better be prepared to answer questions about your
allegations.

As they say if you can't stand the heat you should get out of the
kitchen.

Good for CM Cheh for standing up for herself - she was elected by an
overwhelming majority of this Ward despite a vigorous campaign of
opposition from the small group of anti-growth activists who
dominate public meetings in our community and I hope she will
continue to appropriately assert that she does in fact represent
this community and forcefully push back against and the scurrilous
behavior of these same naysayers.

and

the ANC publicized its "causes for concern" document here, the
ANC engaged in what could charitably be called "amateur
lawyerlyness." An observer with a more jaundiced eye would call it --
were the target not a public official -- libel. It is hardly
surprising that the target of the misleading statements, a real
lawyer as it happens, took the author to task."

Marc Fisher on Wilson High School

Yay to the parents and neighbors of Wilson High School in northwest Washington, who are refusing to let the D.C. school system ignore concerns about a wave of violence that has hit the school since the city transferred dozens of students from the juvenile justice system and alternative schools into Wilson. With some new ninth graders now as old as 16 or 17 because they'd been left back several times, the school is suffering from a series of incidents in which older students have been harassing or assaulting younger students. Chancellor Michelle Rhee acknowledged the problem at a community meeting this week, and now the challenge to the system is to move out those kids who cannot behave decently and assure a safe environment for the great majority of students who are there to learn.

Another Pedestrian Struck on Connecticut Avenu

NBC 4 is reporting a hit and run at Connecticut Avenue and Nebraska Avenue this morning. The elderly woman struck has suffered life-threatening injuries.

UPDATE: The elderly pedestrian was killed in this incident according to updated reports on NBC4.com.

Biz Journal update on PPP

Jonathan O'Connell of the Washington Business Journal reports on the Tenley-Janney PPP>.

Kennedy Warren Rent Strike Ends

According to Jackie Spinner of the Washington Post, the rent strike, in place since June at the Kennedy-Warren in Cleveland Park, has ended.

Fisher on the PPP

A recent Blog entry by Washington Post Columnist Marc Fisher covers the Tenley-Janney PPP.

A small excerpt"

The city's late move raises questions about whether it has any intention of upgrading the Tenley Metro area or of following up on the Tony Williams administration's drive to lure more residents to the city.

Nor does this move bode well for the ability and determination of Mayor Adrian Fenty's government to stand up to small but loud groups of neighborhood activists who know they can block almost any effort to expand the city's tax base and provide better retail and other services.

Ward 3 for Obama

Ward 3 voters showed their numbers in the 2008 Presidential Primaries. With both the Democrat and republican delegates at stake, the numbers were as follows:

18,569 total votes (46.05 of the total registered voters in the ward)

Obama 10,268
Clinton 6,127
Other Dems 195

McCain 1,411 (62%)

More on the Disentigration of the PPP

As a follow-on to the discussion on the Tenleytown Listserv regarding the alteration to the RFP released by the city for the redevelopment of the Tenley Library parcel, documents were uploaded to the Listserv archives (a PDF link) by the ANC Special Committee.

The contributor noted the following observation about Councilmember Cheh's actions:


For the record, let me say that CM Cheh's stance on this project has been clear from the beginning, that I think her stance is based on ideology, and that I think she's entitled to take positions at odds with those of most of her constituents (just as most of her constituents are entitled to vote her out next election if they feel she's done that too often).

A simple reminder about the 2006 election in which Mary Cheh led a field of 9 candidates through every precinct in the Ward. A refresher from the 2006 Democratic Primary:


Precinct 30 (Janney School Polling Place)
Cheh 38.34% (240 votes)
Strauss 16.45 (103 votes)
Wiss 13.26 (83 votes)

Precinct 31 (St. Columba's Polling Place)
Cheh 36.13 (396 votes)
Rice 16.33 (179 votes)
Strauss 13.50 (148 votes)
Wiss 12.23 (134 votes)

Precinct 33 (Murch Polling Place)
Cheh 42.64% (498 votes)
Wiss 15.57% (183 votes)
Strauss 11.64% (136 votes)

And the 2006 General Election:

Precinct 30 (Janney Polling Place)
Cheh 509 66%
Conroy 255 33%

Precinct 31 (St Columba's Polling Place)
Cheh 927 70%
Conroy 387 30%

Precinct 33 (Murch Polling Place)
Cheh 1028 75%
Conroy 316 23%


One poster has summarized accordingly:

I do know that she won two bitterly-contested elections in which some of your confreres made the Akridge project a central issue. In fact, if I recall correctly, she won in every precinct in Ward 3, including the ones in our neighborhood. One might forgive her for believing that she had heard the community's voice on the subject.

The people had spoken, and yet ANC3E and its "Special Committee" have managed to subvert the will of the people in the name of keeping the library project on track. Given the success of the temporary library, why not go for a situation where there could be a better, new library, an accelerated Janney renovation AND a revitalization of the Tenley commerical district? This would be a far-sighted result, one that requires progressive thinking.

Tenley Library Update

As posted to the Tenleytown Listserv:

From: Edward Cowan

Construction of a new Tenley-Friendship branch of the DC Public Library has been severed from the proposed remodeling of the Janney Elementary School. As a result, it looks like ground-breaking for the new library will occur in late summer or autumn, with March 2010 a target date for opening the building to the public.

The Tenley branch was closed as antiquated and in need of replacement at the end of 2004. An initial design for a new branch, although paid for by DC Public Library, was rejected, one reason that the replacement process has dragged on so long.

Now, the Public Library's director, Ginnie Cooper, her staff and their architects are working on a new design and are optimistic that the building will be finished about two years from now. Allow some weeks for installing books, computers and materials and an opening towards the end of March looks possible, DCPL reckons.

Cooper and senior members of the Library's Board of Trustees and staff met with the deputy mayor for economic development and planning, Neil Albert, in mid-January. Cooper brought with her the chairman of the board, John W. Hill, and Richard H. Levy, chairman of the DCPL construction committee. As Albert knew, both men are well connected politically.

Albert, reminded of community frustration with the Tenley branch's being closed so long, agreed to sever the library from the Janney project so that it could be rebuilt with less delay. Albert's office had left open such a split in its request for bids, although it also contemplated—and was thought to lean towards—joint development, as originally proposed by the Roadside Development group.

The library sits on the southwest corner of Albemarle Street and Wisconsin Avenue NW. The school is its immediate neighbor to the west, on Albemarle Street. Roadside contemplated layering condo units on top of the library, with parking under the Janney soccer field.

That entangled the library project in many issues, such as "affordable" housing units, underground parking and shrinkage or relocation of the soccer field. Inevitably, some neighbors, including Saint Ann's Church, voiced objections.

Sorting all that out could take a couple of years, delaying construction of the new library. Such delay now seems to be avoided. Eric Scott, a project manager for Neil Albert, posted on the Web on Monday a declaration that any proposal for Janney must contemplate "independent development of the Friendship Library site. Any proposal that include[s] a development program that integrates the Library within the larger redevelopment footprint will no longer be considered responsive." (See http://tenley-janney.blogspot.com.)

The Public Library expects to finish the design by May. It is already looking for a construction manager, preparatory to inviting bids. It announced in December that it expected ground-breaking to occur in September. Officials said that could occur as early as August, or might slip to October.

The budget for the branch is $14,500,000, including books, equipment and materials. "We think that it is sufficient," Cooper said, "to build the library that we want to give the community."


These responses say it all:

"shortsighted, sad, anti-community building, waste of an opportunity."

and

"This community had such a wonderful opportunity to provide our people a great library and our children and improved school on a fast timetable with more capital than either project could accomplish along.
...
I have two children who, unfortunately, will now be forced to attend a school without enough space for its students and crumbling infrastructure. What even more depressing for me and other families in this community, is that our kids will graduate before they'll be able to check a book out of the library."

DDOT to try Pilot Visitor Parking in Ward 3

From ANC 3C:

DDOT is planning to meet with Ward 3 ANCs (at Feb. 19 ANC 3C public meeting) to discuss implementing a one-year pilot program in the ward. The pilot would provide residents on RPP streets one visitor parking pass to be used at any time, but presumably when parking restrictions are in effect and a visitor intends to stay beyond the 2-hour time limit. This pilot would replace the current program that allows residents in RPP zones to secure 2-3 week passes from the police station for a particular vehicle that will be parking beyond the 2-hour time limit.

The pilot would restrict the use of the pass to the relevant ANC boundaries. Residents on non-RPP blocks would not be eligible to participate in the program. Residents who needed more than one pass could secure a one-day pass from the police station. Use of the pass outside the relevant ANC boundaries would be ignored by parking enforcement and the applicable parking rules would be enforced.

This pilot is only for visitors to the ward and neighborhood and it doesn't
change the RPP rules for residents, ie., need for sticker on resident's
vehicle. The pilot also would not exempt vehicles parked for 30 consecutive
days from registration, inspection, and other DC rules applied to out of state vehicles.

The ANCs will hear the presentation on February 19th at Second District MPD, 7:30 PM

CPCA Pedestrian Safety Meeting

Recent urgent comments about pedestrian safety on the CP listserv prompted the Cleveland Park Citizens Association to make it the subject of our February 7 meeting at the CP Library (6:30 pm). DDOT has big plans for safety initiatives and Mary Cheh has introduced legislation to increase fines for violating crosswalks. But these solutions take time. Are there things we can do now? Here's your chance to find out what's in the works and to raise specific local issues with transportation planning and enforcement officials. Our speakers include: Mary Cheh, Ward 3 councilmember; George Branyan, DDOT Pedestrian Safety Coordinator; Jeff Jennings, DDOT Ward 3 Liaison; Andy Solberg, Commander, 2D MPD; and David Baker, Officer, 2D MPD.

Palisades Park Update

A recent announcement for an upcoming Palisades Citizens Association meeting mentioned as a primary discussion point the entrance to the Palisades Park:

This meeting will feature a discussion of design ideas for the Palisades Park entrance (and other neighborhood issues of concern) with Mayor Adrian Fenty, Council member Mary Cheh, and Department of Parks and Recreation Director Clark Ray.

Also, for those who have not received a copy of the newsletter, I am attaching a
link to the PCA website ( www.palisadesdc.org ), which features an excellent article by Mark Binsted on what can be done with the entrance to Palisades Park. In it, he updates everyone on DC¢s efforts to come up with a design, and discusses various options that have been discussed in the past as a way to jumpstart ideas and comment.

The post on the PCA Listserv prompted a few comments:

Now that we have more space why not have a one way u-shaped road going in and out of the parking area in a continuous loop and make room for more parking? Surely all this could be engineered with enough green space, planting, and built in traffic control to assure appropriate speed as well as lovely views, so that neighbors will not have to look at a parking lot. The temporary driveway built for the construction work shows the possibilities. There would seem to be plenty of room for better access, more parking, and some kind of square-like space.

I'm not sure I see the likely use of a basically empty, large green square on the Sherier Place side, since usually parents and grand parents want to be near where their children are, which will be up by the playground. Perhaps there is another group of park users who have been under-served by what we have now, who do not want to be near the play ground or the ball fields or the rec center, or out behind the rec center looking over to Virginia. It seems to be intended by the designers as a gathering place but I'm not sure there is a lot of demand for gathering there. The empty lot we have always had there (next to the torn down house) has always been used simply as a pass through to the recreational areas. If there is a group, perhaps older residents who do not want to go up the slight hill, perhaps the gathering space could be reduced somewhat so as to accommodate more other users of the park as well as improved traffic flow.

I can imagine that the large empty green squares so loved by the designer of the designs in the newsletter might be used, but I can also imagine that they wouldn't be used all that much, or wouldn't need to be quite so large to accommodate those who might use them. It's hard to know, but the parking would certainly be used, since the cars are already there most weekends.



Another option:

The main group of users that is actually underserved sometimes and potentially underserved at others is people wanting to use the park as recreational green space. While the improvements to the park are lovely, professional, and raise the standard of what constitutes a neighborhood park to new heights, one thing that is missing is space for general recreation. This might include children older than playground age playing soccer or football, but not in one of the leagues that seem to be able to and desire reserve the green space at a higher frequency than before. One of reasons parking has become an issue is that the park improvements have increased out of neighborhood traffic as our park is now a true city park, rather than a neighborhood park. It is desirable by all organized recreation groups and community use appears to be more difficult. While there are ways that the entrance can be improved to facilitate multiuse (benches on the sides, shrubbery to block parking, etc.,) it would be wonderful to increase the amount of open space that can be used on an adhoc basis. Has the idea of moving the parking lot closer to Sherrier, lining it with Leyland Cyprus (to hide it from residents), and then having the current parking used as open green space (two small for organized leagues, but just the right size for kids pickup) been considered?

Now that there is a wide open space in that area, it will be interesting what design and use ideas are floated and implemented.

Obama Rocks Ward 3

12,000 people tried to cram into Bender Arena at American University this morning to catch first hand the endorsement of Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) by the Kennedy clan. Some of the sites and sounds were eloquently captured by MetroBlogger Tom Bridge. The local angle was also captured by Washington Post metro reporters.

Chat with Cheh

This Saturday, January 26, Councilmember Mary Cheh will hold the first
in series of community events called "Chat with Cheh." Ward 3
residents are invited to Politics and Prose between 11:00 am and 1:00
pm to have coffee and talk with the Councilmember.

Wilson Ice Hockey

A great story and means to support the Wilson Tigers
Ice Hockey team.

Check out OnFrozenBlog for the whole story

"McKenzie coached, raised funds and fought for this team from its inception five years ago. But he never had the opportunity to coach Hill in high school or witness his team complete its historic transformation from private to public. Eleven months ago, at the age of 53, he died unexpectedly from pneumonia.

His death appeared to jeopardize the team's future. McKenzie had done so much to keep it alive, many wondered how it could survive without him."

Consider supporting this great, and very local cause.

Pedestrian Safety Town Hall

As prevously announced, Council Member Mary Cheh will be hosting a community town hall forum on pedestrian safety tomorrow, January 19, at the Second District
Police Station. The program will begin at 10:00 a.m. and conclude at noon.

Panelists will include the Director of the Department of Transportation, Emeka Moneme; the Director of Safety Programs for the Federal Highway Administration, Elizabeth Alicandri; the Executive Director of the Washington Area Bicycle Association, Eric Gilliland; the Policy Director for the Coalition for Smarter Growth, Cheryl Cort; the Project Manager for Toole Design Group, Colleen
Mitchell; MPD Second District Commander Andrew Solberg; MPD Assistant Chief and founder of the Multi-Agency Targeted Traffic Safety Sessions, Patrick Burke; and Traffic Officer for the Second District of the MPD, Anthony McElwee.

More on the Pedestrian Signal

A recent piece on NewsChannel8 aired some of the opinions regarding the Pedestrian Signal at Morrison Street and Connecticut Avenue in Chevy Chase. Spurred on by calls from the ANC Chair to oppose the signal. Fellow Commissioner Samantha Nolan, a public and pedesrtrian safety advocate in her own right made an appeal for support of the signal, arguing:

I do not believe a standard light will provide any safety to pedestrians at this intersection, and may lead to our first pedestrian death at this location. The accidents that have occurred at this intersection in the past prior to this new light's installation, were caused when cars and pedestrians were in the same place at the same time. That is what will happen when a green light tells cars on Morrison Street to go, and when the walk sign tells pedestrians to walk across Connecticut Avenue. Cars turning South or North onto Connecticut Avenue will run into pedestrians walking across Connecticut Avenue.

The currrent light has some problems that can be fine tuned, but the one thing it does not permit is for vehicles to go while pedestrians are walking. Throwing the baby out with the bathwater comes to mind here. The light is good and has done what it was made to do. It has problems that can be fixed with better lighting, signage, education and timing. DDOT's engineers are best at correcting those problems. We should wait and see what the study shows, and listen to what DDOT engineers have to offer as fixes for the current light, and not make demands that could cause more harm than good to our pedestrians.

While some posts on the listserv support the majority of the ANC, others suggest that simply removing the signal would be appropriate. One poster noted that if there were other signals like it in the city, it wouldn't be such a pariah. That is, of course, the point of this signal, to be a pilot for review and refinement for the city standard. This signal was installed as a pilot program to test a variation on a signal used in other cities, including Bethesda, Maryland.

Finally, one listserv contributor noted the possible impact that the ANC solution might cause:

Adding a third traditional three-color signal in such a short stretch of Connecticut Avenue may lead to major backups on Connecticut Avenue and overflow of commuters into side streets.

This poster cites Military Road as a recent example of ANC 3/4G traffic expertise. In that case, the ANC urged DDOT to reduce the main 4 lane arterial across the northernmost part of the District to two lanes, causing massive backups and significant cut-through traffic. Since its reconfiguration back to pre-2006 standards, the backups and cut-through traffic has subsided.

Pedestrian safety advocates from around the region have expressed concern that should the District abandon this pilot program, it will set pedestrian safety advances back for some time.

Tenley PPP RFP Garners 3 Responses

Per a DC Press release:


(Washington, DC) Three development teams responded to a District-issued solicitation to redevelop the 3.6 acre Tenley-Friendship/Janney Elementary school site in Northwest Washington.

“The Tenley site is a great opportunity to achieve some of our most important public policy goals: Building better schools, creating affordable housing and encouraging development at transit stations and along major transportation corridors,” said Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Neil O. Albert. “We are excited about the responses to this solicitation as we are just beginning to take a closer look at the proposals.

The proposals were submitted by development teams led by:

LCOR
Roadside Development & Smoot Construction
See Forever Foundation, partnered with UniDev, LLC

The development site, at the corner of Wisconsin Avenue and Albemarle Street, includes the former 15,000-square-foot Tenley library, which has been demolished, and the Janney School, which is slated for expansion.
The solicitation asked bidders to provide their vision for the site as well as explain how they would work with school and library officials to incorporate the respective uses.

While the deputy mayor’s office is still reviewing the proposals, the bidders generally offered proposals that focused on housing—ranging from about 120 to 170 units. Respondent teams also offered plans for incorporating the new library and for expanding and improving the elementary school.

The District anticipates inviting teams to present at a public meeting to be scheduled in February, at which time the teams would present their proposals to the community. The District anticipates selecting a development partner by the end of February.

Cheh responds to Pedestrian Saftey Discussion

As posted on the Cleveland Park and other neighborhood forums, Councilmember Cheh has called for a community meeting on Pedestrian Safety.

I would like to thank the listserv participants for this ongoing discussion about pedestrian safety. Many important and interesting ideas have been expressed, and I have carefully read what you have said. As you know I recently introduced legislation to raise substantially the fine for failure to stop for pedestrians lawfully in a crosswalk. However, more can and must be done. Given the importance of this issue, I am planning to hold a community town hall forum on pedestrian safety on January 19, 2008 at the Second District Police Station. I plan to bring together the Department of Transportation, the Metropolitan Police Department, and outside pedestrian safety experts to provide the community an opportunity to continue this important dialogue. I will provide more details as they become available. In the meantime, please be safe.

This is a great step to help educate the public on these important safety issues, and more importantly, give DDOT and MPD the message that Pedestrian Safety is paramount to making our community and city a better place to live. It will be interesting to see what outside experts are brought in to discuss this issue.

Palisades Park: An Update

A post on the Palisades Listserv reports the following with respect to the Palisades Park and Playground:

As we move into a new phase for the Palisades Park, Mary Cheh got the District government to appropriate $400,000 for park improvements to the park entrance, in this year's money. This is great news and hopefully can avoid another decade or so of not taking action -- and very heads up on our councilmember's part. (She also appropriated funding for the Palisades stormwater management study, as well as seed funding for Palisades Village -- two more excellent pieces of news for the neighborhood.)

At any rate, Cheh and Parks and Rec Director Clark Ray will be at the Palisades Citizens Association general meeting that will take place on the first Tuesday of February to talk about improvements to the park entrance and collect ideas and input from all comers. This is for February 5, 2008 at 7:30 pm, as always at the Rec Center.

The idea is to make this process as transparent as possible. As this email string illustrates, there are many different ideas and points of view, and the meeting can and should be a forum for civilized, polite discussion, and allow for this issue to perhaps be addressed more comprehensively than your friendly neighborhood listserve. I should also mention that as part of the park's bigger renovation, there were two detailed concepts/options developed for the park entrance lo these many years ago that were temporarily shelved when the save-the-house issue came to the fore. These have also been revived and will be discussed at the PCA meeting.

At any rate, now that there is funding another major obstacle has been overcome, and -- please come to the February meeting! And feel free to thank Mary Cheh for the wonderful news on all three programs for the Palisades.

PPP Delayed to January 4th.

DC Metro Urban Diary reports that the Tenley-Friendship PPP RFP has been delayed to January 4th, 2008.

It is a good read!

Another Pedestrian -------- Struck

The horrific news was posted on the Cleveland Park listserv that for the third time in recent months, a pedestrian was struck and killed in the Ward. I believe this is number 27 for the City -- an unacceptable condition.

(EDIT: Pedestrian was struck, treated and released from the hospital)

To help address the issue, Councilmember Mary Cheh recently announced legislation to beef up fines for drivers failing to yield to pedestrians:

My office is preparing a bill for the next legislative session that will amend the current laws and substantially increase these fines. In particular, failure to stop for a pedestrian in a crosswalk, currently a $50 dollar fine, will carry a $500 penalty..

This is all fine and good, but an increased fine doesn't help change the behavior or activity of drivers, and is surely no comfort to those who have lost loved ones in such a tragic way. DDOT recently unveiled a draft of their Master Pedestrian Plan. In Ward 3, the study looked at Wisconsin Avenue from the Cathedral to Western Avenue. The study suggests no fewer than 4 "Pedestrian Signals" along the corridor. I am not sure how this hardware is defined, but DDOT is testing a signal at Morrison and Connecticut which has proven successful in making an intersection safe for pedestrian crossings. At a recent ANC 3/4G Meeting, DDOT indicated that the signal has shown to be successful in that there have not been any pedestrian incidents since the signals implementation in March, 2007.

The ANC (of which 2 Commissioners live on an adjoining street) have been adament that the signal be transformed to a regular red-yellow-green light because of "confusion" at the intersection (nevermind that the signal was requested by the ANC under the banner of Pedestrian Safety). DDOT however seems to feel that for now, the testing should continue, albeit with some potential adjustments.

Given the risk that pedestrians are facing in city streets, it is probably high time to ensure that signals like this are implemented city wide poste-haste.

City Paper: Palisades Opposes Density

Erik Wemple of the City Paper reports on the recent ANC 3D meeting where developers received community input on a townhouse development proposal on MacArthur Boulevard. Writes Wemple:

The Palisades and Foxhall neighborhoods are lovely places. They’re in the city, but not really in the city at the same time. A bus takes them downtown without transferring (city amenity). They have nice yards (not-city amenity). There are restaurants and shops within spitting distance (city). Trees are everywhere (not-city). They live in bungalows and Tudor-style residences (not sure how to classify that one.)

Well, anyhow, residents of these high-priced hoods are flexing their non-city civic muscles these days, in opposition to a plan to locate 41 new town houses on a large property on MacArthur Boulevard...

If not a city, then where?

Cheh to introduce new Pedestrian Safety Law

According to local blog DCist, Ward 3 Councilmember Mary Cheh will be submitting legislation to stiffen penalities for failure to yield to pedestrians.

Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3) is hoping to change that. Cheh's office has announced that tomorrow she will introduce legislation that would mandate a ten-fold increase in fines for failing to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks. The legislation would also include installing better signage at District crosswalks stating that pedestrians have the right of way and listing the potential fine, which would be $500.

This is a great first step to a coordinated pedestrian safety plan for the city, but there is so much more to do.

Wash Post: BZA Approves Mass Ave Buddhist center

Per the Washington Post:

The D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment agreed yesterday that a two-story building being constructed by a U.S. Buddhist association on Massachusetts Avenue NW is a place of worship.

A group of residents who live near the Naval Observatory asked the city to appeal a decision this year by the zoning administrator that Soka Gakkai International-USA could build there as a "matter of right." The residents argued that the meetings held by the Buddhists were community meetings, not religious gatherings.

Under District zoning laws, a religious organization can build a place of worship in a residential area without asking for an exemption, which would be needed for a community center. Neighbors had contended that the building would create traffic and noise in the neighborhood several days a week.

CPCA hosts Grey and Cheh

Vincent Gray, DC Council Chairman, and Mary Cheh, Ward 3 Councilmember, will be the featured speakers at the Tuesday, December 4 meeting of the Cleveland Park Citizens Association. The subject is "One Year Later." A year ago, shortly after election, these same speakers spoke to the association about plans for the year ahead.

This will be a progress report as well as a look at the future agenda of the council and the city. The meeting takes place at the Cleveland Park Library, and begins at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome.

Palisades House is Demolished

The Jesse Baltimore House in Palisades was taken down yesterday. The 1925 Sears kit house was symbolic of the expansion of the District residential expansion beyond the downtown core. Palisades was built on one of the of the original streetcar lines, the house was right next to the designated stop in the neighborhood. The house was in government hands since the 1950's where it fell into major disrepair. Many neighborhood residents wanted to see the blighted house removed to make the entry way to the Palisades Park more inviting. It was the focus of debate and rancor for several years.

City Paper covers local Listserv incident

The City Paper shed light on a recent posting from Cleveland Park resident Bonnie Roskas on the local Pacel Plus store on the commercial strip.

Cheh on Wash Post Chat

Councilmember Mary Cheh is appeared on the Washington Post Live Discussion on Friday, November 16th. The subject: Fraud at the Office of Tax and Revenue.

Wash Post: Cheh helps Rethink eMail Policy

According to Yolanda Woodley, Councilmember Mary Cheh helped the District executive branch re-think the previous stated policy to delete emails after 6 months. According to the article,

Council member Mary Cheh (D-Ward 3), a law professor, called the mayor's six-month deletion policy "unreasonable."

Cheh recently met with City Administrator Dan Tangherlini and offered to help establish a policy that would not archive every e-mail.

"Just like we used to rely on regular mail to uncover misdeeds, now we have to rely on e-mails," she said. "People have to have confidence that we're not hiding things."

Connecticut Avenue Alert for Wednesday, Nov 7

DDOT advises motorists that use of one southbound (inbound) lane of Connecticut
Avenue, NW between Macomb Street and Ordway Street will be temporarily restricted from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, November 7, 2007.

The lane restriction is due to an event at the Uptown Theater at 3426 Connecticut Avenue, NW.

The District's Office of Motion Picture & Television Development, the Metropolitan Police Department and DDOT are coordinating the changes, and "Emergency No Parking" signs have been posted in the area.

Parking will be restricted on the west side of Connecticut Avenue, NW between Macomb Street and Ordway Street from 6:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.

Cleveland Park House Tour

Sunday, November 4th, 1-4 PM in Cleveland Park.

Whether you buy your tickets in advance, (a savings of $5 per ticket) or purchase them at the Cleveland Park Club (3433 33rd Place, NW) on Sunday, don't miss the opportunity to visit eight wonderful, fascinating and diverse homes in the Cleveland Park Historic District. Tickets for members of CPHS are $25.00, for non-members $30.00 when purchased on Sunday.

DC MUD on the Tenley PPP

The DC Metro Urban Diary has a recent entry on the release of the Tenley-Janney PPP RFP.

McLean Bible Church to the Uptown: Update

Jacqueline Salmon provides an update in the Washington Post to the issue of a large, suburban church's desire to use the Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park for Sunday morning services.

The comments in the follow-up to the article, as well as on the Cleveland Park
Listserv are pretty divergent and amazing.

Washington Post on Sears House

Sylvia Moreno reports on the Jesse Baltimore Sears house in Palisades.

Sibley Expansion Discussion Continues

From ANC 3D:

Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3D will hold a special/emergency meeting on Thursday, Oct. 25th at 7:00 p.m. in order to hear a presentation by Sibley Memorial Hospital on its plan revisions for a Medical Office Building and multi-story parking garage. The meeting will be held at Ernst Auditorium on the Sibley campus. No other ANC business will be conducted.

The special meeting must be held on short notice in order for the ANC to comply with a deadline imposed on the proceeding (Case 05-42), by the Zoning Commission. When the Zoning Commission met to vote on Sibley's proposal last spring, they decided neither to grant the hospital's application nor deny it, instead sending the hospital back to the drawing board to, among other things, reduce the size of the building. Zoning Commission chairman Carol Mitten left the door open for Sibley to re-file when it was ready, and specified that once the hospital filed revised plans the parties would have one week in which to file written comments. Sibley on Tuesday evening informed the ANC that it plans to make its filing this Monday, Oct. 19th.

The special meeting date of Thursday, Oct. 25th was chosen so that the commission may hear from the hospital and members of the public; determine how the revised proposal stacks up against the ANC's vote last December to approve a smaller MOB with a series of conditions; and file its comments by Monday, Oct. 29th. According to Sharon Schellin, secretary of the Zoning Commission, the case file is closed except for written responses from the parties. Sibley Neighbors for Responsible Growth, also a party to the case, has opposed the MOB entirely.

Woodley Park Day, October 20

Saturday October 20, Noon to 4pm.

The spot light is on the upcoming Woodley Park Day.

The newly formed Woodley Park Business Association (WPBA) is hosting and sponsoring the first annual Woodley Park Day, a fabulous day for celebration and entertainment.

Live music with the acclaimed Trio Caliente, delectable international foods from Woodley Park restaurants, a scrumptious buffet hosted by the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, diverse performances and demonstrations: creations of gigantic bubbles, mounted police, tour of the historic Perle Mesta suite, the famous K-9 dog demos, art exhibit, Moon Bounce for the youngsters, superb door prizes, and many more.

ANC 3E Special Meeting on Commerce Bank

From Chair Amy McVey:

Saturday, October 20, 9 am, Lisner Home, 5425 Western Avenue, NW

ANC 3E will convene a special meeting to discuss and possibly vote on the Public Space Permit Application for driveways and curb-cuts for the Commerce Bank on Wisconsin Avenue. We have invited and are expecting a DDOT engineer to attend so the community can get our technical traffic questions answered.

As you may know, we have requested an engineer be available at our two previous meetings but thus far, DDOT has not permitted one to be present. ANC 3E is working with Councilmember Cheh to arrange for a member of DDOT's engineering team to be at our meeting on Saturday.

The traffic engineers who first reviewed the plans recommended that the the request to develop this site as a drive-through bank be denied for various reasons such as compromising the existing service and emergency uses of the alleyway, the impact of adding several hundred vehicles into the small site affecting refuse collection, residential access and most seriously, emergency vehicle access.

DDOT issued a statment that "although the proposed use of the public alleyway for patron access could have some impact to the public access with elevated levels of daily traffic that may create some difficulty to the service and emergency vehicle access within the alley, and queuing into the alleyway, we have no objection to this application."

As the attorney for Commerce Bank and DDOT's Ken Laden acknowledged at our last meeting, there have been changes to the site plans which were originally submitted to DCRA and upon which the building permits were approved and issued in August. We have asked the Commerce bank attorney and DDOT for a copy of the most recent plans (7th DDOT submission)to be delivered to the ANC prior to the meeting as well as a copy be delivered to DCRA for a re-review by the Office of Zoning to ensure compliance with zoning regulations. This re- review is required when there are changes made subsequent to the
issuance of the building permit as has occurred in this case.

Soka Gakkai Continues to Draw Ire

Michael Neibauer reports on the continuing zoning battle between Embassy Row residents and the Buddist Temple slated to come in to the predominantly residential neighborhood.

Wash Post on the Tenley Library Demo

Elissa Silverman covers the tear-down of the Tenley Library building in this article.

Tregaron Clean Up Day

Please join us for the 2nd Community Clean-Up at Tregaron Estate
Sunday, October 14th
10 am to 2 pm*

We will meet at the gate on open Klingle Road.

Activities will include planting grass and flower seeds in the meadow, removing vines from the historic stone steps and waterfall area, and picking up litter.

Bring gloves and pruners. If possible, please bring one bag of leaves for us to use for erosion control.

Snacks & water provided!

*Rain date: Sunday, October 28th from 10 am – 2 pm