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.