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ANC3D MINUTES – APRIL 5, 2006 MEETING On April 5, 2006 at 7:00 PM, the regularly scheduled monthly meeting of ANC3D was called to order by Chair Jill Stern. Commissioners present: Mullane, Stern, Gates, Haas, Heuer and Thompson. Commissioner Shapley was absent with notice. There were about 30 people in the audience. 1. Police Report – PSA 205 1.1 Officer Tony McElwee presented the monthly police report. There were 35 crimes in PS205. He is continuing with “Operation Centipide” to patrol for speeders on Canal Road. On one date in March he was seeing a violator every 2-1/2 minutes. 1.2 Commissioner Thompson asked about measuring speeds on Dalecarlia Parkway. Police patrol on the northbound side occasionally but there is nowhere to park a cruiser to measure southbound speeds. Officer McElwee said he can request an LCD sign that reflects the speed back to the driver and captures aggregate data. 2. Community Concerns 2.1 Michael Putzel of Spring Valley talked about his neighborhood’s effort to preserve Spring Valley Park, a woodland area behind 49th Street between Quebec and Fordham. For some time they’ve been unable to get city funding for the park, but recently Leslie Schill of the Department of Parks and Recreation said they’re “next up” for treatment by a multi-agency task force. They will hold a spring clean-up on Saturday, May 6th at 9am. 2.2 Bernie Horn of 4845 Reservoir Road said he wanted to flag for the Commission a developer’s plan to build 16 parking spaces off a steep alley behind Reservoir Road below MacArthur Boulevard. Property owner Joseph Zorc owns an apartment house at 4840 MacArthur that is in the process of being converted into condos. Some of the spaces may be set aside for the condos with others for sale or lease. Horn said that establishing the spaces will require cutting down a dozen large trees and building a retaining wall as high as 15 feet. Commissioner Gates will look into the situation with assistance from the ANC Zoning Committee if needed. 2.3 Kent Slowinski spoke about the Potomac River Watershed Cleanup scheduled for April 8th. This is sponsored by the Alice Ferguson Foundation. 3. Resolution to Oppose Closing of Key and Mann Elementary Schools 3.1 Commissioner Mullane moved onto the agenda for consideration a draft resolution to oppose the closing of either Francis Scott Key or Horace Mann Elementary amidst a citywide effort to merge some public schools and close others. 3.2 Principals David Landeryou and Elizabeth Whisnant, of Key and Mann schools respectively, spoke in support of a draft resolution circulated by Commissioner Mullane, said that under proposed new policies all elementary schools would have to have a minimum of 320 students. Mann, with 227 students currently, is making maximum use of a building whose capacity is 218. Key is at 290 students this year with an expected next-year enrollment of 320. 3.3 Commissioners noted that any effort to consolidate school buildings shouldn’t come at the expense of quality schools, which both Key and Mann are. 3.4 To keep both schools open commissioners made various recommendations such as enlarging Mann; changing the policy to permit more flexibility for smaller elementary schools so the youngest students can attend school close to home. Whisnant said she believes that city officials have already made a decision to give up any extra financial support for small schools. 3.5 Commissioner Stern made a motion to adopt the resolution with some changes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Mullane. The vote was 6-0 in favor. A copy of the resolution shall be sent, individually-addressed, to the Mayor, Ward 3 Councilmember Kathy Patterson, Superintendent Janey and the Chair of the School Board. 4. Presentation of Department of Parks & Recreation Concerning Palisades Park Recreation Center 4.1 DPR Ward 3 Representative Jackie Stanley wanted to provide an update on new fields construction planned for Palisades Park, however she was ill and unable to attend the meeting. In her place, Commissioner Gates in whose single member district the park is located, read a quick status report prepared by Ms. Stanley. 4.2 The park upgrades are in the permitting stage now, with permits expected mid-May. This should mean a June start date, with the fields usable as is until May 15th. 4. Consideration of a Public Space application by the owners of 3001 44th Place for a double retaining wall in public space where the walls together exceed 42 inches. 4.1 This property is in Commissioner Mullane’s district. 4.2 Mr. Ahamed, the property owner, explained that he and his wife bought the property next to their own and split it up among the three adjacent property owners (the Ahameds are on a corner). In their section they are building a pool and a pool house. 4.3 They want to join their existing retaining wall across the new lot frontage along 44th Place. The first tier of the retaining wall is about 2 feet high; the second is about 3 feet high. Separately there is a requirement for a 5-foot barrier around any lot that has a pool. So the Ahameds also wish to add roughly a two-foot iron fence on top of the interior of the two retaining walls on both Hawthorne and 44th Place. 4.4 Nine neighbors at various addresses signed a letter in support of the retaining wall. 4.5 Commissioner Thompson noted that she, Commissioner Heuer, and George Watson of the ANC Zoning Committee visited the site and believe the Ahameds’ plan is a good one. Mr. Watson spoke strongly in favor of it. 4.6 Commissioner Mullane moved to check off the “no objection” box on the Public Space application. Commissioner Thompson seconded. The vote was 6-0 in favor. 5. Consideration of a Public Space application by the owners of 2427 Chain Bridge Road for the purpose of constructing a driveway and apron for a new single family dwelling (and removing a tree). 5.2 This property is in Commissioner Gates’ district. The property owner was not present. 5.3 Commissioner Gates said this driveway and apron are necessary and that the owners will use somewhat pervious materials. She said they did remove a large tree and she would like to see the tree replaced. 5.4 Commissioner Gates moved to check off the “no objection” box on the Public Space application with a note that the tree should be replaced. Commissioner Mullane seconded. The vote was 6-0 in favor. 6. Proposed Dedication of Land for a Public Street and establishment of a Building Restriction Line in Square 1346 – S.O. 06-9108 6.1 Commissioner Haas moved onto the agenda for discussion and comment a proposal by Phillips Park’s consulting engineers, Greenhorne & O’Mara, to create additional right-of-ways for Phillips Park’s development at 2101 Foxhall Road. 6.2 Commissioner Haas noted the letter was addressed to the incorrect commissioner (Commissioner Heuer) and arrived to her just days before the meeting. As she had little time to look into the relationship of this proposal to conditions attached to the property in the BZA process, she proposed a resolution requesting a 30-day delay on any action. 6.3 Commissioner Haas proposed a resolution requesting a 30-day extension. Commissioner Gates seconded. The vote was 5-1-0 with Commissioner Heuer voting against. 7. WMATA Proposed Elimination of Selected Metrobus Service (Docket B06-2) 7.1 Chairman Stern introduced discussion of WMATA proposals to trim or eliminate weekend and/or late night service on the N8 and N6 bus routes, both of which serve the Spring Valley – Wesley Heights area. Commissioner Shapley was to have led discussion on this item but was unable to attend the meeting due to an emergency. 7.2 Chairman Stern note that WMATA is in the midst of public hearings that could result in a) discontinuing Saturday-Sunday service by the N8 (Van Ness – Wesley Heights Loop Line); and b) cutting off Saturday-Sunday service after midnight for the N6 (Massachusetts Avenue) bus. 7.3 Commissioner Thompson noted that the D6 (Sibley Hospital – Stadium – Armory) route was also under consideration for cuts to Friday – Saturday service after midnight. 7.4 Commissioners agreed that with public hearings due to conclude by the end of the week, if the commission wanted to pass a resolution it must do so now. A resolution was crafted to oppose any cutbacks to WMATA service that would reduce access to Metro trains. 7.5 Chairman Stern proposed the resolution as agreed in the discussion. Commissioner Heuer seconded. The vote was 6-0-0. 8.0 Commission Updates 8.1 Commissioner Thompson provided an update on Sibley Hospital’s plans for a medical office building and parking garage. She reminded the Commission that at the time hospital COO Jerry Price briefed the commission in March, all parties expected the Zoning Commission to consider setting down the application at its March meeting. But the Office of Planning did not complete its preliminary report in time so the meeting was put off until April and is now expected on April 20. 8.2 Sibley has yet to share some basic information relating to traffic impacts, such as the total number of expected trips per day to and from the office building. Earlier in the week the hospital held a meeting with the working group to focus on traffic but very little information came out of it. 8.3 Commissioner Thompson said she has heard from the hospital and DDOT that the Zoning Commission will not schedule the case until the fall. Once the application has been set down, Sibley will then file its pre-hearing statement. The pre-hearing statement is what prompts the Zoning Commission to set a hearing date. 8.4 Commissioners agreed that rather than have Sibley before the commission again in May -- given that the Zoning Commission will not hear the case until the fall -- it makes more sense to have them back in June. 8.5 This will allow the commission to reschedule Zoning Administrator Bill Crews for May. He had been scheduled to attend this meeting but cancelled due to illness. 8.6 Prior to the June meeting the commission will prepare a list of items it wishes to have Sibley address; for instance the model, the intersection of Dalecarlia and Loughboro, additional traffic statistics and signage. 8.7 Commissioner Gates provided an update on the Board of Zoning Adjustment’s consideration of Chain Bridge Road Theoretical Lots Subdivision. The case is scheduled to be heard starting April 11. Commissioner Gates said it has not changed any since the commission last reviewed it in January. It is still 13 houses. 8.8 Commissioner Gates asked for discussion concerning the appropriateness of sending a letter to the listing agent for 4815 Dexter Street, N.W., where the owner appears to have decided to sell the property after building a large retaining wall and then being turned down for a permit from the Public Space Committee. 8.9 Commissioners decided the chair should send a cover letter along with the Office of Public Space permit denial letter to the listing agent for the home. 8.10 Commissioner Gates noted the BZA has released its opinion in the Economides retaining wall case. The neighbors’ appeal was successful but the BZA proposed no remedy. She noted final arguments were heard in the Lab School case. 9.0 Commission Business 9.1 Minutes were discussed, and some corrections offered, for the February 15th Special ANC Meeting and the March 1st Monthly Meeting. 9.2 Chairman Stern moved to accept the minutes with amendments. Commissioner Heuer seconded. The vote was 6-0-0. 9.3 Treasurer’s Report accepted. Respectfully submitted Rachel W. Thompson Secretary |
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