Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3F

North Cleveland Park & Forest Hills

web site: www.anc3f.org
P. O. Box 39290, Washington, DC 20016-9290
e-mail: anc3f@juno.com Phone: (202) 362-6120 Fax: (202) 686-7237
4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW ­ Room C08 ­ Washington, DC 20008

Annual Report for Fiscal Year 2001

(October 1, 2000 - September 30, 2001)

As authorized by DC Law 13-135, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3F submits this
annual report for FY 2001 to the Council of the District of Columbia and the Mayor.
In accordance with the law, the report summarizes the important problems perceived by
the Commission, Commission activities, the ANC's financial status, recommendations for
action by the District government, and recommendations for improving operations of ANCs.

Abbreviations used in this Report:

ANC= Advisory Neighborhood Commission
BCAC= DC Building Code Advisory Committee
BZA= DC Board of Zoning Adjustment
CFA= Commission of Fine Arts
DC= District of Columbia
DCPS= DC Public Schools
DCRA= DC Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs
DDOT= District Division of Transportation in DPW
DPW= DC Department of Public Works
FHCA= Forest Hills Citizens Association
HPRB = Historic Preservation Review Board
MPD= Metropolitan Police Department
NCPC= National Capital Planning Commission
NPS= National Park Service
OP = Office of Planning
PSC= DC Public Service Commission
UDC= University of the District of Columbia
WASA= DC Water & Sewer Authority

Important Problems

Protecting people who live and work in and visit our City against terrorism and its aftermaths.
Increasing the effectiveness of DC government's service and regulatory agencies, particularly DCRA.
Strengthening (a) enforcement of moving vehicle and parking laws, (b) automobile, pedestrian and bicycle traffic planning, and (c) METRO operations and use.
Strengthening support for environmental protection, enhancement and enforcement.
Strengthening enforcement of laws regarding construction noise and other nuisances.
Strengthening enforcement of laws regarding erosion control.
Amending Zoning Regulations to check "lot occupancy creep" and reduce storm water runoff.
Preserving and replacing street trees and trees on DCPS and City park lands.
Protecting tree canopy, including provisions for trees on private lands.
Improving DC Public Schools (DCPS) facilities.
Revitalizing Van Ness/UDC business district and strengthening planning for the Wisconsin corridor.
Maintaining and rehabilitating the University of the District of Columbia (UDC).
Lack of any representation in U.S. Senate and only non-voting Delegate in House of Representatives.

Recommendations for Actions to Be Taken by District Government

Infusing environmental considerations and neighborhood quality of life into D.C. Government decisions, including effective implementation of the law as to Environmental Impact Statements.

Coordinating traffic planning and enforcement by DPW and the MPD (as well as non-DC agencies).

Staffing all inspection and enforcement agencies (not just the MPD) at night and on weekends.

Recommendations for Improving ANC Operations

[None at this time.]
 

Financial Report

ANC 3F's bank balance was $12,021.19 on October 1, 2000, and $22,410.93 on September 30, 2001. ANC 3F submitted timely quarterly reports to the DC Auditor who approved release of all four quarterly allotments for FY 2001. DC Government paid those four allotments, totaling $15,151.47. In addition, the ANC increased the petty cash fund by $50 to $100 for incidental expenditures.

Disbursements during FY 2001 totaled $5,518.73, which was within our budgeted amount. Major ANC cost centers were staff services (including related taxes), telephone, public meeting space, postage, office supplies and office space. In addition, the Commission made two grants, of $797 to the Friends of Forest Hills Playground for a community bulletin board and $1,000 to the Friends of Pierce Mill.

Commission's Web Site, Community Input and Communications

The Commission's web site (www.anc3f.org) gives notice of and tentative agenda for future meetings and provides summaries of past Commission actions (including approved minutes of meetings and texts of resolutions and other documents) as well as links to other DC web sites. A map of the ANC and the Commission's consolidated by-laws are posted on the Commission's web site.

An Open Forum early in each business meeting lets community members raise new matters not placed on the formal agenda. Moreover, during discussion of each agenda item the Commission invited community input, including questions to speakers and comments on proposed Commission actions.

Issues raised by community members included concerns about

lack of enforcement of residential parking restrictions,
noise and erosion from Howard University construction,
erosion from construction at 3883 Connecticut Avenue,
marginal quality of products and services at the Van Ness Giant,
lack of sidewalks and drainage on Yuma Street and trash deposited there,
problem houses at 3721 Windom Place and 5007 Nebraska Avenue,
need for camera at Van Ness and Connecticut to catch red light runners,
placement of antennas on roof of Van Ness South building,
redistricting ANC and SMD boundaries.

Dates and Locations of Commission Meetings

The Commission held 14 duly noticed, public business meetings, with a quorum present at the dates, times and places shown in Appendix A, mostly on the third Monday evening of the month and at the Capital Memorial Seventh-Day Adventist Church (3150 Chesapeake Street); but one was at the Van Ness South Social Room (3003 Van Ness Street), two at the Washington Home and Hospice Center (3720 Upton Street), one at the Netherlands Chancery (4200 Linnean Avenue), and one at the Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church (3920 Alton Place). The ANC also co-sponsored the DCPS candidates' forum (on October 12, 2000, at UDC), the Ward 3 ANCs Traffic Summit (on May 14, 2001, at the Chevy Chase Community Center) and constituent meetings on ANC redistricting with ANCs 3E and 3C and with the respective citizens associations (at the Van Ness South Social Room and at the Broadmoor).

Summary of Commission Activities

At regular monthly business meetings, the Commission heard the following invited speakers:

Alfred King Fannie Mae Corporation
Kenneth Laden DPW, Division of Transportation
Philip Mendelson District of Columbia Councilmember, At Large
Peter Newsham Commander, Second District, Metropolitan Police Department (MPD)
Ellen McCarthy Deputy Director, Office of Planning
Herbert J. Huff Deputy CFO and Head of the Office of Tax & Revenue
Henry Riley Chief of the Real Property Tax Division
Kathy Patterson District of Columbia Councilmember, Ward 3
Gil Colston Manager, Friendship and Cleveland Park Post Office stations
Ed Martin Manager, Van Ness Giant
David Murphy National Park Service, National Capital Region
David A. Catania District of Columbia Councilmember, At Large
Mary E. Leary Executive Office of the Mayor

The Commission also heard applicants for government actions being discussed and their represenatatives.

The Commission reviewed and did not oppose a few new or renewed alcoholic beverage control licenses and entered into voluntary agreements with applicants. The Commission reviewed and did not oppose a few applications for permits to use public space.

The Commission established an Ad hoc Committee on Tree and Slope Overlays under co-chairs Cathy Wiss and George Clark. The Commission joined the D.C. Building Code Advisory Committee (BCAC).

On the ANC's behalf, designated Commissioners testified at legislative and oversight hearings of the District of Columbia Council and hearings of the Zoning Commission (ZC), Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA), Commission of Fine Arts (CFA) and Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), questioned witnesses before the ZC and BZA, secured pertinent legal opinions from the Office of the Corporation Counsel, negotiated with DC Government Departments and private companies and participated in the Ward 3 Traffic Policy Committee and other multi-ANC bodies and the BCAC.

The ANC adopted 30 resolutions, one report and two letters (posted on the ANC web site), including:

Opposing expansion plans of the Edmund Burke School, BZA Application No. 16611 (5-1-0 with 1 recused and 3-2-1 with 1 recused). Outcome: The BZA voted 4-0-1 to deny the application and its written order is pending.

Opposing proposed Zoning Map amendment, waiver of minimum acreage requirement and a planned unit development (PUD) of townhouses due south of Woodrow Wilson High School and the headwaters of Soapstone Creek in ZC Case No. 00-03 (7-0-0). Outcome: ZC unanimously declined to vote on the pending proposal, instead suggesting further changes (most significantly reduction in the number of units and environmental protections not assured by matter-of-right zoning.) [See next item.]

In ZC Case No. 00-03 [previous item], supporting a substitute plan for three pairs of semi-detached homes presented by a different developer (7-0-0). Outcome: ZC Order No. 921 (DC Register Nov. 16, 2001, page 10509) unanimously approved the substitute proposal for reasons stressed by the ANC.

Supporting a request that DPW/DDOT remove rumble strips from the 2800 block of Brandywine Street (7-0-0). Outcome: DPW/DDOT is awaiting relevant petition by the residents.

Opposing a Shipstead-Luce Act proposal to cut mature trees and construct a single-family home at the corner of Davenport Street and Broad Branch Road, facing the Grant Road entrance to Roack Creek Park in CFA No. S.L. 01-026 (6-1-0) Outcome: The CFA, after tentatively disapproving, approved the proposal.

Supporting historic landmark designation of the Owl's Nest, 3031 Gates Road (5-2-0). Outcome: The HPRB approved historic landmark designation.

Petitioning for redress of grievances against DCRA for denying meaningful notice of applications for raze permits (7-0-0) and, specifically, requesting denial of the raze permit for the Owl's Nest, 3031 Gates Road (5-0-1). Outcomes: The Corporation Counsel rendered a favorable opinion. DCRA held the raze permit application in abeyance, letting the HPRB act. The Inspector General did not respond.

Supporting installation of a traffic light at Nebraska Avenue and Chesapeake Street (7-0-0). Outcome: At the Ward 3 ANCs Traffic Summit with the Mayor, DPW/DDOT agreed to install the traffic light
.
Recommending no NPS test closures of Beach Drive (6-0-0). Outcome: NPS has not agreed to any test closure.

Opposing a proposed rule in ZC Case No. 01-10TA to facilitate BZA approvals of increases in lot occupancy in residential districts by special exceptions in more cases to the maximum percentages prescribed by the Zoning Regulations (7-0-0). Outcome: The ZC adopted the rule; and it asked the OP to review the entire issue by a report to be submitted at some unspecified date.

Supporting installation of All-Way stop sign at 32nd & Chesapeake Street (7-0-0). Outcome: DPW/DDOT installed the signs.

Supporting installation of traffic light at Wisconsin Avenue between Warren Street and Windom Place to be activated by the Tenleytown Fire House when responding to or returning from a call (6-0-0). Outcome: The DPW/DDOT, having determined that this request is not eligible for federal highway funds, has referred it to the Fire Department for consideration.

Supporting the Washington Home's application to the DOH for a certificate of need for four more hospice beds, additional to the current nine (6-0-0). Outcome: The State Health Planning & Development Agency in DOH approved the application.

Supporting proposed enhancements and alterations to the Forest Hills Playground (6-0-0). Outcome:

The Department of Parks & Recreation approved the privately-financed proposal.

Supporting a neighbor who appealed from DCRA's approval of building permits for a 4-story house in a 3-story zone based on DCRA's interpretation that "front" of the house in the Zoning Regulations means rear of this house (7-0-0). Outcome: Decision of BZA Appeal No. 16742 is pending.

Supporting a redistricting plan for the ANC and and its Single Member Districts (7-0-0). Outcome:

The Ward 3 Advisory Task Force included that plan with minor modification in its report which is pending before the DC Council.

ANC Office and Staff

The Commission's office and mailing address were and remain 4200 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Room CC08 (UDC Building 39) and P.O. Box 39290, Washington, DC 20016-9290. Elizabeth Norton was appointed ANC Office Administrator effective October 1, 2000, and served during that quarter of the FY.

ANC Members, Officers and Web Master

Commissioners and officers during 2000 and 2001 were as follows:

SMD                                           2000                                2001

3F01 Phil Kogan                          Treasurer                         Vice chair
3F02 Karen Lee Perry
3F03 Robert V. Maudlin              Secretary                          Secretary
3F04 David J. Bardin                   Chair                                Chair
3F05 Doug Mitchell                                                              Treasurer
3F06 Phil Heinrich (2000)
3F06 Cathy Wiss (2001)
3F07 Duane Fitzgerald (2000)      Vice chair
3F07 Lyn Oglesby, Ph.D. (2001)

Commissioner Maudlin served as webmaster. After the close of FY 2001, Commissioner Oglesby resigned effective November 14, 2001.

Individual Commissioners

In addition to the activities of the Commission, its individual members resolved issues of concern to constituents and provided input to the Mayor, D.C. Council, agencies of the District government, the Control Board and the U.S. Congress. As you know, Commissioners serve without compensation

This report, approved at the Commission's regular business meeting on November 19, 2001, is respectfully submitted by:
 

/s/ David J. Bardin
David J. Bardin, Chair
 


Appendix A: ANC 3F Business Meetings during FY 2001


Dates
Hours
 Locations Quorum
2000
Oct 11 7:35 9:36 Van Ness South Social Room 7
Oct 16 7:32 10:43 Capital Memorial Church 7
Nov 20 7:34 10:18 Capital Memorial Church 5
2001
Jan 16 7:33 10:27 Capital Memorial Church 7
Feb 20 7:34 10:51 Capital Memorial Church 5
Mar 19 7:35 10:05 Capital Memorial Church 7
Apr 16 7:34 11:05 Capital Memorial Church 7 
Apr 23 7:36 10:20 Capital Memorial Church 6
May 21 7:32 9:22 Capital Memorial Church 6
Jun 18 7:34 10:12 Capital Memorial Church 6
Jul 9 7:34 9:20 Washington Home and Hospice Center 5
Jul 30 7:33 ~ 10 Washington Home and Hospice Center 5
Aug 16 7:34 8:15 Netherlands Chancery 5
Sep 10 7:40 11:02 Wisconsin Avenue Baptist Church 7