MINUTES
ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 3F
NORTH CLEVELAND PARK, FOREST HILLS & TENLEYTOWN
PUBLIC MEETING

Capital Memorial Church
3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.  20008
Monday, April 19, 2004

1.    CALL TO ORDER [7:35 pm]
     Chair Perry called the meeting to order and, finding Commissioners Kessler, Maudlin, Bardin, Bernardi, and Wiss present, declared a quorum.

2.    AGENDA [7:36 pm]
    The proposed agenda, attached with brief reports, was approved 6-0-0 on motion of Chair Perry, seconded by Commissioner Bardin, after consensus to amend it to include consideration of an emergency resolution on proposed ball fields at Fort Reno National Park.

3.    MINUTES [7:37 pm]
    Minutes of the March 15, 2004, public meeting were approved 6-0-0, on motion of Commissioner Wiss, seconded by Commissioner Kessler.

4.    ANNOUNCEMENTS [7:38 pm]
    A.    Announcements by Commissioners:  
Commissioner Kessler announced that the District will be providing e-mail addresses and parking placards for ANC commissioners.
Commissioner Wiss announced that the DC Department of Parks and Recreation will be holding a community meeting on April 20, 2004, to show designs for new ball fields at Fort Reno National Park   The meeting will be at St. Columba’s Church, 4201 Albemarle Street, N.W., starting at 6:30 pm.  Commissioner Bardin  expressed concern that DPR is not keeping a lid on costs for this project, based on some of the ideas he has heard being considered.
Commissioner Maudlin announced that he has placed two handouts on the back table:  a new statement on how to obtain and care for street trees prepared by former Commissioner Rachlin, and documents on the Forest Hills Tree and Slope Overlay prepared by the DC Office of Planning and handed out at the March 31 single member district meeting.

    B.    Announcements by members of the community:
Ester Harder, representing the Capital Memorial Church, announced that the church would be holding its International Vegetarian Food Fair on the first Sunday in May (May 2, 2004).  The fair will be open to all members of the community.  The church needs volunteers to help serve.
    Gary Stevens of 3100 Chesapeake Street announced that the Forest Hills Neighborhood Alliance, of which he is president, will be sponsoring a Forest Hills History Day in the fall.  This will be a family event covering various aspects of Forest Hills history.  The tentative date is Sunday, October 24 from 1-4 pm at the Capital Memorial Church.
    
5.    OPEN FORUM [7:45 pm]
Jennifer Ellingston, a member of DC Health Care Coalition, announced that her organization has filed an initiative to rebuild DC General Hospital, the city’s only public hospital, which Mayor Williams closed.  The Coalition must collect 20,000 signatures to have the initiative placed on the ballot.  She circulated a petition.

6.    MPD SECOND DISTRICT REPORT [7:48 pm]
Commander Jeffrey Moore of the Second District discussed the new Police Service Area boundaries, to take effect May 2.  Under the new plan, the Second District will be somewhat smaller than before.  A new PSA 203 will be created from the southern part of PSA 201.  This will conform to much of ANC 3F.  Pat Marshall will be the new lieutenant for PSA 203.  He can be reached at 202-282-0053.  Lt. Aiello will remain the lieutenant assigned to PSA 202.  Both lieutenants will work with ANC 3F.  Fifteen officers will be assigned initially to PSA 203, but Cmdr. Moore would like to have 21 officers when staffing is at full strength.  He believes the new PSA 203 will allow officers to get to know the issues and community better.
Addressing questions about traffic enforcement, Cmdr. Moore stated that Lt. Burke conducts studies on where speeding cameras should be assigned.  Although the number of cameras is limited, the ANC may make a formal request to Chief Ramsey to have one assigned to a particular location.  Four officers and Sgt. Platt deal with traffic trouble spots, like the intersection of Connecticut and Nebraska Avenues, where a woman was killed recently.  Cmdr. Moore will ask that they monitor this intersection.  In response to a request by Commissioner Bardin for enforcement at the Sidwell/Hearst School student drop off point on 37th Street, Cmdr. Moore stated Officer Santos has written tickets there.  Many area schools employ off-duty police officers to help with school traffic.  Cmdr. Moore believes this is a good arrangement because it puts more officers on the street.  Commissioner Perry asked for enforcement of the “no standing, no parking” signs on Van Ness Street east of Connecticut Avenue.  She also asked for the traffic survey that was the basis of Lt. Eaves’ letter to the BZA in the Edmund Burke School case.  Doug Wonderlic of 3815 Alton Place, N.W., asked that the intersection of Albemarle St./Nebraska Ave./Grant Rd. be monitored for pedestrian safety.
Commissioner Maudlin commended the police on their arrests in the “white van case”.

7.    VOLUNTARY AGREEMENT WITH TRATTORIA LILIANA [8:21 pm]
The ANC approved, 6-0-0 (Maudlin/ Bardin), the attached voluntary agreement with Trattoria Liliana, 4483 Connecticut Avenue, NW.  This agreement modifies the current agreement, entered into with Trattoria Liliana’s predecessor, Café di Mamma, by extending the Class C liquor license to cover the 14 seats at the sidewalk café, removing the bar, reducing the days of operation from seven to six (Monday through Saturday), and changing the hours of operation to 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.

8.    BALL FIELDS AT FORT RENO NATIONAL PARK [8:23 pm]
The ANC approved, 6-0-0 (Wiss/Bardin), Resolution 04-12, requesting that the DC Department of Parks and Recreation submit to the ANC for review plans for ball fields at Fort Reno before seeking approval from the National Park Service.  Doug Wonderlic presented letters from the Tenleytown Historic Society and Tenleytown Neighbors Association requesting – unsuccessfully -- that the National Park Service conduct a master plan of Fort Reno.

9.    HISTORIC LANDMARKING OF DC FIREHOUSES [8:31 pm]
The ANC approved, 6-0-0 (Bardin/Bernardi), Resolution 04-13, recommending that the Historic Preservation Review Board deny historic landmark status to Engine 31 (4930 Connecticut Avenue) or any other working firehouse or EMS facility and urging passage of legislation delisting Engine 20 (4300 Wisconsin Avenue) and barring HPRB from listing Engine 31 or any other working firehouse or EMS station.

10.    PETITION FOR A SIDEWALK ON THE EAST SIDE OF 36TH STREET BETWEEN YUMA AND ALBEMARLE STREETS [8:35 pm]
Barbara Turnham of 4419 – 36th Street presented a petition signed by 50 residents representing 34 households requesting a sidewalk “along the eastern side of 36th Street between Yuma Street NW to Alton Place, NW and then in front of 4417 36th St. NW.”  She confirmed that members of all households abutting the proposed sidewalk had signed the petition.  She also presented a letter in support from the Sheridan School.  The ANC approved Resolution 04-14 (6-0-0: Kessler/Wiss), but agreed to rework it to clarify that addresses in the 4400 “block” of 36th Street are located on two physical “blocks” and that the requested sidewalk would be along one of those blocks and part of the other.

11.    WASA’S PROPOSED POLICY ON REMOVAL OF LEAD SERVICE LINES [8:48 pm]
Commissioner Bardin, a member of WASA’s Board of Directors, introduced WASA’s proposed policy to replace lead service lines in public space no later than September 30, 2010, which is twice as fast as EPA requires.  The policy was published in the DC Register on April 16, 2004.  Written comments will be received through May 28, 2004.  WASA also will hold public meetings to hear from the community, including one at the Chevy Chase Branch Library on May 3.  
Commissioner Bardin made available two articles on the health hazards of lead.  He noted that WASA is giving priority in replacement to households with young children.  WASA must also factor in whether a street is a “moratorium street”, that is one that DDOT has rebuilt within the last 5 years.  Commissioner Wiss commented that of the approximately 300 homes in ANC 3F with known lead service lines, a large number are in SMD 3F06, where many homes were built in the 1920s.  Because tests of some homes in SMD 3F06 showed elevated lead levels while tests of other homes built at the same time did not, she would like to request that WASA allow all residents of a block scheduled for line replacement the opportunity to verify whether their lines are lead.  
The ANC voted 6-0-0 (Bardin/Bernardi) to approve Resolution 04-15, after agreeing to an amendment proposed by Commissioner Maudlin that the work be completed before September 30, 2007, and an amendment by Commissioner Bernardi that the ANC “strongly recommend” this action to emphasize its urgency.
Commissioner Perry announced that WASA is also proposing a rate increase in addition to replacement of lead service lines.  Commissioner Bardin explained that after years of financial difficulties, WASA is now developing a rate plan to go along with a long-term reinvestment program of $1.8 billion over the next 10 years.  The board would like to raise rates gradually during this time, at about 5-6% per year.  The same comment period applies to the rate increase.  The board will decide the rate increase in September.

12.    LETTER SUPPORTING SIDWELL FRIENDS SCHOOL’S REQUEST FOR A CONTINUANCE IN BZA CASE NO. 17149 [9:18 pm]
The ANC voted to approve Letter 04-03 (6-0-0:  Perry/Maudlin).

13.    RECEIPT OF TREASURER’S REPORT FOR MARCH 2004 [9:22 pm]
Commissioner Kessler noted that in March the ANC received $281.25 from an allotment due in FY 2002 as well as the latest allotment for FY 2004.

14.    FY 2004 ANC BUDGET [9:25 pm]
After amending the category for “computer support” to say “webhosting/e-mail” and putting “publications” under ordinary expenses, the ANC voted to approve the proposed budget 7-0-0 (Bardin/Bernardi), with Commissioner Perry voting Commissioner Dennis’ proxy.  Commissioners Perry, Kessler, and Dennis will form a committee to evaluate office equipment needs.

15.    ADJOURNMENT [9:41 pm]
Chair Perry announced that the July ANC meeting might have to be rescheduled to allow time to take up the Forest Hills Tree and Slope Overlay before a tentative Zoning Commission hearing on July 22.  The meeting adjourned at 9:41 (6-0-0:  Perry/Bernardi).  The next regular business meeting of ANC 3F will be held at 7:30 pm on May 17, 2004, at the Capital Memorial Church.

Respectfully submitted,


Cathy Wiss
Secretary, ANC 3F


Attachments:

Agenda with brief reports
Voluntary Agreement with Trattoria Liliana
Res 04-12:  Request for ANC Review of Proposed Ball Parks at Fort Reno
Res 04-13:  Historic Landmarking of DC Firehouses
Res 04-14:  Sidewalk on the East Side of 36th Street from Yuma to Albemarle St.
Res 04-15:  WASA’s Proposed Policy on Replacement of Lead Service Lines
Ltr. 04-03:  Supporting Sidwell Friends School’s Request for a Continuance
Treasurer’s Report for March 2004
ANC 3F FY 2004 Budget