MINUTES
ADVISORY
NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 3F
NORTH
CLEVELAND PARK, FOREST HILLS & TENLEYTOWN
PUBLIC
MEETING
Monday January 10, 2005
Capital Memorial Church
3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20008
1. CALL
TO ORDER [7:33 pm]
Chair Perry called
the meeting to order and, finding Commissioners Kessler, Maudlin, Winstead, Gandhi,
Wiss, and Klibanoff present, declared a quorum.
2. AGENDA
[7:34 pm]
The agenda was adopted 7-0-0 (Chair Perry moving,
Commissioner Wiss seconding).
3. MINUTES
[7:34 pm]
The minutes of the November 15, 2004, meeting were
adopted 7-0-0 (Commissioner Wiss moving, Commissioner Klibanoff seconding).
4. PRESENTATION
BY DREW BECHER, DIRECTOR, DC DEPARTMENT OF PARKS
AND RECREATION [7:35 PM]
Mr. Becher outlined several management changes he plans
for DPR. In the next two years, he
intends to devise comprehensive landscape management plans for DPR
properties. At the moment, each park is
managed through several contracts, but the contractors do not work with each
other, and action is taken only when a crisis arises. Capital projects will be managed by government officials, not
contract managers. Finally, DPR will
develop its own agency master plan with community input.
Mr. Becher made a commitment to work with ANC 3F and the
community on the Hearst Playground.
After meeting with the Hearst Recreation Council and several ANC 3F
commissioners in early December, he divided the work into two projects. Phase I, which covers the lower playground
area, will be completed with minor modifications. The backstop will have a smaller base of concrete or drainage
pavers. The benches have been
removed. DPR will hire a hydrologist to
look at the drainage problems on the playing field. The landscape architect has been dismissed from the project. A new landscape architect, Lee and
Associates, has been hired for Phase II, which covers the north end of the
playground. Mr. Becher hopes to make
the upper playground more inviting and will meet with the community within 60
days to work toward this. He responded
to questions from Roger Myers of 35th Street, Barbara Beelar of
Tilden Street, and Jonathan Sade of Rodman Street. The budget for the work at Hearst is roughly $850,000, about half
of which has been encumbered.
Mr. Becher agreed to return to ANC 3F and ANC 3C to give
updates on a monthly basis if needed.
He is willing to meet with Ward 3 ANC commissioners on a periodic basis
to discuss common issues. In response
to a question from Commissioner Perry about an unauthorized construction
vehicle parked in the lot of the Capital Memorial Church for four days, he
noted that it apparently belongs to the Chevy Chase Little League, which was
working on the Forest Hills Playground without building permits or permission
from DPR.
David Janifer, Capital Projects Supervisor, mentioned
that he is working on a narrative to explain all aspects of the work at Hearst.
5. ANNOUNCEMENTS
[7:54 pm]
A. Announcements by Commissioners:
Commissioner
Wiss announced that on January 26 there will be a public workshop for Wards 3
and 4 on revising the DC Comprehensive Plan.
The meeting will be held at the Paul Public Charter School, 5800 – 8th
Street, N.W., from 6:00 to 9:00 pm.
B. Announcements by members of the community
[7:56 pm]:
Barbara Beelar announced
that the Cleveland Park Citizens Association will be holding a forum on the
role of the ANCs at the Cleveland Park Library on January 11, 2005, starting at
6:30 pm.
6. OPEN
FORUM [7:59 pm]
Henry Guyot of the 4100 block of 38th Street,
noting that ANC 3C had passed a resolution asking American University to alter
its signs at the Greenberg Theater at 4200 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., asked ANC 3F
to consider passing a similar resolution.
Roger Myers talked about his concern that goals for the
revised Comprehensive Plan have already been set before any community
involvement. He also noted that little
has been accomplished at the Hearst Playground with the approximately $425,000
already spent or committed to improvements.
7. MPD
SECOND DISTRICT REPORT [8:02 pm]
Officer LoConte of PSA 203 gave the police
report. He stated that crime in this
area has gone down since last year.
Most crimes in ANC 3F are property crimes, many of which can be avoided
by locking doors and using burglar alarms.
The detectives handle issues like the two suspicious fires at The
Brandywine Apartments in a single day, mentioned by Commissioner Winstead. Patrols have been stepped up in the alley
behind the 4200 block of Connecticut Avenue, although Commissioner Perry said
that cars are still parking illegally there.
The police are still receiving complaints about the car wash in the 4400
block of Connecticut Avenue.
Some PSA 203 personnel have been
reassigned, including Lt. Lucas. Lt.
George has replaced her. To find out
how to reach Lt. George, call 282-0070, the main number at the Second District.
8. ELECTION
OF ANC 3F OFFICERS FOR 2005 [8:14 pm]
Commissioner
Kessler was elected Treasurer, 6-0-1 (Commissioner Gandhi moving, Commissioner
Perry seconding, and Commissioner Kessler abstaining).
Commissioner
Winstead was elected Secretary, 6-0-1 (Commissioner Wiss moving, Commissioner
Gandhi seconding, and Commissioner Winstead abstaining).
Commissioner
Maudlin was elected Vice Chair, 6-0-1 (Commissioner Perry moving, Commissioner
Kessler seconding, and Commissioner Maudlin abstaining).
Commissioner
Perry was elected Chair, 6-0-1 (Commissioner Kessler moving, Commissioner
Maudlin seconding, and Commissioner Perry abstaining).
9. PLANS
FOR HEARST RECREATION CENTER [8:17 pm]
Jackie Stanley, Capital Project Specialist for DPR,
stated that the Temple Group is managing the project. They have not been terminated, but some subcontractors have been
replaced. Roger Myers suggested that
the charts be recorded electronically for dissemination by e-mail. Barbara Simons of Linnean Avenue asked about
the benches. Ms. Stanley replied that
they will be put back, but not in the same place. Martha Black of Quebec Street requested that the sledding slope
by the tennis courts be cleaned up before the first snow. She also asked why nothing had been done about
violations of the tree protection plan.
Barbara Beelar stressed that DPR had not monitored the tree protection
plan, nor had there been a review by an arborist. She asked how the damage to date will be remedied and what
additional protections will be implemented.
Linda Komes of Rodman Street noted that even though DPR plans to hire a
hydrologist to look at the drainage problem on the lower field, more must be
done to ensure that the proper slope is provided. Ms. Stanley agreed to provide a written update on the trees and
to get a response about the lower field.
She expects the Phase II construction plans to be available in four to
six weeks.
10. APPLICATION
OF HILLWOOD MUSEUM AND GARDENS FOR A VARIANCE TO MODIFY OPERATING CONDITIONS OF
PREVIOUS BZA ORDERS [8:35 pm]
Fred Fisher, Executive
Director of Hillwood Museum and Gardens, Allison Prince of Shaw Pittman, and traffic
consultant Marty Wells of Wells and Associates represented Hillwood. Mr. Fisher stated that the museum last went
to the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) for changes to its operating conditions
almost ten years ago. Its most recent
BZA order, in 1997, concerned only facility enhancements. The museum is requesting changes to its
operating conditions now because it must accommodate a substantially larger
number of staff, visitors, volunteers, and members. The museum wishes to continue providing parking for all on site,
but would like to have the flexibility to respond to greater demand in the
spring and fall, to extend its special programs, and to provide more family and
student programming in the evenings and on weekends. For this reason, it would like to change from a maximum daily
head count to a maximum vehicle count. Last
spring, Hillwood hosted two meetings for its closest neighbors and ANC
commissioners. Two more meetings for
the larger neighborhood followed, including an SMD 3F07 meeting. After these meetings, Hillwood began working
on an agreement with seven families residing within 200 feet of the
museum. The families agreed to a
vehicle count rather than a visitor count.
In response to their concerns, Hillwood agreed to reduce the number of
evening and Sunday events requested. For
overflow parking for special events, Hillwood will use the parking lot at the
Embassy of the Netherlands. Hillwood has signed the agreement, and the
families are in the process of signing.
Marty Wells pronounced this a “terrific agreement”.
Robert Axelrod of
Tilden Place spoke for the seven families who had worked on the agreement and
provided a map showing the properties of the signatories. Although this group reached out to the wider
neighborhood, most residents were content not to be involved or supported the
original proposal. Mr. Axelrod is
unaware of any opposition to the agreement.
He believes the agreement meets Hillwood’s needs and the concerns of the
neighbors. The major issue for the
neighbors was ingress and egress of traffic to the property. Under the agreement, traffic will be
directed to travel on Tilden Street and Linnean Avenue, not Upton Street. The agreement provides that Hillwood will
not seek a substantial change to its operating conditions in the next ten years
without the consent of the neighbors.
Karen Foreit of
Linnean Avenue pointed out that the agreement contains limits on the number of
buses that may visit the museum and restrictions on the number of cars that may
queue up on the street. Hillwood will
monitor traffic with a camera. If the
queue exceeds three cars or if a crowd is expected, the gate attendant will be
stationed well inside Hillwood’s property so that the queue will not block
residents’ driveways. Hillwood has
already implemented many of the changes.
To monitor compliance, Hillwood maintains vehicle logs, which it has
shared with the neighbors. The
agreement provides for fines for infractions and conveys with the properties of
the signatories.
No one spoke in
opposition to the agreement. Chair
Perry announced that the ANC would vote on this issue at a special public
meeting on January 17, 2005, because the community had not had seven days’
notice that this item would be on the agenda.
11. REQUEST TO THE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS
AND RECREATION TO SET UP A FORMAL MECHANISM TO NOTIFY ANCS OF PLANNED ACTIONS [9:13
pm]
Commissioner
Kessler, seconded by Commissioner Klibanoff, moved adoption of Resolution 05-01,
seeking timely notice of DPR actions to ANCs, because of the confusion over the
Hearst Playground. Commissioner Perry
stated she is unclear about the distinction between a capital improvement,
which would be subject to this requested reporting requirement, and routine
maintenance, which would not. She asked
why the resolution is not simply asking for a list of planned projects, like
the list of building permit applications DCRA provides to ANCs. Commissioner
Wiss moved to substitute language in the first resolution clause that notice to
ANCs would apply “with respect to public improvements to take place within
their commission areas” and to identify DC Code Section 1-310, cited in the
first whereas clause, as the ANC Act.
In accepting this motion as a friendly amendment, Commissioner Kessler
moved to clarify that the subject actions would be “both by the agency and its
delegatees”. In response to a question
from Commissioner Maudlin about the content of subsection (b) of Section 1-310,
to which the first whereas clause referred, Commissioner Wiss moved a friendly
amendment, which was accepted, to drop a footnote quoting subsection (b). Commissioner Wiss then moved a friendly
amendment, which was accepted, to delete the second whereas clause as over
broad. She noted that the gist of this
clause was covered in more narrow terms in the fourth whereas clause. Commissioner Maudlin, seconded by
Commissioners Wiss and Gandhi, moved to delete the second resolution clause,
which requested that DPR put on hold all proposed actions until a reporting
mechanism is adopted. This was accepted
as a friendly amendment. Commissioner
Perry moved to substitute a shorter resolution simply citing the ANC Act and asking
that DPR, working with the ANCs, develop a mechanism for notification in a
timely fashion. This motion was not accepted as a friendly amendment and failed
for lack of a second. Commissioner
Maudlin then moved that Resolution 05-01 be tabled until the February ANC
meeting. This motion, too, was not
accepted as a friendly amendment and failed for lack of a second. Commissioner Gandhi moved, seconded by
Commissioner Perry, to strike “and if most if not all ANCs” from the third
whereas clause. The motion passed,
6-1-0 (Commissioner Kessler opposed).
Commissioner Gandhi agreed to have his name added to the designated
commissioners in the final resolution clause.
Resolution 05-01 was adopted as amended, 7-0-0.
David
Frulla of Tilden Street said he has some ideas he would like to share about
this issue. Roger Myers thanked the ANC
for its effort in turning around the situation at Hearst.
12. TREASURER’S
REPORT FOR NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 2004 [9:54 pm]
Commissioner Kessler handed out the treasurer’s report
and noted that this is based on an interim budget because the DC Auditor has
not yet allocated the ANC’s FY 2005 allotment.
He explained that the budget authorizes expenditures on routine items
like room rental for ANC meetings. The
DC Auditor has accepted the ANC’s quarterly report for the 4th
quarter of FY 2004.
13. ANC 3F PARTICIPATION IN ANC SECURITY FUND
[10:02 pm]
The Commission approved Resolution 05-02, authorizing participation
in the ANC Security Fund, 7-0-0 (Commissioner Kessler moving, Commissioner
Gandhi seconding).
14. CONTINUATION
OF ANC BANK ACCOUNTS [10:06 pm]
By a vote of 7-0-0, the Commission approved Resolution
05-03, authorizing it to continue using the Bank of America for its bank
accounts (Commissioner Kessler moving, Commissioner Wiss seconding).
15. DATES OF ANC 3F MEETINGS DURING 2005 [10:07
pm]
After a discussion of the need to hold a special meeting
on January 17, 2005, the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday and the lack of
alternative dates, the ANC voted 6-1-0 (Commissioner Perry moving, Commissioner
Gandhi seconding, Commissioner Winstead opposed) to adopt the following meeting
dates in 2005:
January
17 (special meeting)
February
22
March
21
April
18
May
16
June
20
July
18 (if needed
August
15 (if needed)
September
19
October
17
November
21
December
19 (if needed)
All meetings will be held at
the Capital Memorial Church, 3150 Chesapeake Street, N.W., unless otherwise
noticed.
16. ADJOURNMENT
[10:24 pm]
The meeting adjourned, 6-0-0 (Commissioner Gandhi moving,
Commissioner Winstead seconding). The next public meeting of ANC 3F will be a
special meeting on January 17, 2005, at 7:30 pm, also at the Capital Memorial
Church.
These
minutes were approved 6-0-0, with a quorum present, at a duly noticed public
meeting of ANC 3F on February 22, 2005.
Respectfully submitted,
/s/ Cathy Wiss
Cathy
Wiss, Secretary
Attachments: