Advisory  Neighborhood   Commission  3F FOREST HILLS & NORTH CLEVELAND PARK

Meeting called to order at 7:45pm by Chair Doug Mitchell. Other commissioners present were Bardin, and Maudlin. A quorum not being present, the Chair began with non-action items until the arrival of Commissioner Perry as noted below.

Announcements - Margery Rachlin reported on the City's planting of trees along Connecticut Avenue.

Open Forum - Ms. Mary Dywer of Van Ness East said that there are still problems with construction start up before 7am on the campus of Howard Law as well as the need for a promised yield sign at the circle. Commissioner Mitchell said he is working with Mr. Gary Mummer on the issue of the illegal early construction start time on Howard Law campus and the yield sign is scheduled to be placed.

A resident said that a gate, which is only to be opened on specific days at Howard is always open. Chair Mitchell said he would talk to the Law School about this problem.

Ms. Dywer said that there is a lot of congestion on Van Ness Street. She wanted to know who she should contact to have parking restricted to one side of the street. Chair Mitchell said the DPW would be the appropriate agency, but the ANC would need to present the issue to the community first to hear all views on any parking restrictions.

Chair Mitchell said there would be a representative from the State Department to address issues of parking near the embassies, which are being built, on Van Ness.

A resident asked about school buses being parked illegally in the alley near Burke School. The commission said this issue can be addressed. Commissioner Bardin said there are plans to address numerous traffic issues and present them to DPW.

Mr. Siegel read a list of complaints that had been brought to the attention of the ANC in September 1998 concerning traffic conditions on Albermarle Street. He referred to a previously resolution on nine traffic calming measures. He said he and some of his neighbors were not informed at that time about the plans for major construction to take place on Albermarle Street, He said that the work that began in January did not consider any part of the resolution which had been passed in September by the ANC. He said that the only thing that has not been completed, which were terms of the original resolution, is the perceptual narrowing of the street by a center line and signs at Connecticut and Nebraska indicating the weight limit for trucks. He said the ANC passed a resolution in April which contradicts the resolution on the same issues which were adopted in September. Chair Mitchell said in regard to the resolution passed at the April meeting of ANC 3F the commission responded to the presentations of site plans of Albermarle Street and thought they were responding to the status quo. He said the present ANC was not aware of any previous action or resolution by the ANC Commissioners sitting in September respective to Albermarle Street.

Chair Mitchell said the concern of the ANC now, and a question for Mr. Moreland of DPW, who Is attending the meeting, is what is the designation of Albermarle Street and would the striping change that designation. If so the community has the right to and needs to address the implications of this change before the striping is undertaken. Commissioner Bardin said that the one resident of Albermarle Street who attended the April meeting objected to a double yellow line.

Commissioner Maudlin said the resolution which passed in September did not specify the extent or degree of striping on Albemarle Street.

Commissioner Bardin said DPW has a list of all the additional streets that it plans to rebuild or repave.

Chair Mitchell said that the ANC did not have a quorum present to take an action at this time.

Mr. Seigel said the ANC was under an obligation to reconsider their most recent action. Mr. Bardin said the ANC was willing to hear from Mr. Seigel and also would direct relevant questions to Mr. Moreland of the DPW, who was present at the meeting, Mr Seigel said he had to leave.

(Quorum reached at 8:35pm)

Speaker from the Public Service Commission did not appear as scheduled, having canceled at the last minute.

The Agenda was adopted 4-0-0 having been amended.

Regular Business

Secretary's Report - The April 1999 minutes of ANC 31F were approved as amended 4-0- 0.

Albemarle Street - striping
Chair Mitchell asked Mr. Peter Moreland, representative of DPW, to speak on the issue of Albemarle Street and to answer questions of the commissioners and audience. The Commissioners asked Mr. Moreland to provide them with information about the classification of Albermarle Street and how striping would affect this status. Commissioner Bardin asked Mr. Moreland if the DPW had evaluated the list of issues presented to them last year on Albermarle Street. Mr. Moreland said he did not have an answer to that, but wanted the Commission to come up with a list of all their questions and he would research and get back to the commission. Mr. Moreland also suggested that the commission send their recommendations and questions to the acting bureau chief. He said that some of the measures viewed as traffic calming were questionable.

Commissioner Perry asked Mr. Moreland how the City did its traffic volume studies. Mr. Moreland described various methods.

Commissioner Bardin moved to rescind the April 1999 resolution in order to let the resolution on Albemarle Street of September 1998 stand alone. The motion failed for lack of a second.

Chair Mitchell told Mr. Moreland that debris is being left from DPW construction and could this be looked into.

Committee Reports

Chair Mitchell reported he met with the Dean of Howard Law School to ask him to address issues of: a promised yield sign, noisy AC, lights in the parking lot, and the overgrown kudzu. The Dean said that they will be installing mufflers on the ACs, the yield sign will be installed and the kudzu will be removed. He said himself and Mr. Gary Mumer of Van Ness East are working on the issue of early start up of construction at Howard.

Chair Mitchell said the construction at the Methodist Home is progressing on schedule. Mr. Bardin said he had noticed fugitive dust blowing from the site. Chair Mitchell said he would bring that to the attention of the site manager.

It was reported the EXXON station at 5030 Connecticut Avenue has applied for a permit to raze the service beys of the station and erect a mini-mart, Commissioner Perry said they had come before the ANC.

Secretary's Report

Commissioner Maudlin asked that the approval of the minutes come at the front of the meeting. Chair Mitchell said he preferred to address the minutes at the end of the meeting. Commissioner Maudlin said it is a point of Robert's Rules of Order that the minutes be addressed at the beginning of the meeting.

Chair Mitchell requested the ANC Administrator finish and give the minutes to the Secretary of the ANC by the end of the week of the meeting, and that the Secretary would complete mark-ups and return the minutes to the Administrator by the end of the second week. This edited version would then be given to the commissioners and returned to the Administrator by the end of the third week for the final draft.

RESOLUTION:
Letter of thanks and appreciation to be sent to Michael Carter for his service to the ANC as Administrative Assistant. 4-0-0

Chair Mitchell asked Commissioner Maudlin to research the issue of closing Rock Creek Park to traffic during certain periods.

Treasurer's  Report

Monthly Financial Report adopted with revisions.

Commissioner Maudlin expressed his disappointment and disapproval that Ms. Sheen of PSC did not appear as scheduled to speak. The other Commissioners present said they would want the Chair to learn why before formally expressing disappointment on behalf of the Commission.

Commissioner, Perry provided the commission with copies of the Voluntary Agreement between the ANC and Ledo's Pizza

The meeting adjourned at 9:45pm.

Respectfully submitted,

Karen Perry, Secretary
21 ANC, 3F