President's Letter - June 2013
Jack Evans with outgoing President Jennifer Altemus and incoming President Pamla Moore
This is my first CAG president’s
letter. You can imagine
and appreciate that following
in Jennifer’s very capable
and talented footsteps is daunting.
Her president’s letter in the May
issue highlights the vibrancy, the
relevance and the successes of
CAG under her four years of leadership.
All of CAG applauds her
dedication. Thanks, Jennifer.
As a community resource
available to residents, the business
community, the DC government
and university students, CAG plays a
key role in educating, informing and
finding solutions that benefit our historic
district.
Going forward CAG’s attention will
continue to focus on the DC Zoning
Regulations re-write. This District-wide
re-writing, being undertaken by the DC
Office of Planning (OP), could well
have a significant impact on our community.
For that reason a sub-committee
of CAG’s Historic Preservation &
Zoning Committee has drafted a proposed
“Customized Zone” for Georgetown.
Check the CAG website cagtown.org – for the background.
Michele Jacobson has been appointed
the chair of the Historic Preservation
& Zoning committee. Her background
in planning is a real plus for the committee
and the many issues it
covers. CAG members have been working
for years with community leaders
and OP to ensure that the new regulations,
when adopted, don’t impact our
historic district in a negative way.
Also on the horizon –
- Changes are being considered in
parking regulations on residential
streets, as well as in our commercial
corridor. The goal for CAG is to
make parking on our streets more
convenient for residents and their
guests.
- CAG will be working with the DC
government, the Georgetown Business
Improvement District (BID) and
the university on transportation and
traffic issues. As our community
grows, transportation options for
buses, cars, bikes, street cars, and
pedestrians need to improve. We will
want to focus on better choices for
those of us who live and work here
and also the many commuters who
use our streets.
- Recently the Georgetown BID has
begun a study called Georgetown
2028. CAG is part of this initiative
and it is a great opportunity to look
into the future and see what we want
Georgetown to be in 15 years. The
doors are wide open to ideas –
recently a pedestrian bridge from
Georgetown to Theodore Roosevelt
Island was suggested. Take some time
in these summer months to Think Big
on behalf of our community! This
BID initiative is covering transportation,
economic development and
public space. There is a great opportunity
for you to join other CAG
members and have your ideas heard
at the first public meeting which will
be held June 13, 5:30 – 8:00 at 1055
Thomas Jefferson Street. If you are
asked to give some time to this, I
hope you will say yes.
- On-going, and one of the most
important services CAG offers you as
a member, is the free Block Captain
program and the opportunity to join
the Public Safety program at a very
modest cost. It is a mistake not to
know your block captain and learn
about what is happening on your
street – both the good and the bad.
Public Safety in our community is
key to ensuring this is a place we
want to live and others want to move
to.Please join hundreds of your
neighbors in supporting CAG’s
Public Safety program.
- A real success, thanks to
strong CAG leadership, is the
Georgetown Community
Partnership which grew out
of the negoiations, and then
mediation, regarding the
campus plan. This Georgetown
University/Community
partnership is working weekly
on issues of importance to
our residents and the university.
Our representatives to
the steering and subcommittees
meetings report very productive
discussion and innovative
new initiatives from
the University.
CAG achieves most all of its successes
because of volunteers (and a
small but very talented staff). I hope as
you read each newsletter you will consider
calling the office 337-7313 – to
volunteer and if you are not a member
(dues arecurrently $50 for individuals
and $65 for families) please join.
Speaking of volunteers – recently CAG
and the community lost a dear friend –
Ed Thomson. A resident of Georgetown
for many years, he was the first
President of Trees for Georgetown and
a founder of Book Hill Park. His dedication
to the community will not be
forgotten.
But this is the summer issue of the
newsletter. Read a book in your garden,
take a cup of coffee into a park on
a cool morning to watch the children
playing, fill your kitchen with the
freshest vegetables, fruit and flowers
from our farmer’s markets, call on that
new neighbor and introduce yourself,
make sure the tree box in front of your
home has plenty of water, and while
walking on Wisconsin, M and K thank
the local businesses for serving our
community. Along those lines don’t
forget the CAG Concerts in the Park
on Sundays at 5:00 – June 16 at Volta
Park, June 23 at Volta and June 30 at
Rose Park.
-Pamla Moore
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