President's Letter - September 2010
 CAG President,
Jennifer Altemus
Welcome back everyone! Hope
you had a nice summer. Mine
was lovely. We stayed in town
for most of the time. I adore it here
when things empty out. I can park
where I want, eat where and when I
want, shop without crowds (except at
Gtown Cupcake!), and catch up on
things—But enough with rest and relaxation
bring on the Fall hubbub.
We have been moving forward on our opposition to
the Georgetown University 2010 campus plan. There is a
strong coalition of groups opposed to the plan. We are
working together to develop our case which we will
present to the Zoning Commission once GU files its
plan. Thanks to your support we have hired experts to
help us. In order to operate in a residential neighborhood
the University must prove that their plan will not
adversely impact the community. We feel that the area is
already adversely impacted and bringing 3400 additional
students to the campus can only exacerbate the situation.
Our new Historic Preservation Committee is working
on several things. One focus is education—the dos and
don’ts of zoning and historic preservation: what it takes
to build an addition on your home or what to do when
your neighbor wants to build an addition. They will also
follow major development projects like the Hurt Home,
Post Office, and the Corcoran School. A third focal point
is the zoning rewrite underway in DC which will drastically
alter the city’s zoning regulations. Chair Pamla
Moore and the committee are committed to keeping
neighbors informed. They will work with the ANC, DC
and OGB to improve communication strategies so neighbors
receive timely notification of pending projects.
This summer’s Concerts in the Parks season was fabulous.
I am grateful to our energetic committee for making
it happen, Co-Chairs Elizabeth Miller and Renee Esfandiary
Crupi, Annie Lou Berman, Leila Bremer, Nonie
Cameron, Betsy Cooley, Erika Donohue, Kelly Doolan,
Danielle Dooley, Hannah Isles, Kathleen Jenkins, Alison
Jia, Cheryl Jones, Marjorie and Nick Kask, Amy Kuhnert,
Jessica Heywood, Kristen Lever, Leslie Maysak, Linda
Schmid and Tom Nesbitt, Shannon Pryor, Kara Sullivan,
Maryann Surrick, Dorothy Williams, and Dima Zalatimo.
And while the concerts are free to the public they are not
cheap to produce. Thank you to our sponsors for allowing
this Georgetown summer tradition to continue.
Thanks to Councilman Jack Evans and Mayor
Adrian Fenty, construction has resumed at the
Georgetown Waterfront Park. When the contractors
for the National Park Service started excavation on
the second phase of the park they ran into problems.
Formerly on that site sat the Capital Traction Company
Powerhouse which was demolished in 1968.
Apparently its foundation and other debris were never
removed. Clearing this led to significant cost overruns.
In total, the changes exceeded the original budget by a
whopping $2.2 million! Work halted. Evans and Fenty
found almost a million dollars in the DC budget to help
close the gap and the Park Service matched it. PEPCO
pitched in and the Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront
Park are working to raise the rest. They are hoping for a
Spring ribbon cutting.
It has been a busy summer for ABC issues. In June,
the Alcohol Beverage Control board agreed to continue
the liquor license moratorium in Georgetown but added
seven new licenses to bring the count closer to what it
was when the moratorium first went into effect in 1989.
We have already received notices on hearings for
restaurants that want the new licenses. Tackle Box is
moving forward to serve beer and wine. Puro Café has its
placards up. Its garden backs onto houses on 32nd Street
so nearby neighbors might want to take a look at what
they have in mind. Hu’s Wear, the women’s boutique on
M, is branching out into the restaurant business with a
proposed Mediterranean spot on 29th Street where
Bartleby’s Books is currently located. And Paul’s Bakery
on lower Wisconsin is hoping for a late fall opening.
Outside the moratorium zone Midtown Café at 1639
Wisconsin is proposing a space with a rear garden.
Many existing licensees asked for changes in their
Voluntary Agreements. We have revised the voluntary
agreement with Los Cuates to extend their hours to
include Mondays and add some additional seats upstairs.
Neyla worked out a compromise with neighbors to
extend their outdoor seating. Many other restaurants also
reworked their agreements with minor alterations. George,
the club in Georgetown Court, has replacarded. There was
some confusion about the notification of their hearing so
ABRA decided to start that process over, which seems fair.
The CAG Board is working to ensure that all interests are
represented. We are looking forward to new options in
Georgetown but we are also aware of the delicate balance
that must be maintained. It is imperative that neighbors
close to these establishments be involved in the process.
In an effort to help alleviate some of
the serious trash and rat problems that
have been plaguing Georgetown for
years, a few of us met with William
Howland, the director of the DC
Department of Public Works. One concern
is that certain specific blocks have
ongoing awful intransient trash and rat
problems. On these blocks DC regulations
are ignored—trash is left out at
all times of the day and all days of the
week which is not only unsightly but a
serious health issue. Mr. Howland
promised to ramp up enforcement and
to look into other options to clean up
these streets.
The Georgetown Gala will be here
before we know it. Ambassador Kislyak
will host “To Russia With Love” at the
Russian Embassy on Friday, October
15. It’s a magical venue. Senator Chuck
Hagel will be honorary co-chair.
So get your tux shirt to the cleaners,
find that perfect gown, and plan to be
at the Gala to pay tribute to these
remarkable women and to support
your community.
CAG is kicking off our fall membership
meetings with author Kitty Kelley
at the Latham Hotel on September 20.
I look forward to seeing you there.
-Jennifer Altemus
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