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President's Letter - September 2010

CAG President, Jennifer Altemus

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