Northwest Georgetown January ANC Update
Welcome to the January 2024 Northwest Georgetown ANC update. And Happy New Year!
2023 in Review
2023 was my first year as ANC Commissioner, and I have truly enjoyed the experience. While campaigning I highlighted my top three priorities: constituent services, a thriving commercial corridor, and safe roads and sidewalks for all users. I have kept these priorities close to mind throughout the year and I hope that I have made significant progress on each front:
Constituent Services: This has proven to be the most rewarding aspect of the position. I like to view my role as something akin to a building super, i.e. the guy you call when something’s broke and you’d rather not deal with it. Not surprisingly this has mostly related to trash or recycling issues. But I’ve also been called in to a variety of issues beyond that, like getting building permits expedited or illegal construction shut down. It’s not glamorous work but it’s probably the most useful I can make myself for my constituents. I’m happy to do so.
Thriving Commercial Corridor: Georgetown is thriving today. Shops and restaurants are opening up at a rate I’ve rarely seen (and I’ve lived here over 20 years). We’re even getting our Barnes and Nobles back! I would be a liar to claim credit for this success, but I have nonetheless spent a great deal of time this past year working with others to make sure that that success keeps growing. The most significant element to this was working towards ensuring the continuation of the streateries program. The program is widely popular and is almost certainly a crucial element towards the neighborhood’s success emerging from the pandemic. But there are certainly issues with the program that must be worked on, such as the aesthetics. My ANC colleagues supported the continuation of the program with a clear roadmap and timeline to address these concerns. The fact is that this program is likely going to be permanent and we need it to be as vibrant and attractive and possible.
Another part of having a thriving commercial corridor is to not allow one type of business to over-proliferate. We have seen that situation threatening to come to pass with the explosion of unlicensed cannabis shops in the neighborhood. As I have written before, this explosion is likely due to a gold rush mentality stemming from the imminent issuance of retailer permits. I am hopeful that once those permits are issued to about 5-6 licensees across Georgetown, the rest of the stores will close or be shut down. The ANC is closely watching this, and I am particularly keen on making sure the rules concerning proximity are followed. This coming year will be a significant one for this issue as the ANC starts negotiating settlement agreements with the applicants and truly legal pot stores finally arrive.
Finally, the last piece of this is crime. Nobody wants to shop at or visit a neighborhood that they don’t feel safe in. This obviously goes well beyond just the commercial stretches since nobody wants to live in an unsafe neighborhood either. And the reality is that like the rest of the city, Georgetown has seen an alarming uptick in criminal behavior over the last year. The ANC will continue to work closely with MPD to keep open the lines of communication between the law enforcement and the community. Moreover, we are inviting representatives from the US Attorney’s office to speak at the ANC meeting next week. Since this office is essentially DC’s district attorney, hearing from them on prosecution strategy is essential. I wish there were a magic wand that we could wave to end crime, but it doesn’t exist. But hard work and cooperation across agencies and communities can nonetheless be effective.Safe Roads and Sidewalks: This is a deeply important issue to me personally. I have known too many people whose lives have been cut short or dramatically altered due to traffic violence. This past year I have served on the committee guiding the Georgetown Circulation and Access Study. I have kept safety for all road and sidewalk users as my top priority for this study. While the recommendations have not been issued yet, I am hopeful they will reflect this focus. Whether they do or not, as we move forward I will keep this focus close to my heart whenever considering transportation issues.
As for specifics in our part of Georgetown, I have pushed (and will keep pushing) for interventions to address unsafe driving. For instance, I remain particularly concerned about 35th St. I regularly see drivers blow through stop signs on this street. If the study does not contain specific measures to address this, I will push for it regardless. I also hope that the study suggests changes to the stretch of Wisconsin between Q and R. This stretch sees speeding drivers routinely. Moreover the pedestrian crossings around Reservoir and extremely dangerous. I spent a good deal of time at this intersection with the head of the study and I hope solutions are proposed.
These are not the totality of issues I’ve worked through this past year, but I hope it gives you an idea of the prism through which I’ve approached the position. Of course, I’m still learning on the job and am always open to advice or requests for a different approach. Let me know!
News and Notes From the Neighborhood
Here are some quick news items from our neighborhood from the last month:
As I mentioned above, the Barnes and Nobles is coming back to its old location on M St. in 2024.
The lottery for Hyde-Addison is now open! If you want a spot for a rising PreK-3 or PreK-4 next year, you need to enter the lottery. (Do so here). This is true even if you live here, since Pre-K spots are not guarantied even for in-boundary students. If you’ve got a returning student or a student going into Kindergarten or above, then the spot is guarantied and you don’t need to enter the lottery.
The second round of leaf collection has begun. Keep an eye out for alerts to again collect any leaves into the tree boxes for the crews to collect. I think the first round went pretty well, but if there are blocks that were missed or inadequately addressed, please let me know!
Jinyan Ramen bar is coming to the old Via Umbria space.
Proposed Bikeshare Station
As part of my transportation efforts, I am working with DDOT to bring a new Capital Bikeshare station to our neck of Georgetown. We’ve identified a candidate location: 33rd St. just south of Wisconsin Ave. The plan would call for a 19 dock station. In exchange for nineteen new bike parking spots, one to two on-street car parking spots would be removed. Nobody loves losing a parking spot or two, but since the east stretch of the street doesn’t have residences alongside it, the impact should be reduced.
I’m also hopeful that this will help cut down on private bikeshare devices (e.g. Lime Bikes) blocking the sidewalks. Sadly I think a lot of these bikes are left on the sidewalk by (inconsiderate) residents themselves. I hope that these residents will consider using Capital Bikeshare instead. It’s cheaper, for one thing1. And it also would result in more bikes being left docked at a station instead of left in the middle of the sidewalk. In either event, it would help fill in a gap for bikeshare stations in the central part of Georgetown.
We will be considering this proposed dock at our next ANC meeting (January 8th at 6:30 pm). Please consider coming out and sounding off on the idea!
Proposed Alley Naming
An unusual subject will be on the ANC agenda for this same meeting: a proposed alley naming. In connection with the approved project to construct a carriage house along the alley behind the 1800 block of 34th St., the city’s Office of Planning has requested that the alley receive a proper name. This is part of a long running effort by the city. For instance, a neighbor of mine (who was just a tween at the time) worked with the city to give a name to the alley behind our houses back in 2014. That resulted in Cashell Alley.
The alley was named after Hazel Cashell, the builder that first developed the row of houses on the alley back in the nineteenth century. This reflects the city’s preference that new alley names are taken from individuals with an actual connection to the alley, if possible. Similarly, the name proposed for the alley off 34th St. also comes from the original property developer.
In consultation with the marvelous Jerry McCoy of the Georgetown Neighborhood Library, Dale Overmeyer (the carriage house architect) identified a candidate: James Martin. Martin was a native Washingtonian, born in 1870 to an Irish immigrant father and American mother. He was raised on Capitol Hill. He entered the building trade at some point and constructed all the homes along the alley (both on R St. and 34th St.). The homes were offered for sale 100 years ago:
(It’s interesting to see that the homes on 34th St. used to have porches.)2
Although the corner house at 3401 R St. was still listed for sale when the above ad ran, ultimately James and his wife Lottie chose to live in it themselves. They both lived there for the rest of their lives (literally so, since they both passed away in the house, James in 1951 and Lottie in 1966).
Therefore it seems appropriate to name the alley after the man who actually built the alley and then lived alongside it for decades. The ANC will consider adopting a resolution supporting the proposed name change at the meeting next Monday night. Please let me know what you think of the idea either by emailing me at 2e02@anc.dc.gov or just attending the meeting! If the resolution passes, it will be sent to the Council for consideration. (No street renaming can be accomplished without Council action.)
Circulation and Access Study
As I mentioned above, DDOT has been conducting a Circulation and Access Study in Georgetown. We are expecting to start hearing the actual recommendations early in 2024. But in the meantime, an interim report was issued in December. The report contains a summary of the various inputs the study has received so far including comments from the public and other data sources. While it does not contain the actual recommendations, it is still an informative read. If you are interested in following the study, I recommend you give it a read!
And with that, I wish you all a happy and fruitful 2024! As always, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have an issue, idea, or just a bee in your bonnet! Email me at 2e02@anc.dc.gov or call/text to 202.827.5405. See you around the neighborhood!
For instance, Lime Bikes cost $1 to start and then cost $0.44 per minute. Capital Bikeshare costs $1 to start (if you’re not a member) and then $0.05 per minute for a non-electric bike and $0.15 for electric bikes. Thus a 20 minute ride would cost you $9.80 on Lime and just $2.00 on a non-electric Capital Bikeshare and $4 on an electric one. If you’re a member ($95 a year) the deal is even better. It’s free to start and you get 45 minutes free with a non-electric bike. Electric rides are also free to start and just cost $0.10 a minute. Any way you slice it, Capital Bikeshare is cheaper.
The porches can still be seen in this 1951 aerial shot:
But by 1963 it appears that most are gone (although it’s hard to tell for sure):