Northwest Georgetown March ANC Update
Hello and welcome to your March ANC update for northwest Georgetown! Here’s what happening!
Volta Park Update
The much delayed field renovation at Volta Park is…still delayed. When I started on the ANC last year, the city was promising work would begin last fall. This obviously didn’t happen. The reason given was delays from surveying and permitting, The last update I received was a non-committal estimate of an early summer start. I would be pleasantly surprised if this actually proves accurate.
We will have an opportunity to request an update from the city next Monday night. The project will be before the Old Georgetown Board in March and the ANC is requesting a presentation on the latest plans. I do not believe the plans will differ from what they were at the last public presentation. But please attend next week’s ANC meeting if you want to learn more about the project and to ask any questions. The ANC meeting is on March 4th at 6:30 pm at Visitation (Zoom link here).
Streetlights
The city is in the process of installing new LED lightbulbs in the streetlights. The contractor hired to do so has been making a great deal of progress in Georgetown over the past several months. You almost certainly have noticed them around the neighborhood due to the noticeable change in color and brightness.
And that is the problem for many residents: they believe the color is too “cool” and the luminosity is entirely too strong.
On the color side, it is clear that the light “temperature” is very much on the blue side. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, except to the extent that these new bright lights shine directly into residents’ households. There is a reason doctors often recommend avoiding exposure to blue light in the evening. It can seriously disrupt sleep.
And the brightness is disruptive to residents for similar reasons. The Washington Globe lights are often just feet from a lot of residents’ bedroom windows. Even with shades pulled, they can often light up a room. Not to mention that residents with full black out shades can’t then gain the benefit from morning sunshine easing their waking. It can very quickly become a quality of life issue.
Often the explanation for brighter lights is that it is an anti-crime measure. Personally I’m skeptical of this. I certainly agree that compared with a pitch dark street, a lighted street will be safer. Or at least feel safer, which leads to more foot traffic, which actually can make it safer. But I doubt that there is any anti-crime benefit from going from the older non-LED lights to the new lights. Once you can see your hand in front of your face, it’s probably bright enough to deter crime. You don’t need to be able to seen your fingerprints, which the new lights allow.
If anything, the brighter lights make it less safe. The bright light is so narrowly focused to a small pool directly around the pole that areas between the lights are much darker. Moreover, as your eyes adjust to the glaring lights, your night vision for the darker patches decreases. Look at the view of a new light on my street:
Right around the pole you could probably perform invasive surgery. But notice how much darker the shadows are. While drunks famously look for their keys only by the streetlight, criminals tend to be a bit more strategic in where they look for their victims. If these bright lights are creating more blind spots, then they are doing the opposite of reducing crime.
But that’s just my opinion. I’ve reached out to DDOT to inquire about the process for adjusting the brightness of the lights or adding shields to limit the impact on residents. The answer I received suggests that the city will be slow and reluctant to make any changes. That said, if I can identify a number of particularly egregious examples, we may have some success. So please, email me at 2e02@anc.dc.gov if there are any lights on your block that are impacting your or your neighbor’s quality of life.
And on the flip side, please let me know if you actually like the new lights! Additionally, please let me know if there are any particular blocks with especially dark sections that might need a new light entirely. Residents on Caton Place recently reached out for this exactly purpose and I am working with the city to try to get a new light installed.
Pot Shops
It wouldn’t be an ANC update without mention of the pot shops! I’ll keep it brief. A handful of stores have begun the process of seeking a retailers license. The ANC has negotiated a strong settlement agreement that will govern how the stores will operate. Notably it will strictly regulate how customers enter the store and transact business, with the goal of preventing any minors from entering. Additionally it will prohibit the use of neon signs or flashing lights. The stores that are moving forward, frankly, look more like an Apple Store than a head shop, and that is something I think everyone will appreciate.
Given the proximity rules, I anticipate only one shop being located on Book Hill in our part of Georgetown. Luxury Soil is the shop first in line. Assuming they are successful, that will be it for Book Hill.
Excellent Nursery School
If you are looking for an option for your 2-5 year old child, I wanted to pass along my absolutely heartfelt and enthusiastic recommendation for Children’s House of Washington on Dumbarton. I explain more here, but my now 12 year old daughter attended this school and it was easily one of the best decisions we ever made for her. Hell, it was one of the best decisions we ever made for ourselves. Please reach out if you want to learn more!
Lost Cat
Please keep an eye out for Luna! She was last seen February 19th need 33rd and Dent! Call 202-906-0265 with any sightings!
Quick Updates
Here are some quick updates from the last month
Get your tickets now for these traditional spring events.
Councilmember Brooke Pinto will be at the ANC next Monday. Please email me (2e02@anc.dc.gov) to submit questions!
The proposal to build an apartment building at Wisconsin and S Streets has been withdrawn and resubmitted as a proposal to build a group of townhouses with a common central garden.
Han Palace has moved into the empty storefront at 1728 Wisconsin Ave.
See you in April!