Minutes of Public Meeting
April 9, 2012
Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood
Commission 3/4G
Chevy Chase Community Center
5601 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20015.
1. Call to Order and Quorum. The meeting
was called to order at 7:30 PM by Chair Thompson. Commissioners present: Thompson, McCarthy,
Beach, Griffin, Cook, and Engel. Absent:
Sewell. A quorum was declared.
2. Attendees. Approximately 50 persons were present.
3. Agenda. The agenda was agreed by vote of 6-0.
4. Commissioner Announcements. Chair Thompson announced Emancipation Day Activities: on April 16 there will be a parade, starting at 11am from Freedom Plaza up Pennsylvania Avenue, and on April 11 at noon a march from the Lincoln Memorial to the Martin Luther King Memorial. He also noted that the Mayor will discuss his FY 2013 budget in Ward 4 on April 23 at Brightwood Elementary School. On April 4, the Mayor held the Ward 3 budget discussion. Commissioner McCarthy announced that the ANC’s spring grant period is open for applications, which must be received by April 21. Further, he said that Metro’s Accessibility Advisory Committee is seeking volunteers. Commissioner Cook reported that DDOT is investigating pedestrian safety issues at the crossing of Northampton Street and Connecticut Avenue. She noted complaints about the double utility poles (new ones, replacing the old, but the old not being removed) in her area.
5. Community Announcements. Tom Smith, representing the Mayor’s office announced further budget hearing in other Wards. Judi Gold, representing Councilmember’s Bowser’s office noted that the budget hearings in the DC Council are on the Councilmember’s website and also posted on the Chevy Chase Community listserv. To view a list of public hearings for each Council Committee considering the budget proposals, access is available at http://dccouncil.us/news/entry/performance-and-budget-oversight-hearings-schedules-available. She also announced a town hall meeting on April 11 on DC Water at 6:30 at Shepherd Elementary School. Wayne Fortune, Manager of the Chevy Chase PNC branch announced that the annual shredding event in the PNC parking lot would be Saturday, April 28 from 11 to 2PM. Former ANC 3/4G Chair Anne Renshaw announced the DC Federation’s 2012 award recipients: “Outstanding Citizens Group”-Friends of the Chevy Chase DC Library; “Outstanding Citizen Activist”-Nancy MacWood; “Outstanding Government Service”-DC National Guard; “Outstanding Media”-Foxhall News and Glover Park Gazette. The awards ceremony will be held at All Souls Episcopal Church (2300 Cathedral Avenue) at 6-9 PM on May 23rd.
6.
BZA
Application # 18374 for a Special Exception at 6325 32nd Street for
a 1-story Addition in the Rear Yard. One
of the owners, Joanne Wolfle, appeared before the Commission with her
architect, Mark Kramer, to request a special exception to build a one-story
rear addition to expand their kitchen area. The existing lot has a
non-conforming rear yard setback because of the unusual shape of the lot and
the placement of the original house on the lot.
They explained that the rear yard is the only possibility for any
addition and also does not cause any harm to neighbors’ residences because the
proposed addition is only one story in height.
Neighbors supported their application.
After discussion, Commissioner Cook made a motion to support the
application, which was agreed to by vote of 6-0 (with Commissioner Cook as ANC
representative at any BZA hearings).
7.
Circle Wine
and Liquor Renewal of Class A Liquor License ABRA-080830. Ms. Christy
Chang, the owner of Circle Wine and Liquor, appeared before the Commission and
said that the store is not seeking any changes to its operations under its
current license. Commissioner Engel made
a motion to support the application for renewal, which was agreed by vote of
6-0. Ms. Chang added that the store has
been robbed twice recently and requested a greater police presence for all the
merchants in the area. The Commission
agreed to follow-up.
8.
Proposed
Changes to Zoning Regulations. The
ANC’s goal is to ensure that all community members receive timely and accurate
information on proposed changes to the D.C. zoning regulations, both as to
substance and the process for public comment.
Chair Thompson provided some background.
The process for considering changes to the 1958 zoning code has been
underway since about 2008, through public working groups, the Zoning Review
Task Force (which includes citizen members appointed by Councilmembers), the
Office of Planning, and the Zoning Commission.
Recently, the Office of Planning released the first “working draft” of
the proposed regulations for community input.
Mr. Jerome Paige, the Ward 4 member of the Task Force on Zoning
Regulations, appeared to assist the ANC in answering questions.
The Chair produced a hand-out for
the community summarizing some of the possible material changes to R-1-A and
R-1-B areas (Chevy Chase). That outline
is appended to these minutes. The
discussion followed the topics in the outline:
the process for input; overlays; height limits; side yard set-backs;
rear-yard set-backs; off-street parking; rentals and accessory dwelling units;
in-home uses; non-residential land uses in residential zones; and “transit
zones.” Regarding process, the window is
open now for public comment on the working draft. See www.dczoningupdate.org for information
and links for comment. Reportedly, the
Office of Planning will consider any and all comment that it receives and then
by “mid-summer” they will finalize the draft of the regulations. Then a more formal process will commence
whereby the Zoning Commission/Office of Planning will hold a hearing in every
Ward to receive public comment on the official draft regulations (which at that
point might be different from the current working draft regulations). And then by the end of the year, the Zoning
Commission will formally adopt the new regulations. The D.C. Council does not have a formal or
final approval role in the process, as Commissioner Engel noted. The ANC will continue to relay information to
the public about the process, timing, and substance of zoning regulations. The ANC may consider at future meetings
making its own comment as a Commission.
9.
Commission
Business.
a. The Minutes of the March 26 public meeting were approved by vote of 6-0,
with clarifying amendments by Commissioner McCarthy and by Commissioner Cook.
b. Checks: The ANC approved by vote of 6-0 checks to
Verizon ($97.10 March) and $1500.00 to the Northwest
Neighbors Village (fall grant).
c. The Quarterly Financial Report
was approved by vote of 6-0.
d. Items for the next meeting on April 23 include: Spring grant
presentation; renewal of liquor license for Chevy Chase Wine; possible further
discussion on proposed changes in the zoning regulations.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:20 pm.
The next scheduled meeting of the Commission is Monday,
April 23, 2012 at 7:30 pm.
Signed
Gary Thompson Allen Beach
Chair Secretary and Treasurer
Minutes of Public Meeting
April 23, 2012
Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood
Commission 3/4G
Chevy Chase Community Center
5601 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20015.
1. Call to Order and Quorum. The
meeting was called to order at 7:30 PM by Chair Thompson. Commissioners present: Thompson, McCarthy,
Beach, Griffin, Sewell, Cook, and Engel.
A quorum was declared.
2 Attendees. Approximately 40 persons were present.
3. Agenda. The agenda was agreed by vote of 7-0.
4. Chevy
Chase Wine and Spirits Renewal of Class A Liquor License ABRA-009582. Mr.
Buddy Weitzman, the owner of Chevy Chase Wine, appeared before the Commission
and said that the store is not seeking any changes to its operations under its
current license. Commissioner McCarthy
made a motion to support the application for renewal, which was agreed by vote
of 7-0. Commissioner McCarthy will represent the Commission at any hearing on
the renewal as part of the motion to support the renewal.
5. Commissioner Announcements. Commissioner McCarthy announced a discussion forum on homelessness, sponsored by the Community Council at Friendship House on April 24 at the Metropolitan United Church at 6:30 PM. Commissioner Cook announced that she would be taking a “drive-through” with Pepco officials in her single member district regarding the failure to take down old utility poles that had been replaced by the new and taller ones. Commissioner Beach announced that the period of time to gather petitions for candidates for ANC elections had been changed from previous years. Procuring signatures would begin June 15 and extend for 54 days. He further announced that DDOT was seeking public comment on the design of the new bridge at 27th Street over Broad Branch, to the east of Broad Branch Road and 27th Street. A public meeting is scheduled for April 26 at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center, 5200 Glover Road.
6. Community
Announcements. Ms. Judi Gold,
representing Councilmember’s Bowser’s office, introduced herself. Mr. Anthony
Lopez of Councilmember’s Cheh’s office announced the April 24 meeting with DC
Water at UDC which will cover a wide range of topics, from water charges to
water safety, etc. A representative for the Chevy Chase PNC branch announced that
the annual shredding event in the PNC parking lot would be Saturday, April 28
from 11 to 2PM.
7. Spring Grant Applications. There
were four applications for grants as follows:
·
Chevy Chase Citizens Association, $535 for
repairs and maintenance to the Community Center rain garden and beautification
of the tree boxes along Connecticut Avenue;
·
Global Harmony Through Personal Excellence,
$1,050.00 for support grade school essay awards;
·
Northwest Neighbors Village,$1,500.00 for
support of the medical training for Northwest Neighbors volunteers to help
residents in their interactions with doctors regarding their with medical
needs;
·
Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, $2,000.00 for
improvements to trails and signage in Rock Creek Park adjacent the community.
8. Proposed
Changes to Zoning Regulations. The
ANC’s goal is to ensure that all community members receive timely and accurate
information on proposed changes to the D.C. zoning regulations, both as to
substance and the process for public comment.
At the previous ANC meeting Chair Thompson had provided some background
on the process for considering changes to the 1958 zoning code, which had been
underway since about 2008, through public working groups, the Zoning Review
Task Force (which includes citizen members appointed by Councilmembers), the
Office of Planning, and the Zoning Commission.
Recently, the Office of Planning released the first “working draft” of
the proposed regulations for community input.
Commissioners and several members of the audience emphasized that the
window is open now for public comment on the working draft. (See www.dczoningupdate.org for information
and links for comment). Discussion centered on when would the ANC have
additional meetings on the plan and when the ANC would have a written proposal
to vote on. It was generally agreed that the May 15 meeting will provide more
information and discussion with Office of Planning and Task Force members on the particulars concerning residential neighborhoods and
our specific commercial establishments.
9. Commission Business.
a. The Minutes of the April 9 public meeting were approved by vote of 7-0,
b.
Checks: The ANC approved by vote of 7-0 checks to Verizon
($97.12 April $57.13 telephone,
$39.99 internet); Office Depot ($105.98 –office supplies); Up and Running
($215.00-computer assistance); and Allen Beach ($44.00 for recorder tapes).
c. Items for the
next meeting on May14 include vote on Spring Grant applications, and
presentation from Office of Planning, audience questions and answers session,
and ANC consideration and possible motions on proposed draft zoning regulation
changes.
The meeting was adjourned at approximately 9:00 pm.
The next scheduled meeting of the Commission is Monday, May
14, 2012 at 7:30 pm.
Signed
Gary Thompson Allen Beach
Chair Secretary and Treasurer