President’s Message
/By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org
I hope everyone has had a chance to explore our new website. I for one am really impressed with how modern and professional it looks. I would also like to thank once again the BCA team that invested considerable amounts of time and effort to put it together: Linda Brooks, Ann Carper, Rich Field, Ross Schipper, and Nan Bell. Burleith is firmly in the 2010s now! We encourage your contributions to the “What’s Up” posts that appear on the home page (and are archived on the site).
As always, there are many big and small things going on—and everything in-between. First, the big things … The BCA Board recently had an informative conversation with representatives from Georgetown University and MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. Part of the presentation dealt with the university’s compliance with the last campus plan. Specifically, it is on track to move many students onto campus in fall 2015. Some students will be temporarily housed in part of the hotel in anticipation of the new dorms (Northeast Triangle) to be completed in summer 2016. The university wants to have a conceptual 20-year plan ready this summer, a draft plan in summer 2016, and approval over the course of 2017. Although their vision is still inchoate, most of the wish list envisions more intensive building in the central part of campus or downtown. One big change might be the replacement of the Yates Field House. Medstar is also contemplating a new building on the site of the current surface parking lots just south of the Reservoir Road entrance, but the plans are in a very preliminary state right now.
Another big item that is looming on the horizon has to do with parking. There is a push in many city neighborhoods to restrict on-street parking to residents as much as possible. Georgetown is engaging in such a conversation at a big meeting on April 1 at 6:30 pm at St. John’s Church on O Street. Whether or not Burleith wants to change the current parking status quo, there will likely be a spillover effect from whatever Georgetown decides to do. Burleith neighbors should mull over various options, and the BCA Board will poll everyone’s preferences when the time is right.
There are several pieces of non-news as well. Not much is happening at Ellington yet. We are still waiting on details about the noise study for adjacent homes. I personally hope they start intensive work soon because the longer they wait, the longer the renovation process will take. As it stands, the school will not be ready for the originally envisioned fall 2016 move-in. There is also still no movement on the sale of the Fillmore School site. The ANC passed a resolution that the BCA strongly endorses, which focuses on the amount of development, adequate on-site parking, and preservation of the tot lot. A school might be interested in acquiring the land. I personally would prefer condos or townhouses instead of more school-related traffic and parking issues. We are also still contemplating a community shred event, but are waiting for more details from our Hillandale partners. The call box restoration project is proceeding—donations are still being accepted—and we hope to be ready for the first restoration by the late spring/early summer.
The streets are in extremely poor shape after another tough winter. The city is engaging in its “Potholepalooza” again. You are all encouraged to report specific potholes by calling 311, going online to 311.gov, or emailing potholepalooza@dc.gov.
And please save the date for the neighborhood’s spring clean-up on Saturday, May 30, from 9-11 am. As always, we’ll meet at Ellington Field before fanning out into the neighborhood. More details to come.
Finally, with the weather getting better, there may be more parties taking place. Please report any disturbances promptly through the regular channels outlined on the website’s Good to Know page.