President's Message

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By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org

I hope everyone is having an enjoyable summer and survived the heat wave. Storms in early July downed quite a few trees and limbs throughout the neighborhood. Luckily, no one appears to have been hurt and the property damage seems minimal. I also thought that the city authorities cleaned up rather quickly. If you notice that trees are weakened, damaged, or insufficiently trimmed, please submit a request to 311 or drop the BCA a line so that we can follow up. On the federal front, the National Park Service cut down a dead tree near the picnic tables at the Green Lot this week and filled in a dangerous sink hole with twigs and sticks..

A storm on July 6 knocked down a tree on the corner of 37th and T, which broke a window and partially destroyed a fence at the house across the street.

A storm on July 6 knocked down a tree on the corner of 37th and T, which broke a window and partially destroyed a fence at the house across the street.

That same night, 38th Street residents lost power due to another fallen tree. Pepco restored the power later that evening.

That same night, 38th Street residents lost power due to another fallen tree. Pepco restored the power later that evening.

I am concerned that various sidewalk repairs have not yet been completed despite numerous attempts to follow up. We are also seeking DDOT's assistance on installing a speed camera to catch speeding drivers, especially on Whitehaven, and those who don’t properly stop at intersections like 35th and T. There are also some potholes that need attention.

I hope that everyone has been following the Ellington Field issue. The Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) announced the change of responsibility and oversight of Ellington Field from Duke Ellington School of the Arts and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) to DPR without any necessary consultation with the community or ANC. Our ANC responded vigorously at its July meeting, noting that no proper community outreach had taken place. We are assured that pubic meetings will occur before any further action will take place. I have requested that these meetings be scheduled at the end of August at the earliest so that summer travelers can attend. There are important concerns for the neighborhood including buses, parking, usage hours, trash, lighting, and proposed buildings that will need to be addressed before anything changes.

I also have some BCA updates. We have convened a committee consisting of four BCA board members and one BCA member to look into revising the organization's by-laws. The committee will report back to the Board and then any proposed changes will be presented to the membership at the annual meeting in November. Relevant changes will be put to a vote of the membership at that meeting. We have also submitted a request to DDOT for a safety study regarding the idea of converting T and perhaps S Streets into one-ways to accommodate the bus and proposed bicycle lanes. This study does not cause any actions to be taken and the BCA Board has not taken any positions. We are continuing to try to resolve the trash issues on the streets surrounding Ellington Field. Even though MedStar Georgetown University Hospital has assigned two people to pick up trash in that area once a day three times a week, the problems persist. Thanks to those of you who keep us informed about these problems on the streets near your homes. Hopefully we will have a permanent resolution soon.

Finally, the long-awaited Trader Joe’s has opened on Wisconsin Avenue. I for one am thrilled at having another grocery option just minutes from the neighborhood.