The Georgetown Current
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Vol. XXV, No. 48
Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park
Waterfront eyed for bike upgrades
MOVIE NIGHT
■ Transportation: BID sees
potential under Whitehurst
By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
The roadway and sidewalks adjacent to the Georgetown Waterfront Park are slated for various safety, accessibility and aesthetic upgrades over the next few years, according to plans presented by
the Georgetown Business Improvement District at a walkthrough event Saturday. The business group has been working for the last six months with the D.C. Department of Transportation and Toole Design Group, using a $60,000 grant from the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, to develop plans for improved infrastructure for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists along K and Water
streets NW. The project aims to connect the Capital Crescent Trail west of the park with the Rock Creek Trail to the east, resolving what the BID’s Joe Sternlieb calls a “very awkward interface” between the two. The first of two phases will add a dedicated bike lane from the end of the Capital Crescent Trail down Water Street, improve crosswalks along Water and K streets, and See Waterfront/Page 7
ANC backs Cathedral Commons eatery By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
Brian Kapur/The Current
Last Wednesday’s “Movie Night in Rose Park” featured a screening of the classic 1962 film “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The Friends of Rose Park and the Rose Park farmers market sponsored the event.
The bid to add one more new restaurant on the Wisconsin Avenue NW portion of the Cathedral Commons inched one step closer to completion last week, as neighborhood leaders reached a tentative agreement with the developer on issues to which they previously objected. Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C (Cleveland Park, Woodley Park, Massachusetts Avenue Heights) voted 6-0 with one abstention June 20 to support the developer Bozzuto’s application for modifications to its earlier Zoning Commission approval, but only on the condition that the developer provide several amenities in return. The change will allow a new restaurant — Silver, part of the Silver Diner Group — in the 3400 block of Wisconsin between SunTrust Bank and Allure Spa. See Commons/Page 5
Brian Kapur/The Current
Cathedral Commons’ owners hope to see Silver bring family-friendly dining and daily breakfasts to the vacant Wisconsin Avenue NW storefront.
Palisades Fourth of July parade to mark its 50th
City to develop alternative Palisades Rec Center plans
By MARK LIEBERMAN
■ Recreation: Residents call
Current Staff Writer
Anne Ourand has been working on the Palisades Parade since the turn of the century. In her decade and a half in the neighborhood, the event has never gotten rained out. Last year, a torrential downpour ended five minutes before the march was set to begin. “It will rain buckets beforehand, and it will rain buckets after. It’s like a miracle,” Ourand said. “It never rains right on the parade.” With that kind of lucky streak, the annual Palisades Parade is always an occasion for celebration, as it falls on Independence Day and encourages wideSee Parade/Page 7
for more modest renovation
By CUNEYT DIL
Current Correspondent
Brian Kapur/Current file photo
Mayor Muriel Bowser was among last year’s parade marchers. The 2016 event starts at 11 a.m. Monday.
Dozens of residents who oppose project plans for a significantly larger Palisades Recreation Center turned out for a public meeting last week — and by the end of the event, they took home a victory. Department of Parks and Recreation director Keith Anderson concluded the meeting by saying the District’s proposed designs,
ridiculed by many in attendance as overscale, “will not work for this neighborhood.” His words were met with applause after a meeting that showcased divides between residents. Most residents who spoke said they want any future renovated recreation center to remain quaint, while others, particularly young families, said they welcome more program space. Nearly all agreed the footprint of any proposed center should not be greater than it is now. The center’s property at 5200 Sherier Place NW, recently deemed See Park/Page 12
NEWS
SPORTS
GETTING AROUND
INDEX
Neighborhood stories
Speedy Tiger
Disability parking
Calendar/14 Classifieds/21 District Digest/4 Exhibits/15 Getting Around/18 In Your Neighborhood/10
PBS documentary to highlight lesser-known histories of Dupont, Georgetown / Page 3
Wilson High runner Drew Glick named D.C.’s boys track and field player of the year / Page 11
D.C. Department of Transportation renews effort to implement ‘red top meter’ program / Page 18
Opinion/8 Police Report/6 Real Estate/13 Service Directory/19 Sports/11 Week Ahead/3
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