Gt 12 03 2014

Page 1

Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Vol. XXIV, No. 19

The GeorGeTown CurrenT

ANC backs Hyde-Addison design

READY TO ROAR

■ Education: Expansion plan

slated for completion in 2018 By GRAHAM VYSE Current Staff Writer

Updated design plans for a $15 million addition to Hyde-Addison Elementary School are heading to the Old Georgetown Board tomorrow, having secured the support of the Georgetown advisory neighbor-

hood commission. Commissioners voted unanimously Monday night to back a more detailed version of the concept they supported earlier this year for 33,000 square feet of space between the school’s Hyde and Addison buildings. This “three-box scheme” places a new building on the site of the school’s surface parking lot. Boosting the school’s total size to 71,000 square feet, this facility would sit

directly between the Hyde building on O Street and the Addison building on P Street — forming the “three boxes.” The parking lot would be excavated to below grade, with part of the school hovering over it, and one of the new building’s three levels would be underground. Hallways would connect the new structure to the other two buildings. The first above-ground level of See Addition/Page 5

Trolley trail’s future explored in Palisades By GRAHAM VYSE Current Staff Writer

Brian Kapur/The Current

Georgetown Visitation’s basketball team began its season Tuesday. The team will look to junior point guard Alexis Gray, right, to guide the offensive attack. Gray connected on eight three-point shots in a scrimmage Saturday. See story, page 9.

A new online survey from the Palisades Citizens Association is asking D.C. residents to weigh in on the future of the former Glen Echo Trolley trail — a grassy route that runs parallel to Canal Road between Galena Place and Georgetown University. The D.C. Department of Transportation has flagged the 3-mile trail for potential improvements in the coming years, and some community activists want to consider turning it into a partially paved path to accommodate bicyclists. Resident Brett Young is leading that charge. The avid cyclist drafted a resolution for the citizens association last December recommending that the Transportation Department “upgrade the Trolley path to the standards currently maintained on the Capital Crescent Trail, so that more citizens can safely utilize the trail for healthy See Trail/Page 12

P St. shops get special makeover for holidays

Photo by Brett Young

Residents are discussing whether to retain a more natural feel to the trail or to ask the city to turn it into a partially paved bicycle path.

Residents debate penthouse space, use at zoning hearing

By DYLAN REFFE

By BRADY HOLT

Current Correspondent

Current Staff Writer

The 3200 block of P Street is brimming with reindeer after a makeover tied to Small Business Saturday. This stretch of Georgetown is one of five city blocks nationwide to be redecorated as part of American Express’ “Main Street Makeover” program. Five shops on P Street underwent the holiday treatment. “I love this block,” said Sheila Bridges, the New York City-based interior designer American Express partnered with on the project. Bridges chose a reindeer theme to bring out the charm of the historic block. “Everyone likes and supports each other,” the designer said of the local shops here. “It’s like a small community.” Broadly, the makeover projects are an effort to high-

Opponents of a proposed change to the District’s rules for rooftop penthouses are warning that a seemingly minor regulatory adjustment could have far-reaching consequences for D.C. neighborhoods. At the Zoning Commission’s Nov. 6 hearing and in written testimony filed last week, several residents and civic organizations cautioned that the change would allow D.C. buildings to stand as high as 20 feet taller without proper checks on their growth. Supporters,

NEWS

Brian Kapur/The Current

Just Paper & Tea was one of several Georgetown stores to receive a “Main Street” makeover. Only five blocks nationwide were awarded the honor.

light the importance of small businesses during the holiday season. “Big stores have Black Friday, online shopping has Cyber Monday, so Small Business Saturday is the ceremonial kickoff of the holiday shopping season for small businesses,” said Scott Krugman, a spokesperson for American Express. See Decorating/Page 5

SPOR TS

Council approves modified deal for D.C. United stadium — Page 2

Gonzaga advances while Sidwell falls on DCSAA gridiron — Pages 9, 10

SHERWOOD

Regional economy shows strength in annual analysis — Page 3

meanwhile, say the new policy would allow valuable development. Development in D.C. is governed by the Height of Buildings Act, which generally allows structures to stand as tall as the width of the adjacent street plus 10 feet (up to 90 feet) in most residential areas, or width plus 20 feet (up to 130) in commercial areas. Until this year, the law also granted an exception to those height limits for up to 18 feet 6 inches of mechanical equipment or other accessory uses. But as part of See Penthouses/Page 2

INDEX Calendar/18 Classifieds/26 District Digest/4 Exhibits/19 In Your Neighborhood/12 Opinion/6

Police Report/8 Real Estate/11 School Dispatches/16 Service Directory/24 Sports/9 Week Ahead/3

Tips? Contact us at newsdesk@currentnewspapers.com


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.