Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Vol. XX, No. 26
Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park
THE GEORGETOWN CURRENT
Canal Parc project still contoversial
Chancellor, principal issue plan for Hardy
STOMPING GROUNDS
■ Education: Parents divided
By BRADY HOLT
over issues at middle school
Current Staff Writer
Although a town-house development on MacArthur Boulevard is set to begin construction soon — the Zoning Commission has already rejected arguments about the project’s impact on the neighborhood’s character and environment — the Palisades/Foxhall advisory neighborhood commission isn’t ready to stop protesting the plan. As they voted 6-2 to object to a curb cut and tree removal for the 34town-house Canal Parc project last Wednesday, commissioners were almost apologetic to developer Duball LLC, which bought the already-approved plans for the $12 million development last month. “This all predates you,” commissioner Ann Haas acknowledged to Duball president Marc Dubick before introducing a motion to fight his public-space application. Duball needs permission from the D.C. Department of Transportation’s Public Space Committee before it can remove four trees along MacArthur Boulevard and construct the curb cut for a planned entrance road into its development, to be built on the See MacArthur/Page 9
By JESSICA GOULD Current Staff Writer
As parents sounded the alarm about deteriorating conditions at Hardy Middle last week, officials released a plan to address concerns at the Georgetown school. On Jan. 11, principal Dana Nerenberg and Schools Chancellor Kaya Henderson sent a note home to parents outlining a series of new strategies for Hardy.
Watergate fights Park Service on new trees ■ NCPC: Federal panel delays
Bill Petros/The Current
Georgetown’s Social Safeway welcomed a mini-performance on Thursday of the show “Stomp,” coming this month to the National Theatre. Cast members made use of grocery carts and items from the shelves during their interactive performance.
By BRADY HOLT
trees, said Michael Putzel, who organizes a group of volunteers to do annual cleanups of the park. “We’ve tried to keep it in the best A lack of funds continues to repair we can, but the problem is delay plans to resolve erosion issues with all that water rushing through at Spring Valley Park, but a D.C. ... the storm water runs off into the Department of Parks and path and erodes the creek bed and Recreation planner said residents the paths, so we’re getting to the interested in jump-starting the point now where we’re losing the process could incorporate a formal Bill Petros/The Current path,” Putzel said. group to handle community donaVolunteers have struggled to “There are places where there is tions. no path anymore,” and the trees The small park, which follows a keep up Spring Valley Park in the could fall on a neighboring home, he creek just south of Quebec Street absence of sufficient city funds. said. between 49th Street and Fordham Speaking at last week’s Palisades/Spring Valley Road, has suffered erosion issues that are eating away at See Park/Page 7 its walking trail and threatening the stability of its large Current Staff Writer
■ D.C. police officials offer assurances on 2nd District resources. Page 3. ■ Dupont package thief nabbed in sting. Page 3.
SPORTS ■ Gonzaga wins big in key WCAC contests. Page 11. ■ Beard-Fails leads Georgetown Day to win. Page 11.
vote on waterfront upgrades By ELIZABETH WIENER Current Staff Writer
Friends hope for long-awaited erosion work
NEWS
They include: • asking students to articulate an academic, social and behavioral goal, and then working with them during a biweekly advisory period to achieve those goals; • holding a set of grade-level assemblies where administrators communicate their expectations to students and affirm their commitment to students’ success; • implementing a layered set of consequences for inappropriate student behavior; • assigning more substitutes to Hardy; See Hardy/Page 7
The National Park Service faced off this month against angry residents of the Watergate complex who fear some newly planted sycamore trees in Rock Creek Park will block their views and lower their property values. Caught in the middle of a surprisingly contentious dispute, the National Capital Planning Commission blinked. At its Jan. 6 meeting, the commission voted 8-2 to put off for one month a final vote on new plantings, pathways and other improvements to the narrow strip of parkland that borders the Potomac River near the Watergate. Commissioners have asked the Park Service to see if it can find shorter trees. “It’s a shame we’re at this point, since the waterfront project has generated so much goodwill,” said Rob Miller, who represents Mayor Vincent Gray on the commission.
PA S S A G E S ■ Hebrew goes digital at Wisconsin Avenue synagogue. Page 13. ■ GWU pitches in on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Page 13 .
Bill Petros/The Current
Watergate residents fear the new trees will eventually block views. “Is there any interest in exploring alternatives?” “I’m sympathetic to the Watergate, but aware of the precedent,” said Harriet Tregoning, the D.C. planning director who also sits on the federal commission. “We have hundreds of trees planted by the river. If every time someone’s view is obstructed, we cut trees down, it would be devastating to the city.” But even Tregoning wondered if shorter trees would do. “Can they be trimmed?” she asked officials. At issue is the last phase of a See Watergate/Page 10
INDEX Business/5 Calendar/20 Classifieds/29 District Digest/4 Exhibits/23 In Your Neighborhood/18 Opinion/8
Passages/13 Police Report/6 Real Estate/17 School Dispatches/14 Service Directory/25 Sports/11 Theater/23