The NorThwesT CurreNT
Wednesday, April 12, 2017
Vol. L, No. 15
Serving Communities in Northwest Washington Since 1967
FABERGÉ FEST
Mayor’s budget sees mixed reactions ■ D.C. Council: Northwest
members generally favorable
By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer
Mayor Muriel Bowser’s $13.8 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2018 — the largest in the city’s history — drew its fair share of strong reactions on both ends of the spectrum when she unveiled it last Tuesday. But with a few days to process its contents, the overall
tenor of feedback, in Northwest specifically, has been slightly more measured. D.C. Council members in the city’s poorest wards, including Ward 8’s Trayon White and Ward 7’s Vincent Gray, offered strong rebukes at a testy forum last Thursday, suggesting that Bowser hasn’t followed through on promises to help the city’s disadvantaged populations. On the other hand, the representatives of the council’s four Northwest wards — Ward 1’s Brianne Nadeau,
Ward 2’s Jack Evans, Ward 3’s Mary Cheh and Ward 4’s Brandon Todd — have generally praised the mayor’s approach despite some concerns over details. Details on some budget items continue to trickle in. For instance, the Office on Aging budget includes long-sought funding for a “virtual senior wellness center” service network that would cover wards 2 and 3, according to agency spokesperson Karen Dorbin. But the exact amount of funding See Budget/Page 3
Whole Foods won’t estimate opening date By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
Susann Shin/The Current
The Fabergé Egg Family Festival at the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens celebrated spring’s arrival with Russian cultural activities last weekend. The annual event included festive folk music and dancing, an egg-rolling game and workshops to decorate Fabergé-inspired eggs.
After Whole Foods Market abruptly closed its Glover Park store for renovations last month, the biggest question has been the reopening date. But much to the disappointment of attendees at last Thursday’s meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3B (Glover Park, Cathedral Heights), Whole Foods officials haven’t even finalized their plans for the remodel and declined to offer any hints on how long the process could take. “We wish we had a number we could put on it, but we don’t want to make any guesses,” said Todd Schrecengost, the company’s regional marketing team leader. “There’s a lot that goes into the remodeling process. We don’t want to estimate and then get anybody’s hopes up.” The trouble began March 13, when a D.C. Department of Health inspector found “rodent gnawed/damaged packaged bags of pretzels and puffed cheese” in the chips aisle, along with rodent droppings on the
Brian Kapur/The Current
The Glover Park supermarket closed on March 13, and no reopening date has been announced.
shelves, according to the agency’s report. Whole Foods voluntarily closed the 2323 Wisconsin Ave. NW store upon seeing the rodent evidence, which had also been found in previous Health Department inspections. Two days later, a follow-up inspection See Grocery/Page 19
Ward 3 homeless shelter wins zoning board’s approval By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
The city’s planned Ward 3 emergency family shelter won unanimous D.C. Board of Zoning Adjustment approval last Wednesday, with members rejecting opponents’ concerns about the proposed height and other impacts. The District intends to construct a sixstory, 50-unit facility next to the 2nd District Police Headquarters building at 3320 Idaho Ave. NW. The project required substantial relief from zoning restrictions for that property, including permission to build at 69 feet tall instead of 40, and also needed
to include a new parking deck to replace the police department’s surface parking. Despite some community support, many nearby residents organized in strong opposition to the plans through the Neighbors for Responsive Government group, which may appeal the zoning board’s decision. A leading concern has been the shelter’s height, given its proposed location near singlefamily homes. During a seven-hour hearing last month, the group argued that the shelter’s project team failed to meet the D.C. requirement to demonstrate that no reasonable alternative to its proposal could meet zoning regulations. “The board should not be rushed into a
destructive decision that will have adverse impacts on a neighborhood for decades,” the community group wrote in a follow-up submission March 31. Board members generally deferred to the D.C. Office of Planning’s recommended support for the project. Zoning board chair Frederick Hill said his approval stemmed from “understanding why the programmatic needs of the shelter meant it had to be built the way it was, and understanding the selection process and why this shelter needs to be in the place that it is in order to serve the needs of the city.” The Office of Planning’s report echoed testimony from other city agencies, con-
Rendering courtesy of D.C. government
Zoning board members said programmatic needs justified the proposed height.
cluding that the shelter’s programmatic needs dictated a specific size and layout. Homelessness experts concluded that the See Homeless/Page 5
NEWS
PASSAGES
SPORTS
INDEX
Campaign finance
‘Power of Color’
Walk-off grand slam
Calendar/20 Classifieds/30 District Digest/4 In Your Neighborhood/14 Opinion/6 Passages/17
Audit blasts Todd campaign’s management of Ward 4 council bid in 2015 race / Page 3
GWU museum hosts exhibition showcasing African-American fashion history / Page 17
Visitation senior slugger ends game against Wilson in show of power with bases loaded/ Page 9
Police Report/8 Real Estate/13 School Dispatches/18 Service Directory/28 Shopping & Dining/19 Sports/9
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