Serving Communities in Northwest Washington Since 1967
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Vol. XLVIII, No. 45
The NorThwesT CurreNT
Zoo neighbors bemoan later opening hours
Historic home leveled after structural damage
FIRST-PLACE FINISH
■ Cleveland Park: Agency
By KELSEY KNORP
said 1912 building was unsafe
Current Correspondent
Some early risers in neighborhoods bordering the National Zoo will have to adjust their morning routines this winter, as the Zoo establishes new hours of operation. Beginning in January, the Zoo grounds will open two hours later each day, at 8 a.m., and close an hour earlier, at 5 p.m. Exhibit building hours will also be adjusted slightly, to open at 9 a.m. rather than 10 a.m. and close a half-hour earlier than usual, at 4 p.m. The later grounds opening times are intended as a permanent change. However, the earlier close times are in part designed to accommodate daylight saving time, as the earlier darkness can pose safety risks to both visitors and staff, according to National Zoo director Dennis Kelly. When the Zoo shifts to summer hours in mid-March, closing times for the grounds and exhibits will be extended by two hours. For neighbors in areas like Woodley Park, the Zoo is a popular spot for a morning walks or runs. Many commuters also cut through the grounds on foot to save time and avoid rush-hour traffic. Due to the influx of people so early in the morning, Kelly said, it is often difficult to manage the daily flow of 2,000 to 3,000 vehicles needed to provide food and veterinary care to the animals, and to perform services like maintenance and restocking the gift shops and vending machines before the Zoo opens. The director noted the routine occurrence of “near-misses and confrontations” between staff and early visitors when both parties use the grounds in the morning. “I don’t want to see a tragic accident here because of a conflict between people trying to do their jobs and people trying to use the Zoo for recreation,” Kelly said. Because staff will have more breathing room to conduct morning preparations, the Zoo will be able to See Zoo/Page 2
NEWS
By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
Brian Kapur/The Current
Georgetown Day School cross-country runner Tristan Colaizzi ran past the competition at the D.C. State Athletic Association championships at Fort Dupont on Saturday. The senior won the meet with a time of 17 minutes, 12 seconds despite a slick course in rainy conditions. See story, page 9.
— Page 3
Brian Kapur/The Current
Neighbors were astonished to learn the Woodley Road home had been demolished on Friday.
pletely, utterly committed” to rebuilding it in its original form, according to Ralph Cunningham, whose Cunningham Quill Architects firm is working on the project. “That’s the silver lining of the whole thing: We have extensive documentation of the house. We know what was there,” said Cunningham. “It will look the same, but it will be a better, more modernly constructed house.” Problems emerged late last month, when gaping cracks appeared in the rear wall, according to advisory neighborhood commissioner Nancy MacWood. The city’s Historic Preservation Office and inspecSee Raze/Page 2
Chick-fil-A proposes restaurants in Tenleytown, Van Ness By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
Fresh off last Wednesday’s opening of a new Chick-fil-A at DC USA in Columbia Heights, the fast-food chain has confirmed plans to launch restaurants in Tenleytown and Van Ness next year. Atlanta-based Chick-fil-A recently filed plans with the District for restaurants at the former Payless shoe store site at 4505 Wisconsin Ave. NW and the current Burger King space at 4422 Connecticut Ave. NW. The former is part of a commercial strip between Panera and Starbucks next to the Tenleytown Metro station; the latter will be a new free-standing building with a drive-thru on the same footprint as the Burger King. “We’ve been serving various Washington D.C. area communities for many years,” Chick-fil-A spokesperson Brenda Morrow wrote in an email to The Current. “We look forward to expanding
SPOR TS
New location sought for hypothermia shelter in Ward 3
Cleveland Park residents are fiercely protective of their neighborhood’s historic district. Filled with stately homes dating back a century or more, the district requires strict reviews of even seemingly modest changes to contributing buildings. So community members were aghast when a 1912 house across the street from the Washington National Cathedral was abruptly demolished Friday. The razing of 3515 Woodley Road NW represents neither a change in policy for the historic district nor an illegal attempt by a developer to circumvent preservation rules — two speculations raised in the community. Rather, the house’s structure was so badly destabilized during a renovation and expansion project that city inspectors deemed the structure a safety hazard and ordered it torn down. The property owner, who had permits to conduct interior demolition and construct a garage, is “com-
St. Albans soccer boots Prep to win IAC championship — Page 9
Brian Kapur/The Current
Some residents are concerned by Chick-filA’s plan to retain Burger King’s drive-thru upon taking over the Van Ness site.
into Tenleytown and Van Ness in 2016, with our continued model of serving great food with remarkable service in a manner sensitive to the communities where we locate.” Chick-fil-A’s Columbia Heights store is only
SHERWOOD
Mayor’s China trip soured by criticisms of PAC donor access — Page 6
its second location within D.C. city limits, with the other being inside the Catholic University student center. The Forest Hills Connection first reported on the proposed Van Ness location, while American University’s student newspaper The Eagle broke the news of the Tenleytown plan. As Chick-fil-A works to move into the two neighborhoods, community leaders in both commercial districts are actively looking for ways to boost activity and investment. Both Tenleytown and Van Ness have applied for city grant money to fund “Main Street” groups to oversee these efforts; decisions are expected on Monday. Anne Wallace, a Tenleytown advisory neighborhood commissioner and president of her main street’s board, said in an interview that she’s of mixed minds about Chick-fil-A. “I don’t think it’s any secret that we would prefer to see non-chain businesses,” she said. See Restaurants/Page 2
INDEX Calendar/14 Classifieds/21 District Digest/5 Exhibits/15 In Your Neighborhood/12 Opinion/6
Police Report/4 Real Estate/13 School Dispatches/8 Service Directory/19 Sports/9 Week Ahead/3
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