The Northwest Current
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Beach Drive overhaul touts first milestone
Glenbrook cleanup hit with possible exposure
COLD-BLOODED FUN
■ Spring Valley: Army work
paused after crew hospitalized
By ALEXA PERLMUTTER Current Correspondent
The first phase of the Beach Drive reconstruction project has concluded, and the newly refinished stretch of roadway from Rock Creek Parkway to Tilden Street and Park Road NW is scheduled to open fully by the end of August. To celebrate its completion, the National Park Service and Rock Creek Conservancy are hosting a block party on Sunday. The rehabilitation of Beach Drive and its adjacent pedestrian/ bicycle trail began in September 2016, and road closures will continue in phases through fall 2019 as the project advances north toward the Maryland line. The Aug. 20 block party, during which guests are invited to try out the upgraded trail and roadway on foot or on any non-motorized vehicles, marks the end of 1.82 miles of construction. The festivities will begin at 1 p.m. at the Beach Drive entrance to the National Zoo. The entrance has been outfitted See Beach/Page 2
By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer
Workers cleaning up a contaminated Spring Valley property were hospitalized last Wednesday after suffering symptoms of possible chemical exposure, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is overseeing the cleanup effort. In response to the Aug. 9 incident, the Army has suspended excavation at the 4825 Glenbrook
Road NW property and is now reviewing its next steps. The most recent hazard was limited to the closed-off work area and posed no risk to nearby residents or the American University campus, Army officials said. The Army Corps has been cleaning up the Spring Valley neighborhood since 1993, when it became clear that the area had been contaminated by World War I-era chemical munitions testing conducted by the U.S. Army at American University. The property at 4825 Glenbrook is perhaps the neighborhood’s most notoriSee Glenbrook/Page 10
Georgetown Day modifies Tenley development plans ■ School: Mixed-use project
Brian Kapur/The Current
Tenley-Friendship Library hosted “Reptiles Alive!” on Tuesday afternoon, featuring lizards, turtles, snakes and frogs. The event gave attendees the chance to meet live animals and hear funny stories and facts about them.
dropped from GDS proposal By GRACE BIRD Current Staff Writer
Grant, Sherman circles eyed for changes By GRACE BIRD Current Staff Writer
A pair of Petworth traffic circles are under consideration for modifications as the D.C. Department of Transportation works to identify safety measures that won’t cause excessive traffic congestion. Grant and Sherman circles have wide travel lanes and high traffic volumes, presenting hazards to pedestrians, bicyclists and drivers, according to officials. The Transportation Department’s initial idea for each circle was to eliminate one travel lane — leaving one travel lane, one parking lane and a new bicycle lane. But after a May trial at Grant
Vol. L, No. 33
Serving Chevy Chase, Colonial Village, Shepherd Park, Brightwood, Crestwood, Petworth & 16th Street Heights
Brian Kapur/The Current
Grant Circle NW will retain its travel lanes under the city’s plan.
Circle left long queues of cars on nearby streets — particularly New Hampshire and Illinois avenues and Buchanan Street — the agency has proposed a range of alternative measures there. A notice of intent, issued last week, includes
the following changes to Grant Circle: ■installing a bicycle lane with a 2-foot-wide buffer area, protected with flexible posts in the areas they wouldn’t interfere with cross traffic. ■installing flexible posts near certain intersections where roads enter the circle, to reduce the pedestrian crossing distance and force motorists to slow down to make their turns. ■reducing the outer travel lane from 12 feet wide to 11 feet. ■eliminating one travel lane in each direction on New Hampshire Avenue from Grant Circle south to Upshur Street, and narrowing New Hampshire’s northern See Grant/Page 5
Georgetown Day School has revised its expansion plans, modifying the design of its planned lower/middle school and indefinitely suspending a proposed mixed-use development. The school had originally developed an ambitious proposal to transform the area around its 4200 Davenport St. NW high school, with hopes at one point of breaking ground by mid-2017. In 2014 Georgetown Day purchased the Safeway supermarket across Davenport, along with the former Martens car dealerships along Wisconsin Avenue across 42nd Street. The Martens property was to become two large mixed-use buildings, providing revenue for the school’s operations. The Safeway site was to become a new home for the lower/middle school, currently located in the Palisades. At the July 20 meeting of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3E (Friendship Heights, Tenley-
Brian Kapur/The Current
A school building will replace the old Davenport Street Safeway.
town), school officials presented a more modest approach. Now, the new lower/middle school building would be about 24 percent smaller than earlier plans and sit 120 feet farther from residences on 43rd Street. And the mixed-use project, the subject of extensive community controversy, is not moving forward in the foreseeable future. But even the revised proposal faces community concerns about the local traffic impact, with ANC 3E members and other residents challenging the school for allowing so many of its students to arrive by car. According to estimates provided by the school’s See GDS/Page 11
NEWS
SPORTS
CURRENTNEWSPAPERS.COM
INDEX
Scott Circle flooding
Trading places
Check out our new website, where you’ll find more of the communityoriented news, features and sports you read weekly in The Current.
Calendar/16 Classifieds/22 District Digest/4 In Your Neighborhood/14 Opinion/6
16th Street underpass has closed four times in three weeks amid heavy rain / Page 3
Desmond Dunham moves from Wilson to lead St. John’s running programs / Page 9
Police Report/8 Real Estate/13 Service Directory/20 Shopping & Dining/15 Sports/9
Tips? Contact us at newsdesk@currentnewspapers.com