Regular Monthly Meeting Minutes

June 23, 2003

I. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Nancy MacWood called to order Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C (ANC3C’s) regular monthly meeting for June 23, 2003 at 7:33 p.m. The meeting was held at the community Room, Second District Police Station, 3320 Idaho Ave., NW, Washington, DC. Other commissioners present were Richard Bartel, Allen Hahn, Sally MacDonald, Nancy Nord, Trudy Reeves, Kurt Vorndran and John Welsh.

II. VERIFICATION OF NOTICE: Chair MacWood verified that the proper notice was published in the Northwest Current and posted on the Cleveland Park e-mail list and ANC3C website.

III. ESTABLISHMENT OF QUORUM: Chair MacWood acknowledged that a quorum (at least five members of the commission) was present.

IV. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: With minor adjustments, the agenda was approved without objection.

a. Chair MacWood asked commissioners to introduce themselves and explain their single member district areas.

b. Commissioner Welsh noted there would be a meeting on July 17 regarding utilities and a representative from ANC3C should attend.

c. Chair MacWood announced ANC3C’s new website, www.anc3c.org, and encouraged community members to visit it.

a. Consent calendar: Chair MacWood noted that no one in the community had called to address the item on the consent calendar, a request for zoning variance for deck construction at 2767 Woodley Place, NW. Chair MacWood moved that consent calendar be approved. Commissioner Hahn seconded, and the consent calendar was approved without objection.

b. Commissioner Welsh noted that he and other ANC3C members held a meeting with developers June 12 regarding a proposed development project at 3519 Porter St., NW. that would include an addition to the existing house and add a duplex on the adjoining lot. Commissioner Welsh noted that developers took into consideration ANC3C suggestions from the May meeting, as well as comments and comments from the Cleveland Park Architectural Review Committee (ARC) and from the DC Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB).

An architect noted the important changes from the plans ANC3C commissioners saw at their May meeting: The existing garage will not be moved. Instead, developers will add a door on the backside of it. A proposed driveway going down to basement level parking in duplexes has been omitted so the house is not forced out of the grade. The addition on the Sears house has been shortened by 4 feet. Two pine trees and a holly tree will be preserved rather than removed. The roof material will possibly be synthetic slate. The developers stated they planned to meet with HPRB July 24, and meet again with ARC in early July.

Chair MacWood and Commissioner MacDonald both expressed their appreciation for the developers taking community comments into account. Commissioner Welsh moved that ANC3C recommend the revised project plans be approved by HPRB, and Commissioner Hahn seconded. The motion passed by a unanimous vote of 8-0.

c. Chair MacWood introduced Stephen Rippe, chief executive officer of the Protestant Episcopal Cathedral Foundation, and explained that the foundation is asking for support for tax-free municipal bonds. Gen. Rippe began by discussing what the foundation has done to work with the community in honesty. He listed several things the foundation had done to work with the community, including withdrawing from a bid to purchase Rosedale based on community input, and meeting with community members and ANC commissioners regularly to discuss neighborhood issues. He stated that the foundation also has improved its website and produce a newsletter to keep community members informed. He said that the foundation is paying to design a reconfigured bus route to keep buses off of Woodley Road and 34^th Street, and is putting in eight or nine additional water monitoring wells along the perimeter of the Cathedral close to monitor water during future construction projects.

Finally, he noted that the foundation is working toward a parking garage that will house buses on the first level, and will have a community meeting in September to discuss this.

Gen. Rippe then stated that the foundation is seeking support for tax-free municipal bonds in the amount of $18 million for the National Cathedral School to refinance a current construction loan, and $8.2 million for Beauvior School to refinance while rates are low.

He explained that the district government approves the bonds and then the foundation seeks funding. Under the terms of the bond issue, the District employment services department would get first notice on available positions. Also, the foundation would be encouraged to fill percentage of construction and other work contracts with local businesses.

Gen. Rippe stated that it was a continuing challenge to keep tuition affordable while increase finance aid, maintain facilities and keeping teacher salaries competitive, and the interest savings from this refinancing would help the foundation do these things.

Chair MacWood then discussed the background of the athletic center construction project, which caused structural damage to several nearby homes. She stated that community relations with the Cathedral were at an all-time low. Chair MacWood stated that she was stunned the foundation would request support for financing the project that had caused such upset in the community. She stated that in a series of meetings with the bishop, neighbors had tense but productive conversations about a variety of issues, from construction to parking, and that there was no indication that improvements on these issues would be linked to the bond issue.

Chair MacWood stated that she, along with Cleveland Park Citizens Association and Carmela Veneroso of the National Cathedral Neighborhood Association, drafted a proposed compact based on the Cathedral master plan as a starting point for negotiations.

Chair MacWood said the damage payments occurred, but all talks with the bishop have ceased. She stated that she would like the community to come up with concrete items that would not hurt the Cathedral but would be beneficial to the community.

Gen. Rippe stated that the foundation board of trustees met in emergency session and said they would not negotiate the compact, but that they were willing to discuss any issues brought up by the community. He stated that the bonds ought to be approved based on their own merit for a nonprofit institution, because it benefits the kids.

Commissioner Vorndran asked Chair MacWood to identify the primary unresolved substantive issues in the compact. Chair MacWood stated they had to do with issues such as an agreement for parking garage with buses underground; an agreement that the 14 percent limit on development of the close be adhered to; a small committee of Olmstead experts be assembled to vet any projects; and a control on property acquisition.

Michael Galvin, chair of the governing board of the National Cathedral School, stated that while they understood the construction had caused unrest in the community, the foundation wants to access the same tax exempt bond financing that has been made available to other nonprofits in ANC3C. He stated the board is willing to discuss community issues, but wanted to keep the bonds separate from the proposed compact.

Paul Cunningham, president of the Massachusetts Avenue Heights Citizens Association stated that he and others in the community have never heard about or seen this compact. He stated that he has always had very civilized communications with the Cathedral, and wanted the bond financing to be separated from the issue of the compact, which has not been endorsed by the neighborhood.

George Idelson, president of the Cleveland Park Citizens Association stated that they never had a chance to expose the compact to the community because negotiations never happened. He read a resolution passed by the CPCA executive committee stating that bonds are not an entitlement but a privilege, and that such bonds have to be supported by enforceable agreement to improve both community and cathedral.

Commissioner Vorndran stated that he didn’t believe the commission would be able to vote in support of the bonds this evening and asked that a meeting be convened to begin a dialogue among stakeholders.

Commissioner Bartel stated that he opposed the compact as an example of government by proxy, and thought it was not the proper role of the ANC.

After further discussion, Chair MacWood made a motion to postpone consideration of the issue to allow more time to consider the issue, and stated that the consideration would occur in time to transmit ANC3C’s view to the city council after the summer recess. Commissioner Vorndran seconded. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of 8-0.

a. Commissioner Bartel introduced and moved a resolution endorsing alignment of police service areas with ANCs. Commissioner Welsh seconded. Commissioner Vorndran introduced a friendly amendment to strike a reference to the number participating in a citizens meeting, and Commissioner Bartel accepted. Peter Espenscheid noted that the Cleveland Park Citizens Association unanimously passed a similar resolution. After further discussion, Resolution 2003-017 was passed by a vote of 7-0 with one abstention. Chair MacWood thanked Lars Hydle for his assistance on this issue.

b. Commissioner Reeves introduced and read a resolution regarding a National Park Service proposal regarding Rock Creek Drive. Commissioner Nord seconded.

Commissioner Hahn stated that it was already very congested on Connecticut Avenue, and that closing the park would send people up Cathedral and Calvert streets. Commissioner Reeves noted that all the road closures are north of ANC3C.Commissioner MacDonald stated that even though the closure is north, the first notice people will get will be when they get to intersections of Calvert and Cathedral, so they’ll start turning off there.

Commissioner Vorndran offered a friendly amendment, which Commissioner Reeves asked be voted on as a regular amendment. Commissioner Vorndran offered an amendment, and Commissioner MacDonald seconded. After further discussion, Chair MacWood called the question on the Vorndran amendment, and the amendment passed by a unanimous vote of 8-0. The commission then voted on the resolution as amendment, and Resolution 2003-018 passed by a unanimous vote of 8-0.

c. Commissioner Reeves introduced a resolution regarding a Metro bus reroute in McLean Gardens. She stated that buses make a left on Porter Street into McLean Gardens, where the street is narrow with parking on both sides. She stated a bus stop on Porter is inaccessible because cars are parked around it and it is in the middle of the street. Commissioner Reeves said the resolution proposes buses make a turn on Idaho off of Wisconsin, then take a left to Giant Foods. She noted a study done last winter showed nobody embarking or disembarking at Norton Place, and just 10 getting off in McLean Gardens and one getting on. She noted a traffic safety forum April 3 included McLean Gardens owners and renters, and the proposed change was included in the May 31 McLean Gardens newsletter.

Commissioner Hahn seconded the resolution. Commissioner Vorndran offered a friendly amendment that WMATA signs be renamed to National Cathedral/McLean Gardens. Commissioner Reeves accepted the friendly resolution, and Resolution 2003-019 passed by a unanimous vote of 8-0.

a. Secretary’s Report -- Commissioner Hahn moved acceptance of the May 19, 2003 meeting minutes. Commissioner Vorndran seconded. With minor changes, the minutes of the May meeting were approved without objection by a vote of 8-0.

b. Treasurer’s report – Commissioner Welsh introduced a resolution regarding the second quarter financial report, and commissioner Hahn seconded. Resolution 2003-020 was approved by a unanimous vote of 8-0.

a. Chair MacWood stated that the Alban Towers traffic task force was scheduled to expire this month and the traffic study the task force was going to respond to had not been done yet. Chair MacWood moved that the task force be extended through December 2003 due to extenuating circumstances. Commissioner Hahn seconded, and the motion was approved by a unanimous vote of 8-0.

b. Commissioner Bartel requested a co-chair for the public safety committee, and Chair MacWood offered to co-chair. Commissioner Vorndran moved that Chair MacWood serve as co-chair, and Commissioner Welsh seconded. The motion was approved by a unanimous vote of 8-0.

a. Commissioner Reeves stated that Sidwell Friends was working on construction plans in the next few months, and that ANC3C should discuss these plans with Sidwell officials.

Without objection, the June 2003 ANC3C meeting was adjourned at 11:19 p.m.