Neighborhood Notes - Foxhall: 20 September, 2000

The annual Georgetown Classic 10 K race has run into a unanimous buzz-saw of concern from ANC2E in Georgetown/Foxhall/Burleith and ANC3D in Palisades.

Over recent years the organizers have modified their route, once they outgrew the capacity of the canal path. After several years of objections from Glover-Park residents being boxed in, the route moved to encircle Foxhall and cut through Burleith, but that just created problems with access to Georgetown Hospital. This year’s proposed route limited itself to lower Palisades and Foxhall, but still failed to address e.g thru-access by D-6 bus to Sibley Hospital in addition to holdups by closing off M Street all morning, and the Key Bridge for about half-an-hour at 9:30 am.

Another question this race should address is economic impact. This race is sponsored by a bar that gets a street liquor permit. Apart from the mixed message we may be sending Georgetown University undergraduates, has GBPA asked its other retail members whether the current street closures lose them Sunday business, or has the presence of runners made up for it?

Recognizing there may be no urban neighborhood they will be welcome in, the Capital Running Company is now trying to get community support to conduct the races on National Park Service land. For this event, that would involve using Rock Creek Parkway. Why not go the next step for 2001 and get the starting/ending point off M Street and onto the new Georgetown Waterfront Park?

Finally, unless the city does give great weight to the ANC’s requests and cancel this year’s race, we trust the organizers will spend some of the race income on a prominent ad in this (and other) local papers, spelling out the race course closure times with an easy-to-understand map. Watch www.runwashington.com for updates.

© Bob Andrew, Foxhall