Neighborhood Notes - Foxhall: 23 May 2001

This was a week for important victories of principle in governmental accountability for conduct of redistricting, campus plans and in traffic management. Whether or not Foxhall Village stays in Ward 2 or is voted by Council to return to Ward 3, their subcommittee Plan H was shown to be statistically flawed - leaving us in Ward 2 keeps the Wards closer to being equivalent in voting age population. This is the only reason to move boundaries at all, constitutional principle of equal representation.

With GU campus plan, both sides are proposing that BZA tidy up language in their order so that it clearly communicates the intent of negotiations with residents and the Office of Planning. GU's students are starting to feel they were left out of this process - GU should look more carefully to its own governance to include GUSA in campus planning, not rely solely on the ANC process.

With GWU campus plan, their lawsuit against the city that insists it is unconstitutional "takings" to require them to house student growth is a serious threat to every city with urban universities. GWU still have permission to grow by 3,500 students and still pay no taxes on their land and its developments. Unless they house their own students, they will continue to expand throughout Foggy by taking more property off the tax rolls.

NCPC provided written details of the Commission Action on Canal Road entrance to GU. This requires  "the new traffic signals and controls will be fully capable of sensing demand both for through traffic along Canal Rd in both directions and for traffic exiting from and entering the university with movements that cross Canal Rd, and thereby eliminate or reduce to a minimum the dedicated left turn signal time when the needs of through traffic dictate".

© Bob Andrew, Foxhall