Neighborhood Notes - Foxhall: 25 April 2001

Tip O’Neill was right on: politics is SO local! The imminent mandatory adjustment of D.C.’s Ward boundaries has activists in Ward 2 and in Ward 3 proposing competing scenarios on how to shrink both wards yet keep long-established neighborhoods together. On the Ward 3/Ward 4 boundary two options are being looked at: one is to move Chevy Chase area tracts into Ward 4, the other is moving two tracts below Chevy Chase that border Connecticut Avenue - problem is: Ward 4 doesn't need to change size!

On the Ward 1/Ward 3 boundary, the Cleveland Park neighborhood that was divided in the last redistricting may end up being all together in Ward 1 (or in Ward 3?). One interesting thing learned is that the people moved into Ward 3 were issued special Ward 1/Ward 3 parking stickers - how come the Foxhall area was not afforded the same courtesy for Ward 2/Ward 3 parking when it also was pulled out? (Kathy Patterson is now proposing Council legislation to streamline residential parking).

On the Ward 2/Ward 3 boundary, groups in Palisades are looking to bring Foxhall area tract 8.2 back into Ward 3, while Glover Park wants to re-unite split tract 3.1 again with Burleith. However, both these proposals lack agreement in which Ward the re-combined areas would lie in! Further complicating things is lack of any redistricting proposals, or even discussion, on the Ward2dems.org website, and their Ward 2 map fails to show that the Foxhall area is in Ward 2!

Whatever happens, we may see more ANC’s straddle Ward boundaries (like Cleveland Park has) so natural neighborhoods get common issues considered by a majority of commissioners familiar with them. Once the Mayor signs Ward boundaries on July 1, Ward Task Forces have until October 1 to recommend new SMD boundaries.

© Bob Andrew, Foxhall