Neighborhood Notes - Foxhall: 7 November 2001

For those wondering why reform of residential parking regulations is so vital to those who live in Foxhall Village area, the winter of our discontent is rooted in the imminent switch from being in Ward 2 back to Ward 3. The concerns are threefold: first, that our side streets will again be overrun with all-day parkers from Ward 3 either catching a bus downtown, or walking over to Georgetown University with its parking cap. Second, falling outside the ANC2E reciprocity area that the DC Government uses to manage university student area; and third, lose ability to leisurely park in nearby Georgetown.

This is why FCCA proposed a reform based on ANC Single Member Districts, so that residents within a given SMD are the only ones who can park longer than two hours during the weekdays, plus a workable arrangement for out-of-town visitors. These ideas deserve closer consideration than they received at Council. We can understand why approval authority is unlikely to be given to ANC's, but look at closer look at ALL ideas at www.foxhall.org/traffic/ParkingProposal2.htm

Healthy, mature trees are precious to us, and the sight of partly butchered tree trunks on the old Cafritz estate have been a concern - a site tour “open day” last Saturday by Field School staff and Hitt Construction clarified what is happening. Because Foxhall Road will soon be widened to three lanes along most of this property boundary, power poles and trees on the edge of the road are being removed. Unfortunately, PEPCO have not yet done their part of this work (they are probably busy in Georgetown) but when it’s all done, all of the utilities will be buried and the edge of the property landscaped with trees, shrubs and grasses native to this area.

© Bob Andrew, Foxhall