Noise and air traffic control officials from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport will be speaking and taking questions at the Foggy Bottom Association’s May meeting. The meeting is Tuesday, May 22 at St. Stephen Martyr Catholic Church 2436 Pennsylvania Ave., NW. at 25th (entrance on 25th). A half hour social begins at 7 p.m., with the meeting starting at 7:30 p.m.

Speaking at the meeting will be Russ Adams, who as a support specialist at the airport’s air traffic control tower has been involved with aircraft noise mitigation for many years, and Mike Jeck, assistant manager of the Noise Office run by the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA).

As prelude to the meeting, Foggy Bottom News (FBN) asked some questions of Jeck regarding airport noise.

FBN: What hours is National Airport allowed to operate?
Jeck: Twenty four hours per day.

FBN: What kinds of planes/ engines are allowed during what hours?
Jeck: Most airline aircraft are able to use National Airport. Due to the length and design of our runways, wide body and other very large aircraft are unable to use National Airport. National Airport is open for use 24 hours a day.

FBN: What situations allow National Airport to operate for longer hours (for example, can planes land after the ending time, and under what circumstances)? (In a few infrequent situations, Foggy Bottom residents have noted planes landing very late at night–well after 12 p.m.)
Jeck: As noted on our website, mwaa.com/ reagan/1271.htm, if an aircraft engine meets the nighttime noise standard (which applies from 10 p.m. until 7 a.m.) that aircraft may operate at any time at the Airport. The airline schedules and the marketplace, however, have not created a demand for late night flights so there are few of them.

FBN: Foggy Bottom residents are under the impression that only planes with quieter engines can operate during certain hours. Is this correct? If so, how does MWAA monitor the airlines’ compliance with these rules?
Jeck: Aircraft are not prohibited from using the airport overnight, but if they operate in violation of the nighttime noise rule they are subject to a fine. National Airport has a nighttime noise rule in effect from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. As explained on our website:

Nighttime Noise Limitations

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is one of the most stringently noisecontrolled airports in the United States. National’s nighttime noise rules are among the most restrictive in the country. Under the Authority’s regulations, aircraft may be only operated after 9:59 p.m. and before 7:00 a.m. if the noise level for the aircraft type and model meets National Airport’s strict noise standards which are designed to minimize sleep interference. If the noise limitation is violated, the aircraft operator is subject to a civil penalty up to $5,000 per violation.

Over the years, advancements in technology and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations have led to quieter engines on airline jet aircraft.

FBN : Does MWAA anticipate any changes to these rules, especially as newer, quieter engines are more common on planes?
Jeck: No.

FBN: How and where does MWAA monitor noise levels? Are there monitors in the Foggy Bottom and West End neighborhoods? Where? How frequently are readings taken?
Jeck: MWAA has installed 36 noise monitors around the region. The closest noise monitors to Foggy Bottom are in Georgetown, Rosslyn, and the Palisades. The noise monitors collect data every second.

FBN: If a resident thinks planes are landing/taking off outside of the prescribed hours or planes with noisier engines are operating, who should they contact?
Jeck: Me, Mike Jeck, at 703.417.1204 or mike.jeck@mwaa.com

FBN: What does MWAA do to follow up on citizen complaints?
Jeck: We investigate the complaint and respond to the citizen with our findings. ~

Thanks to neighbors Monica Martinez & Daniel Gage, Jill Crissman, Mark Negus, Kris Hart (FoBoGro), Ray Ashton (GWU senior & FoBoGro employee), Jade Hart, Jackie & Ken Durham, Marina Streznewski & Alan Alpert, Greg Snyder, Ellie Becker, Lisa Farrell, David Hertzfeldt and our newest volunteer Allison.

Special thanks to Tom Day of DPW Helping Hands Neighborhood Clean Up Program, who provided equipment and leaf bag pick up. The over 32 bags of debris and 40 limbs and branches were hauled off before the day ended.

Within two hours, the 26th Street park which is regularly maintained by the FBA Garden Committee, was cleared of winter trash and transformed into spring mode. The morning after, in the bright sun, dogs with their owners and children with their parents were out enjoying the newly spruced up parks.

Artist Gunnel Gyllenhoff (left) and gallery owner Dale Johnson at the galleries 25th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday evening, Feb. 11

But if you haven’t visited her gallery, now is the time to go as the Gallery is closely involved with the biennial Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit in historic Foggy Bottom.

On the lower level of the Watergate Mall, the Watergate Gallery features an awe inspiring array of paintings, sculptures, wood turning, ceramics, and fiber art. New artists are displayed monthly.

The gallery doubles as a framing business. It offers high quality preservation framing using a wide variety of acid free materials and ultraviolet filtering glazing on virtually all pieces to be framed. Archival papers and mat boards, UV glass or plexiglass assist in maintaining the integrity of the framed item for the long term.

Ms. Johnson has seen the neighborhood change over the years. Business for her has gone up and down. Lately, times have been tough for all artists. When the economy tanks, people are less interested in art-related purchases.

“People are just not in a position to indulge themselves,” she said, adding that businesses, law firms, federal agencies — virtually everyone has become more reluctant to spend money getting things framed. More people are buying online. The cost of supplies for Ms. Johnson has also climbed, she said.

One of the biggest blows to pedestrian traffic and thus her walk-in business was the closing of the Watergate Mall Safeway. Still, she soldiers on. And thankfully so. Shops like hers are exactly what gives neighborhoods their local feel. And yet, they’re disappearing, replaced by web purchasing and larger commercial chains.

For neighborhoods like ours, Ms. Johnson is an institution of local memory.

Long time Foggy Bottom residents can stop by and find a fellow soul who remembers when a commercial airliner crashed into the 14th Street Bridge. She describes coming to work on September 11, 2001 after witnessing the cloud of smoke over the Pentagon while riding her bike on the Crescent Trail. She remembers thinking that a newly constructed building had fallen down.

She can tell you why certain materials should be used for certain pictures. You’re not sure what frame works best with a black and white photo. You’re not sure if one type of wood is better when framing your child’s high school diploma. You won’t get that kind of personalized guidance on the Internet. You will from Ms. Johnson.

She has seen and done a lot over the years. Born in New Jersey, Ms. Johnson came to Washington to go to school at American University, where she majored in Art History. She attended studio classes as well. She studied in Rome, where she met a girlfriend whose father originally owned the business at the Watergate.

When he retired, Johnson took over the business, which was primarily custom framing at the time. Seven years ago, she took over the empty space next to the shop and expanded her museum, offering a larger gallery space.

The work never ceases to throw curve balls and odd requests, she said. “I will never say ‘no,’ I can’t do something,” she added.

Among her biggest challenges? Framing an ice pick signed by Sir Edmund Hillary, a baseball glove, Mohamed Ali’s boxing glove, and fire arms. Recently, she framed a gigantic American flag in a custom made Plexiglas box over 4 x 6 feet. It had hung on the wall in the entrance of an office since September 11th. Not long ago, she framed a stethoscope.

Perhaps her most nervewracking assignment was the request to frame a painting by Claude Monet. When the client brought in the painting, Ms. Johnson agreed to frame it, but she told the client that she was concerned about keeping something so valuable over night. “Nobody’s going to think it’s a real Monet,” the client reassured her.

She couldn’t help but feel an immense sense of responsibility for the painting, but she realized her client was probably right. Assuming the picture was an actual Monet would be unlikely.

“It’s like dealing drugs in front of a police station,” Ms. Johnson said. It’s just something you assume most people wouldn’t do.

Ms. Johnson has also framed for the D.C. elite. Her clients have included Michael Kaiser, President of the Kennedy Center, The Washington National Opera and the renowned tenor Placido Domingo, Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, senators and congressmen.

The work can also be deeply poignant, Ms. Johnson explained. She could see when some clients felt particularly inspired by the items they wanted framed. Before any hint of scandal, Monica Lewinsky came in with her mother requesting to frame a poem. Like many interns, she had also had a photo of herself with the president framed. “I remember thinking this girl is in love with the President,” Ms. Johnson recounted.

Visually Ms. Johnson’s gallery is a feast. Greeting visitors by the front entrance is a life-size, cream-colored sculpture of a skinny man with curly hair. The sculpture, by D.C. artist, Robert Cole, is decked out in a suit and tie and is holding a tray. Right now, there’s a little flowering plant on the tray. Other times, the tray holds invitations or brochures on gallery exhibits.

Drenched in natural light, the space is bright and airy. The paintings currently in the gallery include Haitian art to paintings of local D.C. scenes. There are black and white photographs, and metal sculptures, even a cast iron cone lying on its side.

The gallery recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. It featured an exhibition including 32 artists who had shown their artwork at the gallery in the past quarter century. Some of the works are still on display.

In April, the gallery participated in 3rd Arts in Foggy Bottom Outdoor Sculpture exhibit. A tour of outdoor sculpture in Historic Foggy Bottom ended at The Watergate Gallery, where indoor work by the artists was on display.

May brings Dennis Bergevin “Character Studies” May 11 – June 16, 2012. This exhibition presents ceramic sculptures of opera characters in disguise as marionettes. Mr. Bergevin has spent more than 30 years in the world of opera as a virtuoso of make-up and wig building.

Visit the gallery website to find out about Watergate Gallery & Frame Design and the artists and events. watergategalleryframedesign.com

Nancy Conrad has been a Foggy Bottom resident for three years.

That was the shuttle’s final mission after a 30-year run and it will now serve as a piece of living history. For many Washingtonians it will be their first experience with the NASA space program, but for one Foggy Bottom resident outer space was a way of life for her family.

Shooting for the moon comes naturally to writer and educator Nancy Conrad. Her late husband was an astronaut and she is the founder of the Conrad Foundation, an organization that helps young people generate ideas that are out of this world.

The Conrad Foundation was created in 2008, and its signature program is the Spirit of Innovation Challenge. The annual competition challenges high school students to develop commercially-viable, technology-based products that address real-world challenges and global sustainability.

Conrad, who also serves as chairman, says she created the Conrad Foundation to ‘energize and engage students in science and technology through unique entrepreneurial opportunities.’ The nonprofit organization focuses on improving the current methods of teaching science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) in high schools around the country. This year’s competition included teams of students from nine countries and 49 states and several virtual teams made up of students from various states. Conrad says the competition gives learning a context and gets students excited.

“A hundred percent of the students who participate go on to pursue STEM or business careers.”

The Conrad Foundation is the only organization of its kind to combine education, innovation and entrepreneurship to inspire solutions for achieving global sustainability. The challenge categories range from aerospace exploration to agricultural science technology.

“It’s not enough to leave a better country for our children, we need to leave better children for our country.”

Conrad created the Foundation based on her late husband, Apollo 12 Astronaut Charles “Pete” Conrad. He and Nancy were married for nearly ten years when he died unexpectedly in 1999 from a motorcycle accident. His legacy also continues through the book Rocketman: Astronaut Pete Conrad’s Incredible Ride to the Moon and Beyond, which is co-authored by Nancy and Howard Klausner.

The book is a heart-felt account of Pete’s life which details his struggle with a learning disability as a child and his rise to become the real ‘Space Cowboy.’ He enjoyed an incredible career with NASA. His accomplishments include flying two Gemini missions, walking on the moon as Commander of Apollo 12, and commanding the first Skylab.

“People can see the human story behind one of America’s heroes, it’s not a story about going to the moon but about a man’s life,” said Nancy Conrad. “Pete used his career to reach out to students and gave them their ‘moon shot’.”

Now Nancy is continuing that trend by giving young people their ‘STEM shot’ and helping them use science, technology, engineering, and math to change the world.

To learn more about the Spirit of Innovation Challenge and the Conrad Foundation visit www.conradawards.org

To garner support for his fiscal year 2013 budget, the mayor is conducting budget town hall meetings in each of the city’s eight wards. About 100 people attended the Ward 2 meeting in the Charles Sumner School at 17th and M streets, co-hosted by Foggy Bottom Association.

One resident complimented the mayor on his administration for ensuring that the city’s central MLK Library has evening and Sunday hours. She then asked the mayor if he would extend those hours across the entire library system. “I know you are a great, great fan and supporter of libraries, but the branches have to be open all week. Will you say that? The library serves our population across the board. It’s a pillar of the educational establishment,” she said.

“You’re talking to the choir here, but I can’t say that because I may not be able to deliver,” said Gray. “There are people who can make passionate, eloquent arguments for other areas as well, but we just don’t have the dollars to fund everything that we would like to fund.”

The mayor said extended library hours were among a list of priorities that could be funded should additional money become available.

But he also noted that automatic budget cuts of as much as $1.2 trillion could hit the federal government come next January. Gray said such cuts, if they were to occur, would have an enormous negative impact on the District’s economy and its government.

“We are still in a weak economy,” said Gray. “We know we are in a precarious situation. We have to be as prudent and as fiscally responsible as we can.”

Being prudent, said the mayor during his PowerPoint presentation on the budget, means in addition to not spending more than it takes in, the District government must not rely on its reserve savings fund. Not only is the 2013 budget a balanced one, the city this year is able to put $240 million in the savings account, he said. This will be the third straight year that the city has not dipped into the rainy day fund.

That may eventually result in the city getting lower interest rates on its debt, the mayor said. “We can go to Wall Street with heads held high. We can’t rely on balancing the budget by taking out of savings as has been done in the past.”

The mayor’s budget offers no new taxes or fees, and calls for continued and in some instances increased spending in education, public safety and workforce development.

However, for a variety of reasons, including large decreases in federal funding, the District faces a budget shortfall of about $172 million. To close the gap, the mayor is proposing $102 million in spending cuts and bringing in an additional $69 in revenue.

One source of that revenue, $24 million, would be from a large increase in the District’s number of speeding and red light cameras. The mayor said he would eventually like to see those traffic control devices installed throughout the entire city. “It’s all about slowing people down,” said Gray.

The mayor also wants to raise $5 million in funds by extending the hours that nightclubs and bars can sell alcohol. The mayor would allow bars and nightclubs to remain open until 3 a.m. weekdays and 4 a.m. during weekends.

In the near future, Gray said the District would begin to look at closing and combining smaller schools. “Compared to other districts, we have too many school buildings. Cutting those fixed costs is where the savings could come from.”

But audience member Mary Lord, who is the Ward 2 State Board of Education member, commented that just because a school is small doesn’t mean that it should be closed. She noted that many of the smaller schools accomplish a great deal.

The mayor replied that would be taken into account when a school was considered for closing.

Gray is also proposing that the district lower its capital gain tax, the highest in the region, from 8.75 percent to 3 percent. That didn’t sit well with one resident, who said “I don’t want to subsidize the rich anymore than I already am.” Gray responded that he viewed the proposal not so much as a tax cut, “but as an investment in our future to encourage growth.”

What is the role of the “warrior” when the fighting stops? What does it mean to be a “stranger” in a multicultural society? What makes any place “home”?

The West End Library is the first in DC to host an event linking 100 communities across the nation in a conversation on these age-old themes. “Stranger in a Strange Land: Encountering the Other,” on April 30, is one of five opportunities offered by DC Public Library this spring as part of a national dialogue on classical literature and how it continues to influence and invigorate American culture.

Ancient Greeks/Modern Lives activities are taking place in a variety of communities – rural and urban, large and small – across the U.S., and venues include public libraries, arts centers, theaters and museums. Events in each community include lectures and staged readings; many areas are also forming reading groups. Videos, podcasts and a variety of other resources are available through the program’s website.

Brett Rogers, DC resident and assistant professor of classics and women, gender & sexuality studies at Gettysburg College, is slated to lead the opening program at West End Library as well as a later session entitled, “From Homer to Hip Hop: The Art of Storytelling,” at Watha T. Daniel/Shaw Library. Rogers, who has 30 years of stage experience, relishes the opportunity to link theater and scholarship in considering how classical culture contributes to American life.

“What do ideas about stranger and home and travel mean for us in the 21st Century? The intent of the [April 30] lecture is to explore these themes in a way that connects ancient Greek culture to modern lives, for the novice and for those familiar with the material,” Rogers explains. “The program is designed to encourage curiosity for those coming to the material for the first time and inspire others to rethink and reread.”   

Judith Hallett, professor of classics at the University of Maryland-College Park, will be leading sessions on “Homecoming: The Return of the Warrior” and “Rites of Passage: Changing Worlds, Transforming Lives” at Palisades and Georgetown libraries, respectively.

Washington, DC is one of three cities also hosting celebrity staged readings and scholarled town hall discussions of Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad culminating events. DC Public Library is partnering with the Harvard Center For Hellenic Studies. The New York Public Library, meanwhile, is working with the NYU Center for Ancient Studies and the Los Angeles Public Library with The Shakespeare Festival/Los Angeles.

The staged reading and actors workshop, scheduled for May 29 at the MLK Library, will be led by the Aquila Theatre Company of New York. Aquila has been producing classical drama – defined as literature that, over time, “transcends the original culture it was created for” – and related educational programs for 18 years. Director Meineckhas produced and/or directed dozens of classical works and serves as a “mythological advisor.” The company received an unprecedented grant of $800,000 from the National Endowment for the Humanities for this national program.

“Peter Meineck and the Aquila Theatre Company have done a lot of thinking about the ways Greek poetry and Greek drama speak to modern audiences,” Rogers notes.

The Aquila Theatre acting workshop is open to all, regardless of experience, and all are encouraged to attend the staged reading and subsequent discussion. While encouraging wide participation, Ancient Greeks/ Modern Lives is with a special emphasis on engaging veterans and their families. The “home®-coming” theme is particularly focused on the return of the “warrior.”

DC, as home to many different populations, lends itself to varied conversations and different locations different audiences will contribute to that variety, Rogers concludes, expressing the hope that those interested will participate in more than one neighborhood library event as well as the culminating programs at MLK Library.

Ancient Greeks/Modern Lives is supported by the Urban Libraries Council and the American Philological Association, in addition to NEH funding. Additional local support is provided by the DC Friends of the Library and Friends groups of Georgetown, Palisades, Watha T. Daniel/Shaw and West End libraries. See www.dclibrary.org/ancientgreeks/ for local details and visit www.ancientgreeksmodernlives.org for national information and resources. “Stranger in a Strange Land: Encountering the Other,” takes place April 30, 7:00 p.m. at West End Library, 1101 24th St, NW. 202–724-8707

George Washington University president Steven Knapp will address the Foggy Bottom Association on April 24, his first meeting with the group since 2008.

“I am looking forward to seeing our neighbors…and sharing with them the ways in which the university is celebrating 100 years in the neighborhood,” Knapp says. “I also look forward to discussing a range of topics, including an overview of campus plan projects, sustainability and our rising research stature.”

Among projects FBA members have asked Knapp to discuss is the new School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) planned for Washington Circle. GWU plans to raze the existing 3-story Warwick Memorial Building, completed in 1954, to make way for a new 7-story structure at 2300 K St. The new building will consolidate the 900-student SPHHS, currently functioning at scattered locations. The new structure’s design is also meant to provide an improved “front door” to the entire Foggy Bottom Campus.

FBA members asked Knapp to review the project’s timeline as well as construction impact for drivers and pedestrians on Washington Circle, 24th Street and New Hampshire Avenues. Background documents on “Square 39” are posted at www.neighborhood.gwu.edu.

Knapp also expects to address questions regarding an 11-story commercial building planned for the 2100 block of Pennsylvania Ave. According to materials filed recently with the Zoning Commission, GWU will work with a third-party developer to generate non-tuition-driven revenue at this site.

The site currently consists of three elements: Lot 863, occupied by Kaiser Permanente, which has already announced relocation; “Site 75A,” a series of commercial row houses; and a public alley which GW is seeking to close to allow for “efficient building layout.” The proposed new building will encompass 255,550 square feet, including ground-floor retail or office uses. An underground garage will serve 183 vehicles plus 50 bicycles parking spots. The modified PUD includes an additional 46,218 square feet of new gross floor area, beyond what was previously approved.

GWU “will continue to work with ANC 2A and other neighborhood organizations to develop a targeted proposal that will enhance the Foggy Bottom/West End neighborhood,” according to the Feb. 23 filing with the Zoning Commission. For more background, look for “Square 75” on www.neighborhood.gwu.edu. The project is expected to come before the Zoning Commission this summer, and GWU hopes to select a developer-partner in 2013. Construction is slated for 2014–2016.

Positioning GWU as a top research university has been a major goal of Knapp’s tenure. As part of that effort, research and development expenditures at GWU – from government grants, industry, nonprofit and internal resources – nearly doubled in one year (between 2009 and 2010). The university is now in the nation’s top 100 colleges and universities in this area, according to National Science Foundation rankings. R&D expenditures continue rising, while GWU students and faculty conduct a wide range of research.

To keep neighbors and others informed about research happenings, GWU Research Magazine, on hiatus for several years, was relaunched last fall. The university also began a research-oriented blog, “Untrodden Ground.” Readers can learn, for example, about student robotics projects, faculty explorations of dance and poetry, and anthropologist Brian Richmond’s study of the relationship between scarce food resources and the development of an upright gait in primates.

The April 24 FBA meeting is scheduled for 7:30 – 9:00 p.m, with Knapp’s remarks beginning at 7:30. A “coffee mingle” is scheduled from 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. St Stephen Martyr Church, 2436 Pennsylvania, NW, lower level (entrance on 25th Street). All are welcome.

Development visions for the former Stevens Elementary School, 1050 21st St, NW, include an office building, a hotel and an “undefined” project, according to the office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED).

The six “development” proposals and six “educational use” proposals – submitted in response to the District’s recent RFEI (requests for expression of interest) – are still in the vetting process, says spokesperson José Sousa. Once DMPED determines which proposals respond to the RFEI, additional details will be shared with the community.

“We continue to look forward to working with ANC2A and the West End community on this project,” Sousa adds. “Our efforts on this project the second time around have been extremely fruitful given our cooperation with the community.”

Shortly after the March 1 RFEI deadline, DMPED released the names of the development and educationaluse teams expressing interest. More recently, DMPED provided a breakdown of the primary uses proposed:   

Development teams are identified as follows:
Akridge and Argos; Capstone Development, LLC and Green River Partners; Donohoe Development Company and Decca Development Corp.; EastBanc, Inc.; Lincoln Property Company and Mosaic Urban Partners; MRP Realty and CSG Urban Partners.

School Parcel Possibilities
Marc Bleyer, from the office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, told ANC 2A that “educational use” could include “a wide spectrum of students, from pre-kindergarten to adults,” in private, charter, or DC public schools. ANC Chair Florence Harmon added that the Commission had passed a resolution supporting educational use consistent with the African American heritage of the historic school property.

The pre-vetting list of educational partners, along with basic background from each institution’s website, is as follows:

AppleTree Institute for Education Innovation: AppleTree focuses on accelerated early language and literacy programs for underserved DC preschoolers. AppleTree Early Learning Public Charter School operates seven preschool sites, serving over 600 children, across the District.

Dorothy I. Height Community Academy Public Charter School: CAPCS, founded in 1998, serves 1800 students on five campuses and an on-line program for elementary students. CAPCS aims for “small and connected” school environments engaging parents as partners.

Eagle Academy Public Charter School: EAPCS launched in 2003, serves students age 3 through 3rd grade. The program includes the CORE Knowledge curriculum, mastery learning and environmentalism. Eagle’s Integrated Community-Services School is slated to open in late 2012 in the former McGogney (DCPS) School on Wheeler Rd, SE

GEMS Americas: GEMS Americas teaming with Urban Atlantic Education and The Robert Bobb Group for this proposal – operates schools in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, India and in other countries. Their valuesbased philosophy is “Ad Vitam Paramus – preparing for life.” In the US, Little GEMS International Preschool plans to open in Chicago in fall 2012.

Ivymount Multiple Learning Needs Program: Ivymount serves students, ages 6–21, with disabilities including Autism, developmental delays, speech/language and other health impairments. The program includes both an ungraded and an elementary/secondary graded program including therapeutic, social skills and career development.

Living Classrooms Foundation: Established in 1985 it has been serving the National Capital Region since 2001. Direct experiential education is offered through a charter school, after school and supplemental programs focusing on students living in high-risk environments.

During April, DMPED will consider Round 2 proposals and match each development partner with an appropriate educational use, possibly “pairing” more than one developer with the same educational-use team. Project manager Nimita Shah says DMPED will bring joint development-education proposals to the community in May. Her office expects to select a joint proposal in time to bring a land transfer agreement before the DC Council prior to their summer break, Shah adds.

Crime is Down

• 17 thefts from autos last year, compared to 12 this year.
• 9 burglaries last year, 3 this year.
• 71 thefts last year, 62 this year.
• 6 street robberies last year, 2 this year.
• 100 property crimes last year, 88 this year.

Clemens said many of these types of crimes are preventable with some common-sense steps. He advised residents to keep personal valuables close to them while using public restrooms or when at work. And don’t leave phones or other gadgets visible in a car. Secure them in the trunk, or carry them on your person, he said.

Concerning the several night clubs in the area, Clemens said additional police have been assigned to work the clubs to help prevent fighting and cut down on noise. He said residents may call police at 202–730-1904 to express any problems with the clubs.  

Also during the meeting:
The Commission was briefed on the revamping of the West End Library and fire station, which is expected to begin in early 2013 and take about two years. Temporary quarters for the library and fire station have not yet been found. The two floor library on 24th between L and M Streets, built in 1966, will be replaced with a new 12 floor building that will include 160 residential units.

Commission Vice Chair Rebecca Coder reported on the progress of the Foggy Bottom Aging in Place Village Project. Coder, who is a member of the Project’s interim board, said the interim board is now moving to establish a permanent board, incorporating the village as a nonprofit and developing an initial fundraising plan. She said the village is expected to be “up and running in about a year.” In late February, about 100 seniors attended an informational meeting on the project, and a second meeting to discuss what services the village will offer is expected to occur in June, said Coder.

Development: Textile and GW Museum

Artist rendering of the new Tex­tile Museum

Also during the March 21 meeting, George Washington University representatives promised a number of tactics would be employed to ensure that the new Textile Museum coming to Foggy Bottom and the University will have the least possible negative impact upon traffic, parking and pedestrian safety.

Regarding the Textile Museum, the Commission decided to take no position on the project, which is a joint effort by the Textile Museum and GW University. Construction of the museum, to be located at G and 21st Streets, is expected to begin later this year, pending approval of the D.C. Zoning Commission on April 5.

During the Commission meeting, several residents expressed concern that the new museum had the potential to increase and disrupt rush hour traffic on the narrow, one-way 21st Street. There was also concern regarding school and tour buses having the potential to take away parking spaces from the neighborhood on G Street.

University officials and their representatives said they would take a number of steps to alleviate the situation. Rather than taking a position on the project, the ANC2A wrote a letter to the Zoning Commission, asking to ensure that the University promises are kept.

That letter noted that:
The University estimated there would be about 26 school buses and 15 senior tour buses dropping passengers off each year. Rather than dropping off on 21st St., the buses would be encouraged to make quick drop offs on G St., thus eliminating impact on 21st Street and keeping the disruption of parking on G St. to a minimum. Temporary parking signs for buses on G Street would be removed soon after the buses left, thus returning the parking spaces to the public as soon as possible.

The museum would have a loading dock on 21st Street. University representatives said the loading dock would not protrude into the street. Also “trained traffic control personnel” would be on hand to direct trucks and vans to quickly unload, thus minimizing traffic and pedestrian impact. Also, it is expected the loading dock would be used no more than three times a week and would not be used during morning and evening rush hours.

Also during the meeting:
The Commission was briefed on the revamping of the West End Library and fire station, which is expected to begin in early 2013 and take about two years. Temporary quarters for the library and fire station have not yet been found. The two floor library on 24th between L and M Streets, built in 1966, will be replaced with a new 12 floor building that will include 160 residential units.

Commission Vice Chair Rebecca Coder reported on the progress of the Foggy Bottom Aging in Place Village Project. Coder, who is a member of the Project’s interim board, said the interim board is now moving to establish a permanent board, incorporating the village as a nonprofit and developing an initial fundraising plan. She said the village is expected to be “up and running in about a year.” In late February, about 100 seniors attended an informational meeting on the project, and a second meeting to discuss what services the village will offer is expected to occur in June, said Coder.

Exhibit Cura­tor Laura Roulet

And that’s where the similarities end! This go round the show has a new theme, a new curator and regionally, if not nationally, recognized artists. Sculpting Outside the Lines, this year’s theme, is the inspiration of curator, Laura Roulet and brings together 15 artists, to create 13 sculptures.

In the next few weeks you will see installations sprouting up all over the neighborhood. In fact, Curve, by Foon Sham, a dynamic cedar sculpture shaped as a large vessel, is already up at the River Inn. Curve can be entered by the spectator, contributing to the theme of public sculpture as interactive and a means of reshaping the environment.

Speaking of interactive, three other projects will be participatory, with performative aspects that will allow for public interaction. EH-CO will provide a playful and mysterious contribution with a billboard-size banner featuring local art stars and opening night booth offering collector merchandise for this art/sport franchise. Another opening night event will be the opportunity to add to Linda Hesh’s growing photographic archive based on her on-going bench project. Visitors will be encouraged to personally choose a topic provoked by one of two benches, Trust and Doubt, and will be photographed by the artist sitting on that bench with the chosen issue or person identified below. What could be more inviting in an election year? Lina Vargas de la Hoz will unify neighbors with her mobile garden,

Growing Culture, which will be shared among several yards. Exploring notions of urban agriculture and using live plants as sculptural material, Vargas de la Hoz also enlists homeowners in the selection of plants and asks them to provide upkeep of their sculpture as it grows and changes over the course of the exhibit.

There are many more unique installments coming to Foggy Bottom for the April 21 opening day. So stay tuned!

There’s something abuzz in the Foggy Bottom area. And you may be surprised to learn what it is. Bees.

George Washington University has partnered with Founding Farmers, the Foggy Bottom restaurant that prides itself on its fresh, local and sustainably produced food, to create the largest restaurant-owned urban apiary (bee colony) in the country.

“This urban apiary is a natural extension of Founding Farmers mission to minimize its impact on the environment through sustainable practices,” said Dan Simmons, Principal of VSAG, the restaurant consulting and management firm for Founding Farmers.

Although there are other urban apiaries within the D.C. area, including some owned by restaurants, this one is the biggest. The restaurant hives and the GW hives together now total eleven in all. The hives live atop Lisner Hall and Bell Hall on the GW campus, just blocks from Founding Farmers.

Why nurture an environment for bees? Aside from producing honey that will then be used on the Founding Farmers menu, the hives serve as an educational aid for researchers studying bees as a part of a healthy ecosystem.

GW biology professor Hartmut Doebel studies the effect of pollen protein levels on bee health. He and Irizarry. Irizarry reports that he and other commissioners met informally with Penzance prior to the presentation on March 21. “This was their first appearance at the ANC. We want to support their improvement plans for these properties, and ensure that they do not affect the quality of life of the neighborhood residents.”

Irizarry believes the particular changes proposed “will make the building more attractive for potential tenants, will beautify our neighborhood streetscape, and should bring more foot traffic to the neighborhood during business hours, which would benefit the shops at Watergate.”

ANC 2A approved letters of support, addressed to the CFA and HPRB, for the exterior work presented at the March meeting.

“If local residents have feedback they would like to share with us directly,” Greenwald suggests, “they can call our office at the Watergate, 202–338-6630. Residents can also submit feedback through local community organizations such as the Foggy Bottom Association and the ANC 2A. We meet with these organizations periodically in keeping with our commitment to community engagement.”

“Gensler is widely recognized as one of the top international architecture and design firms, and is also one with which we have had prior, very positive experience,” says Penzance advisor Peter Greenwald. “They have a demonstrated sensitivity to urban neighborhood design – to both creating new additions and to modifying existing buildings within a neighborhood. They are, therefore, well suited to help realize our vision to reinvigorate the Watergate office building, while remaining true to Luigi Moretti’s iconic architecture.”

Penzance aims to “enhance the experience for current tenants” of the 11-story, 198,000-square-foot building, according to Scasserra. The first stage of improvements will focus on exterior elements. Designs for enhancing the lobby are also under consideration.

A More Welcoming Structure
Gensler aims to bring “enhanced architectural allure” to the Watergate office building, Scasserra explains. Improvements will focus on “a more inviting streetscape” along Virginia Avenue, with “improved flow” at the entrance and “a more welcoming building” overall.

Scasserra pronounces the current streetscape ‘harsh” and “unwelcoming,” particularly “where hard concrete wall meets hard concrete sidewalk.” To address this, Gensler plans to replace existing concrete barriers with a glass rail, effecting “a dramatic change at the pedestrian level.”

The next target for exterior improvement is the canopy which was added in a 1994 renovation. The canopy lowered entrance height, reduced visibility into the lobby, and made the front of the building darker overall, says Scasserra. Gensler’s new concept offers “a central expression that is more open’ by raising the entrance canopy, using more glass and improving sight-lines into the tenant spaces. “Changing the canopy… ultimately improves the connection back to the street.”

A third element in the new exterior concept is lighting. Scasserra continues, “Indirect lighting will be used to illuminate the ground floor and carried up to the sixth floor, illuminating the facade at both levels.’ This strategy “embraces the original architecture of the Watergate and creates a more engaging welcoming structure.”

First Stop: ANC 2A
Preliminary concept drawings were shared with ANC 2A in March. Penzance expects to “begin to realize the plans for the exterior later in 2012,” Greenwald says, emphasizing that plans are still conceptual and will evolve as the project is developed and reviewed by the Commission on Fine Arts (CFA) and the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB). “Our first stop was here,” Greenwald told the ANC. “We believe in that.”

The Watergate falls within Single Member District 2A04, represented by Armando Irizarry. Irizarry reports that he and other commissioners met informally with Penzance prior to the presentation on March 21. “This was their first appearance at the ANC. We want to support their improvement plans for these properties, and ensure that they do not affect the quality of life of the neighborhood residents.”

Irizarry believes the particular changes proposed “will make the building more attractive for potential tenants, will beautify our neighborhood streetscape, and should bring more foot traffic to the neighborhood during business hours, which would benefit the shops at Watergate.”

ANC 2A approved letters of support, addressed to the CFA and HPRB, for the exterior work presented at the March meeting.

“If local residents have feedback they would like to share with us directly,” Greenwald suggests, “they can call our office at the Watergate, 202–338-6630. Residents can also submit feedback through local community organizations such as the Foggy Bottom Association and the ANC 2A. We meet with these organizations periodically in keeping with our commitment to community engagement.”

At the Watergate, there is a small part of the 5x5 Project with this installation from the ReMuseum part of the Project. An impromptu installation sits on a garden wall (facing south across from the Saudi Embassy). In case it’s been removed, below is a photo. Read more about ReMuseum click here.

And on April 21, enjoy a few months of art in our neighborhood on a larger scale. The biennial Outdoor Sculpture Exhibit officially opens. Some sculptures are already installed for your walking pleasure.

BTW, if you don’t know what the white square to the left of the sculpture represents, it is a QR code. Learn more about these here (and test your smart phone QR reader at the Watergate Post Office front door). If you don’t have a QR reader, one is available click here.

The biggest improvements are crosswalks enabling a more direct route into the circle, an additional crosswalk at 23rd Street near the hospital straight into the circle, and the elimination of pedestrian islands on both ends of New Hampshire for crossings straight from the sidewalk.

The Park Service has also submitted a project synopsis for their plans to renovate the triangle park by 2000 Pennsylvania (between 21st and 20th Streets). Based on the report, it seems like they’re going to do to this park what they did to its counterpart on the other side of Pennsylvania Avenue.