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CRESTWOOD CITIZENS ASSOCIATION

WASHINGTON, DC       |       ESTABLISHED 1941

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Report on January 16, 2018 Joint SMD 4A08/CCA Meeting

Wed, January 17, 2018 1:57 PM | Anonymous member
Thank you to the neighbors that came out yesterday for the January 2018 joint SMD 4A08/Crestwood Citizens Association meeting! Turnout was low, but we met a new Crestwood resident and also got to spend some time with our invited guests. The meetings are fun and informative and we hope that more neighbors take the time once a quarter to participate in Association meetings. 

Crime In Crestwood

We were so happy to have PSA 404 Lieutenant Frank Martello talk to us about crime in PSA 404 and in Crestwood, and to answer questions. As a reminder, you can always find Crestwood crime stats and information here. December's crime stats can be found here. 

Lt. Martello provided his email address (francis.martello@dc.gov) and telephone number ((202) 731-2493), and noted that while residents can contact him with any questions or to discuss any issues, if you see a crime or suspicious activity in process, it's always better to call 911.

Calling 911 to report suspicious activity serves two purposes: 1) MPD can send a car out and possibly stop a crime or arrest a suspect; and 2) it lets would-be thieves know that the neighborhood is watching. Commissioner Black noted that at times in the past when there has been an uptick in crime, sending a signal (by calling 911 to report suspicious activity) has resulted in a decrease of crime. (Please note, when we talk about suspicious activity, we are talking about things like someone walking down a street peering into each car or trying door handles - simply walking down a street is not suspicious activity).  

Some of the other highlights: 
  • Auto thefts: PSA 404 as a whole has seen an uptick in stolen automobiles. Lt. Martello noted that while this is concerning, it is important to note that a good portion of the "automobiles" that are stolen are actually mopeds or motorized scooters (not Vespas or the like) because those are classified as "automobiles." 
  • Another portion of stolen automobiles, especially in the winter, are cars that residents are warming up - when would-be thiefs see an unattended vehicle running, it's a crime of opportunity. 
  • Another crime of opportunity is car break ins - if a would-be thief sees even an empty box or bag in the car they will break a window and see if there's anything in it - they can do this in under 10 seconds. 
  • Often times (but not always) home burglaries result from an unlocked basement window - make sure to lock your doors and windows. 
  • Lt. Martello said that he was going to check in on the status of some of the burglaries that have happened in Crestwood recently. 
Carter Barron Stormwater Retrofit Project

Cecilia Lane, Watershed Protection Division, Department of Energy & Environment, presented the 60% design for a project designed to combat water runoff at the Carter Barron tennis stadium site. The idea is to get the water into the ground rather than have it go immediately into a storm drain. They want to capture 90% of the water from each rain even to redistribute water to ground. The don’t expect any road closures, and anticipate starting work in April, ending in September 2018. You can find more information about the project at https://doee.dc.gov/service/carter-barron-stormwater-retrofit-project and can contact Cecilia at cecilia.lane@dc.gov or at 202-535-1961.

Carbon Fee and Rebate

Crestwood neighbor Andrew Zimdahl presented a proposed resolution of the CCA regarding DC legislation that would create a carbon fee-and-rebate policy for Washington D.C. The legislation would phase in a fee for CO2 emissions with a corresponding rebate to DC residents, especially lower-income residents, intended in part to offset the cost of utilities. It looks like a key vote on this bill may come from our council member, Councilmember Todd. Andrew said that the legislation would mean 23 percent drop in carbon emissions, which would mean less carbon harming our lungs and our atmosphere, more investment into energy efficiency solutions, and a faster transition to clean, renewable energy sources. 

If you have any questions or would like to learn more, please email Andrew at az@honeydewadvisors.com. You can also learn more at carbonpricedc.org. 

Neighborhood Plan

Our last neighborhood plan was in 2007.  We will be updating it this year. Please let us know what policies and actions are important to you. Commissioner Black detailed some of the areas we may want to focus on such as a trail to connect Crestwood to Mt. Pleasant and the residential zoning of Crestwood. But we'd like to hear from you as to what's important to you!

A copy of Commissioner Black's SMD 4A08 Update, FY18 Budget Priorities, and neighborhood recommendations can be found here. 

Residents Concerns 

The following concerns were raised: 
  1. FedEx and UPS drivers tend not to ring the bell when dropping off packages. Lt. Martello suggested contacting FedEx or UPS and telling them that you would like your bell rung. We may look into whether we can contact them as an Association. 
  2. There's an area on Upshur where the parking signage is unclear - there is a No Parking sign with arrows both ways - Lt. Martello believed that meant there is no parking to the end of the block, but noted that parking in generally within the scope of DPW not MPD. 
Additional Notes
  1. We still need team leads for the Social Committee, Public Safety Team, and the DC Issues committee.  If you would like to help out, please email info@crestwooddc.org.
     
  2. Have you followed the Crestwood Citizens Association on social media?  Click the links at the bottom of this email to stay up to date in your news feed!
     
  3. We thank Pastor Wendy of Grace Lutheran Church for allowing us to use the church's meeting space. Pastor Wendy noted that the Holiday Diaper Drive collected around $400 in diapers for the Greater DC Diaper Bank!
     
  4. This past Monday, the Crestwood Green Team held an invasive ivy clean up event where about 30 neighbors cut ivy from about 70 trees.  Kudos!
     
  5. Every Fall there is a Crestwood Homes Tour to benefit Thrive DC. It is a fundraiser that depends on neighbors to open up their homes to help those without homes. An overview of CasA Crestwood 2017 can be found here. If you are interested in learning more please email Denise Woods at woodsassoc@gmail.com.

This website and the Crestwood Citizens Association is supported by the dues of CCA members. Membership has its benefits including access to members-only resources and the knowledge that you are supporting a great neighborhood!


info@crestwooddc.org

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