CRESTWOOD CITIZENS ASSOCIATION

Welcome to our many new neighbors who recently moved here and to our new births.
As we gather together, we pause to remember the unimaginable loss suffered by the Newtown, Connecticut community. We may not be able to save the world, but we can brighten our little corner of it. Let us do what we can to bring peace and joy this season. Do 27 acts of kindness and generosity to honor those who are no longer alive. And, please, get to know your neighbors. Crestwood is not immune. We are all in this together.
Gale Barron Black
President, Crestwood Citizens Association and ANC4A08 Commissioner

Seasons Greetings and Christmas Caroling 

The Crestwood Citizens Association wishes everyone very happy holidays and a wonderful 2013!

We are happy to send this invitation to Christmas caroling on behalf of Ed and Ann Sheridan:

The caroling starts promptly at 6:00 PM on Christmas Eve, December 24, on our front porch at 3904 18th Street. The whole neighborhood is invited and often we have - depending on the weather - 40 or 50 people. Hot apple juice and cookies are served and promptly at 6:20 Santa comes out of the woods, crosses the street, passes out candy canes to the kiddies and then departs for the North Pole. The gathering is usually over by 6:45 so people can get home for Christmas Eve duties and joys. The tradition goes back for over 50 years and the Sheridans have had the gathering at their house for 40 years. The police from our District are invited to attend and if they are able, they have sent some officers in the past.

Caroling will not be held if it is raining.

All of Crestwood is welcome so please put it on your calendar and tell your neighbors, in case they don't receive these e-mails, to make sure they get the invitation information.

Dues and Directory

To those who paid their dues for 2012, we thank you. If you have not, please send your check to Ellen Wormser, treasurer of the association at 1950 Uphsur St, NW, Washington, DC 20011 or drop it off at that address. Make it payable to the Crestwood Citizens Association ($25 for families, $20 for single person household).

We need updates from those of you who have not returned your email questionnaire. We want to make the directory as complete and accurate as possible. It facilitates social interaction, playgroups, etc. and is one of our public safety initiatives.

Meeting of Crestwood Citizens Association

Our first meeting of 2013 will be on Thursday, January 24, to avoid the holiday and Inauguration events. It will begin at 7 p.m. at 1761 Crestwood Drive. More information and the agenda will be provided later.

Crestwood Tree Project Update

The Association’s partnership with Casey Trees continued this year with three rounds of tree plantings — on the 1800 block of Varnum Street, the 1900 block of Shepherd Street and the 1800 block of Taylor Street. The goal of the project is to enhance and protect the canopy and understory trees that make Crestwood such a beautiful neighborhood. Through our partnership, we inventory the trees to identify where replacement trees are needed.

Assocation Year End Report from out President

At its November meeting the board listed its priorities for the neighborhood:

1. Quality School Access
2. Broad Branch restoration
3. Safety upgrades on Blagden Avenue path
4. Water Quality / Environmental Justice issues.

Ironically, when the Board held its November meeting, we met in candlelight – because the lights went out at 5:07 PM and stayed out for 2 hours. We discussed our priorities and budget. In addition to continuing to serve as our civic organization, we want to do more to work on issues like landscaping, group purchasing, reaching out to seniors and others who may want assistance. Of course, public safety, PEPCO reliability and crime deterrence remain priorities.

Many of us continue to work on getting access to a free, public, high quality education. Those efforts continue and we understand that the Chancellor of Education will be issuing a proposal in January.

Zoning – we worked on the issue of allowing accessory dwellings. The Office of Planning will be holding additional meetings. The ward 4 meeting is scheduled for January 16, 2013, but no location has been set. We will let you know when we know.

We are entering the season when there likely will be some dangerous inclement weather. Let’s look out for each other. If you need assistance with snow clearing or other needs (especially you seniors), let us know.

During 2012, the Association held six community meetings. Our annual meeting was on Zoning. One of our recent meetings focused on schools and correcting the designation of our elementary school to align with our Deal Middle School and Wilson High School, which are Crestwood’s assigned schools. (Historically, student living on the west side of 16th Street, NW went to schools on the west side of 16th).

The Association meets every other month, usually on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. The Association organized the annual Fourth of July Kids Parade, the Sunday after Labor Day Picnic, Halloween Party, and Easter Egg Hunt. We thank Deb and George Chaconas for hosting the Association’s recent Holiday Social Open House.

We worked to get our ANC to pay for installing pet waste bag dispensers and signs, which it did.

Broad Branch Road was reopened. Now, we are pushing to make sure that the future restoration of the entire road within the park is done sooner rather than later and remains available for our use. The city is studying alternatives uses which might delay or stop the needed water remediation and repairs or change the configuration away from being a two-lane road for cars. We are concerned that the city is wasting time and money studying “alternatives” that are not feasible or beneficial.

Friendly reminders: Please do not leave valuables in your car. Please keep the noise down, restrain your dogs and, if you must use leaf or snow blowers, look for quieter models.

We will continue to keep in touch through the Crestwood website, through our own Crestwood email list and via the Crestwood list-serve. You can access all of these resources and more on the website.

Have a wonderful 2013!

Klingle Road Complaint Dismissed

Crime Log: Thefts from Auto Still a Problem

Thanks to Bev Ostenso, the latest crime stats for all Police Service Area 4 as well as the Crestwood part of it are published on a page of the Crestwood website and on the listserve. You will find suggestions there to reduce crime.

The 4A08 File: Report from the Crestwood ANC

ANC 4A meets on the first Tuesday of every month. The Commissioner for Crestwood (4A08), Gale Black, reports that these are among the issues she has been following for the neighborhood:

1. Changes to the DC Zoning regulations. The city proposes to allow changes to the use of residential housing to permit rentals (accessory dwellings), eliminate parking, change the building height and density requirements in some areas, allow grocery stores and change the rules for at home businesses. ANC 4A questioned why some of these changes are necessary and what the impact will be on residents in single-family, primarily residential areas, like ours, which is zoned R-1 and R-2. The ANC passed a resolution. Commissioner Black participated at the meetings before the Office of Planning.
2. Emergency Preparedness. Your ANC Commissioner participated with DC’s Emergency Preparedness officers regarding the draft plan for our area. We have work still to do on our own plan – which is another reason why we need to get the directory finished ASAP.
3. New house planned on Trumbull. You may have noticed the new construction signs. Some of the necessary permit requests were submitted. This matter has not been raised with the ANC.
4. ANC Redistricting. The Ward 4 Task Force adopted the recommendations of ANC 4A to unite all of census tract 26 under one ANC single-member district. Under the new borders of 4A08, the part of the neighborhood north of Allison Street is now united with the rest of the community starting with the 2012 election cycle. The Crestwood single member district (4A08) include all homes from Colorado Avenue south to Tiger Bridge (Piney Branch Parkway), between Rock Creek and the west side of 16th Street.
5. The “doggy poop” signs and bags were also financed through ANC 4A for the benefit of the 4A08 area. The ANC also pushed for the repairs to the water-overflow at 17th and Taylor Streets, NW.
6. Day Care. Amazing Life Games Daycare (16th and Varnum Streets) was granted the continuance of its permit to operate out of Grace Lutheran Church. ANC 4A supported that request.
7. Broad Branch Road. The ANC 4A08 commissioner participated in a meeting over the summer regarding Broad Branch restoration and urged the Park Service to give its sign-off, which it did
8. We continued to urge the city to address the dangerous overhanging branches on a number of our Crestwood streets. We had the DC Arborist attend one of our meetings.
9. Grace Church. The Church is seeking historic designation. It is likely to garner the support of the Association because it would help protect and preserve this historic community resource.
10. In addition, the ANC single-member district commissioner responds to requests for animal rescue, street light repairs, bulk trash pick-up, thefts and animal negligence. Residents can call to place service requests by calling 311 or making the requests online through the DC website.
11. Repairs at 16th and Arkansas – There will be repairs to the sewer lines, which may disrupt traffic during non-rush hour times during the week.
12. Repairs are also being proposed for Military Road and for the Kalmia Culvert – which could impact this area.