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Gary Tischler • June 4, 2013

All politics is local, except when it’s not.

The death of the long-serving Democratic Senator from New Jersey Frank Lautenberg was national news for any number of reasons not the least of which was the record of Lautenberg’s lengthy service for five terms and his battles on such issues as gun control, the establishment the age of 21 as a national legal drinking age.

Lautenberg died from pneumonia after having announced that he was suffering from stomach cancer. At the time of his death, he had already announced that he would not be running for re-election.

His death began a bout of electoral and political jockeying, but the results of which would have national implications. Lautenberg’s death left the popular (with New Jersey voters if not Tea Party diehards) Republican Governor of New Jersey Chris Christie with the opportunity and in fact the duty appoint a replacement, which, no question about it, will probably be a Republican. But he also had the opportunity to delay holding a special election until next year, a time period which might have given the GOP replacement choice—not yet named—a leg up on any 2014 election, incumbency often being a boon.

But Christie chose instead to hold a special election in October, preceded by a primary election, the sum total of which has the effect of costing quite a bit of money and negating the GOP advantage. The popular Newark mayor Cory Booker has already announced some time ago that he would run for the seat.

A positive way of looking at Christie’s decision is that, like a lone flower blooming in a long winter, it might be a tentative sign of the rebirth of bipartisanship, an olive branch, or maybe it’s just Christie’s maverick nature. It’s hard to tell, of course, and might be a naïve conclusion to draw, but these days you can never hope enough and should never hope too much.

A less likely outcome could be that Christie might appoint a Democrat—the New Jersey Democrats insist they are entitled to the seat—but that might be going too far even for a man whose new best friend appears to be Tea Party bête noir President Barack Obama.

In any case, no Republican has been elected to the Senate from New Jersey since 1972—the moderate and popular Clifford Case. Lautenberg won his seat in 1982 and had served in the Senate since 1983 with a brief two-year hiatus.

Jordan Hellmuth • June 3, 2013

With the May 23 Interstate 5 highway bridge collapse in Washington state, highway infrastructure and bridge safety across the U.S. are being questioned anew.

“The collapse of an interstate highway bridge in northern Washington state is a wake-up call for the entire nation,” said Deborah Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. National Transportation Safety Board inspection records state that the I-5 bridge had been struck multiple times by vehicles in the past 10 years.

“National bridge records say the I-5 crossing over the Skagit River had a sufficiency rating of 57.4 out of 100 – a score designed to gauge the ability of the bridge to remain in service,” the Washington Times reported. Bridges with ratings of 50 out of 100 or below are eligible for federal replacement.

Around D.C., the go-to bridge for highlighting crossing that are “structurally deficient” remains Francis Scott Key Bridge, between Georgetown and Arlington, Va.; it was built in 1925. Last week, ABC News’s David Curley checked out Key Bridge and noticed some concrete was ready to fall away. “Every day Americans make 200 million trips across what are called structurally deficient bridges, that’s one out of every nine bridges,” he reported. While deemed safe, a structurally deficient bridge requires more check-ups to make sure repairs are on schedule.

With bridges around the U.S. being deemed “at risk,” Key Bridge, carrying 62,000 vehicles each day, is only one among more than 70,000 that requires repairs, the Department of Transportation reported. President Obama used Key Bridge as back-drop in November 2011 to push for his infrastructure jobs proposal.

According to the District Department of Transportation, D.C. will spend $110 million on bridge and ramp repairs in the next few years. Major work on Key Bridge is slated to begin next year, in time for the bicentennial of the Burning of Washington and the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Georgetowner Francis Scott Key. Repairs should run around $18 million.

RELATED — See Nov. 2, 2011, Georgetowner article on President Obama’s visit to Georgetown to highlight infrastructure repair jobs.

Robert Devaney •

The best of Georgetown was on display May 29 at Dumbarton House during the annual awards meeting and officers’ election of the Citizens Association of Georgetown. Its new president is Pamla Moore.

After departing president Jennifer Altemus welcomed the crowd, councilmember Jack Evans of Ward 2, who lives with his wife Michele and their children on P Street, presented Altemus with a proclamation from Mayor Vincent Gray, designating “May 29, 2013, as Jennifer Altemus Day.”

Evans, for his part, reminded the group that May 29 was the birthday of President John Kennedy, who lived in Georgetown in many houses through his years of public service in D.C. The presumptive mayoral candidate also launched into his “Georgetown’s Golden Age” stump speech which lauds the achievements of the neighborhood since the late 1990s and likewise touts the dynamism of D.C. as one of America’s leading cities, a true “boomtown,” cited by recent media reports.

Then, it was time for the awards during the briskly paced meeting.

The Captain Peter Belin Award was presented to Karen “Cookie” Cruse “for her expert and dedicated work in preserving the historic character of Georgetown.” Cruse said the prestigious award was “frosting on the cake” in her gratitude of the town.

The William A. Cochran Award was presented to Leslie Buhler, executive director of Tudor Place, for “exceptional efforts to protect and enhance the community’s parkland and architectural resources.” While living elsewhere, Buhler said she “loved Georgetown” best.

The Charles Atherton Award was presented to Dana Nerenberg, principal of Hyde Elementary School, for “exceptional service by a dedicated public-sector professional for outstanding work preserving and protecting historic Georgetown.” Nerenberg said that she had “the best job ever.”

The Martin-Davidson Award to the business persons who have contributed significantly to the community was presented to Clyde’s Restaurant Group’s Ginger and John Laytham. Noting Clyde’s longtime involvement in the community and its 50th anniversary in June, John Laytham said, “I hope Clyde’s is around for another 50 years.” Ginger Laytham also noted Clyde’s community efforts and thanked CAG for its leadership.

A special appreciation award was presented to Ray Danieli, now retired from Georgetown University, for his dedicated and distinguished service to the Georgetown community. Danieli said, “The city and the university now have a great relationship.”

Election of CAG officers and four directors also took place at the meeting. Here is the new line-up: Pamla Moore, president; Bob vom Eigen, vice president; Barbara Downs, secretary; Bob Laycock, treasurer; and directors: Diane Colasanto, Karen Cruse, Hazel Denton and Luca Pivato. Jennifer Altemus will remain on the board as immediate past president.

Upon her election as CAG president, Moore recalled that when asked to run she thought about it and then told the audience: “The reason I said yes was you.”
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Rachel Scola •

It’s out with the old and in with the new when it comes to the soil in a select few tree boxes around Georgetown.

Jonathon Kass of the Georgetown Business Improvement District says the group has been looking for an option that could fill the tree boxes that have high pedestrian traffic. In its search, the Georgetown BID found Capitol Flexi-Pave, an environmentally friendly and urban friendly pavement company.

Capitol Flexi-Pave touts its product as slip resistant, impact absorbing and good for both hot and cold weather. The pavement, according to Flexi-Pave, is made by combining recycled tires, stone and a binding agent, which creates a mixture that has replaced soil in, as of now, five tree boxes. Two tests are located on Wisconsin Avenue by Prospect Street and just north of the C&O Canal; another on Thomas Jefferson Street just south of M Street; two others on M Street, in front of the Old Stone House and in front of Clyde’s Restaurant.

The pavement offers a range of benefits. The soil that is now in tree boxes can prevent oxygen and water getting to the tree roots because of the abuse of being walked on every day. Tree roots breaking the surface can also be a safety issue to pedestrians. The new pavement creates a flat, easy-to-walk on surface that will not be destroyed by weather or foot traffic. At the same time, the pavement can absorb water and oxygen to maintain the tree which it surrounds and will not break if any roots become free and try to push up and out.

As of now, there is no set plan to fill all of the tree boxes. With an average cost of almost $1,000 per box and some boxes left best as is, filling in the tree boxes that get trampled daily is the priority. The Georgetown BID is exploring all its options with the Department of Transportation in the filling of the boxes.

Full community reactions and feedback is still being brought in on the already-filled five tree boxes. Capitol Flexi-Pave has 20 color options to choose from, an aspect especially awaiting feedback. Two of the filled boxes try to match the sidewalk brick; two match the dirt that was previously there; the newest in front of Clyde’s is a sand color.

There don’t appear to be any big cons in paving certain boxes, and the pros seem substantial. The BID will announce the result of its test in the months ahead.

Robert Devaney • May 30, 2013

The National Park Service will hold a public meeting at 6 p.m., May 22, at the West End Public Library to discuss its Georgetown non-motorized boathouse zone feasibility study. The library is at 1101 24th St., NW, at the corner of 24th and L Streets.

The NPS study has been completed and outlines various tracts of land near Key Bridge that could accommodate a boathouse for rowing, canoeing and kayaking. It envisions three kinds of development scenarios: high density, medium density and low density.

The high-density option calls for work at land west of the Washington Canoe Club (which would be renovated and included in the land use) along with a site west of the Potomac Boat Club and the present Key Bridge Boathouse and land at 34th and K Streets. The medium-density plan calls for use of the western most shoreline in the study, as in the high density plan, not use of the Washington Canoe Club, and use of the Key Bridge Boathouse and the land at 34th and K. The low-density plan uses only the property east of Key Bridge and is included in all three plans. This site at 34th and K Street is seen as having the least impact and is expected to be primarily used by universities (Georgetown and George Washington) and high schools. It would hold a three-story building. This tract is west and adjacent to Georgetown Waterfront Park, which was completed last year.

The following are comments from the National Park Service as well as from its “Georgetown Nonmotorized Boathouse Zone Feasibility Study.”

“The feasibility study examined the potential implementation of a non-motorized boathouse zone on the shore along the District of Columbia’s side of the Potomac River waterfront in Georgetown. The NPS examined the structures and facilities related to non-motorized boat usage, including rowing, canoeing and kayaking, that can be accommodated within this zone, as well as other uses, such as cycling and passive recreation. This study will lay the groundwork for future decision-making regarding: (1) scenarios for development/improvement of NPS facilities or potential land exchanges for private development of boathouses; and (2) further planning and National Environmental Policy Act/National Historic Preservation Act compliance as necessary to implement the non-motorized boathouse zone.”

“This nonmotorized boathouse zone (NMBZ) extends from 34th Street, NW, at the western edge of Georgetown Waterfront Park to approximately a quarter mile upriver from Key Bridge in the District of Columbia. The zone encompasses both public and private lands, including portions of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park (C&O Canal NHP) and Rock Creek Park, and several private parcels (the Potomac Boat Club, several private residences, and a small parcel accessible from the shoreline only).”

“While the public involvement effort of the feasibility study did not produce a groundswell of support for a single development vision, stakeholders were in agreement that a better-defined development program for the entire zone was desirable (in contrast to site-by-site development). Next steps in planning for the NMBZ would likely include preparation of an EIS that would further analyze the development scenarios, a revision of the Georgetown Waterfront Park Master Plan, and proposals for one or more land exchanges for boathouses.”

The deadline for public comments to the NPS is on May 24. The NPS May 22 public open house will run 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the West End Library’s large meeting room.

Robert Devaney •

The Senator Charles H. Percy Plaza will be dedicated 4 p.m., May 23, by the District of Columbia and the Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park. At the intersection of Wisconsin Avenue and K Street, Percy Plaza forms the gateway to the park, which the longtime Republican senator from Illinois and Georgetown resident helped make a reality by his leadership and commitment at a critical time in the park’s development. All are invited.

Participating in the ceremony are Council Jack Evans and Sharon Percy Rockefeller, Percy’s daughter. Also invited are Mayor Vincent Gray and District Council Chair Phil Mendelson.

The $24-million, 10-acre park, a joint project of the National Park Service, the Friends of the Georgetown Waterfront Park and the District of Columbia, opened officially on September 13, 2011, four days before Percy’s death on Sept. 17.

“No one would have loved more to be here front row and center,” said WETA president and CEO Sharon Percy Rockefeller of her 91-year-old father, Sen. Percy, during the September 2011 park dedication. “He would be thrilled to see this magnificent setting. It is his fondest and last best work.”

“The Georgetown Waterfront Park would not be here today without the commitment and support of Senator Percy and his family,” said Bob vow Eigen, president of Friends of Georgetown Waterfront Park.

A plaque in Percy’s honor at the park reads, in part: “Senator Charles H. Percy was pivotal in the creation of the Georgetown Waterfront Park. Senator Percy—a Georgetown resident, lover of the waterfront, and supporter of local high school rowing—chaired the Georgetown Waterfront Park Commission that was so instrumental in the park’s creation.”

Percy was a U.S. senator from 1967 to 1985. He was a WWII veteran, a Navy ensign, and became president of Bell & Howell at the age of 29. In the Senate, he focused on legislation involving business and foreign relations. He was a moderate Republican, who found himself on President Richard Nixon’s “enemies’ list.” As a retired senator, Percy remained active and could be seen and heard at meetings around town, such as those of the Citizens Association of Georgetown.

Georgetown architect Outerbridge Horsey remembered going to see Percy downtown with the late architect Bill Cochran to ask Percy to take on the leadership role in the waterfront project. “He was very amenable and agreeable,” Horsey said. “And he wasn’t just a figurehead with a famous name. He chaired every meeting in the early years until he resigned, and he had that voice and bearing of authority which got people to work together. He was very much a good citizen and member of the Georgetown community.”

Georgetowner •

The District Department of Transportation will meet with concerned citizens and community leaders at 6:30 p.m., May 28, at the parish hall of St. John’s Church at 3204 O St., NW.

At this second DDOT community parking meeting, staffers will give an overview and then invite observations and suggestions on parking in the area. Neighborhood input is encouraged. DDOT says it will be the one listening at the meeting.