Chevy Chase News & Notes

NEW!  Tree Removal at ECC Site Scheduled for Feb. 6  (posted 2/3)

Tree removal on the ECC site that is needed prior to its development for Maret's Athletic complex is currently scheduled to begin on February 6 along with the transplanting of 4 heritage trees in March prior to the Spring "leaf out." According to Maret's official assessment there are currently 146 trees on the ECC property being developed for its athletic field project. Of those, 66 trees (45%) are being removed. Those 66 trees include 6 that are in good condition, 31 that are in fair condition and 29 trees are considered to be dead, critical, poor or of an invasive species. This determination was made during Maret's initial assessment by their arborist in November 2020. DC Urban Forestry also had to review those designations as part of the permitting process which was ultimately approved by DC Urban Forestry in May of 2022. Maret's requests to remove a dying or dead heritage tree had to be agreed to by Urban Forestry otherwise it would not be permitted to be removed. If Maret indicates that a tree is a special tree by size and not a heritage tree they are allowed to remove it regardless of its condition by virtue of its permit.  

NEW! DDOT's New Traffic Safety Request System (posted 2/3)

DDOT has launched a new Traffic Safety Input system where they will choose 200 traffic safety requests each quarter to prioritize based on their own analysis of factors like crash patterns, proximity to high-injury corridors, equity, proximity to schools, Metro stations, and bus stops. DDOT has indicated that those prioritized safety requests will be evaluated within 130 business days, with safety mitigation (i.e., Signage, Markings, Speed Hump, Speed Table, Curb Extension, or other) usually taking place the following quarter. See locations under investigation for Jan. 1-March 31, 2023. These can be searched by categories including Ward, ANC or SMD. New Traffic Safety Input requests can be submitted on the 311 website.

NEW!  PNC Bank Receives Historic Landmark Designation (posted 2/1) 

On January 23, 2023 following receipt of a nominating petition from the DC Preservation League and Historic Chevy Chase DC ANC3/4G passed a resolution "Supporting Historic Designation for the Building Only of the PNC Bank Site." Following the ANC action and receipt of the nomination petition the Historic Preservation Review Board voted 5-0 on January 26 to designate the Chevy Chase Savings Bank (currently PNC Bank), a historic landmark to be entered in the D.C. Inventory of Historic Sites with a period of significance from 1926, the completion date of the original bank building, to 1958, the completion of the addition matching the original in design, materials and details. The Board further voted to forward the nomination to the National Register of Historic Places for listing at the local level of significance. 

NEW! Public Forum on Redevelopment of CC Library and Community Center Site (posted 1/12)

On Jan. 10th the Chevy Chase Community Association and ANC 3/4G jointly sponsored a public forum to explore issues surrounding the redevelopment of the Chevy Chase Library and Chevy Chase Community Center together with mixed-income and affordable housing. This public forum was organized so that the community could learn about DC’s surplus and disposition process and to explore alternate approaches for developing these important community assets. An expert panel was brought together from the public and private sectors to help unpack the DMPED’s call to surplus parts of the “Civic Core” property and dispose it to private developers.  Panelists were Max Tondro - Chief, Equitable Land Use Section, Office of the DC Attorney General; Avram Fechter - Co-Founder of EquityPlus LLC; Caitlin Cocilova - Legislative Counsel to Councilmember Robert C. White, Jr. The full proceedings can be viewed on the CCCA YouTube Channel. You can also see all of the questions and chat comments submitted by those viewing the Zoom event.

NEW! February Issue of Chevy Chase News & Notes Published (2/1)

The February, 2023 issue of Chevy Chase News & Notes  was recently published and emailed out to subscribers. It can now also be viewed on line with lots of news about local issues, business doings, and DC tidings.  This month's highlights include: Change in proposed Conn. Ave. bike lane designs; Chevy Chase Civic Core updates; Trees and construction for the Maret's ECC project; Welcoming a new business to the Chevy Chase Arcade; Live music events for Conn. Ave. restaurants; "Let's Get to Know" Anna Claire Walker, Chevy Chase Main Street's manager; The Avalon turns 100; Matt Frumin at the Community Center for Feb. 8 CCCA event; and many more local notes of interest. Please subscribe to get this, free and ad-free, newsletter emailed to you directly when published. Your information is never shared or used for any other purpose. Visit the Newsletter Archive for past issues.