Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC2E) weighed in on several topics at the meeting Monday, Jan. 31 including:

• proposed two-way traffic for the lower quarter of Thomas Jefferson Street,
• a left turn arrow for traffic exiting the south Safeway driveway,
• proposed changes to the footpaths at Rose Park,
• several alcoholic beverage voluntary agreements and
• revised plans for the Georgetown Post Office.

Post Office: Commercial No More

The biggest surprise of the evening was the change for the Post Office rear addition from a two-story commercial building to a three-story residential building. At a previous ANC meeting, the Commission commented positively on the proposed commercial building, which would have been connected to the current Post Office building.The new plan for a residential structure comes in response to a ruling by the Office of Planning that residential development is the preferred an appropriate use for the plot to the rear of the existing post office building.

The three-story residential building would be two feet taller than the previously proposed commercial structure, would house nine units and provide 13 parking spaces, four of which would be used by Post Office employees. Additionally, to address neighbors' concerns, the building will be shifted south, closer to the commercial buildings that front on Wisconsin Avenue. The result would leave a town house-sized lot between the new building and the neighboring property to the north.

The ANC commented favorably on the design and changes, asking that zoning authorities keep in mind the impact of the development on neighbors who spoke up during the meeting about privacy concerns.

Transportation

The Commission passed a resolution asking the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) to look into implementing a left-turn arrow for traffic exiting onto Wisconsin Avenue from the south Safeway driveway. The commission asked DDOT to investigate the affect of a light on traffic and pedestrian safety.

Thomas Jefferson Street will once again re-open to traffic now that construction on the Canal bridge is complete. When it does, the ANC asks DDOT to look into creating a two-way traffic pattern for cars exiting the Colonial Parking garage to allow for direct access to K Street for those vehicles. The two-way traffic would only apply to the lower quarter part of the street, if the ANC suggestion goes through. The change may result in the loss of several parking spaces, but the commissioners largely agreed that allowing access to K Street would reduce the number of unnecessary cars using M Street as the primary method of navigating Georgetown.

The National Park Service is once again considering expanding and repaving the footpaths that run through Rose Park, connecting Georgetown to Dupont Circle. The ANC asked that the NPS keep the path to its current width, but agreed that rehabilitation would be appropriate. Friends of Rose Park and ANC Commissioners raised concern about the path becoming a speedway for bike if the NPS expanded the path.

ABC Voluntary Agreements

The ANC and Third Edition ironed out a few details in an amended voluntary agreement on the liquor license for the Wisconsin Avenue bar. A point of contention was the last call clause; the ANC got the bar to agree to make last call in the tiki bar area of the bar 20 minutes prior to last call inside to encourage customers to move inside or move on. Third Edition also agreed to discourage customers from exiting at the rear into the parking area as crowd noise affects neighbors in the Madelon condo next door.

Smith Point's voluntary agreement also received ANC approval with a few tweaks. The agreement allows for a total capacity of 170 people with no more than 60 seated outside. Additionally the club agreed that no music, recorded or otherwise, would be audible from outside by neighbors in residences or the hotel.

Aside from some fairly stanard zoning and design concerns, that's a wrap.