ADVISORY NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION 3E
TENLEYTOWN AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PARK
FRIENDSHIP HEIGHTS
c/o Lisner Home 5425 Western Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20015
Minutes of ANC 3E June 13, 2013 Meeting
The meeting convened at 8:35pm. Commissioners Bender, Frumin, Quinn and Serebin were present.
Announcements / Open Forum – opportunity for members of the community to raise issues of concern or importance to the 3E neighborhood
Michael Fabrikant from Mayor’s Gray’s office invited community members to join the July 4th Palisades Parade with the Mayor. The parade starts at 11am at the corner of
Whitehaven Parkway and MacArthur Boulevard and ends at the entrance to the Palisades
Recreation Center. There is a free picnic afterwards with moon bounces, pony rides and live music.
An attendee commented that the current ANC 3E meeting space in the Janney library might not be suitable for especially large turnouts.
An attendee inquired as to actions taken by ANC 3E commissioners to address items that had come before the commission at previous meetings, including complaints of noise and smoke from the Chevy Chase Pavilion as well as complaints about the development at 4201 River Road, NW. The commissioners provided updates on both issues and discussed their ongoing efforts to resolve the disputes. Matt Orlins from Councilmember Cheh’s office also joined in the discussion concerning the Chevy Chase Pavilion.
Presentation by 2nd District Police
PSA 202 Lieutenant Alan Hill reported that in the last 30 days no homicides or sexual assaults have been reported in PSA 202. In the same period in 2012, there were two reports of robberies without guns; this year there have been two reports of robberies without guns, and one report of a robbery with a gun. Two stolen autos have been reported, he said; one theft occurred after the car key was left in the car.
Theft from autos remains a problem, said Lt. Hill: three or four groups of perpetrators are working the area. These crimes occur quickly, are difficult to prosecute, and are primarily occurring in the late evening and early morning, he said.
Police are tracking two suspects whom they suspect of committing robberies as well as thefts from autos in the area. Both have been in prison previously. One is an adult who has repeatedly pawned stolen items; police have been matching serial numbers to the pawned items.
One of the perpetrators is a juvenile who has a GPS monitoring device and is allegedly committing the crimes while on weekend leave from prison. Police have linked him to five thefts in the District and three in Montgomery County in a one-day period, however police still need a positive witness identification, and have been unable to persuade prison authorities to revoke the individual’s leave.
Burglaries have increased 400 percent in the last 30 days, Lt. Hill reported. Perpetrators are smashing home windows in the area and stealing large amounts of jewelry, and ignoring other valuable items. Some of the robberies have occurred at night, when perpetrators can expect to encounter homeowners. This trend is baffling to police, Lt. Hill noted.
Police believe a group of young adults who call themselves the “Tenleytown Rats” are responsible for some of the burglaries in the northwest area, including shoplifting, breaking into cars, and perhaps breaking into lockers at Wilson Pool. Lt. Hill said there are five primary members, with associates in Arlington, Virginia and Maryland. Many have served prison time in Virginia and Maryland. They congregate near Best Buy on Wisconsin Avenue, NW.
A commissioner asked Lt. Hill about a recent late night shooting near Livingston Street, NW, and Chevy Chase Park where an officer discharged a weapon while frisking suspects involved in thefts from autos. Lt. Hill said a suspect fired his semi-automatic gun while police officers were patting him down and an officer fired back. The suspect was caught, arrested and charged after he ran and threw his weapon, which was recovered.
Discussion of and possible vote regarding liquor license renewal applications for Le Chat Noir
Commissioner Bender introduced the resolution and settlement agreement, explaining that Le Chat Noir’s liquor license renewal application was first discussed at the April 2013 ANC 3E meeting. At that meeting, a resident, who lives directly behind Le Chat Noir at 4907 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, complained about noise from the restaurants’ service trucks, trucks trespassing onto residential property, and garbage from the restaurant blowing into the neighborhood. The ANC 3E filed a protest with ABRA and subsequently engaged in mediation with the restaurant’s owner to resolve the dispute. The commissioner said that if the negotiated settlement agreement is approved by the ANC 3E the commission could support the renewal of Le Chat Noir’s liquor license.
The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the resolution withdrawing the protest of the Le Chat Noir application and to approve the settlement agreement.
Discussion of and possible vote on resolution or letter recognizing Director of Friendship Children’s Center for her service
Commissioner Quinn introduced the resolution, explaining that Lisa Danahy, the Executive Director of the Friendship Children’s Center (FCC) is stepping aside after 17 years of service on July 1, 2013. The resolution recognizes and thanks Ms. Danahy for her leadership at the FCC and her many contributions to the community. During her tenure the FCC has grown into two centers that now serve up to 75 children from 3 months to 6 years old.
An attendee, whose daughter attended FCC, spoke of Ms. Danahy’s exemplary service.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the resolution of appreciation.
ANC Business
- Approval of May 2013 meeting minutes
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the May 2013 minutes.
- Approval of expenditures
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve expenditures: $675.00 to Loren Stein for administrative services; $49.06 to FedEx/Kinkos for copying.
The commission adjourned at 9:53 pm.
Respectfully submitted,
_____________________________________________
Jonathan Bender, Chair