President’s Message

By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org

Happy Holidays! I hope everyone is doing well as we prepare for our second Covid holiday season. With the balmy weather, it is hard to believe that it is already mid-December.  

In the good news department, the City Council voted on December 7 to endorse the redistricting plan for all 8 wards (there is a final vote on December 21). This means that for the next decade Burleith will stay in Ward 2, which is expanding to the east to incorporate more of the Shaw neighborhood. I testified on behalf of the neighborhood and our preference for status-quo boundaries at both the ward-specific hearing on October 25 and city-wide hearing on November 5. Also, Councilmember Brooke Pinto has asked me and I have agreed to participate in the Ward 2 ANC Redistricting Taskforce in the new year. In other news, it appears that the plans to eliminate parking places on 37th Street and Tunlaw Road so that protected bicycle lanes could be installed have been dropped. But, we will continue to monitor this issue going forward. 

In the not-so-great news department, the Department of Parks and Recreation is continuing its efforts to discuss future plans for Ellington Field. Several neighbors and I traveled to Takoma in early November to see lights similar to the ones they are envisioning in Burleith. The technology has certainly evolved in better directions recently, but I am still very concerned about how long they would allow lights to stay on, if they were installed. They also held another community meeting (with very short notice) on November 15. This time, they presented findings from traffic and parking studies, which concluded that there would not be that much of an impact from increased use. This simply defies logic. Again, there were few opportunities to truly ask questions or to truly examine their data. Things could get much worse when the hospital opens its new surgical pavilion and emergency room in 2023, now shifted much closer to the field and Burleith. I should mention that there is a formal process to request a dog park. If someone is interested in spear-heading this initiative, please contact me very soon.  

Looking forward, I am happy to welcome two new members to the BCA Board—John McGeary and Sarah Wetzel. They, incidentally, will judge this year’s holiday decorating contest, likely on December 21. As in previous competitions, there will be a $100 first prize, $50 for second, and two third prizes of $25 each. I have already seen some amazing light displays, but hopefully there will be many more to come. I would also like to thank Robert Russell and Michael McDuffie, who are stepping down from the Board after many years of combined service. Both of them have contributed so much to the neighborhood including by-law revisions, advocacy for the hospital to deal with medical waste (on-going), the Halloween party, and holiday light contests.  

In the new year, we are hoping to be completely back to normal by the time of the summer picnic, tentatively scheduled for June 11. We are also in the midst of planning a community-wide outdoor block party on 36th Street between T and S on Superbowl Sunday, February 13, in the afternoon. We plan to have fire pits, warm seasonal beverages (Gløgg), and some grilled treats. Check your email in the new year for more details.  

One big item on the agenda for the new year will be plans for Burleith’s centennial in 2023. The Board is excited about three ideas: permanent welcome signs at various entrances to the neighborhood; a larger-scale gala in the late winter or early spring of 2023; and revising a history brochure or short book. Many volunteers (and donors!) will be needed for these initiatives, so please be on the lookout for our communications about convening various committees. 

It seems like forever ago when we hosted the 2021 BCA Annual Meeting online on Thursday, November 4. Almost 100 attendees heard from our invited speakers, including Mayor Muriel Bowser, who had just announced her re-election bid earlier that day, Commander Duncan Bedlion from the MPD Second District, and representatives from MedStar Georgetown University Hospital. I thought it was very informative and despite an almost two-year pandemic, our neighborhood and city are doing alright.

Please feel free to contact me or other members of the BCA Board with any issues or concerns at bca@burleith.org. Have a wonderful and restful holiday season with friends and family! 

Stay well.