The Shepherd Park Citizens Association held a community meeting on Dec. 12 at Shepherd Elementary. President Mark Pattison introduced guests from Pepco and the Department of State Foreign Mission Center staff.
Travois Culpepper presented basic information about the Pepco Capital Grid Project, which aims to bring more reliable and available electrical service to the area. He sent Mark the PowerPoint version, which Mark forwarded to the community listserv in a Dec. 14 email. Residents, anticipating a cold winter and even an early snow, were encouraged by the information. The State Department made available a link to the lengthy Final Environmental Impact Statement for the foreign missions complex at the former Walter Reed property. Residents can access the statement via another Dec. 14 email from Mark. The statement makes interesting and informative reading, though at least an hour is needed to review the information about the choice of the site, the environmental impact, proposed strategies regarding transportation infrastructure, guidelines for chancery construction and timelines for future implementation. The community was pleased to find out that the chapel definitely is targeted for reuse and that as many of the “special” and “heritage” trees as possible will be saved, primarily in the buffer zone along Alaska Avenue.
Naima Jefferson, chair of the Planning, Zoning, and Economic Development Committee, reported on recent work. The community has reached a settlement agreement with China Hut, whose owners have expressed a desire to cooperate to improve the appearance of their carryout on Georgia Avenue NW by regularly cleaning the outside area to the curb, removing some of the neon lights on the large front window and taking down some of the alcohol advertising posters visible from the sidewalk. They also will adjust the hours of alcohol sales as requested.
Naima and Stacey Lincoln, a member of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 4A, shared the plans for the location of Casa Ruby, a social service and drop-in center for the LGBTQ community in D.C. The renovated property at Shepherd Road and Georgia Avenue NW will contain offices, gathering space and program areas. Casa Ruby is pleased to have found a location with room for most of their needs and appreciates the outreach and questions from the Shepherd Park community.
— June Confer
