President’s Message
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By Eric Langenbacher, president@burleith.org
Dear Neighbors,
Let’s hope that spring gets here soon because the winter of 2025-2026 was the coldest in 35 years. The “snowcrete” storm in January was one of the most debilitating I have experienced in nearly 30 years of living here. There were big issues with snow removal and trash/recycling pick-up and it took weeks to normalize. I will take this opportunity to remind everyone that it is the homeowner’s responsibility to remove snow from the sidewalk adjacent to the property. Also, with the growing season starting soon, homeowners also need to make sure that the grass is mowed between the sidewalk and the street. I would also urge everyone to make sure that their green trash bins are in good shape to help in the fight against rodents. You can order a new lid or bin through 311 (although it might take a while).
In organizational news, it was great seeing so many of you at the BCA's annual Gløgg party last month. Attendance was excellent, the speeches were good, and the mulled wine was exceptional--as always. It will be interesting to see how Brooke Pinto’s campaign to be DC delegate will go and how that will impact her work as Ward 2 Councilmember. It was also announced that there will be a new ANC commissioner and BCA president in 2027—in addition to the mayoral and potentially Ward 2 council races. Thanks again to our host, Linda Brooks, and all the other volunteers who made that event such a success.
The BCA Board voted earlier this year to switch from a summer to a fall picnic of some sort. We are approaching this as an experiment and can always revert to our long-standing tradition. Our thinking is that the weather is better in the fall, which also avoids vacation time. It might have an Oktoberfest theme and could be combined with our children's Halloween party. We are looking at dates in late September through October and we might also seek out an alternative venue such as WIS that would have better facilities. Most importantly, we need picnic co-chairs or a larger committee. Please let me know if you are interested. On that note, we also still need volunteers to moderate the listserv, to represent Burleith on the parking and transportation subcommittee of the Georgetown Community Partnership, and to organize our biannual community clean-ups. I’ve noticed a good amount of litter around the neighborhood, so hopefully we can get this up-and-running soon.
The ANC voted at its March 2nd meeting to request that DDOT investigate resident-only (Zone 2) parking on one side of the street in Georgetown and Burleith. Once DDOT grants the request, it will study the extent of parking problems and feasibility of implementation on a block-by-block basis. They will make three observations at different days and times. I heard from many neighbors on the listserv uniformly supportive of taking such measures. In particular, folks on R Street between 37th and 38th, S and T Streets between 37th and 39th (due to hospital workers parking) but also R, S and T around 35th due to Ellington and Hardy Schools. This is surely a partial list, but each block will be included for analysis.
I am personally quite supportive of this initiative. Once the renovated Ellington Field reopens, usage will surely increase, pressuring parking even more. It has been pointed out that neighbors can give visitors a parking pass, allaying those concerns. There was some opposition at the ANC meeting mainly from small business owners and the BID, but this is a moot point for Burleith. I raised concerns about DDOT’s research and methods. Previous DDOT studies—for instance one that concluded that most users of the future Ellington Field would use public transportation or bicycles—have not inspired very much confidence. Moving forward, I will be sure to share any information that comes my way.
I hope everyone enjoys the better weather ahead and follows the various elections that will affect our neighborhood, city, and country. Primaries are on June 16th and the general election is November 3rd.
All the best,
Eric
Let’s hope that spring gets here soon because the winter of 2025-2026 was the coldest in 35 years. The “snowcrete” storm in January was one of the most debilitating I have experienced in nearly 30 years of living here. There were big issues with snow removal and trash/recycling pick-up and it took weeks to normalize. I will take this opportunity to remind everyone that it is the homeowner’s responsibility to remove snow from the sidewalk adjacent to the property. Also, with the growing season starting soon, homeowners also need to make sure that the grass is mowed between the sidewalk and the street. I would also urge everyone to make sure that their green trash bins are in good shape to help in the fight against rodents. You can order a new lid or bin through 311 (although it might take a while).
In organizational news, it was great seeing so many of you at the BCA's annual Gløgg party last month. Attendance was excellent, the speeches were good, and the mulled wine was exceptional--as always. It will be interesting to see how Brooke Pinto’s campaign to be DC delegate will go and how that will impact her work as Ward 2 Councilmember. It was also announced that there will be a new ANC commissioner and BCA president in 2027—in addition to the mayoral and potentially Ward 2 council races. Thanks again to our host, Linda Brooks, and all the other volunteers who made that event such a success.
The BCA Board voted earlier this year to switch from a summer to a fall picnic of some sort. We are approaching this as an experiment and can always revert to our long-standing tradition. Our thinking is that the weather is better in the fall, which also avoids vacation time. It might have an Oktoberfest theme and could be combined with our children's Halloween party. We are looking at dates in late September through October and we might also seek out an alternative venue such as WIS that would have better facilities. Most importantly, we need picnic co-chairs or a larger committee. Please let me know if you are interested. On that note, we also still need volunteers to moderate the listserv, to represent Burleith on the parking and transportation subcommittee of the Georgetown Community Partnership, and to organize our biannual community clean-ups. I’ve noticed a good amount of litter around the neighborhood, so hopefully we can get this up-and-running soon.
The ANC voted at its March 2nd meeting to request that DDOT investigate resident-only (Zone 2) parking on one side of the street in Georgetown and Burleith. Once DDOT grants the request, it will study the extent of parking problems and feasibility of implementation on a block-by-block basis. They will make three observations at different days and times. I heard from many neighbors on the listserv uniformly supportive of taking such measures. In particular, folks on R Street between 37th and 38th, S and T Streets between 37th and 39th (due to hospital workers parking) but also R, S and T around 35th due to Ellington and Hardy Schools. This is surely a partial list, but each block will be included for analysis.
I am personally quite supportive of this initiative. Once the renovated Ellington Field reopens, usage will surely increase, pressuring parking even more. It has been pointed out that neighbors can give visitors a parking pass, allaying those concerns. There was some opposition at the ANC meeting mainly from small business owners and the BID, but this is a moot point for Burleith. I raised concerns about DDOT’s research and methods. Previous DDOT studies—for instance one that concluded that most users of the future Ellington Field would use public transportation or bicycles—have not inspired very much confidence. Moving forward, I will be sure to share any information that comes my way.
I hope everyone enjoys the better weather ahead and follows the various elections that will affect our neighborhood, city, and country. Primaries are on June 16th and the general election is November 3rd.
All the best,
Eric