Drive-Through
Commerce Bank Planned for the Outer Circle Site
As
one of our neighbors said,
"Ugh!
Could anything be less desirable at this location?"
(Read
the rest of his great letter
to the editor)
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The former
Outer Circle theatre at Wisconsin
and Ellicott was recently demolished to make way for a suburban-style,
drive-through Commerce Bank.
Plans
call for a large curb cut on Wisconsin Avenue and a high volume of
additional traffic in the neighborhood.
Because the bank is allowed by matter
of right zoning, there is limited opportunity for public comment
and only a slim chance of stopping it. Commerce Bank
is required to get a public space permit from DDOT, and ANC
3E is currently reviewing the proposal.
This is a clear example of
why we need our zoning code to reflect the pedestrian and transit-orientation
of our neighborhoods. We'll
have the chance to speak up about this -- stay tuned for information
on DC Office of Planning’s Comprehensive Re-zoning effort this
fall.
Photo courtesy of Jeanne Welsh.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Perring
www.Ward3Vision.org |
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Do you want another bank on Wisconsin Avenue?
Write
to Councilmember Mary Cheh and ANC 3E Commissioners with
your thoughts on Commerce Bank's plans. Encourage
them to continue looking into ways we can weigh in on this
proposal.
Mark
Your Calendar:
Next Meeting on the Library
There will be an important meeting with DC Public Libraries on
Wednesday, October 3, at 6 PM at the Tenley Interim Library.
The meeting will focus on the design of the
new library.
We expect the city to release the
RFP soon -- we'll keep you updated. In the meantime, you can read
our last
alert on the library.
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