http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/25342/the-sound-of-children-playing-bothers-some-columbia-heights-residents/

The condo board has no legal authority of any kind in this, and yet still tried to tear down the playground over Thanksgiving break.

The condo dwellers could invest in some noise reduction insulation, new windows, and the like. Then the few tenants who work from home won't be so bothered by playground sounds when they try to make phone calls.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so:
1. Landowners rents out/leases land to charter school
2. Landowners wants land back
3. People are upset and say that the charter school needs the land and not the landowner because it is a school and won't you think of the kids?

All of you on DCUM would be up in arms if it was your back yard you leased to your neighbor. How is this case different?

No, you have it wrong. The school has a lease and the landlord os trying to block them from reasonable use of the property. And their contractual rights. The condo association is being selfish and ridiculous - not sure why kids playing during the day os such a huge problem to them anyway. Do they all work fromhme?

It sends such a negative signal about how DC is evolving into a city for spoiled rich white folks without kids who care about themselves and maybe their pets, but are hostile to children.

Exactly. All the residents knew what they were getting into. The kids are outside for a few hours a day. My daughter went to Apple Tree 5 years ago. We loved that we could walk to school in our neighborhood.

This is really the bottom line. I don't know how long AT has their lease for, but that playground should stay put as long as they do, since it was no doubt part of the understanding of what areas and amenities AT would have access to under the lease. Once the lease is up though, AT may have a problem and be priced out. But until then... neighbors cannot expect that another tenant's rights be trampled just because they've decided that they don't like the situation they bought/moved into.

My daughter went to AppleTree CH briefly -- we ended up transferring back to private preschool due to concerns about the neighborhood, but the school is great and an asset to the community. I recommend that someone start a change.org petition. I'd sign it and I bet we'd see results.

Frankly if the Condo association wants to clean up the playground down the block of all the used condoms, drug paraphanillia and broken bottles every morning, I would be ok, but they won't and that is not really an option for 3&4 year olds.


I think the landlord wants to use the space but can't break the lease so is looking for a back door method to make the space unusable for the school and make them responsible for breaking the lease.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a parent there. These residents realize that they live on 14th Street, right? It's always noisy. All the time. It's probably why they moved there in the first place, urban bustle!

Wish they cared half as much about the open air drug market across the street...

This. As a condo-living, charter school parent I find this insane. They are worried about a playground that operates for maybe a few hours during the day, but not the drug market, bars, homeless and scores or other noises they hear in CH?

Because they are assholes. And they would never pick a fight with an opponent like those.

Anonymous wrote:I'm a parent there. These residents realize that they live on 14th Street, right? It's always noisy. All the time. It's probably why they moved there in the first place, urban bustle!

Wish they cared half as much about the open air drug market across the street...

This. As a condo-living, charter school parent I find this insane. They are worried about a playground that operates for maybe a few hours during the day, but not the drug market, bars, homeless and scores or other noises they hear in CH?

Why live in a city if you can't stand the sounds of people ?

I'm a parent there. These residents realize that they live on 14th Street, right? It's always noisy. All the time. It's probably why they moved there in the first place, urban bustle!

Wish they cared half as much about the open air drug market across the street...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so:
1. Landowners rents out/leases land to charter school
2. Landowners wants land back
3. People are upset and say that the charter school needs the land and not the landowner because it is a school and won't you think of the kids?

All of you on DCUM would be up in arms if it was your back yard you leased to your neighbor. How is this case different?

No, you have it wrong. The school has a lease and the landlord os trying to block them from reasonable use of the property. And their contractual rights. The condo association is being selfish and ridiculous - not sure why kids playing during the day os such a huge problem to them anyway. Do they all work fromhme?

It sends such a negative signal about how DC is evolving into a city for spoiled rich white folks without kids who care about themselves and maybe their pets, but are hostile to children.

Exactly. All the residents knew what they were getting into. The kids are outside for a few hours a day. My daughter went to Apple Tree 5 years ago. We loved that we could walk to school in our neighborhood.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:AppleTree Lincoln Park had the same problem with unreasonable neighbors. They can't even use THEIR OWN back yard for the kids to play in and have to walk to Lincoln park instead.

There is a much longer history to the LP location.

Regardless of any history, they can not use their own back yard for the kids to play in. That's fact.

I think you mean "spoiled rich folks" period -- they come in all colors in CH.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Okay so:
1. Landowners rents out/leases land to charter school
2. Landowners wants land back
3. People are upset and say that the charter school needs the land and not the landowner because it is a school and won't you think of the kids?

All of you on DCUM would be up in arms if it was your back yard you leased to your neighbor. How is this case different?

No, you have it wrong. The school has a lease and the landlord os trying to block them from reasonable use of the property. And their contractual rights. The condo association is being selfish and ridiculous - not sure why kids playing during the day os such a huge problem to them anyway. Do they all work fromhme?

It sends such a negative signal about how DC is evolving into a city for spoiled rich white folks without kids who care about themselves and maybe their pets, but are hostile to children.

Anonymous wrote:Okay so:
1. Landowners rents out/leases land to charter school
2. Landowners wants land back
3. People are upset and say that the charter school needs the land and not the landowner because it is a school and won't you think of the kids?

All of you on DCUM would be up in arms if it was your back yard you leased to your neighbor. How is this case different?

No, you have it wrong. The school has a lease and the landlord os trying to block them from reasonable use of the property. And their contractual rights. The condo association is being selfish and ridiculous - not sure why kids playing during the day os such a huge problem to them anyway. Do they all work fromhme?

Okay so:
1. Landowners rents out/leases land to charter school
2. Landowners wants land back
3. People are upset and say that the charter school needs the land and not the landowner because it is a school and won't you think of the kids?

All of you on DCUM would be up in arms if it was your back yard you leased to your neighbor. How is this case different?