Anonymous wrote:Most of the nearby neighbors were welcoming the Safeway plans to redevelop the site. Name one person who opposed it?

This is a ridiculous comment. While there was no opposition, they asked for a floor to be removed from the building, pushed back on loading, wanted it overparked, etc, essentially making it not viable.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Please don't hate me. It's not about GDS. It's about living along Wisconsin Ave and watching the CP Giant get waylayed for 12 years because a small group of neighbors with deep pockets were able to stop the project because they were worried about traffic on their tree lined street. Please don't assume that it's just about GDS. Believe me, I sympathize with anyone who wants a better supermarket.

This characterization is nonsense, as has been detailed on this thread. Giant itself walked away several times from plans to build a modern store, including under a negotiated agreement with the mayor's office, the ANC and community groups. And 400+ nearby residents who signed a petition for design changes in what is finally being built are not a "small group of neighbors with deep pockets" on just one street. You'd have more credibility if you stuck to the facts.

400 people signed a petition in a neighborhood that is home to 15,000 people. Not exactly a mandate.

This characterization is nonsense, as has been detailed on this thread. Giant itself walked away several times from plans to build a modern store, including under a negotiated agreement with the mayor's office, the ANC and community groups. And 400+ nearby residents who signed a petition for design changes in what is finally being built are not a "small group of neighbors with deep pockets" on just one street. You'd have more credibility if you stuck to the facts.

It's not non-sense. You just don't tolerate anybody who disagrees with your point of view. Why did the Giant walk away? I don't know. Did your tactics work? Nope.

Why do these supermarket updates have to become mega-shoppa-condoplexes? Many people in Palisades don't want what Safeway is trying to do there, just as Safeway faced concerns in Tenleytown. I usually shop in the Chevy Chase DC Safeway, which is clean, well-stocked and where I can easily find just about everything. While I don't think it needs an update, I'd hate to think that Safeway would try to turn it into some clone of Van Ness or the Giant Giant on Wisconsin.

Anonymous wrote:Please don't hate me. It's not about GDS. It's about living along Wisconsin Ave and watching the CP Giant get waylayed for 12 years because a small group of neighbors with deep pockets were able to stop the project because they were worried about traffic on their tree lined street. Please don't assume that it's just about GDS. Believe me, I sympathize with anyone who wants a better supermarket.

This characterization is nonsense, as has been detailed on this thread. Giant itself walked away several times from plans to build a modern store, including under a negotiated agreement with the mayor's office, the ANC and community groups. And 400+ nearby residents who signed a petition for design changes in what is finally being built are not a "small group of neighbors with deep pockets" on just one street. You'd have more credibility if you stuck to the facts.

Anonymous wrote:The GDS shills are so funny. "Stop whining disingenuously, Tenleytown peons!" If you wonder why we hate you, GDS administration, start with your obvious surrogates.

I am the PP and am no GDS shill. I am neither a parent nor alum nor employee of the school. I do think that an expanded GDS campus with fields is a good outcome for the neighborhood. If I've encountered any on-line shills, they are from the so-called 'smart-growth", development lobby echo-chamber, whose agenda is to transform Northwest DC with multiple me-too versions of Clarendon and Rockville Town Center.

Please don't hate me. It's not about GDS. It's about living along Wisconsin Ave and watching the CP Giant get waylayed for 12 years because a small group of neighbors with deep pockets were able to stop the project because they were worried about traffic on their tree lined street. Please don't assume that it's just about GDS. Believe me, I sympathize with anyone who wants a better supermarket.

Anonymous wrote:The GDS shills are so funny. "Stop whining disingenuously, Tenleytown peons!" If you wonder why we hate you, GDS administration, start with your obvious surrogates.

Shill - interesting word choice.

Anonymous wrote:The GDS shills are so funny. "Stop whining disingenuously, Tenleytown peons!" If you wonder why we hate you, GDS administration, start with your obvious surrogates.

Woah. "Why we hate you"? You seem to be the only one hating. What is with the aggression, my dear?

The GDS shills are so funny. "Stop whining disingenuously, Tenleytown peons!" If you wonder why we hate you, GDS administration, start with your obvious surrogates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to subsidize my Whole Foods visits, terrific, otherwise, STFU.

Don't live in a city and expect a suburban life-style. Walk or take the bus to the Giant if you can't afford Whole Foods.

That's the attitude that makes neighbors obnoxious to deal with. In the long run, [b]it's probably why Safeway threw its hands up and left. That you asked for a subsidy, says it all.

You have no idea how businesses, including retailers and real estate developers, make business decisions. Addressing/dealing with community issues on the way to zoning approval and permitting is anticipated and a built-in cost of doing business. Safeway was recently acquired, and this may have appeared as a marginal or non-core project to new management and/or there is consideration of further consolidating store locations. I suspect this, and a well-timed and attractive offer from GDS (which Safeway no doubt negotiated higher) is what resulted in the present status/

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you want to subsidize my Whole Foods visits, terrific, otherwise, STFU.

Don't live in a city and expect a suburban life-style. Walk or take the bus to the Giant if you can't afford Whole Foods.

That's the attitude that makes neighbors obnoxious to deal with. In the long run, it's probably why Safeway threw its hands up and left. That you asked for a subsidy, says it all.

Anonymous wrote:If you want to subsidize my Whole Foods visits, terrific, otherwise, STFU.

Don't live in a city and expect a suburban life-style. Walk or take the bus to the Giant if you can't afford Whole Foods.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So, you don't think there will be commercial development associated with GDS? Dream on.

Tenleytown is getting the worst of all worlds. An expanded school, no grocery store and high density mixed-use.

Enough with the grocery store whining, when there are people in cities all over the US who have meaningful access only to convenience stores. Get off your butt and walk or take the bus or drive to the Giant that is ONE MILE AWAY or walk ACROSS THE STREET to the Whole Foods.

Don't forget the actual Safeway that remains 1.5 miles up the road, along with a magruders, and a walkable Rodmans for that last-minute box of pasta or a lime. And a walkable cvs for the last-minute paper towels or Advil.


Yep, I agree you can't do all your shopping at a cvs or Rodmans like you could at a Safeway. But you know what? If you really are doing "all your shopping" at Safeway for the week, you are driving your car. Do not lie and claim you're not. You are.

And if you're driving your car because you're buying cases of water, kitty litter and a watermelon ... Just drive for an additional 77-113 seconds to the Safeway on McKinley or the Giant on Western. Or I guess one of the whole foods, though I'm not sure they sell kitty litter.

Point remains: stop the disingenuous whining. Be brave and state what really galls you here. It can't be that the only source for milk in 20015/16 is disappearing, since we've just demonstrated that's fallacy.

If you want to subsidize my Whole Foods visits, terrific, otherwise, STFU.