How about we close all the street so no one can drive anywhere?

I would think that the AU/Tenleytown community would be quite supportive of closing off 42nd Street at Wisconsin or making it a dedicated access to the Safeway/GDS site. Right now, 42nd St functions as an unwelcome cut-through route in a residential neighborhood, which drivers use to bypass Wisconsin Ave. and Tenley Circle to/from Nebraska. It carries a lot of traffic -- hence the pylon circles that DDOT installed north of Van Ness and makes the Albermarle/42nd intersection a busy crossing for Janney students. Making it more difficult for SB drivers on Wisconsin to peel off and cut south through the neighborhood at 42nd should reduce this traffic at least somewhat.

I thought mixed use referred to retail and residential, not necessarily school and commerce. they would have to also consider pedestrian bridges or tunnels before closing off the street.

The idea of closing 42nd Street makes sense, given the program the school has already indicated it wants: a lower school building and middle school building, more fields for sports and the so-called "green" space, that presumably isn't a field. Add to that the mixed-use development(s) that will go on Wisconsin Avenue and there isn't much space for a public road going though the middle of the campus.

I think when they suggested closing 42nd Street, the school was referring to their spring show.

Has GDS even proposed this? No. So why don't we beat up on the school for something else today.

Anonymous wrote:"If I lived by GDS, I would have questions about what kind of commercial/residential development they envision on the Volvo site, whether they plan to close Davenport and 42nd St., etc."

I will raise holy hell if they try to close 42nd street. Don't even think about.

Ooh, I kind of hope they do. Will you wear a special colored t-shirt so we'll know it's you at the protest?

Closing 42nd street wouldn't be so bad if the rest of the streets in the neighborhood were open to traffic, but since there are no turn rules in place during rush hour, closing 42nd would be a mess for the school, for the families trying to do drop offs and pick-ups and for everyone else on the road.

I am a GDS alumni who supports the school and the Safeway purchase but I also live in the neighborhood. Closing 42nd Street would be a big overreach.

Anonymous wrote:"If I lived by GDS, I would have questions about what kind of commercial/residential development they envision on the Volvo site, whether they plan to close Davenport and 42nd St., etc."

I will raise holy hell if they try to close 42nd street. Don't even think about.

Closing street access can actually be positive for neighborhood traffic calming. Look at several of the streets by Friendship Heights. Closures and other devices keep commercial and commuter traffic away from the neighborhood streets.

"If I lived by GDS, I would have questions about what kind of commercial/residential development they envision on the Volvo site, whether they plan to close Davenport and 42nd St., etc."

I will raise holy hell if they try to close 42nd street. Don't even think about.

Anonymous wrote:If a school is in my neighborhood, I do have a connection to it, even if I choose to send my kids to the public school. In any case, I'm sure you have opinions about schools your children don't attend, and you are entitled to your opinion. It may hold less weight, but it is OK to have an opinion.

Of course your opinion on how the school impacts your neighborhood matters and the concerns of neighbors should be well considered by GDS and the District. If I lived by GDS, I would have questions about what kind of commercial/residential development they envision on the Volvo site, whether they plan to close Davenport and 42nd St., etc. Neighbors should be speaking up loudly if the high schoolers are being a nuisance in the community. And if drop off and parking for the school day or after-hour events are generating problems, that's something both the school and the machinery of District government need to be involved.

But, seriously, as a private school, why does anyone else care how GDS carries out its mission or structures its curriculum? I truly don't think twice about those issues at schools my DC does not attend, except to learn about good ideas we could adopt. If a wealthy family chooses to donate a building to a private school rather than financial aid, I don't see how it is any of my business.

Anonymous wrote:I love that so many people have opinions about GDS's mission or its "game" when they have no connection to the school. The lovely thing about private schools is that you only have to send your child there if you think it has something to offer. If another school fits your child better, send him/her there instead. But, the "market" seems to tell us that GDS is pretty attractive to some subset of families since only a small proportion of applicants get accepted and the yield of applicants who enroll is pretty high.

Some people seem to be annoyed by GDS because it has a "progressive" educational philosophy and students call their teachers by first names. Others think it is remarkable that there are more non-Christians than at the Cathedral schools and Sidwell. I bet that GDS families are as happy that those families don't attend the school as those families are about not having to go there.

If a school is in my neighborhood, I do have a connection to it, even if I choose to send my kids to the public school. In any case, I'm sure you have opinions about schools your children don't attend, and you are entitled to your opinion. It may hold less weight, but it is OK to have an opinion.

NCS, St Albans...

Anonymous wrote:Is there any school for kids that aren't "weird"?

the so-called Alpha schools: Georgetown Visitation, Holton Arms, Stone Ridge, Landon, Gonzaga and Georgetown Prep.