Save Klingle Valley

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Parkies dominate hearing, Roadie Councilmembers push "Asphalty Logic."

Supporters of the Mayor's plan for a car-free Klingle Valley decisively outnumbered the road supporters at yesterday's D.C. Council hearing. The pro-road Coalition to Repair Klingle Road failed to bring out support for its $5 million pet road, outnumbered by a 5-3 pro-park majority, which could not have helped the pro-road group after being outnumbered 4-1 at the Jan 2003 hearing. With 50 out of 82 testimonies, park supporters comprised more than 60 percent of those who spoke at the hearing. This was supposed to be the a pro-road forum, with road favoring Councilmembers attempting to command the forum.

The pro-park witnesses spoke eloquently about their passion for the park. "I have often thought that Washington has two great cathedrals in the Cleveland Park area" said Olivia Hilton of Cathedral Heights "one made of limestone, stained glass and soaring Gothic architecture, the other of old growth trees, sunlight, and a dancing streambed."

"I'm impressed we were able to get 50 witnesses out to speak in the middle of a work day, particularly to speak in front of a hostile council panel," said Jason Broehm, a 16th St. resident and Chair of the Save Klingle Valley Campaign. The Park supporters faced an uphill battle to have their views accepted as the hearing was co-chaired by two of the leading road supporters on the D.C. Council, Chairman Linda Cropp and Councilmember Carol Schwartz. The pair led the charge in Thursday's hearing, throwing softball questions to the roadies, and badgering pro-park witnesses with "expert witness" style cross-examination. This strategy back-fired many times during the 10 hour ordeal, opening up new and embarrassing facts that may hurt the roadie cause.

The National Park Service's John Parsons explaining to the City Council why it opposes the road due to the uniquely severe stormwater problems in Klingle Valley. He also spoke about the history of the road, emphasizing the 1918 Olmstead plan.

Witness after witness testified that Klingle Valley is a precious spot within Rock Creek Park which is worth protecting for the many residents who bicycle, jog or walk with their children or dogs there. Cropp and Schwartz proved that they do not share these values as they asked several times, "Don't we have enough parkland in Rock Creek Park?"

Private school parent and Shepard Park resident Paul McKenzie trying to raise his "Homeland Security" red-herring. DDOT Director Tangherlini said on a Channel 8 debate that he "speaks to DHS daily, and quite honestly, Klingle Road has never come up."

Councilmember Phil Mendelson, a strong supporter of the Park, seemed disappointed in his colleagues' dismissal of the environmental value of Klingle Valley saying "I've walked there many times myself and have come to the conclusion that there really is something very unique and special worth saving in Klingle Valley." The pro-road block on the council tried desperately to establish environmental credentials through out the hearing, with Councilmember Adrian Fenty (Ward 4) kept claiming there "were environmentalists on both sides." However, City Bikes owner Charlie McCormick pointed out that the Roadie Coalition is on record as being "opposed to an environmental assessment, and any kind of environmental impact statement." for Klingle road. "Their website details how 'unnecessary and wasteful' environmental review is and that 'We have Rock Creek Park' for the birds and wildlife. I don't know many environmentalists that think it is a good idea to roll bulldozers into a stream valley before the facts are in."

The D.C. Council remains evenly divided on the Klingle issue. Councilmember Harold Brazil, who is on record as supporting the Mayor's plan, is expected to be a key swing vote. In his December, 2001 newsletter, Brazil said "It just didn't make financial sense, at this point, to reopen this small stretch of road. Repair and maintenance costs were estimated at $5 million dollars." "There are much less expensive ways to improve traffic flow, such as the calibrating the traffic lights, that can help ease congestion without a significant financial investment," he continued.

The D.C. budget has only deteriorated further since Brazil's proclamation, but he has considered changing positions after intense pressure from road supporters, including questionable claims concerning the need for Klingle as a passage for emergency vehicles. Deputy Fire/EMS Chief Thurman stated at the hearing that "even when Klingle Road was open, we did not take fire trucks up Klingle Road, and we would not if it were re-opened." Thurman went on to explain that the only EMS access needed in Klingle is local access for direct rescue operations, which could be accommodated on a permeable road surface.

Klingle Valley neighbor Linda Spiegler recounted how her late husband, a doctor, used to rush down to Klingle Road after frequent horrible accidents, only to pronounce some of the victims dead. He avoided the road en route to the hospital because of this.

All of the roadie theatrics could not counter the pro-park official findings and testimony from DC's Dept. of Transportation, the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration, which came towards the end of the hearing. Councilmembers Cropp, Schwartz and Fenty made it clear that for them, the Klingle issue was a petty power struggle with the Mayor. They hounded the government witnesses, particularly on legalisms regarding who had the authority to keep Klingle a park. The reversion issue came up, and Tangherlini contended that the right of way was dedicated before the automobile was invented, so it would not be an issue to limit cars on Klingle. Cropp challenged this, saying that the predecessor of the car, horses and buggies, were in use at the time. Tangherlini wryly replied "I'm going out on a limb here, but we'd be happy to see a horse and buggy in Klingle Valley."

The Washington Post covered the issue in Friday's edition:

"It goes way back in history to when Rock Creek was a divide between the haves and have-nots," said Laurie Collins, a technology consultant who, along with husband Peter McGee, a lawyer, lives in a Mount Pleasant rowhouse and drives a BMW. "The people who will benefit from this road closure are the wealthy in Woodley."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A23032-2003Mar13.html

Roadie tactics came under fire during much of the testimony. "The Roadies play really dirty in a lot of cases," said Sheila Hogan, an environmental consultant in Woodley Park. "All kinds of groups, businesses and people are claimed to be 'endorsers' on their Web site, even though they have repeatedly asked to be remov-ed because they were lied to and don't actually endorse the road."

Jim Dougherty of Sierra Club, had to threatened to sue the Roadie Coalition after their website used Sierra's logo and claimed the Sierra Club endorsed the group. "They approach it with a zeal that is grounded more in emotion than fact" Dougherty said.

More details on the hearing to come.