Open Seat, No Candidate on Ballot, Write-in
Email: sthumba@gmail.com
CPSG ANC 3F Questionnaire
1) What do you see as the main challenges holding the area within ANC 3F back from being a more walkable, vibrant, sustainable, and equitable neighborhood? Please add any thoughts you might have on overcoming those challenges.
Answer: As a resident and parent of two young children attending Murch Elementary, I’ve observed several key challenges that affect our neighborhood’s walkability, vibrancy, and safety:
- Traffic and Pedestrian Safety:
- Persistent issues with speeding vehicles ignoring stop signs
- Safety concerns for children and families walking to school and community spaces
- Need for better traffic calming measures to protect pedestrians
- Public Space Safety and Usage:
- Public safety concerns around Forest Hills Park and tennis courts, where marijuana smokers congregating near recreational areas make families uncomfortable
- Need to ensure our community spaces remain welcoming and appropriate for all users, especially children and families.
- Better management of shared spaces to maintain their intended recreational purpose
- Local Business Support:
- As a former business owner, I recognize the challenges our local businesses face in maintaining a vibrant commercial environment
- Need to better balance business needs with community interests to create a more dynamic neighborhood ecosystem
To overcome these challenges, we need:
Collaborative approach between residents, businesses, and local government to address these issues while preserving our neighborhood’s welcoming character
Enhanced coordination with MPD for appropriate monitoring of public spaces
Implementation of effective traffic calming measures
Stronger community engagement to ensure public spaces remain family-friendly
2) Earlier this year, Mayor Bowser changed her mind and halted any further planning for protected bike lanes on Connecticut Ave.
Question: If presented with the opportunity to revive the planning for protected bike lanes on Connecticut Ave, would you support it? (Yes / No)
If yes, explain what you think the benefits will be for the area.
If no, explain why and/or any alternative you would propose.
Answer: Yes. As someone who has witnessed safety concerns firsthand with my daughters walking to Murch Elementary, I believe protected bike lanes would enhance our neighborhood’s safety and accessibility. These lanes would create additional buffers between pedestrians and vehicles, potentially reducing speeding issues I’ve observed in our community. They would also provide another sustainable transportation option for families like mine who enjoy our neighborhood’s walkable character.
3) Earlier this year, Cleveland Park Smart Growth partnered with Virginia Commonwealth University grad student, Mac Hyde, on a planning study to consider how gentle density could be added to the single-family-only zoned residential areas around the Woodley Park, Cleveland Park, and Van Ness Metro stations. The recommendations from the study were to allow for multi-family residences while keeping the building sizes allowed for single-family zones houses.
Question: Realizing this proposal does not directly affect ANC 3A, but considering the broader goal raised by it, would you be open to changing zoning in single-family-only zones to allow for house-sized apartments, or conversion of single-family homes into multi-family? (Yes / No)
If yes, explain what you think the benefits will be for the area.
If no, explain why and/or any alternative you would propose.
Answer: Yes, with thoughtful implementation. As someone who values both our neighborhood’s character and its diversity, I support exploring gentle density options that have already shown success in our own community.
Benefits for our area:
- Preserving Neighborhood Character While Expanding Housing Options
- Porter Street in Cleveland Park provides an excellent local example, showing how single-family homes, row homes, and house-scale apartments can coexist harmoniously
- Focus on house-scale residences that maintain our neighborhood’s architectural character
- Support for varied housing types like basement apartments, duplexes, and small garden apartments that fit our community’s scale
- Addressing Housing Affordability
- Currently, the average single-family home in our area costs around $1.4 million, making it inaccessible to many families
- Gentle density would provide more moderately-priced housing options while maintaining neighborhood character
- Helps prevent displacement in other DC neighborhoods by providing more housing choices in our high-opportunity area
- Environmental and Transit Benefits
- Focusing density near our Metro stations promotes sustainable living
- Reduces car dependency by allowing more people to live within walking distance of transit
- Preserves green spaces and trees, which Hyde’s study specifically recommends
Implementation Priorities:
Ensure community involvement in developing specific guidelines
Follow successful examples from neighboring jurisdictions like Arlington and Alexandria
Maintain building sizes consistent with current zones (as proposed in the RA-1 designation)
Establish clear design standards, especially for historic districts
Preserve green spaces and trees
As your ANC Commissioner, I would advocate for a balanced approach that:
- Respects our neighborhood’s character while creating more housing opportunities
- Engages extensively with current residents to address concerns
- Ensures infrastructure improvements keep pace with modest growth
- Monitors outcomes to make adjustments as needed
This approach aligns with both the community’s demonstrated support (84.5% of survey respondents favored gentle density options) and the District’s comprehensive plan goals for our area.
4) Please tell us anything else about you and your decision to run for ANC that you would like the members of CPSG and the broader community to know about you.
Answer: My decision to run for ANC 3F01 stems from both personal experience and a vision for our neighborhood’s future. As a resident who chose this community just over a year ago with my wife Linda and our two daughters, Samia and Leia, I’ve experienced firsthand what makes this area special – its walkability, diverse community spirit, and family-friendly atmosphere.
What drives my candidacy is the belief that we can thoughtfully enhance our neighborhood while preserving what makes it special. Whether it’s:
- Improving pedestrian safety for families walking to school
- Supporting our local businesses
- Ensuring our public spaces remain welcoming and safe for everyone
- Working toward housing solutions that maintain our neighborhood’s character while creating more opportunities for families to join our community
I believe in taking a balanced, inclusive approach to community leadership. My commitment is to listen to all voices, seek practical solutions, and work collaboratively to enhance our neighborhood’s walkability, sustainability, and livability for current and future residents.
Most importantly, I see the role of ANC Commissioner as a true community servant – someone who not only addresses current challenges but also helps shape a vision for our neighborhood’s future that preserves its special character while making it even more welcoming and accessible to all.
Cleveland Park Smart Growth 