Res. 03-23
ANC 3F RESOLUTION
APPLICATION BY DAVEL COMMUNICATIONS
PAYPHONE ON PUBLIC SPACE AT 4339 CONNECTICUT AVENUE, N.W.
Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3F
4401-A Connecticut Avenue, N.W., #244
Washington, D.C. 20008-2322
Whereas, Davel Communications, 10800B Hanna Street, Beltsville, Maryland,
has filed an application for a public space permit to place an outdoor pay
telephone on public space at Calvert-Woodley, 4339 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.,
within the boundary of ANC 3F, and
Whereas, ANC 3F received notice of this application by letter dated
September 26, 2003, to Chair Cathy Wiss from the Public Space Office, and
Whereas, the envelope with this letter was postmarked October 28,
2003, to an incorrect mailing address for ANC 3F, and in light of these events
ANC 3F requested and received permission to file its comments on this application
subsequent to ANC 3F’s November 17, 2003, public meeting with due notice
to the community, and
Whereas, the applicant Andrew Tzamaras from Davel Communications was
notified of the time and place of the ANC meeting and was not represented
at the meeting, and
Whereas, a review of the records available at the Public Service Commission
will show that the pay telephone at 4339 Connecticut Avenue was mounted on
the north wall of the Calvert-Woodley building on private property,
and that throughout the years this pay telephone was never noticed to or
approved by ANC 3F, and that the previous owners of the telephone were Capital
Pay Phone in 1989, U. S. Pay Phone in 1991, and P.C.I. in 1996, and
Whereas, an inspector from the Public Service Commission (PSC) reported
to the PSC one and a half years ago that the telephone on the wall, operated
by Davel Communications, was not properly registered with the PSC in accordance
with Section 603 of the Pay Telephone regulations, and
Whereas, this telephone was not an existing telephone on public space,
but was moved onto public space by Davel Communications in June 2003 at about
the same time the application was filed with the Public Space Committee,
“requesting approval to place a telephone on public space,” and
Whereas, in moving this telephone to public space, the attached photographs
show that Davel Communications placed the phone adjacent to a narrow sidewalk
interfering with pedestrians using the narrow walkway to Calvert-Woodley
and into a landscaped side yard with cable on top of and through the landscaped
yard, and
Whereas, Davel Communications has surrounded the telephone case with
a large yellow sign with a beer advertisement, and
Whereas, by letter dated November 14, 2003, (attached), the owner
of Calvert-Woodley, 4339 Connecticut Avenue, has asked that the telephone
be removed as it has been a nuisance to customers and his store, and
Whereas, ANC 3F took the issues of convenience and public safety into
consideration in its deliberation on this request and notes that there are
currently 13 outdoor pay telephones conveniently located on the East and
West sides of Connecticut Avenue between the 4200 and 4400 blocks of Connecticut
Avenue, not counting the outdoor pay phone immediately next door at the CVS,
and the public payphones located within the area businesses and within the
Metro station and the Giant parking lot within one block of 4339 Connecticut
Avenue,
Therefore, ANC 3F objects to Davel Communications application to the
Public Space Commission to have a pay telephone on public space at 4339 Connecticut
Avenue.
Further, ANC 3F requests the Public Service Commission not register
a pay telephone to Davel Communications at 4339 Connecticut Avenue and to
request the Public Service Commission have the existing telephone installed
on public space at 4339 Connecticut Avenue removed immediately.
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Adopted on November 17, 2003, by a vote of 7-0-0 at a duly noticed public
meeting with a quorum present (a quorum being four commissioners).
____________________________ _______________________________
Cathy Wiss, Chair
David J. Bardin, Secretary