Maret has confirmed they will refrain from removing the trees until the Board of Zoning Adjustment issues a final written order. Our legal team is now monitoring the site to ensure full compliance with this commitment as we await the formal resolution of the zoning process.
March 20, 2023
Save the Trees! Tell Maret not to destroy 60 trees before receiving final authorization.
Final supporters
Maret, a private school from another part of the city, plans to destroy 60 trees on leased land at the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC), at Utah & Nebraska Aves. in Northwest DC, in January. They would do this to clear the site for a proposed youth multi-sports complex.
Please sign our petition to SAVE THE TREES!
The Petition
"We the undersigned, ask Maret to postpone tree work at ECC until the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) has issued its written approval, and an appeal has been resolved."
Why We’re Doing This
- Maret intends to act before receiving the BZA's official order approving construction of a multi-sports complex in this residential zone
- Maret's irreversible tree work could come before other necessary construction permits have been obtained.
- With the certain prospect of an appeal to the Court, there is no guarantee Maret's plan will be allowed to go forward.
- Taking down dozens of trees now is premature, and would leave the five-acre site devoid of mature tree canopy.
Background
Maret School plans to destroy 60 trees at the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC) to clear the site for a private sports complex.
Permission to build the proposed athletics facility in this residential district requires special zoning action. Maret does not yet have, nor does it know when it will have, final approval from the DC zoning board. Without the board's final order, Maret cannot obtain the necessary construction permits.
Once the BZA order is released, it will be appealed in court. Neighbors, as Friends of the Field, will file for a stay of construction. There are solid grounds for appeal. The scope and scale of Maret’s proposal are out of keeping with our residential zone; Maret should seek a use variance and not merely a special exception. DC’s Office of the Attorney General agreed and filed a letter with the BZA supporting our position.
Please sign the petition to urge Maret to postpone tree work at ECC until they have final written approval from BZA, and any appeal process has run its course.
And share this message with your neighbors, friends, and family.
Note: This online petition is hosted free of charge by “iPetitions”. They ask for a voluntary donation to support their service. Any such donations do not go to Friends of the Field.
Friends of the Field, an alliance of Chevy Chase neighbors, families, and concerned citizens, cares about safety, environmental stewardship, and quality neighborhood life. We work for transparent due process, inclusiveness, and thoughtful use of precious green space.
For more information about this issue, visit our website at friends-of-the-field.webflow.io
You can also reach us by email at [email protected]Updates
Reached 250 supporters
January 5, 2023
January 1, 2023
The volume of support has secured us a meeting with local zoning representatives to discuss the premature removal of these trees. We are currently preparing a formal letter to present at this discussion to ensure our demand for a stay of activity is legally documented.
Reached 100 supporters
December 23, 2022
115 Comments
I'm sorry, but shame on Maret. There are a lot of sports fields in DC, but the tree canopy is diminishing. This is an area where schools should get creative about using available space. Sort of like swim teams do. They all manage to share even if it means 5:00 am practices.
I am particularly concerned about the ring of mature oak trees on the property. Work anywhere near them could compromise the root structure and weaken or kill the 100+year old trees
We cannot understand how a city so devoted to its tree canopy would allow such a catastrophic event to occur with its attenuating negative impact on our air quality and watershed. The sheer enormity of removing this many trees from a single confined area should be cause for greater review and scrutiny by city officials.
Please model good stewardship of our natural resources for your students. I urge you not to remove these trees needlessly and certainly not without proper authorization.
Once the trees are cut they are gone forever. There is no guarantee that Maret will receive formal BZA approval for their gross overdevelopment of this property. Cutting 60 trees without formal approval is reckless beyond words.
Please do not cut down those trees!
Please Postphone the tree work until the BZA has approved the work to be done. Thank You, John bobeda
Share Petition
Don't stop at signing, share the petition link with friends to multiply our impact
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Maret has confirmed they will refrain from removing the trees until the Board of Zoning Adjustment issues a final written order. Our legal team is now monitoring the site to ensure full compliance with this commitment as we await the formal resolution of the zoning process.
March 20, 2023
Save the Trees! Tell Maret not to destroy 60 trees before receiving final authorization.
Final supporters
Maret, a private school from another part of the city, plans to destroy 60 trees on leased land at the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC), at Utah & Nebraska Aves. in Northwest DC, in January. They would do this to clear the site for a proposed youth multi-sports complex.
Please sign our petition to SAVE THE TREES!
The Petition
"We the undersigned, ask Maret to postpone tree work at ECC until the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA) has issued its written approval, and an appeal has been resolved."
Why We’re Doing This
- Maret intends to act before receiving the BZA's official order approving construction of a multi-sports complex in this residential zone
- Maret's irreversible tree work could come before other necessary construction permits have been obtained.
- With the certain prospect of an appeal to the Court, there is no guarantee Maret's plan will be allowed to go forward.
- Taking down dozens of trees now is premature, and would leave the five-acre site devoid of mature tree canopy.
Background
Maret School plans to destroy 60 trees at the Episcopal Center for Children (ECC) to clear the site for a private sports complex.
Permission to build the proposed athletics facility in this residential district requires special zoning action. Maret does not yet have, nor does it know when it will have, final approval from the DC zoning board. Without the board's final order, Maret cannot obtain the necessary construction permits.
Once the BZA order is released, it will be appealed in court. Neighbors, as Friends of the Field, will file for a stay of construction. There are solid grounds for appeal. The scope and scale of Maret’s proposal are out of keeping with our residential zone; Maret should seek a use variance and not merely a special exception. DC’s Office of the Attorney General agreed and filed a letter with the BZA supporting our position.
Please sign the petition to urge Maret to postpone tree work at ECC until they have final written approval from BZA, and any appeal process has run its course.
And share this message with your neighbors, friends, and family.
Note: This online petition is hosted free of charge by “iPetitions”. They ask for a voluntary donation to support their service. Any such donations do not go to Friends of the Field.
Friends of the Field, an alliance of Chevy Chase neighbors, families, and concerned citizens, cares about safety, environmental stewardship, and quality neighborhood life. We work for transparent due process, inclusiveness, and thoughtful use of precious green space.
For more information about this issue, visit our website at friends-of-the-field.webflow.io
You can also reach us by email at [email protected]Updates
Reached 250 supporters
January 5, 2023
January 1, 2023
The volume of support has secured us a meeting with local zoning representatives to discuss the premature removal of these trees. We are currently preparing a formal letter to present at this discussion to ensure our demand for a stay of activity is legally documented.
Reached 100 supporters
December 23, 2022
115 Comments
It is premature for Maret to be destroying 60 trees before a final BZA Order and Appeal. The school does not have permission to build so this is all premature and a poor indication of what kind of steward Maret will be for this land.
I'm sorry, but shame on Maret. There are a lot of sports fields in DC, but the tree canopy is diminishing. This is an area where schools should get creative about using available space. Sort of like swim teams do. They all manage to share even if it means 5:00 am practices.
I am particularly concerned about the ring of mature oak trees on the property. Work anywhere near them could compromise the root structure and weaken or kill the 100+year old trees
We cannot understand how a city so devoted to its tree canopy would allow such a catastrophic event to occur with its attenuating negative impact on our air quality and watershed. The sheer enormity of removing this many trees from a single confined area should be cause for greater review and scrutiny by city officials.
Please model good stewardship of our natural resources for your students. I urge you not to remove these trees needlessly and certainly not without proper authorization.
Once the trees are cut they are gone forever. There is no guarantee that Maret will receive formal BZA approval for their gross overdevelopment of this property. Cutting 60 trees without formal approval is reckless beyond words.
Please do not cut down those trees!
Please Postphone the tree work until the BZA has approved the work to be done. Thank You, John bobeda
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It is premature for Maret to be destroying 60 trees before a final BZA Order and Appeal. The school does not have permission to build so this is all premature and a poor indication of what kind of steward Maret will be for this land.