Cleveland Park Residents Are Fed Up

WASHINGTON - The Cleveland Park neighborhood already has a popular movie theater, the National Zoo, and several restaurants. Now the residents of Cleveland Park are hoping two new restaurants won't open on an already busy thoroughfare.

The section of Connecticut Avenue near the Uptown theater and the National Zoo is already one of the busiest commercial strips in the region.

There are 2 new restaurants who want to open their doors in area where the residents say there are already too many restaurants, and not enough parking.

"It's not that we are anti-restaurant, but people need a place to be able to park in front of their house," says Bruce Beckner, the representative for the neighborhood in the Advisory Neighborhood Commission.

Beckner says that there is already fierce competition between residents and patrons for the few parking spaces that are available.

"When you come back with your two-year-old in a car seat. You want to be able to park in front of your house to get the kid out of your car," says Beckner.

Residents were able to voice their concerns about parking and zoning issues to Mayor Adrian Fenty at a community meeting held on Saturday.

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