Establishing a permit parking zone in front of five homes directly across the street from Chevy Chase Elementary School would unfairly block access to a public school to teachers, staff and parents, while setting a precedent for residents of surrounding streets to follow suit.

With more than 60 employees and only 35 parking spaces in its lot, CCES is already struggling to meet the parking needs of its staff--our children's teachers. If this permit request is granted, teachers will be forced to carry heavy books and other supplies for longer distances to and from the school. Parents, many coming directly from work and/or from homes several miles away, park in the affected spaces to pick up sick children from school, attend meetings and school events, volunteer, drop off musical instruments, school projects, and other heavy or unwieldy items students need.

The residents of these homes all have driveways or garages for their vehicles, and they knowingly chose to buy houses across the street from a school that has been in the neighborhood for many years. The CCES administration has worked in good faith with the Town and neighbors to curb bus and car traffic in the area, and has instituted a series of changes to accommodate residents' needs. This is very different from "commuter parking" in the neighborhood. CCES is part of our community. We should embrace it and refrain from the self-serving interests driving the parking restriction request.

We respectfully ask that the Town of Chevy Chase deny the parking permit request.

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