The Issue: The "humpification" of Chevy Chase. The advisory neighborhood commission is upset about three speed humps recently constructed in the 3700 block of Morrison Street. The installation was approved by neighborhood residents in June, but the ANC is miffed about their size—too big!—and wants them removed unless the Department of Transportation provides a speed analysis.

Speed Up: ANC Commissioner David Engel says, "The humps are massive, and a huge traffic diversion. You can't go more than five miles an hour." He is also irked that an invited DDOT official shunned a recent ANC meeting at which the issue came up. He maintains that it's mainly the "rich and powerful on the block" that want the speed bumps, rather than the whole community. "Certain people want their own urban village," he says.

Slow Down: John Lisle, spokesman for DDOT, says that speed humps must be approved by 75 percent of the block—and that happened—but the process has been streamlined and no longer requires a traffic report. In terms of construction, he said, "ANC approval is not required." Also, it is unclear whether the ANC provided opposition early enough in the process.

Next Step: In that recent meeting, the ANC requested the speed humps be removed pending the collection of data; it also wants an oversight hearing on the entire process.

The Issue: The city announced plans to construct sidewalks on the east side of University Terrace in Palisades as part of a reconstruction project, prompting immediate pushback from some residents who thought they'd make the neighborhood feel more "urban." Who knew four-foot-wide strips of pavement could be so controversial?

Read More "Neighborhood Watch: Loving/Hating Sidewalks in Palisades" »