DC Government

“Mayor Bowser Makes Washington, DC the First City in the Nation to Set Affordable Housing Goals by Neighborhood”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser was joined by DC Office of Planning (OP) Director Andrew Trueblood to release the Mayor’s Housing Equity Report and the District’s draft Comprehensive Plan proposal. By establishing goals specific to each planning area of the city, the Housing Equity Report makes Washington, DC among the first cities in the nation to create area-specific goals for affordable housing and dedicate an entire initiative to examining the barriers and opportunities within each area.

“What both the Housing Equity Report and the updated Comprehensive Plan recognize is that housing is a citywide challenge that requires citywide solutions,” said Mayor Bowser. “Washington, DC will continue to change – we can be sure of that. These plans are focused on how we manage that change and balance competing interests in order to ensure a vibrant, equitable, and resilient city, not only for us, but for our children and grandchildren.”

The Office of Planning and Department of Housing and Community Development collaborated to produce the Housing Equity Report. The report provides an analysis of current affordable housing distribution and proposes specific targets to achieve Mayor Bowser’s bold goal of building 36,000 new homes, including 12,000 homes affordable to low-income residents, by 2025. (more…)

“Emergency Special Meeting” About the Recent Shaw Shootings Wednesday and Thursday

By Prince Of Petworth

From ANC Rep Alex Marriott:

“Many of you have reached out to ask about the recent shootings in the Shaw neighborhood and the steps MPD is taking to curb this violence. To respond to these questions, ANC 6E is holding an emergency special meeting at the Shaw (Watha T. Daniel) Library (1630 7th St., NW) on Wednesday (10/9) at 7:00 pm.

MPD Third District Commander Emerman will be in attendance, along with Ward 6 Councilmember Charles Allen, to respond to our questions.

If you cannot make Wednesday’s meeting, ANC 6E is partnering with the United House of Prayer to hold a second meeting on the recent violence at 1721 7th St., NW at 6:00pm on Thursday (10/10).

Please come to one or both of these meetings and voice your concerns!”

“I’m trying to find out what/how much of the garage we need to maintain to be grandfathered into being able to eventually rebuild there”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Caitlin Faw

“Dear PoPville,

I’m trying to find info on the DCRA website but am not having any luck – probably because I don’t know the proper terms for my issue.

We’re in a row house with a detached garage behind it. My anecdotal understanding is that we can keep a full structure where the garage is since it was built before the zoning laws changed. Unfortunately, the garage is falling down and we need to demolish it for safety’s sake but we can’t afford to rebuild it at the moment. (more…)

Police Parking Poorly

By Prince Of Petworth


1600 block of V Street, NW

“Dear PoPville,

This is the second time in a week (and umpteenth time this year) that the police have parked in our designated, residential handicapped parking spot. Not for emergency purposes, but for their convenience because we live across the street from the police station. The last time they did this they left the car in the spot overnight. I have at least a dozen other photos of them parking in our spot.”

“Mayor Bowser Grants Overtime to 115 MPD Officers to Reduce Violent Crime”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Mayor’s Office:

“Mayor Bowser was joined by Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice Kevin Donahue and Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief Peter Newsham to kick off Crime Prevention Month in DC by providing updates on recent violent crime arrests, highlighting upcoming MPD community engagement events, and announcing overtime staffing plans to support the Department’s response to violent crime. (more…)

“Wednesday 7 p.m. – Park View Rec Center – meeting about lead on D.C. playgrounds and playing fields”

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Eric Wilfong

Thanks to all who passed on these emails:

“Many parents and caregivers are unaware that earlier this month, DC’s Department of General Services released preliminary test results that found lead on or in the rubberized surfaces of playgrounds at 55 DCPS schools, most of them elementary schools – including many in Wards 1 and 4. Seventeen of these playgrounds showed particularly elevated levels. Six playgrounds were temporarily closed, but the others remained open. No testing has been released yet for rec centers or charter schools.

Please join us on Wednesday, October 2 at 7pm at the Park View Rec Center in Ward 1 for an educational forum sponsored by the Park View UNC and DC Safe Healthy Playing Fields to learn more. You are also encouraged to sign up to testify at a DC Council hearing on the topic on the morning of October 3rd. (more…)

“H & I Streets NW Bus Lanes to be Permanent Effective 11/12”

By Prince Of Petworth

From DDOT:

“Today, the Bowser Administration announced that the bus lane pilot on H and I Streets NW will become permanent effective November 12, 2019. Bus speeds and reliability were improved during the pilot program, and DDOT is continuing to make adjustments that will enhance the experiences of bus riders along the route.

“Under Mayor Bowser’s leadership, we are committed to improving bus travel for residents and commuters across all eight wards,” said the District Department of Transportation (DDOT) Director Jeff Marootian. “The H/I bus lanes will make the commutes of thousands of bus passengers traveling through downtown faster and more reliable every day.”

Preliminary data comparing June 2018 and June 2019 found improvements in bus speeds and reliability on I Street NW but not on H Street NW. DDOT will implement the following changes to remedy operational challenges identified during the pilot period: (more…)

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