DC Government

“I know parking enforcement personnel are hard working, but at 2:07am?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

We live in Dupont. I can’t remember the last time anyone got a parking ticket, even when “creatively” parking, especially at 2:17am. The infraction just says “12 ft from stop sign.” Which I think means that even though there is no sign indicating that parking is prohibited, I should have known better than parking too close to a stop sign.

DC has done a great job of confusing the issue with inconsistent signs – or in my case no sign – over the years. It looks like the 25 feet from a stop sign rule is still on the books but is applied inconsistently. (more…)

Meet Engine Company 24’s New Seagrave Capitol Cab AKA the “Pride of Petworth” AKA the Sweetest City Ride in Town

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Bravest at Engine Company 24:

“It’s a 2018 Seagrave Capitol Cab. The cab was designed specially for, and by the DCFD. It has a Cummins diesel big block with an Allison transmission. It carries 500 gallons of water and a 1500 gallons per minute Waterous pump. Our old 2006 Seagrave Marauder will go into the reserve fleet, so you may see our Petworth decals around the city with a different Engine number on it. Photos by various 24 Engine Company members. [5101 Georgia Ave. NW]”

More photos after the jump. (more…)

State of Emergency Order For Hurricane Florence Rescinded in D.C.

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Rudi Riet

So much for erring on the side of caution. From the Mayor’s Office:

“As Hurricane Florence is projected to have a diminished effect in the District, Mayor Muriel Bowser has rescinded her state of emergency declaration, effective immediately.

The declaration of public emergency had authorized the City Administrator, in coordination with the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, the Director of the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, and the Chief Financial Officer, to apply for financial assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, any other federal, private, or nonprofit disaster relief and recovery organizations, and any other appropriate agencies of the United States government.

The order to rescind was signed by the Mayor and the Secretary of the District of Columbia, Lauren Vaughan, and states: (more…)

“DC Parks and Rec appears to have moved out of their space in the 1300 block of S Street, Now What?”

By Prince Of Petworth


1300 block of Street, NW

“Dear PoPville,

DC Parks and Rec appears to have moved out of their space in the 1300 block of S Street. I’m concerned about what happens next with this space. I recall Studio Theatre and other local businesses have pushed for a parking structure in the past. Of course, it’s a great space to develop, but at what cost to the existing traffic and neighbors? A large building would completely block sun from all of the yards along T St and 13th.

Any intel on what the city plans to do? And what kind of input can neighbors have?”

Another reader passes on some scuttlebutt from a group email: (more…)

“The City Stole my Bicycle — Update”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I got my bike back. The city (DPW) messed up and it appears they mistook it for an abandoned bike. A reader mentioned in the comments section that a similar bike to mine that does indeed look abandoned was on the same block where mine was locked up. I also lucked out (sort of) in that I had a witness who saw the city take it. Otherwise I would’ve had nothing to go on and would’ve assumed it was a typical bike theft. (more…)

“if we leave our cars in spaces will they be towed?”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I received the attached letter in the mail this week about the alley improvement project hitting my alley this week.

I live 2 blocks from both Nats Park and Audi Field and both of those stadiums have events during the time covered. When Bowser announced that the State of Emergency yesterday I remembered the letter said “weather dependent” and I called DDOT to confirm no work would be done due to that state of emergency.

The woman I encountered was rude and unhelpful. I won’t post her name here, but she basically said “The letter said weather permitting, so if you had read it you would know the answer and wouldn’t have to call.” (more…)

“Mayor Bowser Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Hurricane Florence”

By Prince Of Petworth

From the Mayor’s Office:

“As the District prepares for Hurricane Florence, Mayor Muriel Bowser has declared a state of emergency, effective immediately.

“While we are monitoring potential impacts of Hurricane Florence on the District, we remain committed to keeping our residents safe, prepared, and informed,” said Mayor Bowser. “I encourage all District residents and visitors to take this storm seriously and stay up to date on the latest emergency information, including signing up for our AlertDC messaging service.”

The declaration of public emergency is effective immediately and will stay in effect for 15 days. The declaration authorizes the City Administrator, in coordination with the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice, the Director of the District of Columbia Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency (HSEMA), and the Chief Financial Officer, to apply for financial assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, any other federal, private, or nonprofit disaster relief and recovery organizations, and any other appropriate agencies of the United States government.

The emergency declaration implements the District response plan and applies to all departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the DC Government. It also permits utility workers and District agencies to retain crews to complete emergency repairs and restore services beyond normal work hours. The emergency declaration prohibits price gouging during the public emergency or for the next 30 days (whichever is shorter). The last time Mayor Bowser declared a state of emergency was on January 21, 2016, ahead of the winter storm known as Snowzilla.

HSEMA is coordinating preparations and emergency planning with its partner agencies at the District, federal, and regional levels. Additional information will be provided to the public as Hurricane Florence’s trajectory and its impact on the District become more precise.

Mayor Bowser advises that District residents and visitors should: (more…)

Council Members Parking Poorly But Legally For Them Vol. 89

By Prince Of Petworth

A reader sends Council Member Brandon Todd’s car Saturday afternoon: “On Upshur street during the petworth day festival. Worth noting there were various spots a block further away.”

Ed. Note: We’ve previously learned that Council Members are not obligated to follow parking regulations however they still shouldn’t park in front of fire hydrants. Also, it just really pisses people off but bigger fish to fry I guess.

“Electromagnetic Radiation Fears Cause Shaw ANC to Delay Voting on New Pepco Substation”

By Prince Of Petworth

The following was written by PoPville contributor David McAuley, founder of Short Articles about Long Meetings.


Photo by David McAuley

At its regularly-scheduled meeting September 4, Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) 6E/Shaw voted to table a decision on a proposed new electricity substation at K and First Streets NW, in Mount Vernon Square. The vote took place after PEPCO representatives and local residents argued over whether electromagnetic radiation from the plant will pose a danger to the community.

The ANC is involved because PEPCO must get zoning relief in order to construct the substation. The footprint, height, and setback of the building are within what PEPCO may build without seeking zoning relief, but the current plans do not include as many spaces for cars and bicycles as required, nor do the plans meet the requirements for a trash room. However, since the building will be mostly “unmanned”, it was argued, normal building requirements are not relevant in these categories.

A team from PEPCO, led by Vice President for Government and External Affairs Mark Battle, presented first.

“A substation is not a power plant,” Battle said.

Battle also said there will soon not be enough capacity from existing substations, given development in the Mount Vernon Square area. (more…)

“The City Stole my Bicycle”

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoPville,

I was at the WSC gym this morning on lower Connecticut (1211 Conn) between 9-10am. When I left, my bicycle was gone. It was locked up to an actual bike rack with a heavy-duty U lock. Here’s where it gets interesting– Both the guy at the gym desk and the manager of Buredo next door saw a DC truck (one of the utility trucks with a butane tank in the bed) pull up to the curb, a crew jump out, cut the lock with a torch and take it. All this happened within the time span of a minute. And they only took my bike; there were others they didn’t take. Again, locked up to an actual bike rack. The truck had DC insignia on the side and the crew were in high-vis vests. (more…)

View More Stories