DC Government

Dear PoP – Why all the Water Main Breaks Recently?

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

I’ve been getting a slew of ‘Alert DC’ notifications about water main breaks the past few weeks. While the weather has been getting cold, even dropping below freezing now, surely it’s not cold enough for these breaks to be caused by freezing water bursting the pipes. I’d be curious if any PoP readers know why we’re seeing all of these water main breaks.”

When I posted about a recent one in Mt. Pleasant a representative of DC Water gave an explanation:

“PoP Readers,

Across the country, a water main breaks every two minutes on average. Here in the District of Columbia, we average slightly more than one a day, but far more in the early winter months. The median age of a water main in the District is 75 years, with a good number installed during the Civil War era. As you probably know from the extensive media coverage this week, the combination of old pipes and quickly changing air temperature makes water main breaks more likely.

In the budget and rate structure approved by our Board to begin this past October, DC Water is set to replace 1 percent – or approximately 11 miles – of the District’s cast-iron water mains each year. This is not as fast as we would like, but it is triple the previous replacement rate and twice the national average. It will also mean many, many more torn-up streets than before.

Continues after the jump. (more…)

The 5pm Post – ANC Meeting on Proposed Adams Morgan Hotel Thursday Night

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

I thought you may want to notify your readers that ANC 1C is holding a forum on Thursday night to discuss the proposed Adams Morgan hotel. The only place I have seen it posted is on the Adams Morgan Yahoo listserv. I know the topic generated a good bit of discussion on your site the other day and I thought some of your readers might be interested in attending.

A reminder that you are invited to the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1C Forum on the proposed hotel development on the lots encompassing the First Church of Christ, Scientist and the building housing the Washington City Paper and WPFW Radio Station:

When and Where:

Thursday, December 16
7:00 PM

Mary’s Center for Maternal Care
2355 Ontario Road, NW
(The pink building)”

Dear PoP – Bag Tax/Fee For Paper Bags Too? Is it Working?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

“Dear PoP,

I just got back from Merzi, the new “fast casual” Indian joint on 7th Street, near the Verizon Center. The food was good. The concept appears to have been ripped off from Chipotle, and I think it will do well.

Anyway, I had take out and noticed I got assessed $0.05 for the bag tax. Now, I am not by any means sweating the 5 cent tax at all, but the strange thing is the bag that the food came in was paper. I thought the tax was only for plastic bags. Is the operator into some “Office Space” decimal rounding type scam?

I am sure that the assessment of the tax is pretty inconsistent across the city. I support the tax, since it will/has cut down on plastic bag consumption. Do you know of any recent data that shows how much waste the tax has prevented and how much money the tax has raised?”

First I know some people are gonna get upset by the use of the word tax. So tax or other people like to call it a fee, but bottom line is yes, it applies to paper bags as well.

There are reports that $150,000 was raised in January and the number of plastic bags used plummeted. Anyone know how much total money has been raised so far?

Have you guys noticed that your habits of changed? Do you mostly use reusable bags now?

Dear PoP – towing tickets

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

Are the DC police required to attach a ticket to your car if they tow you? This would seem to be common sense practice.

I rented a Zipcar several months ago and parked in a rush spot (signs made it look legal). They ticketed me $100, and then towed me. I found the towed car, somehow returned it on time and successfully fought the $100 parkign ticket. Now Zipcar/DC is alleging that I owe $100 for the tow. This is news to me. Had I received a tow ticket, I would have argued that as well. Now several months have passed and the ticket is $200.

Similar thing happened to my boyfriend. He parked on Georgia Ave thinking that street cleaning was finished for the year (per your blog), but street cleaning continues on major arteries/evacuation routes. DC police towed his car but left no ticket. By the time he was aware of it, it had doubled.”

Hmm the street cleaning info came straight from DPW. Of course that was residential street cleaning…

Anyone ever deal with a towing/ticket situation like this before?

Opposition to relocate the District’s Maryland-based juvenile detention center to the Walter Reed hospital campus

By Prince Of Petworth


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Thanks to all who sent in word about this development first reported by the Washington Business Journal:

“The District’s lofty long-term vision for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center when the campus closes next year features residential, retail, office, education and medical uses spread out across 62.5 acres.

U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., has one more use he’d like to add: juvenile detention.

Cardin wants the District to move the New Beginnings Youth Development Center, currently located in Laurel, to the Walter Reed campus.”

Council Member Muriel Bowser opposes the idea. From a press release:

“Ward 4 Councilmember Bowser has joined with Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton to fight a proposal to relocate the District’s Maryland-based juvenile detention center to the Walter Reed hospital campus. The District is poised to redevelop a portion of the campus for educational and commercial uses.

“Delegate Holmes Norton and I are committed to protecting Ward 4 and the community’s plans for the redevelopment of Walter Reed,” said Bowser. “Relocating New Beginnings to the campus is simply inappropriate for a residential area, would scuttle the long-contemplated redevelopment plan, and would undermine the desires of the community.”

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ben Cardin, D-Md, would prohibit the Secretary of the Army from approving a redevelopment plan for Walter Reed that does not provide for the transfer of the recently opened $40 million New Beginnings Youth Development Center, located in Laurel, Maryland.”

Friday Question of the Day – Should Online Gambling be Legal in DC?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by flickr user Orin Zebest

The Washington Times reports:

The D.C. Council on Tuesday, with little discussion and no public notice, voted 11-2 in favor of a budget amendment that would legalize online poker and fantasy sports gambling through the D.C. Lottery as a means of helping plug a $200 million budget gap.

But on Wednesday, Rep. Jason Chaffetz of Utah, ranking Republican on the House subcommittee that oversees the District, said he is “absolutely, totally opposed” to the idea — and because of the District’s status as a federal enclave, Congress has final approval over its laws.

Now I’ve already admitted that I’ve taken a few knocks to the head in my day and before we knew sniffing glue was bad for you… but honestly I just don’t understand this. Can’t you play online poker anywhere already?

But assuming there is something I’m missing here – what do you think about the idea of legalizing and promoting online gambling in DC?


CM Jim Graham Updates Us on, “A Hotel for Adams Morgan”

By Prince Of Petworth

Dear Friends,

Residents have contacted me regarding the Adams Morgan hotel project at Euclid and Champlain Streets. Opinion appears to be divided but, overall, people are anxious for more information.

I authored the tax abatement bill in order to make this project a reality. The bill proposes to abate property taxes for up to 20 years beginning October 1, 2014, capped at $46 million.

This is a chicken and egg situation– we need to offer this tax relief in order to get this property on the tax rolls (including sales tax, hotel tax, income tax for jobs, parking tax, and ultimately, real estate tax). The DC Chief Financial Officer has certified that–without this tax relief– the project is not feasible and will not proceed. With this relief, DC will net about $5 million annually in revenue.

Thus, through this abatement, we restore to productive use a currently vacant historic church building, insure a development that will create jobs, add district revenue, and increase daytime commerce in a neighborhood where this would dramatically improve business and public safety. Daytime commerce is a key issue: It will more balance for what is now a very heavy reliance on nightlife. In consequence there will be more daytime retail opportunities.

Plan B?—Continued deterioration of this vacant historic church, no tax revenue for the district, no new jobs, and nothing contributed to the surrounding neighborhood. The very tiny church congregation (under 20 members) cannot afford to either maintain or use the building.

There has been extensive community discussion about this project including more than 25 meetings over a period of years with the ANC and community organizations. The Council held a public hearing on my bill on October 7.

There is still another opportunity for community input at an ANC Forum to be held on December 16 at 7pm. (The location will be announced soon.) A Council vote on a tax abatement might occur after this forum, possibly as soon as December 21.

And then there will be more comment–Should this project go forward, the District’s land use planning process (planned unit development (PUD)) will offer further, extensive opportunity for community input on issues such as height, density, parking, design elements, community benefits package &c.

Regarding the tax abatement, the Chief Financial Officer has reported that it will have no negative fiscal impact.

Some have suggested that the Developer would go ahead with or without a tax abatement. As I mentioned earlier, the Chief Financial Officer has done an analysis based on the costs and revenue of this project and has determined that the project would not proceed without a tax abatement.

Yesterday, the Council was expected to take the first vote on the bill that I introduced. However, for procedural reasons, the Council was not permitted to take this vote. The bill was temporarily held-up in the Committee on Finance and Revenue in order to gather additional information. Once the Committee finally voted to support the bill, it was too late to meet the notice requirements to get on the agenda for the Council meeting.

Do you think a tax abatement for this proposed hotel is a good idea?

Anyone know how long this building has already been vacant?

Dear PoP – Rant: DC photo enforcement

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user philliefan99

On the heels of this morning’s Post story on speed cameras. We previously lamented speed cameras this summer.

“Dear PoP,

Here’s a rant for you that I cut and pasted from my online defense statement for a DC photo enforcement speeding ticket I ‘received.’ Supposedly I was going 11-15 mph above the limit at the 3100 Block of N. Capitol St. NW. I only found out about the ticket because I logged on to pay for a different parking ticket.

“I learned of this ticket, issued 10/30/2010, when I logged on today 12/2/2010 to pay a separate parking violation. I’m not sure what DC’s photo enforcement program involves, but I’m pretty sure getting a notification of the ticket is a required step! I have not received any ticket or photo evidence to go along with this ticket, and only learned about it because I had to pay a parking fine (I always pay promptly).

My defense is this: I refuse to pay a fine, much less extra late fees, for a violation that I have not been made aware of, and that DC has not provided any evidence of. If there is no photo evidence, how am I supposed to know if I was even in DC that day, much less defend what speed I was going on a particular road? What’s to stop DC from issuing tickets to the wrong vehicle if no evidence of the speeding violation can be provided? If DC wants to use photo enforcement instead of pulling people over, then it will need to PRODUCE THE EVIDENCE AND NOTIFY THE DRIVER OF THE TICKET!

Given the serious nature of a delinquent payment, how is DC going to improve it’s process for notifying drivers? If something gets lost in the mail, and I end up with a boot on my car and can’t get to work, who is responsible? Based on my experience so far, photo enforcement seems like a way to take something commonplace like getting pulled over for speeding and paying a fine into something with greater consequences and costs, like delinquent payment fines and getting booted.

Drop the ticket, or send me the ticket and photo evidence and reset the notification date so I’m not stuck paying late fees.”

What Does this Mean? Will Streetcars be powered by Overhead Wires or not? Or some sorta combination?

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC

Admittedly I’m not one to study reports and dig through the minutia of stuff that quite frankly I don’t understand. But one thing I have been able to understand is that there is a group that strongly opposes the use of overhead wires anywhere in DC (even if seemingly there are no views to be blocked). It was my understanding that the only way to power H St, NE’s proposed line was by overhead wires. Maybe I’m wrong but I thought I read that somewhere. Now DDOT issues a press release saying in part, “DDOT will also pursue a vehicle capable of operating without overhead wires in early 2011.”

So I ask you dear readers, who are far more knowledgeable about these sorts of things than I am – please explain what this means. Maybe the lawyers can help me understand what, “DDOT will also pursue a vehicle capable of operating without overhead wires in early 2011.” actually means. Does this mean, new tracks will be not be powered by overhead wires? Does it mean overhead wires will be installed and then removed when a vehicle “capable of operating without overhead wires” is procured? Does it mean where overhead wires are installed will remain overhead wires or are overhead wires completely off the table at this point?

Is it just me or were we once told that it had to be overhead wires?

And just to be clear on my end, from a personal level, I support the installation of street cars with or without overhead wires on H St, NE. Having said that, if it is possible without being prohibitively expensive, I too would prefer the cars be powered in other ways. Either way, I hope we’ll really see street cars in 2012.

Full press release after the jump. (more…)

Norton Asks For Answers on Proposed Destruction of Plants at National Arboretum

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo of National Arboretum Stone Border by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC He writes, “Sunlight picks out a stone border of a path in the Azalea Collections at the National Arboretum.”

We spoke about the Azalea controversy on Wed. before Thanksgiving.

From a Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton press release:

The Office of Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released a letter she wrote to U.S. National Arboretum Interim Director Dr. Ramon Jordan concerning maintaining the azalea garden at the federally owned botanical garden. In her letter, Norton asks Jordan to explain what can be done to preserve the full azalea garden at the U.S. National Arboretum, after learning from constituents of a planned destruction of 20 percent of the garden’s azalea collection for next year.

“I have worked for years with the Friends of the National Arboretum and others to help maintain this national treasure,” said Norton. “The arboretum and its wide array of horticulture are essential to research and of great benefit to the District’s economy, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.”

Norton’s letter follows.
—–
Dr. Ramon Jordan
Interim Director
U.S. National Arboretum
3501 New York Avenue, NE
Washington, DC 20002

Dear Dr. Jordan,

A constituent recently wrote me concerning a proposal to minimize or destroy the unique azalea garden and other plant collections at the U.S. National Arboretum. I have worked with the Friends of the National Arboretum and with the National Arboretum to maintain this national treasure, essential for horticulture research and display, and a great benefit to the District of Columbia economy, District and regional residents, and tourists from throughout the world. I ask that you to explain and update me on this matter and on what can be done to maintain this national attraction. I look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

Eleanor Holmes Norton
Member of Congress

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