DC Government

House on 16th and T Streets, NW Saved from Demolition

By Prince Of Petworth

A couple weeks ago we discussed this home at 16th and T which faced demolition due to apparent owner neglect. Hat tip to IMGoph for highlighting the news on twitter. The Examiner reports:

“The D.C. government has agreed to pay to stabilize a historic, million-dollar Dupont Circle row house that the private owners let deteriorate until it partially collapsed a year ago. The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs will spend $225,000 to ensure the house at 1841 16th St. NW doesn’t fall to the ground, agency Director Linda Argo said Tuesday.

…the owners, must reimburse taxpayers for the stabilization work or hire their own contractor to take over the job, DCRA officials said.”

Great news, yeah? Think the taxpayers will actually be reimbursed?

Friday Question of the Day – What’s Up With the DC Summer Jobs Program?

By Prince Of Petworth

It’s funny in a very sad way that this was always going to be the FQoTD this week. As we all know by now there was a terrible day time shooting outside Five Guys in Columbia Heights yesterday. Well it turns out it was “a fight among youths attending an orientation for the District’s summer jobs program” according to WJLA 7 News who reports:

“Ward 1 Councilman Jim Graham says about 2,500 youths had gathered at the D.C. Convention center for an orientation Thursday. The meeting got out of hand, and police confiscated a revolver and brass knuckles from youths there, Graham said.”

Now even before yesterday’s shooting I was intrigued by some emails from the Petworth listserv by parents frustrated with their children’s registration process. One writes:

“As for this city and the mismanagement of funds and programs, I think it is absolutely reprehensible that this behavior is continually tolerated. When will enough people get angry and decide that enough is enough. Our public school system is terrible (with the exception of a select few schools), which has pushed parents to charter schools. The violence, though it is getting better, is still too much. A program which is supposed to help teach our kids the value of hard work is being turned into a three ring circus, where our kids are just stuck in a large room (whether it be a rec or classroom) all to say that we had a Summer Youth Employment Program. I am in my late 30’s and when I worked the Summer Youth Employment Program, I had an enriching experience each year that I worked. Have we not learned from last year’s farce where persons who were too old to even qualify for the program were being paid, some workers were overpaid, some were underpaid. When will it end?”

Another parent writes:

“This city is just so fundamentally and wholistically mismanaged. I mean at every single level it’s rife with mismanagement, absent management or no management. It’d be comical if it just wasn’t so damn maddening and sad at the same time. I mean it’s dangerous. Mismanagement at DYRS gets people killed, same thing at MPD and EMS. Mismanagement at the public schools helps ensure another generation will be consigned to poverty and all its trappings — drugs, violence, etc.”

Many of us remember last summer’s scandal. Now with yesterday’s violence coupled with the apparent dysfunction of the program from the remarks of the parents above – it begs the question – is this well intentioned program broken? If so is it broken beyond repair? Most would agree that employing DC’s youth is a valiant goal. So how can this program be fixed?

DC Office of Planning Seeks Your Help To Create a Vision and Revitalization Plan for Mt Pleasant St

By Prince Of Petworth


Photo by Yonas Hassen

First we learn the Raven was getting renovated and now this! In various posts here I’ve read a number of comments from readers expressing their frustration over the slow development on Mt. Pleasant Street so hopefully this will provide a useful outlet. If you can’t make the workshop Wed. night please leave your ideas in the comments section and I’ll be sure to forward to the folks from the Office of Planning. If you can attend the event I’m told – “this is NOT a meeting, but an open house where folks can drop in and give their opinions and ideas on how to improve Mount Pleasant Street.”

So how would you improve Mt Pleasant Street?

From a press release:

On Wednesday, June 17, 2009, the DC Office of Planning will hold a public workshop in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood of Ward 1. The purpose of the workshop is to obtain community input on revitalization and development priorities for the Mount Pleasant Street commercial corridor in order to shape a revitalization plan.

The workshop will be an open house and participants may drop in any time from 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm to give their input on various topics to include:

* Mount Pleasant Street Physical Enhancements
* Development Opportunity Sites
* New Economic Development (new businesses, retail)
* Assistance for Existing Small Businesses
* Promotion of Unique Neighborhood Character

The study area for the planning initiative includes Mount Pleasant Street from Park Road to the north down to Hobart Street to the south, as well as Lamont Street, Park Road and Irving Street from 16th Street to Mount Pleasant Street.

Mount Pleasant Street Revitalization Open House-Style Workshop
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
6:30 – 8:30 PM
Bell Multi-Cultural School
3101 16th Street, NW (Cafeteria)
Se traducira en espanol

Bell Multi-Cultural School is located two blocks west of the Columbia Heights Metrorail Station (Green Line) and is on the S1, S2, S4, H8 and 42 bus lines.

Controversy Over Potential Demolition of Home Located at 16th and T Streets, NW

By Prince Of Petworth

A friend of mine live nearby and has been forwarding me emails on the efforts neighbors are making to stop the demolition of this property. On Monday night at 7:00 pm (16th and T) there will be a group protesting the demolition of this “historic 1890’s home on the corner of 16th and T”.

Council Member Jack Evans has gotten involved sending an email to the DCRA Director and Deputy Director:

“Linda and Nick,

As I have indicated in previous emails to the both of you, many nearby residents and community leaders, including Rick Busch President of the Dupont Conservancy and Robin Diener President of DCCA, DO NOT WANT TO SEE 1841 16th Street NW demolished because of its historic value to this historic neighborhood. Please continue to work with the owners and please do every thing in your power to secure the building rather than demolish it. I understand that DCRA has ruled that this property is a public safety hazard, if there is a way in which we can stabilize and save the building please know that I strongly am in support that option. If there is anything that I can do to assist DCRA is stabilizing as thus saving this property please contact me directly.

Thank you.

Jack”

I certainly support saving a historic home so hopefully the owner will be forced to make the appropriate repairs. Do you think historic homes should be saved rather than torn down even if it becomes a more expensive option? Should the owner be responsible for making the repairs?

Dear PoP – Sherman Ave Streetscape Info

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

I live on Sherman Ave between Kenyon and Lamont and just received a DDOT flyer in the mail with lots of interesting information about the Sherman Ave streetscape project, including a number of images and a project timeline. A copy of that flyer is available here:

http://ddot.dc.gov/ddot/frames.asp?doc=/ddot/lib/ddot/majorinitiatives/sherman-ave/design/newsletters/shermanave_newsletter_i1.pdf”

I know Sherman Ave gets beat up a lot by some commenters so it’s nice to see the plans in the works. Very cool that they’ll be widening the sidewalks, adding bike lanes and adding landscaped medians. What do you guys think about the plans to change it from 2 traffic lanes in each direction to one traffic lane in each direction?

Dear PoP – DC Property Annexation

By Prince Of Petworth

“Dear PoP,

My wife and I recently bought a condo in CH. Its in a converted rowhouse on the end of the block. On the side of the building that isn’t shared with the next rowhouse, there is a small alley about half the length of the rowhouse where we keep our trashcans. The alley is non-functional as it doesn’t connect to the street, but only to the bigger alley in the back. Technically this space is owned by DC, so we can’t really do any improvements on it (re-pave, etc). A friend of mine told me that our condo association should petition to annex the property. Is this possible? Do you or some of your readers have any advice on how to proceed? I didn’t really see anything on dc.gov about property annexation.”

Wow, that would be awesome. Ok, readers is it possible to annex land from the city? Any advice?

DC Voting Rights Bill on Hold

By Prince Of Petworth

City Paper has the scoop:

“The decision to hold off on current legislation due to the threat of gun-related amendments follows a conference call on Sunday with various advocates and local politicos. A compromise gun legislation proposed by the office of Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was reviewed.

The consensus was not to move forward with the compromise.

Marriage Equality Straw Poll Vote Tuesday Night

By Prince Of Petworth

Council member Jim Graham sent approximately 50 emails to various listservs about this vote. He writes:

“Please come to the Ward One Democrats on Tuesday, June 9, to vote on straw poll on marriage equality in the District. Your vote will count!

There will be a panel discussion on the various sides of this issue. But you may come and vote and leave if you would like.

Your input is vital to how the District proceeds on marriage equality in the future. We want as many residents as possible to voice their opinions.

The meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the Reeves Center at 14th and U Street NW in the Second Floor Conference Room.

As you may know, the D.C. Council last month voted to recognize same-sex marriages from other states. I voted in support of that measure. The second reading on the bill was on June 2.”

The PoP Poll on this subject voted overwhelming to support legalizing gay marriage in DC (94% and 634 votes in favor out of 677 total votes). Though a heated debate did ensue in the comments section.

Tree Removed (Remember The Reader’s Open Letter To Chief Lanier?)

By Prince Of Petworth

On Tuesday I posted an open letter to Chief Lanier from a reader. The reader follows up:

“In an act that shines a bright and gleaming light on the perfunctorily efficient (or efficiently perfunctory) DC Government, the dead tree at the 801 Sheppard Street police facility was removed this morning. Please hold your applause… First I would like to offer my sincere apologies to the woodpeckers and tree creepers who have now lost a potential food source. Second, I would like to thank PoP for creating and allowing this marvelous forum that accomplished in two short days what years of sidewalk conversations with officers and administrative staff could not. And last, I would like to express my appreciation to the blog-reading community at large for the many diverse, constructive, divisive, sardonic, and just plain fun comments and thoughts on the issue. You are all gems – not a word from Chief Cathy though.

PS – Anyone got a mower?”

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