The Brightwoodian

Demolition of Brightwood car barn continues in earnest

2012-02-13T18:05:00.000-05:00

Having been stalled for several months due to a historic landmark designation application that was ultimately voted down by the Historic Preservation Review Board, demolition of the Brightwood car barn, on Georgia Avenue between Missouri Avenue and Peabody Street NW, continued today. This is the site of one of the six proposed Walmarts in the District.

Can Georgia Avenue get enough liquor?

2012-02-09T11:17:00.003-05:00

Looks like the Georgia Avenue Food Barn at 6205 Georgia Avenue got the Class "A" liquor license they applied for, and they're proclaiming that fact with these large "Liquor! Liquor!" banners.

I walked into the store the other night, and a clerk who I speak with regularly said proudly, "Have you seen our new stuff?!" as he pointed me toward the store's new liquor section, and explained that this will make up for the grocery sales which drop every year. I asked him why he thinks grocery sales are dropping; he replied that he's not sure, but that patrons who seem to have no problem putting $50 down on numbers will often recoil in horror when told that, for example, a loaf of Wonder bread is going for $2.59 these days.

Several incredulous emails were sent to the Brightwood listserv when the store applied for its Class "A" license, many of which questioned why yet another liquor license should be granted for a business on Georgia Avenue. From my conversation with the clerk, it sounds like liquor is a necessary product for a bodega to sell, if the bodega is to survive.

A performance space with a lot of history resurrected at 1365 Kennedy Street NW

2012-02-07T14:36:00.000-05:00

Image from backalleytheater.tumblr.com/

You may know the basement of 1365 Kennedy Street NW as the site of the two most recent DC Grey Markets, but the residents of the Madison Terrace Cooperative have more plans for creative uses of their space. It's my pleasure to introduce you to Back Alley Theater and its new Tumblr, which contains a list of planned events at the space (mark February 16 on your calendars for an evening of bass performances with Thomas Helton, Brit Powell, and Luke Stewart).

The new blog also contains a really interesting history of the space. Here's a short excerpt:

The Back Alley Theater was born in 1967 in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Naomi Eftis started the theater in the garage in the alley behind her house at 1929 Lamont St., NW. She started it because she wanted to give kids in the neighborhood the experience of theater.

In 1968, the theater moved into St. Stephen’s Church, at 16th and Newton Streets, NW. They then moved briefly into the Church of the Reformation on East Capitol Street on Capitol Hill, before settling in 1969 into permanent quarters in the basement of an apartment building at 1365 Kennedy Street, NW.

In 1981, the tenants who lived in the apartment building that housed the Back Alley Theater joined forces to collectively purchase their building from their landlord, forming the Madison Terrace Cooperative. Thirty years later, in 2011, Madison Terrace Cooperative members began to resurrect the Back Alley Theater for musical performances and community events.

Very exciting to see a new(ish) DIY space dedicated to community performances and events spring up in the neighborhood.

Sneak preview of Three Little Pigs, Brightwood Park's new charcuterie

2012-02-06T09:11:00.001-05:00

Artist Colette Butfiloski at work on Three Little Pigs' chalk mural. She said she'll return every few months to switch the mural up.

Jason and Carolina, owners of Three Little Pigs, have been busy building out their space at 5111 Georgia Avenue (just north of the corner of Georgia and Gallatin Street) over the past few months, and on Saturday they invited the public in to see their shop.

It's impressive, to say the least. They showed off all of their new equipment and food preparation spaces (from the Koch CookMaster II smoker to the sausage-stuffer to the freezer and aging rooms), and said that their wares will also include marmalades, pies, wine and beer (eventually...they don't have their ABRA license yet, but it's in their future plans), and even a CSA service for vegetables (which was really exciting to hear about, since as far as I know our neighborhood isn't served by any CSAs at this time).

When I asked how they decided to locate their shop in the neighborhood, Carolina told me that her father purchased the building six years ago when he realized Georgia Avenue's development potential. Carolina and Jason, both graduates of the Culinary Institute of America, took a look at the building's layout and saw that it was the perfect space to fulfill their dream of owning and operating a charcuterie. They're really excited to be a part of the neighborhood and have been actively taking note of things residents might be interested in (after noticing the number of dog owners that walk by the shop with their canines, Carolina and Jason are looking into selling pig ear dog treats).

They intend to open in about four weeks; you can keep up to date on their opening plans by following their Facebook page.

The state of Brightwood real estate - February 2012

2012-02-03T10:47:00.000-05:00

Time for a look at the past month's real estate sales in Brightwood, as well as properties that are currently on the market and under contract. Thanks to realtor Eric Brooks for compiling the information!

January Active properties on the market:
23 properties are for sale now (down from 32 in Nov)
Ranging from $52,900 to $549,900
2 of these are foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales (up from 3 last month)

Janurary Sold

Properties that went under contract in January:
19 homes are currently under contract (the average property is in the high $200K's)
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $124,900 to $649,000
2 of these were foreclosed homes and 10 are short sales (up from 9 last month)

January Under Contract

Properties that were sold in January:
7 homes sold through the month
Ranging from $124,900 to $785,000
7 were normal sales; 2 were REOs.

Janurary Sold

Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.

Ward 4 candidates forum tonight at Emery Rec Center

2012-02-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

The Ward 4 Democrates will host a candidates and endorsement forum tonight at Emery Recreation Center (5701 Georgia Avenue, NW) beginning at 7:00.

Information on tonight's event from Ward 4 Democrats:

At this important meeting, we will conduct a Candidates and Endorsement
forum for Democratic candidates running for the position of Ward 4
representative on the Council of the District of Columbia in the April 3,
2012 Democratic Primary Election.

We will convene promptly at 7 p.m. and address preliminary issues. The
Candidates Forum will begin at 7:30 p.m., and each candidate will be given
the opportunity to make a two minute opening statement. Questions will also
be entertained from the audience. The total time allotted for the Candidates
Forum is 90 minutes.

Walter Reed reuse plan approved by LRA, will be presented at public meeting next week

2012-01-27T09:52:00.001-05:00

The final reuse plan for the Walter Reed site was approved by the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) at its meeting on Wednesday evening. The plan will be sent to the City Council as a bill for approval before being sent to the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The LRA voted unanimously to include language in the final plan that will prohibit a bus storage or bus maintenance facility on the site. However, when it was suggested that language prohibiting a streetcar maintenance or storage facility should be included as well, the LRA decided against it, as not enough is known about how the streetcar infrastructure on Georgia Avenue will work. Including language prohibiting streetcar facilities could potentially hurt the system in the future.

As for a timeline for the development, the southeast corner of the site, at Georgia and Aspen, will be first, with construction projected to begin in 2014. The northeast corner of the site, at Georgia and Fern, which is slated for commercial development, is projected to begin in 2018. Planners stressed that these timelines could change according to market conditions. Estimated cost of the entire redevelopment is between $625 and $640 million. More details are available at Housing Complex's report.

The plan will be presented to the public at a special presentation next week:
When: Thursday, February 2, 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Where: Tifereth Israel Congregation, 7701 16th St NW
Childcare will be provided during meeting hours

DC could really use small business incubators for culinary entrepreneurs. Til then, we have the Grey Market.

2012-01-25T10:20:00.001-05:00

Lately I've been hearing quite a bit about the District's need for shared kitchen spaces that would help independent food businesses get started. Cake Love owner Warren Brown mentioned this need at a Ward 4 small business panel convened by Max Skolnik last month. And the Office of Planning, in the recently released draft revitalization strategy for upper 14th Street, mentions food incubators as one of several possible uses for the vacant storefronts within the commercial nodes on 14th (the plan even includes a photo of Boston's Crop Circle Kitchen culinary incubator as an illustration of what could be).

Shared kitchen spaces aren't a reality in upper 14th Street's commercial buildings yet, but this Saturday we will be graced with the next best thing: for the second time, the DC Grey Market, a pop-up culinary incubator, will be setting up at 1365 Kennedy Street NW (located on the north~~west~~east corner of Kennedy Street and Colorado Avenue). Despite some problems during the last Grey Market at this location (most notably a power outage), organizer Maya Robinson told me that her experience there was extremely positive (thanks to host Amanda Huron) and that she was looking forward to returning.

The last Grey Market was very well-attended. I hope this week's event is an even bigger success, and draws further attention to upper 14th Street as a good location for food incubators.

The DC Grey Market, Saturday, January 28, 1-4 pm, 1365 Kennedy Street NW (entrance at north~~west~~east corner of Kennedy and Colorado). Admission $2 (ticket can be purchased in advance here).

Link roundup; Walter Reed LRA meeting this Wednesday

2012-01-24T16:21:00.001-05:00

The Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) will hold its penultimate meeting on Wednesday, January 25 at 7:00 pm at Fort Stevens Recreation Center (1327 Van Buren Street, NW). The public is invited to observe the meeting. The LRA Team will present the proposed final Re-use Plan and NOIs for a recommendation vote by the LRA Committee. The Final Re-use Plan will be presented on Thursday, Feb. 2, 7:00 pm (location will be announced at a later date).

Also:

If you missed the meeting held last night by CM Bowser and Chief Lanier addressing the current uptick in crime in Ward 4, you can read the minutes here.
A post from Drink DC about Three Stars Brewing's progress at its new space on Chillum Place NW.
Under the new proposed capital budget, Roosevelt High School won't be modernized until 2016, and Coolidge High School will have to wait til 2017. Needless to say, Ward 4 residents are unhappy, and the Post reports that grievances were aired at last week's public meeting on modernization plans.
Whether you love it or hate it, there are interesting stories behind the graffiti that you see every time you ride the Red Line (or bike down the Met Branch Trail).

More information on Takoma Central (formerly Ecco Park)

2012-01-23T11:38:00.003-05:00

Via DCMud, further thoughts on the effect Takoma Central, the development formerly known as Ecco Park, will have on our area's growth:

The development may fill in a key gap between the bustle and activity of the Metro station and the quarter-mile walk to Carroll Avenue along Takoma Park's main street with well-kept sidewalks and quaint Victorian-era street lighting.

...

The construction of Takoma Central will go a long way to renovating a corridor on both sides of the Metro line that the District and Maryland have been seeking to make ripe for transit-oriented development projects.

On the West side of the Metro line, the District Office of Planning has (been) looking at possible enhancements to the neighborhood near the dormant Takoma Theater and its surrounds since Anthony Williams' tenure as Washington D.C.'s Mayor.

The Office of Planning's 2002 report shared the puzzlement over why TOD near Takoma Metro wasn't forthcoming. "Neither Carroll nor 4th Street have developed the critical mass of retail, commercial and housing that their Maryland neighbor enjoys, despite being anchored by the most heavily used pedestrian Metro transit station in the District of Columbia."

What happens when politicians delay their snow shoveling duties

2012-01-21T16:39:00.000-05:00

This morning, Ward 4 Council candidate Max Skolnik and a team of volunteers set out to do the good civic duty of clearing snow and ice off of our sidewalks. Around 11:30 am, they came across the unshoveled sidewalk on the west side of the 4300 block of Georgia Avenue...which happens to be right in front of incumbent Muriel Bowser's campaign office. A golden political photo opportunity ensued. These are the photos sent by Skolnik and his campaign manager Johnny Mathias via Twitter, along with a few other astute comments:

Dog shot by MPD officer at 14th and Tuckerman

2012-01-18T15:39:00.000-05:00

From the Post:

The dog was shot near 14th and Tuckerman streets NW, about a half mile south of the old Walter Reed Army Medical Center, about 5:45 p.m., police said. The dog, a German shepherd, got loose from a yard and bit a man and woman. The dog then attacked a man in a wheelchair, but did not bite him, a police source said.

Watch NBC4's report here.

Ecco Park sold to Federal Capital Partners, plans for "Takoma Central" announced

2012-01-13T14:39:00.002-05:00

Federal Capital Partners announced today that they have acquired the project that we've known as Ecco Park. Apparently the name of the development has been changed to Takoma Central. Read the press release after the jump.

FEDERAL CAPITAL PARTNERS ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF TAKOMA PARK MIXED-USE PROJECT

Chevy Chase, MD -- January 12, 2012 -- Federal Capital Partners (FCP)
today announced a joint venture to develop Takoma Central, a mixed-use
project with 156 rental apartment units and ground floor retail in the
Takoma Park neighborhood of Washington, DC. The JV anticipates a total
project cost of approximately $36 million. Takoma Central is located at
235 - 255 Carroll Street, NW, just 500 feet from the Takoma Metrorail
station and steps from the many shops and restaurants of this historic
urban village.

FCP is developing the project in partnership with Level 2 Development,
LLC, one of Washington, DC's premier multi-family developers and SGA
Companies, the project architect. Phase 1 construction has already begun,
and Phase 2 will begin later this year. Completion is expected in the 4th
quarter of 2013.

The project will feature 8,000 square feet of prime retail space along
Carroll Street, a fitness center, business center, outdoor terrace,
community room, bike storage, and other Class A amenities. Apartments
will feature granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, washer and
dryer, designer lighting packages, ceramic tile bathrooms, and balconies
in select units.

"Takoma Park is a high barrier to entry, metro market with little to no
new apartment supply projected in the near future." said FCP Vice
President of Residential Development, Wade Casstevens, who will oversee
project development. "We believe Takoma Central will enhance the village
environment that distinguishes Takoma Park from other DC metro station
communities." Takoma Central will be one of only two Class A apartment
communities near the Takoma Metro.

"In addition to bringing new residents to this already vibrant community,
the Takoma Central project will create a continuous pedestrian experience
and bridge the gap between the Takoma Metro station and the commercial
district to the east," said Jon Kardon, Senior Development Manager at
Level 2 Development. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Federal
Capital Partners in this exciting development."

MAC Realty Advisors, LLC represented Level 2 Development in the
transaction.

About Federal Capital Partners

Federal Capital Partners (FCP), based in the Washington, DC metropolitan
area, is a privately held real estate investment company that has acquired
interests in more than $3 billion in assets since 2003. FCP invests in
multi-family and commercial assets throughout the Mid-Atlantic region,
including Washington, DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, the Virginia Tidewater
region and the Raleigh/Durham area and currently manages a portfolio of
approximately $1.8 billion in real estate assets throughout those markets.
FCP's managing partners are Tom Carr, Esko Korhonen, Alex Marshall and
Lacy Rice. Through its discretionary co-mingled private equity funds, FCP
invests directly in core plus, value-add, opportunistic and development
properties. In addition, FCP provides both equity and debt capital to real
estate operating partners and is aggressively seeking office, residential
(for sale and for rent), industrial and retail investments in all of its
target markets. Over the last two years, FCP has been one of the most
active.

Public meeting on planned modernizations of Coolidge and Roosevelt High Schools, Jan. 18, 6-8pm

2012-01-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

Councilmember Muriel Bowser, Council Chairman Kwame Brown and Ward 4 State Board of Education representative D. Kamili Anderson are holding a special community meeting next week to discuss the planned modernizations of both Coolidge High School and Roosevelt High School.

From an email:

WHEN: Wednesday, January 18, 6-8pm
WHERE: Calvin Coolidge High School, 6315 5th Street NW

Are these plans in jeopardy? COME FIND OUT!

Will Roosevelt be renovated as scheduled in 2012, and Coolidge in 2013? COME FIND OUT!

Are closure discussions in the works for either school?
COME FIND OUT!

And most importantly, come and let us know where YOU stand on the education of our high school youth in Ward 4!

We ask that all alumni, neighbors, and parents of Roosevelt and Coolidge High School come out to attend. Also, anyone concerned about education and educational equity in the District of Columbia -- please join us!

For additional information, please Ebonee Price in Councilmember Bowser's office, 202-724-8052

You ask, Golden Heart Yoga listens: prenatal yoga classes begin January 22

2012-01-13T13:20:00.000-05:00

In my previous post introducing Golden Heart Yoga, I mentioned that they've received lots of requests for prenatal yoga classes and were working on getting those started. Well, it turns out that Golden Heart works awfully fast: per their Facebook page, prenatal classes will begin on January 22.

A look inside Georgia Avenue's new Golden Heart Yoga studio

2012-01-12T07:22:00.001-05:00

Golden Heart Yoga opened at the beginning of January at 4804 Georgia Avenue NW (right across the street from Restaurant Row, which includes Fusion, Moroni & Bros, and Ras, as well as Art Under Pressure). Owners Elizabeth Lloyd and Julie Eisenberg live in Petworth and are already proving their dedication to serving their own community. They employ five teachers, and most live in the neighborhood. Their clientele so far has included mostly residents of Brightwood, Petworth, and 16th Street Heights.

The space, a former funeral home, came with perfect wood floors for yoga (when I saw the floors I assumed Julie and Elizabeth had them installed specially, but Julie assured me that they were already there). There are three separate spaces which can be used for classes and other client services (Julie noted that one of the rooms would be perfect for offering child care while mothers are taking classes; that service isn't offered yet, but it's part of Golden Heart's future plans).

Perhaps surprisingly, the majority of clients so far have been beginners, so Golden Heart has added more beginner level classes to its schedule. They also provide training in Kundalini, a form that very few DC studios offer. Another yoga style that has been requested by several clients so far: prenatal, which Golden Heart will begin offering next month.

Golden Heart is running a grand opening special throughout the month of January: you can get an 8-class pass for $40 (cash only, please). All classes have to be used by January 31, but purchasers are eligible to roll it over into a $75 unlimited monthly pass. Not a bad deal.

New residents and arts spaces could spark Ward 4's 14th Street

2012-01-11T13:53:00.000-05:00

Can 14th Street north of Columbia Heights become a lively and successful commercial area once again? A new plan suggests finding spots to catalyze development, possibly including the WMATA bus barn or surrounding properties, and making a piece of the corridor into a place for artists to live and work more cheaply.

This part of DC boomed in the mid-20th century, spurred by population growth and easy access to transit via the 14th Street streetcar line. The corridor began to decline after 1970, as the District's population decreased. As a result, the commercial nodes of central 14th Street have struggled for several decades.

Now, as the city's population begins to grow once again, DC's Office of Planning studied ways to make the area more attractive for residents and businesses, both old and new. After a series of community workshops in 2010 and 2011 with residents and stakeholders of the central 14th Street corridor, OP has released its draft plan and is looking for public comment until February 3.

The plan covers the 20-block stretch of 14th Street NW from Spring Road to Longfellow Street. It includes three distinct commercial nodes: Spring Road to Shepherd Street, Webster to Decatur Street, and Jefferson to Longfellow Street. (This portion of 14th Street has been referred to as "upper" 14th Street for as long as I can remember, but the Office of Planning is now referring to it as "central" 14th Street.)

The 2010 population of the study area was 14,370, showing an increase of about 300 people since the 2000 census. The population growth is encouraging, but the plan notes that because the population hasn't reached the level of the mid-20th century (the high population was 16,736 in 1960), the corridor has too much commercial space for the number of people that the spaces are meant to serve. That means greater density is necessary to make new businesses viable.

The plan points to Longfellow Flats, a newly renovated 14 unit condominium at 14th and Longfellow Streets, as one of a few projects that will help to attract more residents to the corridor. The site of the CK Motel, and 14th and Quincy Streets, is also slated for residential redevelopment.

Can the bus barn move?

The site with the largest potential for both commercial and residential redevelopment is the WMATA bus barn, along the eastern side of 14th Street from Buchanan to Decatur Street. Redeveloping the bus barn as a mixed-use project would likely catalyze the rest of that node and perhaps the rest of the corridor, but to redevelop the barn, WMATA has to find another location for the 175 buses that are currently housed there.

One idea, to construct a new bus barn on the site of the old Walter Reed hospital, has been an issue of much contention between residents of Ward 4's 14th Street and Georgia Avenue corridors. Both Mayor Gray and Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser have voiced opposition to that idea. As an alternative, the plan recommends excavating a level beneath the existing bus barn to house the buses, allowing for the above-ground structure to be redeveloped.

Another complication is that the bus barn is quite an attractive structure. Constructed in 1907 and designed by the prominent Washington architect Waddy Wood, the building is likely eligible for historic designation. Between this and the dilemma of finding an alternative for WMATA, the bus barn is likely to stay for at least the next decade.

In lieu of redeveloping the bus barn, the plan identifies 3 sites in the Webster-Decatur node that could serve as catalysts.

The WMATA bus barn parking structure on the northern end of the bus barn property. This is not eligible for historic designation and therefore could be redeveloped for mixed-use within the next 5 years.
DSK Mariam Ethiopian Orthodox Church, which owns the entire 4500 block of 14th Street with the exception of the Exxon gas station, has plans to construct a new sanctuary that will face 14th Street. It will include an Ethiopian cultural center on the Buchanan Street side.
The Value Furniture store, the former home of the Park Theater, which opened in 1924 but shut its doors just four years later. As the second largest site (75,000 square feet) in the study area with single ownership, it has the best potential for redevelopment within the next 5 years. It could easily become 2 or 3 floors of residential space above ground floor retail, an ideal spot for a neighborhood-serving grocery store.

The plan recommends focusing on attracting unique retail, such as second hand shops, specialty food shops, and culinary incubators (the plan includes a photo of Boston's Crop Circle Kitchen culinary incubator as an example of what could be). The goal is to fill niches between the chain stores to the south in Columbia Heights and the proposed Walmart to the north in Brightwood.

Affordable space for artists?

The Jefferson-Longfellow Street node has its wide sidewalks, some as wide as 20 feet, that are perfect for pedestrian-oriented activities, such as a farmers' market. However, there's also a high commercial vacancy rate, which the proposed Walmart store on nearby Georgia Avenue will likely exacerbate.

The plan recommends focusing on arts-related uses in this area, with a focus on artists who have been priced out of other neighborhoods and who might be attracted to the area's relatively large spaces. OP recommends designating this area as an Arts Cluster and listing the node's vacant commercial spaces in the DC Creative Retail Space Bank in order to advertise their availability.

The area can build on its existing positive features, such as the mature tree canopy, attractive housing stock, and walkable neighborhood atmosphere. The plan makes several recommendations for improving the area's aesthetics while strengthening pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, as well as connectivity between the three commercial nodes.

Better transportation

A number of recommendations would improve mobility, including:

Upgrade bus service. 14th Street is one of WMATA's Priority Corridors. Improvements like making traffic signals adapt to the buses, having people pay before boarding the bus, and more could speed up travel and make buses more reliable and productive.
Add Capital Bikeshare stations. OP recommends placing a Capital Bikeshare station at or near the intersection of 14th and Kennedy Street during DDOT's next round of station installations.
Increase car sharing options. To give residents a choice not to have to own or drive personal vehicles, OP recommends collaborating with DDOT to target off-street locations for car sharing companies. Two possible locations are the parking lot of DSK Mariam Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the parking lot of the Children's Medical Care Center (14th and Kennedy Street).

OP plans to create a task force of community residents and stakeholders who will help determine which recommendations are the highest priority. Community and business associations can also help find resources, programs, and grants to bring specific recommendations to fruition.

To give your comments on the plan, mail them to OP or (more likely) email Gizachew.Andargeh@dc.gov by February 3, 2012.

Cross-posted at Greater Greater Washington.

New bar at 441 Kennedy Street looks close to opening, albeit with a most unfortunate name

2012-01-11T08:49:00.001-05:00

I've been keeping my eye on 441 Kennedy Street for the past couple of months, as the buildout of what one of the contractors told me would be a sports bar progressed. The interior is looking pretty nice (sorry I have no interior photos to share). When I passed by yesterday I saw that exterior signage had been installed, which is great, although I have to admit that the name of the establishment makes my heart, um, ache just a little...as does the misspelling of the word "restaurant".

Senbeb Natural Food gets a new facade, as well as an interior renovation

2012-01-08T21:42:00.001-05:00

Senbeb Natural Food and Cafe, at 6224 3rd Street NW, has a newly-painted facade.

As you can see, they're also busy renovating the interior. They'll be working on it all night tonight, and plan to open for business tomorrow. Here's what the exterior looked like before:

Senbeb is a neighborhood treasure that often gets overlooked due to its somewhat off the beaten path location. If you've never sampled it, give Senbeb a try. I particularly like their black bean burger.

New CrossFit gym, Second Wind Training, opens at 14th and Longfellow

2012-01-07T16:53:00.000-05:00

Second Wind Training opened at the end of last week at 5509 14th Street NW (a storefront at the street level of the Longfellow Flats). The CrossFit facility offers boot camps, personal training, and endurance coaching.

The space was built out pretty quickly. Owner Steve Dolge signed his lease in October, and since then work progressed steadily in order to open in early January (high season in the gym business).

Second Wind began in the spring of 2009, after Dolge was laid off from his job of 15 years at WTOP. His venue was Lafayette Elementary School in Chevy Chase DC. When he started looking to expand into his own space, his main goal was to locate within a reasonable distance of his Chevy Chase client base. He sees Brightwood as a perfect location, as it's convenient for his Chevy Chase clients while having potential to gain new members from Brightwood, 16th Street Heights, and other surrounding neighborhoods that have been sorely lacking gym facilities.

He also noted the advantage of being within easy running distance of Rock Creek Park, where he intends to hold training sessions in the spring.

Dolge hopes to eventually buy the space and "continue to be a part of the improvement of the neighborhood," he said.

The interior looks very good. I was particularly impressed by the shower facilities:

Vida Senior Residences opens at 1333 Missouri Avenue NW

2012-01-06T09:30:00.002-05:00

A ribbon cutting was held yesterday at the new Vida Senior Residences in Brightwood. The building, located at 1333 Missouri Avenue NW, contains 36 units of affordable housing, with rents ranging from $286 to $851 a month, based on income. With the opening of its Brightwood location, Vida hopes to alleviate overcrowding at its original location at 1842 Calvert Street NW in Adams Morgan.

According to The Washington Post, 300 people have already applied for the 36 apartments. The building will be fully occupied within six months.

The state of Brightwood real estate - January 2012

2012-01-06T09:07:00.000-05:00

Time to check in on the past month's home sales, properties under contract, and active properties on the market. Thanks to realtor Eric Brooks for compiling this information.

December Active properties on the market:
21 properties are for sale now (down from 32 in November)
Ranging from $84,999 to $549,900
Two of these are foreclosed homes and three are short sales

December Active

Properties that went under contract in December:
20 homes are currently under contract (the average property is the high $200K's)
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $52,000 to $785,000
Two of these were foreclosed homes and nine are short sales (up from five last month)

December Under Contract

Properties that were sold in December:
11 homes sold in the month of December
Ranging from $212,000 to $679,900
Nine sales from the past month were normal sales (two were REO's).

December Sold

Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.

Muriel Bowser calls for Harry Thomas Jr.'s resignation

2012-01-05T15:37:00.000-05:00

Ward 4 Councilmember Muriel Bowser has released the following statement in response to the felony charges that have been filed against Ward 5 Councilmember Harry Thomas Jr.:

“With sadness for what this means for our City and the people of Ward 5, I call on Councilmember Harry Thomas, Jr. to resign. The Council must return its focus to the business of governing our City: creating jobs, accelerating education reform, and delivering high quality services to our residents."

HTJ Resignation

Fire in Curtis Chevrolet building early this morning

2012-01-05T09:47:00.001-05:00

At about 3:30 this morning, the above messages were sent from the Twitter account of the Washington DC Fire Fighters Association Local 36.

I stopped by at about 8:30. There was minimal noticeable fire damage from the front of the building.

This is the second time this week that a vacant building on Upper Georgia Avenue has caught fire. Early yesterday morning, fire fighters quelled a blaze at 7203 Georgia Avenue. That building is a two-story carport in the rear of the lot. No injuries were reported.

Robbery last night, 900 block of Longfellow St. NW

2012-01-03T11:02:00.001-05:00

From MPD:

At approximately 10:45 pm in the 900 block of Longfellow St., NW, a suspect brandished a handgun and demanded money from the complainant. Two other suspects participated in robbing the complainant. The suspects fled in an unknown direction. There were no injuries to any parties.

Anyone with information regarding this or any other crime is asked to call 1-888-919-CRIM[E].

Lookouts: (All suspects were wearing ski masks)
S-1: 18-21yr, BM, 5’7-5’9”, 160lb, Black coat blue jeans – ARMED with handgun
S-2: 18-21yr, BM, 5’7-5’9”, 160lb, Black coat blue jeans
S-3: 18-21yr, BM, 5’7-5’9”, 160lb, Black coat blue jeans

- Lieutenant Mike Whiteside

A brief history of efforts to recall Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners in the District of Columbia

2011-12-20T15:23:00.000-05:00

The effort to recall ANC4B04 commissioner Doug Smith that is currently under way started me wondering how many commissioners have had similar efforts waged against them in the past, and how many commissioners have actually been successfully recalled due to those efforts.

Below is a spreadsheet provided to me by the DC Board of Elections and Ethics. It lists all ANC recall efforts that have been initiated since 1992 (why it only goes to 1992 I'm not exactly sure). Since that year, four Advisory Neighborhood Commissioners have been successfully recalled (their names are highlighted in yellow on the document).

According to the DCBOEE's recall process, residents of an SMD must gather the signatures of at least ten percent of the registered voters in the SMD (that means about 200 signatures, as each SMD has approximately 2,000 residents) before moving to the petition verification phase and, ultimately, the recall election itself.

ANC SMD Recall Efforts

WBJ: Wal-Mart applies for Georgia Avenue building permit in time to avert Green Building Act compliance

2011-12-20T09:03:00.003-05:00

Wal-Mart and Foulger Pratt have submitted a building permit application, along with a check for $20,000, to the District, according to the Washington Business Journal:

Several agencies will get a look, including the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, the Department of Transportation, Office of Zoning, Water and Sewer Authority, fire department, Historic Preservation Review Board and the Department of the Environment. The reviews run the gamut from mechanical to electrical, structural fire systems, stormwater management, transportation, and plumbing.

The piece also includes this note on Wal-Mart's motives for moving the development along at this particular time:

Interesting side note: By submitting its building permit before the end of the year, Wal-Mart will not have to comply with the District's Green Building Act. The final phase of the 5-year-old law, which kicks in Jan. 1 , requires all nonresidential new construction larger than 50,000 square feet to meet Energy Star and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Standards.

Behind the effort to recall ANC4B04 commissioner Doug Smith

2011-12-15T11:35:00.004-05:00

John Beverly, the president of Concerned Citizens of Brightwood East and the man who has spearheaded the effort to recall ANC4B04 commissioner Doug Smith, says that he initiated the effort due to Smith's "lack of communication with residents" and "lack of involvement" in community issues. Smith serves as treasurer of ANC4B; he also created and co-chaired the Large Tract Review committee which examined Walmart's development proposal for the Curtis Chevrolet site.

When asked for specifics, Beverly said that Smith left 4B04 residents in the dark about issues surrounding that development. I told Beverly that, as a 4B04 resident myself, I've attended quite a few meetings on that very topic. When asked if he had attended any of the meetings, he said he had not, because he didn't know about them. He blamed Smith for not informing his constituents that the meetings were being planned.

The strange thing is this: Doug Smith is a contributing member of Concerned Citizens of Brightwood East. Smith told me that he joined the group around the same time he began campaigning. Smith said that since he was elected, he's communicated with the group regularly, even bringing flyers announcing his special 4B04 meetings to their meetings.

I thought this might be a digital divide issue, as older residents often don't make use of email, and 4B04 has a sizable number of senior citizens. One of the biggest topics of discussion at the Large Tract Review committee meetings was how to reach out to those community members who don’t have access to email and therefore may not be aware of the development’s progress. But when I asked Beverly how past ANC4B04 commissioner James Sydnor used to disseminate information to constituents, he said that it was mostly by email, and that he was satisfied with Sydnor's level of communication. (One thing Smith hasn't done is establish a list of his constituents' email addresses in order to disseminate information through email blasts; Smith told me this is something he will work on.)

I told Mr. Beverly that there have been questions about the recall effort posted on the Brightwood listserv and asked if he had seen them. He said that he was not a member of the listserv. "Other ANCs want to support him, and that's fine," he said, "but this is a 4B04 issue."

The recall election will be held on February 28 at MPD's Fourth District Headquarters (6001 Georgia Avenue NW).

By the way, I had been wanting to track down Concerned Citizens of Brightwood East for quite a while, and was happy to have reached Mr. Beverly. He informed me the the organization formed a little under two years ago, and generally meets on the second Wednesday of each month, though they're now in recess until March. A website is under construction; til it goes live, if you're interested in being alerted about Concerned Citizens of Brightwood East meetings, drop me an email and I'll make sure you get onto Mr. Beverly's notification list.

Who will implement Walter Reed's redevelopment?

2011-12-09T16:12:00.000-05:00

At the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority meeting last week, the main topic of discussion was the key implementation phase of the redevelopment. The LRA had asked Victor Hoskins, the District’s deputy mayor for planning and economic development, to perform an analysis of the implementation procedure.

The report (below) details the pros and cons of three different types master developers – a group made up of DC government agencies; a for-profit developer; or an SPE, a non-profit development corporation with DC government Board representation and funded through private capital, federal and other grants.

Hoskins intends to submit the final reuse plan to HUD in March, and HUD's approval is expected by August. LRA director Eric Jenkins said the goal is to have a master developer selected between March and August (a period of time that is craftily referred to in a timeline within the presentation below as “The Sweet Spot”).

The LRA will be dissolved once the final reuse plan is completed; then the city will establish an new LRA to advise on implementation.

“The goal of the ILRA (Implentation LRA) for Walter Reed is to be prepared to sit down with the Army in July to negotiate how the land would be be paid for and work out the terms of conveyance,” said LRA committee member Alice Giancola. “Selection of a Master Developer as a consultant is only one step in the direction of preparing a case for the Army that the City is a reliable buyer.” Going the private developer route would slow down the process significantly because an RFQ and RFP would be required; the SPE option would be also be slow due to the organizational structure and vetting process it would involve. The redevelopment process would be fastest if the District served as the master developer, but that would require the District to produce the funds to purchase the land from the Army...funding that isn't readily available.

Walter Reed Redevelopment Implementation Report

Recall election for ANC4B04 commissioner Doug Smith will be held Feb. 28 at MPD 4D HQ

2011-12-09T12:14:00.003-05:00

Did you know that there was a recall effort underway for 4B04 ANC commissioner Doug Smith?

Yeah, I really didn’t either. I first heard about it on November 23, when the DC Board of Elections and Ethics tweeted that recall petitions were being collected. I did a little more research and found that the effort has been underway since at least September (see the hearing transcript at the bottom of this post). The folks who have spearheaded the effort seem to be members of Concerned Citizens of Brightwood East.

This morning, the DCBOEE tweeted:

So there you go. Recall election on February 28.

Doug Smith is a good commissioner who got caught up in a storm, and that storm is called Walmart. I believe that the people who initiated the recall effort were upset that Smith hasn’t publicly come out in opposition of the development. The issue of will-Walmart-be-good-for-us-or-not has divided the neighborhood deeply, and it has put Smith in the difficult position of trying to represent all of his constituents fairly in the midst of the uproar.

But here's the thing: if the planned development at Georgia and Missouri doesn’t happen, it will be because Walmart decided to pull out. And that would be purely Walmart's decision, not based on community opposition, and definitely not on whether an ANC spoke out against it or not.

Smith has done nothing to deserve a recall. If you want to oust a politician, save your energy and work to oust one of the many in this city who actually have done things that warrant a recall.

Hearing on Approval of Petition to Recall Douglas Smith

Photo: the long-awaited Bikeshare station at Georgia and Upshur is finally a reality

2011-12-08T09:10:00.000-05:00

This has been a long time coming. The Georgia/Upshur Bikeshare station (which, if you want to get more precise about it, is actually located at 9th and Upshur) was supposed to be installed during the first rollout back in September of 2010. The installation was pushed back, presumably due to the construction that was going on at the intersection at the time. The station was finally installed on Tuesday.

Public meetings on development in Ward 4 tonight and tomorrow night

2011-12-07T10:47:00.003-05:00

Four public meetings over the next two nights promise to keep us busy....

Can Small Businesses Survive in Ward 4?
When: Wednesday, December 7, 6:00 – 7:30 pm
Where: Peoples Congregational UCC, 4704 13th Street NW
RSVP: kim@voteformax.com, (202) 695-3444
Sponsored by the Max Skolnik Campaign for Ward 4 Council.
"Given the economic challenges and the decision to locate two Wal-Marts in the Ward, this panel and community discussion will focus on developing a viable small business plan."

Panelists include:
Warren Brown, CakeLove Bakery
Veronica Davis, NSpireGreen DC
Andy Shallal, Busboys & Poets
Kim Weeks, Boundless Yoga
James Kerns, Corehaus
Max Skolnik, Ward 4 Candidate for the DC Council

.....

Ward 4 Thrives monthly meeting
When: Wednesday, December 7, 6:30 pm
Where: Fort Stevens Recreation Center, 1327 Van Buren Street NW
"Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins
has confirmed his attendance at this meeting. Our focus is how we can create
a 'win win' situation for the residents and business community in Ward 4."

.....

Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority NOI Respondent Presentations
When: Thursday, December 8, 7:00 pm
Where: Tifereth Isreal Congregation, 7701 16th Street NW

"As required by the Base Closure Community Redevelopment and Homeless Assistance Act of 1994, as amended (the Redevelopment Act) and its implementing regulations, the Government of the District of Columbia, the Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) for the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, requested notices of interest (NOIs) for consideration in obtaining buildings and/or property on a portion of the previously unscreened surplus property at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

"The seven (7) new NOI respondents have been invited to each present their vision of their NOI response. Each NOI Respondent will present a brief five-minute summary of its proposed program to the public followed by a general Questions and Answer session. The sole purpose of the NOI Respondent Community Presentations is to provide the opportunity for the community to learn about each NOI proposal. The participation request does not represent an indication of confirmed eligibility or qualification for selection.

"Both Homeless Assistance Providers (HAP) and Public Benefit Conveyance (PBC) organizations will be represented at the community presentation. An executive summary of the presentations can be found at www.dmped.dc.gov under the Walter Reed Icon. Below is the Schedule of Presentations:

Transitional Housing Corporation
National Capitol Veterans Coalition, Inc.
Global Schools Collaborative, Inc.
Washington Latin Public Charter School
Educational Services Overseas Limited FZ LLC
GA Ave Business Improvement District & Development Corporation and the Walter Reed Health Education and Research Foundation

CentroNia"

......

Georgia Avenue Business Association meeting
When: Thursday December 8, 7:00 pm.
Where: Sweet Mango Café, 3701 New Hampshire Avenue NW
"The Agenda:
1). Introductions and Recap of our last meeting and minutes.
Opportunity to highlight progress and insert additional ideas

2). Discussion of organizational structure with guest speaker from Barracks Row Main Street

3). Jump Start Committee Work
Clean Streets and Safety Committee"

Developer Jair Lynch purchases three apartment complexes in Ward 4

2011-12-06T12:03:00.002-05:00

Yesterday Jair Lynch announced that it has acquired three apartment complexes in Ward 4. They are Aspen Court, 105 homes at 6676 Georgia Ave., NW; Petworth Station, 78 homes at 930 Randolph St., NW; and Fort Stevens Hill, 59 homes at 1339 Ft. Stevens Dr. NW.

Jair Lynch issued a press release saying the acquisition will allow for the preservation of "affordable homes in neighborhoods that are experiencing an uptick in market rate developments and increasing property values but have a dearth of new construction starts for affordable housing. The company plans to make significant quality of life improvements to enhance each of the communities as part of its program to acquire, stabilize and improve dated tax credit financed properties.

"Throughout the acquisition process, JAIR LYNCH worked diligently with each of the five communities’ individual tenant associations and their respective attorneys as part of the District’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (“TOPA”).

"JAIR LYNCH Development Partners is investing in this portfolio (“Regenesis Portfolio”) through a joint venture with MacFarlane Partners, a real estate investment management firm that specializes in properties that promote place making through smart growth, urban revitalization and sustainability."

Pierre's Attic vintage/thrift opens on Georgia Avenue

2011-12-05T09:11:00.000-05:00

Pierre's Attic opened last Thursday at 5320 Georgia Avenue NW. According to the website: "As a new addition to the Georgia Avenue shopping district, Pierre’s Attic brings a new edge to the neighborhood. Incorporating the changes in the city, a vintage boutique brings the green movement to Ward 4. Pierre’s Attic will feature apparel for all ages, furniture and everything in between."

I stopped in over the weekend, and Pierre has set up a lot of items on his sales floor, and says he's still in the process of bringing more items in. Since his space is small, he plans to feature most of his larger furniture and appliances only on his website, so be sure to check in if you're looking for a new (used) couch or dresser.

The Modern Mobler gets a new facade

2011-12-04T21:26:00.000-05:00

The Modern Mobler vintage furniture store at 7313 Georgia Avenue gave its storefront a facelift recently, and the result is pretty striking.

The state of Brightwood real estate - December 2011

2011-12-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

Time for our monthly look at neighborhood home sales with realtor Eric Brooks...

Active properties on the market in November:
32 properties are for sale now (one less than in Oct. 2011)
Ranging from $52,900 to $575,00
3 of these are foreclosed homes and 7 are short sales

November 2011 Active Properties

Properties that went under contract in November:
22 homes are currently under contract (the average property is the high $200K's)
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $129,000 to $785,000
3 of these were foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales

November 2011 Under Contract

November sold numbers
8 homes sold in the month of November
Ranging from $150,000 to $499,000
All eight sales from the past month were normal sales (no REO's or Short Sales), which is good news for homeowners.

November 2011 Sold

Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.

Montgomery County plans 50 Bikeshare stations near Red Line

2011-12-01T11:50:00.000-05:00

From the Gazette: Fifty bikeshare stations planned for stations along the Red Line; Montgomery County officials still seek funding for project

Montgomery County officials and residents discussed Tuesday adding bicycle stations that would connect to the bike network in Washington, D.C., and Arlington, Va.

The county hopes to add 50 stations with 400 bikes along and around Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s Metrorail Red Line, focusing on places like Bethesda, Chevy Chase, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Forest Glen and Wheaton.

Many of the stations proposed by the county Department of Transportation were located at or around Metrorail stations, apartment complexes, parks, hospitals and community centers.

The county is applying for a Maryland Bikeshare Program grant. The grant would fund 80 percent of the costs up to a certain point, Brecher said. The state grant application is due Dec. 15 and Brecher said she expected a response next year, since the grant would go toward fiscal year 2013.

A Capital Bikeshare station with 15 bike slots and eight bikes would cost $48,000 for equipment and installation and $21,000 in annual operating fees. If the county receives the grant, officials will order the stations and bikes and draft a station plan for each location. The county would also have to talk to any private parties who own land on a planned station site and make private agreements. The aim is to install stations in winter 2012, Brecher said.

Here's a list of the proposed station locations:
Silver Spring: Lyttonsville, the Summit Hills apartment complex, the future Silver Spring Library and the Silver Spring Metrorail station.
Wheaton: Westfield Wheaton shopping center, Ana Mendez University and the Wheaton Metrorail station among others.
Bethesda and Chevy Chase: 13 sites including Suburban Hospital, Chevy Chase Lake and the Bethesda and Medical Center Metrorail stations.
Takoma Park: Parks, Montgomery College, the Takoma Park Community Center, Old Town and Takoma Junction.
Forest Glen: Holy Cross Hospital and the Forest Glen Metrorail station among others.

Developer-sponsored Capital Bikeshare station rejected in Takoma

2011-11-29T19:30:00.007-05:00

Thanks to the Wash Cycle for pointing out this passage from The Atlantic Cities' piece on developers sponsoring Bikeshare stations:

The builders of a planned apartment complex in D.C.’s Takoma neighborhood also say their offer to sponsor a station was rejected by officials who felt the location was too far off the beaten path.

Since there are only so many apartment complexes in the planning stages in Takoma, I assume this passage refers to the developers of either Ecco Park or the proposed development on Spring Place NW.

I understand why Bikeshare would be hesitant to slap a station in Takoma without building up other nearby sites as well, as Bikeshare needs several stations built relatively close to each other in order to be useable. But I'm sorry to hear that the developers' proposal was dismissed seemingly without considering that Bikeshare will soon be expanding to Montgomery County's Red Line stations. It will be in everyone's best interest for Bikeshare to set up in Takoma, Brightwood, and the rest of Ward 4 in order to provide connections between Montgomery County and the rest of the District. Taking the developers up on their offer seems like it would be good planning for the future.

Update: ANC4B02 Commissioner Sara Green just confirmed that the article is referring to the Spring Place development. She went on to say, "You get to Spring Place by driving down Blair Road (toward the Takoma Metro Station) and making a left on Chestnut just after the light at Piney Branch. Spring Place is the first and only right." If you can follow that, you'll understand that the development is indeed slightly inconvenient to Takoma's main commercial area. I assume the location of that specific development is what turned Bikeshare off, but I've asked them to clarify.

Update 2: Bruce Levin, one of the developers of the Spring Place building, confirms that DDOT is concerned about Spring Place's lack of visibility, at least at this time: "The location is less than ideal as compared to more visible locations at or around the (Metro) station. This could certainly change at a later date. The next and most important step will be to work with DDOT to complete the design of the trail between Spring Place and Cedar, secure funding and complete this section."

Research your house's history with the DCPL's Washingtoniana Division, tonight @ Takoma Library

2011-11-29T10:13:00.000-05:00

Tonight at the Takoma Libary, the DC Public Library's Washingtoniana Division staff will be on hand to help you research the history of your DC home.

When: Tuesday, November 29, 7pm
Where: Takoma Park Neighborhood Library, 416 Cedar Street NW

I already know a little bit about my home's history. From the 1930s through the 60s, it was occupied by a man who published Jelly Roll Morton's music; when Morton lived in the District, he would occasionally take the streetcar up from U Street to hang out at my house. Alan Lomax has set foot in my house as well, a fact that pretty much blew me away when I found out about it. Moral of the story: it's worth researching your house's history, because the information you find could surprise you.

Shop local. Especially today.

2011-11-26T10:49:00.001-05:00

A message from CM Bowser:

Neighbors-

I trust you had an enjoyable Thanksgiving and many of you have kicked off your holiday shopping this weekend.

I hope that you will consider doing some of your holiday shopping with a small business, and a majority of your shopping in the District of Columbia. The money you spend circulates locally and the taxes that you pay help pay for the services we count on in our City.

Just a few thoughts on Ward 4 (or close by) businesses that would love to see you this weekend and other times throughout the year.

-------

If you need more incentive, Think Local First DC has initiated a Shop Outside the Big Box challenge, by which you may win a $2,000 shopping spree by supporting participating small retailers. Further info here.

Walmart strikes city-wide Community Benefits Agreement

2011-11-22T12:38:00.002-05:00

Read the report by Michael Niebauer in the Washington Business Journal. According to the WBJ's sources, the agreement includes:

Wal-Mart will work with the Department of Small and Local Business Development to identify certified business enterprises — small, local, minority owned contractors — who can take on jobs during store construction. The retailers will encourage, but not require, its general contractors to meet a 35 percent CBE goal.
Wal-Mart will create and fund a workforce development program with a focus on low-income residents, minorities, at-risk youth, released convicts and veterans.
Wal-Mart will open hiring centers in each ward where stores are planned — Wards 4, 5, 6 and 7 — with the expectation of filling a majority of available positions with D.C. residents. It will also hold job fairs and work with the District government to identify candidates.
The retailer will not sell guns or ammunition.
Wal-Mart will seek out local retailers to provide goods and services within their stores — coffee shops, for example.
While Wal-Mart has not agreed to pay a “living wage,” it will pay its employees competitive market salaries as compared to its D.C. competitors.
With regard to transportation, Wal-Mart has agreed to install Capital Bikeshare stations, bus shelters and bike racks near its stores, and work with Metro to assess existing bus routes.
Community advisory committees, comprised of residents, businesses and nonprofits within 1,000 feet of each store, will be formed and Wal-Mart will meet with them quarterly.

Initital thoughts: Contractors will benefit; I'm certainly not going to complain about the Capital Bikeshare part; and this really seems like the bare minimum.

Petition: let's build a dog park at the Takoma Rec Center

2011-11-17T16:51:00.002-05:00

This is a project that's been developing with the Department of Parks and Recreation for a while now. Though we have circulated paper petitions, we could use more signatures, so I'm taking the online route. DC residents, please sign this petition if you're interested in having a dog park built at the Takoma Recreation Center!

Wal-Mart takes Fort Totten

2011-11-15T22:14:00.008-05:00

Tonight The Washington Post's Nikita Stewart tweeted that Wal-Mart will announce that in addition to its four proposed stores (one of which is to be located at the Curtis Chevrolet site at Georgia and Missouri Avenues NW), it plans to open two more stores in the District: one at the Skyland Town Center in Ward 7, and another at the planned Fort Totten Square development. This brings the Wal-Mart count in Ward 4 up to two -- and they'll be within 1.5 miles of each other.

More details will be available tomorrow morning when Wal-Mart and Mayor Gray make their official announcement.

Rendering of the proposed Fort Totten Square Wal-Mart (JBG)

WARL, Ward 4, and the pit bull dilemma

2011-11-15T09:48:00.001-05:00

I've become fond of Dr. Gary Weitzman's Huffington Post DC blog. Weitzman is the CEO of the Washington Animal Rescue League, which is a haven for homeless animals here in Ward 4 (one which you should really visit, if you've never done so). Yesterday's post hit close to home for me, as it focuses on a rescue effort of pit bulls from Baltimore's animal shelter, and my own girl happens to be a pit rescued from Baltimore by WARL.

Excerpt:
"Any pits?" I asked our shelter director, Maureen, when she got back from the Baltimore shelter with the transfer animals and was parking our rescue truck in front of the shelter.

She smiled sheepishly at me.

"Oh, no. A bunch of lab mixes and a mixed shepherd or two. And the cutest puppies you ever saw."

I knew what that meant. She had a truck full of pit bulls.

There are two reasons for this: One, we're an urban shelter north of the Mason-Dixon Line. And two, Maureen, like me, loves pit bulls and knows they need our help more than any other animal in this country. Because of the public's misperception of this often gentle, loyal, and intelligent breed -- and due to the absolutely unconscionable breeding for criminally inhumane uses that this breed has endured by the most irresponsible humans among us -- there are just so too many pit bulls for the system to absorb.

Backyard breeding of pit bulls is such a deeply ingrained part of many peoples' lives in Brightwood (and in many other places, of course). A woman on my block told me that she was reluctant to get their family's pit neutered because her son wanted to breed him at least once. Another neighbor stared at me incredulously when I told him that my dog was spayed. "You mean you don't want her to have puppies? Why not?" he asked in all seriousness. I refrained from explaining that she was spayed because I didn't want to contribute to the pet overpopulation problem; it didn't seem as though he would have easily understood that point of view.

Walter Reed reuse planning meeting tomorrow night - register here if you haven't already

2011-11-14T11:33:00.001-05:00

If you haven't registered to participate in tomorrow night's Walter Reed reuse planning workshop, you can register here.

Info:
When: Tuesday, November 15, 7-9 pm
Where: Tifereth Israel Congregation, 7701 16th Street NW
This is a important opportunity for residents to guide the redevelopment process. Community input will ensure that the reuse plan continues to reflect the needs of residents living in nearby neighborhoods and the city as a whole.

Georgia Avenue's new art in vacant spaces project launches on Sunday

2011-11-10T12:31:00.000-05:00

I first wrote about the Georgia Avenue Window Walk project here, and I'm really excited that it's getting off the ground! The pilot project is starting in Pleasant Plains, and we're aiming to get enough owners of vacant spaces involved for the Window Walk to encompass all of the commercial nodes on Georgia Avenue, stretching all the way up to Eastern Avenue.

From the Georgia Avenue Community Development Task Force:

Please join us on Sunday November 13th from 3-6pm for a launch event for the Georgia Avenue Window Walk and a celebration of the first two window installations by artists, John Grunwell and Emily Sloat Shaw. Meet at Pleasant Plains Workshop at 2608 Georgia Avenue for refreshments and tunes courtesy of DJ Emma Woodhouse starting at 3pm. At 4pm there will be a walking tour with the artists, followed by more merriment at Pleasant Plains Workshop!

The Georgia Avenue Window Walk is a temporary public art project that engages residents, businesses and visitors to the community by placing art installations in existing and vacant storefront spaces along the lower Georgia Avenue Corridor.

Our Objectives:
Improve the look of Georgia Avenue
Connect residents and visitors to historical and cultural aspects of Georgia Avenue
Provide local artists with an opportunity for exposure
Engage community members in a process resulting in positive change
Attract visitors to the area to dine and shop at the existing businesses
Attract new retail to Georgia Avenue

Uptick in crime in the area surrounding Walter Reed

2011-11-09T13:26:00.000-05:00

From the Takoma listserv:

Last night I walked along Dahlia chatting with neighbors. Turns out that there have been several muggings on Dahlia in which a gun was used in the last few weeks.

That combined with the break ins of cars during the broad daylight. Plus the odd experience of catching some guys on my roof a few weeks ago suggests a crime spree in our area.

Frightening, considering that there has been much less in the way of police presence in this area of late. And the closure of Walter Reed has made this area of Georgia strangely quiet day and night, very little foot traffic.

Be an advocate for small business development on Georgia Avenue

2011-11-07T09:14:00.002-05:00

Georgia Avenue needs advocates. Here are three upcoming opportunities to meet with community leaders, business owners, residents, and other stakeholders who are concerned with the state of Georgia Avenue:

Small Business Talk with At-Large DC Councilmember Vincent Orange
Monday November 7, 7-8:30PM
Peoples Congregational Church, 4704 13th Street NW (near Decatur St.), Corbin Lounge
Hosted by the Georgia Avenue Economic Development Steering Committee to consider a collaborative process to support and develop small businesses.

Brightwood Community Association meeting
Tuesday, November 8, 7 pm
St. John's United Baptist Church
6343 13 St. NW (intersection of 13th and Tuckerman)
According to the Brightwood Community Association announcement: "As many of us have noticed, there are a number of vacant properties along Georgia Ave in Brightwood. After talking to people on both sides of the Walmart divide, I got the sense that those opposed to Walmart weren't opposed to development, just against Walmart specifically. Those in support of Walmart weren't particularly big fans of Walmart, but just wanted something there instead of nothing. There are other vacant lots and closed stores along Georgia Ave. Some, like the former Blockbuster Video store at 6428 Georgia Avenue, have been empty for quite some time. Before something else comes that forces us to react, we can take the initiative and go after what we want.

"We, as the citizens living in Brightwood, want to play a major role in the development of our local commercial corridor. To that end, the next few meetings are going to be dedicated to bringing in information, gathering ideas from all of you, forming a plan and taking action.

"We've invited the Executive Director of the Old Takoma Business Association, Roz Grigsby, to speak to us about OTBA's methods as a community and an association, what has worked and what hasn't.

"We will also hear from Laine Cidlowski of the Sustainable DC Project, who will share info on the city's new Sustainable Plan launched by the Office of Planning and District Department of the Environment. Laine will discuss how we citizens can get engaged in the process and share some of the sustainable considerations in the Walter Reed redevelopment."

Georgia Avenue Business Association meeting
Thursday, November 17, 7:00 pm
GII Restaurant & Lounge
2632 Georgia Avenue NW
This is the second meeting of this new organization, with the goal of bringing all of Georgia Avenue's business nodes together in order to advocate for creating a stronger business environment for the entire corridor. The first meeting went well, with about a dozen business owners and residents brainstorming ideas. All Georgia Avenue business owners and stakeholders are encouraged to attend, get involved, and help shape this advocacy organization.

The state of Brightwood real estate - November 2011

2011-11-04T09:53:00.000-04:00

Time for our monthly look at neighborhood home sales with realtor Eric Brooks...

Active properties on the market in October:
33 properties are for sale now
Ranging from $89,999 to $799,00
2 of these are foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales

Nov 2011 Active

Properties that went under contract in October:
25 homes are currently under contract
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $58,000 to $499,000
4 of these were foreclosed homes and 5 are short sales

Nov 2011 Under Contract

October sold numbers
Only one home sold in the month of October (1363 Rittenhouse Street NW). The asking price was $355K and the seller got that minus a seller subsidy of $9,400.
Note: It's highly unusual for just one home to be sold over the course of a month. I suspect that some of the foreclosures and short sales did not go to settlement due to issues that buyers may have had with these properties -- and that is why we have more houses under contract this month than normal. The market has been tough over the past six months, and rates seem to be staying in the low 4%. When the bulk of distressed properties are off the market, a true recovery will happen.

Nov 2011 Sold

Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.

Yet another reason to love Washington Deli...Alternative Baking Company cookies

2011-10-31T10:21:00.000-04:00

Washington Deli continues to impress me with the variety of foods they're bringing to the neighborhood. They're now carrying Alternative Baking Company vegan cookies, which are yummy...if you've never tried one, go do so!

The Brightwoodian is now on Facebook

2011-10-30T21:14:00.002-04:00

Those of you who prefer to connect via Facebook can now do so: http://www.facebook.com/brightwoodian.

If you use Twitter, you can follow along @thbrightwoodian. The Twitter feed often contains neighborhood news tidbits that don't make it into a blog post, so even if you don't use Twitter habitually, you might want to check in on the feed now and then. The most recent Twitter posts also show up on the blog's homepage, in the right hand column under, appropriately enough, "Twitter".

Interior of new City Gear store on Georgia Avenue looking good

2011-10-28T08:59:00.002-04:00

The owner of City Gear at 6233 Georgia Avenue (the old Arrow Cleaners space, right next to Julia's Empanadas) is busy setting up his second shop (his first one has been open since 1990 and is located at 1538 North Capitol Street). I think the interior looks pretty nice (I wish I had a "before" photo to show).

Nice to have more clothing retailers opening up on Georgia Avenue.

Historic Preservation Review Board votes against historic designation for Brightwood Car Barn

2011-10-27T16:00:00.001-04:00

So, there's that. The outcome of the hearing is very unsurprising, considering the Board released a staff report earlier this week which stated, in short, that the building lacked the integrity to be seriously considered for historic designation.

So, since Foulger-Pratt signed the lease on the property a couple of weeks ago, I suppose we can expect the construction of a Walmart to begin, oh, any day now.

Greg Gaten Taylor's boutique womens' clothing store opening Saturday at 7610 Georgia Avenue

2011-10-26T12:33:00.000-04:00

Image from walishgooshe.com

Greg Gaten Taylor, creator of the Walish Gooshe clothing brand (and winner of the TLC Network's Who Are You Wearing) is opening his flagship store this Saturday, and the location is the ultra-fashionable Upper Georgia Avenue.

The store is at 7610 Georgia Avenue NW. The ribbon cutting and grand opening ceremonies will be held on Saturday, October 29, from 4 to 9 pm.

Ward 4 sixth grader exerts business acumen, delves into cupcake scene

2011-10-26T11:16:00.001-04:00

This is one Ward 4 youngster with an insatiable entrepreneurial spirit. Kayla Kimble, an 11-year-old sixth grader at LaSalle-Backus Education Campus, loves to bake and has been doing it since she was eight. With the help of her savvy mom, Lynn, Kayla started up her own mobile cupcake shop, KK Cupcakes, last August. Her cupcakes are gaining quite a following, judging by the steady stream of customers I saw visiting her stand yesterday at the corner of Kennedy and Madison Streets NE.

Kayla does her baking in the morning before she leaves for school, comes home in the afternoon and does her homework, and then goes out to set up her shop. She has a wide range of flavors in her baking repertoire, but focuses on two each day in the interest of keeping her business sustainable. Yesterday I had a Red Velvet and a Vanilla Apple Crisp, and they were delicious. I might even go so far as to say that Kayla's creations are yummier than many from the storefront cupcake shops around town.

I asked Kayla if she wants to be a baker when she grows up, and she said, "Very much!" So this is great experience for her. And Lynn is instilling good business practices in her daughter early on. (Kayla: leans on the table during a rare moment of down time; Lynn: "Kayla, don't lean on the table!"; Kayla: stands up straight!)

Kayla will be set up at the corner of Kennedy and Madison Streets NE for the rest of this week from 4-6:30 pm, and plans to take her cupcakes to Dupont Circle this Saturday afternoon. The best way to keep up with Kayla and her mobile cupcakery is to follow KK Cupcakes on Twitter.

New Capital Bikeshare crowdsourcing map allows you to vote for your preferred future station locations

2011-10-24T14:05:00.000-04:00

Capital Bikeshare has issued a new crowdsourcing map, which you can access here. I'm happy to say that when I looked at it for the first time, all of the locations that I would have chosen (14th and Colorado, Georgia and Missouri, Georgia and Piney Branch, the Takoma Metro, the Takoma Rec Center, etc) had already been added by other users, which tells me that demand for Bikeshare in Ward 4 is growing. Go to the map and vote for your favorite locations; the more voices Bikeshare hears, the more likely we are to get the stations we need!

Photos: the DC Grey Market, Ward 4 edition

2011-10-23T20:52:00.005-04:00

Maya Robinson, the organizer of the DC Grey Market, a showcase for local food start-up businesses, told me that she was a bit concerned about holding her fourth Grey Market at such an off-the-beaten-path location as 1365 Kennedy Street NW. But Saturday's event was by all counts a huge success, as attendance reached 730 (that's a higher attendance rate than the last DC Grey Market, which was held in the not-so-off-the-beaten-path Mount Vernon Square neighborhood but attracted a mere 615 attendees).

I was there in the late afternoon, and the room was definitely packed, between the clientele and the 23 vendors. I recognized many of the customers as Ward 4 residents, but there were lots of folks from beyond our borders in attendance as well. And though the DCist roundup claims that due to the location the foodies that were best served were "those with cars," I have to say that I observed a lot of the attendees arriving by bike (there were many, many more bikes than usual parked along Colorado Avenue and Kennedy Street). Also: see the comment on the DCist piece by the astute Dan Reed, who gives a nice rundown of the many transit options that can be used to easily access the site: "Last I checked, the 52/54 and the E buses stop at 14th & Kennedy (right around the corner!), though the more exercise-minded could walk all the way from 16th & Kennedy (S2/S4) or Georgia & Kennedy (70s). This is pretty far from being have-to-have-a-car territory. Just saying."

Maya also told me that Amanda was a fantastic host, and that she'd be happy to have the market return to 1365 Kennedy Street NW. So look for more cool events in this space in the future.

More photos after the jump.

Atlantic Cities on Georgia Avenue; yoga in Petworth; DC Grey Market on Kennedy Street

2011-10-21T20:00:00.003-04:00

Catching up after a busy week at the Railvolution conference and wanted to pass along a few news items of interest:

-- An Atlantic Cities piece (which originally appeared on the National Resources Defense Council's staff blog) poses the staggering question "Is Gentrification Always Bad for Revitalizing Neighborhoods?" A significant chunk of the post is devoted to Georgia Avenue issues. Here's a taste:

The Georgia Avenue Walmart, one of four likely to be built in D.C., could unfortunately pose a threat to just the kinds of businesses that the city and residents are hoping to attract and support. An economic impact analysis prepared by Public and Environmental Finance Associates and filed with the city found that “there is every reason to anticipate” that the store “will cause substantial diversion of sales from existing businesses in . . . immediate and nearby neighborhoods, and from elsewhere in the District,” particularly increasing the probability that existing supermarkets could close as a result of lost business. (The report does not appear to be online, but I was furnished with a copy.) Nonetheless, the city’s planning office has found the proposal “not inconsistent” with the city’s comprehensive plan, and is allowing the massive store to go forward, apparently concluding that economic impact is not an issue the office was allowed to consider in the review process.

In other words, if citizens really want a community-oriented process for revitalization, they need the city to fix the planning and zoning process pronto.

More hopeful for Georgia Avenue, perhaps, is a report that the city is considering building the corridor’s new streetcar line, which had been put on the back burner, sooner rather than later. In the meantime, the community development task force has created a history trail and is sprucing up blank walls with murals and empty storefronts with art projects. The idea is to bring a sense of pride and progress that will make the neighborhood more pleasant while helping to attract the right kind of investment. “We do want new people along Georgia Avenue,” one of the task force leaders told Borden, “but we want to make sure that the people who want to stay can stay and shape Georgia Avenue in the way we want.” I'm hoping that the task force will be a strong, responsible, and influential voice as new businesses and people come to the corridor.

-- Prince of Petworth reports that the former funeral home at 4815 Georgia Avenue (next door to the Jones Haywood School of Dance) is being converted to a yoga studio, Golden Heart Yoga DC.

-- DCist reports that the DC Grey Market will hold its fourth event tomorrow, Saturday October 22 from 3-7 pm at 1365 Kennedy Street NW. That's a residential building, which I believe has a common space in its basement, which I believe is where the market will be held.

Photos: Ruff N Ready's new space on Upper 14th Street

2011-10-20T10:58:00.001-04:00

Ruff N Ready owner Bill Troy is busy filling up his new space at 4722 14th Street NW (between Crittenden and Decatur). He told me that he's really loving the neighborhood so far, and that he was surprised to find that a lot of his regular customers from his old location actually live in Ward 4; he had assumed they were residents of the Logan Circle-U Street area. He said that a lot of business owners aren't even aware of the underutilized commercial strips in Ward 4, and that these strips have serious growth potential. He also gave me some tips on more owners of cool business that may be looking for spaces in our neighborhoods (I promised him I wouldn't name names, but it sure is difficult to hold my tongue).

Take a look at the new space. Fans of the old Ruff N Ready will definitely notice a different vibe at this brighter, cleaner location, but Bill says not to worry, he'll clutter it up in no time at all!

Georgia Avenue, it's time to start talking about streetcars

2011-10-14T11:53:00.002-04:00

One main takeaway from last night's meeting of the Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) committee meeting was that the city is considering moving the Georgia Avenue streetcar project along more quickly than we expected. This is due to developer interest in the site, and the fact that the 25 or so developers that have met with planners Perkins + Will have all mentioned that the streetcar will be an essential economic development catalyst. LRA director Eric Jenkins said that this could result the Georgia Avenue streetcar being moved from Phase 2 to Phase 1 in the streetcar rollout. Read Housing Complex's report for more information.

Councilmember Bowser pointed out that since residents in the area surrounding Upper Georgia Avenue have thought that the streetcar was such a long way from happening, there's been little public dialogue about them, as there has been in Ward 8. Though I've never been to any of the Ward 8 streetcar meetings, from what I've heard some have been quite heated. Time to start discussing streetcars, Ward 4 residents.

The other subject that came under much discussion was concern for how long the site will be vacant before we see the major redevelopment projects begin, particularly since the LRA will cease to exist once the planning phase ends. The LRA made a motion that will require the city to provide an analysis of how the development phase will be implemented; the analysis will be due in one month, in time for the next meeting of the LRA. Victor Hoskins has his work cut out for him.

Three Little Pigs' website goes live; get ready for our very own charcuterie

2011-10-13T16:23:00.002-04:00

Three Little Pigs is a charcuterie that will be opening soon at 5111 Georgia Avenue NW. I've been perusing their site and there's a lot of interesting stuff going on that I think will make a lot of neighbors very happy. Some samples:

From the Who We Are page:

Carolina grew up right here in Washington D.C. While attending St. John’s College High School, she cooked at Restaurant Nora in DuPont Circle. The restaurant developed her interest in local organic food. After several months spent working at the restaurant, Carolina enrolled in The Culinary Institute of America. The school gave her the opportunity to be trained by many of the school's great chefs. Returning to DC and dedicating her professional skills to the community was always Carolina's objective. In 2009, she interned at Mie n Yu in Georgetown, where she focused on farm to table programs. She learned the importance of sourcing from local farms and producers.

From the What We Do page:

Everything at TLP is wholesome and hand crafted. We butcher from locally sourced whole animals to make all of our charcuterie & salumi. In fact, everything we source is local, all the way down to the salt. We don’t use unnecessary chemicals to prolong shelf life or to make up for a lack of craftsmanship and patience. All of our pickles, condiments, and crackers are made and packaged right here in our shop. Our lunch menu changes daily so our guests can taste the variety of flavors the season has to offer. The house-made sodas are made fresh and contain half the sugar of commercial brands and no artificial ingredients.

This will no doubt be an interesting addition to Georgia Avenue. Stay tuned for grand opening information.

Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority (LRA) meeting tonight @ Fort Stevens Rec

2011-10-13T11:48:00.004-04:00

The Walter Reed Local Redevelopment Authority Committee will meet tonight. This is the first LRA meeting since the finalization of the District's new boundaries; a report on last week's community meeting will be included. LRA meetings are open to the public under the Sunshine Act, however there will be no Q&A period and the public will not have the opportunity to speak; if you have a concern that you wish to be addressed, the LRA representative for Brightwood is Arlene Davis, who can be reached via email.

When:
Thursday 10/13, 7:00pm until 9:00pm.

Where:
Fort Stevens Rec Center, 1327 Van Buren St. NW (between 13th & 14th Streets)

Walmart signs lease on Curtis Chevrolet land; community benefits advocates spurred to further action

2011-10-13T10:18:00.002-04:00

Report from the Washington Post's Jonathan O'Connell:

Of the four sites in the District where Wal-Mart announced that it would like to open its first stores in the city, the one on Georgia Avenue has generated more controversy than the other three combined.

Opponents of the store have held rallies, gathered petition signatures, put up yard signs, made T-shirts, written letters to elected officials and filed a request for part of the site to be declared historic.

Which is why some Wal-Mart watchers were surprised to learn that the chain has signed its first lease in the city for the Georgia Avenue store, where it plans to open in a former Chevrolet dealership at the corner of Georgia and Missouri Avenues in Northwest.

Local opposition to Wal-Mart, generally led by organized labor and anti-poverty advocates, has centered around the Georgia Avenue store for good reason. Of the four sites it is the only one in the midst of a deeply rooted residential neighborhood. The location is also adjacent to many small businesses — prompting concerns that some local shops could suffer — and it is at an intersection that is already wracked by traffic.

But as a development, the Ward 4 store is easiest. There is no public land involved and no apartments or other stores being built above or below it. It’s really just a Wal-Mart.

Where is the city government on all this? District officials and Wal-Mart representatives have been discussing a “community benefits agreement,” but no announcement has been made.

“We haven’t heard anything from the mayor about how the negotiations are going,” said Mackenzie Baris, lead organizer for DC Jobs With Justice.

She said with the Georgia Avenue lease in place, she was done waiting and had begun asking members of the D.C. Council to hold hearings on legislation that would make the chain’s entrance into the city much more difficult.

“The mayor is clearly not moving quickly enough to make sure that community benefits are in place before these stores are finalized,” she said.

Upper GA Avenue businesses keeping erratic hours; a result of the Walter Reed Effect?

2011-10-12T13:59:00.002-04:00

Image from Google Street View

A reader wrote in to say that the past few times he's walked by the Cork 'n Bottle during its posted business hours (11:30am - 8:30pm Monday-Thursday and 10am - 10pm Friday and Saturday, according to the Cork 'n Bottle's website), the store has been shuttered, complete with the security doors pulled down. He wondered if the store had closed. I haven't heard anything about the store shutting down, but I have to wonder if they've reduced their hours recently (and if that's the case, how much is it the result of less foot traffic due to Walter Reed's closure)?

I called and emailed the Cork 'n Bottle (during their posted business hours), and will update this post when I hear back.

4A03 ANC Steve Whatley recently asked Councilmember Bowser if assistance could be provided to the businesses on Upper Georgia Avenue that have been adversely impacted by the closure of Walter Reed. Specifically he asked about business tax relief, low or no interest loans, asistance grants, and federal BRAC support.

Everything you need to know about DC's new rules for displaying campaign signs

2011-10-11T08:20:00.003-04:00

This post was written by 4A06 resident Kenny Peskin, who works with sign code issues nationwide for the International Sign Association. Neither Mr. Peskin nor ISA had involvement in the development of DC’s political sign regulations.

A neighbor recently asked about the rules for political signs that have been appearing at roadsides around the area. As we are a long time out from any upcoming political elections, he was wondering if those signs are allowed to be up now in their current location.

As of October 6, signs advertising candidates for the April 2012 primary election may be placed in the right-of-way. That’s not to say that the rules changed on October 6, but that the new rules took effect.

What are the rules?
In August (and again on September 30), DDOT published a notice of emergency and proposed rulemaking that changed the previous rules for placement of non-commercial signs on structures in the public space. Signs now can be displayed for a total period of 180 days and must be removed within 30 days following the event to which it is related. (October 6, 2011 is 180 days before the April 3, 2012 primary election.)

The previous rules allowed noncommercial signs related to a specific event to be placed anytime before the event (and removed within 30 days after the event). Signs not related to a specific event could be placed for up to 60 days.

Why did the rules change?
Litigation – or the threat of litigation. (This is DC after all…) One of the basic principles of municipal sign regulation is that signs contain speech protected by the Constitution. Groups of speakers must be treated fairly and equally. DC was the subject of a preliminary judicial finding that certain types of non-commercial speech in the public space were treated unequally by the existing regulations. Therefore, DC government could either change their regulations or face a situation where a court could invalidate the current rules.

Why do the new rules allow for signs to remain up longer?
Not sure. But it is difficult to legally justify prohibiting a declared political candidate (who has properly filed all paperwork with the Elections Board) from posting signs. And the District has a long history of allowing significant latitude to the expression of political speech.

Could DC prohibit all signs from the public space?
Yes. DC could prohibit all private use of public space for signs.

Should DC prohibit all signs from the public space?
Probably not. Remember, while we are talking about political signs today, there are other forms of signs in the public space that are accepted and generally well-regarded. For example:

Many office buildings have signage on canopies, awnings, and marquees that overhang the sidewalk. (These canopies are allowed with the special permission of District regulators.)
Every weekend, Realtors place directional signs on street corners pointing to nearby open houses.
WMATA allows billboard companies to sell advertising placed on sidewalk bus shelters.
Restaurants place sandwich boards and A-frame signs on the sidewalks outside their entrances. Some restaurants with sidewalk tables have umbrellas printed with commercial advertising.
Community associations place signs announcing upcoming meetings.
Residents place announcements for yard sales, garden tours, and other neighborhood events.

Since the principles guiding sign regulation require equal treatment for similar speech (and greater protection of political speech over commercial speech), if DC is going to allow signs for an open house or the Maronite Church festival or meetings of the Brightwood Community Association, regulations need to allow for political signs in those same public spaces. Remember that because DC is a large, dense, and (usually) walkable city, much of the existing development is built to the property line. While our suburban neighbors have setbacks and front yards, within much of DC signs could be placed only in the public space – or not exist at all. Additionally, due to our unique public space regulations (i.e., Parking Act of 1870), the parts of the city that have setbacks of building front from the street probably do not have the same setbacks of building front from the right-of-way. Prohibiting signs in the public space would lead enforcement officials to remove many signs from what would appear to be residents’ front yards. (The political consequences for this would be overwhelming.) Does this mean that all political signs currently along District roads are legal? No. Remember that the 180 day duration currently only applies to the primary election. (Candidates and issues on the November 2012 ballot will need to wait). Additionally, there are several limitations that are in effect:

Within 24 hours of posting each sign, 2 copies of the material shall be filed with DC government. Signs that have not been filed with the “designated agent” are not protected by these regulations.
No more than 3 versions or copies of any sign, advertisement, or poster shall be affixed on 1 side of the street within 1 block.
Signs cannot be placed on a tree or in a manner that damages the structure to which it is attached. (This might prohibit staples in a wood pole.)
The regulations only refer to “lampposts”. Political signs placed on street signage and sign poles are not addressed. Any sign that obscures an official government sign would not be allowed. (Signs that are immediately above/below an official “No Parking” or bus stop sign might be prohibited.)
Signs should not impede pedestrian travel or crosswalks or pose a danger to passersby.
Signs that are placed in a median (16th St or Military Rd) should not affect the visibility of drivers or pedestrians near an intersection or turning lane. (Especially on 16th Street, any sign that impedes the visibility of drivers turning left should not exist in that location.)
Signs should not be placed on private property without the consent of the property owner or tenant. Vacant commercial properties are of specific concern. (Without an owner’s active oversight, empty business parcels often attract large concentrations of political signs.)

Can private citizens remove an illegally placed sign? I would advise against removing a sign yourself. First, many of these signs are located in inaccessible areas (such as the median of Military Rd crossing Rock Creek Park) that pose a danger to anyone. Second, trashing or confiscating a sign could be considered to be theft. Third, removing signs for one candidate but not all candidates could be viewed as restraining protected speech.

My advice is to report an illegal or questionable sign location to DDOT. Let the proper authorities handle it safely and fairly.

Attention owners of photogenic pit bulls: the Big Bad Woof wants to take your pet's photo for charity!

2011-10-08T10:55:00.007-04:00

That's my girl.

When I went into Takoma's The Big Bad Woof the other day with my beautiful pit mix in tow, an employee of the store, who is also a pit owner as well as a professional photographer, told me that she was creating a 2012 pit bull calendar, the proceeds from which will benefit a local pit rescue organization.

A photography session will take place at the store (117 Carroll Street NW) on Sunday, October 16. To sign your dog up, visit the store or call them at 202-291-2404 to reserve a time slot. A $25 participation donation will be required, with the proceeds going to the rescue organization. After your photography session, you'll receive a framed photo of your pet. The photo will then go before a panel of discerning judges, who will pick the photos that will illustrate the 2012 calendar.

Sounds like a fun event, a good opportunity to get a nice portrait of your dog, and a great possibility for your pet to raise funds to help his/her pit brethren in need!

The state of Brightwood real estate - October 2011

2011-10-06T11:43:00.002-04:00

Time for our monthly update from realtor Eric Brooks!

September Active properties on the market:
40 homes are currently for sale
Ranging from $58,000 to $769,900
5 of these are foreclosed homes (up from 3 last month) and 5 are short sales

Active - Oct 2011

September Under-Contract properties
16 homes are currently under contract
These homes should settle over the next 30 days
Ranging from $150,000 to $499,000
5 are short sales (no foreclosures)

Under Contract - Oct 2011

September Sold numbers
8 homes sold in the month of September
Ranging from $69,500 to $519,900
1 was a foreclosed home and 1 was a short sale

Sold - Oct 2011

Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.

On litter (Or, why I often walk my dogs in neighborhoods other than Brightwood)

2011-10-05T13:57:00.003-04:00

I often walk my dogs in neighborhoods other than Brightwood. Mainly for a change of scenery, but (depending on which neighborhood we visit) with the added benefit of having less litter to deal with on the streets. It’s awfully hard to have a peaceful dog walk when the creatures want to stop every few feet to sniff and/or munch on discarded chicken bones, candy wrappers, yogurt cups, half-eaten bags of potato chips...you name it, I’ve encountered it on the streets of Brightwood, and constantly having to deter my dogs from swallowing these items isn’t fun.

We walked through Shepherd Park last night. The yards and streets are visibly cleaner than (many of) the yards and streets in nearby Brightwood. But the absence of litter only made what was there more glaringly conspicuous: specifically, dog poop. I lost count of how many piles of it we came across on our mile-and-a-half-long walk.

The Alice Ferguson Foundation conducted a study of why people litter. The main takeaway was that people who chronically litter do it for convenience’s sake; an item’s usefulness has passed, so the person tosses it away as soon as possible instead of waiting to find a trash receptacle. But the study also found that people generally refrain from littering in their personal spaces; they won’t toss litter in front of their own yards, for example. Often, chronic litterers don’t see the greater community (i.e. their neighborhoods) as part of their “personal spaces”, therefore they see littering on the next block as excusable.

I was thinking about that study as I walked through Shepherd Park’s nearly-immaculate-except-for-the-dog-poop streets. It made me wonder why it seems to be unacceptable to litter in Shepherd Park, yet it looks like it’s acceptable to not pick up after your dog. I would think that people who show they care about their communities by not littering would also be inclined to pick up after their dogs. Leaving dog poop behind is very much a form of littering, after all.

At least Shepherd Park is on the right track; I hope that since its residents already seem to be concerned with keeping their neighborhood clean, it might not be as hard to get people into the habit of picking up after their dogs. Brightwood, unfortunately, has a much further way to go.

First of new series of Walter Reed redevelopment planning sessions: Wed., 10/5/11, 7pm, Ohev Shalom

2011-10-04T10:31:00.002-04:00

(If, like me, you've received not one but two phone calls from America Speaks representatives reminding you of the importance of attending these sessions, you can probably skip this post.)

The first in the new series of Walter Reed redevelopment planning sessions is tomorrow evening. All residents and stakeholders in the neighborhoods surrounding Walter Reed's campus are encouraged to attend.

When:
Wednesday, October 5, 7-9 pm
Where:
Ohev Sholom - The National Synagogue.
1600 Jonquil Street NW, Washington, DC

RSVP here.

For those of you who didn't attend the planning sessions that were held last spring, or who have never attended a session conducted by America Speaks, they're very inclusive and interactive, with a facilitator present at each table to ensure everyone gets heard (and also to ensure smooth, neighborly communication). Mary Lauran passed on this video that will give you an idea of how an America Speaks town hall meeting works.

News roundup: Walter Reed and local businesses

2011-09-30T10:21:00.006-04:00

A location has been confirmed for the first of the new series of community forums on the redevelopment of the Walter Reed campus. The forum will take place on Wednesday, October 5 from 7-9 pm at Ohev Shalom, 1600 Jonquil Street NW.

Speaking of Walter Reed, as I've mentioned before, and as WTOP and Fox 5 report, its closure has already had a major detrimental effect on Georgia Avenue businesses. These businesses depended largely on Walter Reed's employees as patrons, and without them the businesses lack a customer base. Richard Layman notes that there's a long history of local economies suffering when military bases close. I encourage you to support Ward 4 businesses (and yes, I'm going to work on updating that list...lots more businesses have opened up since I first created it).

Park View DC reports that the former Lion's Liquor space at 3614 Georgia Avenue is being renovated and will reopen this fall as a more upscale liquor store, which will include a wine bar and possibly food as well.

DCist has an interview with Sara Polon, proprietor of Takoma's Soupergirl.

Did you know that Washington Deli started making its own bagels recently?

2011-09-29T10:54:00.002-04:00

I didn't know until this morning. But I think it's pretty cool.

Washington Deli is at 5830 Georgia Avenue NW.

Yet another hole appears in the Brightwood Car Barn wall

2011-09-28T12:47:00.001-04:00

I took the above photo this morning. Work is clearly continuing, despite the fact that the building is pending historic landmark status and no raze work is supposed to be done before the October 27 hearing with the Historic Preservation Review Board.

Walmart assured me via Twitter that work had, in fact, stopped. I replied that that's not the case. The rep has yet to respond:

Work seems to be continuing on Brightwood Car Barn, despite pending landmark status

2011-09-27T09:23:00.001-04:00

I noticed late last week that a garage door and part of a wall have been removed from the Brightwood Car Barn, despite the fact that the structure is pending historic landmark status and therefore is not supposed to be razed prior to the Historic Preservation Review Board's hearing on October 27. For comparison, this is what the wall looked like before last week:

Walter Reed has closed. Now is the time for residents to patronize Georgia Avenue businesses.

2011-09-27T09:04:00.005-04:00

The following note was posted to the Shepherd Park listserv yesterday; it expresses much of what I've been feeling lately. There are a lot of cool businesses in Ward 4 that are well worth your patronage.

Since the decomissioning of Walter Reed Sept. 15, business at many of
the retail and restaurant establishments on Geogia Avenue going north
to the Maryland-D.C. line has dropped 20 percent, and more in some
cases. I have been told of layoffs, curtailed hours, and lack of
customer traffic in the past week and a half -- and this is down from
the reduced level of business activity as Walter Reed started winding
down earlier this year.

This, I believe, is the time for us as citizens, residents and
neighbors to make a conscious effort to redirect our dollars toward our
businesses along Georgia Avenue. This could challenge our
long-established spending habits. Would you otherwise think about
switching beauty or nail salons? Or where you get your medicines? Where
you go out to dinner or get some takeout or delivery? What about where
you buy gasoline? (For me, megaspills in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico
ordinarily deter me from going to Exxon or BP, although my head tells
me the guy at the cash register had nothing to do with it.)

But to look at it differently, reduced revenues at the Georgia Avenue
businesses give our own money more relative clout. This is our chance
to make the kind of Georgia Avenue that we want to see. And I would
rather see business succeedeing (even if it requires struggle) than
businesses collapsing. Let's be friends of, and friends to, Georgia
Avenue; it will benefit them, and us, both short term and long term.

Rhode Island Avenue NE faces a lot of the same issues as Georgia Avenue. See this post from the Rhode Island Avenue Insider blog: The key to redevelopment is supporting our local businesses:

A local developer/property owner recently told me that the communities around RIA have a reputation among the small business/developer community as not supporting the local businesses on RIA. Whether or not this is true, perception is reality. Small businesses like to take chances with other small businesses, so if the ones that are among the first to come to RIA to take a chance are not supported and fail, we can nearly guarantee that others will see this area as not worth their investment. We, as a community, need to change this perception.

Support Ward 4 businesses.

City Gear banner goes up at 6233 Georgia Avenue

2011-09-26T13:34:00.001-04:00

A follow-up to my report on the old Arrow Cleaners space becoming a sporting goods store: with the recent display of the pictured banner, the store revealed itself to be a City Gear. This will be City Gear's second location; their first store is located at 1538 North Capitol Street NW, just south of the Florida Avenue intersection. Their wares consist mainly of sneakers and athletic apparel.

Attempted robbery of armored vehicle outside CVS at 6514 Georgia Avenue NW

2011-09-21T14:36:00.001-04:00

Two people tried to rob an armored car parked outside the CVS at 6514 Georgia Avenue late this morning.

New series of public forums on Walter Reed redevelopment begins October 5

2011-09-20T11:07:00.001-04:00

From an email:

The historic closing of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in August signaled new changes not only for the 120 year old medical campus but also for the city and Ward 4 residents. Last year, several hundred people who live near Walter Reed came to community forums and gave their views about what should be done with the campus. Community input provided a strong foundation for the reuse plan and continues to influence the process.

The District of Columbia’s Local Redevelopment Authority (“LRA”) completed the Draft Reuse Plan in October of 2010. However, due to changes in the assignment of Federal property, the LRA, the Army and the Department of State have redrawn the boundaries of the WRAMC campus.

RSVP Today!
Much of what was decided last year will still be included in the plan that goes forward. The LRA needs additional input from the community and is hosting three forums to discuss the revised reuse plan. The meetings will be held 7:00pm – 9:00pm at a convenient location in Ward 4 that will be announced later.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 – Community Meeting

Thursday, November 17, 2011 – Community Meeting

Thursday, February 2, 2012 – Final Reuse Plan Presentation

Visit America Speaks' website for updated information

Ruff N Ready to relocate to 4722 14th Street NW

2011-09-17T19:48:00.002-04:00

The beloved Ruff N Ready Furnishings closed shop at its location at 14th and T Streets over the summer, and word is that the owner has leased the space at 4722 14th Street, between Crittenden and Decatur, which is absolutely outstanding news for the Upper 14th Street business corridor!

UPDATE: Owner Bill Troy tells me that his projected opening date is October 1, barring any unforeseen complications (fingers crossed!).

Proposed redistricting of ANC4B

2011-09-15T08:59:00.001-04:00

These are the recommendations that ANC4B will send to the Ward 4 Redistricting Task Force, which will meet on Wednesday, September 21. The redistricting would alter the boundaries of five Single Member Districts (4B01, 4B02, 4B03, 4B04, and 4B07) and would go into effect after the 2012 election.

ProposedANC4B_redistricting

Historic Preservation Review Board files application to designate Brightwood Car Barn as historic landmark

2011-09-13T09:05:00.002-04:00

From an email from Tim Dennee of the Historic Preservation Office:

This is to inform you that today the Historic Preservation Review Board has received and filed an application to designate the following property
as a historic landmark pursuant to the Historic Landmark and Historic
District Protection Act of 1978 (D.C. Official Code § 6-1101 et seq.):

Brightwood Street Railroad Company Car Barn
5917-5929 Georgia Avenue, NW
Square 2986, Lot 38

Pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 6-1102(6)(B), the properties are
considered historic landmarks temporarily, effective the date of filing
(i.e., immediately).

Permit applications related to these properties cannot be issued without
historic preservation review pursuant to D.C. Official Code § 6-1104
through 6-1108. ...

We are aware there is a pending application to raze this property. It
cannot be issued without the necessary review and clearances as stated
above. Please notify your staff of this matter.

We are scheduling a hearing on the matter for Thursday, October 27, 2011.

Thanks to Richard for the tip.

Brightwood Car Barn HPRB app

The state of Brightwood real estate - September 2011

2011-09-12T09:03:00.002-04:00

Realtor Eric Brooks, who wrote up an overview of Brightwood real estate for us back in May, is going to provide us with monthly snapshots of active, sold, and under-contract properties in the neighborhood. Here's the first installment, covering August 2011. I'll post them during the first week of each month (I'm a little late this first time around, due to the fact that I was out of town at the beginning of September). I hope this feature will be useful for current and future Brightwoodians!

August Active properties on the market:
39 homes were for sale as of September 1, 2011
Ranging from $62,000 to $619,900
3 of these are foreclosed homes and 4 are short sales

August Active Properties

August Under-Contract properties:
18 homes were under contract as of September 1
These homes should settle by the end of this month
Ranging from $150,000 to $519,900
3 of these were foreclosed homes and 6 are short sales

August 2011 Under Contract

August Sold numbers:
13 homes were sold in the month of August
Ranging from $160,000 to $610,000
Zero of these were foreclosed homes and 3 were short sales

August 2011 Sold

Info provided by Eric Brooks, a Long and Foster Real Estate agent who works to deliver exceptional results for his clients in Brightwood and beyond.
Contact to set up an appointment at 301-986-6476 or
ewbrooks@gmail.com.

Arrow Cleaners space at 6233 Georgia Avenue to become sporting goods store

2011-09-12T07:22:00.001-04:00

I noticed that the old Arrow Cleaners space at 6233 Georgia Avenue is being built out. The DCRA permit in the window says that the scope of the approved project involves "change from retail dry cleaning service to retail sporting goods sales."

Doggie Swim Day at Upshur Pool is on for tomorrow, rain or shine!

2011-09-09T13:38:00.002-04:00

I was concerned that this year's Doggie Swim Day might get rained out, but DPR says that the event will go on rain or shine. So bring yourselves and your dogs over to Upshur Pool, 4300 Arkansas Avenue NW, on Saturday from 12 noon through 4 pm!

DCRA issues stop-work order to Foulger-Pratt

2011-09-08T12:02:00.002-04:00

Word from DCRA is that a stop-work order and citation have been issued to the developer Foulger-Pratt for beginning to demolish the Brightwood Car Barn without obtaining the appropriate permits.

UPDATE: DCRA has apparently done the research and discovered that Foulger-Pratt actually did apply for the necessary permits, but the address of the building was off by a few numbers (!), hence the confusion. The stop-work order has been lifted.

Message from DCRA director Nicholas Majett regarding the Brightwood Car Barn

2011-09-07T10:55:00.001-04:00

The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) sent its chief building inspector to the Curtis Chevrolet site last night after being alerted that the demolition of the car barn had begun, even though the owner did not have a permit to do so. DCRA director Nicholas Majett followed up today:

"The inspection revealed that a section of the roof was removed. While questionable it did not rise to the level of demolition or raze. The owner has not applied for a permit. We intend to question the owner and then make a decision on whether or not any enforcement action is warranted."

Environmental issues will slow down Ecco Park construction

2011-09-07T10:12:00.004-04:00

Seth Grimes of Takoma Park sent this to the TakomaDC email list regarding the site of the Ecco Park development:

An update on the "Ecco Park" construction site on Carroll St. NW between
Maple and Cedar --

Workers excavating the site discovered 5 additional, unexpected
fuel-storage tanks beyond the one they were expecting. According to
on-site manager Ike Singh, there is soil contamination around the tanks.
They don't know whether any of the tanks still have fuel in them. The
tanks and contaminated soil will have to be removed.

Mark Sherman, a nearby resident, alerted ANC Commissioner Sara Green (and
me) and the crew alerted the District Department of the Environment.

Naturally, clean-up will introduce additional delays into the project.

ANC Sara Green follows up:

Ms. Fianna Dhil, of the DC Department of the Environment (DOE), tells me that DOE is monitoring the site. It's OK to smell gasoline, but the gasoline should not be running off into the street or out of the site.

If you see runoff, or any other environmental issue that concerns you, call DOE at 202 535-2600 or write to Ms. Dhil at Fianna.Dhil@dc.gov.

Shooting on 4th Street between Buchanan and Crittenden early this morning

2011-09-06T22:01:00.001-04:00

From Fourth District Commander Kimberly Chisley Missouri:

"Around 1am today, a complainant reported being robbed and subsequently shot by a light complexioned black male. The complainant was transported for medical treatment of a superficial wound. The complainant could not advise the location of the robbery however a canvass was conducted by officers in the area surrounding 4th and Buchanan St NW with negative results. Detectives are continuing their investigation into this matter. If anyone heard or observed anything, please call 1-888-919-CRIME."

Beware: new speed cameras on Military Road and Missouri Avenue

2011-09-06T21:55:00.001-04:00

MPD installed 19 new speed cameras at various points in the city at the beginning of September. Four are in our area:

Military Road .2 miles west of the 16th Street ramp NW, southwest bound – speed limit 35 mph
Military Road .1 miles prior to 17th Street NW, northeast bound – speed limit 35 mph
600 block of Missouri Avenue NW, northwest bound – speed limit 30 mph
600 block of Missouri Avenue NW, southeast bound – speed limit 30 mph

Photos: Demolition of Brightwood Car Barn begins

2011-09-06T09:53:00.006-04:00

Roof partially removed.

Interior of the Car Barn...look up, you can see sky where the roof used to be.

The Brightwood Car Barn, one of the few standing car barns from the era of DC's first streetcars, is now in the first stages of demolition, despite past efforts of the DC Preservation League and other preservationists to save it. Walmart and Foulger-Pratt have said that they intend to use the bricks from the car barn to construct part of the Walmart store that is planned to be built on the site.

UPDATE: I spoke with ANC Doug Smith and he confirmed what I suspected; the ANC was not informed that the demolition was moving ahead. This has taken everyone by surprise.

ANOTHER UPDATE: CM Bowser said that DCRA is sending an inspector over.

AND ANOTHER UPDATE: DCRA's chief building inspector visited the site last night (Tuesday, 9/6); here is what DCRA director Nicholas Majett had to say following the inspection.

UPDATE 09/08/11 12pm DCRA has issued a citation and a stop-work order to Foulger-Pratt.

It will be a great day when the Georgia Avenue Julia’s Empanadas starts to keep consistent hours.

2011-09-03T19:03:00.002-04:00

Photo taken at 6:30 pm on a Saturday evening. For the store to be dark at this hour is unacceptable.

Yes, I've complained about this before, and it still irks me. I would eat a ton more empanadas than I do if Julia's started keeping consistent hours and their food was available more often. I'm sure plenty of other people would as well.

Georgia Avenue Great Streets project in danger of funding reallocation...again

2011-08-31T08:44:00.002-04:00

Michael Neibauer of the Washington Business Journal first reported this:

• The Metropolitan Police Department's overhaul of 2850 New York Ave. NE, where several divisions will soon move, requires $3.5 million. Gray has proposed reprogramming that money from 13 separate funds, including $1.1 million from "Penn Ave. SE properties" (unclear as to what that is), $46,225 from vacant property inspection and abatement, $215,566 from IT system modernization, and $1.44 million from the Georgia Avenue Great Streets project. The latter has not gone over well with D.C. Council members Jim Graham, D-Ward 1, and Muriel Bowser, D-Ward 4, who have issued a joint disapproval, delaying the funding move until after the council's summer recess. The District's Great Streets initiative is a joint effort of numerous agencies to transform nine struggling corridors, including Seventh Street-Georgia Avenue. "We still need it for the Georgia Avenue Great Streets," Bowser told me. "If the administration has a way to replenish it, then we can talk about it."

This isn't the first time funds meant for the Georgia Avenue Great Streets project have been threatened with reallocation.

The Lower Georgia Avenue Community Development Task Force is circulating a petition demanding that funds be kept in place. The Task Force only focuses on the portion of Georgia Avenue south of New Hampshire Avenue though, and I think residents, businesses and stakeholders along Upper Georgia Avenue (Brightwood/Takoma/Shepherd Park) ought to be working to ensure that the funding for Upper Georgia Avenue's Great Streets is not lost.

Annie's (Ace) Hardware coming to 1240 Upshur St. NW, planned opening November 2011

2011-08-31T08:11:00.003-04:00

We first heard about Park View resident Anne Stom's plans to open an Ace Hardware store somewhere along Georgia Avenue back in
November of 2010. Well, this morning Park View DC broke the news that Anne has signed her lease on the old Rainbow Auto Body Shop space, and is planning on a November 2011 opening date. Very, very good news! Full press release bellow:

---------

Contact:Anne Stom
Annie’s Ace Hardware
(202) 210-0852
annie@annieshardware.com
www.facebook.com/anniesacehardware

GROUND BREAKS ON NEW “HELPFUL PLACE” FOR PETWORTH RESIDENTS
New Ace Hardware Store Scheduled to Open in November

WASHINGTON, DC (Aug. 31, 2011) – Ace Hardware is coming to Petworth! Work has begun to open Annie’s Ace Hardware at 1240 Upshur St., NW.

Scheduled to open its doors in November, the store will bring its helpful customer service and quality home improvement products to area homeowners and DIYers in the rapidly developing neighborhood of Petworth in Northwest Washington, DC. Annie’s Ace Hardware will provide solutions to everyday home improvement needs through an extensive selection of products in categories including paint and lawn and garden. In addition, the on-staff “helpful hardware folks” will ease the shopping experience by offering one-on-one expert advice and assistance.

This is the first Ace store opened by owner Anne Stom. The store will span 7,000 square-feet and stock 15,000 products and have access to more than 80,000 products from the Ace warehouse.

Stom, a longtime Washington, DC, resident, has lived near the Petworth neighborhood for six years. “I am very excited to be part of the ongoing commercial development of this part of the District,” she said. “Our vision for Annie’s Ace Hardware includes being a strong supporter of our community.”

The new store will be near the newly renovated Petworth branch of the D.C. Public Library as well as the Yes! Natural Food store on Georgia Avenue. Annie’s Ace Hardware will be a half-mile from the Georgia Avenue/ Petworth Metro on the Green and Yellow lines, and near the 60, 62, 63, 70, 71, and 79 Metrobus lines. Capital Bikeshare has also recently announced plans for a Bikeshare station at Georgia Avenue and Upshur Street, scheduled for installation this fall. Stom said there will also be two Zipcar spaces available at the store and bicycle racks.

“This isn’t a suburban store,” Stom said. “That means our model needs to be different in terms of transportation options, as well as our product mix.” For example, she explained, lawn equipment will be geared toward the smaller yards of the nearby row houses. “We will also look at home renovation products that are appropriate for houses built in the early 20th century.”

Annie’s Ace Hardware will carry the Benjamin Moore paint line, Craftsman tools, and will have a lawn and garden section. “We’ll have all the basic hardware products that people expect from an Ace hardware store, but we’ll also be revising and updating our merchandise as we get feedback from customers,” Stom said.

The property, the former Rainbow Auto Body Shop, is being renovated to house Annie’s Ace Hardware. “We anticipate installing shelving and stocking products starting in October, and opening in early November.”

About Ace Hardware
Throughout its 80-year history, Ace Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store by both customers and communities. In 2007, Ace Hardware was ranked the “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Major Home Improvement Retail Stores” by J.D. Power and Associates in its inaugural study of the retail home improvement industry. With 4,600 hardware, home center and building materials stores that generate annual retail sales of more than $12 billion, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace currently operates 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and a warehouse in Shanghai, China, and its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states and 60 countries. More information about Ace can be found at www.acehardware.com.

# # #

Office of Planning releases Large Tract Review for proposed Georgia Avenue Walmart location

2011-08-19T14:28:00.002-04:00

Final Large Tract Review Square 2986

City seeks Notices of Interest for surplus property at Walter Reed

2011-08-19T09:42:00.001-04:00

As Housing Complex notes this morning, the division of land between the State Department and the District at the Walter Reed site has been made official. The District will be gaining 67.5 acres of the site. The DMPED has issued a Notice of Interest for "state and local government agencies, homeless service providers and other interested parties." NOIs can be submitted through November 18.

The sad end to the life of a distinguished gentleman on Madison Street

2011-08-15T12:21:00.003-04:00

The Washington Post ran a sad profile of Theodoric James, who lived in the house pictured above at 1208 Madison Street NW. James worked in the White House's Office of Records Management for over 40 years and served 10 presidents, but late in his life he was stricken with an undiagnosed mental illness (undiagnosed because James refused the assistance of city service agents who were called in by family members and close friends). James died in this house, of heat exposure, during the intense heatwave that hit the District earlier this month.

The central question in the Post article is this:

Now family, friends, former colleagues at the White House and D.C. officials are left to wonder: Could James’s death have been prevented?

I'm not schooled on DC's involuntary commitment laws, but I think the likely answer to the Post's question is "no". Sad.

Doggie Washerette self-service dog wash opens at 7714 Georgia Ave. NW

2011-08-15T09:06:00.001-04:00

City dwellers who own dogs, and who more often than not live in very small spaces, know that giving a dog a bath in a small house or apartment is usually a pretty messy experience. An alternative is paying a groomer to do the dirty deed, but that can get costly over time. There's a DIY dog wash at Fur-Get Me Not in Adams Morgan, but that's Adams Morgan; it'd be nice to have a DIY dog wash in our own neighborhood, right? Well, now we do! The Doggie Washerette opened at 7714 Georgia Avenue NW on Saturday, August 13.

The interior is quite nice, decorated with graphics designed by the owner, Ethel, a resident of Shepherd Park.

The tubs are typical of what I've seen at other DIY dog wash businesses, with one big exception: they're automated. So the experience is sort of similar to going to a laundromat, only you're washing your dog instead of your clothes.

When you finish washing your dog in the tub, you can bring him or her over to a grooming table for a final beautification treatment (grooming materials are included in the cost of the wash).

The Doggie Washerette is also equipped with lots of swag displaying their logo, including doggy water bottles, frisbees, and t-shirts. Here's a doggy enthusiastically modeling her Doggie Washerette t-shirt:

Building-wide yard sale at Madison Terrace Cooperative benefits common spaces for Brightwood

2011-08-12T13:46:00.002-04:00

Lovely Brightwood resident Amanda sends out this message for the neighborhood. As mentioned below, proceeds from the sale will go to the co-op's Common Area Committee, a very noble cause.

Please join Madison Terrace Cooperative at our sale this weekend (Aug. 13-14) and next weekend (Aug. 20-21), 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM each day. The sale will take place inside 5509 Colorado Ave. NW (between Kennedy and Longfellow), and on the sidewalk out front. We have lots of furniture, household items, and other good things!

All proceeds benefit the co-op's Common Area Committee, which is working to make our building's common spaces available for neighborhood use.

If you would like to sell your own things at the sale, you are welcome to do so: just bring your own table. We are asking for a $10 donation from people who would like to sell their own things. We are setting up at 7:00 AM each day, so come early! Contact Amanda 202-829-0991 or amanda.huron@gmail.com

Walter Reed redevelopment will likely move much faster than other planned developments in DC

2011-08-04T11:09:00.002-04:00

This week the Washington City Paper's Housing Complex column takes on some of the concerns that our neighbors have expressed about the Walter Reed site; mainly, that it's in danger of languishing for a long period of time with no redevelopment, as we've seen happen at various other vacant sites in our area. It's unlikely, however, that the Walter Reed site will suffer a similar fate, mostly due to the timeline for its closure and redevelopment that's been issued by the U.S. Army.

This morning, the Washington DC Economic Partership alerted its Twitter followers that its representatives were touring the Walter Reed campus with retailers who expressed interest in the site at last May's ICSC conference in Las Vegas. The WDCEP has not replied to my prodding to give a hint as to which retailers were on the tour.

Stabbing death early this morning in 5300 block of 8th Street NW

2011-08-03T10:37:00.002-04:00

From Fourth District Commander Kimberly Chisley Missouri:

Just before 3 am, units received a call for a stabbing at the 5300 blk of 8th St. NW. Upon arrival, an adult male was located suffering from an apparent stab wound and was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced. This case is under investigation by the Homicide Branch. Anyone with information is asked to call 1-888-919-CRIM(E).

Why Clybourne Park matters

2011-07-27T11:39:00.002-04:00

As you may know, Woolly Mammoth Theatre is in the midst of a second run of Bruce Norris' play Clybourne Park. If you didn't catch it the first time around, (before it picked up the Pulitzer Prize for Drama), now through August 14 is your chance.

The theatre also runs a great blog containing thoughts from the people who are involved in the production of the play. A recent post from Rachel Grossman, Woolly's connectivity director, illustrates how the play's themes relate to Brightwood and many other neighborhoods in DC, and how the play can encourage further dialogue about the changes that are taking place in the city:

The Washington, DC area is undergoing a mind-bogglingly rapid economic growth and development, and is simultaneously experiencing a striking shift in population (both as result of and in response to the former). Right on their coattails is a significant, potentially seismic, cultural shift in the city which is heard foreshadowed in phrases like “Chocolate City is going vanilla” and “Chocolate City is melting.” As the face of our city changes—architecturally, economically, and, quite literally, of the faces of the people who live here—a charge is building up with few ways to productively release it widely and publically. I would argue that this is because we lack a shared experience, common ground and neutral territory on which to meet and engage in open dialogue. For many, Clybourne Park is that shared experience and provides us perspective from which to begin conversation.

In 13 years of leading discussions following theatrical performances, I have yet to see a show that primes people to talk intimately in a room of strangers about heated topics like race and gentrification as Clybourne Park. It is the “perfect storm” of connectivity: linking audience members with one another and the artists through the work of art. During the initial run in March and April 2010, I was humbled by the willingness of audiences to speak from the heart sharing deeply personal stories and beliefs of the “way the world works” which were suddenly questioned. The outpouring of conversation led to the decision to create opportunity for dialogue after every performance of the remount.

15 months after the initial run, the landscape in DC has shifted—from the change in DC’s mayoral seat to the shifting racial makeup of the city’s citizenry. We’ll be engaging with Clybourne Park this time from a different starting point. What shape will the conversation take in the theatre? Only the next four weeks will tell. Can it have an impact on the city’s larger capacity to dialogue about race and gentrification? We hope so.

So if you ask me why this show matters, to me or to Woolly... Sure, it is a Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Of course, the production is hilarious and poignant. Yes, we expect many people to purchase tickets. But it matters because it models as a function that theatre could play in this city and in American society. It unites citizens in the pleasurable act of collective imagining, while also challenging us to examine innermost portions of ourselves as individuals, a community, a nation.

Grossman has organized a series of post-performance forums for audience exchanges with various artists, scholars, journalists, and community activists that have been sparking interesting discussions and are well worth attending.