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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.