Comments on: Dang! Columbia Heights Coffee Not Expanding

By: Mike Ratel

Mike Ratel — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 22:14:52 +0000

I love the idea of a baseball card/collectibles shop. If there’s anything like that in DC I am not aware of it. I am working on my collection of Kelloggs 3D baseball and football cards. Just because I collect baseball cards and making a movie about people who race lawn mowers does not make me a geek!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 20:34:18 +0000

So, any of you who love CHC and want to see it expand AND know their way around DCRA – as a few of you have attested to – want to help the nice, kind, gentle, overwhelmed immigrant owners expand their business? If it’s going to improve your neighborhood so much, seems like somebody would be willing to step up and help them out, no?

Here’s your chance to make a real concrete change for the better, seems to me.

By: alaaro

alaaro — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:16:49 +0000

There must have been some sort of issue with the proposed plan that caused them to give up. DCRA is an inefficient mess, true, but it is manageable. I deal with them at least once a month. Worst case, expeditors can be hired for a small percentage of the permit fee. Assuming you have no issues with your submission (code violations, zoning violations, etc), standard review time is 4-6 weeks. Does anyone know the background on why they were having so many issues?

By: Pennywise

Pennywise — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:39:56 +0000

Also note that DPW has in general improved markedly over the years. Many people probably remember the 90s, when trash wasn’t picked up and all manner of notorious things took place at DPW. Now I count DPW as one of the (few) bright parts of the city. They are not perfect and I am sure some would have examples of their silliness, but from my perspective they often do wonders.

By: Cecilia C

Cecilia C — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:39:29 +0000

As someone who goes through the bureaucracy of the permitting process down at DCRA for my company, I can say that it is NEVER easy or quick to get through. DCRA is time consuming for private homeowners, but in commercial spaces it takes months, at the least. I agree with Bogfrog in that a contracter would be a much easier option for the coffee shop owners. I just recently visited this place for the first time, being new to the neighborhood, so I’m disappointed it isn’t expanding.

By: K North of U

K North of U — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:33:06 +0000

Nick has a point – things really are markedly better at DMV than they were before. Does anyone have the history on how Williams accomplished that?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:16:38 +0000

The District DMV is actually far, far better than MD or VA’s. You can make reservations and it’s quick. MD and VA take hours upon hours and is a miserable, imcompetent experience overall.

DCRA is horrendous and should be remade, but it’s easier said than done. It would probably require massive firings, which would be politically difficult.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 17:10:59 +0000

I’m going to ask an earnest question — please don’t snark me to death: The District was able to upgrade the DMV under Williams. Why was that possible and why can’t that be replicated over at DCRA? (I know, I know, I know — the DMV sucks. But, based on my many trips there over the past 7 or 8 years, it doesn’t seem to be the soul-sapping experience that it once was reputed to be in the days of yore. Seems to me the city implemented positive reforms.)

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:17:51 +0000

1. What’s with calling women sluts? 2. What’s with calling women who might sleep with YOU sluts? 3. Just curious, why would a straight person want a gay bar there? 4. can this article go into any more detail? What was so cumbersome? Why did it take so long?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 01:03:24 +0000

In 5-10 years, the Marion Barry “appointees” who were given job as clerks in DC government and DC courts will have retired, and perhaps those offices will have a chance to hire actual competent people who want to perform labor for their bi-weekly paycheck. until then, the attitude of entitlement to a paycheck because you occasionally show up at the workplace somewhere close to on time prevails, and little gets done.