CM Bowser second from left

Last week I wrote about my discussions on crime with CM Bowser (D-Ward 4). Today I will finish our conversation with our discussion on economic development in Ward 4.

I wanted to start this part of the discussion about development in areas outside of Petworth. I often receive emails from folks in Brightwood and other parts of “North Country” who convey their frustration with the perceived lack of economic development in those areas. Bowser explained that development has been a bit quicker in Petworth because of the natural growth surrounding the metro station. She explained that the process had started over 10 years ago with growth around the Columbia Heights metro which naturally spread to the area around the Petworth metro. She was enthusiastic that areas north of Petworth would soon blossom as well. She mentioned that the planning process for upper Georgia Ave has been completed and there is quite a bit of available land for development. Obviously the speed of this development will be contingent upon the economy improving. She believes that Ft. Totten and Brightwood are both ripe for smart development.

Upper Georgia Ave will see a streetscape improvement coming 2011. Additionally the area around Walter Reed Medical Center will see movement. She also cited the one of the biggest developments slated for the is area – the former Curtis Chevrolet land at 5929 Georgia Ave. NW. She believes this development is vitally important, noting that the majority of residents want the amenities and density this development will bring. When pushed to predict when the construction will begin she was unable to give an exact date but guesses iin 2011 or sooner and that a meeting has been scheduled with the Deputy Mayor to stay on top of the project. This project will feature retail on the first floor and housing above. Other variables that should help with the development of these areas include the proposed street cars as well as express buses.

There were a couple of interesting projects going in these areas that I wasn’t aware currently existed. Firstly, the Council Member mentioned that there is a facade improvement project going on for 14th Street, Kennedy Street, and Georgia Ave. Bowser believes that facade improvement can make a huge difference in the appeal of these areas.

The second project is called “green teams”. These are currently funded by grants and the city partners with a non-profit to run them. The mission of the “green teams” is exactly what it sounds like – to clean the streets. They are currently active on Kennedy Street though Bowser hopes that they will soon get them to come further south on Georgia Ave. These may sound similar to what some neighborhoods have – Business Improvement Districts (BIDs). Unfortunately the businesses on Georgia Ave can’t afford to support them (thus the grants) but hopefully in the future they will be able set up their own BID.

I asked Bowser what the city can do to further encourage retail in these areas. She mentioned that she would like to see a bill to more tax relief to the tenants of these shops. On a side note, I was at a meeting where a developer mentioned that the number one complaint “mom and pop” stores list when explaining the economic difficulties they face, is high tax bills. So hopefully if this bill gets introduce it will alleviate some of the pressures current tenants have and encourage new tenants to set up shop.

Bowser is also staying on top of the vacant property issue. She believes it is essential to monitor these properties and schedule a proactive inspection regime (for these properties as well as occupied ones). She envisions a proactive regime to inspect these buildings on a five year cycle. Currently many building are only inspected after a complaint is received.

A related issue Bowser mentioned was the need to stay on top of the foreclosure crisis. She explained that we need to figure why these foreclosures are happening and afterwards possibly introduce legislation in order to require banking institutions to negotiate in good faith to make better terms when appropriate.

To conclude, I asked Bowser what her vision of Georgia Ave was in the future and she replied that she envisions a few big destination spots like the Curtis Chevrolet spot and the Walter Reed area linked by a corridor where shops will serve the needs of the residents. These shops include dry cleaners, hardware stores, coffee shops and quality restaurants.

It’ll be interesting to monitor what gets going in 2011…

Digg it!

Stumble it!

reddit

Del.icio.us

Facebook

CM Bowser second from left
It was pointed out that it had been a while since I interviewed anyone from the Council. Last PoP Profile was At large Member Phil Mendelson back in Feb. Over the past month I have been in the works of setting up this interview and our schedules finally aligned late last week. I decided to focus my conversation with Council Member Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4) on crime and economic development. The most important issue to many of us is crime so we will start there.

I first asked Bowser if she was supportive of Chief Lanier’s all hands on deck initiative, especially given the current lawsuit with MPD’s union. Bowser replied that she believes of course the labor issue needs to be resolved. Assuming that it will be Bowser replied, “I like all hands on deck because it provides great visibility in the community on a regular basis”. She gave an example of its usefulness the last time we had one a couple of weeks ago. She pointed out that resources were used to hand out fliers in the case of the La Casa Demorata Liquor store murder on Georgia Ave. in which an arrest was made last week. Furthermore the initiative allows officers to be highly visible in the community and “the more the police are in front of people in the neighborhood the better”.

I asked the Council Member if she supported the new transit stop safety zone legislation recently introduced in the Council. She mentioned that the Petworth metro was around the 28th most targeted metro and Takoma was around 21st. As such she supports the legislation but is looking forward to the hearings to determine whether or not stricter sentencing will prove to be an effective deterrent.

One of the popular catch phrases that we’ve heard from MPD is Community Policing. So I wanted to ask the CM what her definition of community policing was and whether or not she thought it was effective. She said most people think community policing is seeing officers walking the beat and then they get frustrated when they see MPD cars driving around. She explained that community policing is a bit more nuanced than simply foot patrols. She explained that in each Police Service Area (PSA) the Lieutenants are being empowered to respond directly to neighborhood concerns at community meetings. Therefore it is very helpful for the residents to let the police know about trouble spots in their community. I asked what else residents could do to be helpful and she mentioned that a pilot Neighborhood Watch Program (NWP) is starting up in Petworth. The NWP has proven very successful in the 2nd District. Currently in Petworth, Block Captains are being trained and will reach out to their entire block. The Block Captain will then liaise with MPD in order to make sure the residents concerns are addressed. The program actually covers a bit more than crime and also includes quality of life issues. IE if an alley needs repair, street lamps are out, or there are trash problems other DC agencies (like DDOT, DCRA etc) will be alerted on a monthly basis. After Petworth this program will spread to other neighborhoods in Ward 4.

The Council Member also mentioned that tools for an effective MPD need to be increased. I asked for an example and she explained that MPD will be getting its own Forensic lab (in South West) in the 2011/2012 time frame. Other tools that have been provided or are going to be provided include laptop computers in MPD cars as well as mobile finger printing stations for quicker identifications.

I asked the Council Member if she thought community meetings after high profile incidents were useful as I’ve often heard that folks find them rather frustrating. She explained that it is a difficult situation but that the meetings are important because it is necessary to convey accurate information to the community and identify next steps.

To conclude this section of the interview Bowser noted that closure rates in Ward 4 aren’t as high as in some other Wards but they are improving. “The number one goal of the police needs to be arresting the bad guys. This will be accomplished through good detective work and cooperation with the community”.

Tomorrow we’ll talk Economic Development in Ward 4.

Digg it!

Stumble it!

reddit

Del.icio.us

Facebook

Phil Mendelson, originally uploaded by thedccenter.

I had the opportunity to meet with Councilmember Mendelson at his office in the Wilson Building last Friday afternoon. We spoke for an hour and a half about the problem of crime in DC. We discussed the complexity of the issue and ways in which the council can and can not solve the problem. I don’t consider myself a journalist. Rather, I wanted to meet with the Councilmember so I could express some of the anger and frustration a regular resident feels when crime, particularly violent crime, is all too frequent in many of our neighborhoods.

I asked the Councilmember what his impression was of crime in the city. He replied that as he is an at large member of the council he visits the whole city. He has witnessed crime firsthand and was even a victim himself many years ago. He stated crime is at an unacceptable level put as chairperson he doesn’t want to be alarmist. He also noticed that many crimes have actually gone down over the last year. Nevertheless, he did acknowledge that crime was indeed a big problem facing many of the District’s residents, “my belief is that crime is unacceptable and we don’t seem to be getting the bad people off the street.”

He expressed on a number of occasions that the issue of crime cannot be solved by the legislature (City Council) alone. He cited the 2006 Omnibus anti crime bill where “we had virtually everything prosecutors and police asked for”. Mendelson believes that what needs to be addressed is the issue of the revolving door where the bad guys get arrested but don’t end up in prison. He offers a variety of reason to explain this phenomenon: Continues after the jump. Read Full Post

Digg it!

Stumble it!

reddit

Del.icio.us

Facebook

One of the things many people find difficult about city living is the lack of green space. Fortunately for us, the nation’s capital ranks pretty high on the list of cities with the most park space, with 250,000 acres of parkland in the Greater Washington Metropolitan area. As privileged as we are to be able to enjoy all of this green space, we also have the responsibility to respect and maintain it. Caring for our city’s parkland can mean something as simple as not littering, or picking up after people who do. Another option, one that not only protects existing green space but also creates more, has quickly been gaining popularity – installing a green roof!

We’ve spotted a number of green roofs around the city, but there are many, many more thanks in part to Canopy, a green roof company started by Sarah Murphy. Last week I had a chance to sit down with Sarah and learn about what she does and why she does it. I’ll admit that going into this interview I knew very little about green roofs, aside from the fact that they are pretty and that adding some green to an otherwise unused space probably has some environmental benefits. In the short amount of time we spent together I learned that there are a ton of reasons to consider installing a green roof on your home or business.

Though you have to make a bit more of an investment up front for the installation costs, the payoff can be pretty rewarding. The insulation provided by a green roof can help to reduce heating and cooling costs, and it can help extend the lifespan of your roof membrane by protecting it from harmful UV rays. Installing a green roof can also increase your property value by utilizing unused space. Green roofs also have a number of public benefits, including lowering the Urban Heat Island effect by reducing ambient air temperatures, and capturing storm water which helps our waterways by reducing flow rates. Did you know that a 4 inch green roof system (that’s pretty standard) will hold up to an inch of rainwater?! Continues after the jump. Read Full Post

Digg it!

Stumble it!

reddit

Del.icio.us

Facebook

DSCN5419, originally uploaded by Prince of Petworth.

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of interviewing DC’s most prolific blog commenter – Monkeyrotica. Anyone who is a regular reader of DCist or many of DC neighborhood blogs will surely be familiar with this nom de plume. He was even featured in the City Paper’s mock lawsuit against City Paper readers. Those who are familiar with his comments will know that he is iconoclastic and irreverent to say the least. Based on his comments I was fairly certain I was going to meet someone from the fringes of society. I couldn’t have been more wrong. You know most people think that prolific blog commenters live in their mother’s basements and haven’t had a date or any social interaction in years. Well with Monkeyrotica this couldn’t be further from the truth. When I entered Duffy’s for the interview I spotted an all American family and slapped my face a few times in disbelief. Who would’ve guessed? Monkeyrotica is a family man!

I actually found Monkeyrotica through his wife’s blog, Nylonthread. Pictured above are Monkeyrotica, 41, his wife Nylonthread, 38, daughter Rosie, 6, and son Dash, 3. Ed. note: I have to add that throughout the entire interview I was regaled by Dash’s recollections of recent movies he had seen, particularly the Lord of the Rings trilogy. His knowledge was amazing.

Monkeyrotica is a lifelong DC area resident. He has lived in Capitol Hill, Mt. Pleasant, and Shaw though since 2003 the family has lived in Alexandria, VA. He explained his love/hate relationship with DC as such: “I love the city but she’s expensive and needs to clean her shit up, but you know she never will, but you still love her even if you want to punch her in the face from time to time.” Did I mention that some people find him offensive?

For his day job Monkeyrotica is an editor for a government agency. He explained that he has a “really boring job with a lot of downtime” and he frequently comments on blogs during this downtime because he finds it “essential to exercise my brain”.

Monkeyrotica originally started commenting on the blog plastic.com but started commenting on DCist shortly after it was founded. For DCist readers – his icon is from the “Church of the Subgenius” which basically “makes fun of cults.” In all the time he has been commenting on DCist he has only had one comment taken down. About that comment he explains, “I thought it was a positive way of poking fun at menopausal women”. Let me just take a moment to say while his sense of humor may be offensive to some, the dude really is hilarious. He delivers most of his answers in an absolutely deadpan manner.

In addition to his commenting, Monkeyrotica, an English major in college, also writes fiction that can be found here at monkeyrotica.com and here at feedbooks.com. However, the amount of his writing has decreased significantly since he had children. Another random fact about Mr. Monkeyrotica is that he is an accomplished cook according to his wife. He has three Webber smokers and is pining for a fourth. Continues after the jump. Read Full Post

Digg it!

Stumble it!

reddit

Del.icio.us

Facebook

The first time I went into Solly’s I had a couple of beers and the bartender asked me if I’d like a glass of Power’s Irish Whiskey. At that moment I knew I had found a new bar to add to my favorites. Solly’s is also one of the few bars in town where there are zero pretensions. It is a true neighborhood bar. It resides in a very popular neighborhood at the corner of 11th and U. Last Friday I had the opportunity to sit down and speak with Solly’s namesake – John “Solly” Solomon.

Solly, 39, can look quite intimidating at first glance but when you sit down and talk with him he could not be nicer. He grew up in Colorado but has lived in DC for 21 years. He moved to the U Street area 10 years ago and lives right around the corner from his tavern. It is amazing what we take for granted in this particular area – Solly remarked how monumental it was when the 7 Eleven opened up on U Street. When I walk by the 7 Eleven today I find it hard to believe that it hasn’t always been there.

Prior to opening up the bar Solly worked at the Old Dominion Brewing Company in Ashburn where he did almost everything “from brewing beer to being the general manager of the brew pub.” He was able to snag this great spot at 11th and U when the previous owner of U-Turn was looking to move back to Ethiopia. Solly was able to purchase the business which already had a tavern license. Solly describes his bar as “a neighborhood bar, a place where anyone would feel comfortable.” While there are tvs around the bar to watch sporting events there are intentionally only two downstairs so they don’t overwhelm conversation. Continues after the jump. Read Full Post

Digg it!

Stumble it!

reddit

Del.icio.us

Facebook