Thorpe at it Again: Campaign Literature Theft?

Early this morning, a neighborhood resident "witnessed Leroy Thorpe going from house to house on the western side of New Jersey Avenue removing the anti-Thorpe leaflets" and snapped the fuzzy photograph above with his cell phone camera.  "As the photo shows, Mr. Thorpe was entering people's yards to see if they had a pamplet and if they did he took it and crumpled it up," the resident wrote.  The resident observed that "by 8am, [Mr. Thorpe] switched to a bicycle and was on the 1600 block of 6th St."  "At least he's getting his exercise this morning." 

The seized literature is along the lines of this website, which has been up for some time (and also subject to a Thorpe lawsuit), but was recently updated.

As the resident observed, while the literature may not be "flattering" and could be considered in bad taste, it is not slanderous, as it states factual information and is in the context of a contested political election.  The photograph follows reports of incumbent ANC Commissioner Kevin Chapple's campaign signs mysteriously disappearing from the neighborhood.

Leroy Thorpe doesn't take no for an answer.  The notorious former Shaw ANC Commissioner was outsted in 2006 and lost a bid to reclaim his seat in 2008.  He is running again this year. 

Along the way, Thorpe sued Martin Moulton, who founded the Convention Center Community Association as an welcome alternative forum to Thorpe's East Central Civil Association.  Thorpe's suit was ultimately dismissed with prejudice.  He was recently arrested and convicted of filing a false police report after calling 911 to report Moulton, by delivering neighborhood newsletters on his block, was violating a nonexistent stay-away order related to the civil suit.

Last night, the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association hosted a candidates' forum for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission single member districts that fall within the group's boundaries.  Challengers for two ANC 2C seats, Rochelle Nigro (running for the position held by Theresa Sule) and Rickey Williams (running for the position held by Doris Brooks), attended.  The incumbents were invited, but did not attend.  Should Nigro and Williams join Commissioners Kevin Chapple and Alexander Padro, the area (which includes parts of Penn Quarter/Chinatown, and Mount Vernon Square/Triangle, as well as Shaw) may finally have the professional, competent representation that residents deserve.

Kurosawa's Dreams: Free Movie Sunday

NEXT SHOWING: SUNDAY, AUGUST 19:
KUSHI PRESENTS KUROSAWA'S DREAMS

On each of the five Sundays in August, the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District and Asia Heritage Foundation will show outdoor movies at the lot located at 5th and Eye Streets NW. Live pre-show performances begin at 8pm. Showtime is 8:30pm. I hope you'll bring a lawn chair and join us!

The idea came about after an eagerly-awaited development slated for the property stalled and the city entered a two-year lease with a private company to use the land as a parking lot. After a meeting with city officials, we formed a workgroup of community members to turn lemons into lemonade and explore "temporary urbanism" projects for the site. The outdoor film festival is the first result.

The five award-winning movies span a variety of cultures and genres - action, drama, and comedy. Some have never been shown in the United States, but were blockbusters abroad. We chose an Asian theme for the program, building off the lot's location just north of Chinatown and the diversity of the area. All movies will have English subtitles.

THE 5 EYE ASIAN FILM SERIES

- Five Free Outdoor Movies at 5th & Eye Streets NW -

Presented by the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District and the Asia Heritage Foundation

SUNDAY, AUGUST 1:

Hero (Ying Xiong) (2004) PG-13

The Qin King has long been obsessed with conquering all of China and becoming her first Emperor, which makes him the target of three legendary assassins.  As a result, he promises great power to anyone who can defeat them. Jet Li heads the stellar cast as Nameless, the enigmatic county sheriff who earns his audience with the mighty King and stands to win mountains of gold in the process.  Zhang Yimou directs this lush, Oscar-nominated epic.  Arrive before 8pm as the film series kicks off with a dragon dance featuring the Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute Lucky Lions, the irrefutable and indisputable "Lion Kings"of the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

In Mandarin with English subtitles.  96 Minutes.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8:

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in US presents

Cape No. 7 (Hái Jiao Qi Hao) (2008) (NR)

Aga, a band singer, returns to Hengchun with frustration. Tomoko is a Japanese model assigned to organize a local warm-up band for the Japanese super star beach concert. Together with other five ordinary Hengchun residents who were not expected to be great or anything, they formed an impossible band.  Cape No 7 is the top grossing film in the Taiwan’s cinematic history, surpassing Titanic.  Part drama, part comedy, part romance, the film won over a dozen awards and was Taiwan’s official submission to the 2009 Academy Awards Foreign-Language Film category.

In Mandarin with English subtitles.  129 Minutes.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15:

Mandu Traditional Korean Cuisine presents

The Host (Gwoemul) (2007) R

Chemicals dumped into the Han River in Seoul create a huge mutant creature that begins to attack the locals. When the daughter of the Park family is captured by the beast her brother and father mount a rescue operation in this horror film with a comic twist.  Recipient of Asian Film Award, Asia-Pacific Film Festival award, Baek Sang Art Awards, Blue Dragon Awards, Grand Bell Award, among others.  Please note that this movie may not be suitable for those under 17 years of age due to violence and some profanity.

In Korean with English subtitles.  119 Minutes.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 22:

Kushi Izakaya & Sushi presents

Kurosawa’s Dreams (1990) (PG)

Japan’s most famous director, the late Akira Kurosawa, captures his dreams on film in eight chromatically brilliant vignettes.  'Sunshine Through The Rain': a young boy is told not to go out on the day when both weather conditions occur, because that's when the foxes hold their wedding procession. In 'the Peach Orchard': the boy encounters the spirits of the peach trees that have been cut down by heartless humans. 'The Blizzard': a team of mountaineers are saved from a blizzard by spiritual intervention. 'The Tunnel': a man encounters the ghosts of an army platoon, whose deaths he was responsible for. 'Crows': an art student encounters 'Vincent Van Gogh' and enters the world of his paintings. 'Mount Fuji in Red': nuclear meltdown threatens the devastation of Japan. 'The Weeping Demon': a portrait of a post-nuclear world populated by human mutations. 'Village of the Watermills': a sunny portrait of a village whose population is entirely at one with nature.  Kurosawa, who created this film when he was in his eighties, had no peer when it came to splashing the screen with sumptuous colors and awesome images.  Nominated for Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

In Japanese with English subtitles.  120 Minutes.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 29:

Lage Raho Munna Bhai
(Munnabhai Meets Mahatma Gandhi) (2006) PG

A hilarious underworld gangster known as Munna Bhai falls comically in love with a radio host by the name of Jahnvi, who runs an elders' home, which is taken over by an unscrupulous builder, who gets the residents kicked out ironically with the help of Munna's sidekick, Circuit, while Munna is busy romancing Jahnvi elsewhere. Munna, who is now masquerading as a Professor specializing in the life of Mahatma Gandhi, must now battle his very own forces and the builder - but he has one ally on his side - none other than the great man - Mahatma Gandhi himself.  Only trouble is that Munna may have problems convincing everyone about this presence - as he is apparently is the only one who can see and hear him.  Won awards for Best Director, Best Story, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Dialogue from the International Indian Film Academy and Golden Lotus Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment and Silver Lotus Award for Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor, and Best Lyrics from the National Film Awards, India.

In Hindi with English subtitles.  144 Minutes.

I want to thank all those who came together to make this happen, including the Mount Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District, Asia Heritage Foundation, Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association, Convention Center Community Asssociation, Chinese Community Benevolent Alliance, Chinatown Revitalization Council, Shaw Together, and several Mount Vernon Triangle condo associations. Generous financial support is also provided by Mandu Traditional Korean Cuisine, Kushi Izakaya & Sushi, 425 Massachusetts Avenue NW, The Donohoe Companies & The Arts at 5th & I, Ward 6 Councilmember Tommy Wells, and Miller Copying Service. Special thanks to Franklin Parking and BicycleSPACE. The community appreciates the support of the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6C, and the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in US.

Lucky Lions Kick Off 5 Eye Film Series

The 5 Eye Asian Film Series in Mount Vernon Triangle had a great opening night.  Although a chance of showers lingered throughout the day, the weather was just perfect for the 8 pm show.  The Hung Tao Choy Mei Leadership Institute Lucky Lions kicked it off - they were superb and drew quite a crowd.  Jet Li's Hero did not disappoint.

Join us next Sunday, August 8, as the The Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in US presents
Cape No. 7 (Hái Jiao Qi Hao), the top grossing film in the Taiwan’s cinematic history, surpassing Titanic, which will be shown for the first time in the Washington, D.C. area.

Downtown Parking Lots

This morning, NPR reported on a proposed change to Baltimore's zoning code that will give a thumbs-up for downtown parks and a thumbs-down for surface parking lots (listen here).  "If we have to tear buildings down to plan for future development lets turn them into temporary green spaces at the very least," said Kirby Fowler, who heads the Downtown Business Partnership in our neighboring city.

We've been through this issue many times in the District.  In my own personal experience, there was the Old Convention Center lot, where the philosophy was that parking fees would offset the costs of demolishing the massive structure.  The parking lot use, in the center of downtown, was supposed to last 3-4 years.  Then the recession and credit crunch hit. It's now nearly a decade.

Last year, there was a heated debate over use of the lot behind the Bundy School on the 400 Block of O/P Sreets NW.  Although the parcel and lot were slated for residential and recreational use in the Districts's 2006 Comprehensive Plan, the city leased the building to Safe Shores, a nonprofit/quasi-governmental agency.  The District planned to use the land directly behind the old school building for about 100 dedicated parking spaces for employees, government agency officials, and clients.  Possibly because of the controversy, the northern portion of the lot, which is federal property, was ultimately not transfered to the District and remains vacant.

The most recent controversy occurred at 5th and I Streets NW, where the District transformed a grassy vacant lot into a paved surface parking lot after a development project on city land stalled.  Mount Vernon Triangle residents, in an area whose unofficial motto is "we're not just parking lots anymore," predictably and understandably exploded.  It''s a matter that got attention in Sunday's Post as a potential issue that could affect the area's new voters in the Mayoral race.  We are now in the process of introducing temporary urbanism to the site, developing plans for a summer outdoor film series and Sunday market on the lot.

What has the District learned from these experiences?  Are changes to the zoning code needed to address surface parking lots?

Gales School / Central Union Mission Fell Through

The Gales School, 65 Massachusetts Ave NW.  Photo by M.V. Jantzen on Flickr.

A press advisory posted on the city's website last week seems to indicate that the planned move of the Central Union Mission into the Gales School, located between Union Station and Mount Vernon Triangle, has officially fallen through.

The historic Gales School was initially scheduled to reopen as a homeless shelter in 2009, but deal was caught up in legal problems with the ACLU.  It charged that the city was violating the separation of church and state by entering a deal in which the city would pay several million dollars to renovate the building, then transfer it to Central Union Mission, which requires those who stay with them to take part in prayer, as part of a land swap.  Even as late as September 2009, however, Central Union Mission remained optimistic that they would move into the building from their 14th and R Street location in late 2011.  DCMud indicates that Central Union Mission will again seek use of the Gales School through the latest RFO, but it does not sound optimistic.

The Request for Offers is being handled by the District's Office of Real Estate Services (ORES), which will host a pre-submission meeting and site visit on January 29.  Offers are due on February 16.  According to the RFO:

The District’s overarching goal in issuing this RFP is to obtain Proposals for the Use Site for the sole permitted use as a homeless shelter. Responses proposing any other use for the Use Site will be deemed nonresponsive and will not be considered. . . . [T]he District seeks Responses from interested qualified respondents who can demonstrate:
• Viable approach for the delivery of homeless shelter services at the Use Site;
• Organizational capacity and experience to redevelop the Use Site for use as a homeless shelter;
• Successful track record of operating a high quality homeless shelter and service program;
• Financial capacity to provide requisite program financing including the costs and expenses associated with the rehabilitation of the Use Site; and
• Commitment to the District’s goal of creating the contracting and investment opportunities for local, small and disadvantaged businesses, and jobs for District residents.

Madison, I mean, Mount Vernon, Square Gardens?

New Channel 8 Report: Madison Square Garden Eyeing D.C. for Similar Venue

The Washington Business Journal reported this week (via GreaterGreaterWashington and JDLand) that the owners of New York's Madison Square Garden are considering opening a 6,000 seat concert venue in Washington, D.C. Requirements: 100,000 square feet; must be near public transit and shopping. While the focus seems to be a potential location in the ballpark district, the Mount Vernon Square area is also said to be under close consideration. There is no official comment from the DC government or MSG, but discussions have been said to be ongoing for months.

Jonathan O'Connell of the WBJ makes some "educated guesses" about possible site in the Convention Center area:

Hines - CityCenter DC. The old convention center site will be the city's most high-end major development and has 111,460 square feet along New York Avenue between 9th and 11th Streets. Close to downtown, subway stations and dining options, it may be the most New York City-esque part of D.C.

The Wilkes Co. - Mount Vernon Place. Sandy Wilkes apparently met with the
MSG team and he is planning 2.2 million square feet of development two blocks
east of Mount Vernon Square. Not much further from the action.

Douglas Development - Mount Vernon Triangle. Ever since assembling 1.2 million square feet across from the convention center, Douglas Jemal has been pursuing an entertainment attraction.

Some critics say a location in Mount Vernon is too close to the 20,000 seat Verizon Center. Competition for the new MSG venue would more likely come from smaller venues, such as the 1,600-seat Warner Theatre downtown, the 3,702-seat DAR Constitution Hall in Foggy Bottom, and the DC-owned 1,200 seat Lincoln Theatre on U Street NW.

But can the Mount Vernon neighborhood comfortably sustain such a large venue?

As a member of the Residential Advisory Committee of CityCenter DC, I have not heard such a proposal even floated around. At this stage of the development, where groundbreaking on a portion of the site is theoretically around the corner, one would think that such a significant addition would need to be incorporated into the plan. The site might be conducive to the MSG venue, but it may be too late.

The Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association has met several times with Douglas Development (see June 2009 meeting notes, November 2008 post). They've promised a breathtaking entertainment venue, which would most likely have its entrance on Seventh and New York Avenue NW. They are so close -- they just can't disclose what it is yet. Could a 6,000 seat venue work on that site? My instinct is that while the neighborhood is very supportive of bringing life to that entire vacant square block of New York Avenue/7th/L Streets, a concert hall of that size might be too much to handle given the nearby Convention Center and proximity to the historic residential area.

Mount Vernon Place seems like the location to watch, though it is the greatest distance from a metro station (about 5 blocks from both the Gallery Place/Chinatown and Mt. Vernon Square/Convention Center stops). Several condos and apartment buildings have opened in the "Triangle" area, such as the Sonata and Madrigal Lofts, but large semi-vacant surface parking lots continue to occupy a substantial area. Additional restaurants and retail will soon open along the 400 Block of K Street NW in CityVista. Otherwise, this portion of the neighborhood continues to lack streetlife.

Is Mount Vernon Place a viable site for the MSG arena? Are any of Mount Vernon locations? Or is the ballpark district a better option?

Another question -- is the DC government planning to subsidize this project ala ballpark or will MSG fully finance the project?

Not Quite Done

I have not posted on TheOther35Percent in a while, but you can continue to read my posts on issues of local concern on Life in Mount Vernon Square. Some of the recent ones include:

• Signs of Progress: DCRA begins enforcing its billboard moratorium in response to our efforts. The Examiner covered the issue here.
• Will it Ever be Home Again: A discussion of the District's failed program to redevelop vacant properties into affordable housing. One of the many Home Again properties is discussed here.
• The Good News in Mount Vernon: Detailing progress and recent positive happenings in the neighborhood including new restaurants coming this fall.
• What Goes for Progress in Shaw: Will the District turn a vacant lot slotted for recreational and residential use into a massive parking lot? Why? The post is part of a larger discussion on the Bundy School property on the 400 Block of O Street NW. The Washington Post had a brief article on the community's engagement on this issue.

You can also read about our challenge (available here) to the validity of Bishop Harry Jackson's voter registration and his referendum to revoke the District's gay marriage recognition law (Rev. Jackson is the Pastor of a Maryland-based church, who lives and works in Maryland, but recently registered to vote using a D.C. address in order to serve as the principal proponent of the referendum):

• D.C. may revoke Rev. Jackson’s voter registration (The Blade, 7/10/09)
• Board of Elections informs Jackson of residency challenge (GLAA Forum, 7/2/09)
• 2 local activists want Jackson investigated (The Blade, 6/26/09)
• Two D.C. Residents Challenge Bishop Jackson (DC Wire 6/24 and Washington Post, 6/25/09)
• Mount Vernon at Center of Gay Marriage Controversy (Life In MVS, 6/10/09)
• Where does Rev. Jackson live? (The Blade, 6/9/09)

The DC Board of Elections has provided Reverend Jackson until the end of July to respond (letter here).

Good News, Very Bad News

The new Long View Gallery, set to open in July on Ninth Street NW directly across from the Washington Convention Center. Rendering courtesy of Long View Gallery.

There's a little bit of good news for those living in the Convention Center area. In July, the Long View Gallery will move from its location at 1309 9th Street NW all the way to 1243 9th Street NW, an eyesore vacant property just below N Street. They'll renovate the building shortly, which will provide the gallery with a significantly larger space. ReNewShaw has a nice write up and there's also a blurb in yesterday's Washington Business Journal. Congrats to the owners, Andrew Haley and Suzanne Zylonis, who opened Long View Gallery in 2000, and gallery director Drew Porterfield, who have again demonstrated their commitment to a revitalized Shaw. I've included the gallery's press release following this post.

I'm wondering what the Long View owners will think as they continue to skim through the Washington Business Journal to learn that the Marriott Marquis Convention Center Hotel's future is very much in doubt. The elusive promise of a major convention center hotel is what led some small business owners to open in Shaw and both businesses and residents hope that the area's fortunes would take a positive turn. Now, it appears that the project was unable to obtain financing and the city's commitment to provide 25% public financing (to the tune of $187 million) is not enough to get going. They want more, but CFO Natwar Gandhi , who also serves on the convention center board, says no. "To be very blunt about it I was very clear in saying to them that if you were to borrow $750 million that would put us way beyond the 12 percent cap we have envisioned for the city...and I cannot be a party to that," Gandhi said. Looks like we may be dealing with the site as a place for illegal billboards and homeless excrement a little while longer.

[UPDATE, June 4: In a Washington Post article, Gandhi does a bit of a turn around: Gandhi said he plans to work with the city's economic development officials to come up with a way to build the hotel within the city's borrowing limits. "I am for the hotel. I want to make it happen," Gandhi said. ]

Speaking of stalled projects, does anyone know what's the deal with the renovation of the O Street Market, including the new Giant -- is it on track for groundbreaking next summer - and why are we waiting another year?

In April, what was supposed to be the end of a decade-long saga to move this project forward seemed to clear its final hurdle, with the DC Council approving $1 million from parking meter increases and $1.5 million from the economic development committee’s budget to pay architectural, engineering and other pre-development costs. In the meantime, Whole Foods (then Freshfields) in Logan Circle opened, Safeway at CityVista came along... even renovation of the Georgetown Safeway is already underway.

What perplexes me most about what is now known as the "City Market at O" project is -- do we even know what's going there? Of course, there is the new mega Giant, and then there is to be senior housing, a range of affordable housing, and some market-rate units. But what about the remainder of the retail space? What about the "boutique hotel"? Are there memoranda of understandings or other agreements in place to fill the space?

When the government holds RFP's, it ordinarily requires bidders to provide such information, for example, with respect to the project at 5th and I, NW, next to the 'ol Fun Fair Video. But as far as I can tell, there's no details available for the anchor to Shaw's future.

My concern: let's not have a repeat of the convention center debacle, please!

---

Long View Gallery Acquires New Space in Currently Vacant Shaw Building
Renovation Will Quadruple Exhibition Space and Enhance Framing,Events Services

Washington, D.C. – [May 28, 2009] – As part of its continuing efforts to support the regional arts community and to contribute to the Shaw Neighborhood’s renaissance, the Long View Gallery will relocate to a currently vacant building directly across from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center at 1234 Ninth Street, NW. The gallery’s new space will undergo major renovation, more than quadrupling the gallery’s exhibition capacity, enhancing its custom framing and special event offerings, and making it one of the area’s largest art collectives.

“With many other businesses closing, we have been able to swim against the economic tide, demonstrating that art is indeed a great investment. After three successful years in Shaw, Long View Gallery simply outgrew its current location,” said gallery director Drew Porterfield.

“Thanks to Douglas Development, we were able to secure a building with great potential in a location that is impossible to beat—half a block south on Ninth Street from our current location, directly across from the Walter E. Washington Convention Center and closer to existing and planned fine restaurants,” Porterfield said. “Shaw has been a wonderful home, and we are thrilled to contribute to its renaissance.”

The building was previously used as an auto showroom and, most recently, as a vending machine warehouse, but it has sat empty for several years. Although the building’s architecture is stunning, with soaring ceilings and concrete floors, it requires a significant renovation before the gallery takes occupancy later this year. The gallery’s renovation, designed by local architect Will Couch, will maintain the raw feel of the building while transforming it into a premier gallery space.

The new gallery will occupy the southern portion of the building, comprised of nearly 5,000 quare feet, more than quadrupling the square footage of the Long View Gallery’s current location.

In its new venue, Long View Gallery will continue to show and support regional, contemporary artists as well as offer fine art custom framing. Joining Long View Gallery is Special Events Director, Suzi Molak, whose expertise in the events industry will be a great asset to the company. Porterfield said the gallery is finalizing a more frequent exhibition schedule and is preparing to announce several major new artists whose works will join the gallery in time for a planned grand opening after Labor Day.

Long View Gallery was founded in 2000 by Andrew Haley and Suzanne Zylonis in Sperryville, Virginia (about 75 miles west of Washington). The gallery quickly built a loyal following with local art patrons, including William Waybourn and Craig Spaulding, who partnered with Haley and Zylonis in 2006 to open a second location of Long View Gallery in the District. The Sperryville gallery showcases many Virginia artists and the surrounding countryside’s bucolic or pastoral settings.

Long View Gallery will remain open at its current location until the end of July, with an expected grand opening in the new space in September. The gallery will post updates and images of the renovation in progress on their blog at http://www.longviewgallery.blogspot.com/.

DCRA's Response to Illegal Billboards

Today, The Examiner reported:

Inspectors will be “going after all the blatantly illegal signs” starting today, Spokesman Michael Rupert said.

Below is the full text of DCRA Director Argo's response to the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association's letter:

Dear Mr. Silverman:

Thank you for your recent letter regarding outdoor advertising signs in the Mount Vernon Square/Shaw neighborhood. I’m also copying all the neighbors that sent me emails requesting the removal of the billboards located at P St and New Jersey, NW.

At the outset, I should correct a few inaccuracies in your letter. As you noted, the District has imposed a moratorium on the 32 existing “special signs.” This was done via the Special Signs Amendment Act of 2001 (D.C. Law 14-95, effective March 19, 2002).The act imposed a permanent moratorium on the issuance ofany new permits for special signs and restricted the locations for transferring special signs. Thelocation of each of the authorized special signs is located on the DCRA website (dcra.dc.gov) by clicking on the “Special Signs” link.

Additionally, the District has along-standing moratorium on the erection of any new billboards. The D.C. Construction Codes, specifically Chapter 31A of Title 12A of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, govern the construction and permitting of alloutdoor signs. Under Section 3107.7.6.1, only those billboards in existence as of January 1, 1972 are authorized to remain in place. If a billboard were to be demolished, it could not be rebuilt or relocated to another site.

We’ve been trying to piece togetherthe history behind this moratorium. From what we’ve been able to gather, billboards were first constructed in the District in early 1931. Their appearance caused an outcry by residents concerned that billboardswere a blight on the city’s aesthetics. By the end of 1931, the District’s government had banned the construction of any new billboards in the city. The only billboards that could remain were those contained on the “Authorized List of Billboards, Three-sheet Poster Boards, and Wall Signs,” dated November 30, 1931. That authorized list was updated about once a decade until the early1970s. Unfortunately, after contacting the National Archives, the D.C. Archives, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission, we have been unable to find a copy of that authorized list.

However, we are currently creating an inventory of all legally authorized outdoor signs in the District. Once we have created an accurate inventory, we will be sending out inspectors to investigate any signs that are posted, but for which we do not have any permitting information on file. For those signs deemed to be illegal, we will issue notices to the owners of the property and the sign requiring the sign’s removal.

We also have received several emails regarding four billboards located near the intersection of New Jersey Avenue, Fourth Street, and P Street, NW. Both these emails and your letter refer to those four billboards as “illegal.”

Based on our research, however, we believe those four billboards are grandfathered by Section 3107.7.6.1. I have attached a copy of a building permit issued in July 1961 by the D.C. Department of Licenses and Inspections (DCRA’s predecessor regulatory agency). The 1961 building permit authorized the removal of five billboards located on the property, to be replaced by four billboards. While such a replacement is not allowed under the current D.C. Construction Codes, it was allowable under the Construction Codes in place at that time.

I should also point out that for most, if not all, of the grandfathered billboards, DCRA is highly unlikely to still have records of the building permits issued more than 40 years ago.

We encourage all residents to let us know the location of billboards or other outdoor signs they suspect are unauthorized so that we can conduct a full investigation. To that end, we’re creating a special email address – signs.dcra@dc.gov – that will be up and running tomorrow morning where residents can email information about any sign they believe may be unauthorized, including the location, a photograph (.jpg), and any detail from the sign that indicates the owner and owner contact information. I will let you know of our progress in investigating the several outdoor signs you included in your letter.

I would also ask that you distribute this email to community residents, associations and websites so that we can best maximize our efforts at getting as much input as possible from affected District residents.

Best regards,
Linda Argo

Playgrounds Downtown?

Imagination Park, New York City. Designed by the Rockwell Group. 15,000 square feet. Concept: Hundreds of blue foam blocks of various shapes and sizes allow kids to create their own play environment. Renderings: Rockwell Group. Featured in GOOD magazine.

At a meeting of the Residential Advisory Committee for the CityCenterDC (the Old Convention Center project), the discussion veered off the mundane topic of transportation circulation around the site to the design of its planned park. Would it include a playground? "Where are the children," one longtime resident repeatedly asked.

"A playground is not in the current plans," responded the developer, although he was open to the idea. The reasons presented as to why were very similar to that which I heard when I raised the issue with respect to the broken park at 2nd and Massachusetts Avenue NW several months ago:

1. Few people living downtown have children.
2. The apartments/condos being built are small and targeted toward single people and young couples, who will inevitably move out as soon as they have children because of DC's terrible school system. Or, if they do stay, they'll move away from downtown to a single family home where there are playgrounds.
3. The streets around the park very dangerous and its not safe for kids to go to a playground there.

While there's some truth to these points, the more I think about it, the more I'm not buying it.

To a large extent, I believe it is a self-fulfilling prophesy. In fact, a playground or two downtown would get plenty of usage. Even if there's not a whole lot of kids living downtown now, there certainly are some. And then there's the tourists who have kids in tow as well as visitors who will come with their kids to shop downtown, especially when the new CityCenterDC opens. A playground might be a welcome distraction from wandering around a museum or Macy's for hours.

As for the dangerous streets... that's a problem whether its a playground or not, and there are ways to address the situation: (1) Narrow the streets in order to make it a shorter distance to cross. While this may not work at every location, this is an easy solution at the 2nd and Massachusetts Avenue park, for example; (2) install brick, raised, or otherwise prominent crosswalks to send a message that pedestrians come first; (3) place a fence around the playground area to protect against children wandering into the street; and (4) plenty of lighting.

Downtown living... now with children.

Is it time to get rid of the big green signs?

For years there been talk about stopping 395 at Massachusetts Avenue and turning the New York Avenue corridor into a a nice tree-filled boulevard rather than a piece of urban blight. While the recommendations of the New York Avenue Corridor Study and much of the Mount Vernon Triangle Transportation & Public Realm Design Project remain unfulfilled, hundreds of residents are moving into new apartments and condos along the New York Avenue between New Jersey Avenue and 7th Street NW. Thousands more will be coming with the additional of Yale Lofts II and as Yale I and CityVista fill up, and as the tremendous Northwest One project comes online in the old Sursum Corda site. I can't tell you how many residents have struggled with trying to get across 10 lanes of flying traffic from Mount Vernon Square to the new Safeway at 5th and New York Avenue, or the number of accidents at that intersection or the NJ/NY/3rd/4th Street intersection.

So when will the DC government stop viewing New York Avenue as a superhighway?

This week, a Yale Loft resident suggested to me a small measure that could go a long way in changing that perception among NY Avenue drivers: get rid of the big green signs.

They send a message that drivers are indeed in the freeway. And there appears to be no need for them. There are an abundance of smaller signs already along New York Avenue pointing out where to turn for 395, which way is to downtown, and how to get to 50. Perhaps one sign is needed to inform truck drivers of the height and hazmat restrictions of the 395 tunnel, but five?

And the flashing "STOP PEDS" sign as drivers approach the convention center doesn't quite do it. Of course, removing the signs is not even by far a silver bullet and does not excuse the need to make the street truly more pedestrian friendly and safer for drivers, but it will begin to change the atmosphere.

Where the Streets Have No Name

Photo: Truxton Circle from Truxtoncircle.org. More historic photographs here.

I was out walking the dog tonight and found myself staring up again at the banners that appeared along the 200 Block of N Street NW promoting the area as Truxton Circle. Truxton Circle? Where is Truxton Circle? There is no Truxton Circle. There was once a revolutionary war hero named Thomas Truxtun (with a "un" not an "on") and the area did once have a misspelled Truxton Circle located at the intersection of Florida Avenue (then known as Boundary Street) and North Capital Street, which was wiped off the map in the 1940s. I'm not sure when Truxton Circle first came about, but it's not shown on my 1867 map of the District, and it is not part of the L'Enfant plan of the city. According to the great research by In Shaw (part 1 and part 2), it was considered more of a landmark than a neighborhood. The primary civic associations in the area are the Bates Area Civic Association and the Hanover Civic Association, and the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association takes in a little piece of its southwest corner. No Truxton Circle civic association, although Truxton Circle does have an informative website.

Ok, so there's no Truxton Circle. Well, how about Mount Vernon Triangle? Where's the triangle? There's a Mount Vernon Square that goes back to the original L'Enfant Plan. There's a Mount Vernon Square Historic District. There are numerous little triangle parks known as reservations throughout the area, but none of them is called Mount Vernon. Truth be told... there is no triangle. The name refers to the triangular piece of land, formerly (and still to a degree) filled with surface parking lots, between Massachusetts and New York Avenues NW and New Jersey Avenue and 7th Street NW (at Mt. Vernon Square). The name was a little marketing genius to promote the area as a new and upcoming neighborhood.

Map: Mt. Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District. Click above for interactive map.

So, what will stick? Will Truxton Circle gain more widespread usage, despite the lack of an actual circle? Might DDOT actually reconstruct a Truxton Circle at some point? I've seen speculation online (I bet that will happen rights after they implement the decade-old New York Avenue Corridor Study). Any interest in spelling the 'ol Commodore's name correctly this time? - I think he'd appreciate it. Will the Mt. Vernon Triangle name survive after all the condos are built and sold? Or will the area generally become known as Mt. Vernon, Mt. Vernon Square, north Penn Quarter, or simply referred to by its condo name - i.e. CityVista? I guess only time will tell.

Until then, take a left at Mt. Vernon Triangle, then go around Truxton Circle onto North Capital Street.