It’s all about the neighborhood
When you have guests staying for more than two hours, you can do them a solid and let them use a visitor parking pass to avoid parking tickets in your RPP area (residential parking permit). Passes are free, one per households with existing RPP.
Read more about visitor parking passes and how to register, after the break:
Read MoreWalk around Petworth and you'll see houses being renovated on block after block, dumpsters parked on the street with duct-taped "no parking" signs on the trees. Inside you'll hear tools and men's voices as walls go up, floors are redone, new landscaping put in.
Walk around Petworth, and you'll see many examples of houses that are sitting untouched and empty, slowly falling apart with trash strewn yards and a construction permit on the window -- with no signs of construction.
Neighbors are fed up with developers buying properties and leaving them to rot while waiting for housing prices to rise. The city loses out on taxes, and everyone loses out when those properties attract rats and illegal activity.
But KSDA and ANC 4D Commissioner David Sheon are working to fix it.
Read more about the plan to fix the problem of vacant and blighted properties >
Read MoreIt looks like Exelon is one step closer in its bid to merge with Pepco and take over the DC energy market. This has been a topic that has been frustrating many local residents who are opposed to the merger. Multiple ANCs have offered their opposition to the plans, yet it looks like the Office of the People's Counsel (OPC) have come to an agreement regarding the merger.
Read more about the settlement agreement >
Read MoreWhat a circus tonight, thanks to WMATA. A metro train broke down south of the Georgia Avenue / Petworth station during rush hour. From what I hear, the train just lost power and stopped. They had lights for a while, then lost them. Read more and see a photo gallery >
Read MoreSome brazen fellow robbed our local Annie's Ace Hardware store (1240 Upshur St NW) after closing on Wednesday, September 16, around 10pm. Luckily, Annie's has cameras throughout the store and has video of the robber. Watch a video to see if you know the robber, after the break:
Read MoreInspector Vendette Parker poses for a selfie with Drew, June 3, 2015
4D substation commander Inspector Vendette Parker is headed off to be the 7th District's newest Commander. Her promotion is effective Sunday. She's going to have a busy workload.
Inspector Parker has been a great resource for me and has worked hard for the Petworth and Ward 4 community.
I wish her the best of luck!
Inspector Parker's email is below:
It is bittersweet that I must send this email. Effective Sunday I will take command of the Seventh District. I have really enjoyed my time at the Fourth District. The relationships and partnerships are irreplaceable. I hope that in my short time here, I have had as much of a positive impact on you as you all have had on me. This is not goodbye but instead, until I see you again.
Inspector Vendette T. Parker, CPM
Fourth District
Chief Cathy Lanier responded to an email from a resident the other day about the recent surge in violence, and confusion as to the reasons cited by MPD, the Police Union and the media. The Chief followed up today with another email to the MPD listservs with citations for her responses. See her email from August 26th after the break:
Read MoreIf you’re already a member of a listserv, then you know about the plethora of information out there from neighbors, some useful, some not so much. But some people, long-time residents and new comers alike, don’t know all the different options available to stay informed on events and information in the area. To help that, I’ve put together a new page on Petworth News with a list of area listservs that you might find useful. Read more about area listservs...
Read MorePopville posted an interesting email exchange between a resident who lives in MPD's 3rd District and Chief Cathy Lanier. The resident emailed the Chief asking for clarification on a number of items that have been bouncing back and forth in various listservs, police union messages and the news.
In a series of well-written emails to the Chief, the resident asked for clear answers on the reasons for the surge in violence and homicides, and wanted evidence to back up MPD's publicized answers.
Read more after the break...
Read MoreIf you're a fan of the elevator at the Georgia Ave-Petworth Metro station, it's going to be "rehabilitated." (I'm assuming that means a replacement or at least an update to include air fresheners...)
According to an email from Ann Chisholm at WMATA, the elevator will be out of service on August 25th until December 2015.
Shuttle service can be arranged by calling 202-962-1825.
Here's hoping they get all the escalators fixed before August 25th.
(h/t Commissioner Zach Teutsch)
Image courtesy of Raymond Bryson.
WAMU reporter Martin Austermuhle published an article today about Grant Circle residents being sued for $25 million dollars. The developer, Jay Gross, is accusing residents Oscar Beisert, Thomas Woodruff and Stephen Wright of "conspiring to stop him from renovating and expanding" three rowhouses located on Grant Circle (7, 14 & 15 Grant Circle).
Read more about the lawsuit and the developer's complaint:
Read MoreWhile at a community event this evening, I met and spoke with DDOT Director Leif Dormsjo about some resident concerns that I've heard recently, as well as the issue of how DDOT conducts traffic safety analyses.
You may not know this, but Leif Dormjso is new to the job. He's been the Director of the DC Department of Transportation for only six months and already has a full schedule of work and changes identified. "There's a lot to do fix the department and make it more effective than it has been," he said. "I think it's a 2-year process for DDOT to improve."
I brought up the concern outlined in my article that DDOT may not be using the most complete set of traffic collision data possible. Mr Dormjso told me he read the article, "I agree with you," he said. "I don't think we're getting all the information we should be. It's something that I'm working to fix."
Read my full impromptu interview with DDOT's Director:
Read MoreI was watching DPW working in the alley this morning, clearing out the old concrete (they're all about Alleypalooza and what not).
First they used a massive jackhammer to drill holes into the concrete, then they brought in the excavator to dig up said concrete, carting it away in a large dump truck.
All the things I loved when I was a kid. You know, big trucks making a lot of loud rumbling noise, shaking the house and breaking things apart? Yes!
The finished product.
While researching the article about the stop signs needed at Quincy Street and Kansas Avenue, I realized there might be a disconnect with how DDOT determines traffic safety measures for specific areas of the District.
From my interviews with MPD and DDOT as well as my own research, it seems that DDOT may be making traffic safety decisions based on analysis of incomplete crash data. The only way to know for sure is to have DDOT take a closer look at their reporting and analysis methodology.
Read the full article to learn more about my research into DDOT crash reporting and possible analysis issues:
Read MorePetworth News, a neighborhood blog on local news, information & events about the Petworth area in Washington DC.
Petworth News is a news site about Petworth area neighborhoods in Washington DC, written by Drew Schneider and other amazing contributing writers. It features facts and objective reporting, as well as an occasional subjective point of view and opinion.
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