A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.
Green Light: The Georgetown Metropolitan extensively rounds up Monday night’s ANC2E meeting. On the agenda were designs for two new EastBanc projects—one at the Key Bridge Exxon station and one at the Verizon switching building between the canal and Grace Episcopal Church. Both were revised designs, and both got the thumbs-up from ANC honchos. One commenter notes, rather sardonically, “Interesting how the ANC objects to anything Georgetown University proposes as far as construction (on their campus, away from residents), but approves of anything and everything EastBanc proposes, even if it disturbs the residents of Prospect Street. Maybe Georgetown University should hire Anthony Lanier to make future proposals.”
To the Tax Sale: After some super-sleuthing, New Columbia Heights has unearthed the saga of 1483 Newton St. NW. The city tried to buy the property in 2009, but the $3.1 million price tag was just too high. Now, “The place is assessed at about $1 million and is being taxed at the blighted property rate ($10 per every $100 assessed). The owners currently owe more than $130,000 in taxes from 2010 and 2011, including penalties, and if they don’t pay the building will go on the tax sale list. They were also fined $2,000 for not registering it as an abandoned building.” Most New Columbia Heights readers seemed grateful for the information, and one sent over an email that nicely addresses the correlation between vacant property and crime.
Eyes for Sekou: The Dupont Forum email list is mulling over candidates for the at-large councilmember seat, following a recent forum at Annie’s Steakhouse. Writes one member, “I don’t know about the rest of you but I have been less than enthused by candidates running for the DC Council seat the end of April. Biddle, the annointed one by the powers that be in the Democratic party who now is trying to run on incumbency did not impress me…He was too busy pandering to the LGBT community and seems to wrong choice given the challenges the District faces right now.” But, another feels much warmer toward Biddle: “I didn’t get much out of the structured part of the forum but apparently people felt they got to know the candidates in informal chats at Annie’s. I couldn’t make that but did have a very good discussion with Biddle outside the church and on the way to the Annie’s.”
Nice Day for a Walk (In the Dog Park): From Borderstan, here’s why one should cross the street to avoid fur-children-and-human-children interaction, and from The Hill is Home, tips for using the Kingsman Field dog park. One more and it’s a trend!