Super content: Local resident Peter Pawlowski says rack up the density and bring in the amenities: "I strongly support the development at the site.... They're taking something which has no use and no value, and creating something of value for the community."

Slight reservations: 5C commissioner John Salatti's prime concern is the increased traffic: "DDOT says some of our intersections are failing now. How are we going to deal with all the extra traffic? We need hard information."

Outraged: Local resident Mehdi Mansouri says: "They are cramming a mini city into a small place without looking at any of the side effects.... It is a purely profit orientated project. It's a beautiful structure. It's so unique. Why don't we convert it to an underground mall and make it a tourist attration?"

Local resident Brian Oliver questions the criteria for historicity: "What really irks me is when people claim that it's a historic site—it's a water-filtration site! So it was the first of it's kind. But if it was the first trash site of its kind would it also be a historic site?! It's an eye sore!"

Next step: The next meeting is set for Wednesday September 9 at St. George's Episcopal Church, 2nd and U st.

The Issue:

Proponent: 12th and W is pretty impressed: "It looks terrific, will be a lovely place to people watch. I just hope they have installed enough seating."

Opponent: Joni, meanwhile, bemoans the lack of greenery...in verse:

They took all the trees
Put ’em in a fountain
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half just to see ’em
Don’t it always seem to go
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Till it’s gone
They paved paradise
And put up a mosaic style fountain…yah!

Next step: The grand opening – Fenty's office should be deciding on a date soon.

Photo courtesy of DDOT

Urban gardening began in the United States in Detroit during hard economic times in the 1890s, she says. The mayor gave a few plots of land to unemployed locals so they could grow some fruit and vegetables. Since then, the idea has spread.

In A Community of Gardeners, Cabib is determined to show gardening is a whole lot more than planting a few seeds."People have to have a real desire to garden," she says. "They have to make a real effort and I wanted to look at why."

She's been filming seven District gardens for the last two years, trying to "bring out the personal stories" of those involved. People start digging and planting for different reasons, she says. For one woman with cancer, community gardens are a place of healing, while for others they are a link to their native countries – they farm the same veg and fruit that they would there.

Cabib is still in the editing stage, but here's a taste of the featured garden plots:

1) Common Good City Farm, 3rd and V street, is run by a group of volunteers. Among them: low-income residents, who get their hands dirty in exchange for some of the harvest.

2) The C. Melvin Sharpe Health School, 4300 13th St NW, offers children with special needs the chance to get back to nature. Teachers use the sensory garden as a stimulating outdoor classroom.

3) The Fort Stevens Community Garden, 13th Street and Fort Stevens Dr NW, has a mixture of Caribbean, Latin American, and African gardeners. For them, it's a little piece of home, says Cabib. "A lot of the gardeners at Fort Stevens had a farm in their native countries. This is a continuation of that."

Proponent: Vera Abbott, president of the Bellevue Civic Association, loves the new design: "It's airy and futuristic."

Opponent: Chris Otten of District Dynamos says the whole process has been just another example of the "trickle down Fenty philosophy" in action. There was no collaborative brainstorming session or 'charrette' to engage the community in what he calls the "lie-brary." "This could be the loss of a great opportunity to bring 'lost communities' together and celebrate a civic institution that could help lift people out of poverty."

ANC 8D commissioner Olivia Henderson says she still wants Adjaye on board, but "the library they are trying to put up does not reflect the community we live in."

Next step: ANC 8 commissioners are rallying together, and hope to have passed resolutions by the end of the month that call on the D.C. Public Library to renovate rather than rebuild.

(UPDATE: George Williams, DC Public Library spokesman, called to note that there weren't only community meetings. They also had 5 focus groups, in which a total of 47 people participated, and another 90 locals responded to surveys.)

Opponent: A new NCPC report says: "The Commission does not support a streetcar system with overhead wires because it supports the unobstructed views to important landmarks along the cities [sic] streets and avenues."

Proponent: Greta Fuller ANC commissioner for 8A03 says, "I'm not against the street car wires if that's how it's got to run. But I've got worries for the immediate residents in the area, with the traffic they are going to bottle neck us in."

ANC 8A07 Commissioner Lendia Johnson is against the street wires...because they'll have streetcars attached: "I'm not happy about the streetcars at all, the street is too narrow...I don't want to see no wires hanging over no bridge."

Next step: The NCPC is set to review the 11th Street bridge plan on Thursday.

Yes: Robert Parker, NPS Site Manager, stresses the need for planning, management, planning, resources, and...planning: "There is a process. It takes time, resources and planning. We're currently working out a general management plan with a directional format for...how we plan to manage the resources."

He anticipates that work on the site will start around 2012.

Brian Smith sets out his own time frame in the listserv debate: "...this will continue until Malia Obama is 40 years old."

Next step: A general update of the vacant properties question will be presented at the ANC2C meeting tonight.

The report suggests increasing the limit on restaurant frontages from 25% to 40-50%. And—in certain circumstances—lifting the restrictions on heights for buildings used for art-related activities. But is it inevitable that smaller galleries will be driven out?

No: Andrea Doughty, chair of the Arts Overlay Committee, says: "Art galleries are always at the vanguard, searching for cheaper areas. But we want to incentivize so they remain here.... Everybody benefits from these art uses."

Yes: Sandra Truesdale, proprietor of the Emma Mae Gallery says: "People are coming to the neighborhood with more money. Developers see that and put up rent.... I think that the galleries that are not funded and are directed to lower income people, perhaps they will close. The city should come forward and support small galleries."

Next step: The new Arts Overlay District Report is being presented at the ANC 2F meeting on Wednesday, September 2.

Proponent: Darren Jones, chair of the Pleasant Plains Civic Association says: "I am happy so far, but we also hope that developers take our concerns into consideration. Only 8% of the units will be affordable housing—the rest will be at market rate. We'd like to see more affordable housing."

Opponent: Alex comments on the New Columbia Heights blog: "yikes, I thought that was an old picture. That building's ugly!"

Sylvia Robinson of the Emergence Community Arts Collective says: "It's not set in stone yet."

Next step: ANC 1B 11 are set to debate the development at their meeting on September 14.

Proponent: Adrienne Colman, Superintendent of Rock Creek Park, says: "It's just one of the options. Montgomery County has been sharpshooting for some years now...It reduces the deer population fairly quickly."

As in Montgomery County, the Rock Creek crew would donate the meat to charity. Three words: free venison burgers.

Opponent: John Hadidian, director of the Urban Wildlife Program at the Humane Society of the United States is sticking up for the deer: "We don't think that the deer should be blamed for something that is natural to them. It doesn't seem that there is a compelling reason to kill these animals."

Alexa Fritts, spokeswoman for the National Rifle Association, says: "overpopulation of deer can have a devastating effect on...songbirds."

Next step: The National Park Service is holding a public meeting at the Rock Creek Park Nature Center (5200 Glover Rd NW) on Wednesday, September 2 to debate the options.

Proponent: Alberto Ferrufino of Don Juan restaurant says: "We support the festival 100%. There are a few people here who think they are the king or the government, but I don't know what they are protesting about."

Opponent: Kelly DiNardo, manager of Past Tense Yoga studio, writes in a Google group discussion: "We do have some very serious concerns. The current plans call for a stage almost directly outside of the studio. We could not hold classes with that level of noise outside the studio.... While I think the festival provides other value—cultural enrichment, community involvement—it cannot be allowed to damage or undercut Mt. Pleasant businesses."

Local Resident Sam Broeksmit says: "It's a very hard neighborhood to traverse from East to West. Last year they closed Irving street."

Next step: A community meeting to discuss the festival is set for Tuesday 1 September.

CORRECTION: Kelly DiNardo, of Past Tense yoga studio, was identified as an opponent of Fiesta DC's return. While she did have "very serious concerns" about its impact on her studio's classes, DiNardo says she supports the festival overall.

The Issue: The Abdo – Catholic University of America (CUA) development. It fits in with the Small Area Plan (SAP) aimed at rejuvenating Brookland. Both sides of Monroe Street are to be made over, bringing 725 condos units to the area, along with a number of new retail outlets and cafes.

Proponent: Lisa on 10th sees this as a much needed boost to Brookland. She writes on Brookland listserv:

My husband and I live at "ground zero" for the development too and we are excited to have well done development come to our neighborhood. We do not like have to go everywhere BUT Brookland for retail, a variety of restaurants (we love Bobby's Q and the new Tex-Mex place but 2 — haven't been to Brookland Cafe yet — just isn't enough), a good coffee shop or two, and other retail establishments. Geez, we'd even like to see some healthy competition in the neighborhood.

Opponent: ANC 5A Commissioner Carolyn Steptoe thinks it'll ruin Brookland: "These units will bring in at least another 725 residents. And if they are double occupancy – 1400. We are against the plan because of the magnitude of population density." She's also worried about more congestion, and less park space.

Five ANC commissioners already opposed the Small Area Plan (SAP) before a commission, but the Council approved it anyway, she says.

Former Jefferson Airplane drummer Jerry Peloquin says:

"they'll use 'faux stone'."

Next step: The Abdo/CUA plans appear before a zoning commission on October 5th.

Georgia Avenue's Yes! Organic Market opened its doors—again—this morning. Mayor Adrian Fenty appeared a bit put out to hear that the store had already been open for a week—but brightened up when he was still allowed to cut his ribbon.

Around 30 people gathered to see the official opening. It's Ward 4's third grocery store, and residents are looking forward to jumping on the organic bandwagon.

"It's a little bit more expensive," said Natarsha Conway. "But it's worth it when you think about health."

Photo by Lois Kapila

The glum-faced Virginian stood at an intersection in Tysons Corner wearing a sign that read, "I cheated, this is my punishment." He told a passerby that his wife had caught him cheating and had subsequently dreamed up the punishment.

Nothing like some good old-fashioned public repentance. Or is there? Didn't he get off a bit easily? Or is this just one step towards redemption?

In any case, Mrs Taylor joins an esteemed line-up of creative vengeful females. Here's a top three:

1) One woman from Birmingham, UK emptied around $4000 from her cheating husband's bank account to pay for a super-size billboard denouncing him and his lover.

2) Another thwarted British wife sold her husband's Lotus Esprit Turbo Sports car on Ebay for 90 cents. The auction lasted 5 minutes and 3 seconds.

3) A man from Wiconsin wound up with his penis glued to his stomach, after his angry wife and three girlfriends found out about each other and decided to exact revenge.

“I might find a home for my asparagus yet,” says Pleasant Plains resident Kelvin Esters, wistfully. The unofficial steward and avid gardener learned today that his community garden at 514-516 Hobart Pl. NW will be closing for public use tomorrow. The patch actually belongs to Howard University, which is selling off the land to raise a bit of cash.

Esters is philosophical, if surprised, about what has been achieved through a couple of plots of tomatoes and squash. He describes its history: The garden was originally built as a community vitalizer, in part to combat high rates of drug usage in Hobart Place. Back in 2002, derelict buildings on the site had become a favorite hangout for users. So residents campaigned for them to be torn down and replaced with this patch of green. And now, drug use has gone down.

“It wasn't the only thing, but it was a contributing factor," says Esters. “Drug activities are definitely less prevalent...and [the garden] brought residents together. They all came out onto the street to build the garden.”

Growers have been told that all crops must be harvested immediately. Maybelle Bennett, assistant for community relations at Howard University, says the university is “waiting for constituents to take whatever they have in the garden.” After that, the garden will be for sale.

One slight problem – not much in the garden is ready yet. Esters says people are welcome to come and grab some tomatoes, greens, squash, and asparagus, but they'll need a bit more TLC before they're ready for the summer salad.

Photo by ndrwfgg, Flickr Creative Commons

]]> http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/08/24/go-grab-your-greens/feed/ 0 http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/08/20/a-little-exploration-in-adams-morgan/ http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/2009/08/20/a-little-exploration-in-adams-morgan/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 19:53:54 +0000 Lois Kapila http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/citydesk/?p=30047

John Little's estate (1856)

Dig up a bit of D.C. – literally – and you might be surprised at how much you find. It's well known that slave labor built the U.S. Capitol, that there were slave pens near the National Mall, and that there was a slave market just across from the National Archives. But a new site of interest – perhaps part of a property owned by one of D.C.'s biggest slave owners – has been discovered in Adams Morgan.

Ruins were recently uncovered in June by workers renovating the public volleyball court in Kalorama Park. Building contractors hit some bricks under a magnolia tree. They called in Louis Berger Group Inc. consultants to dig a bit more.

To the untrained eye, the finding looks like a couple of old walls. But to Jason Shellenhamer, who was part of the archeological team, they are far more, as he explained during a community presentation this week.

After studying maps from the mid-1800s to early 1900s and looking at the type of bricks, he concluded that the walls could be part of a rental house or carriage house attached to the property of 19th century cattle farmer and slave-owner John Little. His estate covered 56 acres, stretching north from Florida Avenue to Columbia Road and west from Champlain St. to Rock Creek.

The archeologist expects that the newly discovered site will be reburied – it's the best way of preserving it.

If you fancy trying to navigate around John Little's world, here are a few other places of interest:

1) Behind Julia's Empanadas, 2452 18th St. NW: Some of Little's slaves were buried here; his best known was Hortense Prout. According to neighborhood historian Mary Belcher, Prout made a daring bid for freedom in 1861. Taking advantage of the chaos caused by the arrival of Union troops, the 20-year-old slipped away from the farm. But she was found in one of the regiment camps, "completely rigged out in male attire," according to a Washington Evening Star article of the time, and returned to her owner.

2) St Margaret's Episcopalian Church, 1830 Connecticut Ave. NW: The church was named after Little's wife, Margaret, according to Lonn Taylor, a curator at the National Museum of American History. Legend has it that, one evening in 1892, Sophia Little, their daughter, was entertaining guests at their home at 19th Street and Columbia Road when she said she would fancy a church in the neighborhood named for her mother. One guest piped up: "Well. Let’s start this thing right now." He passed around the lid of a candy box and, by the end of the night, $5,000 had been raised.

3) The Old Brass Knob Warehouse, 2329 Champlain St. NW : Champlain Street used to be a stream, according to Belcher, and Little's butchery was somewhere on the west bank, in the vicinity of the Old Brass Knob. She suspects there could have been a steakhouse attached. The evidence? When a previous owner, Dominique Kostelac, began to develop the site a couple of years back, his excavations turned up hundreds of old bottles of Lea and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce.