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160+ Neighbors Sign Petition Supporting Bikeshare Station at N. Capitol and R St NE

Over 160 neighbors signed a petition in support of a new Capital Bikeshare station in Eckington at the SE corner of North Capitol St and R St NE. The petition came in response to the announcement of a letter of opposition to the station from ANC 5E04 Commissioner Sylvia Pinkney (but before the text of the letter was public). The petition includes the following statement of support for the location:
3 Minutes Jun 20, 2019 507 Words

ANC5E Letter of Opposition to Capital Bikeshare Station and Support For Alternate Location

Below is the letter of opposition that was passed by ANC 5E at their June 18, 2019 meeting. Authored by ANC 5E04 Commissioner Sylvia Pinkney, and passed by a vote of 7-2, the letter outlines concerns about the proposed location at N. Capitol and R St NE and encourages DDOT to choose an alternate location to the South in the median between Lincoln Rd and N. Capitol. The letter displayed here is the draft presented at the outset of the meeting.
1 Minutes Jun 20, 2019 115 Words

150+ Residents Sign Petition Supporting 1st Street Traffic Calming

Over 150 DC residents have signed a petition asking DDOT to fully implement their traffic calming plan for 1st Street NW. The plan calls for curb extensions at each of nine intersections on the street from Florida Ave to Bryant St and is intended to improve stop sign compliance and lower speeds on this important pedestrian and bike corridor. The petition comes in response to an ANC 5E resolution encouraging implementation on 1st St north of Rhode Island Ave, but asking for an exemption from the measures at the intersections of 1st and R St and 1st and Randolph Pl.
5 Minutes Apr 30, 2019 932 Words

Bloomingdale ANC Commissioner Trying to Water Down 1st Street Traffic Calming Plan

This post originally appeared on Greater Greater Washington. First Street NW in Bloomingdale is a residential street, but many drivers use it as a commuting thoroughfare, making it dangerous to people walking in the neighborhood. Residents have complained about it for years, but happily there’s a plan to add better pedestrian infrastructure and to slow drivers down. There’s just one catch. The plan requires the removal of six to seven illegal parking spaces, but one local Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner (ANC) is stridently opposed to losing any parking at all.
5 Minutes Apr 26, 2019 1014 Words

DC preservation officials: You don’t want a historic district? Too bad.

This post was originally published at Greater Greater Washington At their confirmation hearing last month, four Historic Preservation Review Board Commissioners confirmed that community opposition to a historic nomination does not play a role in their decision, and that they only evaluate applications based on whether or not a nominated building or district is historic. That stands in stark contrast to other city agencies that are mandated to incorporate community feedback.
7 Minutes Jul 25, 2018 1434 Words

The Costs of Historic Districts: More Than Just Property Values

This past week, Bloomingdale resident and real estate agent JC Blount and Bloomingdale Civic Association board member and ANC representative Dr. Bertha Holliday published an analysis purporting to show that designating Bloomingdale a historic district will not lead to a rise in housing prices in the neighborhood. I’m very appreciative that Dr. Holliday and Ms. Blount are engaged in this analysis. I agree that trying to answer the question of how designation will impact our neighborhood’s already pressing affordability crisis is central to this debate.
4 Minutes Mar 9, 2018 758 Words

BCA Survey Results Show Majority Oppose Historic Designation

At last month’s Bloomingdale Civic Association meeting, BCA President Teri Janine Quinn revealed the results from the organization’s survey weighing community opinion about the pending historic district application for the neighborhood. With 516 votes counted, the respondents were opposed to designation 282 to 234*, a 55-45 percent margin. The survey was conducted over two weeks in January via a postcard mailed to each of 3,107 property owners in the neighborhood (as determined by DC tax records).
2 Minutes Mar 8, 2018 217 Words

Bloomingdale Historic District Survey Hits Mailboxes

The Bloomingdale Civic Association (BCA) survey is arriving in neighborhood property owners' mailboxes this week, and residents who want to make their voice heard on this issue should make sure to fill out the survey and return it. Bloomingdale Civic Association Survey Postcard Unfortunately, as I’ve laid out before, this survey has some weaknesses that make it hard to feel like it will do an adequate job assessing the opinion of the neighborhood.
2 Minutes Jan 9, 2018 291 Words

Quick List: Downsides to Historic Designation for Bloomingdale

Downsides to Historic Designation Homeowners lose freedom to modify their homes to fit their family’s needs or match their personal taste. Homeowners will face higher costs in the form of more expensive allowable materials, higher architect fees, and extra time needed to prepare for and receive approvals Limitations on owners attempting to save money and reduce their carbon footprint by installing solar panels - if they are visible from the street they may not be approved.
2 Minutes Dec 17, 2017 361 Words

Why I Oppose Historic Designation for Bloomingdale

This summer, a group of Bloomingdale residents applied to designate our neighborhood as a historic district under DC law. If the application is accepted by the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB), new construction and exterior alterations to all properties in Bloomingdale will be subject to a historic preservation review to determine if they are consistent with the character of the neighborhood. If you aren’t familiar with the details, this effort may sound like a good one.
11 Minutes Dec 14, 2017 2159 Words