InTowner special report: "Another Bloomingdale neighborhood pop-up controversy; this time due to contractor causing collapse following questionable demolition work"

See this 06-30-2015 message from The InTowner:

Another Bloomingdale neighborhood pop-up controversy; this time due to contractor causing collapse following questionable demolition work. To read our special report, visit http://tinyurl.com/qc88rmn.

See these related tweets:

Susan Seutter ‏@SusanTSeutter  33m33 minutes ago

Hope #AXCarpenters secured site for tonight's t-storms. Latest article re #67VSt by @TheInTowner: http://intowner.com/2015/06/30/another-bloomingdale-neighborhood-pop-up-controversy-this-time-due-to-contractor-causing-collapse-following-questionable-demolition-work/ … #bloomingdaleDC

Susan Seutter ‏@SusanTSeutter  23m23 minutes ago

Latest #67VSt article by @TheInTowner http://intowner.com/2015/06/30/another-bloomingdale-neighborhood-pop-up-controversy-this-time-due-to-contractor-causing-collapse-following-questionable-demolition-work/ … @OrangeVo40 #DCOAG #DCRA #BloomingdaleDC #RichardWang #WSHomes #AXCarpenters

Bloomingdale resident Mark Mueller: "Developers continuing to bastardize Bloomingdale while DCRA stands by"

See this Facebook post:

Mark Mueller 

Developers continuing to bastardize Bloomingdale while DCRA stands by. Another gigantic popup in the middle of historic cityscape going up--but then collapsed this weekend due to careless developer AX. Also included here is a picture of the house AX popped up on unit block of W (size of a shopping mall in middle of historic planned homes) and also their collapsed house on the unit block of V. AX plans several more popups in Bloomingdale. I include a picture of protesters outside the W St Open House. Historic Designation for Bloomingdale will help. Also your calls to DCRA and Council demanding better, stricter enforcement of laws. Perhaps a 3 strikes you're out rule for developers that go against stop work orders 3 times? 

                                                           
Yesterday's Channel 7 News coverage of the collapse here:
http://bloomingdaleneighborhood.blogspot.com/…/abc7-story-o…

Ward 1 CM Nadeau: "Today I'm introducing legislation to double DCRA fines for shoddy construction"

See this tweet from Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau: 

Brianne K. Nadeau‏@BrianneKNadeau

Today I'm introducing legislation to double @DCRA fines for shoddy construction.

12:27 PM - 30 Jun 2015

Business Owners & Managers: you are invited to participate in a Main Streets-driven Summer Entrepreneurial Youth Employment Program (SYEP) for 2015

See this 06-30-2015 message from North Capitol Main Street Executive Director Demetris Cheatham:

Business Owners & Managers,

We would like to invite you to participate in a Main Streets Driven Summer Entrepreneurial Youth Employment Program (SYEP) for 2015. 

 

This program is a six-week long program sponsored by H Street Main Street in and partnership with the other Main Street Programs in the City and the Department of Employment Services (DOES) that provides District youth ages 14 to 21 & 22 - 24 with enriching and constructive summer work experiences through subsidized placements in the private sectors. That means your business can participate. 

 

Youth age 14 -15 can work 20 hours per week and youth age 16-24 can work 25 to 30 hours per week. Youth can work anytime between 9 am -9 pm as long as they do not exceed the daily and weekly maximum set by DDOE. There is no cost to you to employ the Youth. DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) will pay the salaries of the Youth.

 

Before the Youth begin their employment, they will complete a training program conducted by Next Level Experience.  DOES have hired a program manager to oversee the administrative aspects of this program so you can focus on your business. You will have them part-time for 5 weeks. We will provide the participants with training in the following areas before they reach you in Customer Service, Job Readiness, Financial Literacy and Entrepreneurship. 

 

This is a chance for our Businesses to give back. We're not asking for money, but your time and expertise. In return, you’ll receive additional help from enthusiastic youth as well as contributing to community and talent building.  This is truly a great way to give back to our Youth and local communities by providing hand on exposure and to continue making a positive and lasting impression.

 

Please signify your commitment to participate by registering through the following link.   We would like to get a quick feedback as time is of the essence.  We look forward to working with you through the summer!

 

2015 Summer Youth Employment Program Registration

 

 

ABC7 story on 67 V St NW: "Pop-up home development raises safety concerns for some neighbors in NW DC"

Click on the link to read the entire ABC7 TV news story:

Pop-up home development raises safety concerns for some neighbors in NW D.C.

By Sam Ford, ABC 7 News

June 29, 2015 - 07:58 pm
                                                                                                                                  

WASHINGTON (WJLA) - The development of a pop-up property is raising safety concerns for some residents after a partial collapse of a home under renovation.

Developer Anax Moraes and his crew resumed work Monday on his pop- up property at 67 V Street in Northwest, D.C.

Anti-pop-up neighbors got his project shut down Sunday, June 28 calling in police, fire crews and consumer and regulatory affairs officials and said they feared the way his crews were using a backhoe might affect adjacent properties.

After a brief meeting with Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) officials Monday morning, Moraes was back in business, though he did not have to put the correct names on his various permits, which had been in the name of the previous property owner.

....

xxx

DC Water 1st Street Tunnel extended work hours presentation -- Saturday, 06-27-2015

Here you go:

DC Water 1st Street Tunnel 2015 06 27-DIVP-Extended_Work_Hours_Final (2) by Scott Roberts

Here you go:

"pop-ups provide affordable housing"

See this comment from an earlier blog post regarding a Bloomingdale pop-up:

ToddMonday, June 29, 2015 6:07:00 AM

Well i'm certainly glad to see that affordable housing is now available in Bloomingdale .... so glad popups resolve that issue for us.

WBJ: "Strict pop-up, conversion limits now in effect in many DC neighborhoods"

Click on the link to read the entire Washington Business Journal post from Michael Neibauer:

Bloomingdale resident Todd Crosby is quoted.

Strict pop-up, conversion limits now in effect in many D.C. neighborhoods

Jun 29, 2015, 5:47am EDT

Michael Neibauer

Senior Staff Reporter-Washington Business Journal

 

The D.C. Zoning Commission wasted little time implementing new restrictions on rowhome pop-ups and multi-unit conversions.

Those regulations, adopted June 8 by a 3-2 vote, were published in the D.C. Register on Friday, becoming effective immediately. Permit applications that remain in the pipeline, unless submitted before July 17, 2014, will be reviewed under the more restrictive rules, no matter how far along they are in the process.

Any building permits issued prior to June 26 were reviewed under, and adhere to, the previous rules.

...

Below are the basics of the amended R-4 rules. For a good explainer on what it means, check out this FAQ from the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.

• The conversion of a residential building to an apartment house — that is, more than two units — will require a special exception from the Board of Zoning Adjustments.
• If the BZA does authorize a conversion to four or more units, the fourth unit and every additional even-numbered unit must be set aside as affordable under the District's inclusionary zoning law.
• The matter-of-right height for any residential building, including any addition, is limited to 35 feet, down from 40 feet. The BZA may grant a special exception from the 35-foot rule.
• The number of residential stories is limited to three, including mezzanines, which are now considered a floor.
• Any building addition, including a roof structure or penthouse, must not interfere with the operation of an existing or permitted solar energy system on an adjacent property.
• Additions must also not "have a substantially adverse effect on the use or enjoyment of any abutting or adjacent dwelling or property." That includes light and air available to neighboring properties and neighbors' privacy. Also, the addition "shall not substantially visually intrude upon the character, scale and pattern of houses along the street or alley."
• Non-residential structures existing prior to May 12, 1958, (think churches, funeral homes, schools) may generally be converted to three-story apartment houses by right, as long as there is at least 900 square feet of land area per proposed unit. To go higher than 35 feet will require a special exception.

67 V Street NW partial collapse today -- Sunday, 06-28-2015 -- see these pics

See these pics taken today by a neighbor:

See these comments:
                                  

The pictures show the collapse of the second floor of 67 V street NW and the police who came out this morning and sealed off the building as it is deemed structurally unsafe. The contractor did not follow the demolition plan and used a backhoe  (pictured) instead to pound into the building which is then causing an uncontrolled collapse rather than a controlled and safe demolition. 

Neighbors are extremely worried that this contractor will really damage the neighboring properties as the same developer/contractor that caused the party wall of 40 W to partially collapse during the construction of the monstrous POP-up @42 W street NW. 

The plans for 67 V street NW POP-up are similar to 42W and would not be allowed under the new regulations that became effective last week. DCRA issued the permit one week before the new regulations became effective despite a number of technically substantiated and noted construction and zoning code violations. A request for Review pursuant to 12-A DCMR § 112  has been submitted to DCRA.

There is also unclarity regarding the name on the permit, the permit lists Clifford A Lanham but they moved to Portland last December and are not involved in this project. 

See this tweet from another neighbor: 

Susan Seutter‏@SusanTSeutter

Someone returned to #67VSt this afternoon, removed stop work order & red danger tape & put up no trespassing signs?!

9:07 PM - 28 Jun 2015

Open Houses in and around Bloomingdale scheduled for 06/28/2015

42 W St NW Penthouse open 6/28 2-4pm Priced at $759,000.

The featured property is located at 42 W St NW, Unit 3 and is open Sunday from 2pm to 4pm.  The listing is represented by Carline Moraes with Independent Realty, Inc.  You can find more information in the link below.

The list of open houses scheduled for Sunday in and around Bloomingdale can be seen here.  The same info can be seen in a map format here.

*Agents, to have your open houses included in this weekly post, please have them tagged in MRIS by 10am on Friday.  If you don't see your open house in the links, feel free to add in the comments.  Also, if you would like your open to be featured with a picture for this post, please e-mail suzanne at 10 square team dot com by 10am on Friday before the open.

The Art of Adrink from A Drink With Friends -- today at the Washington Firehouse Restaurant

Back again!

Adrinkwithfriends presents…

Sunday,

June 28th, 2015

4pm-6pm
    

The Art of Adrink…

Bobby, Buck! and Dave play host to five of the Districts best bartenders spending a Sunday afternoon teaching, creating and inebriating those daring enough to embark on an intoxicating expedition of taste and sound. Each bartender has taken the time to produce a unique drink recipe that will please the palette, by treating your glass as if it were a canvas. These aren’t your usual drinks. Be prepared to see and learn something new, witness something classic and be apart of something that your friends will envy you for.
               

Bartenders include:

Phillip Anova of Mandu

Torrence Swain of Farmers, Fishers and Bakers

Sam Schmidt of Hank’s Oyster Bar

Donnavon Lalputan of Hank's Oyter Bar

Ashley McPherson of Old Engine 12 Restaurant

w/ Sonny Cheeba mixing records, not drinks.
         

Details: 

Each guest will take part in 5 lessons, receive 5 recipes, take home one Adrinkwithfriends 3oz shot glass while noshing on hors d’oeuvres provided courtesy of Old Engine 12, our host restaurant.   
    

Price:

...Early Friends $40

General Admission $65
       

**Limited Seats Available**

Enough time after your brunch settles and more than enough time to sober up before the reality of a new work week. Make sure to join us from 4pm-6pm and If the party gets good…well we’ll just have to see.

look like the Friends of McMillan Park sidewalk sale is today, Sunday, 06-28-2015

From the group's Facebook page:

Sidewalk Benefit: Big Sale for a Big Legal Fight

,

Today at 10:00am - 7:00pm

Dupont Italian Kitchen

1637 17th St, Washington

Invited by Larry Chang

Created for Friends of McMillan Park

The Friends of McMillan Park (FOMP) Sidewalk Benefit Sale to be held on the patio of The Dupont Italian Kitchen this coming Saturday the 27th of June (rain date: June 28) from 10am until 7pm, is shaping-up to be a tremendous event with over 300 items for sale from 40 donors. 

A wide array of everyday items such as appliances, coffee table books, furniture, and dinnerware will be for sale. FOMP is also very excited to offer more desirable items and services such as: an antique Turkish Kelim rug, wrought iron decorated gates suspected of having been designed by Samuel Yellin, antique Chinese artifacts, a 19th Century mahogany and gilt cornucopia mirror, the services of a local artist who will paint a portrait of your beloved dog or human in acrylic, an Albert Einstein impersonator to entertain your party or another event, a professional-run tour of the city for 8 people, a licensed wedding practitioner who will conduct your wedding ceremony, and a professional facial massage at one of DC’s finest hotels.

“This legal battle we are trying to fund is not just against a poorly conceived development plan for an historic place that deserves preservation,” says Debby Hanrahan, an FOMP supporter and a Ward 2 resident, “but also a battle against a lack of transparency and the overall disregard for the voices of 7,600 DC residents who’ve made themselves clear on wanting something better for the future of this 25-acre green space. In fact, The D.C. Open Government Coalition filed an amicus curiae brief on April 27, asking the D.C. Court of Appeals to release records previously FOIA-ed by FOMP member Kirby Vining related to the pending development of McMillan Park, but was denied release. Apparently, transparency on how this McMillan deal was formed was and is not a priority for the District.”

All proceeds from the Sidewalk Benefit Sale will go towards FOMP’s legal fight with the District and its chosen developer for the historic McMillan Sand Filtration Site, Vision McMillan Partners. The subdivision of the site for the proposed development plan is presently under review by the Mayor’s Agent for Historic Preservation. Separately, the Council will debate the Budget Support Act on June 30th and we have pressed the Council to include language restricting the use of the Mayor’s requested funds to demolish the site until after the courts have ruled on whether or not this plan is legal. Regardless of the outcome, FOMP will push forward with litigation against the City in a number of separate cases. 

Those who cannot attend the Sidewalk Benefit but would like to contribute to the legal fight are invited to donate to FOMP athttps://www.crowdrise.com/savemcmillanpark.

CONTACT: Kirby Vining, restoremcmillan@gmail.com, 202-213-2690

car broken into on Friday night, 06-26-2015, on the unit block of Randolph Place NW

See this 06-27-2015 message from a resident on the unit block of Randolph Place NW:

 

Just FYI, my friends' car was broken into last night in front of a houses on the unit block of Randolph Place, N.W.  They rummaged thru everything, made a mess, and left the interior exposed to the elements. (Nothing of value had been left in plain sight when it was parked.)

North Capitol Main Street grant deadline has been extended -- to Friday, July 10, 2015

See this 06-26-2015 message from North Capitol Main Street Executive Director Demetris Cheatham:

The deadline for the North Capitol Main Street grant program has been extended.

The new deadline is Friday, July 10, 2015. 

See the grant application below.

2014 -2015 North Capitol Main Street Grant Application deadline extended to 2015 07 10 by Scott Roberts

final copy of the North Capitol Main Street 2014 Annual Report now available

See this 06-26-2015 message from Demetris Cheatham, Executive Director of North Capitol Main Street:

Attached is the final copy of the 2014 North Capitol Main Street annual report.
                  

NCMS Annual Report 2015 06 by Scott Roberts

here are the final DC zoning R-4 pop-up regulations

See these tweets from Washington Business Journal reporter Michael Neibauer:

Michael Neibauer ‏@WBJNeibs  3h3 hours ago

I'm told the new zoning regs limiting pop-ups and conversions in the R-4 District are essentially in place now. Register has yet to post.

Michael Neibauer ‏@WBJNeibs  3h3 hours ago

DCRA has updated its FAQ on the new rules, to include info on vesting, that is, whether a project is governed by pre or post 6/26 regs.

Michael Neibauer ‏@WBJNeibs  3h3 hours ago

Here's the link to DCRA's FAQ on new zoning regulations... http://dcra.dc.gov/page/faqs-how-zoning-commissions-vote-case-14-11-affects-permits-and-permit-applications …

4:04 PM - 26 Jun 2015 ·

                                                                                                                                                                   

Michael Neibauer ‏@WBJNeibs  3h3 hours ago

Key from FAQ: Projects submitted to the BZA, CFA or HPRB prior to today, 6/26, will be governed by old zoning regulations.

4:09 PM - 26 Jun 2015 

Bloomingdame ‏@bloomingdame  3h3 hours ago

DCR Issue: VOL.62 - NO.27, DC Regulations http://www.dcregs.dc.gov/Gateway/IssueHome.aspx?IssueId=553 …

4:18 PM - 26 Jun 2015

Helder Gil ‏@hgil  3h3 hours ago

Hot off the presses! Zoning Commission final regs on popups: http://www.dcregs.dc.gov/Notice/DownLoad.aspx?NoticeID=5522227 …

Helder Gil ‏@hgil  53m53 minutes ago

Zoning Commission issues final regs on new rules for popup construction projects in R-4 zones: http://www.dcregs.dc.gov/Notice/DownLoad.aspx?NoticeID=5522227 …