A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.
Historic Preservation vs. Parking vs. Capitalism: “I wanted to alert neighbors to the fact that the beautiful old house next to the firehouse on Lanier Place is threatened with demolition. This beautiful detached house is the oldest house in Lanier Heights and was built in 1884. It has been vacant for some time since the last owner passed away. The current owner of the house has pulled two dumpsters up next to the house and has a crew bringing debris out of it,” alerts a member of the Adams Morgan email list. Apparently, “about a year ago a number of neighbors made contributions to the DC Preservation League to have the house listed as a historic landmark. The current owner told a neighbor that she has hired an attorney to fight the historic designation. She wants to demolish the house and build a multi-unit apartment building on the site.” Though the poster admits “demolition of this historic house would be a huge loss for the neighborhood,” the email concludes with the following: “Parking on Lanier Heights is already difficult, so imagine if 19 units were built on that property.”
Granulated: Of their 22-month old son, a member of the Brookland Kids email list writes, “So far I’ve satisfied him with small piles of brown sugar and instant coffee. Where does one find sand cheaply?” But that’s not the only concern: “Also, I’ve seen the play sand tables on various toy website and catalogues, and wondering if I should get one. Just that it’s ANOTHER large toy. Would love thoughts.”
The Safest Dog Walker: A member of the Crestwood email list advertises, “I have posted to this group before and just wanted to offer my services. I am a professional dog walker insured and trained in dog First Aid/CPR.” This particularly qualified dog walker commands “$16 per half hour walk,” with the added bonus of only walking “3 dogs at any one time.” The posting continues, “I tailor my services to your dog’s needs. I own Elliott, the 6 month old black, beagle/yorkie mix – you might have seen us out walking!”
Chevy Chase Problems: A long weekend didn’t slow down posting on the Chevy Chase email list. A bevy of topics arose on the discussion board; some emails addressed the following: “for sale: fencing equipment—mask, clothes,” “want to buy linens nearby,” “need advice on digging outside French drain,” “need lawn re-seeded, fertilized,” “selling Allen Custom Frame LivingSocial deal,” “free chair in alley,” “found: Springer dog, no tags,” “seeking update on Fios service quality,” “need paper mâché repair,” “seeking non-skid coverings to help dog on slippery floors,” and “fake blueberries in food.”