A regular summary of irregular news and notes from neighborhood blogs and email lists around the District.
These Tulips Are Not For You: Inspired by a sign on a neighbor’s garden asking passerby not to pick the flowers, Park View D.C. ponders whether guerilla floristry is becoming endemic: “Has anyone else had a problem with passersby helping themselves to the flowers in their garden?” One commenter believes so, writing, “My poor wife is so discouraged that someone keeps snipping her tulips on the 3600 block of Park Place. She keeps adding, they keep helping themselves. I’d love to catch them in the act.”
Domestic Issues: River East Idealist reports that the issues surrounding the Brandywine Crossing Condominiums in Washington Highlands—whose property management company allegedly stole $100,000 from the condo association—are only getting worse: “There are 3 pressing issues affecting my condo association: the vacant building across the street, stolen funds by Esquire Federal City, and now structural problems (falling ceilings and mold).” Congress Heights on the Rise goes long on when bad developers happen to good people.
Apparently, Only Old People Drive—Ever: The debate over whether the forthcoming Babe’s Billiards redevelopment will have parking—and whether Tenleytown residents will be severely effected if there isn’t a lot—is still raging. It’s also swiftly devolved into a muddled argument for and against aging in place. One residents writes in favor of the development, saying “Yes, the Babe’s redevelopment will almost certainly have a negative impact on my parking situation on 42nd Street. I’ll end up having to walk a little bit further from my car to my house when I come home from work. Is that the end of the world? The benefits of a brand new development on that corner, with all it can do for quality of life and property values in this neighborhood, FAR outweigh the minor inconvenience of an extra half-block walk.” But another thinks that the lack of a parking lot is a direct hit to older residents in the neighborhood and ties less on-street parking to quality of life: “No question — poor parking means a neighborhood that is going to have much younger demographics than a neighborhood with adequate parking…Is it to be our position that no elderly people should continue to live near the Tenleytown Metro, no matter what the area was like when they bought their homes years ago? Is it to be DC policy that the elderly have no business living in a young persons haven?”
Give and Take: One member of the Takoma email list asks, “Does anyone know where I could purchase a stack of clean newsprint paper?” The only suggestion offered is, “How much? The art supply stores have newsprint pads. You might call Pearl Paint on Rockville Pike and ask. They might have large packs. Otherwise Google.” But were they looking for dirt, they’d be in luck. Another list member offers, “We’re renovation our house near Walter Reed and will have about 15 cubic yards of dirt to remove. Anybody need any fill dirt?”