These owners say the area is generally safe with increased police presence during the crime uptick.

“14th Street is getting a little tough at night, late nights,” Lupo Pizzeria owner Med Lahlou said. “[Police hanging around] are trying to clean up the mess that’s happening late at night.”

Three women in their early twenties were after midnight Sept. 10 at 14th and U streets for burglary, resisting arrest and fleeing from law enforcement, according to Metropolitan police. A Commonwealth employee said the streetwear brand is not commenting on the incident.

The burgled store is part of a quarter-square-mile section of D.C. — bordered by W and 16th streets to the north and west and ending near S and 9th streets to the south and east — that has had 21 burglaries in the last year, the highest out of any quarter-square-mile area in the District, according to a by the Metropolitan Police Department. Over the last year, the average number of burglaries in a quarter-square-mile area in D.C. is 3.7.Ěý

Kristi Maiselman, executive director of CulturalDC, said she finds the burglary concerning since it’s on the same block as the organization’s headquarters and performance venue, Source Theatre.

“Wąđ certainly took more precautions and let all of our resident organizations and tenants know to be sure that they’re making sure all the internal doors are locked when they’re leaving for the day,” Maiselman said.

Businesses on 14th Street have different theft-prevention measures. CulturalDC has monitored security and external cameras. Lou Lou Boutique’s metal detector is positioned at the front doors. Yoga District encourages its students to keep their belongings near them during class. Georgetown Optician and CityPaws Animal Hospital have security gates. Som Records and Ron the Barber are at ease with just locking their doors at night — but Som Records has a sign on the door saying staff reports suspicious people and activity to law enforcement.

“I think if there were additional incidents, then we would certainly have to look at whether or not additional security during events was warranted,” Maiselman said. “But given the timing of some of the events, you know it’s not happening right now during daylight business hours, which is good, but certainly that can change.”

Maiselman’s main concern is how the crime affects the public’s desire to attend shows in the area.

“Wąđ’ve been struggling to get people back to the theater at rates that are on par with before the pandemic, and so all of these events, all of this crime, gives our patrons more reason to not want to come and to not feel safe in what otherwise has been a very safe community for a very long period of time,” she said.

Retired security consultant Chris McGoey, who was qualified to testify as an expert in state and federal courts for 40 years, describes stores as “boxes” with doors and windows. Typical security measures, he said, include locks, nightlights and burglar alarms.

“That’s the way it’s always been, and that always seemed to be enough,” McGoey said. “Now it doesn’t. It doesn’t seem to be enough because the perpetrators in these sprees will force entry into the business.”

He suggests business owners buy good insurance and fortify storefronts with plexiglass, commercial doors, high-tech alarms and video systems.Ěý

“What [a burglarized business] was doing before, it didn’t work,” McGoey said. “Just making repairs and bringing it up to the same level, you really haven’t changed anything. A similar method could occur to you again; you could become a victim again.”

Abigail Koller, manager of Lou Lou Boutique, said increased communication between 14th Street businesses would help each other to stay informed to prevent repeat offenses.

“[I’d like] if all the stores on the street could come together on some form of forum or website and be like, ‘Hey, this person has been going from here to here,’” Koller said.

Maiselman said 14th Street retailers work closely with the Logan Circle Main Street Group.

“[Crime] is something that certainly everybody’s concerned about, and everybody is willing to participate and do what’s necessary to make sure that our patrons [feel safe],” Maiselman said. “It’s been hard enough for everybody since the pandemic, and we don’t need one more reason for people to not want to come out.”

Lahlou said his pizzeria hasn’t had any burglaries or security threats in its four years on 14th Street but remains cautious.

“You’ve always got to be careful, always watch your back,” Lahlou said. “You never know.”

The post 14th Street business security measures remain intact after neighboring burglary first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

Vendors welcome the bills, introduced by Ward 1 Councilmember Brianne Nadeau, but say they hope the effort doesn’t stop there. These vendors say they need a path toward a license.

The smell of fresh empanadas, the loud music from temporary stands, and the call to buy coconuts or papaya are impossible to ignore when exiting the Columbia Heights Metro station. Street vendors became part of the neighborhood’s landscape through the years, and two bills could make them permanent.Ěý

The full council will hold a public hearing on both bills Nov. 16 to hear the voices of anyone interested in these bills.Ěý

Under current law, street vendors may not sell on the sidewalks without a license or a permit. They face a maximum of 90 days in prison and a $500 fine if they do not comply with the license requirements.Ěý

would decriminalize unlicensed street vendors in D.C. and remove criminal penalties for violating vending regulations.Ěý

“Decriminalization is a lazy legislation,” said Matt Geller, the founding president of the National Food Truck Association. “What we need is a pathway to permits.”Ěý

He said that decriminalization doesn’t change anything except helping unlicensed vendors avoid being arrested. However, he acknowledged that a bill to give street vendors the possibility to get permits is complicated and challenging, as several agencies would need to find a middle ground.Ěý

“Wąđ need a license to sell without worries,” said Miguel Perez, a street vendor on 14th Street. “When the cops come to the corner, everyone runs, and for me this is not right.” Although he is retired, the money he receives is not enough to survive. Perez said he sells to pay his $1,800 rent and to cover the expenses of his disabled wife.

“With a license, we would be happy,” he said.Ěý

Nadeau also introduced a companion bill, . The bill would create two types of licenses, an individual and a vending zone manager license, according to Nadeau’s Ěý

Both bills would allow for a managed vending zone in Columbia Heights, which would ensure everyone could enjoy the offerings of the vendors while still being able to access the sidewalks and other businesses along 14th Street, the councilwoman said in an email. She agreed that this bill would be a pathway to permits.Ěý

14th Street is known to be the heart of Columbia Heights and a place with various street vendors. Because many are not registered, a precise number of street vendors is not available.Ěý

An incident in 2019 led Nadeau to introduce the two bills. A 10- and 15-year-old were confronted by the police at 14th Street, leaving one of them injured. A video became viral and revived the debates around decriminalization and vending permits. These bills would prevent negative police encounters, Nadeau said in

“Because of that, I stopped selling for a while,” said Salvador-born Maria Cruz. “It scares me to fall into the immigration because I don’t want it in my record.”

Cruz said wakes up every morning at 1 a.m and prepares food based on yucca, platanus, corn, and packs up fruits such as melon, papaya, and mango. She also said she supports more vital legislation for street vendors, and these new bills could be a start.

“Wąđ need formality,” said Chris Rodriguez, who sells Argentinian empanadas. “Some stands are big and others smaller, we need to be all equal.” He said he has been selling every Friday and Saturday for four years at 14th Street. He is not afraid of the police, he said, and he will just follow what the mayor decides.Ěý

Both bills still have a long way to go. After the public hearing this November, they have to go through a final reading, mayoral review, and a congressional review to end up, maybe, as a law.

The post D.C. Council considering bills to decriminalize street vending, set up zone in Columbia Heights first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

These owners know that one themed month is not enough to compensate for the losses caused by COVID-19. But, the month is just one of many ways they hope to bring in new business.

Hispanic Heritage Month started on Sept. 15 and will last until Oct. 15. This is a month to celebrate and recognize Hispanic culture and history. And it comes at a great time, as Hispanic-owned businesses are still trying to recover from the impact of COVID-19.

“COVID-19 slowed everything down. We didn’t close, but we changed our hours. We used to open the whole day, now we just open in the evening,” said operations manager William Martinez of Tequila and Mezcal, a Mexican and Salvadoran family-owned bar and restaurant in Columbia Heights, in D.C.’s Ward 1.

It’s hard to say if it will go back to normal, but Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity to bring in new customers after the COVID-19 loss, Martinez said. “There is a new wave of customers to show support during the Hispanic Heritage Month.”

The U.S. government started the Paycheck Protection Program in April 2020 to help small businesses pay their employees, said Walda Yon, a chief executive at the Latino Economic Development Center. LEDC also started loan programs to help Latino businesses pay their rent, she said. However, only 3% of Latino business owners had access to total funding through PPP, compared to 7% for white owners, according to a study by Marlene Orozco and Inara Suman Taraque.

“Clients were not here. They simply went back home,” said Yon.

And Columbia Heights was not spared. The neighborhood is the heart of the Spanish-speaking Latin American population in D.C., with 22% of residents identifying as Hispanics, which is the highest number in the city, according to US Census Bureau figures. District Bridges, a nonprofit organization that aims to help businesses in a large portion of Northwest D.C. to thrive, said that Columbia Heights had the largest number of Hispanic restaurants in Ward 1, with 13 different options.

“I wish I could do more,” said Amanda Monaco, Main Street manager of Columbia Heights and Mount Pleasant for District Bridges, about Hispanic Heritage Month.

She helps Latino business owners to develop their businesses.

This ranges from helping fill out government documents to advising them on how to promote their businesses. This summer, the group launched workshops on how to create promotional websites. In the next few months, District Bridges will keep on reaching out to Latino business owners to ask them what they need, she said.

So far, Hispanic Heritage Month hasn’t changed the number of customers visiting Mi Casita Bakery and Deli, explained Brigitte Galicia, the restaurant’s cashier. Customers have passionate conversations in Spanish on the restaurant’s terrace at the corner of a street.

“Wąđ welcome everyone, Black, white, Hispanics,” said Deisi Aleman, a Honduran employee of La CabaĂąa Restaurante at Columbia Heights.

The Mexican-Salvadoran restaurant skipped over Hispanic Heritage Month, as it already painted its windows with Halloween themes. Aleman said there will be “a big happy hour” during the weekend of Halloween. Tex-Mex fajitas, pollo con tajadas and margaritas are very popular and are expected to be widely served during Halloween, she said.

After Halloween, the neighborhood will have another event to attract visitors. Small business owners are encouraged to decorate their stores as Columbia Heights’ Main Street will be part of D.C. Holiday Lights from Nov. 18 to Jan. 8. District Bridges’ Monaco hopes that it will promote the businesses of Columbia Heights outside Ward 1.

The post Columbia Heights Latino restaurants struggle to benefit from Hispanic Heritage Month first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

The robbery occurred in the Northwest neighborhood of Columbia Heights on the 3400 block of 14th Street NW, where the popular shopping district intersects Meridian Place. Suspects fled the scene before police arrived.

The DC Metropolitan Police Department tweeted about the incident earlier this evening. Police are now looking for four masked suspects — three males and one female — all wearing dark clothes.

ALERT: Armed robbery in the 3400 block of 14th Street NW,

LOOKOUT: Three males and one female, all masked, all wearing all dark clothing, one armed with a black handgun with an extended magazine.

DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911

— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept)

One of the suspects was armed with a handgun with an extended magazine attached to it, police said. The District that carry over 10 rounds.

Police first received the call around 4:04 P.M., according to MPD Public Information Officer Sean Hickman.

“This is an active and open investigation,” Hickman said in an email.

According to police on the scene, no persons involved were injured, and EMS was not called.

MPD seeks the public’s assistance in identifying suspects in reference to an Armed Robbery (Gun) of an Establishment offense that occurred on 12/9/21, in the 3400 block of 14th St., Northwest.

Have info? Call (202) 727-9099/text 50411

Release:

— DC Police Department (@DCPoliceDept)

The owner of Mobile X, Thomas, who asked only his first name be used, was the only employee inside of Mobile X at the time of the robbery.

Thomas told 91ÇŃ×Ó he’s feeling “not so great.” Of the merchandise stolen, he said the robbers took 1,000 dollars and some iPhones.

Violent crime in Columbia Heights: ‘Another night, another robbery’

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Thursday that the District would and intervention efforts within three communities across the District. In a press release, she said this involves distributing overĚý $1.1 million in grants in response to the increase in gun violence and the number of homicides in the District, which hit an 18-year high this month.

Columbia Heights has experienced a slew of crimes involving firearms in the past month. On Monday evening, were fired on Fairmont Ave, according to WUSA9. 91ÇŃ×Ó reported bullets were fired towards a train at the Columbia Heights metro station on Tuesday.Ěý

One passerby saw police outside the business and muttered to himself, “another night, another robbery” as he entered the door to his apartment, which sits adjacent to Mobile X.

Saul, who didn’t want to use his last name, runs an HVAC shop downstairs from Mobile X. Notified of the armed robbery at the phone store, he came to help inspect the security cameras of the premises, only to learn that one was ripped off of the front of the store.

To his dismay, Saul said he went looking for another camera for his place only yesterday, which he said he might install tomorrow. Still, he said he’s gone to great lengths to ensure his business’ security.

“Before they break into my place, it will take at least a half-hour with a power tool because I know what I have,” Saul said.

Saul arrived in D.C. in 1989 when he was 16. From his time living in the District, Saul said in D.C. it helps to have eyes on both sides of one’s head.

Next-door neighbors living in a renovated condo called Columbia Heights a “transitioning neighborhood” and said crimes like this come with the territory. They requested the Wash not use their names, and declined to have their first names used.

They said they were home at the time, but didn’t hear anything when the crime occurred. The neighbors added that Police looked at the neighbors’ security cameras, but were unable to catch the suspects on film.

“Still, we don’t regret living here,” one neighbor said.Ěý

The post Armed robbery on 14th Street in Columbia Heights first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

Police responded around 7:20 p.m. to the incident at the intersection of 14th Street NW and Irving Street NW. Officers confirmed at the scene that there was a shooting but could disclose no further details.Ěý

Sherri Ly, a WMATA spokesperson, said in a statement to 91ÇŃ×Ó that the person fired a gun from the station platform toward the train. No suspect or victim has been found as of Thursday morning.Ěý

TheĚýGreen line train traveled south before stopping at Mt. Vernon Square Metro station. Following the incident, Columbia Heights closed both its Green and Yellow lines for nearly three hours. Police guarded the gate.

Metro trains bypassed the station, and WMATA brought in shuttle buses as an alternative transportation method. Regularly scheduled Metrobuses continued operating in the area.

This incident marks the second shooting at the station in the past two weeks.ĚýA 19-year-old was possibly shot in the leg at the station on Nov. 29, as reported by last month.

Police are still looking for two people who may be involved with Wednesday’s shooting as well as someone in connection with last month’s shooting. They encourage anyone with information to contact the MTPD tip line.

MTPD seeking to identify this individual in connection w/shooting on board Green Line train at Columbia Heights 11/29. DC Crime Solvers offering reward up to $1,000 for info leading to an arrest and/or indictment. CALL 1-844-MTPDTIP (687-3847) OR EMAIL MTPDTIPS1@wmata.com

— Metro Transit Police (@MetroTransitPD)

Columbia Heights residents said they are concerned about recent crime in the area.

“It’s happened before, so I don’t think I’d say I’m surprised,” James Davis, who lives a 10-minute walk from the station, said in response to Wednesday’s shooting. “The area has never been my favorite just because there’s a lot of people and a lot going on.”

But as someone who relies on this Metro stop to access the city, Davis said he plans to continue using it while staying vigilant of his surroundings.Ěý

At the scene, people seemed concerned about the incident and inconvenienced by the station closure. One woman was on her way home from running errands at Giant Food, located one block north of the station, when she learned of the shooting.

“I’m really upset,” said Melissa, a D.C. resident who asked we withhold her last name. “It’s going to be hard to get home now in the dark in a dangerous neighborhood.”Ěý

, a public resource tracking gun incidents around the country, found that both fatal and nonfatal shootings were up in D.C. from January to October of this year. There were nearly 100 more shootings during those months compared to the same period last year.

WMATA encourages Metro users to call Metro Transit Police at (202) 962-2121 if they notice any suspicious activity aboard trains or at stations.Ěý

“If they see something, say something,” Ly, WMATA spokesperson, said in an interview. “They should contact MTPD.”

She also encourages people to use its text message service. Texting tips to “MyMTPD” alerts Metro police communications.Ěý

“You can also reach out or contact a station manager or employee,” she added.

This investigation continues to develop, as police search for suspects, possible victims and others involved.Ěý

The post Person fires gun toward train at Columbia Heights Metro station first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

Omicron has now been , with three cases identified in the greater Washington area of Maryland. No positive cases of Omicron have yet been identified in the District.

DC Mayor Muriel Bowser dropped the District’s mask mandate earlier in November — one week before the World Health Organization recognized Omicron as a variant of concern. This week, news of Omicron creeping closer to D.C., combined with an due to COVID-19 this past month, has now prompted the mayor’s office to re-issue an indoor mask ‘recommendation.’

According to the CDC, the COVID-19 Omicron variant than the orginial COVID-19 virus, although more research is needed to understand if Omicron will cause more severe illness. While vaccines are expected to protect people from high risk side effects, hospitalization, and death, are expected to occur.

In the wake of Omicron, restaurants enforce mask wearing

91ÇŃ×Ó spoke with representatives from Busboys and Poets, Alero, Ben’s Chili Bowl, and The Smith about how restaurants are grappling news of the new variant, and the new D.C. mask ‘recommendation’.Ěý

As for the reason that D.C. doesn’t have a mask mandate right now — “I don’t really know why,” said Al Em, the manager of Busboys and Poets on 14th St. NW.Ěý

In the wake of Omicron, Em said Busboys and Poets is taking mask-wearing seriously, regardless of whether there’s a mandate to wear a mask indoors. To get booked into the rota, all employees are required to wear a mask on their nose and mouth at all times and also receive complete dosages of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Wąđ’re just doing our part though,” said Em. For a company with more than 100 employees spread across its chain, “we are one of the few companies that does not have a lot of cases. As far as I know, there’s been no COVID exposed within Busboys and Poets.”

One block east of Busboys and Poets, upbeat music and colorful banners signal U St.’s popular Mexican restaurant Alero. Manager of Alero Julieta Hernandez said that the mayor’s mixed messaging as to whether or not masks should be worn places a safety stressor on restaurant staff.ĚýĚý

“Personally, I’m more worried because we don’t know what’s going to happen with Omicron, so it can be more difficult now,” said Hernandez.

With the inevitable first Omicron case awaiting D.C., Hernandez said decisive measures would put the Alero staff more at ease. “For me, I’d prefer it to be mandatory mask,” she said.Ěý

Safety as a priority — ‘Thank you for your cooperation!’

Ruth Palacios, a hostess from U St. restaurant The Smith, reiterated this sentiment. Even though the D.C. law is not requiring patrons to wear a mask, The Smith is self-enforcing a mask mandate for all people who enter the restaurant.Ěý

At The Smith, “Wąđ always are supposed to have safety as a priority — safety to our customers, because we don’t want any customer to get sick,” said Palacios.Ěý

Outside of the District’s famous Ben’s Chili Bowl, a piece of paper triple-taped to the glass door reads: ‘Masks must be worn inside at all times unless you are seated dining. Thank you for your cooperation!”

Owner and Manager of Ben’s Chili Bowl Vida Ali said that while the pandemic was difficult for business, first and foremost, her priority was to protect the safety of the restaurant’s team members and their guests.Ěý

“Wąđ definitely still ask the team to wear a mask, and we ask the guests to wear a mask,” Ali said.Ěý

It’s no surprise that the mayor’s guidelines have changed over time correlating with varying incidence rates of COVID-19, said Ali. But, regardless of the COVID-19 status in the city and messaging from the D.C. Department of Health, the restaurants’ philosophy for Omicron has definitively stayed the same as before — masks required.Ěý

“It’s just making everyone as comfortable and as safe as possible,” she said.Ěý

The post How U Street restaurants are preparing for Omicron in DC first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

The U St. Corridor and 14th St. are home to Hamiltonian Artists, Transformer, and Foundry Gallery — modernist spaces that dissolve the barrier to entry for emerging artists. In comparison to the blue-chip galleries commonly found in New York, these organizations place a greater emphasis on promoting the work of local artists.ĚýĚý

The Hamiltonian’s core focus is to engage the D.C. community with artists based in the region, with lesser importance placed on the market and financials, said HamiltonianĚýAdministrator Jonathan Bella. While government support for local galleries certainly exists in D.C., barriers to financing are pervasive, he said.

“It’s strange because D.C. has some of the best museums in the world — the whole Smithsonian Institution the Hirshhorn Museum, the National Gallery of Art — all of these institutions in D.C., and then you have local spaces that are struggling.”

This past year, the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) pledged to redistribute funds through its grant program to the District’s more intimate art spaces to promote inclusivity in the art world. In August, the CAH granted out of its $16.5 million budget to a greater proportion of smaller art groups in D.C., 91ÇŃ×Óington Post reported.Ěý

The Foundry Gallery has taken full advantage of CAH’s grant program. Foundry’s show Moment of Interrogation wrapped up on Sunday, and member Gregory O’Hanlon views CAH’s grants as a pivotal financial addition that enables the gallery to host experiential art in a post-pandemic environment.

O’Hanlon contends that the CAH has been supportive of Foundry and smaller gallery spaces in the District.Ěý“The pandemic funding was more widespread and to a broader range of art spaces than prior,” he says.

During the height of the pandemic, exhibition spaceĚýTransformer took an innovative approach to assist local artists from the financial sticker shock that rippled across the art industry in 2020. The gallery held an auction to support local artists in D.C.; the funds collected were then released to artists in the form of $500 grants.

MichaelAngelo Rodriguez is a District-based multimedia artist and photographer who applied for the grant. Rodriguez’s first solo exhibition — Otro Tiempo — closed at Transformer last week. Produced over a four-year period, the show features a tranquil amalgam of photo and video work taken from the perspective of a car.Ěý

Each piece in Otro Tiempo captures a unique depth of feeling experienced during a single moment in time. This nostalgia is particularly emphasized inĚý“The Sky Through the Trees,” a multimedia piece that glides through a continuous foreground of leaves and filtered sunlight.ĚýRodriguez views this work as the anchor piece of the exhibition because “there’s something so soothing and really meditative about passing through the trees.”

Group-show Empirical Evidence, housed at the Hamiltonian Gallery on U St., channels similar themes to Rodriguez’s work, except with a more climate-oriented angle. The exhibition calls for a communal response to the humans’ interaction with the environment, Bella said.Ěý

The diverse perspectives brought to Empirical Evidence demonstrate how individual thought, in collective space, can challenge living systems. In the exhibition, post-pandemic human interaction and individual relationships with the environment are presented in painting, sculpture, video, illustration and screen printing. Ultimately, the showĚýpoints towards the artists’ conceptualization of nature, climate change, and life forms not typically perceptible in everyday lives.Ěý

Moment of Interrogation is the pandemic brainchild of D.C. artist Courtney Adair Applequist, whose study of breath as a meditative and cathartic practice bore a collection of work that reflects her mulled contemplations with Ěýthe ‘-isms’ of society Ěý— sexism, colonialism, and consumerism. Adair Applequist’s relationship with these constructs resulted in a series of paintings, illustrations, and prints that challenge her self-perceptions as an artist creating work in the age of COVID-19.

Collectively, the works presented in Otro Tiempo, Empirical Evidence, and Moment of Interrogation conceptualize what it means to live in a post-pandemic atmosphere, emphasize the ever-changing essence of human connection, and call for a moment to pause and reflect.Ěý

91ÇŃ×Ó reached out to CAH to hear more about funding opportunities for local artists creating in the DMV, but never heard back. From their website, the CAH offered for individuals and not-for-profit organizations to apply to this year, all of which are currently filled.Ěý

On a final note, Bella said that while the CAH funding programs are immensely useful to artists and non-profit organizations alike, the grants that the CAH offers are oftentimes correlated with wealth and education. In response to this problem, Hamiltonian Artists has begun offering workshops that aid local artists during the grant application processes, helping artists see their work to fruition.Ěý

The post DC creatives celebrate the importance of presence, reflection, and human connection first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

The neighborhood’s ANC group began looking into the fires – and taking preventative measures to ensure they don’t happen again – after receiving emails and Tweets from neighborhood residents, Amanda Farnan, ANC1B’s community chair, said.Ěý

Five dumpsters sit behind Busboys and Poets in a fairly hidden alleyway, and two of those dumpsters are unmarked, meaning they don’t belong to any of the nearby businesses. The fires occurred in April and September.Ěý

“The fires weren’t the fault of any company,” Farnan said. “It was just a vigilante or someone who wanted to set the fire.”

But the D.C. Fire Department, or DC FEMS, found no reason to investigate the fire, since nothing about its cause pointed to illegal activity, Vito Maggiolo, a public information officer, said Tuesday.Ěý

“There’s any number of reasons a dumpster fire can begin,” Maggiolo said. “Someone can throw a cigarette in there, or oily rags can self-ignite. Unless someone brings more information to our attention, we don’t take any further action.”

I asked DCRA to take care of this pile of garbage and dried Christmas trees two days ago. Today it caught fire.

— Shannon Sorensen (@shan_sor)

Sabel Harris, who lives in The Langston Lofts and can see the dumpsters from her windows, said the most recent fire occurred when a thrown-out couch was set ablaze. Harris is also for an ANC1B position in the upcoming election.

“The fire was huge,” Harris said, noting that the flames ripped bricks from the exterior of the apartment building.

The neighborhood’s response

In response to the chaos, ANC1B is garnering input from neighborhood residents, the Mayor’s Office, and nearby businesses to write up and send a letter to the Department of Public Works, or DPW, formally requesting two items: a camera – which they want DPW to monitor – to be installed in the alleyway overlooking the dumpsters, and a proactive cleaning of the area, Farnan said.Ěý

“The fires have been in an alley where dumpsters are out of the public eye, so activity isn’t being watched by pedestrians,” Farnan said. “If an MPD officer or DPW agent wanted to monitor the dumpsters, they would have to sit in the alley.”Ěý

On Sept. 29, the ANC led a community walk to bring government officials and residents together to discuss the fires and take preventative steps. Representatives from the Mayor’s Office, the Department of Health, DPW, and MPD attended, Farnan said.Ěý

Staff members from Busboys and Poets attended too, along with a few neighborhood residents, Farnan said. Andy Shallal, the owner of Busboys and Poets, did not respond to interview requests.Ěý

We are out analyzing the dumpsters & further hot spots for illegal dumping. Short and long term solutions are the topics of discussion.

On the walk: , , , , , , & more.

— ANC 1B (@ANC1B)

“The unmarked dumpsters … were marked for removal, so that is great and honestly something that wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t have that walk,” Farnan said. “Now, we have to follow up on that and make sure DPW actually removes them.”

DPW was unable to confirm this by the time of publication. An agency spokesperson said they would call 91ÇŃ×Ó by press time but never did.Ěý

Installing cameras

DPW installed a camera over the dumpster previously, Farnan said, but it’s not there anymore, and she doesn’t know why. The ANC recommended a new camera get installed, and Anthony Moore, a community specialist within the Mayor’s Office, pushed the idea to the DPW, Farnan said.

Moore directed 91ÇŃ×Ó to the mayor’s press office, which did not respond to interview requests.Ěý

There have been conversations within her apartment building’s homeowners association to install lights and cameras, but the installation process has not yet begun, Harris said.

Other businesses in the area discussed installing cameras, Farnan said, which would make the video footage private.Ěý

These businesses could even advocate to turn the poorly lit, drive-through space into restaurant seating, Harris said. She said she wants a bistro-style patio to fill the large area so U Street Wine and Beer can hold outdoor wine tastings out of the shop.

“Why wouldn’t we reimagine and reuse this space?” Harris said. “Most of it is being taken up by two overflowing dumpsters that are very hazardous because they’ve caused a fire and damaged a building already.”

The post U Street neighborhood calls on city to install cameras, lights in dumpster-filled alleyway first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

Among other questions, the survey asked for ideas regarding future designs of the space, how often residents came through the area, and the kinds of events that passersby attended.Ěý

Many residents and government offices see this location as one of the most important and critical intersections of the city, said Kevin Storm, the Office of Planning’s associate director of urban design.Ěý

The Office of Planning, or OP, is working to see how and the use of space intersect at the 14th & U Street Corridor, Storm said. The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, or DMPED, works along the OP to complete this project.Ěý

Storm highlighted the history and culture of the building, which is named after Frank D. Reeves, a lawyer and civil rights activist who fought to outlaw school segregation. Spontaneous protests, vigils, and cultural celebrations often pop up on the plaza outside of the Center, and the OP wants to accommodate for those events to happen with the city’s help.Ěý

“The OP is trying to infuse how people use the space in front of Reeves and how it contributes to public life and the success of public space in the district,” Storm said. “The intersection is a focal point of the city for celebrations and protests, and we have to take those factors into account.”

This survey – which accepted responses from Sept. 15 to Sept. 30 – was done entirely online to take precaution amid the coronavirus pandemic, Storm said.Ěý

In the past, the city has done mostly or entirely in person. Usually, 10 to 15 individuals from the OP will stand in the area and ask passersby about their use of the space, Storm said. For variety, questionnaires would be completed both morning and evening and on weekends and weekdays.Ěý

“The survey responses will require an asterisk since we’re not asking people who are at that intersection seven days a week coming by during rush hour. But we have to do something to understand the space,” said Robb Hudson, a commissioner for ANC1B, which includes the 14th & U Street intersection.Ěý

The survey’s responses

The survey received 4,447 responses, an “extremely high” number, Mekdy Alemayehu, the OP’s communications officer, said.Ěý

The results of the multiple-choice questions will be aggregated in a report. Answers to the open-ended questions will be analyzed and summarized generally, Alemayehu said. The report will be posted on the OP’s website in the next few weeks.

ANC1B partnered with DMPED to workshop the survey questions to get the best results, Hudson said. While the survey received a high number of responses, some users felt that its length could have hindered some residents from completing it.Ěý

“There were really good questions about space use, but they need to work on condensing the questions, so more people are incentivized to respond,” Clara McGinn, assistant manager of the 14&U Farmers’ Market, said. “The people who didn’t respond may have different points of view.”Ěý

The 14th&U Farmers’ Market operates on the plaza outside of the Reeves Center every Saturday morning from May to November. Some of its employees did not know about the survey until they were approached by 91ÇŃ×Ó. Others said that they enthusiastically it out when a market manager emailed it to them.

Many vendors told 91ÇŃ×Ó they want more garbage and recycling bins, as well as an always-open public restroom.

Next steps

Next, DMPED will release a request for proposal. This should be within the next month, Jessica Carroll, DMPED’s public affairs specialist, said.

DMPED will “” in choosing the organization that will take over the Reeves Center’s space, favoring organizations that are owned or controlled by individuals who are a “part of a socially disadvantaged population.”Ěý

The NAACP signed a in June to use the Reeves Center as its new national headquarters, though Hudson said this does not mean that the organization will definitely respond to the request.Ěý

“The NAACP is the exact type of business we want to have occupying that building,” Hudson said. “It’s the perfect match. A historic, perfect match.”Ěý

The NAACP did not respond to repeated attempts for comment.Ěý

The post U Street neighborhood awaiting final redevelopment plans first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.

“One time, I walked into the restaurant to see a naked person in our bathroom taking, basically, a bath,” Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets, said. “You can only feel embarrassed for them.”Ěý

The , a Washington-based advocacy organization, wants to install a 24/7, open-to-all public bathroom facility on the 14th & U Street Corridor.Ěý

If not for the coronavirus pandemic, the city would currently be installing two pilot facilities and implementing a program that incentivizes businesses to make their bathrooms public. But COVID-19 caused the project to get put on hold, said Marcy Bernbaum, an active member of the Coalition.Ěý

The DC Council unanimously passed the in December 2018. The Coalition’s research inspired this Act, Bernbaum said.Ěý

“The most obvious [location] is the corner of 14th & U, where the Reeves Center is,” Bernbaum said.Ěý

There are many homeless people, disabled people in need, pedestrians and vehicular traffic in the area, making it one of six locations that the Coalition identified to receive the pilot facility, Bernbaum said.

The Coalition – which has been advocating to make clean, safe public bathrooms available in needed areas in Washington since 2014 – has a list of strict criteria to search for neighborhoods in need of facilities, Bernbaum said. Among others, the includes good nighttime lighting, heavy traffic and, most importantly, no public restroom nearby.Ěý

But there are only always-open public bathrooms in Washington: at the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials.Ěý

The stand-alone restroom design would be inspired by from Oregon, the Coalition said in its report. Larger and heftier than a port-a-potty, the facility would be safe and easy to clean, Bernbaum said.Ěý

An ideal spot for the facility would be tucked inside a “courtyard-type space” in front of the Reeves Center, said Robin Shuster, director of the 14th&U Farmers’ Market.Ěý

“Who wants to see faces in the flower beds outside the Reeves Center? Or smell urine?” Shuster said. “This obviously wouldn’t just be for homeless people, but I think they’d be the most impacted by the facility.”Ěý

The Reeves Center’s undetermined future could throw a wrench in this plan, Shuster said, as residents don’t know if the building will be slightly renovated or completely demolished in coming years. The NAACP in June to use the Center as its new national headquarters, and Mayor Muriel Bowser said to expect demolition, Washingtonian .Ěý

Since the Corridor may undergo major construction in the near future, the Office of Planning is reimagining the space. The office recently began asking residents through an how they want the space – specifically the plaza in front of the Reeves Center – to be used.Ěý

“The survey didn’t ask people if they’d want a public bathroom on the plaza, but it should have,” Shuster said.

Next, Bowser will create a working group – which will consist of nine government agencies, three nonprofit organizations and an expert in city planning – to gather information and determine the best location for the facility. This will be done through meetings, public comment and a survey, said Keith A. Anderson, director of the Department of General Services.Ěý

Bernbaum anticipates this process beginning at the end of the month, she said.Ěý

“I’d advocate for 14th and U because I’m there all the time and know they’re in need of that facility,” Dan Winston, commissioner for ANC1B12, which includes 14th & U Street, said. “But I’d hate to advocate for something in exclusion with the rest of the city. We should be able to find the resources to create a more inclusive and accessible city.”Ěý

Some European cities – like and – have public bathrooms as part of their cities’ sanitation programs. Shuster, who lives in France for part of each year, said the self-sanitizing toilets make the city cleaner and more welcoming.Ěý

The pandemic makes this project more difficult, as sanitation and hygiene are one of the top concerns.Ěý

“I can’t imagine why 14th & U businesses would be opposed, but the key is going to be making sure the facility is maintained,” Shallal said. “It has to come with a full maintenance schedule and program. What business would prefer people urinating on their sidewalk as opposed to using a facility? And I’ve seen worse than urination.”Ěý

The Department of General Services will $270,000 for two stand-alone facilities and $64,000 to support custodial staff and maintenance costs. Funding will continue for five years once the project can begin, Bernbaum said.

Winston, Shuster and Shallal all said they don’t believe local businesses on the U Street Corridor are aware of the initiative and the Coalition’s push to bring a public restroom to their area. Shuster was unaware of the project until she was approached by 91ÇŃ×Ó for an interview.Ěý

There are two reasons why local businesses are in the dark about this project, Winston said: the location is still being considered, and the pandemic has made communication about neighborhood issues difficult.Ěý

“There’s a difference between walking into a store and saying ‘Hey, something’s happening, what do you think?’ and emailing someone to say ‘Hey, do you want to jump on a Zoom call with me to talk about this thing that may or may not happen?’” Winston said.Ěý

The post U Street area may receive an always-open public restroom first appeared on 91ÇŃ×Ó.