Upcoming Meetings: Shaw Main Streets and PSA 308
Shaw Main Streets is holding a community forum on Wednesday, Sept. 27 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at the Maya Angelou Charter School, 1851 9th Street, NW. All residents are welcome to attend. This is a good opportunity to find out about plans for the O Street Market project, Howard Theatre, and other neighborhood projects.
Also, on Saturday morning Sept. 30 from 10:00-12:00, Officer Tommy Barnes is holding a PSA 308 (our area) Summit--Partnership for Problem-Solving at the 3rd District Station, 1620 V Street NW. Full details are on the Mount Vernon Square blog here.
posted by DaddyFiveOh @ 7:34 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
What are residents going to do when the Giant is closed down for possibly two years during Roadside Development's reconstruction? The lines at Giant are long and frustrating enough. Transferring those crowds to Whole Foods, the new Safeway (whenever that opens) or to the Giant at the Tivoli (not 24hrs) or HomeDepot plaza is hardly going to make things better.
A lot of seniors (and I) who live nearby have come to depend on the easy access of the current store, we'll all be better served by the new Giant and all the new features, but 2 years is a heck of a long time to be hauling four+ bags of groceries from miles away every week.
Maybe there should be some incentive given to the current local convienence stores to improve their businesses and maybe lower their prices.
Ihe jungle GIANT will never close for two years or two months. That joint rakes in too much dough for them to close.
Could someone please give a quick recap for those of us who were unable to make it to the Shaw Main Streets meeting last night.
Peapod, man peapod. and I would argue that the "Jungle Giant" probably doesn't make that much money in its current form. compartively.
The last time I checked, in July, the O Street Market Giant made more money per square foot than any other Giant in DC. The Tivoli and Rhode Island Avenue Plaza (Brentwood) stores made more money overall, but less per square foot of store space.
Alexander M. Padro
Executive Director
Shaw Main Streets
I hope Alex will give us an update on Shaw Mainstreet's newest addition: the Shiloh Baptist Bed and Breakfast for vagrants, thieves and squatters on the west side of the 1500 Ninth Street block. Last night I photographed three men sleeping on the front stoops of the church's vacant properties. My neighbors are keeping a photo journal of the gents and stolen bikes going in and out of the back properties. A guy moved a TV in there this afternoon. Hope they remember this time to poop and set fires to keep warm in separate bathtubs. Shiloh, of course, knows nothing, does nothing. That's because they got their three million already for the two northernmost properties from the Feds. If the whole row goes up in flames due to "crack lightening", they can finally build their long desired parking garage. rm
Shiloh is a big contributor to the crime in this area. Their properties are not secured and only after a horrible crime will they be held accountable. Most of their member live out of town and take up all the parking. Their block of 9th St. is the worst and i feel sorry for the people who have to deal with the negative problems that church creates. AC
So, will they have a big celebration over at Shiloh when they succeed in running Vegetate out of business? Maybe somebody can open a nice liquor store or crackhouse there after Vegetate goes under because the suburbanites who go to Shiloh didn't want us to have a nice restaurant with a liquor licence in our neighborhood.
Re Charles' comment: I hope Vegetate isn't at risk of going under! Do you know if it's having difficulty?
I certainly hope Vegetate can hang on, but for a quality sit down restaurant to be profitable without being able to have that markup on wine is a pretty tall order. It's how restaurants make their money.
Why does Shiloh make their property so scary and ghetto looking? If the had to pay taxes on these slums they'd fix them up fast. They are using God to collect properties and never improve them. Churches in France have a social responsibility and play a role. Shiloh from what I can see does nothing but complain about business who pay taxes and improve the neighborhood. What has Shiloh done except grown their bank account?
Martine Vose
Its a real problem throughout this city - and indeed throughout this country - churches are given a pass - they use god to get what they want and they don't pay taxes. They should be required to pay tax on ANY property or activity that is not associated specifically with a charitable religious mission. Can't imagine why the city hasn't done anything about the empty and dilapidated properties on 9th as well as the empty houses all over the city, owned by churches whose members are mostly from other jurisdictions.
Since the city officials don't have the guts to take a stand against these churches for whatever reason (parking, taxes, vacant properties, etc.) we have to make everyone accountable. Didn't DCRA recently do something to the owners of vacant properties at 10th & M Streets NW?
As far as Vegetate goes it is a real shame. Jim Graham has had legislation in his office since March that would help change the way these antiquated laws are interpreted and he has done nothing. Why? Because it is an election year and he as well as the rest of the politicans we elected refuse to deal with these overreaching churches. He pretends that having a restaurant near a school is so terrible and unprecedented, but when you ride or walk around DC you will notice ABC establishments within 400 feet of schools all over the city--many of them in Graham's Ward 1. Wonderland Ballroom is directly across the street from Tubman ES and they were able to secure a class "CN" ABC license which is a NIGHTCLUB license! How?
Let's see what Jim Graham does when his friend and campaign supporter Christopher Donatelli of Donatelli and Klein runs into problems with his "Kenyon Square" project at the Columbia Heights metro stop. There is a charter school right across the street above the CVS. I am sure everything will "work out" seeing that Donatelli & Klein has already inked a deal with the owners of Logan Grill/Merkado/Grill Fish to do a restaurant in the Kenyon Square project. Hmmm.
For everyone that is documenting the activity at Shiloh's abandoned properties please fill out this form or call DCRA until they do something about it. If Shiloh didn't have enough decency or pride to take care of Dr. Carter G. Woodson's house, where he worked and died do you really think that they are going to do anything about the other properties they own?
Here is the link to the vacant property form:
http://dcra.dc.gov/dcra/frames.asp?doc=/dcra/lib/dcra/forms/vacant_building_citizen_report_form.pdf
Maybe Alex Padro at Shaw Main Streets can do something or provide concerned citizens with a better contact. In the meantime I will be calling/emailing Jim Graham's office weekly until something is done about Shiloh's properties and the ignored bill 16-0696 that would help Vegetate as well as others in Shaw (Jim Graham oversess all the DCRA with the committee that he chairs so the Shiloh properties situation is ultimately his responsibility just like the ABC laws are).
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