Columbia, 1400 blk.: woman accosted & robbed by 2 men who first grabbed her arms, pinning them back [1:30am, Fri., 1/15]

Bates, 200 blk.: person assaulted & robbed by 3 men [12mid. Sat., 1/9]

Georgia, 2600 blk.: 3 persons robbed at gunpoint by 2 men [4:45pm, Mon., 1/18]

Georgia, 3100 blk.: person waiting at bus stop assaulted & robbed by 4 men [5:30pm, Thu., 1/7]

Georgia, 3400 blk.: woman approached by 3 others from behind, one of whom asked if she could use her cellphone to which she agreed but when she took it back one of the other women snatched it from her & they fled with it [6:30 pm, Tue., 1/26]

Girard, 1300 blk.: man robbed at gunpoint by 2 others [8:45pm, Fri., 1/22]

Gresham, 700 blk.: man assaulted & robbed by 3 men [3:45am, Sun., 1/10]

Harvard, 1400 blk.: woman robbed of cellphone & purse at knifepoint by man [11pm, Sat., 1/23]

Ingleside, 1800 blk.: man carrying laundry robbed at gunpoint by 2 others of cash that was in a pocket of of a pair of pants that was in the laundry [11:15pm, Wed., 1/6]

Irving, 600 blk.: woman robbed at gunpoint by man who then attempted to steal her car but was unable to get it to start [1am, Fri., 1/1]

Irving, 700 blk.: 2 persons accosted & robbed at gunpoint by a group of men, some of whom assaulted one of the victims upon attempting to flee [2am, Thu., 1/7]

Irving, 1400 blk.: woman’s cellphone snatched from her hand while using it by young woman (reportedly teenage) [5:45pm, Tue., 1/26]

Irving, 1500 blk.: person assaulted & robbed by 2 men [12:15am, Fri., 1/22]

M, unit blk.: 3 persons accosted by a group of young men (reportedly teenage), 2 of whom were robbed of their purses [12mid, Thu., 1/7]

M, 600 blk.: 2 persons robbed at gunpoint by 2 men, one of whom was also assaulted [10:30pm, Fri., 1/15]s

N, 2100 blk. (alley): man accosted by another who demanded cash, then struck him with a metal object, following which he had the man remove his pants [11:30pm, Mon., 1/11]

New Jersey & Rhode Is.: woman accosted by 2 others, one of whom grabbed her by the hair, following which she was assaulted & robbed [7:30pm, Fri., 1/8]

New Jersey, 1100 blk.: man accosted & robbed by another who struck him on his head with a cane [7:15am, Mon., 1/4]

Ontario (Pl.), 1800 blk.: man accosted by 3 others, one of whom demanded his wallet & when given to him then threw it on the ground & struck him in his face [6:30pm, Sun., 1/3]

Otis, 800 blk.: man assaulted by another who took the keys to his house from him, entered and threatened a person who was inside [9:30pm, Wed., 1/20] (case closed with arrest)

Otis, 1300 blk.: man assaulted & robbed by 2 men [9pm, Froi., 1/16] (case closed with arrest)

P, 300 blk.: man assaulted & robbed by several others [1:15am, Sun., 1/24]

P, 600 blk.: woman accosted by 2 young men (reportedly teenage), one of whom snatched her purse but when she chased & caught up with him he gave it back [6:15pm, Fri., 1/1]

P, 1500 blk.: woman approached by 2 girls, one of whom snatched unspecified property from her hand [6:45pm, Mon., 1/25]

Q, unit blk.: man assaulted & robbed by 2 others [12:45am, Mon, 1/11]

R, 700 blk.: man robbed at gunpoint by woman [2:30pm, Mon., 1/18]

R, 900 blk.: man grabbed by another from behind, forced to the ground & robbed [7pm, Mon., 1/18]

R, 1400 blk.: pizza deliveryman robbed of cash by 3 men, one of whom brandished an unidentified weapon [12:45am, Sun, 1/3]

R, 1600 blk.: man accosted by 4 others, ones of whom assaulted & robbed him of his wallet [9:30pm, Fri., 1/29]

Rhode Is., 1400 blk.: 3 persons robbed at gunpoint by 3 men [2:30am, Thu., 1/14]

Riggs, 1800 blk.: woman assaulted & robbed of purse by 3 men [9:30pm, Sun., 1/24]

Sherman, 2700 blk.: person assaulted & robbed by several men [11:30pm, Sat., 1/16]

Summit, 1800 blk.: man accosted by 3 others, one of whom demanded that he give him his iPod but when he refused & threatened to call the police they fled [6pm, Sun., 1/10]

T, 1400 blk.: man assaulted & robbed by 2 others [6:30pm, Sun., 1/3]

U, 1500 blk.: woman assaulted by 2 young men (reportedly teenage) who attempted, unsuccessfully, to snatch her purse from her [12:30pm, Sun., 1/31]

U, 1700 blk.: woman’s purse snatched by one of 3 men she had been aware were following her but was able to recover the purse when it was dropped following a chase by a witness [6pm, Fri., 1/22]

U, 1700 blk.: woman’s purse snatched by one of 3 men who had approached her [12:30am, Sun., 1/24]

Varnum, 500 blk.: 2 persons robbed at gunpoint by 2 men, one of whom was then assaulted [6:45pm, Sat., 1/16]

Vermont, 1900 blk.: man accosted from behind by another who robbed him at gunpoint of book bag & Mp3 Player [6:30pm, Sat, 1/2]

2nd, 1800 blk.: person robbed of wallet at gunpoint by man [4:30pm, Thu., 1/14]

3rd & R: woman’s purse snatched by one of 2 men who approached her [8:30pm, Fri., 1/8]

5th, 1100 blk.: man accosted by 3 others, forced at gunpoint to the ground & robbed [7:45pm, Wed., 1/13] (case closed with arrest of all three, ages, 17-21)

7th & P: man accosted & forced to the ground by 2 others who searched his pockets but who obtained nothing [1:30pm, Thu., 1/7]

11th & Harvard: woman’s purse snatched by man but was able to recover the purse when dropped it once he removed what he wanted from it following her having chased him [4pm, Sun., 1/24]

11th & S: woman assaulted & robbed by man of cellphone [3pm, Sun., 1/31]

11th, 1300 blk.: man robbed of wallet by 2 others [4:15pm, Sat., 1/16]

11th, 3000 blk.: man attacked by another who demanded cash but was able to flee without being robbed [5:30pm, Tue., 1/19]

12th & W: man pushed by 2 others & robbed of wallet [12:15pm, Thu., 1/21]

12th, 1300 blk.: woman walking past 3 men, grabbed by one of them, pushed to the ground & robbed of her purse [8pm, Wed., 1/27]

12th, 1700 blk.: woman’s cellphone snatched from her while using it by young man (reportedly teenage) [12:30pm, Fri., 1/22]

12th, 2000 blk.: man robbed at gunpoint by another [6:30pm, Sat., 1/2]

13th, 1800 blk.: woman accosted by 3 men, pushed to the ground & robbed of purse [8:15pm, Sat., 1/9]

15th & Chapin: woman accosted by man who robbed her of items he took from her purse [3am, Sat., 1/16]

16th & P: man accosted by 2 others, struck with an unknown object & robbed [9:30pm, Fri., 1/29]

17th, 1900 blk: 2 persons robbed at gunpoint by man who then fled in a waiting car [7:45pm, Fri., 1/29]

17th, 2400 blk.: woman accosted by 2 men, one brandishing a gun, who demanded her cash & purse but were foiled when she fled [9:30pm, Fri., 1/8]

17th, 3200 blk.: man robbed at knifepoint by 2 others [4pm, Mon., 1/11] (case closed with the arrest of both men)

18th, 2200 blk.: man walking past a group of men was asked for his jacket & then assaulted when he , whereupon he was assaulted when he refused; later, while suffering from facial cuts & loose teeth, finding his jacket abandoned nearby [1:30am, Sat., 1/17]

18th, 3100 blk.: 3 persons robbed at gunpoint by 2 men, one of whom was then struck with the gun [10pm, Sat., 1/23]

Ellen Mason White Colton obtained a building permit for the house on October 16, 1895, which was designed by local architect Carl B. Keferstein and built at a cost of $40,000, at a time when the typical Washington townhouse was built for $2,500 or less. She was the widow of David Douty Colton (1831-1878), who had amassed a fortune from the gold mines of California and Western railroads. He was described as standing over 6 feet tall with a muscular physique and a head of fiery red hair that went well with his bold and expressive temperament.

David Colton had been born in Maine on July 17, 1831, and migrated with his family to Illinois, where he married Ellen Mason White during his freshman year at Knox Manual Labor College. In the spring of 1850, the Coltons and a friend named Hiram G. Ferris dropped out of college and joined the gold rush to California, where they eventually settled into Shasta City and Colton was elected as its sheriff at the young age of 20. They had two children — Helen in 1854 and Carrie in 1856; Helen would die shortly after she was married.

David Colton purchased a local paper, and would often be referred to as General D.D. Colton, a title he acquired when he was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Siskiyou County branch of the California State Militia. Like many in the west, he was involved in three near duels; the first stemming from rivalry between local Democrats and Whigs and a second with his opponent for a failed state Senate run in 1857. He obtained a law degree, opened a law practice and mine stock trading in San Francisco that became fabulously successful. He was president and major owner of the Amador gold mine, which yielded a half-million dollars annually, while his San Francisco properties brought in rents totaling $3,000 monthly.

In 1872 Colton built a stately mansion on San Francisco’s Nob Hill. Located on the northwest corner of California and Taylor Streets, it was built on a half city block at a cost of $75,000. The interior was decorated with works of art and antique furniture acquired during their two year travels and contained a large library stocked with works of English literature. David Colton rose to his greatest prominence in 1874 when he became associated with the directors and principal stockholders of the Central Pacific Railroad that built the western-most section of the nation’s first transcontinental railroad.

At age 47, Colton died rather unexpectedly from injuries that he received from falling off a horse. His estate and business affairs were left to his widow, Ellen Colton. A lawsuit for fraud was filed, a civil suit would follow and then many countersuits; it would take 12 years for these legal battles to end, and she had spent over $100,000 in legal fees only to see $4 million of the estate lost trying to clear her deceased husband’s name.

Following the death of her husband and being excluded from much of San Francisco society, Ellen Colton sold the mansion and relocated to Washington, DC to be near a member of the family, where she built 1617 Connecticut Avenue in 1895. She filled the house with art and antiques that would eventually be appraised at nearly $64,000, including the 19th century Belgian painter Eugène Joseph Verboeckhoven’s The Sheep Pen (1872), valued at $10,000 alone, and a library with 1,000 rare books.

Ellen Colton died in February of 1905, leaving an estate valued at over $1 million ($25 million in 2010 dollars), all but $1,000 of which was left to her surviving daughter, Caroline Martin Dahlgren, and her two children. Her granddaughter from her deceased daughter Helen, Miss Helen Margaret Beatrice Sacher, was just six years old at the time, and like any child, should have been thrilled with inheriting $1,000 at such a young age. She, however, accused her older cousins of coercing their senile grandmother while she was away living in Paris into leaving the entire estate to that side of the family. She also accused them of stealing silverware and other valuables from the home while Mrs. Colton was still alive, forging her signature on the Will, and stealing $350,000 worth of transferable bonds. Sacher was the daughter of a wealthy Parisian banker named Seigfried Sacher.

A lawsuit was initiated by Helen the following year that was covered thoroughly in the social columns that dragged on for three years, until 1908, when Helen turned nine years old. The case headed to trial, but a settlement was struck due to the social hype that surrounded the jury trial, and young Helen received $250,000 from the estate. The house went up for public auction in December of 1908, but failed to sell when the winning bid came in under the estimates, at $85,000.

The mansion was eventually sold in December of 1909 to the Chinese government as the residence for a new Chinese Minister to the United States, Chang Yin Tang. Newspapers reported that he arrived with 50 attachés, secretaries, servants, and students along with two large moving vans of household furniture.

By 1908, another mansion had been built adjoining the house to the south, and in 1923, the Colton Mansion’s ground floor was converted into a retail space, with large glass windows replacing the columned entranceway. The first retailer was The Coat Shop, operated by Barner Harrison. Incidentally, in November of 1932, he had his front window broken by somebody who got away with a Prussian broadtail coat with silver fox collar and cuffs valued at $1,000.

As in sweetgreen, the supreme salad-bar-as-green-eatery in Dupont Circle, and with any luck, coming to your neighborhood in a day or two. Located just adjacent to the über-popular Sunday FRESHfarm Dupont farmers’ market, sweetgreen really does get its greens farm fresh: staff can run over to do some salad shopping Sunday mornings, getting greens if not for the week — well, greens for that day.

If you don’t know the story behind this local success story, here you go:

The three owners/partners graduated from Georgetown about two-and-a-half years ago or so, having met as seniors who had attended the same entrepreneurship class, though at different times. What started out as a senior project — they say they were tired of the local eateries near campus — the trio drew up plans for a fast-food kind of place that was based on primarily local and sustainable ingredients.

At first, their project — the original location of sweetgreen was on M Street in the former White Castle burger place - was scoffed by people around them, and one of the contractors simply told them to quit the venture. Fortunately, the trio — Nicolas Jammet, Nathaniel Ru, and Jonathan Neman — forged ahead, building a loyal customer base which swarmed into the M Street location despite the fact that seating was virtually nonexistent.

But after their frantic participation with the inaugural events last year and their high-profile move to Dupont Circle, the guys have seen their green empire burgeon. “We are about to open five more sweetgreens by the end of 2010,” says Jammet. He ticks off Logan Circle and another near Union Station. Although he’s mum about the other projected sites, he points out that sweetgreen now has its own greenmobile that scoots around DC selling their frozen yogurt and salads. “People can follow us on Twitter,” he says, for those who crave a salad and are within walking distance of the van, “and we can go to parties or companies can rent out the van.”

Obviously, what sweetgreen sells is not your ordinary salad fixings. When pressed about the all-time favorite, Jammet reckons that it’s the “guacamole greens,” a divine collaboration of creamy avocado, grilled chicken strips, tomatoes, crushed tortilla chips, and a splash of a lime-cilantro dressing that ties all the flavors together. (If you had just one salad choice for the rest of your days, this might be the one.) But, adds Jammet, the runner-up is the Greek-inspired Santorini. Hey, what about the La Scala with its ample topping of shredded salami and mozzarella cheese. It’s like having a pizza without the fattening crust.

The highlight of any meal here, of course, is the frozen yogurt, a sweet-tart treat that the partners spent weeks developing. As Jammet recalled, they made at least 100 batches of the prototype before they found the right sequence of sweet to tart. The result is a tooth-chilling dessert amplified by your choice of healthful toppings. Sorry, no gummy bears here.

Added to all this delicious and, well, sweet success, is that sweetgreen is certified green, as in everything in the store, including napkins and bowls, is biodegradable. So if you want to do your part in cleaning up the environs, you can lunch or dine at sweetgreen, and so to speak, have your cake and eat it too.

sweetgreen | 1512 Conn. Ave., NW; (202) 387-9338; www.sweetgreen.com. Open daily, 11am-10pm. Average signature salad price: $9 (and worth every penny!).

Sat., Feb. 13 (12noon-4pm): Experience an afternoon FESTIVAL of Japanese culture with the whole family at the Textile Museum (2320 S St., NW). This free program, co-presented with the Japan-America Society of Washington, DC, will feature hands-on activities, demonstrations and performances for all ages. Program highlights to include:

Dance performances by Shizumi Minale, a children’s dance troupe;

Introduction to Japanese culture and language;

Opportunity to try on traditional Japanese children’s kimono;

“Chopstick challenge”;

Kamishibai — paper box theater presentations;

Japanese fish and fan decorating.

For more info, call (202) 667-0441 or visit www.textilemuseum.org.

Founded in 1925 by George Hewitt Myers, The Textile Museum is an international center for the exhibition, study, collection and preservation of the textile arts. The museum explores the artistic significance and cultural importance of the world’s textiles through exhibitions, public programs and educational activities. Special attention is given to textiles of the Near East, Asia, Africa and the indigenous cultures of the Americas. The museum also presents exhibitions of historical and contemporary quilts, and fiber art. With a collection of more than 18,000 textiles and rugs and an unparalleled library, The Textile Museum is a unique and valuable resource for people locally, nationally and internationally.

Dupont ANC to Review 14th Street Restaurant Roof Deck Plan

Wed., Feb. 17 (7pm): The Dupont Circle ANC (ANC 2B) PUBLIC MEETING, originally scheduled for its regular second Wednesday of the month meeting has been rescheduled to the 17th because of the recent blizzard. As usual, the meeting will be held in the first floor Falk Auditorium of the Brookings Institution (1775 Mass. Ave.).

Among items on the agenda will the matter of the ABC Board application by Masa 14 at 1825 14th Street for a substantial change to its liquor license to operate on the second floor addition to be built and roof terrace to be added toward the front of the building. Although across 14th Street from ANC 2B’s boundary on the west side and within the Cardozo-Shaw ANC, the Dupont ANC considers it to be in the interest its constituents for the commissioners to review the ABC application and the HPRB-approved project.

The architect’s schematic of the plan shown here [see PDF copy, page 4, posted in the Current & Back Issues Archive] reveals that the  outside area will be substantially smaller than George Kozel and Frederick Geyer’s late 19th century German beer garden that occupied the roof of this building. (See, Scenes from the Past, The InTowner, December 2007, page 10-11; available here in the PDF copy posted in the Current & Back Issues Archive on this website.)

Bead & Jewelry Expo to Benefit Mt. Pleasant Schools

Sat., Feb. 27 (10am-5pm): The after-school arts programs at Lincoln Multicultural Middle School and Bell Multicultural High School will be the beneficiaries of the day’s BEAD AND JEWELRY EXPO to be held at the Marriott at Metro Center Hotel (775 12th St., NW) and sponsored by the non-profit Mt. Pleasant-based Bead Studio that supports arts education programs for youth in its neighborhood and in Adams Morgan. The $7 admission ($children, $2) will include free raffles and giveaways. For more info, call (202) 320-5989 or visit www.washingtondcbeadexpo.vpweb.com.

Warhol Photographs Featured in GWU Brady Gallery Show

Fri., Mar. 5 (5pm): This will be closing day of an EXHIBIT at George Washington University’s Luther W. Brady Art Gallery (805 21st St., NW) of selected Polaroid and black and white photographs by Andy Warhol, as well as other works, from the university’s permanent collection. Open to the public at no charge Tuesday through Friday, 10 am to 5pm. For more info, call 994-1525.

Drawing from the recent gift of 152 of these Warhol photographs, selections for the exhibit include portraits of celebrities such as Edward Kennedy, Tara Tyson, Mary Martin and Truman Capote as well as intimate photographs of Warhol’s friends. Also on display will be diary entries by the artist that illustrate his involvement in the New York art and social scenes. This gift, along with the establishment of the Francine Zorn Trachtenberg Photography Fund, have significantly strengthened the photographic collection and programs of the university’s Permanent Collection.

The gift, made through the Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy Program in honor of the foundation’s 20th anniversary, consists of 28,543 original Warhol photographs valued in excess of $28 million that will be divided between 183 college and university art museums. According to Joel Wachs, president of the foundation, the aim of the Photographic Legacy Program is to provide greater access to Warhol’s artwork and process, and to enable a wide range of people from communities across the country to view and study this important yet relatively unknown body of the artist’s work.  The program offers institutions the opportunity to bring a significant number of photographs into their permanent collections, while allowing those schools that do have Warhol works in their collections to enrich the breadth and depth of their holdings.

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Adams Morgan Restaurants Perking Up Winter

By Lisa Duperier*

Adams Morgan Main Street has recently installed “green” Winter Wonderland displays in partnership with the Embassy of Denmark which feature recycled designer creations of used paper, trash clippings and eco-friendly products. Re-adapted Winter Wonderland displays are decorating the windows of a number of neighborhood restaurants to highlight sustainability issues. Among those hosting these “green” displays are Black Squirrel, La Fourchette, Napoleon Bistro, Savour, and The Grill from Ipanema.

Adams Morgan Main Street approached the Embassy to recycle Denmark’s displays which honored the Copenhagen Climate Change Summit. The designers eagerly accepted the re-use idea and worked with Main Street volunteers to create the local business displays.

Omar Popal, of Napoleon Bistro, whose window display is shown here, says he hopes the “upscale decorations will bring some extra attention and traffic during this slow time.” The eco-friendly display is totally green; comprised of solar LED lights, soy candles, recycled and seed-infused paper, cradle-to-cradle approved fabrics, and non-VOC paint. Designers created paper rose garlands from coffee filters, used newspapers and magazines and materials from recycle bins.

* Lisa Duperier is President of the AdamsMorgan MainStreet Group which, among other undertakings, organizes and puts on the annual Adams Morgan Day Festival.. Persons interested in volunteering or wanting to obtain information about their work can call (202) 232-1960 or visit www.AdamsMorganNOW.com.

Both the transportation and public works departments have thus far proven their worth; the former for its constant attention to changing developments and putting out continuous and timely condition updates and seemingly deeply involved in coordinating city-wide responses with Metro, police, fire and other agencies; and the latter, DPW, also deserves its A+ for the tireless, non-stop work performed by its crews and field managers in their valiant efforts to keep the city from an absolute total shutdown of vital streets and avenues.

Yes, we know vast numbers of side streets, especially in residential neighborhoods, not to say anything about the alleys, remain unplowed. But, given the absolutely unprecedented back-to-back major snow storm followed by blizzard events, it is truly amazing what was accomplished as we were going to press just 24 hours after the last snowflake drifted down. This writer has been in DC since 1962 and can attest that never before would our municipal government been able to have accomplished what has already been done.

It is to the directors and senior managers, as well as line workers of DDOT and DPW, to whom we tip our hat! And, they have succeeded so far to the extent that they have in spite of what appeared to us as the Mayor simply getting in the way at every turn — even to the extent of coming close to creating real chaos with his fumbling over whether the schools were to be open or closed.

Between his posturing and overall bumbling and his puppet School Chancellor Rhee it’s a miracle that there weren’t little kids put at risk attempting to get to school under the impossible conditions of no bus service, dangerous sidewalks, unplowed intersections and then the prospect of being stranded at inadequately staffed school buildings because teachers and staff were unable to get in.

So it was that when he announced that schools would be open on the Monday following the first major storm and the parents rightfully raised the alarm he and Chancellor Rhee really didn’t want to hear from them. Eventually they caved and made the correct decision but claimed it had nothing to do with the outpouring of negative reaction from parents around the city.

And it was the same with his initial demand that DC employees should all show up for work on that Monday when even the federal government had shut down! What was especially irresponsible was to refuse to follow the very same advisories that his public safety agencies were broadcasting to the citizens — that nobody should attempt to be out and about, not just because of the almost non-existent public transportation and impossibility for driving anywhere, but also so that the snow plows and emergency vehicles might at least have a chance of getting around.

And all the while, the Mayor was peppering the press with emails announcing another press briefing and photo-op at some far off site nowhere near a Metro subway station and dangerous to drive. And why would he be encouraging the press corps to be trekking to far away locations when the word was to stay put? Only one time did he call for one of these events to be at the Reeves Center at 14th and U Streets.

But even when the press event takes place, what’s the point? Instead of sending out a notice informing that there will be a briefing out at the salt dome or some off-the-beaten path rec center to provide update information on what the city crews will be doing in the ensuing hours or to announce some revised schedule, why not simply provide that information in the email first sent and do away with the need to attempt to get to wherever he had decided he wanted everyone to join him?

It should be noted that at these events he always insists in being surrounded by the very top managers and even department directors who would be more productively back at their command centers directing their own crews and dealing with ongoing complications rather than being off on a PR gambit. What a waste of managerial expertise.

In closing, we know the Mayor will probably be displeased with our views about his penchant for running here and there and wanting to be in the limelight at every turn, but we only have made a point of this because it seems to us that his manner of running things is doing more harm than good and because it is a symptom of what we see as an inherent insecurity which leads to over-reaction and bad judgments. There is still time for him to engage in some behavioral introspection and maybe start to rehabilitate his image with the voters and, hopefully, regain their trust. But this is probably a message for another day.

[Note: Photographs accompanying this news story in the print edition can be viewed in the full PDF copy in the Current & Back Issues Archive.]

A January 25th Community meeting at the International Student House called by the Dupont Circle ANC marked the beginning of the District’s transportation department’s (DDOT) long awaited 18th Street, multi-million dollar streetscape project. Funded by a federal stimulus grant, the stretch between Massachusetts and Florida Avenues will benefit from a complete rehabilitation.

Dupont Circle’s 18th Street project — the second of two currently underway — differs dramatically from that of the other on 17th Street. While the 18th Street sidewalks, curbs and gutters, its traffic signals and street lights, and the landscaping and street furniture will be the same as that of 17th Street, its roadbed will be completely reconstructed and a 12-inch water main with twice the volume of the two existing six-inch mains will be installed as a replacement. With an exception below P Street, tree box configurations will follow existing standards rather than be laid in continuous strips, and bulb-outs for greater pedestrian  crosswalk safety will be constructed at two intersections which presently have no traffic lights.

Bicycle parking and shared bicycle traffic lane symbols will be provided together with shared vehicular parking meters. There will be no separate bicycle lanes. Contemporary ADA standards will be observed throughout.

The well-attended, late January public meeting featured a comprehensive PowerPoint presentation depicting the final project plans, followed by a question and answer period with DDOT’s representatives and its contract construction staff. At the conclusion it was agreed that there would be a walk-through along the project’s route the following Saturday, January 30th, with a DDOT engineer and an urban forester to especially review tree canopy issues.

Tree canopy issues generated the most concern, as reflected by the questions. Both DDOT and Urban Forestry officials gave assurances that only a very few trees were slated for removal; these would be replaced with healthy trees and many more new trees would be planted in new tree boxes. These new trees will be redbud, crêpe myrtle, and silver lindens. The existing trees not only be pruned but will also be carefully protected with wire cages during all phases of  construction.

Pepco’s new construction will include enhancements to the power of its electrical lines and new “duct banks,” cables, and connections, especially for improved street lighting and new traffic signals. Formally structured utility work zones, especially for Pepco, Washington Gas, and WASA, will be established throughout the project’s 12-month duration, scheduled to conclude in February of 2011.

A two-block length segmented work plan was announced, with initial work occurring at the large and complex 18th Street and Florida intersection. Immediately following this effort, work will then begin at Massachussetts Avenue, the project’s south end; from there work will then proceed northward, two blocks at a time. This schedule has been planned with the view to minimize any adverse impacts on the outdoor cafés and retail establishments at the project’s northern end from S Street to Florida Avenue during their busiest spring, summer, and early fall seasons.

The January 30th project walk-through attracted, in addition to this reporter, only five participants — ANC Commissioners Bob Meehan, Will Stevens and Mike Feldstein; one nearby neighbor from Seaton Place; and the exceptionally well-informed DDOT urban forrester, Ms. Munevver Ertem, who had prepared a detailed inventory of the present and proposed enhancements to the tree canopy and provided copies of that document to the attendees. This inventory was in the form of color coded maps of present and proposed new trees and additional tree boxes; it happily obviated the need for slogging up and down 18th Street during that Saturday’s harsh winter weather.

This fascinating set of maps, together with the detailed engineering drawings for the roadway reconstruction and its many sub-parts and components, including dynamically updated scheduling information, is reportedly to be found on a special project information website at www.18StReconstruction-Mass-Fla.com.

[Note: Photographs accompanying this news story in the print edition can be viewed in the full PDF copy in the Current & Back Issues Archive.]

As we reported well over six years ago (Former Dupont Down Under Space Finally Available for Re-Use,” September 2003, page 5), the city’s property management office announced that the former trolley station below Dupont Circle that had been leased to developer Gary Simon’s by then failed Dupont Down Under food court was again available following the city’s successful appellate court ruling on their case brought against the lessee.

Relying on the property management office’s assurances that all the outstanding legal issues had been settled and no further claim by Simon could be initiated and that the city had hired an appraiser to assess value so as to determine an appropriate rental price for the remaining lease holder, it was then the opportune time to develop ideas for how that 100,000 square feet of underground space might be used.

But, as is so often the case, matters were not so clear-cut and legal issues remained unresolved until very recently. Now the city’s Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development is close to issuing an RFP (Request for Proposals) - slated for the end of February.

To be included in that RFP document will be information solicited from neighborhood business owners and residents about their ideas as to how the space should be used, thereby providing potential applicants with a sense of what would be welcomed and what might be opposed.

As we were going to press The InTowner was informed that Historic Dupont Circle Main Streets (HDCMS) was taking the lead to coordinate receipt of comments to be collated and forwarded on to the Deputy Mayor’s office in time to be included in the RFP. To that end, the HDCMS office requests that comments should be submitted by February 17th by email to execdirector@dupontcircle.biz and should include responses to the following questions:

What businesses or use would you like, or not like, to be located in the space?;

Should the use of the space be such that in the future it could revert to a functioning trolley station?

Have you been to similar underground spaces in cities that were successful, and if so, where?

Did you visit the Dupont Down Under food court that had been briefly located on the west side of the underground former trolley station?

Although an unsolicited proposal for arts use had been received by the city last year, no action was initiated by the Deputy Mayor’s office and no preferences about future use have been put forth by that office.

[Note: Photographs accompanying this news story in the print edition can be viewed in the full PDF copy in the Current & Back Issues Archive.]

With a speed and dispatch totally uncharacteristic of DC regulatory boards and commissions, the District’s Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) dispatched six historic landmark applications in a fast-track approval process of 55, carefully scheduled minutes at its January 28, 2010 monthly meeting.

All six were George Washington University (GWU) nominations for the DC and federal registers for these now landmarked structures together with one site where historic “events” occurred — the John J. Earley Office and Studio.

The other five of these are good-sized, modest but handsomely constructed apartment buildings from the 1920s and 1930s which reflected the need for small commercial rental units to house government workers who flocked to Washington in the concluding years of World War I and continued coming to the city as the 1920s depression and the 1930s New Deal swelled the expansion of the federal bureaucracy. These five buildings, with their studio and one-bedroom apartments, now serve as dormitories for GWU students.

The sixth nomination was far and away the most interesting to historians — and significant to preservationists - for the reason that it was the first residence, workshop, and studio of Washington’s noted master craftsman of concrete, stone, and plaster, John J. Earley. As summarized in the informative Historic Preservation Office (HPO) staff memorandum and as presented by Traceries, GWU’s historic preservation consultants, Earley’s 20th century innovations during the first decades of the century brought a beauty and enhanced structural strength to both construction and decorative poured and pre-cast concrete that has already endured for almost a full century.

Among Earley’s important accomplishments were the concrete pebble aggregate walls and sidewalks and his decorative patterning and aggregate mosaic masterpiece in Meridian Hill Park, Washington’s city beautiful urban park designed by the city’s distinguished municipal architect Howard Peaslee, who contracted with Earley for a design and construction plan that would serve to embellish Peaslee’s architectural designs.

In spite of minimal — and at times neglectful — maintenance, Earley’s architectural concrete, as he aptly characterized his patented aggregate and mosaic processes used for the park, has weathered well, continuing to be both functional and beautiful. Traceries’ Paul Singh’s PowerPoint presentation at the HPRB meeting provided images of several outstanding examples of Earley’s work in Washington. Among the 50 known Earley Studio projects shown were the Potomac Park Field House (1917), the interior of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart (1922-1923); the National Zoo’s Bird and Reptile House (1927-1931); and the Islamic Center on Massachusetts Avenue (1953-1957).

Earley’s office and workshop/studio structures and building site being historically landmarked is located on the GWU campus directly across G Street from the beautifully restored and handsomely expanded School Without Walls, the public school building previously named for President Grant. A hodgepodge of undistinguished small structures, their historic landmarking and DC and National Register nominations are based on the preservationist concept of an “event,” — in this case being that master craftsman Earley developed his patented processes while his workshop and studio were at this location.

The GWU apartment buildings are within this same core of the University’s 2007 Foggy Bottom Campus Plan, which recently received its final approval, and are both within and outside the proposed GWU historic district, currently under consideration by HPO and HPRB. These buildings are the following: “The Everglades” at 2223 H Street; “The Flagler” at 736 22nd Street; “Munson Hall” and “Milton Hall,” both in the 2200 block of I Street; and “The Keystone” at 2150 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Apartment buildings of this stature and significance are more typically designated as “contributing structures” when in historic districts rather than as “historic landmarks.” It is possible that when the GWU historic district is declared, these buildings will be re-designated.