Category Archives: Uncategorized

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• If you’re wondering why there’s a bouncer outside the old Smith Point recently, this is the low-down.
• A cyclist was hit by the driver of a truck on M St. by Key Bridge yesterday and taken away with serious injuries, his condition is unknown.

After a year of being denied the pleasures of the cooling refreshment of a public pool, the Mayor announced yesterday that they would be reopened this summer. There will be capacity limitations put in place, with an initial cap of 50%. But this should be very welcomed news.

Shutting down the pools last year always seemed to GM to be a mistaken reaction. It was already pretty clear that the risk of outdoor transmission was fairly low. The very same time that pools were closed, the city was opening indoor dining, an activity we knew (and still know) is among the most risky activities.

Good Morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Martin’s Tavern is enmeshed in allegations of racial profiling and failure to address the complainant’s concerns.
• Tudor Place will reopen this month.

1400 block of 35th St.

Last week, the Old Georgetown Board indicated that they would reject the application of Newton Howard to keep the two gigantic Transformers sculptures he installed in front of his house on Prospect St. in January. This decision should really come as no surprise to anyone familiar with the OGB. But the decision nonetheless highlights some absurdities at the heart of historic preservation in Georgetown.

First of all, to fans of the sculptures, the end is not imminent. Howard has sworn to keep fighting. And the decision is not even technically final yet. Even after the OGB issues its formal decision, it is really just a recommendation for its parent body, the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts. The CFA normally just rubber-stamps the OGB, but not always. And in either event, the decisions take time. (So, so, much time.) We’re still probably at least a month from the CFA issuing its decision. And even that is just an advisory decision. DC itself is really the only body with the actual authority. It complies with the CFA generally, but a homeowner can appeal the CFA’s decision to DC. And when that happens, the Mayor’s Agent holds a hearing and issues the final decision. (And even that can be appealed in court).

But in all likelihood, these bodies will decide against the sculptures. Because, come on, look at them! It’s obvious they can’t stay in a historic district.

Right?

But let’s explore that a little bit.

The Citizens Association weighed in against the sculptures, and laid out the case against them:

Prospect Street like many residential streets is characterized by attached houses built to the property line abutting public space. While planters are normally found in this zone, monumentally scaled sculptures are not. There is also no historic precedent for displaying sculptures on public space abutting the primary facade.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Surprising no one, the OGB reject the Transformers.
• The students left GU’s campus, the Jesuits didn’t.

As GM wrote about in February, the Mayor has proposed to change the administration of liquor licenses in Georgetown (as part of a larger citywide initiative). The most significant changes proposed include removing the cap on tavern licenses in Georgetown and the creation of an open container zone at Washington Harbour.

The BID is organizing community meetings starting next week to hear from the public about these proposals. Here is a link to a webpage created by the BID on the effort.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The story of Barbara Pope, a Georgetown native who challenged Jim Crow much the same way that Rosa Parks did decades later.
• The Rock Creek multi-use trail is finally being fixed and improved.