The Georgetown Metropolitan

Two dynamics appear to be converging to make parking in Georgetown more frustrating than ever. And we may be stuck with them until the pandemic finally passes.

First, think back to the days of spring and early summer. With so many people escaping to other locations, and nobody coming to shop or work in Georgetown, the streets were almost entirely empty. GM’s own block would typically have no more than six cars on it. Most other blocks felt similar.

But as activity has returned to Georgetown, the daily influx of cars has returned. In fact it is probably even worse, given that so many people are avoiding public transit. The lack of parking enforcement (more on that below) has also likely contributed to more people driving. On top of this larger influx is the fact that many Georgetowners who would normally drive to work, and simply staying at home. Demand for street parking may be higher now than it has ever been.

One thing you may have also noticed (and GM certainly has) is a huge spike in out-of-state cars parking literally for days without moving and without being ticketed. This is actually a result of a policy decision by the Department of Public Works, which gives out tickets. As described by ANC Commissioner Kishan Putta at the last Commission meeting, the agency has determined that it has such a backlog of tickets to adjudicate that it can’t add more to the system right now. So drivers working or visiting Georgetown can basically park all day with little fear of ticketing right now. Continue reading →

Photo by Vincent.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• More on the troubling situation on Water St.
• Dumbarton House is offering a virtual Kennedy-themed walking tour on Nov. 22nd. (Interesting to see how different industries adapt to this online world!)

Montrose Park

The streets were filled with honking and cheering Saturday afternoon as word of the election results spread: Joe Biden will be our next president.

And for most people, that is all they need to know about the election results. But if you’re curious how the local races turned out, and how Georgetown voted in both the local and national elections, read on.

Unsurprisingly, Joe Biden won the most votes for president from Georgetown. He won Precincts 5 (east Georgetown) and 6 (west Georgetown) with 84% of the vote. That’s below his citywide tally of 93%, reflecting the higher Republican presence in the neighborhood. Trump won 13% of the vote. Do what you will with the fact that there are, in the year of the Lord 2020, nearly 600 Trump voters in Georgetown. Continue reading →

Photo by Vincent.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• The late-night situation on Water St. is getting out of control and something must be done: A man was shot to death there Friday night.
• The Taste and Shop of Georgetown continues!  Support our local shops! (Correction: the Taste and Shop of Georgetown ended, but you should still support our shops!)

Dumbarton Oaks Park

DCRA has finally taken steps to create a regulatory regime for Airbnb rentals. The proposed rulemaking is in line with the aggressive legislation passed by the DC Council in 2018. Both the law and the proposed rule are opposed strongly by the company, and some homeowners, but are likely welcome by those living near Airbnb properties and, of course, the currently beleaguered hotel industry.

GM has been covering the issue of Airbnb in Georgetown since 2014. Many of the listings–which quickly grew to dozens around the neighborhood–were almost certainly illegal. That is because, while Airbnb originally sold itself as a service for homeowners to welcome guests into their home, the primary use of the platform was for homeowners (and investors) to rent out whole properties. To do that requires a business license, and the zoning rules for Georgetown did not permit homeowners to do so without a variance. Continue reading →

Photo by Vincent.

Good morning Georgetown, here’s the latest:

• Election Update!: It is very close, but I’m trailing Jenny Mitchell in the ANC race. As of last night it is 231 to 213. There are still mail-in ballots being counted, and since mail-in ballots can be accepted as late as November 13th, the final result might not be known for a while (although honestly I’d be betting on Jenny right now!)
• Speaking of close elections, it does seem (for now!) that we have avoided widespread election chaos. Hopefully all those boarded up shops simply end up having wasted money on plywood.

3500 block of Water St.

With this momentous day finally here, GM wanted to take a break from the immensely stressful reality of what tomorrow might bring and take a look back at another momentous election day from Georgetown’s past: the first time Black men were allowed to vote in DC’s history.

Georgetown was founded by act of the Province of Maryland on May 15, 1751. It was carved out of Frederick County (which itself had only been carved out of Prince Georges County three years earlier). It should come as no surprise that the Corporation of George Town, as it was known, did not extend any voting rights to non-white men (or any women). This continued after 1801, when the city was incorporated into the newly formed District of Columbia.

Throughout the first half of the 19th century, there was little hope of this injustice coming to an end. However, with the rise of radical Republicanism following the Union’s victory in the Civil War, talk of extending the franchise to Black men reached the highest levels. Leaders such as Massachusetts senator Charles Sumner pushed for universal male suffrage as a condition for the Southern state’s readmission to the Union. This effort, sadly, was thwarted by the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at the hands of a man enraged at that possibility. Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson, left the question to the vote of the Southern states themselves, and you will not be surprised how that turned out.

Once the possibility of achieving universal male suffrage across the South was stopped, Sumner and others turned to the District. This was due to the unique amount of power Congress had (and still has) over DC. Congress has ultimate authority over DC’s laws and could extend the vote to Black men by legislation without regard to the will of the white male voting population here.

White leaders in DC were not too keen on that idea. GM will spare you some of the statements they made in reaction to the proposal, but suffice to say they were disgustingly racist. And in order to have a say in the matter, the cities of Washington and Georgetown held a referendum on December 21, 1865 on the question. The referendum’s result would not be binding, since Congress could simply ignore it. But it was thought by the White anti-Black suffrage leaders that the results would dissuade Congress from acting. Continue reading →