WCP: Neighborhood Watch: Ward 8 Property, Fire Sale or Golden Opportunity?
Excerpt:
Posted by Dana Liebelson on Sep. 28, 2009, at 2:35 pm
The Issue: Is Ward 8 taking on more than its fair share of social housing? So Others Might Eat (SOME), a D.C. nonprofit group, bought a rundown residential property about a year ago on Mellon Street in southeast with the intention of turning the space into long-term housing for adults with special needs. The complex will offer on-site support for residents who have proven six-month recovery in issues ranging from substance abuse to credit problems. But the neighbors fear Ward 8 has become a nonprofit “dumping ground,” and think the new residents will contribute to the area’s problems. The twist is a 3.4 billion dollar Homeland Security Campus slated to open across the street in 2013. Could the property be put to better use?
Fire Sale: SOME says they have opened same-model housing in wards all over the city, including Logan Circle and Capitol Hill, and in the past the housing has raised property values. Richard Gerlach, Executive Director of SOME, told City Desk, “That property was on the market for a long, long time, so to say it’s a golden opportunity is just not true. The buildings we take over are a blight…we fix them up and they become a positive influence that promote growth.” He also stressed that the housing is independent and non-transitional.
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If you have disapprove of the plans for this property please contact SOME as well as ANC 8C Commissioners. Contact information is included below.
The Advoc8te just heard from an irate Congress Heights resident who just spoke to S.O.M.E. and S.O.M.E. is stating THAT THEY [some] SENT NOTIFICATION TO ANC 8C ABOUT THEIR PLANS AND REQUESTED A PUBLIC MEETING FOR THE COMMUNITY AND THEY RECIEVED NO RESPONSE FROM ANC 8C!!!!! I don't know for sure if this is the case but I believe it. ANC 8C is notorious for leaving us holding the bag by not informing the community of important issues like these. Either the leadership of ANC 8C is CURROPT OR INCOMPETENT (my vote is for both). I AM PRAYING AND PLEADING THAT WE CAN EFFECT SOME MAJOR CHANGE ON THIS COMMISSION IN THE NEXT ELECTION.
S.O.M.E.
Troy Swanda. He can be reached by telephone at (202) 797-8806 x1035 and via email at tswanda@some.org.
ANC 8C COMMISSIONERS FOR TERM 2009 - 2010
William Ellis/8C01
202.872.2644
8c01@anc.dc.gov
Dion Jordan/8C02
8c02@anc.dc.gov
Mary Cuthbert/8C03
202.246.9410
R. Calvin Lockridge/8C04
202.562.4974
Vacant/8C05
Vacant/8C06
Cardell Shelton/8C07
*No contact information posted on ANC 8C website
For more Congress Heights and River East news visit The Congress Heights Examiner website, http://www.examiner.com/x-13507-Congress-Heights-Community-Examiner
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