Deteriorating sanitation in our alley during August and Sept

Here is a photo round up of just some of the dumping and trash issues we've faced in the last month and a half.  It's amazing to me that I hear neighbors on other blocks say that they get tickets for improperly stored trash because someone put it behind their house and it wasn't theirs---but we can't get any response from DPW inspectors to crack down and prevent this.  

September 22, 2012 

Sept 19th, 2012

Dumped chair on September 3, 2012 on other side of vacant lot.  Reported to DPW

Construction debris that was dumped by a contractor passing through our alley on Sept 5th.  I got photos of his tag and reported it to Inspector Chavis at DPW and through the 311.

This is the kind of filth the Park View Beautification Crew routinely cleans up--mainly due to uncontained trash that rats and cats rip open.  This was from August 11,

See how trash bags are left behind for rats to get into?  Then the lose trash from open bags is scattered all over during every trash collection.  It should not be this way.  We are happy to clean our alley but we need DPW's help in preventing this kind of situation every trash collection day.

This is how much loose trash we have- (two or three piles)--this was one afternoon of sweeping on Sept 13th  in just this section of our alley.  We need DPW to work with us to help prevent uncontained trash!

More dumping, August 2, 2012







More loose trash, Aug 23rd.  Corn, anyone?

This is typical of what we pick up our alley at least a couple of times a week.  So gross.

This is what we find at least once a week and it perpetuates an unsafe cycle.  Someone throws this stuff in a can without a bag, the sanitation workers will not collect it, it gets knocked over by whomever or rats, and then the rats spread it everywhere and feast.


The grass in the vacant lot hasn't been mowed in months.  The mosquitos and rats love the long grass.  We asked for enforcement from DPW.

  

From clean up on Aug 27th.  The Park View Beautification Crew members cleaned this---a big thanks to Dianne Chambers, Anthony Cimino, Jean Paul George, and Zach Baldwin for dealing with this

Spring Clean Up

  We had our first spring clean up last week and managed to tackle a new block with the help of John from Kenyon Street.  Looking forward to the next clean up on April 21st!

Picking up where we left off

We apologize for the break we've taken from blogging.  We have been posting many of our updates on our Facebook page, but we realize that not everyone uses FB so we are going to start updating this more frequently!

Our clean up dates remain the same rain or shine (well, unless it is a downpour!)
1st Saturday and 3rd Sunday of the month at 10:00 am.  The 400 block of Irving, Kenyon, and surrounding streets of Warder and Park Place will meet in the alley.   The 500-600 blocks can meet down by the neighborhood sign at the corner of Georgia and Irving.

Hope to see you there!!

 A HUGE thank you goes out to the Department of Public Works Environmental Crimes Inspector Nathaniel Mines for all her has personally done to stop illegal dumping around the vacant lot and work with our organization to figure out ways to deter it.  To date, the dumping still occurs but it is FAR less frequent than it was and much of that is due to Inspector Mines.  Of course, without the continuous support from CM Graham, we never would have received this much attention from DPW leaders, so thank you again CM Graham!

3130 Park Place

Our struggle with 3130 is no secret. We've fought for years to get this nuisance property seized from its delinquent owners and finally with the help of CM Graham, the DC Attorney General is taking the case on because the owner has failed to register his deed in the specified time frame.  I'm sure this is only the beginning and it will be a long road if any movement happens, but we're crossing our fingers.  Nothing can be worse than a negligent owner!  Dumping, rats, cats! Oh my!  

Office of Attorney General in an email regarding the vacant lot at 3130 Park Place 31, "It is important to note that the community should expect that a limited amount of trash or waste will be present at this location fairly regularly, as it is the trash pick-up site for the immediately surrounding neighborhood"

Several Tags Removed!!! More appear...

Big kudos to Juan Camillo from the Mayor's Office and Jasmin Benab from the Columbia Heights Shaw Collaborative for removing all of the graffiti that covered the corner of Irving and Georgia.  Not only had it been painted on the retaining wall at the Bruce Monroe park, but also across the street at 3100 Georgia and 703 and 705 Irving, it was splayed across private businesses.  Thank you to all who helped to remove these dangerous tags.

Unfortunately, "Chung" tagged the second story of 3118 after it was just repainted.  Disgusting.  I wish these kids knew what a negative impact graffiti has on their neighbors and neighborhoods.  I've seen a rash of  "Chungo" appear within the last couple of weeks on several places in our neighborhood, but not "Chung."  Maybe he got spooked and didn't finish it.

There is also recent tagging on the abandoned building at 2827 Georgia Avenue, at the corner of Harvard and Georgia.  Many of the same tags we've seen up north are also located several blocks south.

Across the street from this building there is more tagging at 2901 Georgia.  I've seen this tag farther north as well--I believe on the side of Morgan's Seafood.

Explosion of Graffiti in our Neighborhood

The number of tags in our neighborhood has at least tripled in the last month.   I assumed that owners would quickly clean this mess from their properties, but instead this vandalism has remained.  By its very presence, it attracts more graffiti and fosters an environment comfortable for criminals.  Something must be done about this disturbing trend.  Not only do the taggers need to be caught but also the city needs to press property owners to clean up tagging on their property.

527 Irving St NW

709 Irving St NW

633 Irving St NW

 4. 3101 Georgia Avenue NW

3101 Georgia Avenue NW

703 Irving St NW

709 Irving St NW

700 block of Irving at Bruce Monroe Park

3101 Sherman on corner of Irving.  Tags are on back of building.

Last house on 700 block of Irving St NW

Last house on the 700 block of Irving St NW

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