I just received the following email string. It looks like H Street just got a lot safer. We owe a huge that to everyone involved.
Bobby, this is great news. I know many people played an important part to pull this off, but I want to thank you for your hard work in coordinating all the moving parts to make this a reality. I agree, this is an important first step to ensure H Street NE is a safe place for residents and guests to enjoy.
Joseph Fengler, ANC Commissioner 6A02
fengler6a02[at]yahoo.com
Please visit our website - www.anc6a.org
[VARIOUS EMAILS]
Sent: Tue, December 8, 2009 10:16:35 PM
Subject: H Street Reimbursable Detail
Charles and Joe,
The H Street Reimbursable Detail is underway! Joe Englert has pulled together the vast majority of establishments on H Street and the Detail will begin this Friday and Saturday night from 11:30pm to 3:30am. The Detail will be from 1104 H to 1433 H. A key point, raised was Maryland Avenue at the Starburst back toward G Street through Linden Court out to H Street. That is an adjustment that Skip Coburn will probably work with Lt. Durand and Englert's group to cover.
In my opinion this is a great move and should address some of the issues raised by residents and hopefully will add great police visibility to H Street and improve the safety. This committee will continue to ask for more police on regular patrols in Sector 1 and particularly in areas from Union Station to the borders of PSA 103 and the borders of PSA 501 and 504.
--
Robert Pittman
PSA 102 Co-Coordinator
PSA 102 Neighborhood Public Safety Meetings
2nd Tuesdays at Sherwood
http://MPD1DPSA102.blogspot.com
45 comments:
I assume Pittman meant from 11:30PM to 3:30AM?
Yes, that was a typo - 11:30 p.m. until 3:30 a.m. There is a general intent to expand these times as more and more businesses sign on, but this is a great first step.
Um, so is this the same Bobby Pittman that was bashed on this site a few months ago for allegedly trying to shut down the H Street Festival and just being opposed to progress on H Street in general?
Seems like his being an integral part of getting this MUCH NEEDED police detail (which pretty much exclusively is meant to protect bar patrons), maybe he's not so anti-progress on H Street after all?
--J
It depends on what aspect you are talking about. Bobby Pittman is very involved in public safety stuff. But he makes himself an obstacle for most development in other ways. But like I said, a big thanks to all involved. And does include Bobby Pittman.
I seem to recall some discussion on this a while back, and that a few owners on H Street were holding out and not participating. Based on this post, it seems that not everyone "bought in." Do we know who is not participating in this?
I imagine I'm not the only one who would think twice before spending money at a business that decided not to chip in for a safer H Street.
Jaybeas, totally agreed. If anyone can find out who didn't participate please post a comment explaining. I will take my dollars elsewhere.
I agree with jaybeas. I'd like to know which places aren't contributing as well. They should be allowed an opportunity to explain though. For example, some places may be waiting to sign on until enough commitment is received to expand coverage to include their hours of operation. That would seem reasonable to me.
Maybe we can put big giant X's on the front of their buildings, or make them wear scarlet A's on their petticoats, or some kinda colorful triangle on their jacket. Shame them! Shame them!
It's too bad that these businesses have to pay extra bucks for what their and our tax dollars pay for. It seem to me, that this "Reimbursable Detail" stuff gives incentive to the police to not do their job. i.e Let's let crime get so bad that they will pay us extra overtime to do it.
Joe Englert said:
Firstly, I want to say we wanted to have police on the streets. I think it is great to have a police force/safety force out on the streets making people feel comfortable, keeping crowds moving and preventing them from double parking, etc.
But, I do have to admit that it is amusing that the corridor sat dormant for 40 years. Tens of millions of government dollars were poured into the area and nothing worked or worked very well. Very few jobs were created and the precious few profited.
Now the crowds are coming and alot of the onus of public safety falls on us, the small business people. I am sure big corporations such as BP, McDonald's and the inevitable Starbucks and their massive trash making machine will never pay a dime into the program.
Like I said, our goal is a cleaner, safer H, but we can laugh as we pay our dues. As one wiley business person just said, small business is like this:
"Every day someone knocks on your door. When you open the door, you discover that person is on fire. The only way to save the man is to take your hard-earned money and cover him in the cash so he lives. The man knocks on your door DAILY."
englert is right.
i'd rather ditch the shuttle and have a police force out during those hours.
or no? if one had to choose, which would be better, free shuttle or police force?
this is what i mean about dc spending money wisely......
tough stuff our local entrepreneurs have to deal with....
and that is on a serious note.
hey, tony.
if you're reading this... i had to pay a private security firm to keep my business in watford alive and well.
i will admit that i sold it after only a year or so... so...
so... i guess my business acumen leaves a bit to be desired. OR, it just got to be too much trouble.
i opt for the latter, but i'm sure patrons/associates might digress.
for me, it simply wasn't worth the profit.
it's a b*tch running your own business. there were some days that i was literally 'hiding in the bushes' to avoid creditors. granted, the system was a bit different when i was 22 and it was 1991...
but hey, i feel for you, but someone has to
oh, and.. tony.
oops. typos galore. bad grammar, etc.
but i meant to convey that it's not all that bad that there are some folks that question...
i think i would have been better off if folks would have questioned/made their concerns known/said SOMETHING.... but that was before the advent of the grand 'ol internet.
i should hop down one of these days and buy you a beer at the pug.
it's a great little joint on H. i recommend it to everyone i know.
cheers, mate!
This is great news!!!
pooopy
we were barely finished the last topic, and typing is so ponderous, especially when the kids want dinner. those bouncer firms in england, what a drag. i love frozen tropics because it is a continuous reminder that the businesses and residents care a lot about the neighborhood. also inked always publicizes my fundraisers (there is one this saturday for yellow ribbon fund). poop poop be doop we anxiously await a visit. try to come in before watford make it back to the premiership. i'll gladly buy you a baily's, whisky and stout as long as they're in a seperate glass. i'll even go down to horace and dickies, buy some fish, and mix it with some tortilla chips so you can have a seafood taco while we discuss the merits of the shuttle and police overtime.
tonyt
you, tony, are quite a funny 'mofo', as some say. i'm lucky to be seated in your establishment. no need for horace and dickey's, i still have some in my refrigerator from several days ago. i'll tag it along if i can get there in the following days. (ew)
btw, i would never order a car bomb in your place of business. i have sensitivities to the cause, you know!
but the mix is great. maybe.. name it something else, but still provide the tincture. and, in a laugh, just to justify the great mix of liquor, call it like..... like.... "f-you", and add a dash of ... clover? or make the purchaser spank the bartender if he/she doesn't speak out the foul word. or.... perhaps... vouch that "car bombs in ireland will rain down upon my head, should i ever become even close to some assemblance of the repugnant opposition"... or just not serve it. yeah, now i get your point. :)
feck it.
Do we need more cops on H St NE? You tell me. I just google mapped my place (519 H street NE). Google caught the guy in yellow but the cops didn't.
6:49:
Wow.
Re: It's too bad that these businesses have to pay extra bucks for what their and our tax dollars pay for.
Actually not true really. If the cost of providing extra police support is greater than the revenue rec'd from income, property, sales taxes and license fees, then it is not a revenue neutral or positive thing.
If these establishments "cause problems" resulting in extra police demand, it shouldn't be considered straight up an expense the police should pay for (i.e. Adams-Morgan).
If it's a matter of extra demand for service because of more patronage, and criminals respond in kind because of the opportunity, that's different, and the service should be provided as part of the normal demand-response.
But I can't stay up late any more, so I have no idea of what demand there might be for add'l police services there.
When I wrote about this wrt Adams-Morgan in 2005, I mentioned how in England, legislators actually did a walk through starting at 11pm at night, to get a sense for what was happening...
6:49:
Double wow!
Note the families strolling by as the "guy in yellow" drops trow.
Nice find.
First off, many thanks to those that contributed to this.
But I do wonder how this is done in other DC neighborhoods, and in other cities.
It seems to me that if your establishment isn't the cause of the violence then the city should be providing regular patrols as a matter of course.
If your club is the cause of the violence, that's a different story.
But by and large isn't it the patrons of establishments on H that are the victims, not the aggressors?
Does anyone know how other cities do this?
Joe Englert said:
Hillman, we paid for a reimbursable detail at Lucky Bar, south of Dupont Circle. It worked great there with the amount of petty crime and also irritating behavior going way down (double parking, stopping traffic, blocking the box, walking in the middle of the street, drunkedness).
Adams Morgan also does the details. Generally, crime and safety has improved there. But to be honest, there was such a culture of chaos there, that the business community had and still as much to overcome.
H street is young enough that we can set the tone early. "Come and have the best time. But if you drive drunk, harass women, intimidate families or endanger anybody, we will lock you up."
Our next step should definitely be a moratorium based on density of nightclub or tavern licenses.
anon @ 6:49
guy in yellow?
ps: did everyone see the story in the biz journal about costco, shoppers food warehouse and target possibly coming to fort lincoln, relatively close (20 blocks or so) from H?
http://washington.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2009/12/07/daily57.html
were you jokingly referring to the yellow google maps figure?
Soul Searcher,
If you do the google "streetview" on that address, (walk up the street to the actual address on H Street) you will see a wonderful shot of some worthless piece of sh*t wearing a yellow shirt having a nice bathroom break right on the sidewalk. His pants are fully around his ankles, but I can't tell whether he's going #1 or #2. Not that it should matter.
Aren't you glad you asked!?
Joe:
Thanks for the additional info.
I can see how you'd want extra security, but it's just that it seems we pay such high taxes to DC, then citizens are expected to pitch in and 'volunteer' for things you'd think our taxes pay for.
Like street cleanups, school repairs and cleanups, etc.
That was the main reason for my inquiry.
Big thanks to joe and the other small biz owners on H street for stepping up.
In response to the WSJ article:
Does anyone no if there are plans to bring an anchor store to the Old Hechinger Mall site. Honestly I was hoping a Target would go in there.
A key point, raised was Maryland Avenue at the Starburst back toward G Street through Linden Court out to H Street. That is an adjustment that Skip Coburn will probably work with Lt. Durand and Englert's group to cover.
Isn't that where Bobby Pittman lives? If that is the case, I will be sure to let Skip Coburn know this.
Definitely number 2. The best part is that he's facing the corner. That's amazing.
What's sad (beyond the obvious... a human being defecating in public) is that the other people on the street don't seem the least bit phased by it.
For the technically challenged:
http://tinyurl.com/yab4wqe
Vive le Street View!
Joe Englert said "Our next step should definitely be a moratorium based on density of nightclub or tavern licenses."
This is typical businessman Joe speaking to protect "Joe Englertland". We aren't falling for it Joe. HstNE is one of the longest commerical corridors in the district it can handle many more bars. It limit them now would be foolish for HstNE's growth.
But it would be good for your bars. More money for Joe.
"Vote No on the Mo....ratorium"
John
Don't be surprised to hear that ANC 6A supports the limiting of licenses. Most of them are in Joe's pocket. The chair of the ANC6A ABL committee has called for and supported a moratorium for the past couple of years. If Joe can get a moratorium on bars, his places (even the paper places) will soar in value. He's been a good neighbor, but the question remains that when he sells his places, will the next owner live up to the voluntary agreement? Are they really legally binding? Enforcement of voluntary agreements has been lax in the past.
We will be looking very closely at the "politicians" that support this Joeratorium.
I find it weird that Englert moves in and has the Argo, Dr. Granville's, Rock & Roll Hotel, HSCC, Sticky Rice, Vendetta, and Joe' Place (I can only assume it is his) and then he is for a moratorium on new bars.
He is a businessman that does not care about the entire corridor he just cares about his businesses. More bars means more competition for Joe.
I like that slogan "Vote No on the Mo...ratorium"
Mike
John, Mike, etc.
No, I don't think you understand what I am saying....not a moratorium on ALL licenses. I am saying the 1200 and now 1300 block have lots of licenses. Perhaps you could curb licenses in these particular blocks. Why not encourage more development of the 1400 block or the 1000 or 1100 block?
Also, to prevent future problems, how about limiting the number of nightclubs or taverns with entertainment licenses in a particular block?
This way, there is a great flow. A couple of places might be breakfast and lunch oriented and close in the evening. Several might gear towards the theatre crowd and wind down at 11 or 11:30. Then one or two would have live entertainment and wind down at 1 or 1:45. This way there is way less chaos and a better flow to the streets, an anti-Adams Morgan plan.
Also, more businesses with liquor licenses mean greater profit for those places serving alcohol around them. Every time a new bar or club opens up near Lucky Bar or Big Hunt, we make about 10-20% more profit. This is also happening on H. I will gladly take the cash. But don't you think there should be some kind of planning?
However, if you don't cap how many licenses that open in particular block, how can you get the retail ammenities the neighborhood deserves? How does a small ice cream store or eye glasses store or gyms or hardware store, mom and pop pharmacy or mom and pop pizza delivery store survive if EVERY building can have a liquor license?
There are about 200 buildings on H. Do you want 120, 150, 175 liquor licenses? Personally, I have a house in the French Quarter, so this doesn't really faze me, but I doubt if this is the best thing for H.
Also, I own sometimes as small as 11% of a project. There are about 25 of us who own the places I am involved with. If you think you can get rich owning ONE or TWO small bars on H, drop by my office and look at the tax returns.
Again, why not plan a little instead of just developing the street blindly?
The moratorium serves as a temporary solution to limit nightlife growth and the number of intoxicated patrons during the later hours, which also attracts muggers. With discussions of additional police presence needed using alternative funding, residents and business owners should be supportive of the moratorium. As development along the corridor continues, pedestrian activity will replace the need for increased police detail. The supply of liquor licenses should be in line with the demand of local residents, not those traveling from outside (on the shuttle). H Street is not AdMo, and should not strive to be.
well spoken matt
Inked, your We Love DC link actually links to the Gallery H website.
12/10/09 2:32
Yes, Bobby lives on Linden. Wait- people going to the bars park on my street too! I live on Wylie- can we have the detail police my street too? How about I street? Anyone else want the local businesses to pay the detail to police their street?
A. Stop forgetting about anything that is not south of H st.
B. Chip in, Bobby, if you want personalized service.
Kirsten
DC Blockshopper sez
"Joseph Fengler and Doriann Fengler bought a four-bedroom, three-bath house at 1320 Massachusetts Ave. S.E. in Capitol Hill North from Andrew Beach and Gineen Beach for $999,000 on Nov. 24." ... Shouldn't Mr. Fengler resign from ANC6A?
Dunno. Is he flipping it? Renting it out? Planning to move there, but hasn't yet? What's your evidence that that's currently his primary residence?
Thanks in advance.
I have to say that I agree. People are free to purchase real estate. The legal trigger is the moving outside of the SMD. Until that happens, give the guy a break. He isn't breaking any law.
so, no big box retailers versus small business debate over my link about costco coming right up bladensberg from us?
i kinda like the option of costco and a possible target in ne, but i was figuring you all would weigh in with the cons...
Sorry, soul searcher, I didn't respond for two reasons. One is that you didn't provide a link, just a URL; if you won't take the tiny bit of effort to wrap it in anchor tags and make it a link we can all click on, that means it's probably not worth the effort on my end to cut and paste the URL -- unless the description seems very very interesting. That wasn't the case here, because (2nd reason) to my mind, Ft. Lincoln is a long way away. Google Maps says the White House is significantly closer to 1200 H than Ft. Lincoln is. For me, you might as well be talking about Landover.
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