Photo by Richard Layman
The notice below was sent out by the Trinidad Neighborhood Association. It concerns the now vacant Webb Elementary School (Mt. Olivet Road) in Trinidad.
Though it appears that a good majority of the community was unaware, the Department of General Services (DGS) held another public meeting on the disposition of Webb E.S. as a surplus property. Webb was taken off the February public meeting agenda at the last minute, and DGS conducted an analysis of the property to identify whether or not it was suitable for a District agency use. Ultimately, such a use was not identified, and DGS held another meeting on May 17 to explain why the school is being surplused, to explain what the next steps are in the disposition process, and to solicit input from the community. You can review the presentation slides from that meeting here.
TNA was not notified of the May 17 meeting - when we found out about it this week, we contacted DGS for more information. We received the presentation slides, and notice that the public record is open until Monday, June 11. We have requested a week extension to this deadline, and will update this post if that extension is granted.
In the meantime, please submit your written testimony, which will be added to the record of the public hearing, by 5:00 pm on Monday, June 11 to Brian Hanlon, Acting Director of DC Department of General Services, at my.dgs@dc.gov, cc'ing Althea O. Holford, Realty Specialist, at althea.holford@dc.gov.
19 comments:
OT: anyone have any info on Cosbah (I think that's how they're spelling it), the place that appears to be going in at 12th and H in the space that formerly held Naby's Island and the Rib Tip? A little birdie told me that there may be a hookah bar aspect to it? Anyone with any info?
Prince of Petworth has done a few posts on it.
http://www.princeofpetworth.com/2012/03/quick-peek-inside-casbah-coming-to-h-st-ne-plus-its-gonna-have-an-awesome-patio/
for the webb building, how about a trader joes or a whole foods?!?! or maybe a mixed use development that has condos with granite counter tops?!?!
I live across the street from Webb -- how about we use it as a < GASP > school? ALL the children in my neighborhood used to go to Webb and now are trekking across the city to attend different DCPS Schools. If not to be used as a school -- I certainly don't want the hassle of a grocery store when there's already a 24-hr Denny's in my backyard!
"ALL the children in my neighborhood used to go to Webb and now are trekking across the city to attend different DCPS Schools."
Um, no. Maybe a few of them decided to go elsewhere, but mostly they are going to Wheatley.
condos, condos, condos. please. and maybe some townhouses.
Students are not trekking all over the city they now go to Wheatley Education Campus on Neal St. and their is a bus available for those students a bit closer to the old building. The students you see going to other schools is probably students headed to a charter school else where in the city.
Just saw that Manny and Olga's is coming to H Street NE. Wonder where?
http://www.pr.com/press-release/419462
seems like with the nice armored windows, and steel fire doors, Webb Elementary would be a good place to hold out during A Zombie Apocalypse.
Perhaps some survivalist types could pick it up and
buy it as an urban outpost just in case they can't make it to the rural fortress of doom :-)
I hope all the anonymous people commenting here will actually take a minute and shoot an email to DGS with their opinion.
Snark is fun, but it doesn't help shape our city.
I hope all the anonymous people commenting here will actually take a minute and shoot an email to DGS with their opinion
I'm not sure why they need community input. Sell it. Give first-bidder rights to any charter that can come up with a market price. If not, sell it on the open market.
At one point, DC had a population of 800,000--a much greater percentage of which were school aged children than today. And as a legacy of pre- Brown vs BOE policies, we had an even greater number of schools than such numbers required.
That inflated number of facilities serving an ever-shrinking number of kids has been a huge drag on DC in general, and DCPS in particular.
According to the presention:
The District Conducted a Request for Offers (RFO) open to
all charter schools pursuant to Landrieu Act.
The RFO was issued by the Office of Property Management
(now DGS) on May 18, 2009 for the Webb School.
There were no offers on the site. Thus no charter school
was awarded the site.
So they already offered to to the PCS community and no one bid. Interesting, aren't charter proponents always complaining about a lack of buildings?
oboe: if that's your opinion, send it to DGS. they aren't reading the comments here.
(FYI, there's more to it than just offering a building to a charter school. The charter organization would have to pay to bring the building up to code, etc., and they often don't have the money to make up for the years of deferred maintenance from the city.)
FWIW, the deadline for testimony has been extended to Friday.
What did you recommend Geoff?
fatty: (Do I know you?)
My preference would be for a middle school, with joint programming at the neighboring rec center, that would lead to more things being offered at the rec center (a pool? community garden? classes for all residents?) and hopefully the rec center being open more hours.
I realize that middle school would be a charter, not DCPS, as they're not looking to locate one of the proposed middle schools in that building.
you don't know me, I was just curious what you had in mind. I think that would be a good use for the building.
I'm suggesting an expansion of the rec center per say. In my perfect world there would be a pool, a free movie theater(with old, cheap films), a tiny amphitheater, another splash park, more basketball courts, anything cheap that gives kids constructive things to do(although the free movie theater woudn't be so cheap.
"So they already offered to to the PCS community and no one bid. Interesting, aren't charter proponents always complaining about a lack of buildings?"
they want buildings that are metro accessible and/or centrally located. webb is in a no man's land and across the street from a cemetery.
they want buildings that are metro accessible and/or centrally located. webb is in a no man's land and across the street from a cemetery.
I don't doubt it, but in that case, the push towards "neighborhood preference" for charters is a pretty clear cut injustice.
Does Galluadet not want it?
Post a Comment