Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009 11:17 p.m.
D.C. City Councilmember Jack Evans, D-Ward 2, spoke to concerned community members about Foggy Bottom issues that included the pending K Street Transitway, the controversial Stevens School decision and the Circulator bus Tuesday at the Foggy Bottom Association’s monthly meeting.
Evans spoke of his decision to fight the deputy mayor’s office’s choice of Equity Residential to develop the Stevens School site at 21st and L streets. Residents had long expressed concern that Equity, the company behind 2400 M, would create a building that students would use for off-campus housing, and Evans said he immediately spoke to D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty about the issue.
“I called the mayor and said it was unacceptable and to cancel the news conference, which he did,” Evans said. “We don’t want another residential building here that’s going to turn into a dorm.”
Evans also urged residents to participate in the process when the developers present proposals for the West End Library and fire station, saying “You should participate because it gives you the high ground.”
Evans spoke of a desire to expand the Circulator bus service, and called for a new plan for the K Street transitway.
“When I drive on K Street, the serviceways are always blocked,” Evans said. “What we have just doesn’t work.”
Evans said bikes and buses should both be accomodated in the new plan and that “Nobody is happy with what [DDOT] has put on the table.”
Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009 6:34 p.m.
The student-run coffee cart near Gelman Library will soon be back in business after a D.C. councilmember helped secure permission Wednesday for the cart’s owner to return to the H Street spot.
Junior Simone Freeman owns and operates Sol Café, near Gelman Library. Michelle Rattinger/Assistant Photo Editor
Junior Simone Freeman’s coffee cart – known as Sol Café – was shut down last week after a D.C. health inspector, government investigator and two police officers told her she was operating the cart with an illegitimate zoning license.
Freeman said the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs – which issues business licenses to D.C. establishments – could not give her a concrete answer as to why her cart was shut down last week.
“Different people were telling me different things,” said Freeman, who is a former Hatchet photographer. When she purchased the cart from previous owner Naceur Negra in March, Freeman said she was told that she was able to operate under Negra’s zoning license.
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Sunday, June 29, 2008 8:10 p.m.
On Tuesday night, the Ward 2 Democrats endorsed current D.C. Councilmembers Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) and Kwame Browne (D-At Large) for the election this fall. Evans, a 17-year veteran of the Council, won the endorsement over Cary Silverman, a graduate of GW’s graduate and law schools and president of the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association. Brown will likely face two oponents in the primary: activists Clarence Cherry and George Jackson.
Readers of the Washington Post are saying on their blog that Evans dramatically outspent Silverman at the event and claim that his 22percent margin of victory is underwhelming for a longtime incumbent. Several commenters said Evans provided transport for his supporters and bought KFC dinners for those showed up.
Brown and Evans made headlines last year when they helped prevent the sale of public land near the West End Library to a Georgeotwn-based real estate company after initially supporting the legislation. Evans is also a staunch proponent of an annual GW-Georgetown basketball game.
Ward 2 includes Foggy Bottom, as well as the Georgetown, Shaw and Dupont Circle neighborhoods.
