Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Serving Burleith, Foxhall, Georgetown, Georgetown Reservoir & Glover Park
Vol. XXIV, No. 26
The GeorGeTown CurrenT
Hearing airs diverse views on ‘pop-ups’
Historic home altered without permit review
ChEERFUL CLEANUP
■ Georgetown: Authorities
levy fines, stop-work orders
By BRADY hOLT Current Staff Writer
John Stokes has dealt with many community issues as the chief of staff for the city’s Department of Parks and Recreation. On Thursday, though, Stokes found himself in the opposite position — a resident petitioning the D.C. government — due to a developer’s plans to convert the row house next door to his Varnum Street home into a seven-unit condo. Stokes was one of many residents asking the Zoning Commission to support proposals that would limit such “pop-up” projects in many row house neighborhoods. Many witnesses at the four-hourplus hearing were similarly affected by the developments, or feared their own blocks would be the next to see such projects. “I lose my view, I lose my privacy, I lose my wellness and the wellness of my home,” Stokes told commissioners. “I’m not sure what can be done, but this is simply not fair.” The city’s Office of Planning has developed a series of proposals See Pop-ups/Page 14
By ELIZABETh WIENER Current Staff Writer
The chimney and rooftop balustrade are gone, multipaned windows removed, a Colonial Revival front entrance altered beyond recognition, and handsome red brick walls covered in a pale stucco-like compound. What’s more, all the work was done without permits authorizing work at the imposing 1898 home in Georgetown. Now residents of the city’s most
GWU preparing to reopen Textile Museum in March Brian Kapur/The Current
Catholic University cheerleaders Alex Kimble, left, and Maria Catanoso participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend of Service by helping to remove invasive plants at Dumbarton Oaks Park. Volunteers of all ages helped clean up various sites in Rock Creek Park on Monday.
By DEIRDRE BANNON Current Correspondent
NEWS
Deirdre Bannon/The Current
Twin Springs Fruit Farm recently began operating its Maret School market year-round.
goes year-round, you can establish a certain amount of momentum,” said Aubrey King, owner of Twin Springs. “We found that with markets that close in winter, we lost a lot of that momentum and people forget
By KATIE PEARCE Current Staff Writer
about you. You hope customers still get your emails and snail mail, but every year it’s like you have to rebuild your business.” King is also able to offer his employees year-round work, which helps him retain staff. The market’s strong customer base and the amount of produce Twin Springs is able to offer also helped King make the decision. On a recent Saturday, customers at the market braved the chilly temperatures to buy items you might expect to find in January, like potatoes, carrots and butternut squash — but Twin Springs also had eight varieties of apples, cider and, perhaps surprising to some, salad greens See Markets/Page 26
SPOR TS
Bill would give free books to children ages 5 and younger — Page 3
Burke girls, boys basketball teams black out WIS — Page 9
■ Foggy Bottom: Facility to
also house Washingtoniana
Some farmers markets weather the winter When you think of farmers markets, the first associations that come to mind might be summer-specific: ripe heirloom tomatoes, fresh corn and the scent of basil wafting through the air. Yet several D.C. farmers markets are open yearround, offering fresh, locally grown produce to Northwest residents even in the winter. In fact, Twin Springs Fruit Farm, which operates eight farmers markets in the area and participates in 10 others, just decided to keep its Saturday market at the Maret School open in the winter. “When you have a market that
fiercely guarded historic district are wondering how a new owner could do so much damage to the 11-room house at 3107 Dumbarton St., once occupied by Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. And city officials are ordering the homeowner to stop work, pay fines and apply for afterthe-fact permits for alterations that probably won’t pass muster with Georgetown’s preservation authorities. “This is one of the most egregious violations of process we’ve seen in a long time,” said Tom Luebke, secretary to U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and Old GeorgeSee Dumbarton/Page 5
With the Textile Museum ready to reopen in its new Foggy Bottom location in March, there could be renewed interest in the sale of its now-vacant former home in Sheridan-Kalorama. Realtors say they’re “relaunching” the sale of the museum’s property at 2320 S St., which at $22 million is currently the priciest listing in D.C. real estate. Now that the Textile Museum has finished clearing its staff and wares, agents can show the historic property free of furnishings for the first time. “This is kind of a new beginning, to be able to show the property as empty,” said Realtor Sylvia Bergstrom of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, who said the Textile Museum had officially moved out by the end of December. But Bergstrom said agents have already been showing the 34,125-square foot property “regularly,” seeing interest from “wealthy
Brian Kapur/The Current
The new four-story complex at 21st and G streets is slated for a March 21 opening.
private individuals” as well as countries seeking an embassy or ambassador’s residence. Art collectors have also demonstrated interest, she said. The property has been on the market since the summer of 2013, after the Textile Museum teamed up with George Washington University to create a new museum complex at 21st and G streets NW. That new four-story facility is now scheduled to open on March 21. In addition to the Textile Museum’s collection of more than 19,000 objects dating back to 3000 B.C., the new Foggy Bottom complex See Museum/Page 5
INDEX
NEWS
Garrison community fears diversion of modernization funds — Page 5
Calendar/18 Classifieds/25 District Digest/2 Exhibits/19 In Your Neighborhood/8 Opinion/6
Police Report/4 Real Estate/13 School Dispatches/16 Service Directory/23 Sports/9 Theater/21
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