Nw 08 24 2016

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NEWS

SPORTS

NEWS

INDEX

King’s speech

Back to football

Roosevelt reopens

Calendar/15 Classifieds/23 District Digest/2 Exhibits/17 Getting Around/20 In Your Neighborhood/14

Wilson student arranges event to hear ‘I Have a Dream’ at Fort Reno Park this weekend / Page 3

Petworth high school unveils renovations as new principal outlines global curriculum / Page 5

St. John’s, Gonzaga make final preparations to kick off the season Saturday / Page 11

Opinion/8 Police Report/10 Real Estate/13 Service Directory/21 Sports/11 Week Ahead/3

Tips? Contact us at newsdesk@currentnewspapers.com

the nOrthWest Current

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Shelter critics filing lawsuit against D.C.

PANDA PARTY

Agency repairing flood damage to Broad Branch ■ Transportation: Project

area to shift later this week

By CUNEYT DIL

Current Correspondent

A group of neighbors opposing the proposed D.C. General replacement homeless shelter in Ward 3 plan to file a lawsuit today alleging the city failed one mark in drafting the plan: weighing Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3C’s opinion. These commission’s stances on a host of issues, from liquor licenses to zoning proposals, are to be afforded “great weight” by the city government under District law. The lawsuit, filed by a group called Neighbors for Responsive Government and more than a dozen Northwest residents, argues that the D.C. Council “defaulted on its obligation to seek community input from the affected ANC and to give that input ‘great weight.’” Back in late May, in an effort to cut costs, the D.C. Council amended Mayor Muriel Bowser’s plan to close the D.C. General homeless See Shelter/Page 6

Vol. XLIX, No. 34

Serving Communities in Northwest Washington Since 1967

By BRADY HOLT Current Staff Writer

Brian Kapur/The Current

In honor of panda cub Bei Bei’s first birthday, the National Zoo held a birthday celebration Saturday that included treats for all of the Zoo’s pandas. Bei Bei ended up sleeping through the party — which left his mother, Mei Xiang (shown), free to enjoy his frozen birthday cake.

A stretch of Broad Branch Road NW in Chevy Chase is still undergoing repairs as the D.C. Department of Transportation continues to address impacts from an Aug. 15 flood and other nearby issues. The section of roadway just outside of Rock Creek Park — between 27th and 32nd streets NW — ended up under about a foot of water last Monday night during a torrential rainfall, witnesses estimate. Rushing water washed away a section of the road’s edge, including its curb and gutter, and the Transportation Department shut it down for repairs last Tuesday afternoon. Agency spokesperson Terry Owens originally estimated that work would be completed this past weekend. However, he told The Current last night that the roadway has been open only periodically since Saturday, with daily

Photo courtesy of D.C. government

The District is trying to control erosion along the road.

closures from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Meanwhile, on Thursday, “the repair effort will shift to another stretch of Broad Branch Road between 27th and Davenport [streets] and require another full closure. No timeline for completion,” Owens wrote in an email last night. Agency director Leif Dormsjo told members of Advisory Neighborhood Commission 3/4G (Chevy Chase) yesterday afternoon that crews “found 3 more locations nearby that need immediate attention,” according to an email shared with The Current. Owens said he wasn’t able to speculate on what specifically See Road/Page 6

Planned electronic signs face pushback from city By MARK LIEBERMAN Current Staff Writer

Large digital signs have started going up on the sides of buildings citywide, with more in the works — but in some cases, the D.C. government and other stakeholders dispute the legality and appropriateness of the additions. Digi Outdoor Media, based in Snoqualmie, Wash., plans to tap into what it sees as the underserved market of the nation’s capital, according to a company brochure obtained by The Current. More than 50 signs at 20 sites are listed in the company’s plan, including 31 signs at 12 locations in Northwest. The company describes itself on its web site as a “uniquely positioned digital outdoor advertising company with lucrative offerings in top U.S. markets.” Many of the locations planned for sign installations are centered in Foggy Bottom and in various parts of downtown, as well as several on New York

Photo courtesy of Rob Smith

The 14-foot-by-48-foot digital sign at 2850 New York Ave. NE is one of more than 50 that Digi Outdoor Media plans to erect throughout the District.

Avenue NE and two in Upper Northwest. The locations include mixed-use buildings at 1101 Vermont Ave. NW, 1200 New Hampshire Ave. NW, 1 Thomas Circle NW, 2100 M St. NW and 1901 L St. NW, as well as the George Washington University Media and Public Affairs Building at 805 21st St. NW; the Woodies building at 1020 G St. NW; the Chevy Chase Pavilion at 5335 Wisconsin Ave. NW; 1350 See Signs/Page 7


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