By Melissa Silverman Every decade, the boundaries of all eight wards of Washington, DC are reconsidered in a redistricting process that aims to ensure equitable representation across the city. The 2020 Census recorded the District’s population as 689,545, which means that, by law, each ward should have between 81,883 and […]
A Gateway to Southwest: New Frederick Douglass Bridge Opens with Community Gathering
By Melissa Silverman On a sunny Labor Day in Southwest, community members gathered to celebrate a transportation and infrastructure milestone: the completion of the new Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge. Located between Audi Field and South Capitol Street, the new bridge will ferry pedestrians, cyclists and motorists across the Anacostia River. […]
Pop-up Arboretum Hanging Out in Lansburgh Park
By District Department of Transportation Staff DDOT Urban Forestry Division and Southwest Business Improvement District (SWBID) are collaborating on a new initiative, a pop-up arboretum in Lansburgh Park, launching around August 2. The pop-up arboretum is a temporary exhibit of nineteen notable trees ranging from a young paw paw tree […]
Op-Ed: Auditor’s Report Reveals DCHA Continues to Neglect Lead Issues
By Cameron Etessami and Rachael Davis, Members of Southwest Action A November report from the Office of the DC Auditor (ODCA) highlighted major concerns regarding lead-based paint exposure in public housing. The Report asserts that the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) largely neglected to execute proper lead abatement after hazards were […]
Buzzard Point: Dusty Questions Remain
By Matt Koehler Last month, The Southwester published an article that investigated complaints of pollution and excess dust experienced by long-existing border communities and incoming residents in and around Buzzard Point. Our investigation centered around the ready-mix concrete plants that operate out of the area and delved into whether those […]
ANC 6D Submits FOIA Request for Greenleaf Redevelopment Proposals
By Fredrica Kramer, ANC 6D05 and Vice Chair, ANC 6D At its June 14, 2021 Business Meeting, ANC 6D voted to submit to the DC Housing Authority (DCHA) a formal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to review the principal documents that describe the Greenleaf redevelopment proposal. The FOIA request […]
Op-Ed: Comp Plan Amendments: What Now?
By Fredrica Kramer, ANC 6D05 and Vice Chair, ANC 6D The District’s Comprehensive Plan, adopted in 2006, is a 20-year guide to future growth and development. The Plan was amended in 2011, the Framework chapter was amended in 2020, and the full Plan is now being amended again. The Office […]