Second Proposal for a Medical Marijuana Dispensary on the 1500 Block of 7th Street, NW

As previously reported on this website, an organization named Compassion Centers of America, LLC, filed an application with the Department of Health (DOH) to locate a medical marijuana dispensary at 1539 7th Street, NW.

That wasn't the only application DOH received for the 1500 block of 7th Street, NW.  A group called The Green House, LLC, filed an application to open a medical marijuana dispensary at 1537 7th Street, NW.

The Green House's application (heavily redacted by DOH), biographies of The Green House's key personnel, and an organizational narrative are after the jump.  (The biographies and organizational narrative were distributed by ANC Commissioner Kevin Chapple.  Commissioner Chapple has scheduled a public meeting on both applications for Friday, January 17, 2012; more information is after the jump.)

The District's medical marijuana law allows only 5 dispensaries, and 17 applications have been filed with the Department of Health.  The Department of Health plans to announce the list of approved applications in the first week of May.

The location of a dispensary on 7th Street, NW, is not assured, but the fact that two applications were filed for 7th Street seems to increase the odds of a dispensary locating there. Do you think the 1500 block of 7th Street is a good location for a medical marijuana dispensary?  Will it hurt the neighborhood's revitalization?  Is it an important asset for those in need?  Please post your comments.

A list of organizations that filed medical marijuana dispensary applications, DOH's review timeline, information on the upcoming ANC meeting, the application of The Green House, biographies of key personnel of The Green House, and The Green House's organizational narrative are all available after the jump.

Wanda Sykes is Howard Theatre's Opening Act

An interesting tidbit of information ... Wanda Sykes is scheduled to perform at the Howard Theatre from April 13 through April 15, 2012 (see http://bit.ly/x0ZQQK).  That's right after the theater's grand opening gala, scheduled for April 12 (http://www.howardtheatre.org/gala-tribute-concert.html).  So it looks like Wanda Sykes will be the opening act for the reborn Howard Theatre.  Tickets for the Wanda Sykes shows are now available.

Update: An apparent soft opening, featuring Wale, will take place on April 9.  Tickets are available here.

Historic Preservation Hearing on Proposal to Demolish 1232-1236 New Jersey Avenue, NW, to be Held on February 16, 2012

1232-1236 New Jersey Avenue, NW

A hearing will be held this week by the Mayor's Agent for Historic Preservation on the proposal to demolish the three buildings located at 1232-1236 New Jersey Avenue, NW, and owned by the Third Street Church of God.  The church wants to demolish the buildings, which are located in the Mount Vernon Square Historic District, as part of a project to expand its parking lot.

Both the Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) and Historic Preservation Office (a division of the Office of Planning) oppose demolition of the structures, although they support partial demolition of the rear of the structures.

However, the final decision (barring a lawsuit) will be made by the Mayor's Agent.

According to the Mayor's Agent notice, the church claims that failure to issue a permit to demolish the entire structures will result in unreasonable economic hardship to the church.

The Mayor's Agent hearing is scheduled for Thursday, February 16, 2012, at 10:00 a.m., at the Office of Planning, 1100 4th Street, SW, Suite E650.

A history of the raze permit request, along with links to prior HPRB documents are after the jump.

Medical Marijuana Dispensary Applicant for 1539 7th Street, NW, Provides Additional Information; Questions Raised Regarding Staff Bios

Compassion Centers of America, LLC (CCA) — the applicant for a medical marijuana dispensary at 1539 7th Street, NW — provided ANC Commissioner Kevin Chapple with documents summarizing its proposed operations and describing the backgrounds of its key personnel.

Both documents appear after the jump, along with questions I have raised regarding the biographical information provided for two of the three key personnel of CCA.

Some interesting pieces of information from the summary document include the following:

Outside Appearance
Regarding the outside appearance of the dispensary, the summary document states that "[t]he appearance of our secure dispensary will be unremarkable and will feature minimal signage, none of which will include the word 'marijuana' or any visual depictions of marijuana. Only a green cross logo, a known symbol of a medical marijuana dispensary, will be visible on the front of the dispensary along with a small sign identifying the site as that of the Compassion Centers of America, LLC. No exterior signage will be illuminated."

Hours of Operation
Regarding hours of operations, the summary document states: "The dispensary business hours for patients and caregivers are Monday – Saturday, 9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.  Deliveries will only be accepted at the dispensary Monday – Saturday, 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m."

Starting Date of Operations
The summary document states that CCA "plans to initiate permit applications for buildout immediately after receiving the approval for a medical marijuana dispensary permit on March 30, 2012 and after we have secured our license."  It adds that "[t]he dispensary will be fully operational within five (5) months from issuance of a license, which will likely be in August 2012."  Since the Department of Health does not plan to announce which applicants have been selected for licenses until May 4, 2012 (see http://bit.ly/zwQFNS), the starting date information in the summary document appears to be incorrect or outdated.

Shuttle and Valet Service
Interestingly, both shuttle bus and valet service will be provided.  The summary document states, "In order to ensure the safety of our patients and to prevent the theft of medical marijuana from them, CCA will provide shuttle service to the Shaw-Howard University Metro stop, as well as valet service in front of the building for patients who drove to the dispensary."

More Information...
The complete summary document and the staff bios appear after the jump.  Also appearing after the jump are questions I have raised regarding the staff bios.

Who Owns 1539 7th Street, NW (the Site of the Proposed Medical Marijuana Dispensary)?

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to engage with the owners of 1539 7th Street, NW, who appear to be willing to lease space in that building for a medical marijuana dispensary?  Well, although it appears that the owners of the Shaw business Blue Skye Development and Construction are also the owners of 1539 7th Street, NW, Blue Skye has failed to respond to my requests for comment on the proposed medical marijuana dispensary. I am hopeful that by bringing this information to the attention of Shaw residents, the owners will engage in a discussion with the community.

More information on my search for the owners is after the jump.

If you have any additional information about who owns the building, or how to contact them, please email me or post your information in the comments section.

JBG Florida Avenue Project: New Renderings

UrbanTurf has posted updated renderings of the JBG project planned for Florida Avenue, NW, between 7th and 9th Streets. Check out the renderings at http://bit.ly/wG0wiS.

According to the JBG website,"the lots of the Florida Avenue Project are 15,956 square feet, 8,621 square feet and 3,799 square feet respectively, totaling 28,376 square feet."  Also according to JBG, "preliminary feasibility studies for the project have included a mixed-use plan with residential units above a retail podium, conforming to the Duke [Framework] Plan that seeks to establish “a cultural destination district within in the greater Shaw/U Street neighborhood”."

The Duke Framework Plan, a product of the District's Office of Planning that establishes goals for the redevelopment of the 7th Street/Georgia Avenue and U Street/Florida Avenue commercial corridors in the vicinity of 7th and U Streets, NW, can be viewed at http://1.usa.gov/xjKwfZ.

Interactive Map of Vacant and Blighted Buildings in Shaw

Note: The map in this post has been updated. For the more recent map, click here.
After attending the ANC2C meeting this past Wednesday (February 1, 2012) — at which one of the topics of discussion was the vacant buildings on 9th Street, NW, owned by Shiloh Baptist Church — it occurred to me that it might be helpful to have a map showing all of the buildings in the Shaw area that have been designated as vacant or blighted by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA).  So, based on data available online from DCRA, I've created an interactive blighted/vacant buildings map, which is available after the jump.

Under District law, vacant buildings are taxed at a rate that is about 6 times higher than the rate for occupied residential buildings and blighted buildings are taxed at a rate that is over 11 times higher than the rate for occupied residential buildings.  Therefore, designation of a building as vacant or blighted creates a significant incentive for the owner to redevelop, rehabilitate, or sell the property, ultimately improving quality of life in the neighborhood.

The map allows residents to see which buildings in the Shaw area have been designated as blighted, which have been designated as vacant only, and which have been designated as exempt.

The map will also help residents ensure that all buildings that should be designated as vacant or blighted are actually designated, by reporting any vacant buildings that are not included on the map.  If you know of any blighted or vacant building that are missing from the map, please add a comment to the post (and please also consider contacting  DCRA at vacantproperty@dc.gov to report the property).  Please note that vacant land (that is, empty lots) is not covered by the vacant/blighted property law and therefore are not included on the map.

I will also be adding any relevant notes to each property, if I receive notes from readers or from DCRA. Please leave a comment, or email me directly, with any information that should be added as notes (such as historical information regarding the property, links to stories about the property, etc.).

The map is after the jump.  The DCRA standards for designating vacant and blighted buildings, and the exemptions from the vacant and blighted building law, are also after the jump.