(Photo of 19th Street at Dupont Circle by Mike Grass)
What’s the Navy’s East Potomac Secret? In a city full of open secrets, one mystery seems to be baffling those have been visiting East Potomac Park. According to the Post, the Navy has been constructing something behind some fences. But what it is exactly is all up to speculation. The Post throws out these suggestions: a sensor station guarding the 14th Street bridges; an excavation point to construct underwater barriers to thwart a submarine attack on the city; a staging area to secure underwater cables between the White House and the Pentagon.
From the Post:
What goes on beyond the fence is a mystery. The multi-agency review normally required to erect anything on federal parkland did not apply to the beige, metal buildings. The Navy, which operates the site at Ohio and Buckeye drives SW, calls the work a “utility assessment and upgrade” and volunteers nothing more.
Even those who are upset with how the Navy went about going in and securing the site, like the U.S. Fine Arts Commission and the National Capital Planning Commission which oversee new construction on the Potomac parklands, are mum, saying that whatever the Navy’s purpose, it is to protect the capital. The Post says that the “staffs of both commissions, which review many federal agency security requests, were bypassed, and no paper trail was produced.”
Taxi Meters Now Part of D.C. Pilot Study: Don’t expect D.C. cabs to abandon the decades-old fare zone system anytime soon, but you may come across meters in a handful of District cabs as part of a pilot program spearheaded by the University of the District of Columbia, George Washington University and Howard University, the Post reports. As part of the mayor’s initiative to overhaul the D.C.’s Taxicab Commission, the city is seeking an outside assessment to figure out the best way to institute metered fares.
>> In related news, a cabbie was shot in Wheaton after an attempted robbery.
>> DCist on taxi politics.
Ward 1’s Graham Could Be Swing Vote on Stadium’s Future: The AP, via WJLA, is reporting that District Councilman Jim Graham, who represents Ward 1, may be the swing vote who holds the fate of the proposed baseball stadium in the balance. As t e mayor’s public financing plan for a new stadium on South Capitol Street faces increased scrutiny, Graham says that he is becoming increasingly concerned with the skyrocketing cost forecasts for a new facility for the Washington Nationals baseball team.
This comes as District Council Chairman Linda Cropp is preparing to introduce legislation that would put a price cap on a stadium built with public funds, which may put the mayor’s plan in jeopardy.
Briefly Noted: Violence breaks out at Bladensburg Road nightclub, killing former Wilson High School athlete, wounding 3 … City Museum closes after lackluster run … Roads are busy as people return to city after T’giving holiday …
